PURPOSE:
To preach to the hearers on how to avoid worries and fear.
INTRODUCTION:
Many people have worries and fear; we have a childhood fear of the dark, zombies, and other characters that might frighten us. As we become older we have also frequent fear and worries of day to day living, like financial instability, personal future, and future of our love ones, maybe our children or younger brothers and sisters. We have also fear from failing expectation of others. From the Holy Bible, Lord Jesus discusses the different things that might be the cause of our worries and fear, like food, drinks and clothes. These are the very basic needs of the early Christians and Jews that made them worries. Lord Jesus also gives the best recommendation to avoid worries and fear.
TEXT: Luke 12:30,34
” But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ”
How can we avoid worries and fear?
- KNOW THAT OUR LORD GOD KNOWS OUR NEEDS
- UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN NEEDS
- WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
Luke 12:22, 30 – “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… 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.”
Food and clothes are the basic needs of the disciples in their time, those are the things that made the disciples worried, and Lord Jesus knows all of these. Pagans prioritize to meet their needs, they work hard for it. Today, what is the difference of a Christian who is prioritizing their basic needs instead of prioritizing the Kingdom where they belong? Lord Jesus said to his disciples that they must not be worry, because He and His Father in heaven know all of their needs.
Today, people are not only worry about their needs, but they are also worried about wants and vices. Remember, needs are different from wants and vices. In these are the things they worried actually!
From Luke 3:14, John the Baptist taught about contentment.
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN NEEDS
Luke 12:23-29 – “ 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. ”
Lord Jesus said to His disciple that food is much more important than life, and clothes are much more important than the body. The ravens never sow and they don’t have storeroom, but God feed them. Wild flowers do not labor and spin but God dressed them. He said that we are much more important than birds and grass, because we are the most important creature created by God! Lord Jesus said that the disciples are much more important than their needs, today; Lord Jesus is telling us that we are much more important than our needs.
WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
The term “worry” was mentioned by Lord Jesus repeatedly in the following verses, it seems that the disciples were worry some at that time. The verse “do not set your heart”, “do not be afraid” and “do not worry” are the priorities of the disciples at that time, and they forgot to prioritize the most important things. But Lord Jesus reminds them to prioritize the most important things.
What are the two most important things?
- THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Lord Jesus taught his disciples that pagans prioritize their needs than the Kingdom of God. Today, as we prioritize our basic needs than the Kingdom of God we act like pagans even though we profess that we are a Christian! Lord Jesus knew that his disciple were afraid to be starved, and worried to be naked or no more to be wear, but He encouraged them that the Lord God is pleased to give the Kingdom to them! How little faith they have, and still they were hard to understand what God matters most. Today, we may admit that we are like them also, but Lord Jesus will said to us the same thing that we are matters most, than any other creature created by God! Remember that Lord God able to sacrifice His Only Begotten Son for us. (Romans 8:32)
- THE TREASURES IN HEAVEN
Lord Jesus encourages His disciple to save and accumulate eternal wealth in heaven through giving material things to the needy. He reminded His disciples that they must put their heart to eternal things, because what they considered important will influenced and attached their heart from it. Today, Christians must be aware of what they considered treasured to them, because it will put their heart to it. If the service to God and the Kingdom of God is the treasure to them, definitely their heart will be there as well.
CONCLUSION:
Early disciples were very worry about their needs and they were feared of being starved and no more to be wears. But Lord Jesus said repetitively “Do not worry”, “Do not be afraid”. Lord Jesus said that His disciples were matters most from all creations created by God, if the birds and grass were provided by God of the things they needed how much more the most important creature.
While pagans were busy of working for their needs, Lord Jesus gives to His disciples the best recommendation to avoid worries and fear. His best recommendation is to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all their needs will be given as well”. Satan is very brilliant enough, he knows that he cannot stop the disciples of getting closer to God, but he knows that the disciples still has a basic needs. He will make the disciples out of focus by offering temporary pleasure, the comfort that may give of this world, wealth, power, influence, fame and other temporary things. Lord Jesus again recommend the best thing that need to be prioritize by His disciples, it is the treasures in heaven – the eternal things.
Christians today is still facing the same needs and problems, to avoid worries and fear, Lord Jesus recommend to us the best thing that we must prioritize. These are the two things; to seek first the Kingdom of God and all our needs will be given as well, and we must prioritize also on how to store and save treasures in heaven. Therefore Christians must focus on eternal things, and all our temporary needs will be provided as well.
Today, how can we prioritize the Kingdom of God? When we will start to save and store treasures in heaven?
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