This is a special edition of our “Can’t Quarantine the Gospel” series. This particular Devotional is based on an amazing Sunday Sermon done by Jeff Schachinger. This is Day 12 of the series. Any of the Devotionals can be read as a stand alone quiet time.
You can check out the next Midweek on April 5th at 7:30pm on Facebook live
You can listen to the full sermon here:
Contents
What Really Matters?
Devotional based on Sermon by Jeff Schachinger
Right now is a very interesting time for all of us. We are spending a lot more time at home these days. For some of us this has been a bit of a vacation and for some of us it’s been a nightmare. For the majority of us are right in the middle.
Q: How are you feeling about all of this?
We are learning a lot right now
- Managing our Time
- Managing School
- Managing our Resource
What’s most important is that we are learning things about ourselves.
- We are learning about our levels of patiences
- Our level of trust
- We are learning a lot about our priorities
We are stripped down versions of who we were a month ago. This may be the best thing that has ever happened to us.
Q: What has this time revealed to you about your priorities and what really matters to you?
Luke 12:13-16
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Jesus took this as an opportunity to teach them something.
v16-21:
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
God has the ability to bless us all with whatever he wishes and with however much he wishes. God also knows what is best for us at the moment and He makes adjustments along the way.
Q: What do you feel like if you just had more of you would be content?
We do exactly what these kids are doing. We build up and amass “things” so we can feel “secure”. This is the “american dream”. However there is a fine line between being responsible and being greedy. Jesus calls the man who built this barn a “fool”.
Q: What would God call me? Responsible or Foolish? A person who stores up for themselves or is rich towards God?
Q: How can we grow in being “rich towards God”?
So it is wrong to have money? Is it wrong to have a lot of money? No, it’s not. Jesus did not condemn the wealthy for being wealthy. He condemned the greedy for being greedy. We can be responsible and prepare, but that doesn’t mean we need to be greedy and selfish. We can be generous and responsible with what has God given us.
We become fools when we look at “our stuff” whether it be a lot of stuff or little and put our trust in it. We can’t look at stuff and have it be the source of our security. Our wealth can be a lot of things:
- Career
- Education
- Position in Life
- Talents/Skills
- Success
- Popularity
- Wealth
- Social standing
We become fools when we get our security from anything other than God. In a flash everything we put our wealth in can become.
Q: Where are you putting your trust right now? What is your greatest temptation?
Now Jesus focuses in on a moment to teach the Disciples directly:
v22-23
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
The first thing Jesus says to his disciples is: “Don’t Worry”
There is a fine line between concern and worry
One pulls God in through prayer and Faith (concern) the other shuts God out (Worry)
Q: Which side of this are you on right now.
v24:31
24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
When was the last time you saw a bird with a 401K?
The point Jesus is making is that there is a built in trust between the birds and God. We may feel like we know more than the birds and we know too much not to worry.
***Someone with worry says: I know too much about how bad things are not to worry.***
***Someone with faith says: I know too much about how powerful God is to worry. ***
Worry will cause us to act foolishly and irrationally and ultimately will shut God out. We must remember that in all of creation we are God’s pride and joy. As the rest of the world runs after “things” let us run after God. Let’s run after peace, truth, honesty, integrity, and the true security only God can provide. Lets seek God, His world, His Kingdom, His People, His Word, His truth and lets trust that the rest will fall all into place.
Write down your main worry right now starting with this sentence:
Right now my worry is telling me that…
Now apply faith to that same situation:
But MY FAITH in God says that…
If you would like to learn more about how to put your trust in God, please reach out and we would love to help. Please reach out if you would like to learn more. Send an Email to Lamicia.Genova@sctcoc.org
