I. EARTHLY TREASURES ARE NOT EVIL
o Jesus is not teaching that earthly treasures are inherently evil.
o Ownership of property & saving money for the future is Biblical.
o God often gives us more than we need.
II. EARTHLY TREASURES ARE TEMPORARY (vv. 19-21)
You should not love earthly treasures because they will not last and you will not last.
o Moth
o Rust
o Thieves
III. EARTHLY TREASURES CAN BLIND YOU (vv. 22-23)
o Earthly treasures cannot enlighten you; they cannot bring you fulfillment – they can blind you.
o The ‘eye' is metaphor for ambition (Matt. 6:33)
IV. EARTHLY TREASURES CAN ENSLAVE YOU (vv. 24)
o Slavery 101 - you cannot be owned by 2 masters.
o Do we possess our possessions or do they possess us?
o The perversion of the American dream & the demise of the church:
o The importance of our witness: "Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority." Calvin