As we continue to look at the purpose of the church, ask yourself these questions: is my citizenship in heaven or do I consider earth my home? If home is where the heart is, then where is mine? Home is where your treasures are stored. Jesus warned: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves 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” (Matt. 6:19-21).

If we are merely travelers on this earth and it is not our home, then why do we store up so many treasures that cause our hearts to be tied here? By Jesus referring to “thieves” breaking in and stealing our valuables, He was conveying the idea that our homes on this earth are not secure. Our valuables, if not stolen by thieves, will deteriorate by time and wear; therefore, nothing is truly safe.

The purpose of the church is to go home. If our purpose is to go home, then we will not store valuables here which cannot be taken home with us. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:8). When people are on vacation, they do not purchase valuables which cannot be taken home with them. It would not make sense to buy a house that you never intend on living in or a car you never intend on driving, which is why we buy hotel rooms or rent houses and cars to use temporarily on vacation. Most would consider it to be ludicrous to spend that amount of money to use a house or car once and then abandon it, but this is what so many do today. Instead of being content with what we have (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8), we allow the love of money to tempt, snare, and drown us in worldly things. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

We should be sojourners and pilgrims on this earth seeking to go home (1 Peter 2:11; Heb. 13:14). Therefore, our treasures gained upon this earth should be used for the purpose of obtaining that goal and honoring God. The Israelites were told to “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase” (Prov. 3:9) but in most cases, they were robbing God instead. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (Mal. 3:8).

Today, when we lay treasures up for ourselves on earth and cut our offering to God to make the payments, we are robbing God of the first fruits, making this temporal place our home. Paul commanded the church at Corinth to give as they had been prospered (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Instead of storing up treasures for ourselves, we should be giving back to God, “for God loves a cheerful giver.” We should ask ourselves—do we really need the extra luxuries in our lives? Or, should we be purposing in our hearts money for God’s work instead of purposing it to buy extravagant temporal things (2 Cor. 9:7)?

The purpose of the church is to go home. Paul taught that our bodies are temporary dwelling places, calling them “tents,” and he looked to go home to “a house not made with hands” (2 Cor. 5:1-2). What about you? Are you storing up money and earthly possessions as if you are already home? Or, will you reap bountifully because you have sown bountifully, knowing this earthy dwelling place is merely temporal (2 Cor. 9:6)? Where is your treasure?

Just something to consider!