What Do You Treasure? / Matthew 6:19-24

Introduction: Where Is Your Focus?

Welcome to The Well Community Church. My name is Pete Hingano, and we have the privilege to hang out here today. I come from a small town southeast of Fresno called Sanger, where I have the honor of serving as the senior pastor at Sanger Bible Church. I am truly excited to be with you all today.

Before we begin, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. I appreciate so much what you are doing here at The Well Community Church. Back in 2010, my family and I first came to The Well. In 2013, I entered the seminary internship program here—The Well paid for my seminary education while I interned on staff. Talk about formative years. Eight months later, the leadership was gracious and bold enough to hire me as the campus pastor for the Southeast Campus, where I served for a couple of years.

Those years were incredible—learning rich theology in seminary while seeing it practically lived out every day on staff. If you ever come out to Sanger and are looking for a church home, Sanger Bible Church will feel very familiar. It smells like The Well and operates like The Well because I was shaped and formed right here. So, on behalf of my family and Sanger Bible Church, thank you. We deeply appreciate your ministry.

Let’s pray together.

Jesus, tonight we gather as your body. We open up your Word in Matthew chapter 6 to examine it verse by verse. Holy Spirit, help us listen, understand, and interpret your Word correctly so that we can apply it faithfully. You are doing great things through The Well Community Church. May we honor your name, glorify you, and bring you pleasure in all we do today. In your name we pray, Amen.

If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Matthew chapter 6, verses 19 through 24.

Matthew 6:19-24 (NASB)

’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. ’The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ’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! ’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.

What draws your attention? What do you desire to have? To what or to whom are you devoted?

Let me ask it this way: Where is your treasure? Where is your focus? And whom are you serving?

Don’t give me the easy, “churchy” answers. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. In fact, don’t just tell me—show me. Show me your debit card transactions. Show me your calendar. Show me your material possessions. Show me your social media feed, your Instagram story, and your Snapchat. Once I see those, the answers become obvious: where your treasure is, where your focus is, and who or what you truly serve.

In the first eighteen verses of Matthew 6, we were challenged to live for an “audience of One.” Giving, praying, and fasting shouldn’t be done to gain the attention, applause, or recognition of others. That was the trap of the religious leaders. Jesus taught that our spiritual devotion must be purely for God.

Honestly, when I give, pray, and fast, maintaining pure motives is one of the hardest things to do. It is difficult to live without personal agendas. Too often, if I am living for an audience of one, that “one” is myself. Sometimes prayer is the last thing I want to do right before dinner simply because I’m hungry. My heart isn’t always in the right place.

Jesus understood this internal battle. He knew we would wrestle with our flesh, our motives, and our desires. In our passage today, Jesus addresses our heart by examining our everyday actions. He asks three foundational questions: Where is your treasure? Where is your focus? Whom are you serving?

He answers these questions by presenting:

• Two kinds of riches: perishable and imperishable (vv. 19–20)
• Two conditions of vision: healthy and dark (vv. 22–23)
• Two masters: one that demands devotion and One who is truly worthy (v. 24)

Right in the middle, in verse 21, Jesus reveals the core truth: where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be.

Two Kinds of Treasure

Let’s look at verse 19.

Matthew 6:19 (NASB)

’Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Jesus begins with a negative command—not a command to perform an action, but a command to abstain. He tells us not to hoard, stockpile, or collect treasures on earth.

What treasures is He referring to? Simply put: money and possessions. Why are we commanded not to store them up here on earth? Because earthly treasures do not last. They are perishable, vulnerable to decay, and subject to loss. Moths eat fabrics, rust ruins metals, and thieves break in and steal. Earthly treasure is never completely secure. If you build your life around accumulating things on earth, they will rot, ruin, or be ripped away.

Hear me clearly: Jesus is not saying it is a sin to have money or own possessions. He is not saying you cannot own a smartphone, drive a truck, wear nice clothes, buy a home, invest, or save for retirement. Rather, He is commanding us not to be obsessed with, consumed by, or anchored to things that are temporary.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were obsessed with earthly status and wealth. They treasured their elaborate garments, accumulating fine clothing to project an image of spiritual maturity and divine blessing. Jesus exposed the emptiness of that pursuit. Earthly acclaim and material wealth will fade.

Instead, Jesus gives us the alternative in verse 20.

Matthew 6:20 (NASB)

’But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

Jesus commands us to invest in heaven, where our treasure is imperishable, eternal, and completely secure. In our culture, we love finding a great deal—we anticipate Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But Jesus offers something incomparable: a guaranteed, eternal investment that cannot be corrupted or stolen. He calls us to be consumed with the eternal.

What does it look like practically to lay up treasures in heaven? I want to highlight two clear, biblical ways we do this: through the local church and through relationships.

First, the local church. What you are doing here at The Well Community Church—helping people connect to God and to each other in every neighborhood—is eternal work. When you invest in ministry spaces, campus renovations, and reaching the next generation, you are laying up treasures in heaven. When you serve the city through initiatives like Discover Fresno, support church plants, or invest in leaders, you are making an eternal impact.

Years ago, this church took a chance on a young man with a growing family, poured into him, and trained him. Today, we are out in Sanger advancing the gospel. If you call The Well your church home, do not settle for just wearing the t-shirt or putting the sticker on your car. Be all in. Give generously, serve faithfully, and participate fully in what God is doing through your local church.

Let me share a story. A family from The Well moved out to Sanger and joined Sanger Bible Church. Last April, an eighth-grade boy started coming to our church. His father had passed away just a few months earlier. This young man had been kicked out of school multiple times, was selling drugs, and smoking weed. But God brought him through our doors.

Someone in our congregation sponsored him to go to summer camp, where he placed his faith in Jesus Christ. After camp, we talked about baptism, but he wanted to wait. Two months later, he was ready. In the weeks leading up to his baptism, that former Well family stepped up and began mentoring him. Every Thursday night, he goes to their home, they share a meal, and they walk through life together.

When he was baptized, with his mother and sisters present, he publicly declared his faith and boldly told the church, “I need your help.” Before coming to Christ, his GPA was below 1.0. Just recently, he received an academic award for achieving a 3.7 GPA. You may never have met this young man named Jesus, but your investment in ministry helped make his transformation possible. That is eternal fruit.

Second, we lay up treasure in heaven through relationships. As followers of Christ, we are called to love one another deeply by serving, forgiving, confessing, praying, and holding each other accountable. Scripture calls us to lay down our lives for one another just as Christ laid down His life for us.

1 John 3:16 (NASB)

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Jesus saw our desperate need as sinners, entered our world, and met our greatest need by giving His life on the cross. We are called to reflect that sacrificial love. When you see a brother or sister in need and you have the means to help, lower yourself and serve them. If someone needs a tool and you have one, lend it. If someone needs a meal, prepare food for them. If someone needs prayer, do not merely reply, “I’ll pray for you”—stop and pray with them right then. Loving people well is laying up treasure in heaven.

The Heart Follows the Treasure

Why does this matter so much? Look at verse 21.

Matthew 6:21 (NASB)

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Notice that Jesus does not say your treasure follows your heart; He says your heart follows your treasure. Wherever you choose to invest your time, money, and energy, your affections will inevitably follow. If material wealth and status are your pursuit, your heart will be tethered to this earth. If God and His kingdom are your treasure, your heart will belong to Him.

In the early 2000s, if you had looked at my life, you would have known immediately what I treasured. What I wore, how I spoke, the music I listened to, and how I spent my money all pointed to one thing: my culture. I took immense pride in being Tongan and Polynesian. Treasuring my culture brought me recognition, reputation, and identity, and I loved the attention.

It wasn’t until 2010 that I realized my cultural identity had become an idol. It sat higher in my heart than Jesus. My decisions, finances, and priorities all revolved around it.

Culture is not inherently bad; God created diversity and heritage. But whenever any good thing takes precedence over Jesus, it becomes an idol. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Focus of Your Eyes

Jesus moves to the second question in verses 22 and 23.

Matthew 6:22-23 (NASB)

’The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ’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!

You have probably seen optical illusions where an image contains two different pictures depending on how you look at it. At first, you might only see one figure, but once someone points out the second, your perspective shifts, and you cannot unsee it. It dominates your vision.

When culture was my idol, it was the lens through which I viewed everything. It governed my choices and controlled my perspective. Jesus is teaching that what you treasure becomes the lens through which you see all of life.

If your eyes are fixed on earthly wealth, your vision is compromised, filling your life with spiritual darkness. But if your focus is fixed on Christ and His eternal kingdom, your vision is clear, healthy, and full of light. You begin to live as Scripture commands: setting your mind on things above, fixing your eyes on Jesus who authors and perfects our faith.

Colossians 3:1-2 (NASB)

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Choosing Your Master

Jesus concludes this section with an unavoidable truth in verse 24.

Matthew 6:24 (NASB)

’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.

This is the climax of the passage. The question is straightforward: Whom will you serve? God or money?

Too often, we try to compromise and serve both. We want all the comforts and accolades of the world while simultaneously claiming eternal citizenship in heaven. Jesus makes it clear that divided allegiance is impossible. When it comes to lordship, it is all of God or nothing at all.

Who has your allegiance? Is it God or wealth? God or possessions? God or status? God or cultural pride? God or self? You can have only one master.

A Daily Perspective

Where is your treasure? That determines your focus, and your focus reveals who you truly serve.

This passage is a sobering gut check. Preparing this message challenged me deeply. I used to crave recognition through my cultural identity, and while God broke that idol, I still have to guard my heart against seeking validation in pastoral ministry. When the church grows or people offer praise, I have to fight the temptation to take the credit for myself.

If the Holy Spirit is convicting you today of clinging to earthly treasures or allowing your focus to drift into darkness, bring that before the Lord. Confess, repent, and receive His grace. God is faithful, just, and ready to forgive.

If you are here today and wondering why you should surrender your life to God, understand this: we are all sinners unable to save ourselves. The penalty for our sin is death. But out of immense love, Jesus came to earth, lived without sin, and died on the cross to pay our debt in full. When you turn from self-reliance and place your faith in Jesus Christ, you receive new life, the Holy Spirit, and an eternal inheritance that can never spoil or fade.

As we leave today, let’s apply this with a practical daily filter. Before you make a purchase, commit your time, or react in a situation, ask yourself this simple question: How can I use this to further the gospel?

When buying clothing, grabbing a coffee, or budgeting your income, ask: How can this further the gospel? It shifts our mindset from the temporary to the eternal.

I now look at my Tongan heritage through this lens. When people ask about my tattoos, make jokes about The Rock, or ask about Polynesian culture, I use those conversations as natural bridges to share the gospel.

This question challenges my role as a father, too. I have three kids, and I am currently walking through recovery ministry to address real struggles with anger. When my oldest son tests my patience and I feel the urge to snap, I have to stop and ask: Pete, how is what you are about to say going to further the gospel in your son’s heart?

Don’t just ask if something brings temporary happiness. Ask how it can advance the kingdom of God.

Closing Prayer

*Jesus, it is a privilege to study the words you spoke, even when they challenge the deepest parts of our hearts. You remind us that where our treasure is, our heart and our focus will be also.

Holy Spirit, search our hearts today. Reveal the tangible things, the hidden idols, and the earthly distractions that cloud our vision. Help us fix our eyes on eternal realities. Empower us to live faithfully as your children, using our resources, relationships, and daily lives to advance your gospel. In your name we pray, Amen.*