The Father's Good Pleasure

What words would you use to describe the last 7 days of your life?

I anticipated that the words busy, hectic, and unpredictablewould be in the list. One of the problems with hectic lives is that they often rob us of joy and multiply our anxiety.

Much of the world news in the last 2 weeks has focused on conflict in the Holy land that is occupied by those who identify as Israeli and those who claim Palestinian heritage. In the past, peace accords and treaties have been brokered and broken, but I noticed last Sunday Reuter’s news service tweeted a video of our President not calling for peace, but for calm.

What is the difference between lasting peace and temporary calm? What is needed to possess true joy rather than passing happiness? What is required to exchange the anxious life for the abundant life promised in John 10?

Significance and Security are man’s basic psychological needs according to famed biblical counselor Larry Crabb.

Last week we were introduced to the foolishness of trusting in one’s produce or possessions to provide security or significance to one’s life.

Possessions or Good Pleasure (vv.22-34)

This week, Jesus specifically contrasts fleeting possessions with the abundant life marked by the Father’s good pleasure.

Don’t Worry, Trust God (22-31)

I only have one reggae album in my diverse music collection. And that one is not because of my love for reggae, but my appreciation for the vocal dexterity of the artist. I purchased the 1988 CD Simple Pleasures as one f my 13 CDs for a penny in the music clubs that were popular decades ago. By far the most played track on that album is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

1. In the previous paragraph that we studied last week, we were introduced to a fool who trusted his own abundance of possessions to give his life security and significance.

· The problem is that the more we possess, the more we become anxious about protecting what we have.

Homeless encampments are not walled and gated communities. 6-foot walls and iron gates surround estates of abundant possessions.

2. Anxiety does nothing that benefits you or blesses God

3. God feeds the birds (v.24)

a. Ravens were considered unclean according to Old Testament law, a predatory and scavenging bird for which God provides food.[i]

b. You may recall that Noah sent a raven before he sent the dove. Genesis 8 says the dove returned because it found no place to land. But the raven that went out first, there is no mention of its return, perhaps because ancient Jews considered them expendable.

My daughter is deathly frightened of bees. But even bees have their purpose. I mentioned a few weeks back that some of God’s creatures seem to have no purpose and I named the cockroach. But I was kindly told that cockroaches make great bait for certain fish. I don’t know what it may be, but I’m sure one of you may know a good use for crows or ravens, but to Jesus’ audience they seemed like throwaway birds, yet God takes care of them.

c. How much more can you trust God to take care of you!

4. God clothes the lilies and grass (27-28)

Perhaps it is because of the season of health that Ann and I find ourselves, or perhaps it is due to the late moisture of winter, but this year I have particularly appreciated the Daffodils, Lilies, Tulips and Irises that have bloomed around the parsonage.

a. I am now finding that those who came before me were faithful to leave something of beauty that has outlasted their presence.

b. I’m aware how the winds and rains in April played havoc with many pasture burns, but the ample moisture has made these pastures morph from brown to black to the richest green in the few years that we’ve been here in the Flinthills.

5. Our stressors are listed in vv.23, 25-26 & 29-30. I’m not going to give a lot of time to these, because you know what adds stress to your life. You know the things you worry about.

6. With our eyes and hearts set on His kingdom (v.31). [by kingdom I mean allowing God to rule and have His way] He makes sure we have enough of the other stuff too.

THE Safe Investment (vv.32-34)

1. Jesus encourages disciples to invest in a treasure that will not fail.

I’m just not getting the whole Bitcoin or Cryptocurrency thing. For a little over 50 years in the late 1870s to early 1930s, every U.S. Dollar in circulation was backed by gold held in the Nation’s reserves. Roosevelt changed the ratio of dollars:gold and Nixon abandoned the standard totally. Now dollars have no intrinsic value, but worth is based solely upon faith in the government of the United States. Now investors are placing trust in something called a Blockchain Network. 2 weeks ago 1 Bitcoin was worth nearly $59,000, yesterday it was under $38,000. In other words, each coin lost $21K in value in 2 weeks.

2. I never want to turn the church pulpit into a stage at a comedy club, but sometimes humorous stories help us remember the point of Scripture.

Ann Landers ran a story about a man who all his life, every time he got paid took $20 out of his paycheck and put it under his mattress. Then he got sick and was about to die. As he was dying, he said to his wife, “I want you to promise me one thing.” “Promise what?” she asked. “I want you to promise me that when Im dead you will take my money from under the mattress and put it in my casket so that I can take it all with me.” He died, and his wife kept her promise. She went in and got all that money the day he died and went to the bank and deposited it, and wrote out a check and put it in his casket.”

OR

Maybe you heard the one about the fellow who had worked so hard for so long to build a successful company and personal portfolio and who was perturbed over having to leave everything behind when he died? The wealthier he got, the more disturbed he became. So one night he prayed with unusual fervour. "God, I need to take something with me," he said. "I've worked so hard for all this, so please, please let me take some of it to heaven." To his surprise, he heard God's voice respond. "No," came the answer. "It is forbidden to bring the things of your Earth-life to heaven." "But, please!" He begged. "May I bring just one suitcase with the things that matter most to me?" "All right," God said. "But only one." So the man set about disposing of all his holdings and converting everything into gold bricks. He packed a suitcase with millions and millions of dollars in gold and stashed it under his bed. The night came when he died, and he grabbed his piece of special luggage as he began to soar toward heaven. An angel met him at the gate and told him that baggage was not allowed. "But I have special permission from God," he said. "Just ask him." "What could possibly be so valuable?" The angel wondered aloud. "Would you please open the suitcase so I can see?" With obvious pride, the man set the case down, snapped its heavy latches, and opened it. Beaming with joy, he waited for the angel's response ... only to see that his heavenly greeter was perplexed. "Pavement?" Asked the angel. "You brought pavement?!"

3. Jesus encourages, rather commands, moneybags that do not grow old.

4. In the last 15 years we’ve learned that things that traditionally appreciate do not always do so! Real Estate used to be a no-brainer investment. Students have borrowed tens of thousands of dollars for a college degree, only to graduate to a job market where $15 is considered good money.

5. People have had their treasures stolen by criminals with a gun, and by thugs in business suits. Estates have been destroyed not only by moths with wings, but some have been destroyed by crumbling economies.

6. Also, let us not forget that the treasure of a good reputation has also been stolen by our temptations or destroyed by the “moths” of our sinful nature.

Transition: Is there any better way for God to demonstrate His care and good pleasure than by taking us unto Himself for eternity?

Ready and Watching for His Ultimate Pleasure (vv.35-40)

Dressed for action (35-36)

1. This command is set in the context of a wedding. Ancient weddings set the stage for many traditions that we do today, but people rarely know why.

2. This anonymous booklet details 10 steps in the Jewish wedding that set our expectations for what Jesus meant when He spoke of the Church as His Bride.

3. Read pp.6-8 of The True Significance of The Wedding Covenant.

4. This idea of being dressed for action came very real to me Fall of 1985.

When I attended Bible College, I roomed in a dormitory that was 19 stories tall. You can imagine that disaster preparedness is a chore when you have hundreds of students living in skyscrapers. There were no fire drills my first 2 years of school, but the third year Student services determined that a late night fire drill would be a good test of the preparedness plan. So, on a particular night, the fire alarm went off in the girls’ dormitory and they all had to find robes, blankets, jackets and so forth to exit to the courtyard on a Chicago autumn night. As you can imagine, male students don’t always sleep as modestly as the girls. But for the next 2 weeks EVERY dorm mate in Culbertson hall slept with slip-on shoes at the foot of his bed and a set of sweats within reach. I have no idea why the girls’ dorm was tested first, but I guarantee that we learned from their example and we were dressed for action.

5. Just as we knew it was coming, but didn’t know when, Jesus said we must be ready!

6. The ultimate pleasure of the Father is when the Son of Man receives His bride and we dwell together eternally as Father, Son, Bride and Spirit as intended from before the creation of the world.

Awake and Ready (37-40)

1. The previous 2 verses focused upon the guests at a wedding.

2. Notice the change in language in vv. 37& 38. Who is it that is blessed? The servants.

3. The unimaginable exchange in v. 37 is that the Son dresses for service and invites the servants to sit at the table.

4. In Mt 22:9-10 Jesus tells a story about a banquet and when the invited guests are too busy, He sends messengers into the roads and paths and invites any who will come to the wedding to come to the wedding hall.

Conclusion:

The invitation of Christ today is to exchange your anxiety (whether you see yourself as an honorable guest or an ordinary servant) for His provision.

Some of you may still be anxious about your eternal salvation. Have I done enough? What else to I need to do? I sure hopeI make it to Heaven.

Rather than rely upon the possession of enough good deeds or religious sacrifices, God invites you to rest, for it is His good pleasure to provide the death and resurrection of Christ as perfect and complete atonement for your and my sin.

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV:2016

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Because it was His good pleasure to offer to us His kingdom, so that if we would surrender to Him and trust in Christ, we can exchange anxiety for the abundant life!!

[i] R. T. France, Luke, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 219.