The Question That Changes Everything
Picture this: You spend your whole life building a business empire. Sleepless nights. Sacrificed relationships. Missed family dinners. All to build something impressive.
Then you die.
And everything you built? Gone. In the hands of someone else. Or sold off. Or forgotten.
Decades of work. Vanished like it never happened.
Depressing? Maybe. But more importantly—clarifying.
Because Eric McLaren’s sermon on treasure in heaven forces us to ask the question we usually avoid: What are you really living for?
Why This Treasure in Heaven Sermon Matters More Than Ever
We live in a world that’s obsessed with stuff. More money. Bigger houses. Better cars. Latest technology. Perfect Instagram feed.
And let’s be honest—Christians aren’t immune to it. We might spiritualize it differently, but we’re chasing the same things everyone else is.
But this Eric McLaren sermon cuts through all our justifications and brings us face-to-face with Jesus’s radical teaching: what you treasure reveals what you worship.
If you’ve ever felt that nagging tension between what you own and who you want to become, this message is going to hit home.
What Jesus Actually Said About Money and Treasure
The Teaching That Makes Us Uncomfortable (Matthew 6:19-21)
Jesus didn’t mince words:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Notice Jesus doesn’t say money is evil. He doesn’t command poverty. He says something more challenging: treasure the right things.
Two Kinds of Investment
Eric breaks down Jesus’s teaching into a simple but profound contrast:
Earthly Treasure:
- Temporary
- Vulnerable
- Ultimately worthless
- Competes with God
Heavenly Treasure:
- Eternal
- Secure
- Truly valuable
- Honors God
The question isn’t whether you’ll invest your life in something. You will. Everyone does.
The question is: where are you investing?
What Laying Up Treasure in Heaven Actually Means
It’s Not About Being Poor—It’s About Being Wise
Let’s clear up a misconception: this laying up treasure in heaven message isn’t a command to take a vow of poverty and live like a monk.
Jesus isn’t against possessions. He’s against possessions possessing you.
You can have money without loving money. You can own things without things owning you. You can enjoy God’s blessings without making them your god.
The issue is always the heart. What controls you? What drives your decisions? What keeps you up at night?
What Eternal Investment Looks Like
So what does it actually mean to store up treasure in heaven? Eric gives us practical categories:
1. Generosity That Costs You Something
It’s easy to give from abundance. It’s transformative to give from sacrifice.
The widow who gave her two small coins gave more than the rich who gave from their surplus—because she gave everything.
When was the last time your giving actually cost you something? When did you have to sacrifice something else because you chose to be generous?
2. Time Invested in People
Relationships are the only thing you can take to heaven. Not houses. Not bank accounts. Not achievements.
People.
Are you investing in your kids, or are you too busy building your career? Are you discipling others, or are you too consumed with your own comfort? Are you serving your church, or are you just a spectator on Sunday?
3. Living for God’s Kingdom, Not Your Own
Every decision is a vote for one kingdom or the other.
- Career choice: My advancement or God’s glory?
- Schedule: My comfort or serving others?
- Purchases: My wants or Kingdom needs?
- Entertainment: Numbing myself or growing spiritually?
The Hard Questions This Christian Perspective on Wealth Raises
Eric doesn’t let us off easy in this eternal investments vs earthly wealth message. He asks questions that expose where we really are:
Question 1: If You Lost Everything Tomorrow, What Would Be Left?
Strip away the house, the car, the savings, the career, the possessions.
What remains?
If the answer is “not much,” you’ve been investing in the wrong place.
Your application:
Make two lists:
- What I would lose if everything material was taken away
- What would remain (character, relationships, spiritual growth, eternal impact)
Which list is longer? Be honest.
Question 2: What Do You Think About Most?
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Want to know what you treasure? Track your thoughts.
When you’re driving, what do you think about? When you’re falling asleep, what occupies your mind? When you’re in the shower, where does your brain go?
If it’s constantly circling money, possessions, status, comfort—your treasure is on earth.
Your application:
For one week, keep a “thought journal.” Every evening, write down what consumed your thoughts that day. At the end of the week, ask: What does this reveal about my treasure?
Question 3: What Are You Sacrificing For?
Everyone sacrifices something. The question is: for what?
Are you sacrificing:
- Time with family for a bigger paycheck?
- Your health for career advancement?
- Your integrity for financial gain?
- Your spiritual life for temporary comfort?
- Kingdom opportunities for personal accumulation?
If you’re sacrificing eternal things for temporary things, you’re making a terrible trade.
Your application:
Complete this sentence honestly: “The thing I sacrifice most for is __________.”
Now ask: Is it worth it from an eternal perspective?
Question 4: How Does Your Spending Reflect Your Values?
Your bank statement doesn’t lie. Neither does your calendar.
Look at your last three months of spending. What does it reveal about your priorities?
- Percentage to yourself vs. Kingdom work
- Money on comfort vs. money on others
- Investment in temporary vs. investment in eternal
This isn’t about guilt. It’s about clarity.
Your application:
Pull up your last 90 days of bank transactions. Categorize them:
- Necessities (shelter, food, basic needs)
- Temporary pleasures (entertainment, dining out, non-essentials)
- Eternal investments (giving, helping others, Kingdom work)
What percentage is each category?
The Tension Between Earth and Eternity
We’re Citizens of Heaven Living on Earth
Here’s the paradox Eric highlights in this what Jesus said about money teaching:
We need earthly resources to survive. We live in physical bodies. We need food, shelter, clothing.
But we’re called to use earthly resources for eternal purposes.
It’s like being an ambassador: you live in a foreign country, but your allegiance is to your home country. You use the currency of the foreign land, but for the purposes of your true home.
You live here, but you don’t belong here.
That tension should affect every financial decision you make.
The Danger of “Just a Little More”
One of the most insidious lies is: “Once I get to [X amount], then I’ll be generous. Then I’ll focus on eternal things.”
But here’s what actually happens: the goalpost moves.
“Once I make $50k, I’ll give more.” Then you make $50k and think, “Well, once I make $75k…”
Then $100k. Then $150k. Then $200k.
The lie is that more will satisfy. But it never does.
Eric warns us: the appetite for earthly treasure grows with feeding.
Your application:
What’s your current “once I get to X” number? Be honest—you have one.
Now imagine God gave it to you tomorrow. Would you actually live differently? Or would the goalpost just move again?
Practical Steps to Living for Eternity Not Temporary Things
This living for eternity not temporary things message isn’t just theory. Here’s how to actually do it:
Step 1: Declare God’s Ownership
Everything you have belongs to God. You’re a steward, not an owner.
Your move:
Pray this out loud: “God, everything I have is Yours. My house, my car, my bank account, my career, my time—it all belongs to You. Show me how You want me to use it.”
Then actually mean it. Make decisions like it’s all His.
Step 2: Practice Generous Living
Generosity isn’t just about money. It’s a lifestyle.
Be generous with:
- Your time (help that neighbor)
- Your attention (listen to that hurting friend)
- Your resources (share what you have)
- Your gifts (use your talents for others)
- Your home (hospitality)
- Your encouragement (build others up)
Your move:
This week, do one generous thing that costs you something. Not from excess, but from sacrifice.
Step 3: Set Giving Goals, Not Just Accumulation Goals
Most people have financial goals: save for retirement, pay off the house, build an emergency fund.
Those aren’t bad. But do you have giving goals?
Your move:
Set a giving goal that stretches you:
- “I want to give $X to Kingdom work this year”
- “I want to increase my giving percentage by X% this year”
- “I want to support X missionaries/ministries”
- “I want to meet X specific need I become aware of”
Step 4: Simplify Your Life
The more stuff you own, the more stuff owns you. Every possession requires:
- Money to buy it
- Space to store it
- Time to maintain it
- Mental energy to manage it
What if you just… owned less?
Your move:
Go through your house. Anything you haven’t used in a year—donate it, sell it, give it away.
Use the freed-up space, time, and money for eternal things.
Step 5: Ask the Eternal Question Before Every Major Decision
Before you:
- Make a major purchase
- Take a new job
- Move to a new place
- Make an investment
- Plan your schedule
Ask: “How does this choice impact eternity?”
Not “Can I afford it?” or “Do I want it?” or even “Is it a good deal?”
But “Does this move me toward eternal treasure or away from it?”
Your move:
Put this question somewhere visible: on your mirror, your dashboard, your phone background.
Train yourself to ask it reflexively.
When Eternal Perspective Feels Impossible
“But I Have Bills to Pay”
Yes. You do. And God knows that.
Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
God doesn’t call you to irresponsibility. He calls you to prioritization.
The difference:
- Irresponsibility: Ignore your obligations to be “spiritual”
- Eternal priority: Meet your obligations, but don’t let them consume you
“But I Worked Hard for This”
True. And work is good. God designed humans to work.
But the question isn’t whether you worked hard. It’s whether what you worked for will last.
Many people work incredibly hard building sandcastles. Impressive sandcastles. Beautiful sandcastles.
And then the tide comes in.
“But I Want to Leave an Inheritance”
Proverbs says a good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children. That’s wisdom.
But the best inheritance isn’t money—it’s faith.
Your kids would rather have:
- A parent who modeled generosity
- Memories of family time you prioritized
- An example of living for something bigger than yourself
- A heritage of faith
Than a large bank account from a parent they barely knew.
“But Everyone Else Is Doing It”
Jesus said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13)
Following the crowd is easy. Following Jesus is narrow.
Most people will spend their lives chasing wind. Don’t be most people.
The Freedom That Comes From Letting Go
Here’s the paradox Eric highlights: when you loosen your grip on earthly treasure, you actually experience more freedom, not less.
Freedom From Anxiety
When your security is in God, not your bank account, you’re not paralyzed by market crashes or job loss.
Freedom From Comparison
When you’re investing in eternity, you stop competing with your neighbor’s new car or your coworker’s vacation photos.
Freedom From Regret
When you’re living for what lasts, you won’t get to the end of your life wishing you’d done something different.
Freedom to Be Generous
When you’re not clutching tightly to your stuff, you have open hands to give.
Your Action Plan Starting Today
Don’t just read this and move on. Here’s what to do:
Today:
- Pray the ownership prayer – Declare everything belongs to God
- Do one generous thing – Give, serve, help someone
- Identify your treasure – Be honest about what you’re really chasing
- Ask the eternal question – About one decision you’re facing
This Week:
- Listen to the full sermon – Experience Eric McLaren’s complete message here
- Audit your spending – Look at your bank statements with eternal eyes
- Set a giving goal – Make it specific and stretching
- Simplify something – Get rid of stuff you don’t need
This Month:
- Evaluate major life areas – Career, home, possessions, time—where are you investing?
- Make one significant change – Adjust something to align with eternal priorities
- Help someone in need – Tangibly store up treasure in heaven
- Share this message – Challenge a friend to think about eternal investment
This Year:
- Increase your giving percentage – Even if it’s just by 1%
- Take an eternal-focused risk – Do something that only makes sense if heaven is real
- Mentor someone spiritually – Invest in a person who will outlive you
- Reassess annually – Are you moving toward earthly or heavenly treasure?
The Bottom Line
You’re going to die someday.
Sorry to be blunt, but it’s true. And when you do, one of two things will happen:
Option 1: You’ll have spent your life accumulating things that immediately become someone else’s problems to sort through.
Option 2: You’ll have spent your life investing in things that echo into eternity—and you’ll hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
This treasure in heaven sermon from Eric McLaren isn’t about guilt. It’s about clarity.
It’s about waking up from the cultural trance that says more stuff = better life.
It’s about realizing that the temporary feels urgent but the eternal is actually important.
It’s about choosing to live in a way that makes sense only if heaven is real—because it is.
So what are you chasing?
The question matters. Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Choose wisely. Eternity is a long time.
Experience the Full Message
This blog post only scratches the surface of the challenge and encouragement in Eric McLaren’s teaching. To hear the complete sermon with all the biblical depth, illustrations, and practical wisdom, listen to the full message here.
This Eric McLaren sermon will help you evaluate where your true treasures lie and reshape your perspective on everything from generosity to daily priorities.
About Atlantic Gospel Chapel: We’re a church family in Atlantic, Iowa, committed to helping people live for what lasts. We believe following Jesus means radical reorientation of priorities—and we’d love to walk that journey with you. Your life can count for something eternal.
