[Music] Hebrews 12:2 reads looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God we should always have our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ he's the only one worthy of our devotion he's the only one worthy of our praise and adoration he's the only one who should be right at the center right at the top of our priorities and I want to encourage you today to pray at a higher
level to praise and worship God at a deeper level and to chase him with an urgency to have a fire to have a hunger and thirst in your soul to develop a strong intimate relationship with Jesus Christ in the book look at Matthew 16:4 Jesus was with his disciples when he said the words if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me now let me ask you do you have a desire to go after Jesus do you have the desire to deny yourself of the temporary
pleasures of this world examine your heart and ask yourself am I willing to take up my cross and follow Jesus there is a parable in the Bible of a man who made many many plans but paid no mind to God his Focus was only on the things he desired his Focus was only on the material things that he accumulated when instead his Focus really should have been Jesus Christ Luke 12:3 to 211 reads then one from the crowd said to him teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him
man who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you and he said to them take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful and he thought within himself saying what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and
I will say to my soul soul you have many Goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be married but God said to him fool this night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God people of God learn this lesson we only have so much time on this world and we have no time to waste it do you know what I found I found that life is full of
surprises in fact my walk with God has been full of surprises I made plans I wrote down my goals and dreams I expected everything to go right I expected things to go my way but the thing is we can make plans we can write down our goals and our targets however here's what the Bible says Proverbs 19: 21 many are the plans in the mind of a man but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand now there is a danger in making plans without acknowledging the fact that God is ultimately in control
and that tomorrow is not promised after all the Bible does say in James 4: 13-15 come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend the year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a Mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live and do this or that now how many of us really live like this whereby we make
our plans yes but still acknowledge that God has the final say when was the last time you said if the Lord Wills I will live and do this or that now don't get me wrong it's good to be wise and save it's good to make retirement plans it's good to work hard with your hands and build a better life for you and your family those things are good but it's crucial for you to invest in your relationship with God it's crucial for you to invest in the treasures that are in heaven it's crucial for you
to live life knowing that eternity lasts forever but this world is only passing by now let us pray dear Lord have mercy on me forgive me if I have put more effort in the things of this world as opposed to Heavenly things forgive me if I invested more time in building things here on Earth as opposed to storing up Treasures in Heaven your word in Matthew 6: 19- 21 says do not lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself treasures
and heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also Lord I pray that you would give me a heart that seeks Heavenly Treasures above Earthly things I pray that the material things of this world would not have any kind of hold on me I pray that my eyes and heart would never be be drawn to chase the riches of this world or the silver and gold of this world instead King Jesus I pray that I would be richly
filled with the Holy Spirit I pray that I would be richly filled with the love of God in my heart a love that seeks to minister to the unsaved and help the poor may I be richly filled with a love from God so that I can serve the body of Christ and do all I can to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ father help me to realize that Earthly treasure Earthly crowns are temporary they are short-lived and any riches in this world are perishable however I know that you Lord Jesus offer
a greater treasure than anything on this Earth father your word in James 1 and2 says blessed is the man who endures Temptation for when he has been approved he will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promised to those who love him help me father to endure the Temptations of this world strengthen me holy spirit so that I can resist the advances of the devil because in doing so there is the reward of the Crown of Life father I desire to be rewarded with the crown of righteousness your word in 2 Timothy 4:8
says finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing I pray that the Holy Spirit would help me and strengthen me to live a life that is pleasing to you Lord Jesus you are the only one who can offer eternal riches Eternal crowns and blessings in your presence forever more and so father I have decided to let go of this world I choose to leave the luxuries afforded
to me in this world all so that I can focus on you King Jesus let me not be distracted by the things of this world or even by my own personal plans but may I be forever engaged in the pursuit of righteousness you Lord Jesus are worth far more than all the silver and gold offered in this world my true riches lie in you and I Rejoice because of that I honor you and I Lift Your Name on High be glorified Lord Jesus [Music] amen then one from the crowd said to him teacher tell my
brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him man who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you and he said to them take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful and he thought within himself saying what shall I do since I I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my Barns and build
greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my soul soul you have many Goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be marry but God said to him fool this night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising
the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God [Music] come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a Mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live and do this this or [Music] that 1st chronicles 16 verse 10 to 12 says glory in
His holy name let the hearts of those Rejoice who seek the Lord seek the Lord and his strength seek his face ever more remember His Marvelous Works which he has done his wonders and the judgments of his mouth do not lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also finally there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing