WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.120 All right, good evening. 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:11.359 Hopefully y'all can hear me well. 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:16.359 So as Nick said, my name is Andrew, and I'm pretty excited to be preaching tonight. 00:00:17.019 --> 00:00:24.120 So if you've read ahead, or if you looked at the thing you get, it's called a bulletin, 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:27.120 or you're familiar with the Sermon on the Mount, you'll know where we've come tonight. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:29.920 We're going to be in Matthew chapter 6, verses 19 through 34. 00:00:30.060 --> 00:00:33.799 You might say, though, if you do a quick skim, or you're familiar, that we're going to talk about money. 00:00:34.780 --> 00:00:37.840 We're going to talk about money, we're going to talk about anxiety, and that's difficult, 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:39.620 because those are issues in our culture. 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:45.620 And honestly, our culture doesn't really align with maybe what Scripture would say in this area. 00:00:45.760 --> 00:00:46.540 Not all the time. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:51.780 But like most of you, this is not something I get naturally. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.560 This is not something I do well, and so I struggle here too. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:00.320 So from a personal perspective, I thought I'd share a little story to bring us in. 00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:05.060 And this area, this concept of money, what do I do with it, what do I do with my possessions, 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.579 has actually been one of the more difficult areas of my life. 00:01:08.299 --> 00:01:09.040 Now, I became a Christian. 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:12.439 I grew up in a Christian home, but I would say that I started to follow Christ, 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:14.680 really, the end of high school and college. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:19.040 So if you're familiar, those times of year, time of life, you don't have a lot of money, typically. 00:01:19.859 --> 00:01:23.280 And so I could justify, once the Lord began to convict me, that I need to start being generous, 00:01:23.360 --> 00:01:23.940 I need to start giving. 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:29.560 I could say I don't have any money, which was partially true, because I just didn't have that much. 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:33.600 But then I got an internship, and odds are a little bit different. 00:01:33.660 --> 00:01:34.580 I could give a little more. 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:38.100 And so what I decided to do was to support some missionary friends of mine. 00:01:39.080 --> 00:01:40.880 And I decided I'd give them about $10 a month. 00:01:41.399 --> 00:01:42.399 So it's like it was three of them. 00:01:42.459 --> 00:01:43.359 It was about $30 a month. 00:01:43.979 --> 00:01:44.699 And I could do that. 00:01:44.739 --> 00:01:45.319 I'd done the math. 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:46.420 I knew that I had made enough money. 00:01:46.479 --> 00:01:47.619 I thought comfortable in that. 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:52.399 But what would happen is that end of the month would come, time to write the check. 00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:59.799 And I would go, I can write the check, or I can get a piece of climbing equipment. 00:01:59.939 --> 00:02:01.699 I like to be outside, I like to do things. 00:02:01.819 --> 00:02:02.919 So it was a choice. 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:05.959 It was, I can give, or I can get. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:09.439 And what would also happen is I'd forget for a college student. 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:10.139 Sometimes I'd forget. 00:02:10.139 --> 00:02:11.299 So I'd build up two months. 00:02:11.359 --> 00:02:12.019 I'd build up three months. 00:02:12.099 --> 00:02:14.119 And now I have $60 or $90, right? 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:14.759 So a bit more. 00:02:15.459 --> 00:02:16.439 And the same thing would happen. 00:02:16.619 --> 00:02:19.419 Except now it was not a carabiner or like $30. 00:02:19.739 --> 00:02:21.059 It was a day of skiing. 00:02:21.179 --> 00:02:23.119 It was something to do or something I could buy. 00:02:24.179 --> 00:02:25.159 And I'll fast forward until now. 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:26.519 I have a real job. 00:02:26.579 --> 00:02:27.719 I make real money, right? 00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:29.319 The desire is still the same. 00:02:29.519 --> 00:02:30.579 The dollar amounts just more. 00:02:30.699 --> 00:02:35.279 So now sometimes I'll look and say, that's a pair of skis. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:38.699 That's a big thing that I can acquire. 00:02:38.699 --> 00:02:41.159 And occasionally I'll still look at a tax return. 00:02:41.419 --> 00:02:43.899 And I'll think, look at all the money that I've made. 00:02:43.979 --> 00:02:45.859 Look at all the things I could buy. 00:02:47.619 --> 00:02:54.139 So I say this really to help us, help myself understand that it's not the material object, right? 00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:55.339 It's not the carabiner. 00:02:55.459 --> 00:02:56.419 It's not the pair of skis. 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:57.439 It's not the thing. 00:02:57.879 --> 00:02:59.159 It's the affection that we place. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.439 It's the amount or desire that we place on things. 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:04.280 And that's really what Jesus is going to address. 00:03:04.359 --> 00:03:06.680 He's not going to talk about money per se. 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:10.460 He's going to talk about the affections and what we do with that. 00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:13.300 So that's what Jesus is going to address. 00:03:13.460 --> 00:03:14.319 Let's read our text. 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:18.579 So as I said, it's Matthew chapter 6, verses 19 through 34. 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:26.200 And sorry, that is on page 811 if you have a pew Bible in front of you. 00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:28.780 So he says, 00:03:28.780 --> 00:03:48.159 The eye is the lamp of the body. 00:03:48.580 --> 00:03:51.319 So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:54.560 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:58.879 If in the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:04.280 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, 00:04:04.599 --> 00:04:07.099 or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:09.379 You cannot serve God and money. 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:13.319 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, 00:04:13.780 --> 00:04:15.740 what you will eat or what you will drink, 00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:17.620 nor about your body what you will put on. 00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:21.139 Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:23.040 Look at the birds of the air. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.860 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:27.340 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 00:04:27.939 --> 00:04:29.760 Are you not of more value than they? 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.960 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to a span of life? 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:36.160 And why are you anxious about clothing? 00:04:36.960 --> 00:04:39.340 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:42.100 They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:45.060 even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:47.860 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 00:04:48.259 --> 00:04:50.640 which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:53.979 will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 00:04:54.779 --> 00:04:56.379 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 00:04:56.479 --> 00:04:59.740 What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:02.560 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:04.819 and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:05:06.099 --> 00:05:08.419 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:10.599 and all these things will be added to you. 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:13.180 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:15.219 for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:17.439 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:18.759 So let's pray. 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:22.360 Father, thank you for this church, 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:24.600 and the opportunity to dig into your scriptures. 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:26.800 Would you allow us tonight to see, 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:29.939 and hear what the life of a Christian should look like 00:05:29.939 --> 00:05:31.259 with respect to material things. 00:05:32.139 --> 00:05:34.899 Would you allow me to clearly and faithfully communicate your scriptures. 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:35.939 Amen. 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:39.040 So from the text we read, 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:41.420 there are really three major imperatives, 00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:42.240 or three commands, 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:45.480 that we're going to use to break up how we proceed through tonight. 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.680 So the first is found in verses 19 through 24, 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.520 and it's really dealing with the object of our affections. 00:05:51.900 --> 00:05:54.420 The second is going to be found in verses 25 through 34, 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:55.500 a little bit longer section, 00:05:55.780 --> 00:05:57.800 but it's really dealing with the effect 00:05:57.800 --> 00:05:59.960 that what we place our affections on has. 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:01.420 And then third and final, 00:06:01.840 --> 00:06:03.860 what a Christian must do in light of our living 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:04.860 in the world in which we do. 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:07.360 And that's really going to be found specifically in verse 33. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.580 So let's look at the first one, 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:12.500 the object of our affections. 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:15.439 Reading again verses 19 and 20, 00:06:16.780 --> 00:06:17.180 Jesus says, 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:19.400 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 00:06:19.780 --> 00:06:21.319 where moth and rust destroy, 00:06:21.840 --> 00:06:23.220 or thieves break in and steal. 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:25.620 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:27.620 where neither moth nor rust destroys, 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.620 or thieves do not break in and steal. 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:32.860 Okay, so this first imperative, 00:06:33.540 --> 00:06:34.040 the first command, 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.280 it's to build up treasures in heaven. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:37.860 We could state it negatively, 00:06:38.500 --> 00:06:41.300 and that would be not building up treasures on earth, 00:06:41.660 --> 00:06:43.120 but they're basically equivalent. 00:06:44.220 --> 00:06:45.740 So we, as followers of Christ, 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:47.120 are called to use our resources, 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:48.660 our money, our time, our energy, 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.120 in such a way as to build up treasure in heaven 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:52.280 as opposed to on earth. 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:56.039 So I don't think that I really need to define 00:06:56.039 --> 00:06:57.399 what building up treasure on earth means. 00:06:57.539 --> 00:06:59.659 I think that's probably something we get, 00:07:00.019 --> 00:07:00.719 we understand. 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:04.119 But we probably apply that, 00:07:04.659 --> 00:07:07.899 or we may apply that just to rich people, right? 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:10.439 Rich people being, well, maybe double our income, 00:07:10.539 --> 00:07:11.539 maybe double what we make. 00:07:11.619 --> 00:07:12.559 It's not me. 00:07:12.659 --> 00:07:14.379 I don't want to build up treasures on earth, 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:15.899 but the people who have money do. 00:07:17.479 --> 00:07:20.119 As if, like, the millionaire who wants to make more money 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:22.280 has a different attitude than the blue-collar worker 00:07:22.280 --> 00:07:23.319 who wants to make more money. 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:24.800 I think they're probably equivalent. 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:29.379 So the issue is not the amount, it's not the object. 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:30.699 It's that desire. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:33.560 So having more money will make my life easier, 00:07:33.780 --> 00:07:34.680 better, more complete. 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:38.079 Now, I think that there is some truth to that. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.500 I think there's some truth to income 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:42.139 does make some aspects of life easier. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:43.259 I would not dispute that, 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:45.420 but Jesus is addressing the hard issues, 00:07:45.540 --> 00:07:47.100 addressing what goes on internally here. 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:50.960 And so remember how I mentioned that as a college student, 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:52.200 I wanted stuff. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:54.879 I wanted to go skiing, or I wanted Caribbeaners. 00:07:54.939 --> 00:07:55.879 I wanted things. 00:07:58.080 --> 00:08:00.060 As opposed to giving to my missionary friends, right? 00:08:00.140 --> 00:08:01.220 That was small money. 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:02.660 That was small things. 00:08:02.740 --> 00:08:04.439 And now I could want a pair of skis, 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:06.000 or go on a vacation, or something, 00:08:06.080 --> 00:08:06.879 as opposed to giving. 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:08.180 It's the same attitude. 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:10.160 And I would say as well, 00:08:10.260 --> 00:08:11.580 that if you look across the U.S., 00:08:11.580 --> 00:08:12.939 there's a lot of people in debt. 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:14.160 A lot of people have credit card debt. 00:08:14.280 --> 00:08:15.480 They have house debt. 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:16.220 They have car debt. 00:08:16.220 --> 00:08:17.380 But not all of it, 00:08:17.520 --> 00:08:19.120 but some of it certainly comes from the, 00:08:19.620 --> 00:08:21.100 I want to build up material things. 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:23.780 And then the problem is that we're not all rich. 00:08:24.460 --> 00:08:26.000 If we were rich, we might not have as much debt, 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:27.960 but because we want to have all these things, 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:29.160 if we don't have the money for it, 00:08:29.500 --> 00:08:31.100 we end up with debt as the result of, 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.639 or can be the result of a misplaced object, 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:34.740 a misplaced affection. 00:08:35.779 --> 00:08:36.980 So Jesus contrasts this attitude, 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:39.320 this desire for earthly things, 00:08:39.560 --> 00:08:40.340 with a higher one, 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.080 using our resources to make much of his kingdom. 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:45.019 Now to explain this, 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:46.080 we're given three areas. 00:08:46.220 --> 00:08:47.220 And I think two, 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.240 we probably understand pretty instinctively. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:51.840 So if we look at verse 20 and 21, 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:53.440 basically right after his command, 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:54.720 he gives us, 00:08:55.180 --> 00:08:55.720 I think, 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:57.000 the first self-explanatory, 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:01.440 first self-explanatory explanation. 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:04.560 So we all understand, 00:09:04.700 --> 00:09:05.540 even from a young age, 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:06.460 that stuff breaks. 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:07.220 Okay? 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:08.960 If you don't get that, 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:09.840 come into my house, 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:11.860 my car will break down sometime, 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:12.740 and I'll invite you over. 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:13.740 You can help me out. 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:14.080 Okay? 00:09:14.560 --> 00:09:15.180 Rust will happen. 00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:15.980 If you live in the north, 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:17.560 there's salt on the roads, 00:09:17.620 --> 00:09:18.320 like a year, 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:19.800 and your car starts to rust. 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:21.360 That just happens. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:22.639 If you lived in Jesus' time, 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:24.919 this would be really, 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:26.060 really easy to understand, 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:27.340 because there weren't Ziploc bags, 00:09:27.419 --> 00:09:28.159 there weren't Tupperware, right? 00:09:28.180 --> 00:09:29.200 Your food's going to get wet, 00:09:29.259 --> 00:09:30.220 there's going to get bugs in it, 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:32.379 and then it's going to rot, 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:32.980 it's going to ruin. 00:09:33.300 --> 00:09:34.800 So I think we get this, 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.240 we understand that stuff breaks, 00:09:37.359 --> 00:09:38.500 stuff wears out. 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:41.099 Jesus doesn't explicitly mention this, 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:42.439 but I think it's fair to say 00:09:42.439 --> 00:09:44.399 that we all have some limited capacity 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.439 of resources, right? 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:48.459 We all have some limited amount of money, 00:09:48.599 --> 00:09:49.479 a limited amount of time, 00:09:49.579 --> 00:09:50.259 a limited amount of energy. 00:09:51.059 --> 00:09:52.519 And so if we're going to invest it, 00:09:53.459 --> 00:09:54.639 shouldn't we invest it in things 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.799 that don't break versus things that break? 00:09:57.240 --> 00:09:58.379 I think that makes sense. 00:10:00.459 --> 00:10:02.240 But the final point that Jesus will make here 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.359 is that really the location of our treasure. 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:06.939 It's really the place we put our hopes, 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.099 our dreams, our ambition. 00:10:08.839 --> 00:10:10.740 That's where our heart or our affection will be. 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:14.199 So if I love my house above all else, 00:10:14.319 --> 00:10:15.639 if my house burns down and broken, 00:10:16.439 --> 00:10:17.899 that's kind of the point he's getting across. 00:10:19.579 --> 00:10:22.179 The second reason for building up heavenly treasure 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:23.240 as opposed to earthly treasure 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:24.579 is a bit more complex. 00:10:24.979 --> 00:10:26.879 If you look at verses 22 and 23, 00:10:27.819 --> 00:10:28.899 Jesus is discussing vision. 00:10:28.899 --> 00:10:31.379 How do we see what we focus on? 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:33.879 So he's kind of building off of the prior statement 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:35.240 about the location of our treasure 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.419 and the subsequent falling of our heart. 00:10:37.939 --> 00:10:39.899 Jesus mentions light and he mentions dark 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:40.740 and he mentions sight. 00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:42.379 To boil it down very simply, 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:44.179 his point is this. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:45.960 What we look at or what we see, 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:47.059 what we gaze at, 00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:49.379 it's really indicative of our heart's desire. 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:52.120 And so if that sight picture, 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:55.080 if what we see is evil, 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:56.960 then all of us is evil. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:57.480 That's his point. 00:10:57.480 --> 00:11:00.060 It's not like I can look at evil. 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:01.220 I can look in this context. 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:04.560 I can love money and I'm only partially affected. 00:11:04.620 --> 00:11:05.580 He's saying, no, if you look, 00:11:05.700 --> 00:11:06.980 that represents all of you. 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:08.920 That's a gaze into your heart. 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:12.440 So the third kind of explanation 00:11:12.440 --> 00:11:14.800 is another one that I think is obvious. 00:11:14.920 --> 00:11:15.860 It's found in verse 24. 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:18.519 We can't serve two masters. 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:22.080 We can't serve two things. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:24.820 The problem is that for our culture, 00:11:24.980 --> 00:11:26.220 I think we've tried to do something. 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:28.440 We've tried to say on Sundays, 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:31.400 that's when I'm a Christian, right? 00:11:31.420 --> 00:11:32.740 That's when like Christ is king. 00:11:33.139 --> 00:11:34.759 Maybe the weekend, but it's probably just Sunday. 00:11:35.280 --> 00:11:37.280 And then there's this other sphere of life 00:11:37.280 --> 00:11:39.180 that is every other day. 00:11:39.259 --> 00:11:41.139 And so I can serve Jesus on Sunday. 00:11:41.300 --> 00:11:42.120 I can do that. 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:44.400 And that's allowable because that's over here. 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:45.800 And then I can serve my job, 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:47.060 my bank account, other things 00:11:47.060 --> 00:11:49.080 because they're separate. 00:11:49.080 --> 00:11:51.800 The problem is that neither of them 00:11:51.800 --> 00:11:53.280 really is our master, right? 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:55.639 Neither of them consumes all of us. 00:11:56.259 --> 00:11:58.100 And Jesus is crystal clear. 00:11:58.240 --> 00:11:59.500 You cannot serve two masters. 00:12:01.060 --> 00:12:02.180 You can't really correctly 00:12:02.180 --> 00:12:03.560 or fully serve two masters. 00:12:03.680 --> 00:12:04.780 And I think that's unnecessary. 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:07.280 I don't need to say you can't fully serve 00:12:07.280 --> 00:12:09.700 or you can't kind of correctly serve 00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:10.720 because service implies 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:12.420 that you're devoted to that person, right? 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:14.620 He uses the language of kind of slavery, right? 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:16.640 Someone's a master of you. 00:12:16.640 --> 00:12:19.020 They own you in that sense. 00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:22.340 And you can't partially be owned. 00:12:22.420 --> 00:12:23.400 You can't partially serve. 00:12:24.340 --> 00:12:25.860 So Jesus wants all of us. 00:12:25.940 --> 00:12:26.780 He doesn't want 50%. 00:12:26.780 --> 00:12:27.879 He doesn't want 75%. 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:28.900 He doesn't want 99%. 00:12:28.900 --> 00:12:30.060 He wants 100% or nothing. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:32.500 If you're serving God, there's no room. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.080 There's not 1%. 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:35.080 There's not 0.1%. 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:37.440 There's not 0.001% for money. 00:12:38.660 --> 00:12:41.300 It's following Christ or not. 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:42.020 That's the line. 00:12:42.139 --> 00:12:43.520 And the line of distinction he draws. 00:12:45.259 --> 00:12:46.920 So if we move on to the second point, 00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:48.660 the second grouping, 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:50.779 it's really the effect of the affections we have, 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:54.240 the effect of the things that we desire would be another way to put that. 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:58.659 And I would say that incorrect affections will lead to problems. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:00.740 I think they generally do. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:06.259 So I know that I have from time to time desired or been anxious about a job, right? 00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:08.639 Anxious about what am I going to do after I graduate? 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:10.500 What am I going to do in two years? 00:13:10.579 --> 00:13:11.399 What am I going to do in three years? 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:12.360 What am I going to do in five years? 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:17.340 It's always kind of what's going to affect my material security. 00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:18.300 Am I going to have enough money? 00:13:18.419 --> 00:13:19.360 Am I going to have a good job? 00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:20.480 Am I going to be able to do what I want? 00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:23.279 And one, it's not really useful. 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:24.539 Two, it's really common. 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:25.419 It's common in our culture. 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:27.440 It's so common, I think, even in the church. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:32.960 But Jesus has a bit different perspective on what the natural tension of living in a material culture should be, 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:34.279 particularly in the believer's life. 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:35.819 Let's look at verse 25. 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:39.079 Jesus says, 00:13:39.259 --> 00:13:44.279 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, 00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:46.379 nor about your body, what you will put on. 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:50.259 Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:57.539 So following that, Jesus is going to make two major points, kind of two major arguments to help us understand this. 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.480 The first is really a series of greater than arguments. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:03.920 So, he's going to use flowers, he's going to use birds to say, 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:05.740 Aren't you not, are you not greater than those? 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:06.519 Are you not more important? 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:08.879 Are you not of more value than those things? 00:14:09.420 --> 00:14:13.519 And the second is a bit of a broader observation about the nature and character of God, 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.200 the nature and character of the God that we serve. 00:14:17.379 --> 00:14:19.259 So I said he points to birds and he points to flowers. 00:14:19.340 --> 00:14:22.840 If you look at verses 26 and 27, Jesus points to the birds outside. 00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:26.220 And he explains the means by which they receive their food. 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:31.460 So if you haven't noticed, birds will fly around and they'll find a place and those aren't pecking in the ground. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:33.620 I'm not really sure why, I just know that they do. 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:37.840 They'll go and they'll look for seeds or nuts or insects, whatever they eat. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:44.379 I've never seen a bird, to my knowledge, go somewhere and just spin in circles, 00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:47.180 worrying about where they're going to get food from, what are they going to find. 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:49.320 They go and they get a worm, right? 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:50.340 They get it from my garden all the time. 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:51.840 I see robins getting worms out of my garden. 00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:54.980 I'm not happy about that because worms are good for me, but I see them doing it. 00:14:54.980 --> 00:14:56.860 They don't seem to be fluttering around. 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:01.039 So they go, they do, they're looking for food and the Lord provides. 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.259 So Jesus says, since we are of more value, 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:09.240 shouldn't we have confidence in the Lord to provide food for us in a similar way? 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:14.940 Jesus is going to make a similar point again with respect to our needs for clothing. 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:18.779 So he says, let's look at the grass, look at the flowers. 00:15:19.560 --> 00:15:22.139 I don't know if you've ever walked in a field of wildflowers, 00:15:22.139 --> 00:15:25.899 or if you've ever kind of gone on a hike and just seen some beautiful scenery. 00:15:26.439 --> 00:15:27.840 Flowers are incredible. 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:32.460 And Jesus actually says, look, they're even more beautiful than Solomon and all the splendor. 00:15:32.500 --> 00:15:33.120 That's true. 00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:37.120 But yet, they're temporary. 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.039 They have a temporary nature. 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:40.120 They have temporary value. 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:45.879 And so if you look at Genesis 1, grass, other things, created order is good. 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:47.639 Mankind is very good. 00:15:47.700 --> 00:15:48.440 So there's this distinction. 00:15:48.560 --> 00:15:49.240 There's a difference. 00:15:51.179 --> 00:15:52.799 I think that Jesus could make this point. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:53.679 He could make it for shelter. 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:59.899 He could probably use a beehive or he could use, you know, a hollowed out den or something for a squirrel. 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:01.799 But the same point would apply. 00:16:02.580 --> 00:16:06.620 God provides for the needs of his created order as we observe in nature. 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:07.259 Just go look. 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:09.519 And we are of more importance. 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:18.919 So God's affection towards humans, I think it sizably outweighs his affection towards the birds, the grass, the bees, the trees, the things of this world. 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.220 So are we not of much more value? 00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:25.100 But honestly, I believe all of this leads to the second point. 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:27.000 Let's look at verse 32. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:36.299 Jesus says here, for the Gentiles seek after all of these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:38.879 So Gentiles seek after food. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:39.840 They seek after clothing. 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:41.919 They seek after the things that we need to live. 00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:45.639 Jesus says God knows that we need them all. 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:48.940 God isn't, he's not blind to our needs. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:52.299 He's not unaware of our physical condition and limitations. 00:16:52.299 --> 00:16:55.639 That could be because he made us. 00:16:55.959 --> 00:16:57.939 That could be he kind of gets us because he made us. 00:16:58.039 --> 00:16:58.839 I think that's logical. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.059 It's not as if God's in heaven surprised that we need food. 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.240 He made us. 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:09.519 He's not hoping that I'll provide enough for my wife and I. 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:11.539 That's not how it works. 00:17:12.419 --> 00:17:18.980 So our issues, our issues and struggles with anxiety, they really come to the forefront when we forget that he made us. 00:17:18.980 --> 00:17:22.099 That he cares for us and he's powerful. 00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:23.640 He's powerful beyond all compare. 00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:28.559 So when our focus is on the material things, when our focus is on what am I going to wear? 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:30.099 What am I going to eat? 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:31.360 Where does that come from? 00:17:32.180 --> 00:17:37.460 We run from the right affection towards God, the right concern and passion towards God. 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:42.960 And we place our attention and our desire on doing what we believe necessary to survive. 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:46.819 So this, Jesus says, is what the Gentiles do. 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:48.140 What the rest of the world does. 00:17:48.980 --> 00:17:52.759 And it's ultimately, I think, the source of the majority of the anxiety in the first place. 00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:59.640 It exists because we forget or we lose sight of the fact that we have a heavenly father who knows what we need. 00:18:01.259 --> 00:18:02.720 So let's do a little experiment. 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:07.460 Let's consider for a second that you were the child of Warren Buffett. 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.059 If you don't know who Warren Buffett is, maybe you know who Bill Gates is. 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:13.240 And maybe you like Bill Gates more because that's technology. 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:16.819 Either way, both of those guys are rich. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:22.519 Like super, super, super, super, super rich. 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:24.779 They're crazy rich. 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.660 I'd heard someone break down how much Bill Gates would have to spend per day. 00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:39.540 So it was his net worth now, how much he'd have to spend per day, assuming no more money made, to spend all of his money in like 70 years or 50 years or something. 00:18:39.600 --> 00:18:40.500 And it was just incredible. 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:44.120 I mean, you'd have to buy, I don't know, you'd have to buy like a country a day or something. 00:18:44.180 --> 00:18:44.759 It was crazy. 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:53.640 So if one of those guys was your father, you would never, ever, ever have to worry about money. 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:56.359 You'd never have to worry about food. 00:18:56.879 --> 00:19:02.019 You'd never have to worry about clothing or shelter because those are things that Bill or Warren could provide. 00:19:02.700 --> 00:19:05.440 You might worry about other things, but you'd never worry about money, right? 00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:06.900 That's silly. 00:19:06.980 --> 00:19:07.839 You would never do that. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:14.379 But the thing is, the gospel tells me and tells us that God is our father. 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:19.779 The God who created the universe with his words is our father. 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:24.659 The God who raised dead men back to life is our father. 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:29.379 If I really believed that, anxiety and worry wouldn't control my life. 00:19:29.459 --> 00:19:33.139 I wouldn't be paranoid at work, thinking that someone's out to get my job. 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:36.799 And I wouldn't second guess giving money to support gospel ministry. 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:38.919 I wouldn't be concerned with these things. 00:19:42.259 --> 00:19:45.940 So that said, I think that there are several helpful things to consider. 00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:48.259 It really is direct application of these points. 00:19:49.419 --> 00:19:56.940 The first, and maybe more difficult, is that Jesus is talking about needs with, I think, little consideration towards wants. 00:19:57.019 --> 00:19:58.819 At least how we would define those in our culture. 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:01.899 And we might not even define that correctly in our culture today. 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:06.920 The line between what I need and what I want may not exist, right? 00:20:07.380 --> 00:20:09.240 To some, it's not me. 00:20:09.340 --> 00:20:10.100 I have a dumb phone. 00:20:10.340 --> 00:20:11.180 But some people have an iPhone. 00:20:11.560 --> 00:20:13.080 And they couldn't possibly live without it. 00:20:14.320 --> 00:20:17.560 That's probably not a need, but we've classified it that way. 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:20.540 And maybe it's not something like technology. 00:20:21.080 --> 00:20:26.300 Maybe it's that we need nice clothes, right? 00:20:26.299 --> 00:20:28.399 They've got to cost so much. 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:31.680 They've got to have like a logo or something on them, something fancy. 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:36.200 And maybe it's not, maybe we're okay with just normal clothes, but we want nice food. 00:20:36.899 --> 00:20:38.539 You know, we can't have just some sort of food. 00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:40.639 We've got to have like flaming on every night or something. 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:41.720 We've got to have something great. 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:52.200 So I mention this because I don't want us to think linking, leave thinking that if we love and we follow Jesus, that we'll get this, right? 00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:55.460 We'll get a sweet car or a sweet house, sweet food, right? 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:57.920 That's not how it works. 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:00.519 The reward of following Jesus is that we get Jesus. 00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:05.120 Our physical needs, as he says, will be provided for. 00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:07.460 He's not unaware, you know. 00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:12.380 But we're not guaranteed to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. 00:21:12.579 --> 00:21:13.900 It doesn't work that way. 00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:22.720 So please, please don't leave hearing me say that our needs, being some sweet car or some sweet house, would be provided for. 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:23.299 It's not biblical. 00:21:24.900 --> 00:21:29.539 The second application point I think to consider is what I would call maybe the mechanism of God's provision. 00:21:30.860 --> 00:21:35.400 So God could, if he chose, and he's done this before, drop manna from heaven to feed us. 00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:36.539 Okay, he could do that. 00:21:36.539 --> 00:21:42.119 He's done it before, but we're not the Israelites in the desert right now, right? 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:45.740 So let's not assume that's going to happen. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:50.240 He's given us hands and bodies and brains and things to use. 00:21:51.099 --> 00:21:57.319 And so he's, I think in many ways, called us to work using the talents he's given us to earn a living. 00:21:57.899 --> 00:21:58.799 It's really not earning a living. 00:21:58.859 --> 00:22:00.139 That's kind of a bad word to use. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.059 But he's given us so much, we're called to work, make use of what he's given us. 00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:06.259 And that is the means by which he provides for us. 00:22:06.879 --> 00:22:13.919 He can provide otherwise, but I think Paul would say in second test that those who can work but choose not to don't deserve to eat. 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:15.059 So don't be lazy. 00:22:15.179 --> 00:22:15.379 Work. 00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:16.279 God's given you. 00:22:16.359 --> 00:22:18.480 He's going to provide, but that might be through your work. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:21.440 So use your provision. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:22.500 Use your talents. 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:24.299 God's provision probably would be that paycheck. 00:22:25.620 --> 00:22:32.059 But this is also the reason why Christians I don't think can be smug or arrogant or make their work their God. 00:22:32.779 --> 00:22:35.860 Because those talents that made you good at your job, well, God gave them to you. 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:37.539 Those are God's provision to you. 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:41.639 So you can't make those things out to be more than they are. 00:22:44.379 --> 00:22:50.839 So with those two things said, let's look at what I believe the correct response to living in a material world will be. 00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:55.480 So the third command for us is found in verse 33. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.919 It's really a direct, pretty blunt kind of reaction to our conventional manner of living. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:03.899 So we think, I need to get a job. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:05.519 I need to earn a living. 00:23:05.659 --> 00:23:07.599 I need to, you know, have a stable life. 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:09.439 Stable is dependent on the person. 00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:12.059 We need to have a stable life, and then I can find Jesus. 00:23:12.139 --> 00:23:13.720 Then I can kind of do the faith thing, right? 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:17.119 I need to have my life in order, and then I can come and have faith. 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:20.879 And that's completely backwards from what Jesus is going to say in verse 33. 00:23:21.679 --> 00:23:22.599 So let's look there. 00:23:24.399 --> 00:23:30.659 So Jesus says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 00:23:32.199 --> 00:23:36.500 So as opposed to our conventional manner of need to get things in order, need to do this, 00:23:36.619 --> 00:23:40.079 and then I can kind of put my emphasis, put my effort into the Lord. 00:23:40.679 --> 00:23:44.399 Jesus gives us a two-part instruction on what our priorities should be. 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:47.960 He says, we're called to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 00:23:48.300 --> 00:23:49.880 and then all these things will be added to us. 00:23:49.900 --> 00:23:51.280 It's important to have that in context. 00:23:51.800 --> 00:23:54.800 Jesus says, seek first me and all these things, food, shelter, clothing. 00:23:55.060 --> 00:23:56.740 The things that we need will be provided. 00:23:58.220 --> 00:24:03.280 But I think we're called to do what might seem like a passive action, to seek, to go look. 00:24:04.820 --> 00:24:08.780 And then Christ will come, and he will give us what we need. 00:24:08.779 --> 00:24:11.680 So I think that's counterculture, to say the least. 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:17.500 But let's look at what defines the kingdom of God, and let's look at what defines the righteousness as well. 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:21.660 So step one is, I think, to seek the kingdom of God. 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:23.359 That's the first part of the instruction. 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:27.759 And in preparing for the sermon, I was reading a book by John Stott, 00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:30.359 and he said something that I found quite useful. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:32.920 And it's from the book, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. 00:24:32.920 --> 00:24:37.580 And I'm just going to read it to you because I think it was as succinct of a point as I could make, 00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:38.580 and he made it for me. 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:39.320 So I'm going to read it. 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:44.140 He says that God's kingdom in Jesus Christ, sorry, 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:49.820 God's kingdom is Jesus Christ, ruling over his people in total blessing and total demand. 00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:55.640 To seek first this kingdom is to desire, as of first importance, 00:24:56.080 --> 00:24:57.860 the spread of the reign of Jesus Christ. 00:24:57.859 --> 00:25:03.240 Such a desire will start with ourselves until every single department of our life, 00:25:03.879 --> 00:25:09.779 home, marriage and family, personal morality, professional life and business ethics, 00:25:10.500 --> 00:25:16.419 bank balance, tax returns, citizenship, is joyfully and freely submissive to Christ. 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:22.859 So this action, seeking his kingdom, I think it looks like several things. 00:25:22.859 --> 00:25:28.139 It looks like accepting the responsibility of evangelism for our neighbors, our family, 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:29.179 our coworkers, our friends. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:33.279 It looks like accepting the challenge of providing for missionaries, 00:25:33.399 --> 00:25:38.259 providing for our pastors, providing for missionaries abroad, here and abroad, I would say. 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:42.000 I think on a kind of an application note, 00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:47.819 I do think a very countercultural thing would be for us as the church, 00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:53.619 for us not Trinity Baptists, but for us as people, to ask missionaries, 00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:56.720 how can we support you, to be proactive in supporting them, 00:25:57.159 --> 00:26:00.980 to be generous beyond not making them come and ask us. 00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:03.319 I think that would be very practical. 00:26:03.559 --> 00:26:08.179 But how beautiful would it be, though, if we, as the people that make up Trinity, 00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:10.639 you know, ask the missionaries, you can look downstairs, 00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:13.480 call them up, send them an email and ask, 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:15.379 how can I support you? 00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:16.220 Maybe I can pray for you. 00:26:17.040 --> 00:26:18.920 Maybe I can support you financially. 00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:21.680 Maybe I can help you with some need if you're maybe a little more local. 00:26:21.780 --> 00:26:23.180 But how beautiful would that be? 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:26.880 I think that would produce just a great joy in their hearts. 00:26:27.620 --> 00:26:30.220 And it would really, I think, enable them to stay on mission, 00:26:30.360 --> 00:26:34.400 to stay vocationally declaring Christ to the world 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:37.280 without them having to spend a lot of time and energy 00:26:37.280 --> 00:26:41.080 finding supporters, raising money, doing those kind of things. 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:46.199 So seeking the kingdom also, I think, means being really invested in missions. 00:26:46.839 --> 00:26:49.779 It's not as if it's a, okay, well, Nick is a pastor, 00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:52.779 so I will give Nick some money and he can do, like, the pastoring thing 00:26:52.779 --> 00:26:54.699 and I can just, like, give him a check. 00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:56.379 I think it means being invested in that. 00:26:56.899 --> 00:27:00.059 It means being invested in seeing the gospel and the kingdom reach, 00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:02.939 New Haven, Connecticut, America, and the world. 00:27:04.299 --> 00:27:08.319 I think it also really does mean that we should be praying for the coming of Christ 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:10.099 and really the full unveiling of his kingdom. 00:27:12.439 --> 00:27:14.220 So if we break down the second part, 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:17.339 Jesus in verse 33 says we should seek his kingdom, 00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:18.480 we should seek his righteousness. 00:27:18.879 --> 00:27:21.259 We could have grouped that maybe in all one big broad bucket, 00:27:21.419 --> 00:27:24.220 seek his kingdom and his righteousness and describe what that looks like. 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:28.159 But God's thought broke it up and I thought it was actually a useful thing for me, 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:29.359 so I'll present it to you. 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:32.659 The second command then is to seek his righteousness. 00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:35.919 And so understanding is a separate and related item. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.539 And effectively, there are those that aren't within the kingdom of God. 00:27:39.620 --> 00:27:40.620 There are those who aren't Christians. 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:41.779 They live amongst us. 00:27:41.840 --> 00:27:43.039 They live in different areas. 00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:44.900 But they exist, right? 00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:47.440 That's probably not news. 00:27:49.180 --> 00:27:53.340 We're called then to, as a result of seeking the Lord, 00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:55.580 be God's righteousness to them, right? 00:27:55.580 --> 00:27:59.320 So that looks like being involved in service to our community. 00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:02.400 You know, wherever brokenness and injustice is found, 00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:05.500 for us at Trinity, that might be being involved in night runners. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:07.320 There's lots of other opportunities. 00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:12.940 That's a very clear one that could be an application directly of the call to be 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:14.880 and to seek the righteousness of God here. 00:28:16.080 --> 00:28:19.440 But I think ultimately our motivation for standing and taking action there is 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:21.680 not to better ourselves, not to make ourselves, 00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:27.019 you know, got like night runners or something on our resume. 00:28:27.380 --> 00:28:32.539 It's not that, but it's to be the bringer of Christ's righteousness here and now. 00:28:32.539 --> 00:28:36.940 So where does this, where do we go? 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:38.960 What do we do with this passage? 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:42.259 I think in light of the three commands that Jesus gives us, 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:44.339 those being to build up treasures in heaven, 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:47.019 or negatively to not build up treasures on earth, 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:49.240 the second one to not be anxious, 00:28:49.779 --> 00:28:52.180 and the third one to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, 00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:54.799 I think there's a few points of clear application 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:58.720 that we can probably take in order to better prepare ourselves 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:02.180 for the life of a Christian with respect to material things. 00:29:03.539 --> 00:29:05.619 So the first one would be read your Bible. 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.159 That's probably obvious in church talking about reading your Bible. 00:29:10.859 --> 00:29:11.359 I get that. 00:29:11.399 --> 00:29:15.399 But if we struggle, as I from time to time will do, 00:29:15.399 --> 00:29:18.879 to understand and fully believe that God is my Father, 00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:20.159 who cares for me, 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:22.360 who's capable of meeting my needs, 00:29:23.800 --> 00:29:25.120 then I think we need to be realigned, 00:29:25.259 --> 00:29:26.380 we need to be brought from where we are 00:29:26.380 --> 00:29:27.960 to in line with what Scripture says. 00:29:28.040 --> 00:29:29.240 Maybe we just need to be reminded. 00:29:29.420 --> 00:29:31.200 Maybe we're a little off course and just need a little reminder. 00:29:31.320 --> 00:29:33.340 Maybe we just need to be taught from the start 00:29:33.340 --> 00:29:35.019 about who God is. 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:38.279 The best, clearest, most direct way to do that 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:40.040 is to read His words He's written for us. 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:43.140 So if we struggle to understand God's power, 00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:44.380 understand His dominion, 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:45.720 maybe we should go to Genesis 00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:48.519 and see how God makes the world with His words. 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:51.539 Maybe we should continue reading the Gospels. 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:53.779 Our small group's been going through the Gospel of Luke, 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:56.500 and we've seen Jesus' authority and His power 00:29:56.500 --> 00:29:58.059 being made manifest in miracles. 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:00.160 If you doubt His provision, 00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:01.339 maybe you should read about the Exodus 00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:04.500 and see God's provision in water from a rock 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:07.599 or manna and quail just from nowhere. 00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:11.359 So we need to continually seek and know the Lord, 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:14.599 and He's given us a book that allows us to do that. 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:15.680 Read it. 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.860 I think the second thing, 00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:19.840 and it'll probably be a bit more, 00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:21.200 you might say it's more practical. 00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:23.360 So we need to have a budget. 00:30:24.120 --> 00:30:26.720 We need to have another means to track our finances. 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:32.560 Today, our bank account is what we would probably consider 00:30:32.560 --> 00:30:34.960 our biggest resource in most cases. 00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:38.320 And I think a lot of times we're not aware 00:30:38.320 --> 00:30:39.940 of the vast provision that God's given us. 00:30:40.320 --> 00:30:41.360 We kind of glaze over it. 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:43.120 We think that this just kind of comes with the culture. 00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:44.779 This kind of comes with the job I do. 00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:47.259 Reading scriptures will help you with that. 00:30:47.539 --> 00:30:48.819 But sometimes you just need to look and go, 00:30:48.979 --> 00:30:50.259 okay, dollars and cents. 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:52.359 What has the Lord provided for us? 00:30:53.419 --> 00:30:55.439 And a budget is a great way to do that, right? 00:30:57.379 --> 00:30:57.739 Taxes. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:30:58.959 You might hate those. 00:30:59.159 --> 00:31:02.799 I find tax time actually encouraging most of the time, right? 00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:04.899 Because you get this thing called a W-2. 00:31:05.500 --> 00:31:07.079 It tells you kind of what you made, right? 00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:08.399 And then if you fill out a 1040, 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:11.859 you can understand how much money you've given, right? 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:13.679 You can see what you're doing with your money. 00:31:15.219 --> 00:31:17.559 I think that's God's provision through the IRS 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:20.259 to help us have a diagnostic test for our souls. 00:31:20.359 --> 00:31:24.879 So I think you need to have a means to understand, 00:31:25.219 --> 00:31:28.659 a robust means to understand the provision God's given us, okay? 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:31.359 It's not really our money. 00:31:31.479 --> 00:31:32.000 It's God's money. 00:31:32.059 --> 00:31:32.679 He's given it to us. 00:31:32.719 --> 00:31:33.619 We need to take account of it. 00:31:33.639 --> 00:31:35.479 So that would be my second application. 00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:39.839 And the third one's a bit less maybe practical. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:42.380 It's a bit more, a bit further out there. 00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:45.640 I would say we need to develop what I would call a questioning attitude. 00:31:47.099 --> 00:31:50.240 So I say that because we happen to live in a pretty materialistic culture. 00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:53.519 The values, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, what you do. 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:57.140 And so it's difficult to distinguish between, 00:31:57.240 --> 00:32:00.380 distinguish between excess maybe. 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:03.220 You know, excess in what is necessary. 00:32:04.600 --> 00:32:08.180 And so I would encourage the development of an attitude 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:10.300 towards the use of our resources, time, energy, money, 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:14.800 to better align us to the calling that Christ has for us in verse 33. 00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:17.600 So if you see that, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. 00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:20.980 So I think when you're faced with a decision, major or minor, 00:32:21.220 --> 00:32:22.400 you should ask yourself this question, 00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:31.000 does this, this being having this job, buying this thing, doing this, 00:32:32.259 --> 00:32:35.080 does this enable me to have more time or more resources 00:32:35.080 --> 00:32:37.700 to put into the task of advancing God's kingdom? 00:32:38.759 --> 00:32:41.500 Or if you put it another way, does this thing, 00:32:41.820 --> 00:32:43.820 does it increase my ability to serve the Lord? 00:32:44.560 --> 00:32:46.960 So I'll give you an example to help out with this 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.460 because that might be a little abstract. 00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:51.059 In fact, let's say that my wife and I both, 00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:54.519 our cars just, they just totally stopped working this week. 00:32:54.880 --> 00:32:56.559 Like total, maybe we got an accident, 00:32:56.759 --> 00:32:58.519 maybe the engine just fell out. 00:32:58.600 --> 00:32:59.120 I don't know. 00:32:59.299 --> 00:32:59.960 They stopped breaking. 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:00.579 They just brake. 00:33:02.420 --> 00:33:03.600 We don't have any working cars then. 00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:06.220 I right now have about a 30-minute drive to work. 00:33:06.779 --> 00:33:09.000 Okay, so if I have a car, 00:33:09.360 --> 00:33:12.240 that's about an hour less a day that I have to do ministry, 00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:16.259 to do things like preparing for a sermon 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:18.900 or preparing for a youth group or taking care of my wife, 00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:21.099 I have less time to do the work God's called me to. 00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:24.180 I have a bike, so I could bike to work. 00:33:25.019 --> 00:33:26.920 And at the current pace that I ride, 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:28.720 that would be like three or four hours, 00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:30.500 depending on how fast I was going, 00:33:30.900 --> 00:33:32.259 to get to and from work, right? 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:36.839 So with that, three to four hours out of your day, 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:39.940 it's probably wise if I have the resources to buy a car, okay? 00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:42.460 Another question comes, what do I buy? 00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.660 There's lots of cars. 00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:46.420 Should I buy maybe a Lexus? 00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:47.680 Maybe a Toyota? 00:33:48.560 --> 00:33:49.380 Maybe an Acura? 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:51.279 Maybe a Honda, right? 00:33:51.580 --> 00:33:52.320 If you're not familiar, 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:54.460 they're kind of the same cars sometimes, right? 00:33:54.920 --> 00:33:57.380 So if it was me, 00:33:57.620 --> 00:34:00.259 the questioning attitude might have me say, 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:03.279 you know, I'm going to buy the Honda versus the Acura. 00:34:03.300 --> 00:34:05.060 I'm going to buy the Toyota versus the Lexus. 00:34:05.100 --> 00:34:05.880 Now, why is that? 00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:10.340 Well, frankly, you can probably get the same reliability, 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:14.200 and it's the same, to some extent, 00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:15.800 the same engineering in the car. 00:34:16.660 --> 00:34:20.200 And so you're looking at almost sometimes the same car 00:34:20.200 --> 00:34:22.360 for a lot more money or a lot less money. 00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:28.360 And so for me, I would say car fits my needs. 00:34:28.460 --> 00:34:29.280 If it's big enough, 00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:31.619 if it has enough seats for what I got to do, 00:34:31.619 --> 00:34:34.639 I have X amount more money that I can give, 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:36.440 I can use in some capacity, 00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:40.420 that might be giving to support Trinity, 00:34:40.539 --> 00:34:42.079 that might be supporting missionaries, 00:34:42.139 --> 00:34:43.839 that might be doing something else. 00:34:43.859 --> 00:34:45.019 But there's a lot of opportunities 00:34:45.019 --> 00:34:47.339 to use maybe that excess money 00:34:47.339 --> 00:34:49.460 to advance the kingdom. 00:34:50.259 --> 00:34:52.079 So I don't think that example is prescriptive. 00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:54.159 I'm not saying that buying a Lexus 00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:55.539 is always a bad move. 00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:57.960 If it was me, I'd buy a pickup truck. 00:34:58.320 --> 00:34:59.320 That'd be my personal preference, 00:34:59.519 --> 00:35:02.539 but it's just that I think the scriptures 00:35:02.539 --> 00:35:04.980 are going to say that maybe buying a luxury car 00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:06.179 when a normal car will do 00:35:06.179 --> 00:35:10.320 is probably more self-serving than necessary, right? 00:35:10.380 --> 00:35:11.460 It's probably not a need. 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:12.420 It's probably more of a want. 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:14.079 And then as such, 00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:16.059 there's going to be some maybe non-nominal, 00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:18.039 it's not $5 difference 00:35:18.039 --> 00:35:20.639 that if you bought a luxury car, you don't have. 00:35:21.059 --> 00:35:22.420 If you bought another car, you do 00:35:22.420 --> 00:35:23.659 towards advancing the kingdom. 00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:26.920 I think this example could also be applied 00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:29.279 in an opportunity that we might think differently about. 00:35:29.359 --> 00:35:30.199 So let's say you had, 00:35:31.259 --> 00:35:32.639 you'd done a lot of good work for a while, 00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:34.259 you had an opportunity to get a promotion at work. 00:35:35.759 --> 00:35:38.259 If you got this promotion, though, 00:35:38.259 --> 00:35:39.960 it's going to give you a significant raise, 00:35:40.139 --> 00:35:40.739 a lot more money, 00:35:41.219 --> 00:35:43.519 but it's going to require 20, 30 more hours a week. 00:35:44.279 --> 00:35:45.440 It's going to take away your time, 00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:46.299 it's going to take away your energy. 00:35:47.659 --> 00:35:48.719 And that's going to take away 00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:51.399 from your time and energy to do ministry, right? 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:54.039 I think I would again then ask the question, 00:35:54.200 --> 00:35:55.680 does having my old job, 00:35:56.099 --> 00:35:57.139 or is having my new job, 00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:58.519 does that as a total sum, 00:35:58.559 --> 00:35:59.660 does that better align me, 00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:02.260 better allow me to advance the kingdom? 00:36:04.720 --> 00:36:05.639 So to wrap up, 00:36:06.160 --> 00:36:07.519 I'll leave you with this. 00:36:08.660 --> 00:36:11.619 Jesus calls us to live for heavenly treasures first. 00:36:11.619 --> 00:36:14.279 He provides us with all things necessary 00:36:14.279 --> 00:36:17.000 so that our life need not be anxiety-filled, 00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:19.099 and He instructs us to live for His first kingdom. 00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:22.019 As such, we should live a different life. 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:25.400 There's many men and women on earth 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:28.159 who've exhibited this kind of kingdom-focused manner of living, 00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:30.739 but really none more than Jesus Himself. 00:36:31.859 --> 00:36:34.079 So looking at what the Apostle Paul points out about Jesus 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:36.059 in 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9, 00:36:36.599 --> 00:36:37.859 we see, and Paul writes, 00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:52.120 Jesus put off His claims of material power, 00:36:52.420 --> 00:36:53.260 wealth, and dominion 00:36:53.260 --> 00:36:56.320 in order to provide us with the richness of heavenly life. 00:36:57.500 --> 00:36:59.680 No better example has existed, will exist, 00:36:59.940 --> 00:37:02.099 that we can look at to see the single-minded focus 00:37:02.099 --> 00:37:04.320 that Jesus had on the advancement of the kingdom. 00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:06.300 I pray if you don't know Him, 00:37:06.300 --> 00:37:07.480 you'd seek Him. 00:37:07.980 --> 00:37:08.880 And if you do know Him, 00:37:09.420 --> 00:37:10.360 continue to seek Him 00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:13.180 and focus your life on making Him known. 00:37:14.100 --> 00:37:14.640 Let's pray. 00:37:19.060 --> 00:37:21.320 Father, thank You for Your Word to us tonight 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:22.220 from the Gospel of Matthew. 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:26.240 I pray You would help us above all else 00:37:26.240 --> 00:37:28.220 to know and to trust 00:37:28.220 --> 00:37:30.680 that You are the almighty, powerful creator, 00:37:30.820 --> 00:37:31.500 and ruler of all, 00:37:32.200 --> 00:37:32.980 that You are our Father. 00:37:32.980 --> 00:37:34.920 Father, You've made us, 00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:35.639 You know us deeply, 00:37:35.800 --> 00:37:36.780 and Your scriptures testify 00:37:36.780 --> 00:37:38.900 that in Christ we and all things are held together. 00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:41.320 Please help us to see You more clearly 00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:42.300 and to know You more deeply 00:37:42.300 --> 00:37:44.480 so that we are able to trust Your provision for our lives. 00:37:45.800 --> 00:37:46.980 Father, do you give us the strength 00:37:46.980 --> 00:37:47.860 and give us the wisdom 00:37:47.860 --> 00:37:48.980 to see where our attitudes 00:37:48.980 --> 00:37:50.539 and our affections, 00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:51.840 our desires towards resources, 00:37:51.960 --> 00:37:52.679 our self-serving. 00:37:53.559 --> 00:37:55.240 Please help Trinity and our town 00:37:55.240 --> 00:37:55.920 help New Haven 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:58.360 see our possessions as a free gift from You 00:37:58.360 --> 00:38:00.400 and strengthen us to stand firmly in that culture, 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:02.619 firmly in that knowledge amongst a culture 00:38:02.619 --> 00:38:03.400 that differs radically. 00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:05.400 Thank You for Christ's example. 00:38:06.240 --> 00:38:07.180 I pray this in Christ's name. 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:08.099 Amen. 00:38:11.900 --> 00:38:12.300 Yes. 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:15.500 So we've been doing for the last, 00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:16.820 I don't know, a while, 00:38:17.619 --> 00:38:18.300 the evening service, 00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:19.559 having a question and answer time. 00:38:19.780 --> 00:38:21.500 So I don't know how much time we have. 00:38:21.720 --> 00:38:22.599 Maybe ten minutes? 00:38:22.840 --> 00:38:23.500 Five minutes. 00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:25.039 Brief questions. 00:38:25.039 --> 00:38:27.639 If there's any questions 00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:28.619 about anything that I said 00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:29.460 or the text tonight, 00:38:30.340 --> 00:38:32.239 anything I didn't say clearly 00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:33.279 or I confused you on, 00:38:33.340 --> 00:38:35.759 I'd love to try to answer that. 00:38:35.759 --> 00:38:37.759 Thank you. 00:38:37.759 --> 00:38:37.820 Thank you. 00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:37.960 Thank you. 00:38:37.960 --> 00:38:38.019 Thank you. 00:38:38.019 --> 00:38:39.960 Thank you. 00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:44.759 Thank you. 00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:55.019 Thank you. 00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:57.139 I wonder when that 00:38:57.139 --> 00:38:57.920 passes the line 00:38:57.920 --> 00:38:58.820 to be kind of 00:38:58.820 --> 00:38:59.860 included in planning 00:38:59.860 --> 00:39:01.659 to be a vitalizer 00:39:01.659 --> 00:39:02.599 to the wealth. 00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:04.500 Yeah, so Jonathan just asked 00:39:04.500 --> 00:39:05.639 a really difficult question 00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:06.559 that I might defer 00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:07.759 and punt to a pastor on, 00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:08.759 but... 00:39:08.759 --> 00:39:10.820 You repeat the question. 00:39:11.179 --> 00:39:12.059 Yeah, I'll repeat the question. 00:39:12.219 --> 00:39:13.119 So Jonathan asked, 00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:14.000 I think, a good question. 00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.320 Our culture seems to say 00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:18.219 that saving for retirement 00:39:18.219 --> 00:39:19.000 is something you should do. 00:39:19.099 --> 00:39:20.340 You should save a lot 00:39:20.340 --> 00:39:21.019 for retirement. 00:39:21.019 --> 00:39:23.139 And, you know, 00:39:23.219 --> 00:39:24.019 where, maybe, 00:39:24.119 --> 00:39:25.019 what's the diagnostic test 00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:25.980 or when do we cross the line 00:39:25.980 --> 00:39:28.000 between, would you say, 00:39:28.059 --> 00:39:29.099 maybe trusting your money 00:39:29.099 --> 00:39:29.860 and trusting the Lord? 00:39:29.940 --> 00:39:31.539 Would that be a fair statement? 00:39:33.099 --> 00:39:36.360 So here's what I would say 00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:37.820 and then I might punt 00:39:37.820 --> 00:39:40.559 if it doesn't hit the bill enough. 00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:42.759 I think there's examples 00:39:42.759 --> 00:39:44.380 in nature of things at store, right? 00:39:45.079 --> 00:39:46.199 If you've ever had a squirrel 00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:47.340 that digs, finds stuff 00:39:47.340 --> 00:39:48.139 and puts stuff in the ground. 00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:48.880 Sometimes it forgets 00:39:48.880 --> 00:39:49.360 where it puts it, 00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:51.039 but, like, you do see 00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:51.900 some examples of that, 00:39:51.960 --> 00:39:53.360 but I've never seen a squirrel... 00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:56.599 Okay, I kind of have, 00:39:56.680 --> 00:39:57.720 but I don't think nature 00:39:57.720 --> 00:40:00.579 takes, like, a massive amount. 00:40:00.980 --> 00:40:01.900 Like, I've never seen a squirrel 00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:03.840 take an entire loaf of bread 00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:05.039 and, like, try to bury it 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:05.700 in the ground or something. 00:40:06.740 --> 00:40:07.400 So there's something, 00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:07.940 there might be something 00:40:07.940 --> 00:40:08.680 to draw from that. 00:40:09.099 --> 00:40:09.579 You know, again, 00:40:09.620 --> 00:40:11.099 it's a hard issue, right? 00:40:11.240 --> 00:40:12.860 Like, if all you're doing 00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:13.960 is not spending any money 00:40:13.960 --> 00:40:15.400 so you can save all your money, 00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:16.920 I think that's the equivalent 00:40:16.920 --> 00:40:19.440 of spending all your money 00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:20.900 now on something, right? 00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:21.380 It's like, 00:40:22.420 --> 00:40:23.599 my security's not complete 00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:25.000 unless I have a... 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:26.079 I don't know what the number is. 00:40:26.200 --> 00:40:27.500 My financial planner's number 00:40:27.500 --> 00:40:28.240 for retirement, 00:40:28.240 --> 00:40:29.480 so I have to hit that number 00:40:29.480 --> 00:40:30.639 or else, 00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:32.880 and you're not giving 00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:34.300 your, like, super... 00:40:34.300 --> 00:40:35.320 I mean, I think that could be 00:40:35.320 --> 00:40:35.920 a comparable comparison. 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:38.119 I don't know, Nick or Greg, 00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:39.840 if you have more wisdom 00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:40.559 and more thoughts 00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.300 to share on that. 00:40:41.300 --> 00:40:44.920 I'll go with no, 00:40:45.080 --> 00:40:46.480 but, yeah, 00:40:46.500 --> 00:40:47.300 I think that's a good question. 00:40:53.300 --> 00:40:55.740 Yeah, I think there's 00:40:55.740 --> 00:40:56.680 a certain amount of 00:40:56.680 --> 00:40:57.660 you think of this 00:40:57.660 --> 00:40:59.980 often seems to be 00:40:59.980 --> 00:41:02.380 the more moralistic sometimes, 00:41:02.700 --> 00:41:04.180 and I'm wondering 00:41:04.180 --> 00:41:06.240 if you took this message, 00:41:06.780 --> 00:41:08.080 how would you pull out 00:41:08.080 --> 00:41:09.260 the gospel, 00:41:09.640 --> 00:41:10.420 how many that can be 00:41:10.420 --> 00:41:11.139 chasing to, like, 00:41:11.820 --> 00:41:12.619 that ultimately 00:41:12.619 --> 00:41:13.559 all your efforts 00:41:13.559 --> 00:41:15.440 are rags, 00:41:15.900 --> 00:41:16.780 and that all that you 00:41:16.780 --> 00:41:17.240 ever did, 00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:18.340 you could never earn 00:41:18.340 --> 00:41:19.240 in favor necessarily 00:41:19.240 --> 00:41:21.420 to... 00:41:21.420 --> 00:41:22.420 Yeah. 00:41:24.220 --> 00:41:24.860 No, no, no, 00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:25.700 I think it's fair. 00:41:26.059 --> 00:41:27.180 So the question basically is, 00:41:27.440 --> 00:41:27.980 if you look, 00:41:28.380 --> 00:41:29.000 some people would say 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:29.559 the Sermon on the Mount 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:29.800 is, like, 00:41:29.820 --> 00:41:30.800 the greatest moral teaching 00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:31.760 and applies everywhere, 00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:32.579 and here it's, 00:41:33.500 --> 00:41:33.840 you know, 00:41:34.460 --> 00:41:35.840 how do you see the gospel 00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:38.180 in light of this part, 00:41:38.380 --> 00:41:39.400 particularly the Sermon on the Mount? 00:41:39.400 --> 00:41:40.420 Now, you know, 00:41:41.139 --> 00:41:42.240 I would say, 00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:44.360 I would say two things to that. 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:45.440 One, 00:41:46.280 --> 00:41:47.440 Jesus here, 00:41:48.340 --> 00:41:49.400 and actually what Antoine 00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:50.280 talked about last week 00:41:50.280 --> 00:41:50.920 in the Lord's Prayer, 00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:51.960 like, we're taught 00:41:51.960 --> 00:41:52.980 that God is our dependence, 00:41:53.220 --> 00:41:53.400 right? 00:41:53.420 --> 00:41:54.800 He is our provider, 00:41:55.920 --> 00:41:56.320 and 00:41:56.320 --> 00:41:59.840 in some sense, 00:42:00.380 --> 00:42:01.720 the work that we do, 00:42:02.460 --> 00:42:02.880 let's say, 00:42:03.099 --> 00:42:03.900 so I'm an engineer, right? 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:04.599 If I want to 00:42:04.599 --> 00:42:05.800 work and work and work 00:42:05.800 --> 00:42:06.280 and work and work 00:42:06.280 --> 00:42:06.940 and work and work, 00:42:07.040 --> 00:42:07.860 part of that is 00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:09.260 so I save myself, right? 00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:09.820 Part of that is 00:42:09.820 --> 00:42:11.200 so I make myself secure, 00:42:12.060 --> 00:42:13.280 and I think God's saying, 00:42:13.380 --> 00:42:13.460 look, 00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:14.640 you already are secure. 00:42:15.060 --> 00:42:15.420 In me, 00:42:15.460 --> 00:42:15.920 you're secure. 00:42:16.260 --> 00:42:17.600 I will provide for your needs. 00:42:17.720 --> 00:42:18.360 So I think in one way, 00:42:18.420 --> 00:42:18.840 that's it. 00:42:20.160 --> 00:42:20.420 The, 00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:23.880 kind of the second thing 00:42:23.880 --> 00:42:24.820 I would say is that 00:42:24.820 --> 00:42:27.019 it's related maybe, 00:42:27.120 --> 00:42:27.300 but 00:42:27.300 --> 00:42:29.340 we, 00:42:29.460 --> 00:42:30.519 we tend to think, 00:42:31.019 --> 00:42:31.340 again, 00:42:31.340 --> 00:42:32.100 that we've got to come 00:42:32.100 --> 00:42:32.760 all together. 00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:33.120 Like, 00:42:33.140 --> 00:42:33.760 I've got to come 00:42:33.760 --> 00:42:35.140 with enough money, 00:42:35.260 --> 00:42:36.000 enough time. 00:42:36.579 --> 00:42:36.740 You know, 00:42:36.760 --> 00:42:38.059 I've got to balance, 00:42:38.180 --> 00:42:38.440 like, 00:42:39.780 --> 00:42:40.140 I don't know, 00:42:40.220 --> 00:42:41.000 balance money 00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:42.160 or balance affection 00:42:42.160 --> 00:42:42.579 for those things 00:42:42.579 --> 00:42:43.180 and the Lord 00:42:43.180 --> 00:42:43.780 and Jesus says no. 00:42:44.160 --> 00:42:44.380 Like, 00:42:44.440 --> 00:42:44.620 it's, 00:42:44.620 --> 00:42:45.640 it's either me, 00:42:47.019 --> 00:42:47.400 well, 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:47.860 it's me 00:42:47.860 --> 00:42:49.320 plus nothing 00:42:49.320 --> 00:42:51.180 or, 00:42:51.240 --> 00:42:51.480 or, 00:42:51.579 --> 00:42:52.519 or not anything. 00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:53.579 So that, 00:42:54.300 --> 00:42:56.660 that might be a little bit loose, 00:42:56.720 --> 00:42:57.420 but that would be my answer 00:42:57.420 --> 00:42:57.740 to that, 00:42:57.860 --> 00:42:58.280 that question. 00:43:01.340 --> 00:43:03.320 we've got time 00:43:03.320 --> 00:43:04.079 for one more. 00:43:06.539 --> 00:43:06.740 Yeah, 00:43:06.760 --> 00:43:07.000 turn around. 00:43:08.180 --> 00:43:08.880 How do you have 00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:09.140 this, 00:43:09.140 --> 00:43:09.640 this, 00:43:09.640 --> 00:43:10.559 this passage 00:43:10.559 --> 00:43:11.840 to build inside 00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:12.140 of, 00:43:12.220 --> 00:43:12.420 like, 00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:13.800 you have absolutely nothing? 00:43:14.559 --> 00:43:15.000 You know, 00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:15.220 like, 00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:15.600 your home, 00:43:15.780 --> 00:43:16.059 you know, 00:43:16.059 --> 00:43:16.160 stuff. 00:43:19.559 --> 00:43:19.920 Yeah, 00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:20.360 that was a, 00:43:20.380 --> 00:43:20.980 that was a good question. 00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:21.640 Everyone said, 00:43:22.019 --> 00:43:22.880 what do you do with, 00:43:23.120 --> 00:43:25.019 what do you do with this passage 00:43:25.019 --> 00:43:25.660 if you've got nothing? 00:43:26.440 --> 00:43:26.680 Right? 00:43:26.740 --> 00:43:27.380 If you've got 00:43:27.380 --> 00:43:28.620 no dollars, 00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:29.200 no cents, 00:43:29.300 --> 00:43:29.960 nothing to your name. 00:43:31.340 --> 00:43:32.579 So I think the same, 00:43:33.460 --> 00:43:34.960 so as I said 00:43:34.960 --> 00:43:35.760 at the beginning, 00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:36.480 kind of in the intro, 00:43:36.840 --> 00:43:37.079 it's, 00:43:37.579 --> 00:43:39.039 Jesus is not concerned 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:41.880 with the dollar amount, 00:43:42.019 --> 00:43:42.260 right? 00:43:44.660 --> 00:43:45.059 To, 00:43:45.140 --> 00:43:46.100 to the rich young ruler, 00:43:46.220 --> 00:43:46.760 he will say, 00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:47.620 get rid of everything 00:43:47.620 --> 00:43:48.519 because that guy 00:43:48.519 --> 00:43:49.440 loves his money. 00:43:49.600 --> 00:43:49.780 Like, 00:43:49.800 --> 00:43:50.420 that's his thing. 00:43:50.500 --> 00:43:51.660 That's what he desires 00:43:51.660 --> 00:43:52.120 above all else. 00:43:52.120 --> 00:43:52.280 But, 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:53.519 but outside of that, 00:43:53.579 --> 00:43:54.000 Jesus is, 00:43:54.539 --> 00:43:55.160 his warnings, 00:43:55.320 --> 00:43:56.039 his warnings about money 00:43:56.039 --> 00:43:56.559 are everywhere. 00:43:56.900 --> 00:43:57.400 But they're generally 00:43:57.400 --> 00:43:57.940 not like, 00:43:58.140 --> 00:43:58.260 hey, 00:43:58.360 --> 00:43:59.860 if you're, 00:43:59.860 --> 00:44:01.480 if you're rich, 00:44:01.500 --> 00:44:02.059 it's more difficult 00:44:02.059 --> 00:44:02.620 because the, 00:44:02.980 --> 00:44:04.000 having money can sometimes 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:04.720 just do this thing 00:44:04.720 --> 00:44:05.180 with your heart. 00:44:05.420 --> 00:44:06.200 Not good things, 00:44:06.240 --> 00:44:06.400 right? 00:44:07.340 --> 00:44:08.660 But the question's not, 00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:10.300 do you have money? 00:44:10.420 --> 00:44:11.640 It's what do you desire? 00:44:12.260 --> 00:44:12.579 Right? 00:44:14.539 --> 00:44:15.320 And so again, 00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:17.320 I think for most of us, 00:44:17.400 --> 00:44:18.599 the means of God's provision 00:44:18.599 --> 00:44:20.059 for us is probably 00:44:20.059 --> 00:44:20.559 our jobs, 00:44:20.820 --> 00:44:20.980 right? 00:44:21.059 --> 00:44:21.280 That's, 00:44:21.280 --> 00:44:21.660 that's, 00:44:21.780 --> 00:44:22.640 that might be the case. 00:44:22.720 --> 00:44:23.320 In your questions, 00:44:23.320 --> 00:44:25.099 I think it's, 00:44:25.300 --> 00:44:27.480 if we don't have a job, 00:44:28.160 --> 00:44:29.039 God's provision comes 00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:29.599 in other ways. 00:44:30.539 --> 00:44:31.179 It's going to differ. 00:44:31.420 --> 00:44:31.840 And even though, 00:44:31.900 --> 00:44:32.840 for those who have a job, 00:44:32.900 --> 00:44:33.019 right, 00:44:33.079 --> 00:44:33.759 provision is going to be 00:44:33.759 --> 00:44:34.719 different from time to time. 00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:36.320 So I'd say it's really, 00:44:36.420 --> 00:44:37.860 it's a question of the affections, 00:44:37.940 --> 00:44:38.840 not a question of, 00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:39.820 you know, 00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:40.579 how much is in your wallet. 00:44:44.420 --> 00:44:44.820 All right, 00:44:44.940 --> 00:44:45.119 Nick. 00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:45.259 Thank you. 00:44:45.259 --> 00:44:45.320 Thank you. 00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:45.400 Thank you.