Burn the Boats

Introduction

Opening Illustration — False Discovery: When I was a little boy, our back yard had a small dense area of trees and dirt in the corner. And that little patch was my adventureland. I remember one day found, half buried in the dirt, an shard of engraved pottery. I thought I had hit the jackpot. I was certain, that I had discovered some ancient Native American treasure that would put me on the map. They’d schedule a full dig and send in the best archaeologists. My visions of grandeur were abruptly ended when I discovered, much to my chagrin, that the shard was simply a piece of a pottery barn vase that must have fallen out on the way to the garbage.

The Great Treasure: Haven’t so many of us learned that lesson time and time again. That which we once thought held such value, that which we once built our plans around, turned out to be junk. The reality is that there is a treasure in this world that is far more valuable than anything else this world has to offer. That is Jesus Christ and the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. There is nothing like it in this world. The fleeting pleasures of material wealth will come and go, the riches we accumulate in this world will all be passed to others one day, the accolades we collect will largely be forgotten. But knowing Christ, and having that great treasure of the forgiveness of sins, that will last forever.

Personal: What do you most treasure in life? If God were to come down reveal the truth of what we really bleed for, what is most central to our identity, to our purpose, what would he find beneath all the show and veneer?

Context & Main Idea: Today, we continue in the Gospel of Luke. We are in the midst of a lengthy sextion of Christ’s teaching. Last week, Mike Bullmare opened up chapter 12 by demonstrating how Jesus taught how deeply intwined the life we live here is with the life we will have there in the next life. Today’s sermon is a sort of continuation of that discussion. I think the main idea of today’s sermon comes straight from Jesus’ mouth, in fact its the last verse of our text, verse 34.

Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

That which you prize the greatest, that which is your greatest delight, your true treasure, reveals the condition of your soul. What I want to do today is I want to put us on trial before the before the text. I want this text to be more than something that scratches our intellect, and I want it penetrate down into our heart in such a way that we are moved to godly change as a result. In order to do that I have structured today’s sermon around three questions which I believe arise directly from the text. Three questions that we can ask ourselves to discern whether our treasure is truly Christ and the Gospel, or something else entirely.

Meaning & Application

I WHAT ARE YOU COVETING?

The first question whereby we can test ourselves is “What are we coveting?”

Luke 12:13–20 “Someone in 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 arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”

Jesus’ Primary Agenda: Jesus is surrounded by a great crowd. One man approaches Jesus and makes a request of him. He wants his brother to split the inheritance with him. This is a very worldly issue and Jesus responds fittingly. “Who made me a judge over you.” Ironically, Jesus will indeed stand over our ultimate judgment, but his point here is simply that when he came on mission at that time, he did not come to serve in the civil government and take over civil affairs. His primary agenda was much higher than that. Nevertheless, Jesus uses this moment to teach a lesson. He turns to the crowd and says,

Luke 12:15 “…Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.””

The Lesson - Guard!: Here we have the working principle of this moment of Christ’s teaching. To those who would follow Jesus we must guard our heart against all covetousness. Covetousness is a strong desire to have more than we are due, greediness, avarice, a lust for material wealth. To guard against is strong language. In fact often that word is used in a military sense, as in jailers guarding the inmates. Jesus imagines the human heart as containing a great deposit that must be guarded from all kinds of thieves that could break in and rob the treasure. And the great thief that can break into the human heart, is covetousness. So much of Jesus’ teaching was on the dangers of material prosperity and the ease in which they can cause us to stop guarding our heart.

The Parable: He tells this beautiful parable about a man, likely very relatable to many who are in this room. A young man, full of talent, who strikes material wealth. So much so he has to build additionall cellars to hold it all. He feels good about life. He’s rich, so he thinks. And he says in verse 19

Luke 12:19 “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

What a funny little word he begins that with, “Soul.” He brings spiritual language into the discussion. He believes his phsyical prosperity is a symbol and a signal of his spiritual prosperity. He believes his success in this world, is an indication of success in the eternal world. He was probably well thought of by many, esteemed. This man is so relatable. Maybe he went to Church every Sunday. Maybe he served on some non-profit boards, and gave back to the community. But Jesus calls this man a fool!

What Was His Mistake: What was his mistake? Is it wrong to make money? No. Is it wrong to be successful and good at what we do? No! In fact, pastorally I would advise that we ought to be excellent at whatever we do. Here was his mistake. His greatest treasure, his deepest prized possession, the way he measured the value of his soul, was on his riches in this world, and he was not rich towards God. He did not guard his heart from covetousness. And Christ calls him a fool!

Luke 12:21 “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””

Coveting - Private: Coveting is one of those sneaky sins, because it can be completely hidden from everyone else. If you think of many of the laws of God, they are outward, you can tell when someone breaks them. But this one is largely internal, and because of that well intended Christians can harbor deep and growing forms of covetousness without anyone really knowing.

Coveting - Contentment: Why is coveting such a serious sin? Coveting reveals a heart that is not content in God’s provision. And in that sense, coveting is a symptom that points to a much deeper issue of not actually delighting in God. Is it wrong to seek to improve your life over time? No. That’s not wrong, but we’ve got to guard our hearts against covetousness. We are not to be content in God’s provision but joyful in God’s provision. A heart patterned on “I want more then I’ll be content” is not treasuring Christ above everything else. Our entire economy is built on selling you things you don’t need.

Putting Us on Trial: The thing about coveting is that we are all going to be guilty of this sin. My heart as much as yours. The question to put us on trial today before this text, is what do you do when you discover “coveting” coming forth from your heart? Do you entertain it? Do you feed it? As followers of Christ who long to “guard the deposit of Christ and his gospel as the greatest treasure in our life,” there is one proper thing to do. Confess & Repent. In confession you say out loud, “I have not been guarding my heart, I have been suckered like a fool by strong desire for something that’s not mine. Oh God, I repent. You are my greatest treasure.” This is not a passage saying you can never have any material possessions. Far from it. This is about coveting.

What are you coveting?

II WHAT ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT?

The second question that arises from this text is very deeply connected to the first. It is ‘What are you anxious about?’

Luke 12:22–31 “And he 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. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 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! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 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. 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 do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father …”

Americans on Anxiety: A few weeks ago when I preached on the story Mary and Martha we had an entire section on the modern statistics of anxiety. Suffice it to say that anxiety is an epidemic among Americans right now, especially the younger generations. Jonathan Haidt wrote an interesting book titled ‘The Anxious Generation.’ He hilights two primary causes of why the younger generations are so stressed out. First, overprotection in the real world. And second, underprotection in the digital world. He says that,

“We decided that the real world was so full of dangers that children should not be allowed to explore it without adult supervision, even though the risks to children from crime, violence, drunk drivers, and most other sources have dropped steeply since the 1990s. At the same time, it seemed like too much of a bother to design and require age-appropriate guardrails for kids online, so we left children free to wander through the Wild West of the virtual world, where threats to children abounded.”

I think he is 100% correct, and there is a lesson for parents. But on the topic anxiety, it does not just apply to Gen Z. Our natural anxiety is heightened simply by living in a crowded, loud city. And then you throw in the politics, the social media, you name it. Every person in this room knows what I’m talking about, in some degree.

Pastoral Check - Not Stoicism: Now before I go further I want to offer a pastoral remark. Jesus is not teaching us some form of stoicism, where we are to go through life unemotionally, just keeping a straight face, as if the pain and the hardships of life don’t matter at all. That’s not it. Jesus is getting at something deeper.

Bless: And for some who are deeply worried today about very real issues in your life. The sign for me that you undestand what Jesus is teaching, is that in your worry you are discovering deeper roots in Christ, deeper clinging to the stability that Christ offers, a deeper sense of “I know who holds me.”

Others: But for others in this room, the way you have navigated your worries and your stress and anxiety, at best gives lip service to Jesus. You have behaved in such a way that you feel that you are alone, no stability, no rock to stand upon, no promises to cling to. You feel alone which is you’re so stressed. That is concerning.

Consider Jesus’ Words: This is what Jesus is getting after with his two images of the Raven and the Lily. It’s all about trust and letting God be God. The point with both the raven and the lily is to say, that they are totally content to let God be God. “God provided yesterday, he will provide today, and I trust him.” With the raven we see in verse 24 "God feeds them." With the lily we see in verse 29 that "God clothes them." The Christian worldview is one of God's providential hand over every moment of our life. You see the person truly believes in the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, that God is truly in control of all events of our life, has a very different posture towards the unknowns and the trials we face in this life.

Illustration - Lake Michigan: It's a bit like when my children were little and I would take them out into the waters of Lake Michigan. My eyes were always on them. My hands were always guiding them. The waves came and splashed, but if my children kept their eyes on me, they knew, he'll provide all I need. Christian we serve a sovereign providential God. He's over everything. And so in the midst of whatever you might be tempted to become anxious about, the Christian with a peculiar joy can keep their eyes on their Heavenly Father and know he's guiding the ship. Can you imagine if you really believed that God was providentially working all things for his glory and my good.

Illustration: Your Father: Look at how he finishes this section.

Luke 12:30–31 “For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”

That word “Father” is so familial and full of love. I have three little girls that I adore. They are the apple of my eye. I look forward to seeing them every day. I love reading to them at night and playing with them. I love watching them grow up. So does your heavenly father love you Christian. You are the apple of his eye. His hand is ever over you with tenderness. O how our posture would change if we knew this.

Security of God the Father: Your heavenly father has secured you far more than I could ever offer my child. Christ’s blood was shed for you to establish a covenant that cannot be broken or forsaken. It is secured by Christ himself.

You are a recipient of grace upon grace, an everflowing stream of unmerited love and favor flowing towards you.

You were adopted into God’s family and declared a child of God the moment you placed your faith in Christ. You have a heavenly father who intends to be a good father.

Your God has given you the Holy Spirit, who is able to impress upon you the promises of God in such a way that speak to the very depths of your soul as you navigate life’s trials.

Experiential: So, let us together go on trial before this text. What are you worried and anxious about? Is that worry and anxiety causing you to forget or to forsake the promises of the greatest treasure in your life, Jesus Christ and his presence? Or have your worries and anxieties pushed you deeper into his love, into his presence. This text tells us that the secret to worry and anxiety, is not in the solutions of this world. We are to “seek first the kingdom of God, and all these will be added.”

What are you anxious about?

III WHAT ARE YOU GIVING AWAY

The third and final question, to put ourselves on trial before this text is “What are you giving away?” This question might sound trite compared to the first two, but actually in its practicality it has the reveal the most about the treasure that is truly in our heart.

Luke 12:32–34 ““Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 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. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Little Flock: I love that language of Christ’s “Fear not, little flock.” How quickly we skim over precious words like this. Jesus has ripped open all of their hearts, exposed all of their vulnerabilities. And then I imagine him looking with love and tenderness to his disciples when he says, “Fear not, little flock.” Much how I imagine he looks at you each day, if you are in Christ.

Christ the Greatest Treasure: And notice the contrast in this section. God is going to give us the kingdom. Therefore we are to give to the needy. In Christ, yours is the Kingdom of God. He is saying that you are citizens of the Kingdom that Christ has established. And all of the rights and responsibilities of a faithful citizenship in that kingdom belong to you. You have everything. All that is Christ’s in heaven, he shares with you. But of the treasures of the Kingdom of God that are yours in Christ, the greatest is certainly Christ Himself. He who is purity of love and light. He whose transcendance so infinite that on one sense humanity can not bear to gaze upon his face with crying out like Isaiah “Woe is me, I’m undone.” That glory-filled, second person of the Trinity has taken on flesh, and through his death and through is resurrection he offers all of himself to you, and to me. He is the center of his kingdom, and truly he is the greatest treasure any person could ever discover.

This Treasure Does not Fail (33): According to verse 33, this is a treasure that does not fade, and cannot be taken from you. It is not dependent on how much faith you exert on any given day or any given season. If it were dependent on us, then the treasure would certainly fade, because our grasp on that treasure would fade due to our weakness. But this treasure does not fade, because it is bound to us by the strength of Christ himself. And he has promised that nothing in this world or the next can separate us from that treasure.

Illustration: Burn the Boats: God says, “You’ve got a treasure that cannot fade. Now prove that its yours by giving away those lessers treasures you used to hold onto.”

Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.

It’s a bit like the old phrase “burn the boats.” That phrase is originally attributed to Cortes, who when he arrived on the shores of Mexico in 1519 instructed his men to burn the boats, making it clear that there was no going back. By increasingly giving away that which is perishing, we burn the boats, we say “I’m all in. I trust him. No retreat. No surrender. Jesus or bust.”

Practical: Does this mean that Christians cannot own any goods, or cannot own a home. No of course not, we come across plenty of examples of the goodness of properly running a home and providing for one’s family in the Scriptures. Christians are not bound to a oath of poverty. Yet, in a very real sense, Christians will increasingly give away their earthly treasures and so prove to be heirs of the greatest treasure.

Material Possession as Our Treasure: It is very easy, especially in a place like Lincoln Park, to deceive oneself into thinking that Christ is your greatest treasure, when in reality we might be failing this third test of “What are we giving away?” Remember Jesus’ very firm teaching on this.

Matthew 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Tithe: Let me make it uncomfortably practical for you. Joe did not ask me to say this. The Bible teaches us about the tithe. That believers in God should designate 10% of all they make and give directly back to God through the Church. In fact, the average Old Testament saint would give far more than 10%, often it would go up to 33%. But let us just 10% as a baseline, the tithe which means tenth. Now, I know there are some that try to make the case that we are not bound as New Testament Christians to give 10% of our overall income annually to God and his Kingdom. But I believe that logic deeply flawed. As New Testament believers living under the banner of grace upon grace, who have been the treasure of the kingdom of God, 10% is a floor where we begin our journey of generosity. And over the course of our life, we learn to give more and more away. So here’s a difficult question, if you’re not tithing, why? If you’re holding on to an additional 5 or 7 % then what God instructs, what is that revealing about where your greatest treasure is?

Wrap It Up: This third question, in its practicalness is perhaps the most helpful to us. Coveting sometimes not measurable. Anxiety sometimes not measurable. Giving away… measurable. Church, over the course of our lives, may we prove the great treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, by increasingly giving away that which we cannot keep, because we have gained that which we can never lose!

What are you giving away?

Closing

We began today by asking ourselves “Where is our greatest treasure?” And my hope has been that none of us get ourselves off the hook too easily today. The questions we have asked ‘What am I coveting’, what am I anxious about’, and ‘what am I giving away’ are tests that you can try yourselves to determine if the claim you say you’re making about your greatest treasure, is in fact true. Test yourself.

Call to Believe: And I want to finish today with an offer to you. There are some in this room I have certain, that have never really made Christ their treasure. Perhaps you have given him lip service in the past, but you never really received him as Lord. Or perhaps you’re in here today, and you know you have never believed and had faith in Christ. The Scriptures say “today is the day of salvation.” Why would you not receive this treasure that can never fade. Why would you decline this treasure that cannot be take from you? If that is you today, I am inviting you to make a profession of faith in Christ today, to declare Jesus your Lord and Savior, and to receive the greatest gift and the greatest treasure you will ever find, life in Christ.