INVEST HEARTS AND FINANCES | PASTOR MATTHEW JOHNSON
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” — Pastor Matthew Johnson
A Life and Death Calling
Pastor Matthew Johnson continues the series on becoming the church Jesus designed with a sober reminder. What the church does is not casual. It is not optional. It is life and death.
Over the past few weeks, The Tree Church has walked through deep loss. Beloved members of the church family passed away suddenly. Grief has been real. Tears have been many. Yet in the middle of sorrow, there has also been hope.
Lives were renewed. Faith was reignited. People were baptized. The church opened its doors to comfort families and share the message of eternal life. In the face of death, the mission of Jesus continued.
This is why the church exists. The worst thing that can happen to someone is not physical death. It is to die physically while already dead spiritually. But when a person places faith in Jesus Christ, they are made alive. When they die, they are absent from the body and present with God.
That reality gives weight to everything the church does.
Over the past few weeks, The Tree Church has walked through deep loss. Beloved members of the church family passed away suddenly. Grief has been real. Tears have been many. Yet in the middle of sorrow, there has also been hope.
Lives were renewed. Faith was reignited. People were baptized. The church opened its doors to comfort families and share the message of eternal life. In the face of death, the mission of Jesus continued.
This is why the church exists. The worst thing that can happen to someone is not physical death. It is to die physically while already dead spiritually. But when a person places faith in Jesus Christ, they are made alive. When they die, they are absent from the body and present with God.
That reality gives weight to everything the church does.
Why Finances Matter to the Church
From that foundation, Pastor Matthew shifts to a topic that often creates tension. Finances.
He acknowledges it clearly. Money is personal. It can feel uncomfortable when a pastor talks about it. Churches sometimes carry a reputation for speaking about money too often. Yet Jesus spoke about money often because money is closely tied to the human heart.
The church is funded by the church. Not by the government. Not by hidden accounts. Not by wealthy outsiders. The people of God fund the mission of God.
This has always been God’s design.
In the Old Testament, God set apart the Levites to lead spiritually. They did not receive land like the other tribes. Instead, God commanded His people to bring the first fruits and the tithe. A tenth belonged to Him. Those resources sustained the ministry and reminded the people that God was their provider.
In the New Testament, the structure changed, but the heart did not. Jesus told His disciples that the worker deserves his wages. Paul echoed the same truth in 1 Corinthians 9. Those who proclaim the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Giving was never simply about funding operations. It was about relationship.
He acknowledges it clearly. Money is personal. It can feel uncomfortable when a pastor talks about it. Churches sometimes carry a reputation for speaking about money too often. Yet Jesus spoke about money often because money is closely tied to the human heart.
The church is funded by the church. Not by the government. Not by hidden accounts. Not by wealthy outsiders. The people of God fund the mission of God.
This has always been God’s design.
In the Old Testament, God set apart the Levites to lead spiritually. They did not receive land like the other tribes. Instead, God commanded His people to bring the first fruits and the tithe. A tenth belonged to Him. Those resources sustained the ministry and reminded the people that God was their provider.
In the New Testament, the structure changed, but the heart did not. Jesus told His disciples that the worker deserves his wages. Paul echoed the same truth in 1 Corinthians 9. Those who proclaim the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Giving was never simply about funding operations. It was about relationship.
The Danger of Wanting More
In Luke 12, Jesus encounters a man who wants more money. The man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide an inheritance.
On the surface, the request seems reasonable. More is better. Most people would choose more over less. More savings feels safer. More income feels freeing. More resources promise more experiences.
But Jesus looks deeper. He warns the man to guard against covetousness.
Covetousness is not just wanting something. It is wanting more in a way that resents others and questions God’s provision. It assumes that what God has given is not enough.
Jesus then tells the parable of the rich fool. A man has a great harvest. He builds bigger barns. He stores up goods for many years. He plans to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy life.
From a worldly perspective, that sounds wise. It sounds responsible.
But God calls him a fool.
Why? Because the man only thought in temporary terms. He never considered eternity. He never used his resources to honor God. That very night, his life ended. His possessions stayed behind. He stood before God unprepared.
Jesus makes it clear. Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. More is not evil. But more becomes dangerous when it replaces honoring God.
On the surface, the request seems reasonable. More is better. Most people would choose more over less. More savings feels safer. More income feels freeing. More resources promise more experiences.
But Jesus looks deeper. He warns the man to guard against covetousness.
Covetousness is not just wanting something. It is wanting more in a way that resents others and questions God’s provision. It assumes that what God has given is not enough.
Jesus then tells the parable of the rich fool. A man has a great harvest. He builds bigger barns. He stores up goods for many years. He plans to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy life.
From a worldly perspective, that sounds wise. It sounds responsible.
But God calls him a fool.
Why? Because the man only thought in temporary terms. He never considered eternity. He never used his resources to honor God. That very night, his life ended. His possessions stayed behind. He stood before God unprepared.
Jesus makes it clear. Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. More is not evil. But more becomes dangerous when it replaces honoring God.
Seek First the Kingdom
Jesus anticipates fear in His listeners. If they prioritize God, will they have enough?
He tells them not to be anxious. God feeds the birds. He clothes the lilies. How much more does He care for His children?
Then He gives the instruction that anchors the entire teaching.
Seek first the kingdom.
In the context of Luke 12, this includes finances. It means putting God first in tangible ways. It means honoring Him with first fruits and the tithe. It means trusting Him as provider rather than trusting money.
Jesus ties it all together with a statement that cuts to the heart.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Money and the heart are connected. They cannot be separated. God desires our hearts. One of the primary ways He captures our hearts is through what we do with our treasure.
He tells them not to be anxious. God feeds the birds. He clothes the lilies. How much more does He care for His children?
Then He gives the instruction that anchors the entire teaching.
Seek first the kingdom.
In the context of Luke 12, this includes finances. It means putting God first in tangible ways. It means honoring Him with first fruits and the tithe. It means trusting Him as provider rather than trusting money.
Jesus ties it all together with a statement that cuts to the heart.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Money and the heart are connected. They cannot be separated. God desires our hearts. One of the primary ways He captures our hearts is through what we do with our treasure.
A Relational Call, Not a Transaction
This teaching is not about pressure. It is about relationship.
In Malachi 3, God tells His people that they have turned away from Him. He invites them to return. They ask how. He answers by pointing to the tithe. In withholding it, they were robbing God.
Not because He needed their money. But because the tithe belonged to Him. It represented their trust. It represented their hearts.
God promises that when they return, He will bless them. He will provide. He will make them a testimony to the nations.
This is not a formula for wealth. It is an invitation into trust.
Money can become an idol. Jesus says we will serve either God or money. There is no middle ground. Giving is how we loosen money’s grip and place our trust in God.
In Malachi 3, God tells His people that they have turned away from Him. He invites them to return. They ask how. He answers by pointing to the tithe. In withholding it, they were robbing God.
Not because He needed their money. But because the tithe belonged to Him. It represented their trust. It represented their hearts.
God promises that when they return, He will bless them. He will provide. He will make them a testimony to the nations.
This is not a formula for wealth. It is an invitation into trust.
Money can become an idol. Jesus says we will serve either God or money. There is no middle ground. Giving is how we loosen money’s grip and place our trust in God.
Intentional Obedience
Pastor Matthew challenges the church not to respond emotionally and then forget. Obedience requires intentionality.
Waiting for the perfect financial moment rarely works. Faithful giving requires planning. It requires budgeting. It may require cutting back in other areas. It requires starting somewhere.
The call is simple. Begin. Trust God. Test His faithfulness. Watch how He works.
The mission is too important to delay.
Waiting for the perfect financial moment rarely works. Faithful giving requires planning. It requires budgeting. It may require cutting back in other areas. It requires starting somewhere.
The call is simple. Begin. Trust God. Test His faithfulness. Watch how He works.
The mission is too important to delay.
An Example That Speaks
The message closes with a personal story.
In the final weeks of his life, Allan Frederick remained committed to the mission of The Tree Church. Even while facing serious health challenges, he spoke with staff about increasing his financial commitment. When God increased his resources, he saw it as an opportunity to increase his giving.
He was not concerned about bigger barns. He was concerned about advancing God’s kingdom.
Pastor Matthew stood at Allan’s bedside shortly before he passed away. In that moment, there were no regrets about generosity. There was faithfulness. There was a life spent and poured out for the church.
That example carries weight.
When our lives come to an end, what will matter most? Not the size of our accounts. Not the square footage of our homes. What will matter is whether we invested our hearts and finances in the kingdom of God.
In the final weeks of his life, Allan Frederick remained committed to the mission of The Tree Church. Even while facing serious health challenges, he spoke with staff about increasing his financial commitment. When God increased his resources, he saw it as an opportunity to increase his giving.
He was not concerned about bigger barns. He was concerned about advancing God’s kingdom.
Pastor Matthew stood at Allan’s bedside shortly before he passed away. In that moment, there were no regrets about generosity. There was faithfulness. There was a life spent and poured out for the church.
That example carries weight.
When our lives come to an end, what will matter most? Not the size of our accounts. Not the square footage of our homes. What will matter is whether we invested our hearts and finances in the kingdom of God.
The Invitation
This message is not about money for money’s sake. It is about eternal impact.
Every dollar given fuels the ministry. It supports the proclamation of the gospel. It creates space for baptisms, discipleship, and community. It helps the church bring hope in moments of tragedy.
The limiting factor is not vision. It is obedience.
When believers seek first the kingdom, trust God as provider, and respond with faithful generosity, the church grows healthier. Lives are changed. The message of Jesus moves forward.
The invitation remains open.
Return to Him. Seek first His kingdom. Invest your hearts and finances where eternity is at stake.
Every dollar given fuels the ministry. It supports the proclamation of the gospel. It creates space for baptisms, discipleship, and community. It helps the church bring hope in moments of tragedy.
The limiting factor is not vision. It is obedience.
When believers seek first the kingdom, trust God as provider, and respond with faithful generosity, the church grows healthier. Lives are changed. The message of Jesus moves forward.
The invitation remains open.
Return to Him. Seek first His kingdom. Invest your hearts and finances where eternity is at stake.
Looking for a Church in Lancaster or Logan Ohio?
If you are searching for a church in Lancaster or a church in Logan, The Tree Church would love to welcome you.
We gather every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM at both of our campuses.
Lancaster Campus
Address: 1635 N Memorial Dr, Lancaster, OH 43130
Logan Campus
Address: 240 E Main St, Logan, OH 43138
Whether you live in Fairfield County, Hocking County, or the surrounding area, you are invited to join us as we pursue Jesus and live out the mission He has given us.
We gather every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM at both of our campuses.
Lancaster Campus
Address: 1635 N Memorial Dr, Lancaster, OH 43130
Logan Campus
Address: 240 E Main St, Logan, OH 43138
Whether you live in Fairfield County, Hocking County, or the surrounding area, you are invited to join us as we pursue Jesus and live out the mission He has given us.
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