August 10 – Sermon
Let us pray: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Creator of the Universe. You have made every molecule. You have delighted to give us this planet as a home for us until we take pleasure in Your heavenly kingdom. While we are yet stewards of this world, show us the work that we must do, and give us the tools to accomplish Your great enterprise of love. We trust that You will sustain us in our hope of the world to come. This we ask in Jesus’s holy name. Amen.
“Do not be anxious. Do not be worried. Don’t be afraid.” That’s what Jesus tells His disciples in our Gospel for today. He says we shouldn’t be worried—obsessed with our stuff. I try not to be anxious, worried or afraid. I mean, after all, I’ve got a nice place to live, food to eat –actually too much, clothes to wear—way too many.
But now suppose all of these things are taken away–just like that. Would you be anxious, worried, afraid?
If you were to lose everything, “Do not be anxious, worried, or afraid, would take on a new depth of meaning.
I really wonder how much of what we “worry” about is fueled by our need to be in control? Isn’t that the real reason we constantly seek after the things of this life, in order to make ourselves “more secure”? How do we take to heart these words of Jesus and apply them to our lives?
Actually in this text Jesus isn’t even talking about extravagance. He’s talking about the very basics: clothing, shelter. Not entertainment or recreation, frills– just the everyday needs of keeping body and soul together. We are inundated with the temptations of having more, better, the latest, the best of everything—that’s what creates anxiety.
Jesus calls all Christians to be different and it’s not by our own willpower or desire. The call to not worry, or be anxious, is not based on anything in us. Instead, it’s based on who you know and what you believe.
Jesus points us to our God the Father and we know Him through Jesus Christ. In and of ourselves we cannot overcome insecurity. Only in relationship to the Lord our God can we be certain of our future.
Jesus points us to the provision and promises of God: God feeds the ravens. Are you of more value than the birds? God clothes the lilies of the field. Will he take care of you too? God cares about you more than He cares about birds or flowers. The people of this world are always seeking after the stuff of this life, and then they worry about it. That should not be the case for us. Because God the Father already knows what you need and will provide it.
If you want or need a goal, seek after God’s kingdom. Be diligent in pursuing things that are eternal, and everything else will be added to you. In other words, there is something much more important than even food, shelter and clothing, and that is God’s kingdom.
God’s kingdom consists in the righteousness, peace, and joy we have through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have that, all the food and clothing and things in the world won’t help you. You could have steak dinners and peach pie piled up to the year 2050, and it wouldn’t do you any good in the end. You could have all the name brand clothing and fill ten closets with clothes, and it won’t get you into the kingdom, and if you aren’t wearing the right garments to the wedding feast of the Lamb. In fact, you’ll be tossed out.
God’s kingdom of peace and joy and righteousness, only comes through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. and the good news is, that it’s free.
There’s no charge at all. God’s kingdom was purchased for us by the holy precious blood of Jesus Christ. The blood Christ shed on the cross for us, in our place, purchased our redemption. Jesus pulled us out of the fires of hell, and he did it by the giving of His own life. By Jesus resurrection from the dead, every believer will live with Him in His kingdom.
Jesus tells the disciples and us: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It’s a gift, given purely out of our Father’s good pleasure.
And when the kingdom comes to us, it changes our perspective on life. When you know that God is your kind and loving heavenly Father; when you know that Jesus Christ is your Savior, who purchased the kingdom for you; when you know that the Holy Spirit is confirming this faith in your heart, you will have confidence about life now and about your future.
Then your anxiety will be gone. Your worry becomes prayer. Your fears give way to faith. God’s word is greater in your life than your worries. That’s how faith overcomes fear.
No longer worrying about ourselves we are freed up to help others. Once God has given us the kingdom– the greatest treasure of all, God can use us as His instruments of mercy to others.
The words of Jesus, the promises of God–produce faith, the trust that animates our being. It is a faith that is greater than our fears, a faith that frees us up to live as children of our heavenly Father, a faith that then reflects His character of compassion and giving. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Amen
