Provision Over Prosperity
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No Brainers
No Brainers
Easy Melt or Velveeta
Nike or New Balance
Longhorns or Aggies
Voss Water or a bottle of gasoline?
Beef Jerky or tree bark?
Drive to work or crawl to work?
MOST of these are no-brainers for us but when it comes to other choices in our lives sometimes we take simple choices and make them harder than they have to be. I want to speak to you about Provisoin and Propserity this morning. I want to preface this sermon by stating that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being Prosperous.
Prosper is defined as ...
to succeed in an enterprise or activity especially: to achieve economic success
2: to become strong and flourishing verb transitive: to cause to succeed or thrive
What we value is important if we are going to heal our land. Jesus leans into our way of thought and heart renovation a bit more.
Sermon on the Mount: Heal Our Land
Last week there was a lot of mention of reward and this week you will see treasure.
Turn your Bibles with me to Mt 6:19-24
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
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.
Finite V Infinite
Finite V Infinite
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
Lay up/Treasure up- to keep safe that which is of great value—‘to treasure up, to keep safe.’
I treasured up my Spider-man 2099. I recieved it for Christmas and I put care into it. I did not fold the pages, I kept it in its sleeve, and no little kids were going to have access to it. It was cool, it was valuable, it was mine!
Jesus says do not TREASURE UP/LAY UP
Treasures- that which is of exceptional value and kept safe
The Why: Consumption, Destruction, and thieves can and will take it.
Persons, Places, Things
The house you pay too much for and only sleep in, it will one day be destroyed.
That good looking S/O you will die for
That new iPhone you left in the HEB basket will be stolen!
15 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.”
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
OK Jesus I think I have it!
Jesus says to put effort into keeping safe what can be kept in heaven… Like what?
Tangible things are not in heaven. Things like
Being Salt & Light
Remembering to Love God & your neighbor
Letting your yes be yes and no be no
honoring marital vows
controlling lust
Defeating anger
Loving your enemy
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I believe that Jesus is stating that it is better to value eternal things so that our heart is properly directed or placed.
In the kingdom what we value should be eternally focused.
Which “P” word is Right
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Single/Generous/Sincere eye
d
Bad eye = whole body full of darkness.
If your LITTLE bitty eye does not work properly the WHOLE body is effected.
Playing both ways in high school football game against Waco. Took 1 play off on an insignificant 3rd down play.
If your eye works properly it will direct your body towards righteousness and heavenly treasures. If your eye does not work properly you will be your heart will be controlled by the finite instead of the infinite.
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.
Your treasure will control your will
God
Mamon- Earthly Wealth
Conclusion
Conclusion
First of all giving honor to God the Father, the Holy Spirit that now dwells within you, and me the Savior. Do not worry about life on this earth! Food? I can multiply it! Drink? Water or wine? Your body or illness? I saw humanity go from dirt to flesh! Life is more than all that! Look at the crows that circle the many parking lots of Temple. They stay plump and they don’t even have grocery stores! My Father feeds them! And just letting you in on a little secret, He values yall a bit more! How many people have stressed more years onto the end of their lives? Overly concerned about whether you will have clothes? My Father clothes the fields and all they have to do is just exist! You walk on fields, what do you think He will clothe those in who walk around with the Spirit in them? Trust my Father blindly based on what you have seen Him do for His people in the past! Remember how he provided the James Lefan for the Ave G & 7th COC and turned that youth minister Scott into a pretty good preacher? Remember that crazy kid Chris who used to mute the mics during worship service and call the church phones and hang up once someone came to answer? He provided him too for Ave G! Do not worry about the necessities of this life! My Father knows what you need! If you will just seek to be obedient to His will and allow that to transform your heart and actions, you will lack none of these things. Do not worry about who is going to be President tomorrow or next week. Today you may be concerned about an elephant or a donkey, but the LAMB says everything is going to be OK. And for whatever is not I will be a LION. I love you and urge you to choose Providence over prosperity!
Love Jesus