Sermon Tone Analysis

Service Notes

We had some title options for today.

[Slides]

Don’t worry, be happy

How to be rich and worry free.

Bible Verse: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:22–34 (KJV 1900)

22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Sermon Introduction

Who doesn’t love sharing good news?

Today I get to do just that.

Truth carries into the night as we look at a “theology of sleep”

More stories than normal today.

Helping you understand the passage will not be as difficult as helping persuade you to apply it.

Man has described worry so many ways.

...gives a small thing a big shadow

...is the interest we pay on tomorrow's troubles.

...is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere.

...is an indication that we think God cannot look after us.

(O.

Chambers)

...is putting question marks where God has put periods.

(J R Rice)

...is the interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles.

(E S Jones)

...is an intrusion into God's providence.

(J Haggai)

...is a guest admitted which quickly turns to master.

... never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its strength (A J Cronin)

... is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble (G W Lyon)

...is practical atheism and an affront to God (R. H. Mounce)

Worry shifts the focus of attention from the all sufficient power of Christ to your human insufficiency and insecurity Ultimately, worry can undermine your Christian witness by presenting God as powerless and unworthy of praise.... - June Hunt

Therefore I say unto you..

Reminder of the example of worry seen in the previous story

The man who was rich but not rich at all.

Luke 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

The mans value system required his constant worry.

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The one who fears God and builds up treasure for him has nothing to fear.

Jesus therefore underlines the importance of trusting God.

Where we ended last shows a strong contrast to the No Worry Lifestyle

The rich man made the mistake of thinking

He was the owner of his stuff when he was just a steward.

He was worried about the present and forgot about eternity.

He was concerned only for the physical and forgot about spiritual things.

He treasured stuff more than people.

He lived an isolated life

Life was defined by his fear of things of this world with no concern for the things of eternity.

Luke 12:20 (KJV 1900)

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

The Pacific Garden Mission boasts of thousands of stories of men and women who have been "unshackled" by its message.

An older man, for example, nicknamed "Sunshine" Harris, spent most of his life on Chicago's streets, living on stale wine and cigarette butts.

I met a few men like this on the streets of Chicago in the early 1970's.

Mr. Harris wandered in and out of the Mission, and one day someone there gave him a New Testament.

As he flipped through its pages, his eyes fell on Luke 12:20, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee...." Sunshine angrily snapped the book shut, but later wanted to read the verse again.

When he couldn't find it, he grew furious.

Unwilling to be stymied, he started in Matthew 1:1, with the genealogies of Christ, and kept reading until he finally found Luke 12:20.

Rereading the parable, he noticed that it spoke of a rich man, and Sunshine knew he was poor, but that didn't seem to matter.

The story spoke to him, and that evening, when the invitation was given at the Mission, he raised his hand and a lady led him to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The year was 1899, and Sunshine was 71 years old.

He spent the rest of his life, night after night, working at the Old Pacific Garden Mission and telling everyone who would listen how Christ had changed his life.

What does fear have to do with worry?

Everything.

Worry is a matter of the heart

You do not get a different copy of the Bible with each new tax bracket

God Word is sufficient to address the matters of heart for us and everyone who will ever read it.

Matthew 6:24 (KJV 1900)

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

We are not talking about having two part time jobs.

We are talking about being mastered.

Our whole life is given to one of two masters in this world.

This has to do with our affections not just our time.

Jesus tells the disciples Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Not encouraged to have a thoughtless life.

We have already been given an example of this.

Luke 10:40 “40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?

bid her therefore that she help me.”

A very rich man, who had run after the things of the world and had overtaken them, lay dying.

He was visited by the daughter of a friend with whom he had been associated in early youth, but who had left their profitable business to serve Christ.

Now he too was dying but with great peace of mind and holy confidence.

"You may wonder why I cannot be as happy and quiet as he," said the unsaved millionaire, "but just think of the difference between us.

He is going to his treasure and I — I must leave mine!"

What worship is to belief, worry is to unbelief.

My head assures me that He will; my heart is not quite so certain.

Proverbs 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: But a good word maketh it glad.

A life of worry.

Robs you of the joy available to you