"In God We Trust"
Luke 12:22-34
A sermon for 8/14/22 - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Pastor John Bright
Harmony & Swansonville UMC
Luke 12 “22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field 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 should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Pause right there. Those words I just read; they were “Breathed by God”! God wants you to hear His Word right now! So, what is your response? Do you want to transformed by that Word or do you want to be informed about the words? You must choose.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is the first part of a much longer poem by Francis Scott Key. Here is how it ends -
“Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just.
And this be our motto— "In God is our trust; "
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”
During the Civil War, the Secretary of the Treasury was receiving letters from folks desiring to see God’s name on the US currency. It was decided to use “In God We Trust.” This first appeared on the one-cent and two-cent coins in 1864. The next year it was put on new gold and silver coins. Then, on July 30, 1956, Congress and President Eisenhower approved In God We Trust to become the American nation’s motto, a year after it was authorized to be on all paper money and coinage.
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/in-god-we-trust-on-the-us-currency.html
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) is a picture of one who does not fear God and does not trust God. Now, Jesus turns to a picture of the Believer who can proclaim – “I trust in God!”
Do Not Worry, v. 22-23
Luke 12 “22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”
Today, we live in world that is drowning in anxiety. Young people believe EVERYBODY should experience anxiety and they see it as NORMAL to be overwhelmed by anxiety to the point of shutting down. This has led to millions and millions (literally) of folks taking anti-anxiety medications. What has changed?
In my humble opinion – millions and millions of folks today are on social media posting pics and videos of what they are eating and what they are wearing (including make-up & hair). If they get lots of likes and comments – life is good. If not – they worry. They are looking to the world to validate their lives. They are looking to the world to give what only God can truly supply – acceptance, significance and security.
Jesus follows this simple statement – “Do not worry about your life” – with three examples:
Ravens – not the football team 😊 from Baltimore – these are birds looked down on in Jesus’ day. They are on the Old Testament list of birds that were considered “unclean.” Every bird on those lists in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 that God said were to be avoided are all scavengers that will eat dead animals. Jesus compares these “unclean” birds with the Rich Fool in the previous parable – “24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?”
These three questions should be a part of every Believer’s daily prayers:
• How valuable am I in the sight of God?
• Will time spent in worry take away from or add to my day?
• What promises from God’s Word do I need in order to worry less and trust more?
Lilies - “27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
To the Jewish folks listening to Jesus, the wealth and splendor of King Solomon was legendary -
2 Chronicles 9 “17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. 22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.”
Stop right there – this is NOT a prosperity gospel message – Jesus is NOT promising to give us this wealth. Rather, He is comparing the lily with what was great splendor they knew about from their history. God is caring for the flowers. Last week I asked you – Who makes the garden or the flower grow? The answer is GOD!
Grass - “28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Let me go back to the Parable of the Rich Fool again – he did not realize how short his life would be – “20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
The grass does not last long and neither do we in the grand scheme of the Universe. Ravens and lilies and grass depend on God – THEY MUST DEPEND ON GOD! What about us? That’s where faith comes into the picture. Faith is the polar-opposite of fear. As Believers, our fear that leads to worry is that God is not enough. In the past, I have preached sermon series on the Names of God. It is a good self-directed Bible study. One of those names is – Jehovah Jireh – that we find in Genesis 22 when Abraham is told to offer his son, Isaac, to God. “13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
God Will Provide – God Is Enough – He is the object of our faith!
Do not fear, v. 29-31
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
We are God’s children – He is our Heavenly Father. We are the sheep of God’s flock – Jesus is the Good Shepherd. This is a key image to help us to leave fear behind and recognize the ongoing love and care of God for every Believer. John 10 is full of images of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
“16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
“27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
Jesus wants us to follow Him and listen to His voice. I always must have one ear given over to God’s voice. That gives me one ear for my wife and family. The same ear is available for all of you and that’s the only ear I have to listen to news or music or even the DS/Bishop. That is how I survived being a UM pastor during the Global Pandemic. The more I use the ear that listens to God – the more peace I have in my life. The more I use the other ear that listens to all the things of this world – the more fear and worry I have in my life.
I recently heard someone (John David Walt) say that God is not only looking to get more people into the Kingdom. He is looking to get more of the Kingdom into His people. THAT’S US! When I start seeking to have more of God’s Kingdom in me – which is absolutely possible as I seek to be a good steward of the Holy Spirit that is inside of my body – that’s when I start having more and more Kingdom-Minded thoughts. What do you think – are those Kingdom-Minded thoughts faith-filled or fear-filled?
The Giving Heart, v.33-34
“33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
If you have become a Kingdom-Minded Believer, what will that look like? What would happen if we began to trust God to provide for our needs? God can ALWAYS PROVIDE BECAUSE HE IS JEHOVAH JIREH! When I trust in God that more will come, the fear of losing what I have right now (that’s a real fear today) is replaced. That’s when we are able to enjoy what is here right now and know – really know – that what comes next is what I am supposed to receive.
What did we hear Jesus tell us last week? “15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” There is a great peace to be found when we realize nothing belongs to us – not even our lives. I can think back over the things – books and boats – the people – friends and foes – the places – congregations and communities – that have been part of the journey. If I had tried to hold onto all of them, then I would have never known the joy of letting go for the next season of my journey.
We are the sheep, following the Good Shepherd, on a journey. God’s got this! He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We are held in the palm of His hand. I know of no other place that is more safe and secure. I know of no other place where you can be more loved.
This is the cure – the relief – for the anxiety of this world. It’s ours to give away. Amen.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Teaching Sheet
"In God We Trust"
Luke 12:22-34
8/14/22
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) is a picture of one who does not fear God and does not trust God. Now, Jesus turns to a picture of the Believer who can proclaim – “I trust in God!”
Do Not Worry, v. 22-23
Today, we live in world that is drowning in anxiety. Young people believe EVERYBODY should experience anxiety and they see it as NORMAL to be overwhelmed by anxiety to the point of shutting down. This has led to millions and millions (literally) of folks taking anti-anxiety medications. What has changed?
In my humble opinion – millions and millions of folks today are on social media posting pics and videos of what they are eating and what they are wearing (including make-up & hair). If they get lots of likes and comments – life is good. If not – they worry. They are looking to the world to validate their lives. They are looking to the world to give what only God can truly supply – acceptance, significance, and security.
Jesus follows this simple statement – “Do not worry about your life” – with three examples:
Ravens, v.24-26 - Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 - scavengers that will eat dead animals.
• How valuable am I in the sight of God?
• Will time spent in worry take away from or add to my day?
• What promises from God’s Word do I need in order to worry less and trust more?
Lilies, v. 27 - 2 Chronicles 9:17-22
Last week I asked you – Who makes the garden or the flower grow? The answer is GOD!
Grass, v. 28 - The grass does not last long and neither do we in the grand scheme of the Universe. Ravens and lilies and grass depend on God – THEY MUST DEPEND ON GOD!
Jehovah Jireh –Genesis 22:13-14
Do not fear, v. 29-31
John 10 is full of images of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
“16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
“27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
The Giving Heart, v.33-34
We are the sheep, following the Good Shepherd, on a journey. God’s got this! He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We are held in the palm of His hand. I know of no other place that is more safe and secure. I know of no other place where you can be more loved.
This is the cure – the relief – for the anxiety of this world. It’s ours to give away. Amen.
