The Father's Good Pleasure

This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?

We see here God is the judge. This man will die with the hope that he's going to have something that'll make him happy. God is saying, no, tonight your life will be required of you. You will have to stand before me. You will have to give an account for what you've done with all my good gifts. Did you just try to store them up? Did you just try to use him for yourself? There's a great concern here. It's foolish. He's calling this idea, this promise we make ourselves, one day then we'll be happy, that's foolish. Fool. Tonight you'll die. Tonight you'll stand before God. And here's the scary thing. If you're not a Christian this morning, this is what's truly terrifying. We will all have to stand before God and give an account for what we've done. And we've all been foolish. We've all sinned against God. We've all refused to give him thanks and honor for all the good gifts he gives us. We've all refused him and the goodness he gives, and we've all decided to be selfish and self-absorbed. And if we stand by ourselves, the judgment will be condemnation. The judgment will be a wrath that is just, and we won't be able to argue, because we'll know it's true, because we'll see him in all his glory, we'll see him in all his goodness, and we'll see our sin. The only hope we have is if somebody comes alongside of us. His name's Jesus, the Son of God. He says, Father, he has sinned. She has failed. They were selfish, but I died for their sin. I was condemned for their sin so that they can be forgiven. That's what we believe is the gospel. If you don't believe in Jesus this morning, that is the truth. We're all sinners. We will all stand before God. And the only difference to a Christian is that we believe Christ died so that we can be forgiven. We believe Jesus was judged so we won't face that day in our foolishness. We still live in foolish ways. God's judgment is just. You must believe in Jesus. If you don't know if you believe in Jesus, if you wanna know more about who this Jesus is, if you want to believe, please don't leave here without talking to somebody sitting around you. Notice here, Jesus gives a real diagnosis of this dude's problem.

So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

There's a way to live up treasure for ourselves. I'm gonna get ample goods, I'm gonna get all these things, I'm gonna determine what's good, I'm gonna set my eyes on what's good, I'm gonna try to keep what's good, and then I'll be merry, or I'm gonna be rich towards God. Now, the rich man's problem isn't that he's rich. The rich man's problem isn't that he's rich, it's that he's greedy for riches. It's that he doesn't realize there's something more than stuff. We're given good things. God gives us abundantly. We'll see in a little while. He actually promises, God gives abundantly. A greedy rich person says, I'm going to take and use as if it's mine. The Christian receives with gratitude and says, how can I steward? Do you see the difference? Being rich towards God means we realize every good and perfect gift comes from God and is meant to be used according to God. That's good. The rich man who's foolish and greed says this is mine, I deserve it, I've earned it, and I'm gonna use it however I want. We need to be content stewards who are grateful. Is money a source of conflict for you? Rather a fear of little or desire for much. Is money a regular conflict for you? Luke is the gospel where Jesus talks about money over and over again. This is not the first time, it won't be the last time we talk about it. Over and over again, he's constantly pressing in a right relationship with stuff. Is the stuff in this world consuming you? If we were to look through the history of Google searches, how much stuff would we see? Misers, I want you to beware here. You know who you are. Don't pat yourself on the back. There's a whole other parable about misers who don't want to spend, but the whole problem here is store-uppers. Are we afraid of spending? Are we afraid of God running out of what he's given to us? God does not love a miserly store-upper. He loves that you're a forgiver. There's an odd way in which conservative Christians tend to be conservative financially to the point of not wanting to spend. I don't know how the correlation works out. We should see God as generous. We should want to be stewards. Be warned, there is a judgment coming. We just heard this from Ecclesiastes. It's worth meditating upon. Read Ecclesiastes. 12 chapters, everything is meaningless. Everything is meaningless. Oh, it's so good when we have an author who says, now the end of the matter, or this is my point. And he did wait until the last two verses. This is worthy for memorization.

The end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God, keep his commandments. This is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Fear God. The generous giver, seek to be a good steward of all that he said and given to us. Christian, the question we need to be pressed in on is, are we rich towards God? Are we seeking to be rich in this world with stuff? Today, it actually doesn't seem to be stuff as much as experiences. And we need to make sure we have all the experiences. We need to make sure our kids have all the experiences. We need to make sure we gain these different kinds of trophies in life and these different levels of making sure everyone has this well-roundedness. But are they well-rounded in Christ? When we're trying so hard to make sure our children or ourselves have this well-rounded life, are we taking out the big piece of the pie that's supposed to be of God? Be on guard. Greed will eat you alive. A right relationship with God leads to a right relationship with stuff. Let's go back to the life lesson.

For one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

Praise God. If we've really tried to get joy and merry and relaxed out of stuff, you can just say, praise God, it doesn't consist of those things. The God who created this world is the God who gives generously. We must learn how to live in his world. The next section continues with the same idea, but notice in verse 22, he's speaking to disciples. All this was to the crowds, now he's zeroing in on the disciples. Our next point, do not be anxious because God is generous. There's prohibitions. This passage is full of prohibitions and warnings, what not to be, what not to do. First, be careful of telling yourself that lie, because God will judge. Here, do not worry. Do not be overwhelmed with anxiety. Your God is generous.

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you'll put on.

Why? Life lesson number two, life is more. There's more to life than simply these things that we need. We need food. We need clothes. We need safety. But he's saying there's something more. Now, this is common grace kind of knowledge. Right, everyone knows there's something more to this materialistic world. We might not actually be able to believe it and live like it, but we all acknowledge that. By common grace, God makes that known to all of us, and the proof here is how Jesus directs them. He doesn't give them a parable. He says, look, look out there. You all can look out the window just for a little bit. All right, there you look, now come back. Look, the birds, the ravens, they don't sow, they don't reap. They don't have storehouses or barns. Yet God feeds them. If you're somebody who worries, who's burdened with anxiety, that's a simple little memory verse right there. Yet God feeds them. I believe God gives us these little easy load ammunition in the midst of anxiety. That's an easy load verse. to redirect our thoughts. And you can look out, you can see the birds who have so much less value than you do. God values you more. He feeds them. He's not going to leave you alone. He's not going to forget you. He's going to provide. Yet God feeds them. Then he gives them a warning, in which do you view, and here's just a reason, do you add anything to your life, one single hour, with the anxiety? God is able to give you all you need, and he gives. Then he gives another one, verse 27, look at the lilies, how they grow, they don't toil or spin. Yet even Solomon, he must have been a well-dressed man, in all of his glory, was not as arrayed as these. We can look at the dogwoods, the buttercups. Even the vegetation is dressed in splendor because God provides. We can look out and we can see these truths in just the way creation works. God feeds, God clothes. Question, how much more? He who did not withhold his own son What good thing is he gonna withhold from us? We know from God's revelation, his word, his acts in history, the father, he sent his son to die for us. He's given us what's best. What would he not give us? We're more than the creatures, we're more than the vegetation. Of course he's gonna provide. But oh, how much God gives. I want to make sure we realize when we're wrestling with anxiety, it's not always a rational problem. Jesus has addressed this very rationally. When we get up, bound up into anxiety, there's a cycle we can get to. And the tendency is to just look inside and say, I'm going to figure these things out. I'm going to get some kind of control over whatever I'm anxious about. Looking in is the wrong direction. Jesus says first look out and see how good God is, but we can look up. We can look up and see our Heavenly Father whose hands are wide open and gives generously. We need to look up and see the truth of God. We need others to come alongside of us in anxiety and help us. Verse 29, getting more into the straight instruction, he'll consider these things, look out and you can see how good God is. But now he says, verse 29,

and do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Do not covet. Do not worry. Do not seek the things you're worried about. Let's make sure we're not confused about what he's saying. Scripture is God's one word. We believe as much as Jesus is recorded here according to the Holy Spirit to give us the truth, Paul is also telling us truth when he says,

if someone does not work, he doesn't eat.

There is a way in which we're supposed to be good stewards, seeking to do the kind of work God has put us here to do. The difference here is my whole life is about seeking these things versus knowing God provides as I'm faithful. The real question is, what is my primary purpose? What is all my attention given to? To get richer, to find the kind of comfort where I won't have any fear, or to know more of the God who provides. Notice where he says the nations seek. The nations are contrasted with the kingdom of God. The nations are pagans who want to make sure that they have some kind of manipulation over God, that if they give God just the right sacrifices or do just the right things, then God will provide. The nations are those who want to try to figure out how to secure for themselves what they need. This is not the way of the kingdom. We can go back to the Old Testament and really appreciate God's law here. The Sabbath. The Sabbath is what made Israel so peculiar. The Sabbath, because it was a day of the week, they didn't work. And when you live in this kind of agrarian society, not working one day might mean you don't eat one day. But God said, don't work on the Sabbath. Why? Well, you need rest, because that's how he designed you. And two, it's how I'm going to prove to you I am your provider. Be faithful to not work on the Sabbath. Be faithful to resist the urge of being under your own control and being anxious and trying to figure out how you're gonna continue to feed yourself. No, I, I will feed you. I will provide for you. And the nations were supposed to come and see who are these people who don't work for an entire day, but set aside the day for worship so that God then provides for them. Christian for us. Sunday's supposed to be this. But it's not marked by what we abstain from. Sunday's supposed to be marked by what we do. Today is the Lord's Day. It's supposed to be marked by what we do as we come together as Christians, as we just did, and seeing the news of Christ. Pray according to the good news of Christ. Fellowship in Christ. It's not family day, it's not fun day, it's the Lord's day. This should not be a day that we try to catch up on being a good parent or a good employee or something else. It's a day we should say, how can I know the Lord? How can I help others know the Lord? How can I come together and be with the Lord's people? We cannot be that holy nation if we're not gonna set apart the things that are supposed to be holy. So what are your plans today? How much are they focused in on making sure you're not missing out on something other than being a faithful Christian according to the Lord? It's scary how anxiety works. As we see, the primary move here is do not be anxious. If we just step aside, and I want to address this for a moment, it isn't just the material afflictions or the material things that we're concerned of. We think about the mental affliction of anxiety, fear, fear of others, fear of realizing how little we have control. And what's dangerous about anxiety is when we have the fear of recognizing we're out of control, the temptation is to try to gain more control. The fear oftentimes leads to isolation. An instinct when we're afraid? An instinct when we're anxious is to isolate? Maybe because no one else understands or because we think we're all alone? Oh, what's so instinctive is so dangerous. We're not meant to be alone in anxiety. We need to look up to God, but we need others who are going to come alongside of us. This is why we have a church. Let others wash over you the Word of God. Let others sing over you the Word of God. Let others pray with you. Let others help you take those things you put on your record player inside, and they know how to take it off, know how to put on the right truths of God. If you battle with anxiety, please don't do it alone. It's so dangerous. Verse 32, another negative, another declaration of what not to do. Fear not. Fear not. A little flock. He's speaking to the church. He's speaking to his disciples. This is an important verse in scripture. We believe all the words of God are inspired. We believe all the words of God are authoritative. And I want to point out, this is one of those we've really got to focus on. Why? Anytime we come across when God says, this is my will, my desire, my pleasure, God's telling us what his desire is. We should pay attention. This is significant. He doesn't leave us guessing what he wants. He tells us. What does your God want? Your Father's good pleasure is to give. Just soak that in for a moment. Your Father's good pleasure is giving, not taking. He's not stingy. He doesn't run on empty. He gives, He gives, He gives. He gives us the kingdom. He's given us His own Son so that we can be part of the family of God. He gives us His own Son so we can be forgiven. He gives us His Spirit so we can be renewed and have our hearts changed. He gives us one another so we can actually walk together in the love of Christ. Oh, it's the Father's good pleasure. It's interesting, if you're in various trials, one of the places where it talks about what God wants to do, He wants to give you wisdom. In James there, chapter one, He tells us, He gives generously. He gives generously. What we need to know how to live in a trial, what we need to know how to please God, how to know God, how to walk in his blessings, he gives it generously. I hope you come across generous people. I did this past week. It's always one of those things whenever meeting somebody for lunch, what kind of like credit card dueler we're gonna have, who's gonna pay for it. You know, I size people up now. This past week, I took someone to lunch, and at that moment, that future friend became an adversary. Who's going to get to do it? Part of it, I enjoy being hospitable. Part of it's pride. This fellow who I went to lunch with, he got his credit card out, and I quickly pleaded no contest. He just looked superior in every way. He was going to take it. I hope we meet people like that, and we learn how to just receive things generously, because we don't really like that, do we? because it takes it out of our control. It's hard to receive such goodness from God because we want to think we deserve it somehow or we're in control of it somehow. It's good to be given to generously and to learn the kind of humility and godliness that says this is good, to be overwhelmed by it. Part of our control problem is we want to make sure we're doing it or we deserve it. Oh God, he gives and he gives and he gives. Are we expecting of God this way? Are we pursuing the things of the kingdom knowing that that is what God is going to give? We're making a transition now. We've heard a lot of negatives. We've heard a lot of warnings. Don't be greedy. Don't be anxious. Don't fear. Finally, a command, sell your possessions. Finally, something to do. Isn't that good news? Let's just think about how full circle this is. Life consists of more than possessions. Life does not consist of possessions. Life is more than possessions. Sell your possessions. We're not gonna be open-handed until we have a right relationship with possessions, and we're not gonna have a right relationship with possessions until we have a right acknowledgement of God, who we should fear and have reverence for, and who is generous. We should be willing and eager to give. The goal is not to have everything. The goal is not to have nothing. The goal is to be a cheerful giver. One of the funny things I hear on the radio, Christian finance folks, how do they make a living out of this? Every time it's the same thing. Don't go in debt, don't spend beyond your means. That's basically what they say over and over again, but yet they have numerous books and numerous radio shows saying the same thing. How is that possible? Two basic good finance principles. There you go. You're welcome. What I don't like is one of them seems to say this, get out of debt so you become rich so that then you can give generously. Do you see what he did there? He did what the rich man does. Beware of the financial counselor that says, oh, just get rich and then you'll be free and you'll be happily giving generously. No, give now. The whole idea that I need to meet some kind of financial standard to freely give, to cheerfully give, is the lie of that problem that we just looked at before, the rich man. Does God need to bless us with some certain amount before we'll be cheerful and generous? Are we setting the stage for God and setting a bar for Him? Are we receiving with great joy? Look, we have another command. Provide yourselves. Finally, Jesus the capitalist.

Provide for yourselves the money bags that do not grow old. Provide for yourselves a treasure in heaven, where there is no thief, there is no moth, there is no destruction.

What kind of currency is this? What kind of exchanges are we rightly making? One of the folks here joined the church in their interview. I was asking, what have you learned about God? And it was so helpful. I've learned that relationships aren't merely transactional. Oh, what wisdom. I've learned that relationships with people and God, they're not transactional. If I give, then they'll give. No, that's called paganism. No, provide for yourselves the heavenly treasures. Provide for yourselves the God who gives you richly the things of the kingdom. Provide for yourselves a faithfulness so that when you stand before the judge, it's well done, good and faithful servant. That's the heavenly reward. It's not work salvation. It's not how much can I work so I can be brought into heaven. No, Jesus brings you in with his cross. It's what do we do with this life? An important question for us to consider, church. Are we so earthly-minded we're of no heavenly good? I've heard people say, don't be heavenly-minded, you'll be no earthly good. I've never met someone like that. I've never met that person. Truly heavenly-minded. With our eyes up to Christ, you see the right hand of the Father, knowing all that we have has been given to us, knowing all we need has been given to us. I've never met someone who has gotten so heavenly minded, I find them to be unhelpful earthly. I do see Christians living out the kingdom selflessly, denying themselves, carrying their cross, following Christ. They're amazingly productive on this earth.

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

We've got to be careful living some kind of double life of what we know to be true, what we believe to be true, but does not play out. When it comes to money, it is a root of all kinds of evil. It is not the root. There are numerous ways to relate to stuff, money, desires wrongly. And there's one way to relate to them rightly. is by loving the Lord your God with all your heart and seeing that everything that you have is a gift from God. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. There's three key principles here. First, see all that is good is from God. Recognize that everything that is good has come down from God. Second, receive it with gratitude. receive it with gratitude. See it all comes from God, receive it with gratitude, and then prayerfully look in his word and ask, how do I steward it to enjoy him and glorify him? If you want to have a right relationship with the stuff, we all have stuff. Do we see it comes from God, do we receive it with gratitude, do we seek to steward. Life lessons from Jesus. The happy life. To be a lover of wisdom means we need to take these truths in and know life has stuff. But it doesn't consist of stuff. It's more than stuff. I believe one great philosopher summed up what Christ has said well here. He is no fool. who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. This is missionary Jim Elliott.

He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Let's take a moment and suddenly reflect, asking God, help us to see how good you are, how generous you are, and all the ways we should be grateful. I'll close this in prayer.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with a steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

O Father, May we learn how to bless you who has blessed us with every heavenly gift in Christ. We thank you, Lord, that you have removed our sin from us in Christ as far as the east is from the west. We thank you, Father, that you have brought us near to you when we were so distant because of our sin. We thank you that you have shown us how great your love is, not just because the birds are fed, not just because The dogwoods are full of flowers because you gave us your son to die for us, to restore us, to bless us. Forgive us for doubting how good you are. Forgive us for questioning how generous you are. Oh, may we learn to pray to you, our father, who gives generously. Help us, Lord, to be thankful. Help us, Lord, to see all you give us, to receive it with thanks, and to use all for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let us stand and sing our song of response, My Worth is Not in What I Own.