Sermon # 86 Luke Sermons

Title: First Things First

Text: Luke 12:22-31

Subject: Getting Our Priorities Right

Date: Sunday Evening—October 6, 2002

Tape # X-24b

Readings: Bob Poncer & Ron Wood

Introduction:

When Faith was a child, Shelby and I tried to teach her to look beyond the end of her nose. Even as a small child, we tried to get her to focus her attention on things that really mattered. That did not mean that she wasn’t allowed to play games, have fun, and enjoy the various stages of her childhood. Not at all. But we did work at not allowing her to live for games and fun and frivolity.

You see, a child who grows up without learning responsibility is likely to live that way for the rest of his/her life. Such a child grows up to be a miserable, useless, self-centered, whining adult. We did not want that for our daughter, any more than any of you want that for your children. So we constantly pressed her to keep her priorities in order and to keep her mind focused on things that really matter.

Why was it necessary for us to constantly remind her of the importance of these things? The sad fact is, unless we are continually reminded that some things are unimportant, other things slightly important, other things very important, and a few things most important, we will all spend our lives pursuing, worrying about, and crying over things that are utterly insignificant, while neglecting those things that are truly important.

Tonight, I want to talk to you about the very things I tried, as a father, to teach my daughter. I want us to get our priorities focused. The title of my message is First Things First. Our text will be Luke 12:22-31.

Remember the context. Our Lord has just given us the parable of the rich fool, telling us that those who live for this world, neglecting their immortal souls, are fools. Then, he gives us these words of instruction.

(Luke 12:22-31) "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. (23) The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. (24) Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? (25) And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? (26) If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? (27) Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (28) If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (29) And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. (30) For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. (31) But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Proposition: We will have that upon which we set our hearts.

There are five things in these verses to which I would direct your attention.

(Luke 12:22-23) "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. (23) The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment."

I. Here is a fact to remember.

I will not labor the point. It does not need laborious explanation. But it does need to be often mentioned and constantly remembered. There is more to life than the gratification of animal cravings and the adornment of the body. Yet, these are the things about which all men and women most naturally devote most of their thoughts and energy. This is the very thing Paul is talking about when he says, “Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.”

(1 Timothy 4:8) "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

We only live in these bodies. Life is what is inside the body. Life is not that which is sustained by meat; but that which is sustained by grace. Beauty is not something you can buy in a clothing store, or in a plastic surgeon’s office. Beauty is the hidden man of the heart, Christ Jesus, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

(1 Peter 3:1-6) "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (2) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. (3) Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; (4) But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (5) For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: (6) Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement."

II. Now, look at verses 24-27. Here are some things to consider.

Our Savior is calling us away from the care of the world and calling us to faith, calling us to honor God by believing him. He does so by pointing out some things that ought to be obvious to every kindergarten child. They may seem to be simple, insignificant, almost trivial lessons to carnal minds; but after studying this Book every day for the past 35 years, after reading hundreds of volumes of theology, I find the things mentioned in this passage to be matters of deepest importance. The more I ponder them, the weightier they become. The more I study them, the more profound they appear.

A. Consider the ravens.

(Luke 12:24) "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"

If God Almighty condescends to provide for the needs of a bird, a raven at that, if he orders the affairs of providence to give the ravens their daily food, is it reasonable for us to ever imagine that he might fail to provide for us?

B. Consider the yourself.

(Luke 12:25) "And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?"

The word here translated “stature” should probably be translated “life,” or “age” as it is in John 9:21 and 23 and Hebrews 11:11. What our Lord is saying here is than none of us can, by any means, add one bit to the…

· Height of our frames.

· The maturity of our years.

· Or the days of our lives.

Our days are “as an handbreadth” (Ps.39:5), considerably less than one cubit! If we are not able to add anything to the number of our days on this earth, it is utterly absurd to spend our time and energy fretting about how we can do so! Far better it is for us to say with David, “My times are in thy hands” and rejoice to know that it is so.

C. Consider the lilies.

(Luke 12:27-28) "Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (28) If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?"

If the Lord God, every year, provides the lilies with fresh foliage and fresh blooms, how absurd it is for us to imagine that he might fail to clothe us today, or tomorrow.

D. Consider the heathen.

(Luke 12:30) "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things."

What a shame it is for God’s people to grovel like the heathen of this world after the things of the world. If God is my Father and Christ my Savior and the Holy Spirit my comforter, if heaven is my home, and eternity is the span of my life, I ought not find it difficult to live above the cares of and anxieties of the heathen. Faith in Christ ought to make my heart light. The light of eternity ought to make the things of earth grow dim. Heavenly glory ought to make the baubles of earth utterly insignificant to me.

E. Consider your Father. – “Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things” (v. 30).

This fact alone ought to make us perfectly content. All our needs in this world are perfectly known to our Father, the Lord of heaven and earth. He can relieve our needs whenever he sees fit; and he will relieve our needs whenever it is best for us that they be relieved. He who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up to death to ransom our souls, he who gave us his darling Son will not fail to give us everything we need.

Let us consider these facts. May God the Holy Spirit write them upon the tables of our hearts and cause them to bring forth fruit in our lives.

· Nothing is more common to men than worrying about things over which they have no control.

· Nothing is more contradictory to our professed faith in the living God than worrying about the things of this world and our lives in it.

· Nothing so honors our God as confidently trusting him.

(Psalms 23) "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. (3) He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

III. Here is a call to faith in our God (vv. 28-30).

(Luke 12:28-30) "If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (29) And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. (30) For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things."

· Faith in God’s Goodness.

· Faith in God’s Wisdom.

· Faith in God’s Power.

· Faith in God’s Grace.

· Faith in God’s Promises.

· Faith in God’s Providence.

· Faith in God’s Faithfulness.

IV. Now, in verse 31 our Lord directs our hearts heavenward and tells us of a kingdom to seek.

(Luke 12:31) "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

We all know that our first priority in life ought to be the kingdom and glory of our God. We must not give our hearts to this world. Let us not live as though we were animals, without immortal souls. May God give us grace to live as men and women who are constantly aware that our lives in this world are but a very brief prelude to another world, as men and women with immortal souls to be saved or lost. You and I have…

· A death to die.

· A God to meet.

· A judgment to face.

· An eternity awaiting us.

Those things need to be ever before our hearts and minds. But when can it be said that a person is seeking the kingdom of God? That is the question I want to answer as I conclude this message. Am I seeking the kingdom of God? Are you? I know this—The kingdom of God is the only thing worth seeking! And I know this—A person is seeking the kingdom of God when he is living in the pursuit of Christ.

(Hebrews 12:14) "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"

(Philippians 3:3-14) "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (4) Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: (5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

V. Here is a promise from Christ to content our hearts.—“All these things shall be added unto you” (v. 31). That person who sets his heart upon Christ and eternity shall never lack anything in this world that he needs.—“Lacked ye anything?” He shall always have exactly enough of everything.

(Psalms 37:25) "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

(Psalms 84:11) "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

(Isaiah 3:10) "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."

(Isaiah 33:16) "He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure."

(Romans 8:28-32) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Amen.