Luke12:22-34

https://resources.ccphilly.org/SAM765

PREFACE FROM CCPHILLY WEBSITE:

In light of his message on eternity, Jesus continues to exhort that people would live in light of the next world and not get weighed down by the things around us. The key idea being that we are stewards of everything we have and want to use what God has given us wisely. It ends with a great exhortation for us to not live in fear because we are his flock and he will provide for us.

Do Not Worry

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[a]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

NOTES TYPED FROM JOE’S TEACHING

This is Jesus third warning. It is about anxiety, fear, worry.  First hypocrisy, then covetousness and now anxiety.  These are sins of the heart. This command is to his disciples only, not the crowds.   The previous picture was of the rich fool. These men had left all to follow him, maybe they were worrying about how to take care of themselves.  The other side of covetousness is worrying. He doesn’t want them to worry about how they will manage.  Don’t be worn out by worry. “Stop taking anxious thoughts for your life…”

Our English word worry comes from an Anglo-Saxon root that means to strangle.  Some people can worry to the place where they almost can’t breathe. It affects our physical frame. We were made for fellowship with God not to be cast off, isolated and on our own in a troubled word.

Some phobias:

  Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing

  Achluophobia: Fear of darkness

  Acrophobia: Fear of heights

  Aerophobia: Fear of flying

  Algophobia: Fear of pain

 Amaxophobia: Fear of riding in a car

  Androphobia: Fear of men

  Anemophobia: Fear of air

  Anginophobia: Fear of angina or choking

  Angrophobia: Fear of anger

  Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers

AND that’s just the top of the alphabetical list.

We have a lot that we could be afraid of. Economics, WWIII, disease and on and on.  It doesn’t say put your head in the sand. It doesn’t say you shouldn’t have some preparations or supplies but not to the point where you feel that the only way you will be taken care of is to do it yourself.  There is nothing wrong with being perceptive and informed.  But, all these things can be done without anxiety as the driving force.  If we live in anxiety how can we witness to a lost world that there is hope, that there is peace, that there is a future.  Do we have anxious thoughts? Of course! What should we do with it?  Worldly people find their SECURITY in worldly preparations.  As God’s children we should not fear doing without.

Jesus says: “consider…” The word for consider means thoroughly learn, be perceptive, give attention to …He tells us to consider the ravens.  The ravens do not have storerooms or gardens.  Yet the Lord feeds them. 

By taking anxious thoughts can we add anything to our lives?  Any one little thing? No matter how small?  Then how will you add anything by your anxious thoughts?

Then he says: “HOW MUCH BETTER…”. How much more important to the Lord are we? The creator’s genius provides for the birds, so will he not provide for us?

We all worry but some of us are specialists.  We have PhDs in worry.  If this is something that we are really troubled by then are we willing to let the Ravens and lilies rebuke the subtlety of our minds? Worry is so subtle. He tells them they have little faith.  These are the apostles…

We cannot add even one step to our lives. If we can’t control that then why worry about the rest. There are two of us worrying about this. We are and God is. Although he doesn’t worry he is aware and accounting for us in every detail of our lives. Worrying about the things of life is a pagan ideology.  The pagans are worried they will not “have enough…”. Their lives are consumed by this.  Not just having the essentials but having things that the world says are worth having.

He tells them : ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. YOU must not continue to seek…he assumes they are continuing to seek these things.  YOU must not continue to be a doubtful, careful, suspense filled mind.  This is what the worlds seeks after and your Father knows you have need of these things.

Joe says that to him this is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible:

³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

That is remarkable and jam-packed statement. He tells the 12 to STOP being afraid. Then he calls them “little flock.”  Some of these guys are older then He is.   In the world’s eyes these guys were nothing.  We are Jesus’ little flock.  The shepherd is never dependent on the IQ of the sheep.

 “Stop being afraid little flock…it is your Father’s delight to take care of the lilies and ravens. It is his delight to give you the KINGDOM.”  This is about raising kids.  It is the Father’s delight…he’s not raising theologians. He is raising sons and daughters. It is about bringing us home.  Paul says in Philippians “⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all ^[a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Peace OF God, not peace WITH God…this peace surpasses our understanding about our circumstances.  It is worth more. They person who understands it all can still worry. The person who has the peace OF God can rest.  Peter said “² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; ³ seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us ^[d]by His own glory and ^[e]excellence. ^4 [f]For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”   He has given us his son, his word, his spirit, prayer that we can come boldly to his throne, great and precious promises…

^“33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Do this. Unlike the rich fool who hoarded everything…do this, not to be righteous or blessed…we should feel free to invest in the kingdom because our hearts are free from worry and fear of our circumstances.  It doesn’t say be irresponsible. We should work.  We can make the mistake of thinking we don’t need to work! All we need to do is go out and preach the gospel. Some people think that if they just simply dedicate themselves to their perception of God’s work that God will supply them. That is presumptuous. This isn’t saying be irresponsible and God will take care of you but unlike the rich fool don’t be afraid to invest in the kingdom…don’t hoard for yourselves …where is our heart? In preparation for this world or for the next? This is not unto righteousness but rather that we should feel FREE to invest.

QUESTION: Read all of Luke 12 to review the three warnings Jesus gives. These three warnings are ones that every Christian must continually wrestle with because they are natural to the flesh and counter to the spirit. These things (hypocrisy, covetousness and anxiety) are sins or temptations of the thought life. These are the hardest sins to eliminate because they don’t necessarily seem extreme and they are not sins that can be seen by looking into the mirror.  Find a verse that you can memorize and use when you have run up against these things in our hearts. (hypocrisy, covetousness and anxiety) Share the verse and why you chose it. It doesn’t have to be a verse that directly addresses these things. It can be any verse that turns you from those thoughts to the Lord in confidence in your father.