2002.12.08. A Christian and Money (5) - Rev. Young Jin Cho

"Store Up In Heaven"

Matthew 6:19-21

My sermon last week was under the title of "We cannot serve two masters" on the basis of Matthew 6:24. Christians cannot serve God and money at the same time. We are the steward who serve our God as our Master. This belief to server God as our Lord must be confessed from the perspective of money as well. This belief must especially apply to our moneymaking endeavor. The goal of moneymaking must be changed. Making money cannot be the goal of our life. Making money is a means to pursue a life of glorifying God. And for Christians, the means of moneymaking must also be changed. We must earn money honestly and sincerely. Gambling is not a Christian way.

From the money perspective, what is more difficult than earning is how to use it correctly? How to use the hard-earned money is directly involved with one's belief, value system, and character. If we see how one spends money we can see the depth of his faith and maturity of his character. We must confess our faith in serving God as our Lord through our use of money. Our belief in God must be applied to our checkbooks, our ledger of income and outgoes. For us Christians, how should our use of money be different? When we serve God as the Lord of our life, history and money, how should we live as his stewards?

I

Simply put, we must use money according to God's wish. We must use money to please God and follow his wish. Why is it bad to use money as I wish? It is my hard-earned money, why can't I use it as I wish? Those who ask this kind of question are still under the illusion that our money belongs to us. Still there was no transformation in the understanding of money. Is money really mine? Is it something I can possess for good? No! Christians do not consider money as our own.

Money is something that God entrusted to us while we live. We are His stewards and God is the master. Therefore, its use must coincide with His will. A good and loyal steward is the one who administers money according to God's will. If so, what's the will of God who is our master?

How does He want us to use money as his stewards? The answer is found in today's scripture, Mathew 6:15. Jesus is telling disciples, yes, us today. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy where thieves do not break-in and steal. For where your treasures, there your heart will be also. Within these words, our Lord God's will is clearly shown. His will is that we should not store up treasures on this earth, but store up in heaven. My congregation, what is the meaning of storing up treasures in heaven? What must we do to store up treasures in heaven?

First, to store up treasures in heaven, we must first send. If we hold on to them on earth, we cannot send them to heaven. If I hold on to them and only store up here on earth, there is no means of sending them to heaven. The way to send them to heaven is to use money for the kingdom of God and to please God. There are no other ways of sending money to heaven than to use it correctly according to God's will. Express mail, Federal Express, UPS will not reach to heaven. Only through its correct use on this earth, can we send them to heaven.

A story by Henry Van Dyke went like this. One day a person went to heaven in his dream. Guided by an angel, he went along a long time and reached to a house that was reserved for him. He was disappointed by the condition of the house. It was a shack with poor columns. But the house next to it was beautiful. He asked out of curiosity. Whose house is this? Why is this house so big and beautiful? The angel answered. This house belongs to the poor doctor who lives in your neighborhood. The reason why this house is so big and beautiful is that the material sent from the earth built this house in heaven. The doctor helped the countless, practiced love, sent lots of material to heaven. But you have sent very little and that's why your house looks meager. In order to store up treasures in God's kingdom, you must open your purse for God's kingdom.

A poem by an unknown poet went like this.

The dead man's garment has no pocket.
Spend your money while you are alive.
Do not brag while you are hoarding it.
You cannot take it with you.
The dead man's garment has no pocket.
God cannot help you any more while you are lying in the cemetery.
Even though you may be rich while you are alive,
When dead, you will be penniless.
Use that money to shine the lives of those who are tired of life.
Leave the bank statement for heaven.
And store up treasures for God.

II

Let me give you some specific steps to take in order to live the life of storing up treasures in Heaven.

(1) Above all, do not block the share that should be given to God. To give to God that is due to God is the beginning of storing up treasures in Heaven. I will say again that money does not belong to me. God has entrusted to me. God is the master. We are his stewards. Prophet Haggai cried out. "Silver is mine, gold is mine. It is the words of Jehovah." The Lord's people confessed their belief that God is the master over our treasures by giving him tithe. My congregation! If you think there is a better way to confess that God is the Master over our treasures and if the alternative way is biblically correct, then take it. If not, I wish you start with giving tithe and even go beyond the tithe.

(2) Second, it is important for the stewards to give honestly what is due to God. Christians must be sincere in this field also. If you don't pay taxes and only be loyal to the church, is it any virtue? Is God going to be pleased? If you don't pay fair wages to your employees and boast of paying the tithe, is it any virtue? Jesus said: "what belongs to Caesar, pay to Caesar. Within this world, pay honestly what you have and pay fair wages to your employees. And it will store up treasures in Heaven.

(3) Avoid extravagance and live frugally. I will state clearly. It is a sin to live extravagantly. Why? Because you are using the entrusted treasure for yourselves only. Our Lord also lived a frugal life. Elder Kim, who led a Poverty-Blessing Movement always said: Jesus fed the multitude of 5000 by 5 barley breads and 2 fish, and commanded not to throw away the left-over and keep them in 12 baskets. This is an example of saving. The elder said: "Do not rub soap more than 3 times. When he was about to die, his family member dried his tears with the tissue paper. He said to use handkerchief and not to waste the tissue paper. He was very frugal when it comes to his own self, but very generous when it comes to helping others.

Why must we avoid extravagance? It is in order to share more with others. And it is the will of God who has entrusted us. If you don't understand this very God's will and live only for money, live wasteful and extravagant life, you will be scolded by God on the final day. Sometime ago I listened to a Korean radio station, which reported that all the high priced luxury goods are sold out instantly. Handbags and watch worth several million Wons are all sold - it is a tragedy. The most expensive French wine - Romane Conti costing $4,000 -10,000 were all sold out instantly. IMF was only 5 years ago. Korea has not awakened yet. On that day, the broadcaster said: "people recognize you only if you use this kind of products." This is truly a misguided behavior.

Live a frugal life: designer clothes will not increase your human worth; luxury cars will not make you high-class individuals. Christians must break this illusion. As Rev John Wesley said: "Earn as you can, save as you can, and give as you can." To give more, one has to be more frugal. Money and consumption will not give a satisfaction in life. The true meaning in life is not on earth but to seek the life of storing up treasure in Heaven. Several years ago, I admonished the congregation to lower one class in car ownership and give more to our neighbors and God. After the sermon, someone in the congregation said: "Rev Cho didn't help me with a single penny when I was buying a car and now is telling me to lower one class of car and not to ride a luxury car." The same person may be sitting here today. But, I must deliver the same message again to you who believe in God. J. L. Kraft, the president of the Kraft Cheese Corporation has given 25 % of his income to the Kingdom of God. He said:" my only investment that forever grows is the money I give to God." The minister's most important mission is to help his congregation realize God's truth regarding the stewardship of time and money.

(4) Fourth, continue to pursue the life of helping to spread the gospel and to practice love. This is how to store up treasures in Heaven. You have to be transformed beyond thinking that you give only when you have and don't give when you don't have any. It should be the life's style. To give only when you feel like and not to give when you don't feel like represents an immature attitude. The life of giving must be our life style. To do so, you should set aside a share to help your neighbors and the poor. It depends upon your individual situation. Rev Kim, who wrote a book, "Clean Rich Man" advised that in view of the fact that every 3 years the 2nd tithe is devoted to the relief fund, in addition to tithe, at least 1/30 of our income should be given to the relief fund. In any event, the fact that the fund earmarked for the neighbors and love takes up a share of our income is good. That way, sharing becomes the root of our life style.

There is an important thing. When God calls and commands you towards the life of sharing, you must obey. If you say: "I will do it next time", you may lose the only opportunity to store up treasures in heaven. When He calls you and asks you to open up your purse, He wants to work through you. When the Master wants to use, and the steward does not respond, this disobedience will not deserve praise. It is far from being a good and loyal steward. God, who knows our situation well, does not demand unreasonably. We can respond within our means.

One man became very famous by today's mass communication. An average professor who taught English literature at the Tennessee State College, divorced in his 30's, thought hard for any ideas that would change his life. He came upon an idea to help those who have been working hard and had suddenly run into financial difficulties. For the poor, the Government extends help. The rich do not need help. The average hardworking person has nowhere to turn to in difficult situations. He also remembered he needed merely $100-200 in his graduate school days but couldn't get help. Last March, he started fund drive with his reserve fund of $350.00 - 10% of his income. For those who live on paycheck to paycheck, any unexpected expense leaves a hole. Suddenly, one may be short of the rent money, food expense, electric bill and car repair bill. Few tens and hundreds dollars can help in those situations. He set up a rule to help this type of people only once. He then created a website (www.modestneeds.org) to look for this type of needy persons. He was flooded with email from the needy and those who want to contribute. He was invited to TV, radio and newspapers. The scale became big. For this project, he moved to cheaper apartment. In order to increase the monthly reserve fund to $500 he stopped smoking. He completely lost any rest time. He was too busy selecting those deserving help and releasing the needed fund. Helping others was truly fun. It made him happy.

III.

I reminded myself while delivering these series sermons. Let me deliver these sermons without any ulterior motives. There are those who worry about me because I am treading on the subject I have not touched before. There are those who may think I am delivering these sermons because of the financial difficulties the church might face. On this subject, I am reminded of the following story.

Billy Graham was speaking in the San Jose area, and on the closing day told this story. It seems there was a strong man who traveled with a circus. One of his most impressive stunts was to take an orange and squeeze every last drop of juice out of it. Then he would offer one thousand dollars to anyone who could manage to squeeze as much as one additional drop from it. He went from town to town making his offer, but no one was able to win the one thousand dollars from him. Then one day he came to a small town in California and made his demonstration of juice-squeezing prowess and his challenge. A small, wizened, ninety-eight pound weakling type of man came forward and said he'd like to take a try at the challenge. He took the crushed orange and proceeded to squeeze six more drops of juice from it. The strong man was amazed. He could hardly believe his eyes. He asked how he was possibly able to do this. The man shrugged and said, "Oh, I'm the treasurer down at the Baptist church and we do this all the time."

But I have not prepared these sermons from those perspectives. I drove myself to stand before you and lead you with the sincere shepherd's motive of love and concern for your faith and life.

In today's scripture Mathew 6:21, our Lord said clearly; "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If you have invested in the AT & T telephone company, can you be indifferent to the company? Probably, you will check its stock price almost every day. Why? Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, My Congregation! Those who store up treasures in Heaven will have their heart in the Kingdom of God. If you store up treasures on this earth, your heart will be on this earth. Therefore, the question of money is not simply that of money. It is a matter of soul and faith. To live as an honest steward of treasures in front of God is to live the life of faith in front of God. Thus, this question transcends stewardship and extends to discipleship. To store up treasure in Heaven is for God and not for myself. Our Lord said: "do not store up treasures for yourself." He said these words for us. If you love yourself, I wish you store up treasures in Heaven. Don't pretend to do good for God. You store up in Heaven for yourself. When you store up treasures in Heaven, your neighbors will benefit, but you will benefit the most.

I cannot forget the last scene of the movie, "The Shindler's List." During World War II he saved 1,100 Jews in his factory. But in the last scene, he said, "if only I had saved more money… I wasted too much money. You don't know. If I saved a little more." Stephen, a Jew next to him said; "thanks to you, the generation can continue." But, Shindler said crying, "I did not do more. This car, why did I hold onto this car? I could have saved 10 more lives through this car." This Nazi official continued. "This pin is gold. I could have saved 2 lives with this pin." Regretting, he changed into his prison garb and got into the car.

I sincerely wish that there would be no one from our church with regrets when we stand in front of our Lord. "I could have saved more lives, if I did not ride in the luxury car! If I lived in a modest house, I could have stored up more treasure in Heaven! …If I saved more, I could have spread Gospel to more people………."