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Worry
Worry
The wealthy farmer
Knowledgeable and diligent
Not by accident did he have a great harvest
But God called him out
Not for being successful, but for coveteousness
Wanting to have it all
So is he who heaps up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God
Jesus’s response - to disciples (Previous to crowd)
Do not worry about your life
Eating
Clothing
Life is more than those things
Not saying to ignore or dismiss
Esp. to poor, hungry, freezing
WE are called to care for these
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
But not to dwell on these things
Unlike the successful man, planning to build new barn
Plenty for their needs
But fretting on how to get more, and more, and more
Jesus says, Let God take care of the essential things
Not giving up
Quitting work
Addresses on the Gospel of Luke Address Forty-Six: Living without Anxiety (Luke 12:22–34)
“If any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). And we need to recall the primeval admonition, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Gen. 3:19
But not relying on the world’s success
Let us be certain that we are looking after the truly essential things - the Kingdom
Being certain we are prepared to face God’s final judgement
Worry not a part of the gospel
So if you don’t worry about the small things, you won’t need to worry about the big things
Let the Holy Spirit lead you, reassure you and
You can trust Him, and when you trust Him… it eases worry out of your life
Examples
Ravens - not farmers, never know where next meal is coming from
God provides for them, certainly we can trust Him to care for us
Elijah - fed by them
What can we accomplish?
Cubit =18 inches - height
One hour - length of life
Unsaved seek these things
But slumps shoulders and stresses subtract hours or years
So if you can’t do anything about these little things, what will you do about the big things
Turning to flowers
Lilies - uncertain which flower He was talking about
Scarlet Anemones cover the hillsides after a rain, Lilies, gladiolus (stand above the waving grainfields) or iris
Never picked up a needle and thread to make their own clothing (and they grow taller very rapidly)
But even fabulously wealthy Solomon was not dressed like they are
What happens to them? Dry up quickly and are burned in ovens
Are we not of much more value than plants?
World seeks all these things - don’t you have more faith than that? (“ye of little faith”)
Look at the advertising industry
Foods
Clothing and accessories
Health - longetivity
Ignore these enticements
Do not be tossed in a storm of anxiety over them - that’s what the world does
But we have a Father who knows what we need
He tells us that He will give us all we need
If we seek His kingdom
Little flock (v32) - We are His flock (John 21:15-17)
Father has chosen to give us - His little flock - the kingdom
Also remember - Mat 5:3,10 - He gives the kingdom also to the poor in spirit (the humble) and to those persecuted for the sake of righteousness
Our responsibilities
Sell possessions and give
Give away what God has given us
“God will pour into the hands of a man or woman who will keep their hand open”
And keep our treasure - our kingdom treasure - in purses that don’t wear out.
Treasure in heaven that doesn’t rust or corrupt
Where thieves do not break in and steal
Where moths do not destroy (fine clothing was a measure and a safe place to keep wealth in ancient times) - remember Achan and Gehazi
For where our treasure is, there will our heart be as well
Remember, little flock, it is God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom - as long as our pantries and closets and safe deposit boxes are not filled with worldly treasures
We can trust Him to meet all our needs, when our minds are stayed upon Him
New American Standard Bible Put On the New Self
2 aSet your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth
And when that happens, anxiety and worry no longer plague us.