[0:00] Good morning, everyone. Good to see some new faces, so welcome. We're here to worship God this morning. I'm just going to start by reading a few verses from Psalm 84.
[0:19] How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord.
[0:32] My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, a place near your altar. Lord Almighty, my King and my God, blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs. The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God and Zion. I wonder if we have the heart of David today, you know, that we're yearning to be in God's presence. But that's where we are. That's why we gathered, isn't it? So we're going to start by singing to God. Come let us join our cheerful songs with angels round the throne. Ten thousand thousands are their tongues, but all their joys are one. Number 142.
[1:32] We'll just pray to God. Gracious God, we come before you to worship you today. And we thank you for the truth that we've just sung, that we're joining thousands of angels around the throne. And whatever's going on in our lives, in our families, in our homes, there's a greater truth, there's a greater reality. And that's that we're gathered around your throne. We thank you that we can worship you together this morning. We pray that you'd take away our minds from the distractions of the world from the weak, and that you'd fix our eyes on you. You'd fix our eyes on Jesus. We thank you for the gift of salvation that we have. It's through him that we can come and we can gather. So we pray today that you'd give us a glimpse of who you are again.
[2:42] You'd give us a glimpse of that throne room that we've been singing about. We pray that you'd give us that desire that David had when he wrote this psalm, that he longed to be in your dwelling place. And that's where we are this morning. That's where we are as believers.
[2:56] We have your spirit in us. So we pray today that you'd open our eyes, you'd fix our eyes upon you. Show us yourself, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Well, we'll do the reading now. So we're looking at Luke chapter 12, and that'll be page 1044 in your Bibles.
[3:31] So Luke chapter 12, and starting in verse 13. Luke chapter 12, and starting in verse 13.
[4:04] He told them this parable. The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, what shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, this is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. And there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, you fool. This very night, your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves. 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. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap.
[5:09] They have no storeroom or barn. Yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds. Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin.
[5:32] Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. 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? And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it, for the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
[6:10] 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.
[6:23] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Let's briefly come before the Lord in prayer once more. Let us pray.
[6:35] Father, you love us with a love which has no equal and like, a love, O Lord, which is demonstrated and proven in the giving of your only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for us. But a love that has no end, a love that has no limit, a love, O Lord, which is powerful and changing.
[7:02] We thank you that as we come to your word this morning, we come to the God whose words are words of love. And we pray, O Lord, that you'd give us ears to hear, and O Lord, to receive your word, and that those words of power and of love would transform and change, would save, would comfort, would work. We pray that we, your people, may be blessed, that the lost may be saved, and that your Son should be glorified. Amen.
[7:37] Good to be with you. Good to be back. Thank you for those who are praying for us while we're on holiday. We had a lovely time, but it's good to be home again. Now, we're in Luke and chapter 12, continuing to look together at this wonderful record, this historic record of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Joel helpfully read for us there from chapter 12, verses 13 to 34. And I'd encourage you to have those verses open in your Bible as we look at them together. Now, Disney released a series of films under the title of Pirates of the Caribbean. Perhaps those of you who are younger particularly might remember them. And the lead character in each one of those films was a man called Captain Jack Sparrow. And Captain Jack Sparrow had a very valuable possession, probably the most valuable possession he had, and it was his compass. But this compass was like no ordinary compass. It didn't point north, but rather this unique compass instead pointed to whatever a person wanted most in the world. Whoever held the compass, it would point to what they desired more than anything else. Now, all of us have something similar, something within us which points to what we want most in the world. It's called your heart. At least that's how the scripture describes it. Not that organ that beats within our chest, pumping blood around about us, but that very innermost part of who we are, that which is the seat, as it were, the place of our emotion, feeling, and desires. And Jesus speaks about the heart in this way on two occasions here. First of all, he says in verse 34 that where your treasure is there, your heart will be also, our heart is drawn towards that which we treasure, that which we value most of all. And earlier on in verse 29, he talks about setting your heart, and where our hearts, like the compass, point us to, and set the direction for the life that we take.
[10:00] Now, in this event in which Jesus brings this teaching, he is amongst this great crowd, the great crowd that we're told about in verse 1 of chapter 12, a crowd of many thousands. So we can only begin to imagine, and perhaps we've seen it on the TV, crowds of people there, thousands and thousands of people all trying to get to Jesus, all trying to maybe get a hearing with Jesus, or a sight of Jesus, or see him perform a miracle, or whatever. And I'm sure that like any crowd, it would have been very noisy.
[10:33] And perhaps people were calling out to Jesus, as it had done in previous times, please come and heal my daughter, please come and deliver my son from this evil spirit, please come, teacher and master.
[10:47] But one voice seems to come above the rest, a man in the midst of the crowd, who presses in with to him, what is the most important matter in his life at this time. He presses in and he speaks to Jesus, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. The thing that he wanted most in life, the thing that his heart desired, the thing that he brings to Jesus is this, he wants money, which he believes is his right to have. And he believed that Jesus could somehow influence or force his brother to hand over the inheritance which he believed was rightfully his own. This man's heart is revealed.
[11:36] And Jesus knocks him back, doesn't he? With quite an abrupt rebuke. Man, who appointed me a judge or arbitrary between you? One sense Jesus is saying, what makes you think from my teaching and from my life and the miracles I perform that I've come to settle disputes about money? What makes you think that I count that as being important? I've not been sent into this world to make you wealthy, but I've come to this world and been appointed for something far, far more important.
[12:17] To me, this man is blind and foolish, daft. Here is Jesus, the Messiah, the greatest man who ever lived in the whole of the world's history. The one who has praised the dead, the one who did tremendous things, and this man is concerned about coming to Jesus. And the thing that he most worries about is he wants to be richer than he is. Imagine that a renowned Harley Street surgeon is coming to town and he's allowing an audience for people to come and bring to him their greatest needs, their health problems and concerns. He's world renowned. There's nothing that he can't treat, no illness or disease, no problem that he can't cure. And imagine people lining up as they are to bring their concerns and needs. But think of a man, he decides he's going to bring the greatest concern of his mind and heart at the moment to that consultant, to that great doctor. And when he enters the room and the doctor says to him, what can I do for you? He says, I've got terrible green fly on my roses. Can you come and deal with them? Well, what, that'd be foolish, wouldn't it? Farcical, stupid. Well, that's exactly like this man coming to Jesus, the savior of souls and saying to him, can you sort out my inheritance?
[13:38] A dispute between my brother. It is so trivial. But these words of this man are the catalyst from which Jesus brings some very vital truths, especially truths concerning the care of God for his children, for the disciples of Jesus. We've already seen that before in the previous passage in chapter 12, where Jesus speaks to the disciples and tells them, verse 6, are not five sparrows sold for two pennies, yet not one of them is forgotten by God, and neither are the hairs of your head or all numbered. Don't be afraid, you're worth more than many sparrows. So Jesus begins by telling a parable. This parable is for the crowds, for that man in particular. In one sense, it's his response to that one man's desire to be rich, to gain more money, to sort out this dispute over finance and inheritance. But also, it's to all the crowd there. He speaks to them this parable, this story, in one sense, which has a very vital singular truth.
[14:54] It's a lesson, in one sense, to every single person who values life by what's in their bank accounts. There's a rich farmer, we're told. He's already rich, he's already somebody who has many thousands, probably, or hundreds of acres of land, and they're always, he's doing well, and he's getting richer and richer, but suddenly this year he gets an abundant harvest, better than he's ever had before.
[15:22] It's the cream of the crop, it's a gold mine, as it were. He's got so much grain, so much produce, as it were, that he doesn't know what to do with it. Having so much has presented him with a problem.
[15:39] Having lots of money brings more problems than it solves. Do you realize that? Just turn to the media anywhere and see about those who've won the lottery or some other sort of great, vast amount of money.
[15:52] The more pounds you have, the more worries you have. The more problems it raises and solves. But anyway, so here's a problem. What shall I do with all this grain? I've got so much. What shall I do with it? And of course, his immediate thought, and this is what reveals his heart, is to keep it to himself. More for me. His barns aren't big enough, so he decides that he's going to build bigger barns, going to take down the old ones, build even bigger barns to store all these riches and produce for himself. And he thinks to himself this very simple thought. I'll say to myself, verse 19, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.
[16:44] I'm settled for life now. I've got all that I want now. All my problems are over. It's the champagne and strawberries lifestyle for me. I'm free from all the worries of life. It's plain sailing.
[17:01] Isn't that the very sort of belief and faith that's in our society today? If I had more money, then all my worries would be gone. With money, I'm free. Free from anxiety. Free from stress.
[17:23] I'm liberated from the fear of the next bill that comes from the door. I'm liberated from the threat of debt. My life is free from all these things. I can take it easy if only I had money. But that faith, that belief is so completely misplaced. For that very night, we're told, verse 20, God said to him, you fool. This very night, you fool. This very night, your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you've prepared for yourself? He never enjoyed a single moment of all the riches that he had placed his hope in. You see, his heart was set on earthly treasures. He was short-sighted. He was blinkered.
[18:20] He was blind. He believed that he could have heaven on earth and that it could be bought and paid for. That's why God calls him a fool, an idiot, stupid. There's a real sense of insult in what God says to this man.
[18:43] What would God say to you and me? What is our faith and hope in?
[18:58] What is it that we long for more than anything else in the world or pin our hopes on more than anything else in the world or expect will deliver to us a life free of worry, anxiety, and fear?
[19:15] If it is anything that is in this world, then we are stupid. But Jesus has another message to deliver, doesn't he? It's not a message to the vast crowds. He now turns away, in verse 22, to his disciples.
[19:35] I don't see any reason for us to think that this is detached, but rather this is very much part of what he's saying before because he says, Therefore I tell you, you disciples, therefore I've turned away, I've told everybody this parable, this story, I've shown them the foolishness, the stupidity of living for wealth and thinking that that is the source of deliverance and freedom from worry.
[19:58] But now I'm speaking to you disciples, those who put your faith in me, those who trusted me, and I'm going to teach you why you can and how you should and where you must place your faith and hope.
[20:11] You see, if we're not to build our hopes and our lives upon possessions, upon things, upon this world, then how are we to live?
[20:22] What is to be the compass bearing of our hearts? What is it that will bring us liberty, freedom, and peace? Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
[20:38] Jesus is providing for us and pointing us to that which is freedom from worry. Freedom from worry. Does that mean Jesus is saying, you don't need to go to work?
[20:52] You don't need to go to work, you can just sit down and God's going to sort of just pour it all out on you. No, it doesn't mean that, of course. It doesn't mean that we can be careless and thoughtless about our money and reckless in the way that we use the money that God gives us.
[21:06] No, it doesn't mean that either. Does it mean that actually we shouldn't ever plan for retirement or the future, that we should just live for today? No, it doesn't mean that either.
[21:17] So what does it mean? What is it that Jesus is saying? What is the way of the disciple of Jesus? What is the way of faith? What is the way Christ has set before us?
[21:33] Simply this. Don't live for what you can have. Don't make money, possessions, the big thing in your life.
[21:46] The goal, the purpose which you get up in the morning. Don't make money, nothing.
[22:19] That's so much more. Whatever we want it to be. We can talk about the car that you drive, the job that you do, the sports that you play, the hobby that you have. Even the family.
[22:31] The family that is so important. Don't let anything in this life, anything that is physical or how can put it that way, be the very goal and the purpose and the raison d'etre for your living.
[22:44] Why? Everybody else lives that way. Everybody else lives a life like that. Why shouldn't the believer?
[22:56] Why shouldn't the disciple? Why? Because for what Jesus tells us there in verse 23, Life is more than food, more than clothes, more than the car, the home, the house, the family, the sports, the job.
[23:11] Freedom from living a wasted life, a foolish life, begins with that recognizing that reality that your life and my life is much more than things.
[23:26] Or even people. So Jesus calls us to stop and think for a moment. Because we are living in a world, and even Jesus' disciples at that time the same, were living in a world where there was a rush headlong, where there was a flow of thinking, there was a way of living which was all about now and here, and touching and sense and pleasure and feeling.
[23:52] It's not changed. Don't think that materialism is some sort of new thing. It has always been in the heart of every single person.
[24:08] So Jesus calls his disciples, stop and think. Verse 24, consider. Consider. One of the great problems, as it were, with our society is that we have stopped thinking for ourselves.
[24:23] We have stopped considering the outcome of people's lifestyle. We have just been caught up with what we see in the media and on the TV and all around about us in the streets.
[24:36] This consumerism, this sense of living for and finding fulfillment in. And we will not stop and consider and think.
[24:47] If men and women stopped and thought for a moment, how can money make me happy? How can possessions fulfill the void in my life? How can these things that I do really make my life of value and worth?
[25:03] Then I believe that they would realize that they surely cannot. So Jesus says, stop and think. And he says, stop and think about the ravens. Stop and think about just the birds of the air.
[25:18] See, ravens were one of the unclean birds in the Bible. They were the clean. Remember, they were the clean creatures that could be eaten and those that were considered acceptable. And those were the unclean. And ravens, along with like crows and others, were unclean because they had carrion.
[25:33] They had dead animals. They were at the bottom of the, as it were, the top hundred birds in the Bible or in God's view.
[25:45] But they don't have bank accounts. They don't farm the land. They don't break their backs working hard to try to get more and more and more.
[25:58] They simply live and God provides for them. Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap. They have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them.
[26:12] What's the conclusion of this? If God feeds them, then he cares for them. They matter to him. How much more valuable you are than birds.
[26:27] You, dear Christian, have infinite value to God. You, dear Christian, are to God precious, worthy of his greatest care.
[26:46] You are so valuable to God. Not because of what you can do for God. Not because of what you possess. Not because of how you look.
[26:57] Not because of anything that you have achieved. Not because of any accomplishment. Not because of your good works or your charity or yourself. You are valuable to God because he gave his son for you.
[27:11] Because he paid the highest price that you might be brought under his love and care. That you might be rescued and saved. That you might enter into the fulfillment of all the good things that he has in store for you.
[27:28] Listen to how Peter explains it to the Christians in his letter. For you know that it was not with perishable things. Not with things of this world that such as silver and gold that you were redeemed.
[27:41] That's paid a price for. Rescued from the empty way of life. Handed down to you from your forefathers. But you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
[27:54] A lamb without blemish or defect. You are so valuable to God. That the greatest possession that he had.
[28:05] The greatest love of his heart. That which was and is his eternal everlasting treasure. His son. He gave up and paid for your rescue.
[28:18] So that you might enter into. So that you might enjoy. So that you might know God. And all his loving kindness for you. You're not, dear friend.
[28:31] To worry about how you look. To set your life by your style. Or by the restaurants that you dine in.
[28:43] Or by the car that you drive. Or by the people that you associate with. Or by what anybody else thinks of you. You are valuable. Because God counts you as valuable.
[28:54] But Jesus frees us from worry. But he particularly frees us from pointless worry. I talked about the fact that we are to work.
[29:04] We are to look after the things that God gives us. We are to be good stewards. As the Bible calls it. But there is pointless worry. Empty worry. Empty worry. Verse 25.
[29:19] Who of you by worrying. Can add a single hour. To your life. Since you cannot do this very little thing.
[29:31] Why do you worry about the rest? Can you lengthen your life. By worrying. I should imagine there is all sorts of. Surveys that have been done. And investigations that have been done.
[29:42] To prove actually by worrying. You can shorten your life. But there is nothing that you can do. To lengthen your life. Also Jesus is saying. You don't need to eat healthily.
[29:53] Or exercise. No he is not saying that at all. Sorry you can't get off the hook. Those of you who like cream cakes. And don't like getting out of the sofa. Is Jesus saying that you.
[30:04] We shouldn't look after our bodies. And care for them. And it is okay for us to indulge. And all sorts of things. Which we know are poisonous to our body. No he is not saying that at all. But what he is saying is this.
[30:16] That there is a truth. A reality. That you cannot. By worry. Accomplish. That which is most vital.
[30:30] Worry and anxiety are pointless. Particularly when it comes. To the reality that we must all die. And that there is an hour set. When we will die. Known to God.
[30:41] But not known to us. Now some of the translations. That we may be having. Holding in our hands. Talk about who. Say. Who of you by worrying. Can add a single cubit. To your height.
[30:53] In other words. Make yourself taller. But actually. I am sure that Jesus is talking more. About life and death. And the hour of our death. Particularly in light of the parable.
[31:03] When the man thought. That he had all the years. Stretched out before him. And that very night. He was. Taken. By death. Dear friends.
[31:17] Pointless worry. Empty worry. And why is that. Worry. Fruitless. And pointless. And empty. Why does it do us no good.
[31:28] Well. Simply because. It is a faithless worry. Look at how Jesus. Continues now. And speaks about the. Flowers. Consider the wild flowers.
[31:39] That grow. They do not labor. Or spin. We know that. Flowers just. Flower. They bloom. They blossom. And.
[31:50] Let's be honest. The reality is this. How many of us. Have looked upon a field. In springtime. Of meadow flowers. And just. It's breathtaking. It's beautiful.
[32:00] It's lovely. And he says. Solomon. The richest king. Who ever lived. The richest man. With. Who had. All sorts of splendid robes.
[32:11] And crowns. And all sorts of marvelous things. He didn't look half as good. As a meadow full. Of flowers. God has provided. God has provided.
[32:25] A beautiful covering. Even to the brown earth. Which is. Something that nothing in this world. And no one. By no amount of money.
[32:35] Can ever. Reproduce. Or make. As lovely. day. But.
[32:48] That flowering field. Is just for a moment. That flowering field. Is gone. As soon as. The flower. Turns to seed. And the.
[32:59] Flower. Withers and dies. It's here for a moment. A matter of days. Maybe weeks. Flowers. Only last a short time. But dear friend.
[33:10] You are. Immortal. You have an. Eternal. Undying soul. So. Who do you think. God cares about more.
[33:22] The flowers. Or you. The flowers. That are here today. And gone tomorrow. Or you. Who. God has created. In his own image. And given. A spirit.
[33:33] And a soul. Which must. Go on. Beyond. This physical world. This physical life. That must. Endure. For all eternity.
[33:44] To come. Who do you think. That God. Cares for most. And we see. The problem with worry. What is the problem. With worry.
[33:54] The problem with worry. Is that it's a lack of faith. Verse 28. You of little faith. Worry is to. Not believe.
[34:04] In who you are. To God. To not believe. That you are valuable. To God. To not believe.
[34:14] That you are. Eternal. And this is the reality. This is the great sadness. This is why God says to that man. You stupid. Stupid.
[34:25] Man. That's why God would say to us. In our present society. You foolish. Foolish people. No amount. Of pleasure. In this world. No amount.
[34:36] Of riches. In this world. No amount. Of enjoyment. In this world. No amount. Of comfort. In this world. Can ever compensate. For an eternity. Of hell. Nothing. Nothing. That this world.
[34:51] Can offer and give. In all of its. Luxurious. Food. And clothing. And everything else. That the world. Strives and seeks after. And that we get caught up with. None of those things.
[35:02] Will be enough. For somebody. As they endure. The sorrow. The grief. The. The. The grinding. Of their own teeth. The despair. Of hell. None of them. Will be able to look back.
[35:12] And say. I'm so glad. That I had that Ferrari. Because it makes it all worthwhile. Can never do. Can never do.
[35:27] That's why Jesus says. Don't set your heart. On these things. Don't run after these things. Don't live for these things. Because they're absolute. Trash.
[35:46] They're rotten through and through. They can offer nothing. Can give nothing. As he says there. In verse 30.
[35:57] For the pagan world. The people who have. Who aren't disciples of Jesus. The people who don't know. The goodness of God. And the faithfulness. And the care of God. The people who run. Here and there.
[36:08] Like headless chickens. Seeking. Searching. Craving. Longing. For more money. Longing for more. That they hope. Will satisfy.
[36:18] The gaping. Gasping. Hunger. Within them. Don't run after them. Your father knows. What you need. You've got a heavenly father.
[36:30] Do you notice the change there. Before. Jesus talks about God. Rightly so. But now he becomes more personal. Intimate. He says your heavenly father.
[36:41] Your father. The father who values his children above all else. The father who gladly gives to his child. Every single thing he could possibly ever need.
[36:53] You need. Your father knows what you need. Your father knows that you need. Yes. These physical things. But they're not the greatest thing that you need. The greatest thing you need is that your sins are forgiven.
[37:05] That you have peace with God. Your greatest need is that you have life everlasting. And deliverance from judgment. The greatest need that you have. Is that you might enjoy his eternal kingdom for all eternity.
[37:17] And that's what God has given you. This verse 32. It's astonishing. Don't be afraid.
[37:29] Fear. Fear is linked with worry. We're anxious and worried because we're afraid. We're afraid that we won't have enough. We're afraid that we're missing out. We're afraid. And when Jesus is speaking to the people here.
[37:41] He's not talking about the worry that you and I might have. As we go down the supermarket line. I'm worried whether I should buy rice today or pasta. I'm worried whether I should get the branded names.
[37:52] Or whether I should get the supermarket specials. He's talking about people whose life and death was one day apart. That the bread they would have for tomorrow. They didn't have today.
[38:02] They didn't have their cupboards and stores. And their tins. And their refrigerators. And their freezers. The choice that they had wasn't. Do these shoes go with this jacket?
[38:16] Does this hat suit my dress? That wasn't the worry and fear that they had. That wasn't what consumed them. It was the fact. Do I have enough clothing to keep me warm when the winter comes? And Jesus says.
[38:34] All these things. All these things. Whatever they are. God will take care of them. Don't set your heart on them. Don't make them the goal. Don't make them the thing that you spend all your time thinking about and pursuing.
[38:46] Why? Because God has given to you. Not just them. But he's given you something much better as well. All these things will be given to you as well. But seek his kingdom. Why? Because he's given it to you.
[39:00] Have you ever thought this question. What makes God happy? What makes God happy? What pleasure does God have? God's pleasure.
[39:12] God's happiness is found in his giving to his children good gifts. That's what Jesus says. Do not be afraid little flock. For your father has been pleased.
[39:24] He's delighted. He's joyful. It's one of the things that gives him pleasure to give you the kingdom. What kingdom? His kingdom. Everything that belongs to the king of kings and the lord of lords is yours dear Christian.
[39:37] His eternal kingdom. His infinite kingdom. His heavenly kingdom. It's yours. Dear disciple of Jesus. Dear Christian brother and sister.
[39:49] You own a kingdom. And it's not a kingdom that is going to be moved away. Not a kingdom that you're going to lose. Not a kingdom that's going to be overtaken.
[40:01] Not a kingdom that's going to be stolen out of your hands. It's an everlasting and eternal kingdom. It begins here. But it finds its fulfillment in all the promises. In all the loveliness of heaven.
[40:13] That's why dear friends. Jesus goes on in verse 33. And says sell your possessions and give to the poor. What God has given you give.
[40:24] His pleasure is giving. You will find pleasure in giving. God's purpose. If I can put it that way. Is to give. His whole raison d'etre.
[40:35] The reason that he is. Is that he's a giver. He's a creator. He's a supplier. He's a provider. It's all from himself. And therefore what he gives to us. We are to give as well. To give.
[40:46] To share. To distribute. To not feel that it's ours. And we've got to keep hold of it. Worrying that if we're too generous. Somehow we're going to go without. But actually we will find that we are more like the father.
[41:00] Than at any other time in our lives. It's too trite a saying. To say that the best is yet to come.
[41:12] But the best is yet to come. But what we have now. Is so so valuable. Yes the day will come.
[41:23] When the thief won't be able to break in. And the treasure that we have. No moth will destroy. But the question remains. This morning.
[41:33] Where's your heart pointing. If you were to have that compass in your hand. Where would it point to. Would it point heavenward.
[41:43] Or would it point earthward. Would it point to. The things that are in the. August catalog. Or would it point to the things that are in the word of God. Would it point to that which is. Crumbling and falling apart already.
[41:56] And beginning to be corroded and rusted. Or will it point to those things. Which will never rust or destroy. That are eternal. Would it point to those things. That give a fleeting. A momentary high.
[42:08] Or those things that give joy. Unending. What are you living for. Because the simple truth.
[42:20] Of the matter is this. We are either living. For now. Or we're living. For then. We're either living.
[42:32] For the moment. Or we're living. For eternity. We're either living. For the passing. Of the living. For the fulfilling.
[42:45] If you were in that crowd. Pressing in upon Jesus. What would you. Ask. Of him. Let's pray together.
[42:58] Let's pray together. Let's pray together. Just pray together.
[43:12] You are such a wonderful. Father. Unlike. Any other. For you know. All our needs. And you provide for them.
[43:23] You know. Our great concerns. and you give that which alone takes them away. We thank you that you are the Father who sent his Son, the Father who gave, and the Father who gives.
[43:40] We thank you that you are the one who longs to fulfill the greatest desires and hungering of our souls. And so we ask, O Lord, that you would deliver us from the stupid idea that such a longing can be fulfilled by what is in this world and what this world has made.
[44:06] O Lord, give to us time to think and minds to think of the wonderful provision and gift that is Jesus Christ, who along with him you give us all things, even your own everlasting kingdom.
[44:30] O Lord, we pray, set our hearts aright, reboot our hearts, that they might point in the right direction, that they might seek after you, the source of every good gift.
[44:51] Amen.