God is Pleased to Give You the Kingdom

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Luke 12:22-32

English Standard Version (Chapter 12)

22 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. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 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!

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? 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. 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!

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.

Introduction: Anxiety about Money

At some point, most of us have felt anxious about money.

Older people feel anxious that they’ll have enough to last you through retirement.

Younger people feel anxious that they’ll be able to buy a home and raise a family.

Cost of Living Crisis

A Beyond Blue survey of more than 5,000 people found that one in three said cost-of-living pressures had negatively impacted their mental health either “quite a bit” or “an extreme amount” over the previous 12 months.

searches by helpline counsellors relating specifically to financial issues and homelessness went up 49 per cent between August 2022 and January 2023.

"Will We Have Enough?” It’s an almost universal human question.

We were made to live in perfection, a world without lack, and it hurts that we don’t know if we will have enough for today, or for tomorrow!

Anxiety about money and goods can affect even the richest person!

Tomorrow a bad business move, a world war, a natural disaster and it’s all gone.

If you aren’t careful - fear and anxiety about, let’s call it PROVISION, will rule your life.

You will be anxious, fearful, uncertain.

It will make you unable to give, unable to sow, unable to be free with money.

Jesus says “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.”

Do not be anxious! That’s a good command!

Jesus isn’t just saying Don’t be Anxious - he’s saying You Don’t HAVE to be anxious.

Jesus never does easy platitudes -

Like that fish that used to be on people’s walls and would sing, “Don’t worry be happy now”

Jesus gives you concrete reasons not to be anxious about money, and food and clothing.

By learning to trust these truths, and walk in them, we can find blessing, provision and peace!

We don’t have to be anxious.

1. Life is More Than Food and Clothing

The First Principle Jesus gives us is that LIFE IS MORE THAN FOOD AND CLOTHES (in the earlier passage he said, “Life is more than posessions”)

Maybe we are so used to Christianity that this sounds obvious - but it’s not!

I mean, at a certain level, if you have no food, you have no life!

But Jesus says, life is about more than that!

Jesus is reminding you of your eternal purpose.

He’s reminding you that you aren’t an animal.

We’ve all seen the image of a greedy person as a big fat pig. Stuffing their face full of food. There’s some truth in that - that person has forgotten life is more than food, and so they have become ruled by food.

It’s the same with money (a dragon) or posessions or clothing.

You serve whatever has power over you.

If the purpose of your life is not more than food, you’ll serve food.

Think of Esau, who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew (At that moment he said, all that matter is food).

If the purpose of your life is not higher than money and possessions, you’ll serve money and posessions.

How can someone be uncorrupt as a politician or a judge or a public servant if they aren’t above money? If they live for money, if they live in anxiety and fear for their family, they’ll accept bribes

Jesus says, “See the Birds and the Flowers, you are more important than them”

Don’t believe the pathetic and miserable lie that you are just a collection of cells and matter.

You are a complex, amazing creation, made in the image of God, and made for eternity.

The more our society has come to believe that we are just another animal, the more we’ve become materialistic, living only to eat, drink, have sex and shop.

We aren’t meant to be ruled by our physical wants and needs.

In fact, because"life is more than food”, There may be seasons when we give it up

Fasting

Generosity

Enduring Suffering

Life is more than food and clothing.

If Jesus had stopped there, we’d get the idea that holiness means poverty.

Christianity would be like an Eastern Religion - with skinny monks, dressed in rags dismissing food and clothes as they wait for Nirvarna.

But, Jesus is not like that. No, he feasts, and drinks and parties, and wears an expensive seamless robe.

That’s because, while God didn’t make us for food, he did make food for us.

God’s blessings to his people are not just for eternity.

Psalm 37:25–26 ESV

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

Notice, that the righteous man is not a poor beggar!

He’s overflowing in generosity

Even his children are a blessing.

2. God’s Pleasure to Provide

The second principle, to help free us from anxiety about provision, is GOD IS PLEASED TO PROVIDE.

Jesus makes these striking comparisons:

 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!

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. 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!

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.

God looks after birds and flowers, and he will look after you!

We don’t have to be anxiously worrying about eat and drink, and storehouses and barns, because we have a Father who cares for his children.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we quit our jobs and never write a budget.

But it doesn mean we “have faith” that God cares for us.

God cares for you, and He is pleased to provide for you, and He is pleased to provide Well for you.

A lot of believers stumble on this point - we imagine God is a stingy.

Most people, if they work hard, and have a good job, have no problem purchasing good quality items.

But, many Christians, seem to think that if they are now trusting God, they had better get used to dumpster diving.

They have an expectation that God will only ever come through with the cheapest, most economical, budget friendly solution.

They don’t understand God’s heart or generosity!

As you read Scripture, you find an extravagant God.

He makes flowers beautiful for no reason.

He blesses Abaraham.

Think of the feeding of the five thousand - 12 Baskets left over

The miracle of the Fish - Until their nets broke

Someone might say - “They are symoblic” Sure, but they also reflect God.

Think about Salvation.

God doesn’t simply save you From sin and hell and death. He saves you to life.

If you are on a sinking ship, a plank of wood is better than death - but you wouldn’t choose it for your next cruise.

Christianity is Not a Life Raft. It’s a Kingdom. A Kingdom full of peace and blessing, joy and abundance. It’t not here perfectly, and serving that Kingdom often requires suffering and sacrifice. But it’s already here, just not already complete.

We shouldn’t think that God will provide only the bare minimum.

God loves

STORY - CHAIRS

The first task I was given when I arrived at Southern Life was to organise new chairs. We had all these awful yellow things, fresh from the 80’s, and wanted to replace them. Now, the church didn’t have much money, and, I’ll be honest, people weren’t very keen to give to the chair project.

So, I thought, I will see what I can do with what we’ve got. Eventually I found some second-hand chairs another church was getting rid of for cheap. They weren’t great, but they were better than what we had and they were cheap, and I thought, “Awesome! I’ve found a bargain.”

But you know, I remember talking on the phone, up in the top carpark to the church selling them and having this distinct feeling of guilt. A challenge from God in my ear that said - “What kind of pastor will you be? What kind of leader are you? Are you the kind that says, “Let’s see what we can do with what I HAVE, or let’s see what God can do with what HE HAS.”

STORY - CAR

10 Years ago I wanted to buy a car. I had a budget of 15,000, and I wanted to buy a good car, with great fuel economy (I was driving nearly an hour to work and back) that would last me many years, and, in my head, I was hoping for something that would even last until I started a family. So, I prayed. I remember test driving a second hand car that was about as nice as I could get in my price range. But, it felt cheaper, and plasticy and I wasn’t super happy. That same day, someone listed a car worth $22,000 for 15,000. It had a few extra kilometers. But mostly, they just wanted to sell. It was a diesel, with great fuel economy. And it ran perfectly for ten years, and even lasted til I started a family. God provided, and he provided WELL.

3. Our Response

Have Faith.

Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Step out in Faith. Don’t look in the gutter. Don’t succumb to fear.

Seek The Kingdom

Luke 12:29–31 “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 knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”

People who are fearful and anxious about money, food, possesions don’t serve the Kingdom.

They can’t give - they don’t overflow with the ability to serve.

They are too consumed with their

When we understand that God will provide for us - we can serve his kingdom.

Philippians 4:10–20 ESV

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

3. Care for those with less.

Jesus concludes by saying:

“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.

God is pleased to care for you now with food (essentials) v24

God is pleased to clothe you well - v 28

God is pleased to add extra blessings - v31

God is pleased to give you his Kingdom- v34

But, the purpose is not that we can simply selfishly hoard.

But that we can overflow in free generousity.

By doing this, we store up treasure in Heaven.

When we don’t trust God to provide, we can’t be generous!

Proverbs 19:17 ESV

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

So, in uncertain times, when cheese costs an arm, and milk a leg:

Don’t be anxious. Trust in God!

Bring your needs, and your desires, before Him. Trust that He can bless you abundantly.

And begin, in that faith, to seek His Kingdom. To give sacrificially, generously to expand the work of God, and to care for those in need.

So, as we freely receive, we should freely Give.