BY TIMOTHY BERREY
PAGE 05
OBSTACLES TO
LAYING UP TREASURE
IN HEAVEN
GFAMISSIONS.ORG
WHY LAY UP
TREASURE IN
HEAVEN?
BY JON CROCKER
PAGE 03
BY ALAN PATTERSON
PAGE 09
HEAVENLY-MINDED
PRAYING ABOUT
EARTHLY NEEDS
WINTER / SPRING 2025 ISSUE 258
SOWING&REAPING
BY FORREST MCPHAIL
PAGE 07
PRACTICAL IDEAS
FOR LAYING UP
HEAVENLY TREASURE
Treasure
Heavenly
LAYING UP
EDITORS: INGE CANNON AND SARAH HARTWIG
DESIGNER: YOUR CREATIVE PEOPLE
PUBLICATION ADVISORS:
JON CROCKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DALE CRAWFORD, ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
FORREST MCPHAIL, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA, AUSTRALIA, AND OCEANIA
ALAN PATTERSON, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE, AFRICA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST
TIMOTHY BERREY, DIRECTOR OF MISSIONARY RECRUITMENT
MARSH FANT, DIRECTOR OF CHURCH PLANTING AND REVITALIZATION
JON
CROCKER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
My missionary life in Mexico City required peri-
odic visits to two government offices, neither
of which ever filled me with happy anticipation.
Various situations took me to the Mexican
immigration office, which served as a reminder
that I was a foreigner. I was living in a country
that was not my own, and I
had various responsibilities
because of that status. Other
circumstances necessitated
visits to the United States
Embassy. That building and
the business I handled there
identified me as an expat. Not
only was I not from Mexico,
but I was also outside my own country. I was
both a foreigner and an expat.
These excursions provided many opportunities
to reflect on the Bible’s wonderful descriptions
of believers as citizens of a different realm. “Our
citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). By
God’s sweet and mighty grace in Christ, we
are not “from here.” God has rescued us, and
we will always be out of place in a world that
hates Christ. We are foreigners.
We are also expats, outside our future home
in the new heavens and new earth. In addition,
the Bible uses the word pilgrims to make clear
that this current arrangement is temporary. We
will not always be foreigners and expats. We
are journeying home, and our hearts echo the
sentiment expressed in the old hymn:
On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
Paul’s words in Philippians 3:20 regarding
our heavenly citizenship serve as part of his
argument that we not imitate those “enemies
of the cross of Christ” who “set their minds
on earthly things” (3:18–19). There are people
whose whole lives revolve around this world.
But the Christian is a citizen of heaven, so our
lives should be oriented toward heaven. This
issue of Sowing & Reaping examines the theme
Laying Up Heavenly Treasure.
May the Lord use these arti-
cles to give us great joy in
our true citizenship, stir us
to seek first God’s kingdom,
and enable us to anticipate
the day when we will look on
our Savior and be at home
with Him forever.
DIRECTOR
A W O R D F R O M T H E
05
BY TIMOTHY BERREY
OBSTACLES TO LAYING UP
TREASURE IN HEAVEN
09
BY ALAN PATTERSON
HEAVENLY-MINDED PRAYING
ABOUT EARTHLY NEEDS
03
BY JON CROCKER
WHY LAY UP
TREASURE IN HEAVEN?
07
BY FORREST MCPHAIL
PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR LAYING
UP HEAVENLY TREASURE
Jesus begins His third motive with an example. The
quality and proper functioning of your eye affect
the whole body. If your eyesight is clear, then the
whole body benefits. If your eye isn’t working, you
won’t be able to walk carefully or make decisions
that are good for the rest of the body because your
perception is off.
The Lord’s lesson in this example is that the location
of your treasure affects your perception. Our view
of money influences our entire lives. It is impossible
to have a life given to Christ in every area except the
area of material possessions. If your heart and your
treasures are in the world, your values will be worldly.
Your discernment will be worldly. Your decisions
will be turned toward the world. The location of
your treasures will affect your perception about
everything.
The opposite is also true. If you store up treasures
in heaven out of love for Christ and His cause, that
decision will affect the rest of your life. You will
evaluate things in light of the eternal kingdom. You
will have light to make decisions for the glory of God.
You will have enlightened perception for all of life.
Finally, Jesus motivates us with this reality in verse
24: The location of your treasure reveals your
loyalty. You cannot be fully loyal to both God and
wealth. When those two come into conflict, the
decisions you make will reveal where your true
loyalty lies.
It is easy to say that our loyalty is to Christ. But
when earthly concerns clash with eternal concerns,
what do we do? What or whom do we truly serve
with our material goods? Jesus tells us to orient
our lives toward heaven and store up treasure in
heaven because the location of our treasure reveals
our loyalty.
Money is simply a touchstone to reveal the orien-
tation of our hearts. Eventually, Jesus arrives at
Matthew 6:33: Seek first His kingdom. Orient your
whole life toward His kingdom. Why? “Therefore if
you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking
the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right
hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Orient your life toward
heaven, and lay up treasure in heaven because your
Savior is there!
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will
be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then
if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of
light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in
you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 No
one can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to one and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and wealth.1
MATTHEW 6:19–24
BY JON CROCKER
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the
NASB® New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995 by The
Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Treasure
in Heaven?
Jesus spends a large portion of His Sermon on the
Mount addressing our attitudes toward material
possessions. In Matthew 6:19–24, He gives four
motivations to store up treasure in heaven.
First, the location of your treasure determines its
longevity. In verses 19–20, Jesus contrasts earthly
treasures with heavenly treasures in terms of how
long they last. Treasures on earth are vulnerable to
both destruction and theft, but treasures in heaven
are truly secure. A life oriented toward the here-and-
now must grapple with this truth: All earthly treasure
can wear out or be taken away. Banks fail, markets
crash, currencies fluctuate, properties deteriorate
and lose their value, and economies plummet. With
those changes go our earthly possessions. Even
what remains in our grasp will not stay with us after
death, because “we have brought nothing into the
world, so we cannot take anything out of it either”
(1 Timothy 6:7). We will leave it all behind.
But every cent joyfully given in the name of Christ
for the spread of the Gospel, the fellowship of the
saints, the edification of the Church, and the glory
of God will generate interest forever and never
lose its value. No destruction can touch it; no thief
can take it. If you invest in the cause of Christ, your
investment is secure. Let’s send our treasures ahead
of us to glory, because there they last forever.
The second motivation is found in verse 21: The
location of your treasure moves your heart. For
many years I assumed that the words “where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also” mean
that your treasure will invariably follow your heart,
i.e., what you love determines what you do with
your money. That principle is true. But later while
meditating on this passage I realized that the word
order is intentional. Your thoughts, desires, and
emotions will naturally be set on the place where
your treasures already lie.
Think of a man with two cars. One is
a rusty 1981 hatchback with 318,000
miles and hasn’t started for three
years. The other is a $90,000
sports car fresh from the showroom.
One night during a storm, the man
is awakened by a thunderclap, a falling
tree, and the sound of twisting metal and shat-
tering glass. Which car is causing
the pounding of his heart in his
chest? Which of the two is he
wondering about as he dreads
looking out the dining room
window? His heart is running
toward the treasure.
Christians long to have our affections freed from this
passing world and set on Christ and His kingdom.
Verse 21 reveals how this can happen by God’s grace.
Do you want a deeper thirst for God? Do you want
your heart to be liberated from infatuation with this
world? Do you want to grow in your love for Jesus
and His work around this world? Start giving to His
cause, and your heart will follow. You won’t be able
to stop thinking about God’s kingdom, praying for
His working, and giving yourself more and more
to Christ for His purposes because your treasure
is already there.
WHY LAY UP
TIMOTHY
BERREY
BY
Caspar, my great grandfather, was a successful
farmer in southwestern Missouri. When he died in
1941, officials closed school the day he was buried.
People owed him money. In addition, he had given
a farm to each of his boys, money to each of his
girls, and still had enough for his widow to buy a
house in town. Yet now, when we drive through that
area, very little still belongs to him or his relatives.
Caspar laid up treasure on earth. We are not sure
how much he laid up in heaven.
In Luke 12:13–34, Jesus identifies two enemies of
laying up treasure in heaven, one in the story of
the rich fool and the second in the warning against
worry that follows. A careful reading of these two
paragraphs shows they belong together: repeated
references to life/soul (vv. 15, 20, 22–23), possessions
(vv. 14, 33), being rich toward God/treasure (vv. 21,
33–34), and the therefore that connects the two
(v. 22). Jesus’ point? Don’t let these two enemies keep
you from laying up treasure in your Father’s kingdom.
OBSTACLES
WORRY
TO LAYING UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN
Jesus identified the second enemy as worry.
We tend to think of worry as the opposite of
covetousness. Jesus asserts that they both have
the same disastrous effect: they keep us from
investing in His Father’s kingdom. I have often
thought that Luke 12:31 (also Matthew 6:33) is
the best deal on the planet: Make God’s kingdom
your worry, and He will make your needs His. Can
you think of a better deal anywhere? Now, that’s
financial peace! Like the covetous fool above,
those who worry have a distorted view of life:
they have failed to realize that life is more than
the pursuit of what one needs (v. 23).
So, how does Jesus suggest that we avoid
these two enemies and lay up treasure in our
Father’s kingdom? He tells us in verse 33: sell
your possessions (what the rich man thought
life consisted of) and give them away charitably.
We shy away immediately from a command like
that: Jesus does not say sell all! And isn’t it wise
to save up for the future? And we would be
right. But at the same time, we need to make
sure that our rationalizations are not cover-ups
for covetousness and worry. Do we not have
possessions that we could sell or give away? Are
there not people with physical needs around us?
These needs range from a homeless person who
haunts your intersection to a missionary who is
trying to get to the field where God has called
him or her.
Take your riches and put them where no thief
can reach them and where no moth can destroy
them. Put them somewhere where you will find
them again. As Jesus said, you will then find your
heart increasingly drawn toward your Father’s
kingdom.
Roll those words around in your mind like you
would a peppermint in your mouth: Your Father’s
kingdom. Jesus calls God “your Father” in verse
30 and refers to “His kingdom” in verse 31. This
kingdom is your Father’s. Jesus is offering you
and me the opportunity to lay up treasure in it!
In a place where nothing can take it away: no
Second Law of Thermodynamics, no entropy, no
thieves, and no moths!
Your Father’s kingdom is a worthy recipient of
your heart’s affections. Incline your heart to it by
laying up treasure in it. Do what meditation on
this passage prompted me to do: think through
what I own to see what I could sell or give away!
COVETOUSNESS
The rich fool (God’s term for him), whose prosperity
has led him to think of his own earthly enjoyment
and pleasure for years to come, pictures the enemy
of covetousness. He has forgotten a fundamental
reality about life. His life does not consist in posses-
sions, even though he has an abundance of them
(v. 15), and his
life (“your soul,”
v. 20) will some-
day be required
of him by God.
Then Jesus asks,
whose will be
the things he has
prepared?
Rather than being rich for him-
self, he should have used his
wealth to lay up riches toward
God, the One who would ask
back the life He had given him.
When I think of the rich fool, I
think of the explosion of storage
units across America. By one estimate, the number
of self-storage unit buildings grew from 6,600 to
50,000 during the years 1984–2022. An estimated
90% of these are at capacity, but some 155,000
abandoned units are auctioned off every year. Do we
really need all the stuff we own—the stuff that does
not fit in our houses and the stuff we even forget
that we own? What if we were to use our wealth to
lay up unfailing treasure in our Father’s kingdom?
FORREST
MCPHAIL
BY
Simplify Lifestyle
I know families that have determined not to accu-
mulate expensive “stuff” to free up resources. Their
houses are not filled with expensive furniture. Their
basements, garages, and attics are not overflowing.
They buy what they need and live simply as a lifestyle
commitment. They do this not to be self-righteous
but to free up resources for the Lord’s work and
teach their children to do the same.
What would happen if followers of Jesus committed
themselves to living simply for the sake of the Gos-
pel? What if they systematically sold excess tools,
toys, gadgets, and clothing, and put the proceeds
into gospel projects? What if, instead of buying an
expensive new car, they instead bought an older one
and put the difference toward local church ministry?
Part of maintaining a simple lifestyle is a commitment
to avoid unnecessary debt. Being content with less
and living simply could free up many opportunities
to be generous for the Gospel.
Surrender Job Choice
Believers focused on the Great Commission will
choose their vocation carefully, prayerfully con-
sidering whether God has called them to full-time
ministry. For them, the motivations of money,
personal fulfillment, security, and comfort are sec-
ondary considerations. They want opportunities
to know unbelievers and be a witness for Christ
Jesus. What if some who work online from home
chose work where they could rub shoulders with lots
of people every day instead? What if they turned
down lucrative careers in order to serve Christ in
cross-cultural missions?
Refuse to Play
Away Retirement
I have met American retirees in
Southeast Asia whose sole
purpose in moving there as
senior saints was to be salt
and light among unreached
peoples. These believers
were mature and had the
means, so they left family
and friends and relocated to
serve in needy places. Others I
know volunteered for all kinds of
ministries in their local churches. Some
retired pastors continue to use their gifts as interim
pastors and pulpit supply or come alongside younger
pastors to support them.
These folks could have played away their retirement.
Like the condemned widow of 1 Timothy 5:6 who “is
self-indulgent and dead even while she lives,”1 many
waste their latter years taking cruises, traveling the
world, eating at the best restaurants, playing golf,
and recreating their time away. While these activities
are not evil in themselves, to live for selfish pleasure
is. Some people are intentional about retirement.
They choose to actively serve Christ and to use their
financial independence to do so. Ask the Lord how
you might adapt these or other practical ways to
live for eternity!
What lifestyle decisions might be made by one who
is laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21)?
Both our major and minor choices must be signifi-
cantly influenced by this principle from our Lord
about living for eternity. This includes how we use
our time, accumulate and spend our resources, and
use our talents and strength. If our heart’s desire
is to honor Christ and pursue the eternal, then we
must be willing to take practical steps to store up
heavenly treasure. Here are some ideas.
Choose a Home That
Will Facilitate Ministry
Why did you choose the home where you live?
There are many factors to consider: affordability,
neighborhood, safety, convenience, school choices,
local government policies, taxes, etc. These are good
and natural concerns.
A follower of Jesus Christ whose highest motiva-
tion in life is serving Christ doesn’t stop with these
considerations. His or her mind is thinking of gospel
ministry: Where is the light of the Gospel most
needed? Where can my home and family be most
useful for ministry? Is there a struggling local
church where my family can plug in and serve? I
know a family who chose to live in an inner-city
area for the sole purpose of assisting a small
church plant in a difficult situation. It was
a sacrifice for them to do this, but it was
their joy to meet a real need for the Gospel.
Wages were lower, costs were higher, and
housing was less convenient—yet they went.
For some Christians, it may be the choice to
live in a progressively socialist state or city. While
others flee en masse, these folks choose to stay to
strengthen churches and provide a witness in the
increasing darkness.
PRACTICAL IDEAS
FOR LAYING UP HEAVENLY TREASURE
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard
Version®, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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ALAN
PATTERSON
BY
A RE:CHURCH podcast series for
all students of the Scriptures
A valuable resource for pastors, Bible study leaders,
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Glean from pastors who have studied and preached
specific books of the Bible
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Christians have the daily challenge
of maintaining heavenly-mindedness
in the midst of an earthly existence.
Happily, the Lord knows our weak-
nesses and has given us guidance
to meet the challenge. In the Lord’s
Prayer in Matthew 6:9–15, Jesus’
simple but profound instruction on
how to pray directs His followers to
ask for “daily bread.” This request
differs from all the others in the
example because it refers to earthly
things. It acknowledges and puts in
perspective our material needs and
serves as a guide for our prayers
about seemingly mundane matters.
First, it shows our Lord’s loving
awareness of our earthly needs. We
are not angels but flesh and blood in
need of daily physical nourishment.
Jesus’ direction to pray this way
even before we plead for forgive-
ness demonstrates that this request
in no way contradicts the pursuit
of heavenly-mindedness. As Jesus
changes the focus of His instructions
from God’s Name and Kingdom to our
needs, He begins with this request
related strictly to physical life. We are
being obedient and thus ARE being
spiritual when we ask our heavenly
Father for something to eat. The
reference to bread brings the farmer
and his toil to mind—which is about
as earthy as it gets!
Another lesson from Jesus’ prayer
guidance is that while our basic phys-
ical needs are a prayer priority, laying
up earthly treasure is not. Jesus could
have followed the exhortation to pray
for daily bread with an exhortation to
pray about laying up sufficient earthly
treasure for a comfortable, enjoyable
life. But instead of stressing further
material needs, He stresses the needs
of the heart, particularly forgiveness
and deliverance from evil.
The Apostle Paul also treats the
theme of how to view earthly treasure
correctly. Some professing believers
and even teachers have a twisted
view of God’s purposes regarding
wealth and financial gain. They view
God’s blessing in material terms. They
think that “godliness is a means of
gain” (1 Timothy 6:5)1, that is, that
religion can and should lead to pros-
perity. However, they are stressing
not the godliness but the gain and
perversely use the show of “godliness”
to increase the gain. Such people
are preying, not praying. They use a
show of godliness for getting material
profit from the unsuspecting. For
example, even if their teaching is
not biblical, they may get rich with
a well-oiled, well-advertised, popular
television presence.
Paul goes on to state that despite
appearances, their greedy pursuit
ultimately brings not gain but “ruin
and destruction,” “[a wandering]
from the faith” and “many pangs”
(1 Timothy 6:9–10). We avoid this
spiritual ruin by praying, “Lord, I
brought nothing into the world, and
I can take nothing out, so having food
and clothing help me to be content”
(see 1 Timothy 6:7–8). Are you con-
tent? How do you pray about your
needs for living on this earth?
HEAVENLY-MINDED
PRAYING ABOUT
EARTHLY NEEDS
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quota-
tions are taken from the English Standard
Version®, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, a
publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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