Do Not Be Anxious
Notes
Transcript
Open your bibles with me to Luke 12:22-34
Anxiety. Worry.
Our culture knows it well. We know it well.
It floods our mind, we often attempt to rid ourselves from it.
There is no shortage of answers or solution and remedies.
Entire industries have been built on solving the issue.
The issue of a troubled heart, a troubled mind.
To be clear, anxiety in itself, isn’t necessarily sinful.
It can sometime sharpen courage and resolve.
IT can preserve us from recklessness.
Jesus was anxious in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Apostle Paul carried anxiety of the churches he planted (2 Co 11:28),
The Psalmist knew a troubled spirit, fighting to trust the Lord..
Anxiety becomes sinful when it leads to disobedience to God.
A troubled overthinking.
Ruminating rather than resting in the Lord.
It’s what the Puritans often called, our DISTRUSTFUL CARES.
When we are torn into pieces with the cares of the world, and hinder the exercise of faith.
This is US!…. We often doubt, we live in FEAR.
We cease from trusting the Lord.
And what Jesus says here is likely convicting.
It will likely challenge you. It challenged me.
And what I don’t want to do is attempt to speak with a blanket or one size fits all.
Life is complex.
Fruit causes are complex, but regardless what the fruit issues are, it does go back to the root issue of the problem of the heart.
Whether we care to admit it or NOT, the root of all our sinful anxiety, worries, and fear is unbelief.
And so its likely these word will pierce our hearts as well.
They will challenge us.
They were intended to challenge the disciples when Jesus spoke them as well.
Even disciples are prone to anxiety, worry, doubting.
It was the warning of Jesus in teaching the parables of the soil in Luke 8, that the cares and trouble of the world don’t choke out the word and our faith crumble.
Mary that was anxious about many things but missed the good portion of Jesus (Luke 10:41-42).
We worry about the present, we worry about the future.
We worry about the past.
We worry about having enough.
We worry things we can’t control.
We worry about things we can control.
We worry about money, and work, and health, and relationships, and host of other things.
We fret. We worry ourselves sick. It’s the the air we breath.
See, Jesus moves from one sin of great vice to another.
Where as covetousness is a sin with many offspring.
Anxiety is a sin that often leaks into many areas of unfaithfulness.
If covetousness is a Mother Sin.
Distrust is a sin, pregnant with greater trouble, leading to greater misery and suffering.
So Jesus desires that we live in another way: For our good, and For His glory.
And he gives to the remedy to anxious and troubled hearts, the remedy that we need.
Sermon Summary: Knowing God as Father calms our fears.
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.
I. Anxiety Fails to Recognize God’s Providential Care (v.22-26)
I. Anxiety Fails to Recognize God’s Providential Care (v.22-26)
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?
The command - “do not be anxious” (merimnao) the term means to be worried. A nervousness.
You don’t need to be worried about what you will eat, or your body, or what you will put on.
Anxiousness can come from many sources.
But one source is that it is troubled about the things of life.
Notice the little connection of “THEREFORE” ….
Jesus, is making a connection to the parable he just taught.
I take that to mean that to trust God is BETTER than trusting in our barns.
He said to the man, life is more than your possession (Luke 12:15)
and now to his disciples life is more than what you eat and what you will put on.
So don’t be anxious about those things.
BECAUSE - life is more than food.
It’s more than the abundance of crops our field may produce.
The body is more than clothing.
And Jesus gives us two examples:
the first is regarding food (the RAVENS),
and the Second regarding clothing (the Lillies).
EXAMPLE #1 - Consider the Ravens (LOOK)
The word there for consider means to think carefully.
Consider the RAVENS. A common bird. Not one of great value or worth.
Ravens are scavengers. The scour the sky searching for food.
They don’t have barn or storehouses, like the rich man.
They don’t plan ahead like other animals.
They don’t stock up supply. they aren’t conspiracy preppers.
Consider the RAVENS.
They wake up, leave their nest, the fly around searching for food to eat.
And they EAT because the Lord provides a meal for them.
They find food, because the Lord in His PROVIDENCE allows them to find food.
According to the LAW in Le 11:11-15 and Deut 14:14 Ravens were unclean.
And yet, it is the Lord who provide for them food. Consider Job 38:41.
Consider the Psalmist in Psalm 147:9
9 He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.
And the logic of Jesus is….
if God will feed an unclean and common bird like the Raven.
Who don’t gather.
They don’t store up.
They don’t anxiously fret or go about.
Instead, the go about their day,
fully entrusted to the Lord’s kindness, care, and providence.
Consider the RAVENS -
that if God values the birds enough to feed them,
then how much more can you remain confident that the Lord will care for you.
You know sinful anxiety is futile.
It accomplishes nothing. It solves nothing.
In fact, it can only take from us.
Steals our time, our rest, our obedience, our help, and our hope.
Worry doesn’t add much value to our lives.
So Jesus says in Luke 12:25-26
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?
Jesus uses two words or phrases here to signify length.
The first is a cubit - a single hour.
The term - “cubit” is a distance from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the finger.
And the phase span of life, can mean length or height.
But it’s clear Jesus is intending length.
A span, according to Jesus to refer to the distance of the thumb to the pinky.
Jesus, says, has your worry been able to accomplish much?
Has it been able to expand your days from the elbow to the finger?
Has you days increased one length from the thumb to the pinky?
We are tempted to believe that sometimes, aren’t we.
If I just had more, that would solve it!
More money, more resources, more time.
I just need another day, and then I’d be good!!
Meanwhile, we aren’t solving much of anything worrying about it.
We are just anxious for nothing.
Anxiety can’t add life or give life.
Because it is the Lord who gives life (1 Sam 2:6).
For the believer they know this to be true.
They know that our days are in His hands (Psalm 31:15).
So Jesus, gives an INFERENCE in verse 26.
You can’t do something as small as at add a cubit to your life,
then why in the world would you be so anxious about all the rest of the things your worry can’t fix!
Jesus intentionally puts his disciples in the cross hairs of PROVIDENCE.
PROVIDENCE is God’s sovereign activity whereby he sustains, preserves, and governs all his creatures, and guides all events toward their appointed ends.
It teaches that people aren’t at the mercy of arbitrary forces like luck or fate, but rather God holds all human affairs in HIS hand and works all things together for good for HIS people.
Essentially Jesus is asking, in whose hands will you entrust yourself?
Will you entrust yourself to your power and PROVIDENCE?
Your ability? Your barns? Your storehouses?
Your wisdom and planning?
Perhaps you could get it all figured out.
Perhaps you are correct.
Perhaps if you mull it over enough times in your head, planning, and prepping, practicing, you can get it figure out.
Perhaps you could accomplish such a small thing as ridding your mind of what is troubling you.
But the likelihood of that is slim.
OR will you entrust yourself to the care and PROVIDENCE of God.
To entrust to PROVIDENCE means that we entrust ourselves to the character of God.
It means, that we truly live out what we say we believe about God.
To entrust ourselves to PROVIDENCE means that we are dependent on him.
And to trust ourselves to PROVIDENCE means that we receive right rest from our troubles.
We work heartily unto the Lord, do what you can, when you can to the best that you can,
but ultimately, we are trusting in the Lord to care for us!
Stephen Charnock said this -
He that denies providence denies most of God’s attributes, he denies at least the exercise of them. He denies his omniscience, which is the eye of providence; mercy and justice, which are the arms of it; power, which is the life and motion of providence; wisdom, which is the rudder of providence, whereby it is steered; and holiness, which is the compass and rule of the motion of providence.
……Anxiety fails to recognize God’s providential care.
II. Anxiety Fails to Recognize God’s Fatherly Care (v.27-31)
II. Anxiety Fails to Recognize God’s Fatherly Care (v.27-31)
Jesus moves from being anxious about food, to being anxious about clothing.
In many ways, this only pushes us deeper into PROVIDENCE.
It only pushes us deeper into Jesus’ point that YOU are of more value that the unclean RAVENS!!
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.
Example #2 - Consider the Lilies (v.27)
Jesus says it again. Consider and contemplate.
And in both instances.
The word is in the aorist tense. It’s a look that’s completed and present.
It’s almost like Jesus is saying -
Just take a quick glance and think about it, and it becomes clear.
CONSIDER the LILIES. It might be easy for us to think about a flower in a pot.
Or a well kept and manicured garden full of lush greens or color.
But Jesus likely says this in an open field
with the crowd all around to behold the flowers of the field catching their eyes as Jesus speaks.
And you think about a SEED going into the ground.
It’s bare. It naked if you will.
It has nothing, only a root in the ground.
It doesn’t toil. It doesn’t spin.
It only grows. It buds, it blossoms into the beautiful spec of glory.
And Jesus, THINK about that for a second.
There was nothing here, but the small insignificant root in ground, that birthed into beauty.
More beauty than Solomon in ALL HIS GLORY. (1 Kings 10:4-23, 2 Chron 9:13-21)
Solomon was known as the wealthiest and wisest king.
Known for his wisdom and his eloquence. His splendor.
His fine array of clothing and attire of gold and purple..
And Jesus says, man you think Solomon was glorious.
Just look at how God has arrayed the budding of the flowers of the field.
The bring forth life and beauty, and color to the world.
They stop people in their tracks!! And Jesus says, GOD DID THAT!
Jesus is arguing from the lesser to the greater.
Wildflowers are NOT known for their longevity.
They are here today, and gone tomorrow.
It’s so fleeting and fading according to scripture.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.
Grass is temporal. It doesn’t last.
It’s used to build fires and to be burned
And yet, God clothes the grass to display a beautiful array of His glory!!
Perhaps our greatest trouble is we don’t pay careful attention to the care and provision of God right before us.
The the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.
“Oh you of little faith!” (only use of this word in Luke).
It means to doubt God’s control and goodness.
This is ultimately where anxiety comes from.
When we replace God’s sovereignty with Our sufficiency.
This was the test of Israel in the wilderness, when they were tested.
And God proved Himself faithful!
They were tested with food.
They were tested with trusting God for their supply.
THE LORD humbled them, fed them with manna, that they might learn that man does not live on bread along. And neither did their clothing wear out, or their feet swell in those 40 years….(Deut 8:3-4)
The Lord cared for them!
And how often we wrestle with trusting God with the same provision.
We too, just like them lack faith.
You may say, well my struggle is NOT with food and clothing.
I’m good there, but the truth is beloved the same discontented and slow to believe heart is at work in the things that trouble you.
This doubting of God’s CARE.
His GOODNESS. Of His CONCERN for you.
AND - Because our desire are NOT easily fixed.
We desire to SEEK. We look around for solutions and help.
So Jesus helps us knows what we SEEK!
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.
Notice seeking is referenced 3 times in three verse.
(DO NOT SEEK) -v.29 …what you are to eat or what you are to drink.
Life is more, Jesus says, than EATING, DRINKING and BEING MERRY!!
Nor be worried - this word is passive.
Which is interesting because this appears to be anxiousness we didn’t ask for.
We didn’t contribute to.
(this word means - to be get worked up, to be lifted up.)
And most often, this is what we feel isn’t it!!
We overthink. We fret. We get all jostled.
We begin doing what? Seeking?
We want relief! We want what’s troubling us to go away!
When we people are afraid they do extreme things, don’t they?
Sometimes they do foolish thing.
Sometimes they do brash things.
Sometimes, they do thing they would never do in normal circumstance, but because they are afraid they justify it.
Sometimes, we will make calculated risk and dangerous risk to get rid of fear
When we are afraid, we sometimes run to other things to comfort us, and even run to things that are outside of God’s design for us.
This is certainly what has driven some into substance abuse.
Recreational drug use - to numb themselves.
Cycles of fear and phobia. We begin to be trapped. Ensnare.
We live in a way NOT like ourselves.
Jesus is saying those things that weigh us down.
This trouble, this worry.
These things anxieties that are lifted up onto us.
And we don’t know what to do with.
Jesus is saying do NOT be anxious in that way! (NOT JUST STOP IT!!)
THE REASON——> BECAUSE (v.30) - All the nations - “panta ta ethne” seek after these things!
This is what nonbelievers do.
It’s what nations of other lands, who don’t know God, do.
THEY worry about food and clothing, and are weighed down with WORRY!!
The eagerly seek after these things to solve their trouble!
You think about that.
NATIONS, regardless of their wealth or their success.
You know what they have?
They have those lacking basic food.
You have those lacking basic clothing.
They always have the poor. They always have the destitute.
Every nation is concerned with solving these trouble.
In fact, entire worldview have been erected to solve these problem.
Communism, Socialism, Capitalism.
But nonetheless ALL the nations seek relief from these things.
BUT YOU!!!!!!
But YOU have a Father who CARES!!
Luke has been showing us to intimacy of the Father.
The help and care of the FATHER
And so you see Jesus when Mary and Joseph were looking for….Did you not know, I must be in my Father’s house. (Luke 2:49)
You love your enemies, for what reward is you love those who love you, even sinners do that, but you be merciful, as your father is merciful! Luke 6:33
When you pray (Luke 11:2-3)….you pray to OUR FATHER, HOLY is your name. WHO gives us each day our daily bread.
And if you, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH more does your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit who ask Him.
Christian, you are NOT like the other nations!
NOT like the other GENTILES who don’t know GOD!
You don’t have a king, who can quell us, or be a tyrant over us!
You don’t have to seek over all these things,
because you are NOT like the nations.
You HAVE A LORD.
You have a FATHER, who knows your needs.
You have FATHER who meets you in your needs.
And a FATHER who cares for you in your needs.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
INSTEAD (v.31) - seek the kingdom of God, at all these things will be added to you.
WE SEEK! (present, active)
That is we seek and keep on seeking.
In contrast of the wrong ways to seek peace.
Jesus tell us the right thing to seek, in order that we might gain peace!
When we seek the kingdom of GOD,
we rightly remember we have a body and a soul.
We know that our days are numbered,
they are in the Lord’s hand, NOT ours (Psalm 31:15).
Least we gain the whole world and lose our souls.
We have an appointment not just of life, but of death.
A God who we must met and give an account.
A coming judgement. An eternity awaiting, heaven or HELL!
And so we seek and desire the reward of another world, than this one!!
When we seek the kingdom, we are NOT gambling on risk of losing.
Rather, we are investing securely in a better deposit.
So what does that look like?
In short, it means we live under RULE AND REIGN OF GOD.
It means that we make it a priority to see with spiritual eyes.
That we think first with our BIBLE, and we think with the mind of Christ.
We consider SOULS above SUCCESS.
We consider the sorrow and wickedness of sin, rather than its BLISS.
We seek that our heart be continually renewed rather than heart desires constantly met.
Isn’t this what the world desires - Follow your heart.
Christian DON’T follow their heart.
They follow Jesus, and they seek their heart to be conformed to their savior.
It means we PRAY, and SEEK to REST, before we FRET.
It means - we are committed to community of the local church, than isolation….as these are plural commands.
Seeking the kingdom means …
to increasingly thinking other wordly, heavenly minded towards the kingdom of heaven.
But that doesn’t mean sloth.
That doesn’t mean we do nothing.
It means instead that we seek first God’s kingdom and then trust God’s provision for the temporal needs of this life.
And when we do that, Jesus says you will discover that God is trustworthy.
All these things will be added to you - Jesus says.
This doesn’t mean that we will have everything,
but it does mean that we will have everything we need.
And it does mean that we will NEVER lack anything that is for our good.
Comparatively speaking,
you may not have as much as others, but you will have enough.
You may NOT have a always have an abundant spread of a table,
but their will be food and clothing on the table.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
And so it is for those who entrust themselves to the Father’s merciful care.
They learn their FATHER provides.
They learn the tender mercies and provision of God to meet us in our need.
They learn they are of much more value than the birds of the air and than the lilies of the field.
They learn that they shall NOT want, but their heavenly FATHER satisfies them with rich food!
Anxiety Fails to recognize God’s Fatherly Care.
III. Kingdom Children do not fear, They are free to steward graciously to others (v.32-34)
III. Kingdom Children do not fear, They are free to steward graciously to others (v.32-34)
Here Jesus shows us what it looks like to live as children.
These commands are short, staccato like, that ultimately reveal our treasure is secure in heaven, and our heart longs for HEAVEN MORE than this world.
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.
FEAR NOT - little flock. who are more precious than birds.
More precious than than the grass.
We belong to Christ. The Lord is our shepherd! (Ps 23:1).
Only those who can say God is my shepherd are able to add, and I shall NOT want!!
He is the good shepherd -
He lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11-12).
Christ’s Flock is SMALL - They are but a small remnant.
Though outnumbered and susceptible to fear.
They are continually encouraged to trust the Lord. Psalm 37:3-5
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 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.
And though Christ flock be small, they may be few BUT they are greatly LOVED! -
Oh the GOSPEL is dripping with God’s good pleasure! - turn to Eph 1
That he foreknew and loved HIS people, that HE saves for his own glory!
And the FATHER would delights in giving them HIS SON.
AND THE SON REJOICES in at the FATHER gives to HIM (John 17:24).
And was pleasing unto God that HIS OWN SON would be crushed for the iniquity of us all would be laid on HIM (Isaiah 53).
And it in the GREAT JOY set before HIM that JESUS endured the CROSS (Hebrews 12:2)!!
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.
At the cross, Christ purchased EVERY grace the HIS FLOCK needs for justification, sanctification, and glorification.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
What Good pleasure, we have been given by God in the gospel.
Our redemption, and God’s glorious imparting of blessing on us, as His children.
And because of Christ,
those within his sheepfold have a glorious treasure of the KINGDOM awaiting them.
That though they are subject to trials and tribulations,
they maintain a greater hope of glory coming through Christ.
And because they have a greater hope,
their fears and cares in this world are silenced compared to the coming kingdom!
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Because it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Do you SEE THIS?!?
That is, it is his delight to give you the KINGDOM!
Beloved, you don’t have to seek gain, when you have Father who gives.
And what he gives is better than this word.
He gives his rule, His reign. He gives us HEAVEN.
And when we have recieved from him, we are satisfied!
That we might learn what it means to be members of Christ little flock.
That Christ considers our measure as precious to Him!
And because we belong to Him, we need NOT be afraid.
But instead cling to the promises that we have been given!
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
And because we belong to his flock.
We live as sheep of His pasture.
We live out of the the character of God.
We live out of the same heart and of the same gospel we have recieved.
We don’t fret, we rest.
We don’t hoard, we are generous.
We don’t worry, we rest in God’s gracious care.
And we don’t build a kingdom for ourselves.
We live for one to come, that’s other worldly.
Because God gives; we give!
Sell your possessions and Give to the needy -
because it our hearts are free to give to others good and gain, not our own.
This what you see the early church doing in Acts 3-4, they are sharing with those in need.
They are selling what they have to be used to the building up of others.
They are holding loosely to the things of this world, and setting their hearts on heaven, instead.
Giving alms or giving to charity,
those people and places that cannot repay you,
but the only invest is for the purposes of building up others.
The way of giving in the Roman culture implied that gifts were given as a means to obligate others to you.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, strings attached.
And that was the norm in the day.
But Jesus says, give to those who cannot repay you.
Because your treasure and deposit is being credited elsewhere.
17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
So we hold loose to our possessions
lest they hold a grip on our heart, and we instead set our hearts on heaven!
This what Jesus meant in Luke 6:35, not asking for anything in return, because your reward will be great in heaven.
That we make deposits in another surety.
v.33 Provide yourself with a moneybag that do not grow old.
Which was a PURSE of a business owner, to hold the abundance of earthly gain.
One bag was sufficient, unless it was worn thread bare and got a hole.
But in heaven, and with our hearts fixed on heaven,
we are provided with a moneybag that does NOT grow old, or thread bare.
That is a treasure in heaven. That does not fail. No thief can steal. No moth or rust can corrupt it in heaven.
HERE, our money withers.
Our treasures can be stolen, they can rust and be corrupted on earth.
But NOT in heaven.
They are secure. They are kept.
When we keep our hearts fixed towards the treasure of heaven, they are preserved.
In fact, the only secure place of gain for the believer is to be with Christ.
So this is what the apostle Paul said Philippians 1:21
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
John Calvin said this….
Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:33–34
We have all a natural desire to pursue happiness; and the consequence is, that false imaginations carry us away in every direction. But if we were honestly and firmly convinced that our happiness is in heaven, it would be easy for us to trample upon the world, to despise earthly blessings, (by the deceitful attractions of which the greater part of men are fascinated,) and to rise towards heaven.
And for the believer in Jesus, our final fix is to be on the splendor of a coming kingdom.
It is to be in Christ.
The riches in Christ.
The riches and splendor and treasure of heaven.
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.
…..You know, ultimately, this is a test of the heart.
Jesus ends with this Proverb in Luke 12:34 -
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
And the evidence is right before us.
The question may come,
how can I know if my heart is fixed on heaven or if my heart is fixed on earth.
And Jesus means to help us to see, that we need only look at our own life and see.
Because when Jesus reference the heart, he knows it is the very center how we life.
this is why Proverbs 4:23 says
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
How is that you live?
What does the fruit of your life evidence?
Where is your treasure?
Is it in joyful recognition of God’s provision?
In God’s sovereignty, trust in the Lord. Looking away from the world?
Seeking a better kingdom?
An increasing wane of stuff, and a nourishment of the soul?
Jesus will say it a little differently later in Luke 16:13
13 No servant 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.”
And one day, death will come and it will either reveal
your greatest treasure is to come,
or your greatest treasure perished with your life on earth.
Because wherever your treasure is, Jesus says, they will your heart be also.
Jesus is helping us look beyond HERE….and towards HEAVEN.
Look beyond your trouble,
Look up and consider the birds of the AIR!
Look around and consider the lilies of the field!
Look up and consider YOUR FATHER in HEAVEN!
SEEK AFTER HIM, SEEK AFTER HIS KINGDOM!!
Sermon Summary: Knowing God as Father calms our fears.
