Understanding Grace - Part 6

3:28That flow of our favor to someone else can also be very much directed toward God. As God's favor towards us, we're made in His image. We should favor Him. So responding to God's favor by favoring Him. And then this concept in responding to grace, I submit that we should be rich toward God. The whole idea of understanding grace and responding to grace manifests itself on being rich toward God. And I want to talk a little bit on that term tonight, being rich toward God. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says it very well. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Slow down. The favor, the grace, that which came from him. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, Yet, for your sake, he became poor, so that through his poverty might become rich, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich. So, think about how he has been rich toward us.

4:52Christ used his resources, he emptied himself, who is infinitely rich, became poor for our sake, emptied himself for the purpose of making others rich. That's the character of our Lord. That is the character of the one we profess to follow. And if you are truly in Christ, this is the one whom the Spirit of God is shaping you into. And so, he is one who didn't bat an eye to empty himself so that others could become rich. So, it's in that concept, that's him towards us. How much more should that be us toward him with our little riches?

5:57So, I want to spend our evening tonight. And just thinking on this concept of being rich toward God as a thankful response to His grace. And we're about to all go and spend some time celebrating and remembering what God has done, a time of thankfulness. I appreciate that. I think it's a great calendar day, great marker on the calendar to set a day aside and to give thanks, and specifically to direct our thoughts and gratitude toward God. I think that's the one thing that man is missing: is gratitude toward God. If you read the first couple chapters of Romans, you realize that man knows enough about God. And I'm talking to everybody across everybody that planet Earth, anytime and every time, throughout the ages, whoever it is, every person knows enough about God that they should give him thanks. And so we need to practice Thanksgiving. I think it's a great way to spend some time, and especially as we turn our hearts toward this week ahead. Let it be a week of Thanksgiving. Well, I can't help but think back where my mind's been in a Revelation and certainly last few thoughts there in Laodicea. One of the problems, if you remember, in the church of Laodicea is that it was rich toward man. It was an investment capital.

7:49They excelled in being rich toward man, but not rich toward God. And it was in this context that Jesus said, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich. White garments so that you may clothe yourself and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. And eyesalve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. And then he goes on to say, I stand at the door and knock.

8:20Anyone lets me in, I will come in and dine. And he goes on to these promises, I will share my throne with really whoever wants to share my throne with me. And so what an incredible offer that Jesus makes. We want to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We want to take Jesus up on this generous offer. And so what does it look like? What does this idea of being rich toward God look like instead of being rich toward man as the Laodiceans, but to be rich toward God?

9:00Well, Jesus spoke a whole lot on this subject. And I want to spend some time looking at that, especially as we prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. But if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn to Luke chapter 12. We'll be looking at verses 13 through 38. We'll be walking through in more of a broad-brush, devotional manner. We'll not be exegeting the text every like you see me, like we do on the Lord's Day in the morning. But just to kind of prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. And I want to share with you tonight five characteristics of a person who's rich toward God from Jesus' teaching, and so that we will certainly be rich toward Him. Number one, a person who is rich toward God guards against greed. A person who is rich toward God is somebody who guards against greed. Look at Luke chapter 12, beginning in verse 13. We'll just walk through this narrative together. Someone in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. But he said to him, Man, who appointed me a judge or arbitrator? Over you. So here's a guy that somehow probably parents passed on something to do with the inheritance and a very common situation today, even a common situation, then a common situation. So here's a guy, tell my brother, so something happened, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. He's holding out. He's taking a bigger share or he's whatever, something's going on there. And Jesus said to him, Man, who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you? And then he said to them, this is the crowd, because someone in the crowd is speaking. Then he said to them, Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed. Be on your guard against every form of greed. For not even when one has abundance does his life consist of his possessions. Be on your guard against every form of greed. And there are a lot of different forms here. And this one man who was jealous to get his inheritance or whatever he thought was his inheritance or his fair share, there was a form of greed there. Then Jesus goes on. So he tells them a parable.

11:53And this is in response to this command to guard against every form of greed. So he tells them a parable. The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, What shall I do since I have no place to store my crops? So here's a guy. He's a farmer. He's got lots of, his land has been very productive. He has an abundance. And so he starts saying, What am I going to do with all of this abundance? Since I have no place to store all these crops, I've got all this abundance. Where am I going to do with it?

12:37A couple of thoughts might come to your mind. Give. Give to God? Give to others. You've got abundance. You don't need it. Whatever. Invest in eternal things. Is that what he does? No, look at verse 18. As he's reasoning within himself, he says, Then he said, This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and all my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. So you think about this paradigm. This is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns, build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. So he goes from abundance. To more abundance. That's the worldly paradigm. I've got abundance, I want more abundance. That's the paradigm. And then I'll say, I have good now. Now I can take my ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

13:50My worries are over. But God said to him, You fool, this very night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared? So he didn't reason well. That was the wrong answer. Verse 21: So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. You see, the one who hoards possessions for himself or for herself is not rich toward God. What you do with your abundance, what we do with our abundance, says a whole lot about who we are. There is a worldly paradigm that seeks to go from abundance to more abundance and then to somehow take our ease and rest in that abundance.

14:45But Jesus says, this is somebody who's not rich toward God. So, even So, a person who's rich toward God guards against greed. Second, a person who is rich toward God knows that God provides. He knows that God provides. Look up the narrative in verse 22. And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life as to what you will eat, nor for your body as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

15:38And he tells them two little, makes two little analogies: one regarding food, about the ravens, one about clothing, about the lilies. Oh, thank you. Appreciate it. Ah, this is good. Thank you. He said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Do not worry about your life as to what you will eat, nor for your body as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap. They have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them. How much more value? Valuable you are than the birds. It's not a question, it's a statement. How much more valuable you are than the birds. And which of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his lifespan? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

16:55Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you men of little faith? So the one who is rich toward God knows that God provides. And so his life doesn't consist in his abundance. His life consists in what God provides. He knows that God's going to take care of the needs of the body and the clothing for the body. And so they're able to have a different paradigm in life. They don't have to go from abundance to abundance, from security in abundance to more security in greater abundance. Their security is in God and in who He is and what He has promised to do. He started this whole thing, He created us, He knows the things that we have. Have need. And so, provision. So, a person who is rich toward God guards against every form of greed and knows that God provides. Third, a person who is rich toward God seeks God's kingdom. Look at verse 29.

18:22And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek. But your Father knows that you need these things, but seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. So, again, you have that worldly paradigm. The nations look at, what am I going to eat? What am I going to drink? And so much thought, so much concern, consternation is given over these.

19:06But the kingdom-minded person seeks God's kingdom. He knows that she knows, he knows that God has created them, God's going to take care of them because God seeks a relationship with them. And so he wants them to be seeking his kingdom and all those things necessary to be alive, to be a person. To be engaged in seeking his kingdom, he provides because he wants you seeking his kingdom. He'll take care of those things. Fourth, a person who is rich toward God invests in God's kingdom. Invests in God's kingdom. Not only do they seek God's kingdom, but they invest in God's kingdom. Look at verse 32: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

20:11It's yours. God's not stingy trying to keep the kingdom back from somebody, hold it up. He is generous, he knows what we need. He knows humanity needs his kingdom. So then he goes on to say, verse 33: sell your possessions and give to charity. Make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The one who's rich towards God seeks his kingdom and invests in that kingdom.

21:01Loves that kingdom. That's where his treasure is. So we've spent all these months looking through the letters to the churches of Asia Minor. It's incredible the promises and this world is going to quickly be over. We're going to enter into an eternal state. And you talk about a place of enduring value, enduring treasure. Those who are about that kingdom, those whose heart and treasure is there, have invested very wisely because that doesn't fade away. But here, the abundance goes, fades. Thieves steal, moth destroys.

22:02But the one who is rich toward God is going to have their treasure with God. And that's why Jesus emptied himself to make others rich. And so the one who is rich toward God is going to be of the same kind and empty themselves for his kingdom's sake, not for their own kingdom's sake. And this is hard for us to do. To really give, empty ourselves, to make others rich in kingdom truth, kingdom relationship, to invest ourselves as Jesus invested himself so that we would have a relationship with God.

22:55And so we're so married to our possessions. Look, God has given us things, and we're to be thankful for those. But don't let your attitude be one of this worldly paradigm that somehow takes solitude or rest in the abundance. For your life doesn't consist, even if you have all the abundance in the world, your life doesn't consist there. And so, thank God for what He's given, but use what He's given to invest in that which is eternal.

23:42Where you write your check tells the world where your heart is. Of course, you don't really write checks a whole lot anymore, but where your money goes speaks about the affection of where your heart is. Heart is so a person who's rich toward God guards against every form of greed because they're about God. They're not about themselves. They're not trying to build themselves up. They know that God provides. So they're free. They're not finding their solitude and their rest in their abundance. They find their rest in God's provision, so they're free to serve. They're free to sacrifice. They're free to empty themselves for that which really matters because their confidence isn't in their abundance, but in his promise. And so that person is free to seek God's kingdom, to desire that. This is what true living is about. This is what God wants to give us.

24:55And such a person invests himself. Look, we only have strength for a little while, and then it fades, and then it's gone. Strength, whether it's physical or whether it's monetary, whatever strength, whatever capacity he's given, I can assure you it is failing. So use it. Use what little you have and invest it in that which is eternal. Fifth, a person who is rich toward God awaits the master's return. You see how all this is connected? A person who is rich toward God isn't waiting for something great to happen here. They're waiting for the king to return. King is returning. The one who seeks the kingdom and invests the kingdoms and invests in the kingdom is waiting for the king to return. That's where the heart is. That's what being rich toward God is about.

26:09This world is passing away. There's a worldly paradigm that's passing away. The way of the wicked itself is going to completely perish, go out of style forever. But there is a kingdom paradigm, way of thinking, way of living, way of being, that is going to go on forever. And it is indicative in Jesus emptying himself and being rich towards others. There is the paradigm of our king. And so the one who is rich toward God awaits the master. Look at verse 35. Be dressed in readiness and keep your Your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. And what an interesting picture of you have Jesus knocking on the door in Revelation 3, church at Laodicea, knock to open. And of course, that's in the context of an unbeliever opening the door. But the idea is this same thing: that waiting for the master to return, recognizing the master's voice, and excitedly being there to open and to let him in. That's the analogy of somebody waiting, watching, engaged. And it's not like something that they begrudgingly have to do. Okay, well, today I think I'm going to make sure I'm waiting for my master. It's like, no, this is where the longing of their heart is, because they're rich toward God. They love God's Son. They love the one God's excited about. And so they look and wait expectantly for Him. Be like men who are waiting for their Master when He returns, so that they may immediately open the door to Him when He comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves. Whom the master will find on the alert when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch or even the third and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. Blessed the person who is rich toward God awaits the master. And blessed, listen again. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes. Truly, and guess what Jesus, when he says truly, it's true. And not just when he says truly, everything he says is true, but when he wants to underscore something, he says truly. Let me tell you for sure what's going to happen when the master comes and he finds those servants who are investing in his kingdom, seeking his kingdom.

29:33Guess what he's going to do? I say to you that he will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and will come up and wait on them. What a picture. What a reward. You see the character of Jesus, he emptied himself. Once before, and he is coming again. And when he comes, he's not coming in to bill it. Okay, I'm finally here. Okay, now let's get some things. I need to puff this kingdom up and make it grand. No, it's out of pure joy for finding faith upon the earth. When he returns, he, in his joy, serves them. What a reward. And what a very different perspective. One would expect that, okay, he's here, so let's serve him.

30:38He rewards those who are rich toward God. And he rewards them richly. He wanted to make people who were rich toward God so that he would reward them richly because they are rich toward God. And so he rewards them richly. You see a little circle here? Pattern. Those who are rich toward God will be rewarded richly. And consider what Jesus has already promised in regard. He's already promised: you're going to have food, you're going to have clothing, kingdom with its abundance, you're going to have unfailing treasure in heaven.

31:32And you're going to be personally served by the Master. Yeah, we will be rewarded richly. We have already been given life. We have already been given salvation in Christ. There's so much more. I was telling Nancy this afternoon: there is just so much more beyond anything we can get our minds around. How wonderful it is to be made in the image of God. How blessed and how rich you are who are in Christ. And all of that is an understatement, and we can't even begin to put words together. And as we looked at Revelation chapters 2 and chapter 3, the superlatives of the rewards for those in heaven are hard for us to even begin to get our minds around, yet so they are.

32:33It's like the human language isn't even capable of describing what God has in store. But we will be rewarded richly. Why? Why? Because we're really swell? No. Because we will not exceed His character. He calls us to be rich toward Him. Him. He calls us to be rich toward his kingdom with the little resources we have. Will he not also be rich toward us, toward his own people, with the resources that he has? Listen, we're not going to be more about his kingdom than he is.

33:30We're not going to be more about his people than he is. And what a privilege it is to live whatever days that God has given you on this earth, seeking his kingdom, investing in his kingdom, awaiting your master, knowing that he has promised. He's going to take care of you. He has freed you so that you can do that. He will provide what you need. Be guarding against every form of greed. Do not go down the worldly abundance paradigm or having confidence there. If he's given you some, great.

34:09Think about maybe how to use those and learn from this man who thought, well, bigger barns is going to be the better idea. No, that wasn't the way to go. But listen, he is going to be rich toward his own people. He's going to be rich toward his own kingdom with the resources he has. Has. Ours are little, his are vast. But we can love the same kingdom. And I can assure you, he will put more into it and more into his people than his people will ever put into him.

34:48So his kingdom is what he has given us to share. We can share it now with each other, but we will share it certainly again in more full splendor. This is what he's given. He's given himself. He's given his promises. He's given this kingdom. And he's given it to us to share. And so this is what we have with each other. We have good days ahead. No matter what comes upon planet Earth, no matter what you may face, we have much to be thankful this Thanksgiving and beyond. And so, with that, I'd like to close us in prayer.

35:37Heavenly Father, we thank you for your abundance. We thank you for the promise that you have called us just to believe your word and to trust that you are the one who provides. There's no sense in us worrying or finding confidence in the things that we need. But we have confidence in your promise and your promises to take care of the life that you have made. And so, with that, we can go forward, not seeking our own domain, seeking our own kingdom, seeking our own little solitude. But we're able to seek your kingdom, that which is glorious, and that which we can share with one another as fellow sojourners on this journey together. We have your kingdom, the promise of a kingdom that will not fade, a place where truth and justice really does reign.

36:40Father, we thank you for these promises. Father, help us to invest ourselves with the strength that you've given us. Help us to be rich toward you just simply because you're worthy of it, regardless of reward or if any of that wasn't even on the table. You are worthy. Your kingdom is what is worthy and what is wonderful and what we want people to enter into. Father, thank you for giving us the opportunity to invest and be part of it.

37:16Father, we just look forward to your return. And we thank you. You've given us each other as we sojourn together. And Father, help us this week as we go our ways and we return thanks and give thanks. We do thank you for our families. We thank you for our homes. We thank you for this church. We thank you for this nation. We thank you for the state of Texas. We thank you for the governments. And Father, we do ask you've certainly blessed this country beyond what we deserve. And, Father, we ask that you would guide this nation and that you would discipline us but not cast us out. Father, turn our hearts toward you and may you be honored this week in our lives, homes, and church, and every association we have. In Christ's name, amen.