Luke 12:29-34
Notes
Transcript
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-If you would, please turn in your Bibles...
…back to Luke 12.
We’re going to be picking up...
…where we left off last week...
…there in Verse 29.
And for the sake of time...
…I’m not going to say very much...
…by way of introduction...
(So, you might want to turn fast)
But, I will say this:
That, in this text...
…Jesus is presenting us with ONLY two options...
…for how we are to live our earthly lives.
The options he sets forth are both...
Binary...
Mutually Exclusive...
…and they leave no room for...
a third option...
any middle ground.
We’re either going to...
Live for ourselves and the things of this world
Live for God and His Kingdom.
Is that something we need to be reminded of?
Alright, let’s read it together.
Luke 12, beginning in Verse 29.
Hear the Word of the Lord:
Luke 12:29–34 (ESV)
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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-If you will, look back to Verse 22...
…and let’s be reminded of the immediate context...
…for the verses that we just read.
Remember, that Jesus, had...
Luke 12:22 (ESV)
22 ...said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
…and He had followed that up...
…with this summarizing maxim:
Luke 12:23 (ESV)
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
And, to motivate them to obedience...
He reasoned with them...
…from two different angles (on screen):
The Futility of Anxiety
The Faithfulness of Divine Providence.
On the first, he had asked:
Luke 12:25–26 (ESV)
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
On the second, he had...
....given these two considerations:
Luke 12:24 (ESV)
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Luke 12:27 (ESV)
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
And then, from that example...
…He had drawn this conclusion:
Luke 12:28 (ESV)
28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
And in light of that...
…in Verse 29, Jesus appears to be...
…expanding upon that initial command...
…that he had given in Verse 22.
So, going beyond the mere sin of the mind...
...He says:
Luke 12:29 (ESV)
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
This is the language...
(not merely the engagement of the mind)
…but of the effort and striving...
…of the whole person.
This is the language of...
Aspiration
Pursuit
This is the language of...
Purpose
Goals
Why do I say that?
Well, think about it:
Is Jesus telling his disciples...
…to make no physical effort...
…to obtain their own food and shelter...
…and to wait for manna to fall out of the sky?
We saw this last week:
2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 (ESV)
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
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So, clearly Jesus isn’t telling them...
…to abandon all physical labor...
…and the normative means of procuring sustenance...
What he’s telling them, is to...
not set their hearts on it.
To not let it be...
What consumes their thoughts
The thing for which they live.
-And, he gives them...
…a very sobering explanation...
…as to why, in Verse 30:
Luke 12:30 (ESV)
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things...
Luke 12:30 (HCSB)
30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things...
Luke 12:30 (NIV)
30 For the pagan world runs after all such things...
What’s the point?
“Unbelievers”
“Those who do not know God”
These are the kinds of things...
That they pursue
That they make the central focus of their lives.
But, as Jesus said in...
Mark 10:43 (ESV)
43 But it shall not be so among you...
That was a different issue
But, it was the same contrast
And it’s based on this principle:
Leviticus 20:26 (ESV)
26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
God’s people are not to live like everyone else!
They’re to be holy!
Peter wrote this...
…to the churches in Asia Minor:
1 Peter 1:14–16 (ESV)
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Philip Ryken says this:
Some people live for this world. They are like the rich fool who was worried about having enough storage space for all his stuff.
Such people are preoccupied with food, clothing, and material possessions. Their attention is dominated by the things they do not have and want to get, or the things they are about to purchase, or the things they already own but still have to pay off.
They are strongly attracted to the merchandise in the mail order catalog (Amazon) and the lifestyle portrayed in the glamour magazines (Social Media Influencers): fine dining, fabulous clothes, and a better-looking body. Or maybe they are just struggling to get by, but all they can think about is getting ahead in life.
This is what most people live for. It is what people have always lived for, all over the world.
Jesus tells us to live a different way. — Ryken
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He tells us to BE HOLY!
-Now, watch this.
Watch the tender assurance...
…that He gives...
…to help them/us to do so:
Luke 12:29–30 (ESV)
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Do you see the...
…manifold layers of comfort in that?
He describes God as their Father!
Implying that they are his children
Implying a tender and loving disposition toward them
He assures them that their Father...
…is fully aware of all that they need!
3. (implied) God is able to provide for them fully!
Infinitely better than any earthly father.
He has all power and authority
His love is perfect and pure.
In light of that, he bids us...
Luke 12:29 (HCSB)
29 Don’t keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious.
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-Now, in Verse 31...
…Jesus tells them...
…what they SHOULD be...
Seeking after
Striving for:
Luke 12:31 (ESV)
31 Instead, seek his kingdom...
Whose Kingdom?
God’s Kingdom!
The Father’s Kingdom!
The idea being...
…as Jesus said it...
…in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...
Meaning that it has to be...
…the first and foremost...
…desire of your heart.
Meaning that...
its purposes
its advancement
…eclipses the importance...
…of all lesser things.
This is a principle...
…which is ubiquitous in Scripture:
You can see it...
…in something as simple, as...
1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)
8 ...while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Or in something that is a deep, as...
Hebrews 11:13–16 (ESV)
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth...
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
-And, if you think about it...
…it is this same principle...
…that undergirds the framework of the “Lord’s Prayer” :
Matthew 6:9–11 (ESV)
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread...
This is the correct order:
Psalm 37:4–5 (ESV)
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
That’s essentially what we see...
…at the end of Verse 31:
Luke 12:31 (ESV)
31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
How glorious is that?
“Seek Me First”
“And I’ll make sure you have what you need...
…to keep seeking me first!”
Is that a call to...
…a life of dependent faith?
It sure is!
But how gracious is God...
to call us to such a thing...
to undergird it with such a glorious assurance?
-Now, watch this.
The comfort, the exhortation, the assurance...
…doesn’t stop there!
Luke 12:32 (ESV)
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
There’s so much in that.
It contains...
Comfort
After Comfort
After Comfort
After Comfort
-First, it begins with...
...a gracious command to “fear not.”
(Coming from the blessed and only Potentate!)
(Coming from the Judge of all the Earth)
(Coming from the incarnate, thrice-holy God!)
-Then, there’s the endearing way...
…that they/we are described...
…in their relationship to that same king:
“Little flock”
This description, both...
Reminds them/us of our weakness
Assures us of His powerful and purposeful...
…pastoral care and provision!
It brings to mind...
…OT passages, such as...
Isaiah 40:11 (ESV)
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
-Thirdly, He once again (Verse 32)...
…refers to the eternal God...
…as their FATHER!
-Then He says… Not only that, but...
Luke 12:32 (ESV)
32 ...it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Or, as the CSB says:
Luke 12:32 (CSB)
32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.
The JFB Commentary says this:
How sublime and touching a contrast between this tender and pitying appellation, “Little flock” . . . and the “good pleasure” of the Father to give them the Kingdom;
the one recalling the insignificance and helplessness of that then literal handful of disciples,
the other holding up to their view the eternal love that encircled them, the everlasting arms that were underneath them, and the high inheritance awaiting them!
Well might He say, “Fear not!” — JFB Commentary
-Brethren, this is yet another...
…glorious paradox of the Christian life!
We should delight in His grace...
…like Jesus did, on our behalf:
Luke 10:21 (ESV)
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
Citizenship in the Kingdom of God...
…is a gift that was given to us.
It is an inestimable privilege...
That we would NEVER deserve
That we could NEVER earn
Peter said this:
1 Peter 1:3–6 (ESV)
3 . . . According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again...
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you...
-This is the ultimate reality of our lives, brethren.
And it’s imperative that we...
…view our purpose/existence...
…through that kind of lens.
When we do...
It helps us better digest...
…the daunting commands we see...
…in places like Verse 33.
Luke 12:33 (ESV)
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
What’s He saying, here?
He’s telling them/us:
To trade in our earthly capital...
For heavenly capital.
To give up the material...
To gain the spiritual!
To set aside our affections for the present life...
And give priority to the life to come.
Now, if I had said that on my own...
…some of you might have called me a gnostic!
This is where we have to be careful...
…not to superimpose our...
Eschatology
Symbolics
Systematics
…upon the clear teachings of Scripture!
To do so, here...
…would be to empty this passage...
…of its force.
Let me show you why I’m convinced...
…that this is the proper way to understand it.
For starters, this theme is replete in the NT:
1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV)
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches...
18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Also, we have passages…
...that say things, like...
Colossians 1:5 (ESV)
5 ...the hope laid up for you in heaven...
Or that...
Philippians 3:20 (ESV)
20 ...our citizenship is in heaven....
But, beyond all of that...
…is the way the Apostolic Church...
…seemed to view the Christian life.
Remember:
Acts 2:44–45 (ESV)
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Acts 4:34–35 (ESV)
34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
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These people could literally...
…ask the Apostles questions...
…about what Jesus meant by his teachings...
And, this is how they responded!
That’s telling!
That’s Convicting!
-Now, with some reluctance...
…I feel obligated to give you some qualifiers:
This is not an endorsement of communism
(this was done voluntarily)
It isn’t saying that...
You can’t own property
You can’t have ANY money in the bank
You have to live in a monastery
Sproul summarizes it, like this:
He is not demanding that all His disciples be poor. But they must be generous and not set their hearts on earthly possessions (v. 34), as is seen in the attitude and practice of the apostolic churches (Acts 2:45; 4:32–37; 2 Cor. 8:1–5). — RSB
-You see, it’s a matter of the heart!
And, that’s where Jesus takes it, in Verse 34.
Luke 12:34 (ESV)
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
In a sense, he’s summarizing...
…everything he had taught...
…from verses 13-33...
…in that one little axiom.
I. Howard Marshall explains it like this:
If a person seeks such heavenly treasure, the implication is that his heart, i.e. his affections, is (sic) directed in the right way,
whereas if a person piles up earthly treasure, the evidence shows that his affections are earthbound and hence his heart is not truly related to God — Marshall
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In other words:
“Follow the money trail...
...and you’ll find what is most loved”
We do this without thinking about it.
It’s one of those things...
…that reveal the spiritual realities of our heart...
…without us even realizing it.
Brethren, this is the call of the Christian Life:
Colossians 3:1–3 (ESV)
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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Let’s Pray
Brothers, Could you come up...
…and distribute the elements?
Luke 22:19 (ESV)
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:20 (ESV)
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Amen!
Thank you, Lord!