I give permission for this sermon to used in its fullness for the glory of God.
TREASURE IN HEAVEN
Please open your Bible to I Corinthians 2 as we begin a new series regarding the eternal rewards of heaven, with today’s message, “Treasure in Heaven.” The Bible speaks of rewards in heaven that are beyond our imagination and yet, many Christians have no idea how important these rewards are, and their meaning in eternity. For some of you, this will be an eye-opening series. It is my prayer this series will open your eyes, and inspire you to live a life that honors God, and reaps great rewards.
1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. NKJV
THE TREASURES AND REWARDS OF HEAVEN
Heaven is a place of treasures and rewards that God has in store for those who love Him. Many Christians know very little about the rewards of heaven, and yet, the Bible very clearly says it is God’s perfect plan to reward those who love Him with eternal treasures and rewards that are so magnificent, and so unbelievable, that nothing on earth can compare with them.
To begin, I first want to unravel some of the mindsets that believers have regarding God’s desire to reward us with His unlimited treasures in eternity.
For example, some Christians have the mistaken idea that rewards in heaven are not important. They usually say something like, “As long as I am in heaven, that’s all I care about.” That attitude is a very big mistake, and I will show you in this series, why you should care very much about the rewards of heaven. Rewards are important, because they represent God’s approval of how you lived your life on earth.
Christians also have the mistaken idea that all of us will receive the same rewards and honors in heaven. I can assure you that is absolutely, not the case. I Corinthians 3, which we will look at later in this series, clearly shows that God will test our works and our faithfulness to see if we are worthy of heavenly rewards. The point is, some Christians will be greatly rewarded, and then sadly, some Christians will receive lesser rewards, or lose rewards, because of how they lived their life. Let that thought sink in for just a moment.
People want to be called great on earth. But the greatest position on earth will never match the lowest position in heaven. One day in eternity, Jesus will examine how you lived your life as a believer, and He will determine what rewards you will receive. These rewards are vitally important because are directly related to future responsibilities and privileges that Jesus will personally give to you based on how you lived your life on earth. Capture this powerful truth; how you live your life on earth now, will ultimately determine your rewards and greatness in heaven. That’s why Paul said, we must run our God given race with all our heart.
The rewards of heaven are so important in terms of their significance, that some Christians will be shocked and filled with great sorrow because they did not live a faithful life of good works on earth. Listen to Revelation 21…
Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away." NKJV
Why will God wipe away the tears from our eyes? One reason is because of lost rewards that Christians could have had, if they had just walked with Christ and given Him the best of their life. That’s why this series is so vitally important. How you live your life on earth now, has immense eternal implications.
Even if we live to be 100, our life on earth is still very short. The point is, how you live your life, now, will forever determine your eternal standing in heaven. If you knew… If you really knew just how highly valued these rewards and privileges are in heaven, you would make every effort to obtain them.
I cannot overemphasize what these rewards and privileges will mean for you in eternity. Consider this; the rewards of heaven are so important that the disciples argued over them; Paul desired them, and Jesus said to store them.
Every person in this room will have some kind of impact on eternity, the only question is, what kind of impact will it be? It all boils down to this one important question; what kind of life are you living that prepares you to stand before Jesus Christ in eternity?
WHAT ARE THE TREASURES OF HEAVEN?
The treasures of heaven are so valuable, that even the smallest treasure of heaven holds special meaning and is worth far beyond anything you can imagine.
These rewards are so magnificent and so important that Jesus said…
Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NKJV
Jesus said, to store up treasures in heaven. Hear those words, treasures in heaven...
The word treasure implies something very valuable. The treasures of heaven are like diamonds that are to be sought out and dug out. What are the treasures of heaven?
God’s word shows that the treasures of heaven are divided into at least four parts.
First, there are the rewards for our good works for Christ and His kingdom.
Jesus said… Revelation 22:12 “behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.”
The rewards of heaven are eternal, and they are directly related to future positions and responsibilities you will hold in heaven for all eternity. For example, there are rewards for service, rewards for honor, and rewards for faithfulness, and giving just to name a few. I will cover these in greater detail later in this series, but for now, understand this; how you live your life now, will forever determine your position in the kingdom of God, and it is God’s desire that you prepare now for eternity.
Second, there are at least five amazing crowns that will be handed out, and each one of them is very significant. Crowns symbolizes a person’s right to rule. When we see a person in heaven with a crown, we will instantly know they have a position of authority and the right to rule. If you knew the significance of these heavenly crowns, you would make every effort to gain them. Later in this series, we will look at these crowns and their eternal significance.
Third, Jesus has also reserved special promises for those who overcome. These promises of rewards are graciously given by Jesus in the form of special privileges.
In the first three chapters of Revelation, Jesus revealed seven promises filled with special privileges for those who overcome. These privileges for those who overcome will be among some of the most cherished treasures and privileges in heaven. We will cover these promises in detail later in this series, but for now, I just want to whet your appetite for them.
Fourth, as believers in Christ, we have a spectacular inheritance that is so great it staggers the mind. God has reserved this great inheritance in heaven for all who love Him.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you… NKJV
For every believer in Christ, our inheritance in heaven is so great that nothing on earth can match it, and it will take all of eternity to measure its worth. This eternal inheritance is God’s gift to every believer who loves and believes in His Son, Jesus Christ. If you are a believer in Jesus, God has reserved for you an inheritance in heaven that is more valuable than all the combined treasures of this world. Glory to God!
FOUR THINGS ABOUT THE TREASURES OF HEAVEN
Later in this series, we will revisit Jesus words in Matthew 6 about the treasures of heaven, but for now, I want to point out four powerful truths.
First, Jesus said heaven is a place of great treasures. When we think of vast treasurers, we think of great wealth, power, influence, comforts, and pleasures. Picture in your mind, what it would be like, if you were to own, all the wealth, power, and resources, of this world. Get that picture in your mind. Then remember that Jesus once said, what profits a man if he gains all the wealth and treasures of this world and yet loses his own soul. If one soul is worth more than all the combined wealth and power of this world, how much more valuable are the treasures of heaven that God has in store for those who love Him. The treasures of heaven are so stunning in their value and meaning, and are so perfect in glory and beauty they surpass everything you could possibly imagine.
Second, Jesus said to store up your treasures in heaven. To store is an action word that implies something you must do, which means you are responsible for where you store your treasures. Heaven is the only place where we can store treasures that will last forever and never be lost, and we do that by our giving and our good works that honor and glorify Jesus.
Third, Jesus also said the treasures of heaven are eternal. The concept of eternity is amazing. Eternity is forever, and cannot be measured by time. It transcends time, and stands outside the limits of time.
The point is this; your life on earth is very brief, and yet, what you do on earth in your short lifetime, will count for all eternity. Your life here on earth, even if you live to be 100, is nothing in comparison to eternity. And yet, many people are living their lives with absolute ignorance of eternity and its ramifications.
Every Christian will stand before Jesus Christ in the highest court of the universe called the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the decision He makes on that day regarding your life will be an eternal decision. It will be a forever decision that will never be changed.
That’s why it is imperative that you live for eternity. Some Christians will stand before Christ at His Judgment Seat, and will be shocked to discover they wasted their God given potential on the worthless,
and vain things of this world.
I have said this a hundred times, and I say it again; our true home is not on this earth. Our true home is in the eternal Kingdom of God that He has prepared for those who love Him. Now is the time to live for Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. Now is the time to live for eternity. How you live right now, for Jesus Christ, will determine your level of greatness and responsibility in eternity. Remember that Jesus said, “He who is faithful in the little things, will be placed in charge of many things.” Matthew 25:21
Fourth, there are many things that are important to God, but the condition of your heart is the most important of all. Jesus said it is your heart that reveals what you truly treasure in life. That’s the big question, what do truly treasure in your heart? Your answer to that question will determine a great deal about your life in eternity.
Jesus said… Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NKJV
Whatever your heart is set upon, that is where your true treasures are located. If you store the treasures of your heart on earth, that is all you will ever have. But, if you store your treasures in heaven, your treasure will be there waiting for you and they will last forever.
When we stand before the Lord Jesus at His Judgment Seat, He will search the depths of your heart to see if you have any eternal treasures buried there.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts. NKJV
When the Lord Jesus looks in your heart, what kind of treasure will He find? Will He find your heart filled with the temporal treasures of this world, or with the treasures of heaven that will last forever? For where your heart is, that’s also where your treasure is.
IN CLOSING
I leave you with these final thoughts. Jesus promises that a day of rewards is coming. Just as Jesus is very generous with His love, His forgiveness, and His compassion, He is also very generous in giving treasures and rewards and privileges, because it is His great desire to reward you beyond all measure.
Rewards are a big deal to the Lord, and on that day when we stand before Him, the rewards of heaven will also be a very big deal to us. Everyone in heaven, for all eternity, will see our rewards, and our crowns, and they will know that we loved the Lord and were faithful to Him, even in times of sacrifice.
His heart’s desire is to bless you with great rewards. His heart’s desire is to say, “Well Done good and faithful servant!” That’s why we must understand the seriousness of these rewards and live our lives now, for His Kingdom.
Remember this, and never forget it; life on earth is very short, but what you do with your short time on earth, will count for all eternity. You have this one chance to get it right, because the life you live now, will determine your life and standing in heaven. And remember, that heaven is eternal and forever.
Some of you may think your life is small and amounts to nothing, but that is not what God sees. God does not see you as the world sees you.
He sees your acts of love and forgiveness. He sees your every act of kindness. He sees you’re your
heart is for Him, and that you are storing the treasures of your heart in His eternal kingdom of glory. But sadly, He also sees those whose hearts are for themselves, and this world. I sincerely ask the Lord to purge from my heart anything that hinders my walk with Him, and prevents me from storing up treasures in heaven.
I know that life can be hard and difficult, and some of us have been dealt a difficult hand. But I humbly ask that you listen to these words from Hebrews 10.
Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore
do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. NKJV
What God has in store for us is not just rewards, but great reward; rewards that are so great in their measure that no treasure on earth can be compared with them.
There is so much at stake here. Far more than you can ever believe or realize. I am sincerely praying you will capture in your heart what all this means and put it into practice. I personally believe that Jesus is the greatest treasure of heaven, and since He is heaven’s greatest treasure, I want to make every effort to please Him, and be close to Him for all eternity. That is the desire of my heart, and I hope it will become yours also.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. NKJV
The work you do for the Lord because you love Him will never be forgotten or lost. His plans are to reward each of us with great rewards, not just for the big things, but even for the little things that no one sees. The Lord loves you so very much and He wants you to being now to prepare for eternity, and to make every moment of your life an opportunity to honor the Lord and bring Him glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. NKJV
May you begin today to live for the Lord, and may He greatly reward your every effort to love Him and pursue His kingdom.
