Priority Vision | Matthew 6:19-34
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Priority Vision | Matthew 6:19-34
Priority Vision | Matthew 6:19-34
Opening Remarks: We’ve been on a break from our Sunday morning series in John the last few weeks to deal with the idea of Contentment. I originally only intended to do it the week before Christmas, but that turned into three weeks. Lord willing, this should be our last message on Contentment before we get back to John.
The most famous sermon ever preached is the Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. Jesus deals with something in Matthew 6 that I believe can help us with our Contentment level.
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Jesus is talking about our spiritual vision. What we focus on determines what we prioritize. If we focus on money and wealth, our priority will be material things. If we focus on Christ, our priority will be eternal things.
The TITLE this morning is THE POWER OF PRIORITY VISION. Focusing our lives on the things that genuinely matter.
PRAY
Introduction: The holiday season is an interesting dichotomy because it begins with a focus on gratitude at Thanksgiving, then immediately plunges headlong into a month of consumerism leading up to Christmas. Then it goes back into a time of reflection at New Year’s - thinking back on the year, looking ahead to the next one. We evaluate where we are and where we want to be. I appreciate the emphasis on reflection.
But one area that needs more reflection is how much we face the constant pressure to value the things we possess.
1. There are around 300,000 items in the average American home (LA Times).
You say, “That can’t be right.” To you I say, “Do your kids have Legos?
2. The size of the average American home has almost tripled over the past 50 years (NPR), yet statistics (NYT) show that 18% of Americans rent offsite storage.
3. The US has over 50,000 storage facilities. Currently, it is physically possible that every American could stand at the same time under the total canopy of self-storage roofing (SSA).
4. 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle. (U.S. Department of Energy).
5. Over the course of our lifetime, we will spend over 150 days searching for misplaced items. We lose up to nine items every day—or 198,743 in a lifetime. Phones, keys, sunglasses, and paperwork top the list (The Daily Mail). In short, we will likely lose more items than some people will ever have.
We recently went about a month with a remote control for the TV. Not a bad thing. No idea what happened. But when we got out the bins to put away the Christmas decorations this week, it was inside one of the bins.
We lose more things than many people will ever have. I think you get the idea. Our lives are cluttered. We have more than we need or know what to do with. And the more we have, the more likely we are to lose focus on that which matters most.
G. Campbell Morgan said, “The thing which matters is not so much the possession of the treasure, as the effect the possession of the treasure will have upon us.” It’s not what we have that is the problem. It’s our tendency to make what we have the most important thing.
The Lord deals with elements of this in Matthew 6. One major element of Matthew 6 is how God’s people view material things. There is constant tension between the material things (that which we can hold right now) and eternal things (that which matters in eternity later).
We’re conflicted because we’re supposed to be spiritually minded, but we live in bodies. We can’t help but touch the material part of life. It’s all around us.
And Jesus’ message is not condemning the stuff. He’s condemning how important the stuff becomes to us.
So He gives some important truths about what matters most:
I. Eternal things are superior to Material things
I. Eternal things are superior to Material things
Vs. 19 – Jesus warns against the accumulation of stuff because it’s temporary. Most people live their lives in an effort to stockpile things they can’t fit into a casket. Anything you can hold or buy is temporary.
Vs. 20 – There are things we can invest in that last forever. Things we can’t lose. Things that last forever like People and Investing in God’s Kingdom. Jesus says we can lay up for ourselves treasures that last by investing in eternal things.
II. What we invest in reveals what we love
II. What we invest in reveals what we love
Vs. 21 – You can tell what someone loves based on the way they spend their money and their time.
Noah talked about hunting in MPM. If Noah invests chunks of money and time into hunting, that reveals that he enjoys hunting.
It’s not a bad thing. Our time and money reveal our hearts. Not only that, the more we invest in something the more we love it. It’s a cycle.
We love something so we invest in it. And the more we invest in it the more we love it.
III. We love what we focus on
III. We love what we focus on
Vs. 22a – “The light of the body is the eye.”
Light - A lamp or a candle. Without electricity, they would have used a flame to see.
So, in the same way that a candle helps a person see, our eyes help us to see. Jesus says the eye can either be bright or it can be darkened. We can either see things clearly or we can see nothing at all.
My wife and I holding a hymnal further and further away. The quality of the eye affects how we see things.
If our vision is darkened by wrong priorities, everything we see will be affected by that.
Vs. 22b – “If therefore thine eye be single"
Single means “simple” or “whole.” Not diluted. It means the eye is doing its one job. It’s helping you to see.
But Jesus is saying we will love what we spend most of our time focusing on.
IV. What we love determines how we live
IV. What we love determines how we live
Vs. 22b – “If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light"
If your eye is doing its job, you can read, you can walk without tripping, you can see the details. But if our eyes are not working, we miss those things.
Spiritually speaking, what we focus on determines what we love, and what we love determines we live.
If we view the things of God as being most important, we will lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
But if we don’t view the thing of God as the priority, there will be consequences. In the same way that not seeing clearly impacts us negatively.
Vs. 23 – “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness."
Wrong focus leads to a wrong love which leads to wrong living.
Jesus is saying, “If your focus is on material things, you’re like a person walking in darkness. You are at risk with every step. It will affect every part of your life.”
Vs. 23b - If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Wrong focus leads to wrong love which leads to wrong living.
One way I’d like to explain it is the difference between Central Vision and Peripheral Vision.
Central Vision is that which we are focused on. Like when we’re driving or reading. But our central vision only covers about 3 degrees of our visual field. We actually have about 180 degrees of vision total, so Central Vision is a very small sliver of our overall vision. But it’s the most important part of our vision. It helps us to make judgment calls like estimating distance and seeing details. For our purposes today I’m going to call this Priority Vision.
Peripheral Vision is what allows you to see objects around you without turning your head or moving your eyes. At any point you’re looking at one object or in one place with your Priority Vision. But everything else is in your 180 degree field of vision. You’re aware of it, but you’re not focusing on it. That’s Peripheral Vision.
I’d like to illustrate this using a couple of people. (One person in middle aisle, two others in side aisles)
Priority Vision – (Person standing in center aisle)
This person represents the small area called Priority Vision. I’m looking and focusing on him. He is in my 3 degree targeted Priority Vision right now..
Peripheral Vision – (Have others stand to my left and right)
These represent what I see in my Peripheral Vision. I see them and I know they’re there but they’re not in my focus. They’re not in that 3 degrees of Priority Vision.
Jesus Christ uses this idea to explain what happens in our spiritual lives.
Priority Vision – Treasures in heaven…eternal investments. These are the things connected to God…the things that matter in eternity. The things that last. The deposits or investments we make in our time to serve God, in effort to build His kingdom, in energy to invest in His church, in finances to impact people’s lives for eternity. Our Priority Vision should be the things connected to God:
The time you spend on your relationship with God
The effort you put into telling others about Jesus Christ
The time investment you make serving God in your local church
The financial investments you make in a church for missions and other ministries
It may not make sense to the average person out there, but Jesus says it’s more important than material things. That’s Priority Vision.
Do an evaluation. How much of your focus and love and life have to do with God or anything about Him?
Peripheral Vision – In our Peripheral Vision are all the other things, the stuff of life that isn’t directly connected to the things of God. I’m not saying that everything in our peripheral is unimportant. But everything there is less important than Jesus Christ.
These are things like career, hobbies, recreation, football, hunting, Starbucks. Not saying they’re sinful, just saying they don’t have a direct connection to the things of God. Peripheral.
So we have tension between Priority Vision, focusing on Jesus Christ, and Peripheral Vision, the things that matter less than Jesus Christ. And the constant pull of the peripheral creates a tension in our hearts.
That’s what Jesus explains in Vs. 24.
You can’t focus on two things at once. It’s impossible.
It’s like trying to have a conversation while someone else is trying to talk to you from the side. There’s tension because you want to focus here but you’re being distracted from over here.
That’s the constant tension of our lives. Trying to keep our Priority of focusing on Christ while keeping the less important things in the Peripheral.
The problem comes when we go from this (LOOKING AT PRIORITY) to this (LOOKING TO PERIPHERAL).
That leads to today’s primary takeaway:
Our problem is not the presence of material things in our LIVES. Our problem is the priority of material things in our HEARTS.
*(Guys may sit down).
So how do we relieve the tension between Priority and Peripheral?
First, the answer is not to remove anything material from our lives. That’s called asceticism. Which means no possessions, no enjoyment, no pleasure. That’s not what Jesus says. Because this is a hear issue. And it must be dealt with on a heart level.
And Jesus uses a phrase multiple times to help us maintain the proper focus.
He says, “Take no thought.” Which means to troubled with cares or anxious.
Vs. 25 – “Therefore I say unto, Take no thought for your life”
Vs. 27 – “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”
Vs. 28 – “Why take ye thought for raiment?”
Vs. 31 – “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherefore shall we be clothed?”
What He’s saying is, “When your focus is on the Peripherals instead of the Priority, you will be troubled with the cares of life.”
When we turn our focus from Priority Vision to Peripheral Vision, it erases the Contentment Christ offers and replaces it with the cares of life.
Jesus Christ wants us to satisfied and fulfilled and Content in Him, but when we focus on material things, we can’t be.
We think the Peripherals can satisfy us, and they never do.
We focus so much on them that we live to get more and more.
And as we focus on them, we lose sight of Jesus Christ.
And the result is becoming anxious, worried, unsettled, and unhappy.
So we can focus on the Peripherals, or we can focus on Jesus.
And look at the result in verses 32b-33:
Think about what He says, “If you focus on the Peripherals, you’ll be filled with worry and care. But if you focus on me, I’ll take care of the Peripherals.”
This is the THE POWER OF PRIORITY VISION. We become content in Jesus Christ and He takes care of the material things that we would have otherwise worried about.
We focus on Him, and He takes care of the rest.
We put Him first, He provides for our needs.
We make Him the Priority, and He manages the Peripherals.
When we focus on an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and loving, we have no reason to live for anything else. We find in Him all we need to be Content.
But when our spiritual eyes begin to drift from Him to the peripherals – the stuff, the clutter – it erases contentment and replaces it with care.
We’re anxious. We’re worried. We’re fretting over how our needs will be met. We’re fretting over how to keep what we have. And whether or not it’s enough.
But the stuff is never enough.
Can a better retirement provide comfort when you face great loss?
Can more money be a shoulder to lean on when you are suffering?
Can nicer things be a friend when you are dealing with loneliness?
Can obtaining more help you overcome the guilt when you sin before God?
Not a chance. That’s why we must get back to Priority Vision. Focusing on Christ instead of the Peripherals.
Because only Jesus can answer our soul’s greatest questions.
As we wrap this up I want to consider two facts about eyesight that are also true about spiritual vision:
#1 - We can only focus on one priority.
#1 - We can only focus on one priority.
Pick a spot and focus on it. That is in your Priority Vision.
Now, without moving your eyes, focus on another spot in your Peripheral Vision. It’s impossible.
The same thing is true spiritually. Jesus said “No man can serve two masters.”
He’s saying, “You have to choose. Get off the fence. You can only focus on one Master.”
If you’re trying to decide who to prioritize, the question becomes, “Who’s the better Master? Jesus or the stuff of life?”
“Who can help me the most? Jesus or money?”
“Who can fulfill me? Jesus or stuff?”
“Who can makes the better Master? Jesus or the peripherals of life?”
The answer is obvious.
If you live for the stuff, you get none of what Christ offers. But if you live for Christ, you get all the stuff you need.
#2 - The majority of what we see is in the Peripheral.
#2 - The majority of what we see is in the Peripheral.
If 3 degrees is your Central Vision, then 177 degrees is your Peripheral Vision.
Most of what you see is in the Peripheral. Over 98%.
Most of what calls for your attention is Peripheral. And anything that is not connected to Christ is Peripheral.
Which means it is so easy to live for things that do not matter in Eternity.
Our time and energy and finances and emotions are often lived for things that do not carry over.
If you give your life to the Peripherals, Jesus says the result will be a troubled heart, full of cares.
Our problem is not the presence of the peripherals in our LIVES. Our problem is the priority of the peripherals in our HEARTS.
Conclusion: “How do I know if I’m living for Priority or Peripheral Vision?”
What do you wake up thinking about?
What do you spend your time worrying about?
What makes you the happiest?
What makes you angriest?
What do you spend the most time doing?
What are the things that keep you from serving God?
Where do you turn when you have a need?
Those are the kind of questions that will help us recognize what we’re living for: Priority or Peripheral.
I think it may be time to declutter.
Get back to that one focus that matters the most instead of living for the Peripherals.
And in every decision ask this, “Does this choice put Jesus in focus on something else?”
If you will live by that filter, then you will invest your life in treasure that lasts.
And in the process, God will take care of the Peripherals.
I want you to be content, but the only way to get there is to turn your eyes to Jesus and make Him your life’s priority.
If you don’t, you erase Contentment and replace it with the Cares of Life.
Which one sounds better?
