Ask, Seek, Knock

Introduction
As we transition from the sacrament of infant baptism, a symbol of new beginnings and divine promise, we're reminded of our own spiritual journey. Baptism invites us into a life of asking, seeking, and knocking, a theme we'll explore further in today's sermon.  Open your hearts to the transformative power of faith as we remember the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount and consider how they speak to us at every stage of our spiritual journey.

Slides – Matthew 7:7-11
⁷ “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰ Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Ask, Seek, Knock
Jesus says:  Ask, Seek, Knock.  When it comes to the most important things in life—like your goals, your dreams, your family, your physical and spiritual well-being—you have to have humility, commitment, and persistence.  God requires it for the deepest blessings of His Kingdom.  It’s not because God is stingy.  He wants to reward you.  But your cannot handle the deepest blessings of God’s Kingdom” until you are ready for them.  Asking, seeking, knocking prepares you to receive what God wants to give you.

Wise parents do the same thing with their kids.  They don’t just give whatever their kids ask for.  Just because your 7-year-old son wants to drive a car, you don’t let them.  You might set them in your lap and let them drive around an empty parking lot for fun, but a 7-year-old is not ready to drive on their own yet.

Good parents encourage their kids to persist and develop and prove they are responsible before they give them something for which they aren't ready.

Fred Stokes
I’m pumped about our guest speaker for Super Bowl Sunday next week.  Fred Stokes, is a former defensive end who played for the Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders).  His life exemplifies Jesus lesson about asking, seeking, and knocking.  Fred grew up in poverty in rural Georgia and faced numerous challenges early in life. This fueled his desire to ask God for a better life and success.

Stokes went to college at Georgia Southern University.  He was not a highly touted prospect for the NFL, but he sought to improve, to make his mark, and to achieve his dream, despite the odds being against him.

Stokes was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the twelfth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. However, his early years in the NFL were marked by injuries and limited playing time. But He didn’t give up.  He persistently “knocked” at the door success despite the setbacks.

Stokes' perseverance paid off when he joined the Washington Redskins. He became an integral part of the team's defense and played a key role in their 1992 Super Bowl victory. The door of success finally opened for him.  Stokes' journey from a challenging childhood to a Super Bowl champion is a testament to determination, hard work, and faith. It illustrates how asking for a better life, seeking it through relentless effort, and knocking on the doors of opportunity, despite obstacles, can lead to success and fulfillment.

Ask
Jesus said “Keep on asking…”  Asking emphasizes humility.  We ask for help.  It’s a recognition that we need something.  We don’t know how to do something.  We are lost and need directions.  We’re not strong enough.  We’re worried and need peace and comfort.  And so we have to ask for help.  I hate to ask for help.  I’ve always been very independent and I just want to be able to do it myself—and I can do most things myself.  But Jesus has taught me over the years to get over it.  I need to ask for help.  He has a sense of humor too, because He made me a pastor and it’s my job to ask people for help…  God wants to give you deeper blessings than you can even imagine.  So, keep on asking.

Seek
Jesus said, “Keep on seeking.”  You’ve got to get out there and do your part to actively pursue God’s will and wisdom.  It's not just about finding answers but about growing closer to God.  It is often as we seek and pursue God that we build the spiritual muscles we need to hold the blessing God intends to give us. 

Knock
Jesus said, “Keep on knocking.”  Knocking represents persistence in our spiritual pursuit.  Don’t give up if the door doesn’t open right away.  Keep on knocking.

Have you ever had that awkward moment when you go to someone’s house and knock on the door and they don’t answer right away.  I used to deliver pizzas back before everyone had GPS.  You would get the address, look on a map, and then go out to find the house and deliver the pizza.  Sometimes the address wasn't clearly marked on a house.  You might be 95% sure it was the right house, but you would knock on the door and not know until someone answered the door.  Sometimes you had to knock two or three times before the came to the door.  It was awkward, but you couldn't just leave. Your job was to keep knocking until your delivered the pizza to the right person.  When it comes to the blessings of God's Kingdom, you have to keep on knocking with that same persistent determination.  It is good to know that Jesus is knocking on your door too.  In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears me and opens the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together."

God is a Good, Good Father
Jesus calls God our Heavenly Father, and compares Him to our earthly parents.  Most earthly parents—even the poorest examples—know how to give good gifts to their kids.  They feed them, shelter them, clothe them.  Although people are flawed and sinful, our heavenly Father is perfect love and full of wisdom and power.  He knows what we need before we even ask and has all the power of the universe at His disposal.  He will bless you, but you must get ready first.  So keep on asking, seeking, knocking so you will be ready.

Slide – Holy Communion with Guided Meditation
We had the privilege of sharing the sacrament of Holy Communion at my church Sunday.   Here is a meditation I guided them through.  Perhaps this will be useful for your too.
Relax with your eyes open and contemplate the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Breathe deeply as we rest in God’s grace.  Inhale peace.  Exhale any distractions.
Reflect on the grace of Jesus' invitation to us, an invitation to ask, to seek, to knock.

On the night Christ gave Himself up for us,
He shared His last meal with the Disciples before the crucifixion.

The Bread:  He took the bread, broke it, and asked the Lord to bless it.
Then He gave it to His Disciples and said, “Take and eat.  This is my body given for you.”
In the quiet of this sacred time, present your requests to God.
Ask Him for what you need.
Let the bread of Holy Communion remind you of God's readiness to provide everything you need.

The Cup:  After the meal, Jesus took the cup, raised it to heaven, and asked the Lord to bless it.
He gave it to His disciples and said,
“This is my blood, which confirms the New Covenant between God and His people. 
It is poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins."
Take a moment to meditate on what it means to seek God.
Imagine yourself drawing closer to the heart of Jesus,
seeking His wisdom and presence in every aspect of your life.

Receiving:  Envision yourself knocking on the door of God’s kingdom.
Feel the door of God’s blessings opening to you, inviting you into a deeper communion with Christ.

Pigs and Pearls - Jesus' Colorful Warning

Introduction
We’ve been working our way through Jesus Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7. His sermon is a precious treasure filled with wisdom and truth.  So far, we’ve covered 16 topics.  Each one is like a precious pearl in a beautiful necklace.  I encourage you to go back and study them.  Treasure these teachings for their priceless wisdom.  Incorporate them into your heart and live their principles in everything you do.

Today, we will look at one single verse; three short sentences from Matthew 7:6.

Matthew 7:6
⁶ “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Pigs are Unclean
Jesus says not to throw your pearls to pigs.  For Jews in the 1^st century, pigs represented ungodliness.  Their idea was rooted in thousands of years of religious and cultural practices outlined in the Hebrew Bible. Leviticus forbids Jews from eating.  Pigs were a symbol of impurity.  I love bacon, ham, and pork chops.  But for the Jews in Jesus’ day, the thought of eating these was as revolting as eating a dog or a horse might be for us today.

In 167 BC, the King of Syria captured Jerusalem.  And as a way to assault Jewish culture, they desecrated the Temple by sacrificing a pig to Zeus on the sacred altar.  This was a sacrilege that horrified Jews and was remembered right down to the time of Christ.  It was still at the forefront of everyone’s mind when Jesus said, “Don’t throw your pearls to pigs!”

Pigs represent those who may disrespect, reject, or abuse sacred truths.  And the pearls in Jesus’ metaphor represent the sacred truths of God’s Kingdom.

Pearls are Precious
Pearls were highly valued treasures in ancient times, just as today.  These rare, naturally formed jewels were traded all around the ancient world and symbolize purity, beauty, and wealth.  Whether or not you love bacon, it’s easy to understand the literal meaning of Jesus’ warning: “Don’t to throw your pearls to pigs!”

But what are the pearls in your life?  What are those things that are precious and sacred to you?  Things that you want to be protected, preserved, handled with great care, and honored?  The first thing that comes to my mind is my wife and children.  They are precious to me.  I don’t want any harm to come to them—especially from callous, careless behavior or people who would disrespect or reject them.  I know you feel the same way about people you love.  You wouldn’t want anyone to mistreat them.

But Jesus has some specific things in mind when He says, “Don’t throw your pearls to pigs!”  He’s talking about His teachings.  These are the most precious pearls of all.  These pearls are priceless because they have the ability to transform your whole life.  Not only can they transform your life, but they have the potential to transform your family too.  They can set you free from sin.  They can fill you with joy and an abundant life.  They can help you live in harmony with God and people.  They offer you eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven!  They are absolutely precious and sacred!  And Jesus says, “Don’t throw your pearls to pigs!”

Who (or What) are the Pigs?
Well then, we need to know who the pigs are.
Pigs represent those who may disrespect, reject, or abuse our sacred truths.  But who are they?
This is something that takes wisdom and discernment. 

As I’ve prayed about it this week, I’ve been hearing this:  the pigs are not people.  The Jews of Jesus’ day believed the pigs were the Gentiles—people who weren’t Jews, who weren’t  circumcised, who didn’t follow the Laws of the Hebrew Bible.  The Romans were pigs!  But that’s not what Jesus believed.  He believed God loved all people—both Jews & Gentiles.

On the other hand, the Romans thought the Jews were pigs.  They were weak, untrustworthy, backwards, uneducated, uncivilized, and ungrateful.  The Romans saw the Jews as a people who would not get with the program and come into the modern, global order the Romans were trying to establish.  To the Romans, the Jews were pigs!  But that’s not what Jesus believed.  Jesus believed God loved all people—both Jews & Gentiles.  And all people bear God’s image—an image that is a pearl in an of itself.  People are not the pigs.  People are precious.

You may know some people who seem more like pigs than people to you.  Maybe they look different and act different.  Maybe you don't understand the things they do.  Maybe their attitudes or behavior it makes you really angry.  Maybe they even seem more like animals or even monsters.  Surely they are pigs, right?  People are not pigs.  People are precious.

But sometime people are overcome with evil, selfish desires that push us down into the mud.  The real pig is the Sin that makes people reject God and seek their own sinful, selfish ambitions.  All people bear the image of God.  All people are of sacred worth.  But not all people are ready to receive the precious pearls of Christ’s Truth because the “pigs” of evil are still running rampant in their hearts.

This is a hard Truth for us to accept because we want to stand in judgement of some people.  We want to say, “There are just some people who are pigs.  They are irredeemably bad.”  But then we remember Jesus words just one verse before in Matthew 7:5 that says, “Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

It is not for us to judge whether a person is good or bad.  Only God can judge.  Yet, we do need to be careful.  We don’t want to throw our pearls to pigs.  It's not about labeling people but discerning attitudes and receptivity to spiritual teachings.

Prudence and Patience
Be prudent and patient.  You wouldn’t let a dog wear your great grandmother’s pearl necklace (or a 2-year-old for that matter).  They couldn’t appreciate the preciousness of those pearls and they wouldn’t respect and care for them properly.  It’s not that your dog (or your child) is bad; they’re just not capable or ready for the responsibility.  It wouldn’t be appropriate at this time.

The same may be true when it comes to the precious pearls of Jesus’ truth.  Someone may not be ready for it.  You can’t just go throwing your pearls at them willy-nilly.  The pigs may trample them in the mud and even turn to attack you!

Remember, Jesus’ first step was to call people to repentance.  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near!”
Until people repent and turn to Jesus, they’re not be ready for the precious pearls He offers.  Jesus offers forgiveness to everyone, but first they must repent.

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance when discerning interactions with others.  Ask for wisdom and insight to understand their spiritual needs and the readiness of individuals.  God will show you if and when it is time to share your pearls with someone.  Until then, be patient and be careful. 

While you wait, you can lead by example.  You must!  Demonstrate Christ’s teachings through your actions. Let your life be a testimony to the transformative power of the gospel.  Sometimes, actions speak louder than words and can influence others positively.  And pray for people the whole time.  Pray that God will prepare them to be ready when the time is right.  Pray that you will be ready to speak when the time is right.

Don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t respond right away.  Keep praying!  Some may initially appear unreceptive or even reject Christ outright, but this could change over time.  Remember, Jesus is the one who changes people’s heart—not you!  His ministry was marked by patience and persistent love for all people.  And Jesus calls us to be patient and persistent too as we seek to make disciples who follow Christ. 

Conclusion
Following Jesus means treasuring His teachings—really knowing what He wants of us and cooperating with the Holy Spirit to live it out.  These Sacred Truths are precious, and we should treat them with honor and respect.  Jesus calls us to share His love and truth with all people, because God loves everyone and He made everyone in His image.  But we need His wisdom about how and when to show our pearls to others.  We can’t just cast our pearls all around carelessly.  We must be patient and pray for God’s guidance to know when and how to share the sacred Truth of the Gospel with people.

So I challenge you to evaluate how you are taking care of your precious pearls.  Are you honoring the sacred and avoid the mud of worldly sin?  Are you walking closely with the Lord, so you will know how to share His Gospel with people?  Repent of your sin and live for Jesus.  For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Closing Prayer
Lord, grant us wisdom and discernment, and a deeper understanding of Jesus' teachings.  Guide us in living out these precious principles so our actions reflect the transformative power of the Gospel. Amen.

 

Did Jesus Really Mean We Can't Judge People At All?

Introduction
When I arrived at church early Sunday morning, I was surprised to find a pickup truck parked crooked across the space where I normally park.  I thought it was sort of odd because no one is usually at church that early and people don't normally park in that spot.  Furthermore, the truck was taking up 2 spaces.  As I wondered what was going on and also noticed the lights inside the church were not on yet, our sound technician came walking out toward me and said, "Hey Chris.  I got here early to turn on the organ for Sarah (his wife).  It acts funny if it doesn't have a couple hours to warm up.  I wasn't sleeping well and decided to come on down and turn it on."

I'm gad I didn't judge Bobby for parking so badly this morning before I found out the whole story.  He wasn't worried about parking properly.  No one else was going to be at church and he would only be there a couple minutes.  So he just pulled in real quickly.  He's such a good husband to help out his wife like that--and to help out the church so we have a good sounding organ in worship.

Meanwhile, I go on in to my office and realize, I've had a small piece of toilet paper stuck to my chin the whole time I was talking to Bobby.  I nicked my chin shaving that morning and used the toilet paper to stem the blood.  I didn't expect to see anyone at church so early and didn't think about the toilet paper stuck to my chin as I was talking to Bobby.  Bobby never said anything about it.  I'm glad he didn't judge me either!

Matthew 7:1-5
¹ “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

³ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Judging vs. Being Judgmental
Jesus words here are often misused and misunderstood.  Saying defensively, “Judge not lest ye be judged!” has become a common comeback when people get challenged on their bad behavior.  Did Jesus really mean we can’t call people out on their bad behavior or even make judgments of any kind? 

Absolutely not.  In fact, if you skip down just a few more verses in this same chapter, Jesus teaches people how to judge if someone is a false prophet.  He says you judge them by their actions.  There’s a difference between judgement and being judgmental.

Good judgment is a virtue the Bible applauds, and it is a valuable asset in life.  We need to use good judgment.  When a boy wants to date your daughter, you definitely need good judgment.  If the boy shows up acting high and wearing a t-shirt with a pot leaf on the front, good judgment says, "This boy is not taking my daughter out on a date!"  You have to have wisdom in like, which include using good judgment about people and situations.  Good judgment is based on facts about people’s behavior.  

Being judgmental is rushing to judge someone negatively based on limited information.  If you notice someone has parked their truck crooked.  Well, that’s a fact.  You can see the fact and know it.  But you need more information to make a good judgment about why the truck is parked crooked.  But the judgmental person won’t wait for more information.  They rush to judgment.  They might say:  “The person who parked that crooked is a bad driver or is inconsiderate or must be drunk.”  And when we are judgmental, there’s often a feeling of superiority attached to it.  We might say, “I would never park like that.  I'm not that kind of person.”

The meaning of Jesus teaching in Matthew 7:1-5 should be clear.  Don’t be judgmental.  He even uses a funny illustration to drive home the point. “Why worry about the speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own eye?”

We all have issues.  We are gracious with ourselves when it comes to our own faults, but we might not extend the same grace to others.  “My problems aren’t that bad because…  I have a reason for this bad behavior.  If people understood, they would excuse me.  But my neighbor’s behavior is truly annoying, disappointing, or appalling…”

Jesus points out vividly that our sins are no small thing.  How did He describe them?  He said they are like a “log in your eye”.  If you saw someone with a log in their eye, you would immediately call 911 and rush them to the hospital.  And that's the way Jesus described our spiritual condition!

Our sin is so rancorous it required Jesus to die for us on the cross.  That’s serious. But often, we would rather worry about everyone else’s sin than come to terms with our own.  It’s more comfortable to focus on everyone else’s sin than deal with our own.  But Jesus reminds us, we have a serious problem.  We need to be taken to a spiritual emergency room, not be worrying about the specks in our neighbor's eye.

Warning
Jesus gives a stern warning. He said, “The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” This has at least 2 ramifications for your life. One for now. One for later.  If you are gracious, think the best of people, and give them the benefit of the doubt, people tend to be gracious with you too.  But if you are overly critical of others, you may be over-critical of you.  So there is an immediate benefit if you have a generous spirit with others.  

But there may be consequences for being judgmental later too.  We will all stand before Jesus one day.  As the Apostles' Creed says, "We believe Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead..."  Now that’s a sobering thought.  Especially when you consider Jesus words: “The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”  How do you think Jesus will take it if you have been judgmental all your life with other people?  Why should he be gracious about your faults if you have refused to be gracious with others?

Conclusion
Now back to the log in your eye.  What can you do about that?  That’s why Jesus came.  I mean, you’ve got a log in your eye!  I’m not judging you.  I’ve got one in my eye too.  What are we gonna do about these logs sticking in our eyes!  That’s why Jesus came.

Here's the biggest log – Sin!  Not sins.  Sins are the bad things we do.  But the SIN is  rejection of God.  It is the attitude from which all the other bad behaviors flow.  We have turned away from God.  We don't not want Him to be in charge of our lives.  We want to live however we want to live.  We put ourselves above God.  That is the Sin that leads to all the other sins.  And Paul tells us in the letter to the Romans:
All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard.  
And the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.
So call upon Jesus and be saved.  Believe Him in your heart and confess He is Lord with your words.
Take up your cross and each day and follow Him.

Jesus can remove the log from your eye (and from your neighbor's) if we will let Him.  But we have to repent, turn away from our sin, and let Him heal us.  Won't you do that today?

Don't Worry. Seek the Kingdom.

Introduction
On the last day of 2023, it's a good idea to reflect on where we've been and consider where we are going.  What a crazy year it’s been! Do you remember what you were doing this time last year?  I do.  I was still in shock from a terrible and unfair decision by the North Georgia UMC bishop's decision to cancel the disaffiliations of nearly 200 churches in our conference.  We didn't know what to do or if their was anything we could do.  But here we are one year later and God is good.  He has opened doors we thought couldn't be opened.  And December 31st, 2023 is the last day my church and I belong to the UMC.  On January 1st, we will be free and will be Global Methodist!  Praise be to God! 

Can I just be honest with you for a minute?  I need to confess something this morning.  You see, I thought I had really done something 23 years ago when I answered the call to ministry.  I thought I was really trusting God with BIG faith.  I walked away from a promising career as an engineer to follow Jesus.  I graduated from college when I was 23.  I started a career as a textile engineer.  But then God called me to be a preacher.  And so after only 3 years into my career, I stepped out in faith and became a United Methodist minister.  I thought my wife might leave me, because me going into the ministry had never been part of our plans.  She chose to marry a straight-laced, dependable man with great career prospects.  Leaving all that took a lot of faith for me and Kelly.  

But as scary as it was, there’s acyually a lot of security for ministers in the United Methodist Church.  We had health insurance, a pension, a decent salary, and a guaranteed appointment.  Yes, we had to go wherever they sent us and they moved us away from family and friends frequently.  But we also had job security.  

Now, I never took anything for granted.  Ephesians 6:7 says, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”  So, I’ve always tried to do my best, because I realized I didn't really work for the United Methodist Church.  I work for the Lord.  The UMC was an ally, for a time, that helped me fulfill my calling to help people grow closer to Jesus.  But I’ve always said if the UMC ever departed from traditional Scriptural Christianity, I would depart from the UMC.  And that time has come. 

And so, I’m walking away from a second career.  As of January 1st, 2024, I will no longer be a United Methodist minister.  I will be a Global Methodist minister.  And I’ve had to trust the Lord in this.  Because I am walking away from something I’ve known very well for the past 2 decades into an unknown future and an unproven denomination with less job security than the UMC. 

But I know this is where God is leading me.  And I trust Him!  He has never failed me yet.  He won’t fail me now.  I am His servant.  It is a privilege to serve Him and god wherever He leads! 

I want to read to you one of my favorite passages from God’s Holy Word–something that has encouraged me my whole life as a Disciple of Jesus Christ.  It’s right in the middle of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:25-33
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God…
I’ve tried to make that verse 33 the theme of my whole life and ministry.  In the old King James Version it goes, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If you think about it, that’s the whole theme of the Bible.  Isn’t it?  Go all the way back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis.  What do you find?  There’s Adam and Eve living in paradise.  God has given them everything they need.  They have food.  They have peace.  They have protection.  They’re naked and don’t even care.  They aren’t ashamed.  They don’t feel vulnerable and exposed.  (Now you think about that.  They are wild animals roaming all around–lions, tigers, and bears–and Adam and Eve are totally naked.  No knife. No bear spray.  No gun.  No weapons.  Not even a scrap of clothing.  But they weren’t “naked and afraid”.  Why?  Because God provided everything they needed.) 

That is the way we were all meant to live.  It’s a life where God provides everything we need–just like He cares for the birds of the sky and the flowers of the field.  Oh that we could go back to that Garden in Eden and live without a care in the world.  Where we can walk in harmony with each other and with God!

Sin Wrecked It All!
Ah but sin!  Sin came in and wrecked it all!  It wrecked you!  It wrecked me!  And the curse of sin is that we must scrape a living from the dust of the ground.  And try as we might, it’s constantly producing thorns and thistles!  Do you have any thorns and thistles in your life–in your family, in your work?

And so the curse of sin has always meant, “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat.”  I always thought that sweat meant the sweat that comes from the hard work of farming.  But it’s not.  There’s nothing wrong with working hard and sweating.  That’s a good thing. A cleansing thing.  SOme people (like me) actually enjoy doing hard work with there hands.

No, “sweat of your brow” means the sweat that comes from the deep, overwhelming anxiety we have when we think, “Oh no! It’s all up to me!  The fate of my family and the people I love rest on my shoulders.  Whether I live or die will be a result of my own hands.”  Have you ever been so stressed out and worried drops of sweat literally broke out on your forehead?  THAT is the sweaty, anxious curse God proclaimed in Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made.  For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Jesus Breaks the Curse!
But praise God!  Hallelujah!  Jesus came to break the curse!  That’s what it’s all about!  Jesus is our redeemer!  He redeems us from our sin.  He heals our whole lives.  His life, death, and resurrection mean we know longer have to drown in the anxious sweaty drops of worrying whether we will have food to eat and clothes to wear.  In the words of one of my favorite Christmas songs:  “No more let sins and sorrows grow!  Nor thorns infest the ground!  He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found!  Far as the curse is found!”  We don’t have to feel ashamed and naked because of our sin.  We don’t have to fear death, because Jesus gives us new life–new life now and for all eternity!  

And so Jesus invites us all in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Jesus is leading us back to Eden–back to life in Paradise where we don’t have to worry where our next meal will come from or if we will have a job in the morning or if our church property will get seized by a corrupt denomination. 

It is Eternal Life, and it starts the moment we put all our faith in Jesus and follow Him.

Walking Through the Wilderness
We still have some wilderness to walk through. We’re not in the Paradise Garden yet.  But we will get there. In the meantime, God leads us like He led the Israelites through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.  And He will provide manna from heaven to feed us and water from a rock to quench our thirst.  You don’t have to understand it all; but you must have faith.  You must trust Jesus when He says, “Don’t worry about all these things.  You’re Heavenly Father already knows all your needs and He will take care of you.”

And so we come to my favorite verse–the theme verse of my ministry–that tells us the secret of living as Christians who follow Christ.  Matthew 6:33 – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else. 
When my middle child was still a toddler, we were shopping in JC Penny.  In a moment of lapsed attention, she wandered away from me and my wife.  We dropped everything and frantically searched for her.  It only took a few minutes to find her hiding behind some clothes hanging on a rack, but the anxiety of those moments were palpable.  (Talk about the sweat of anxiety breaking out on your brow!)  

That story about searching for a lost child is a great illustration of seeking the Kingdom of God.  That’s how we should seek the Kingdom of God above all else.  We drop every thing else and make the Kingdom our number one priority.  And that’s what I want to do with my life.  And that’s what I want to challenge our church to do in 2024.  And that’s what I want to challenge you to do with your family and with your own life.

Closing
I want you reflect for just a minute.  I want you to think about the one thing in your life that’s really important to you right now.  (I’m not talking about Jesus, OK.  Everyone knows in church the answer’s supposed to be Jesus.  But let’s be real right now, OK?)  What’s something that’s really important thing to you? 

Think about it.  If this person or thing (whatever it is) is so important if it we lost, you’d drop everything to go look for it.  What would that thing be for you? Maybe it’s your kids.  Maybe it’s your spouse or your mom or dad. Maybe it’s your phone; let’s be real.  If you went on a trip and left your phone at home, how many of us wouldn’t turn the car around and back track an hour to go get our phone?

Now, I want you to make a mental image of whatever you're thinking of right now.  And I want you to think about how you’d feel if this thing was lost.  Think about the lengths you would go to find it.

From now on, every time you see that thing or even think of it, here’s what I want you to do:  I want it to remind you that Jesus told you to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and all these other things will be added to you as well.

Money and Possessions

Introduction
2,000 years ago in a small village called Bethlehem, a baby was born to two poor parents, Mary and Joseph.  Jesus was born right as Joseph arrived in Bethlehem to pay taxes to the Roman Empire who was occupying Israel, forcing them to pay tribute.  The Jesus we celebrate at Christmas, who was born King of the Jews and later revealed to be Lord of all, was born into poverty.  He lived among oppressed people who got by on very little.

Jesus understood the value of money.  He also knew firsthand the struggle of going without. Jesus’ father was a carpenter—a blue collar worker who probably lived paycheck to paycheck.  We also know, According to Mark 6:3, that Jesus had four younger brothers and two younger sisters.  That’s a lot of mouths to feed for a man who makes his living by manual labor.  At some point after Jesus turned 12, Joseph died—leaving Mary and Jesus (who was now the “man” of the house) responsible for taking care of everyone.  You can imagine that money was always tight.  Jesus understood the real value of money and how it could affect people.

Perhaps that is why when Jesus started His public ministry at the age of 30 (Luke 3:23), money and possessions were one of His most frequent sermon topics.  We see one of His lessons in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-24.

Matthew 6:19-24
¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

²² “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

An Outline for Matthew 16:19-24
We can break Jesus’ teaching into 3 main precepts.  Verses 19-21 are pretty straight forward.  Jesus says to concentrate on heavenly treasure instead of earthly treasures.  Now, remember this was coming from a man who grew up in poverty.  Poverty can have a very real effect on people.  

Jesus reminds us:  you can’t take anything with you.  You were born into this world naked and you aren’t gonna have anything with you when you leave it.  However, you can send some things ahead of you so they’ll be waiting in heaven when you arrive.  You can’t use UPS to send money and possessions to heaven.  But you can invest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  How?  By investing in people here on earth.  How many people are going to be in heaven because of the way you lived on earth?  And how is this world right here and now better because of the way you serve Jesus?  You see the things you do and the difference you make in this life are investments in the eternal Kingdom of God.  They are the treasure you store up in Heaven—where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Well, that’s not too hard to understand, is it?

Good and Bad Eyes
But what about this weird part where Jesus starts talking about eyes?  What’s that all about?  He says in verse 22-23, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.  But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness.”

People back then believed eyes were windows that let goodness and light into the body.  Not actually pretty true if you think about it (but maybe not in the same way the ancients thought about it).  We now know that the eyes do indeed let light into the body so we can see.  And seeing is a good thing—usually.  And this is really what Jesus is saying.  Be careful how you look at the world and see things.

Have You Got Double Vision?
Jesus is talking about keeping your eyes focused on the right things (or the right One), rather than letting them wander all over the place coveting material possessions.  The Greek word English Bible’s translate as “healthy” or “good” eye actually means “single”.  You know when you have bad eyesight, things get fuzzy and unfocused.  You may even have double vision—where you see 2 images.  Jesus is using a play on words.  He’s saying if you’re trying to focus on God and on material possessions, you’ve got double vision.  You’re not going to be able to see either one clearly.

A healthy view of material things will result in a healthy spiritual life; but an unhealthy view—where you’re coveting money and possession--means your eyes are letting darkness and not light into your soul.  If this is something you struggle with, you better pray to God for help and you better listen Him when He tells you how to treat the sickness.

The fact is, we all struggle with it.  Materialism isn’t something most people are immune from.  It’s something most people struggle with.  And it seems like the more affluent we are, the more we struggle with it.  Why do you think Jesus said in Matthew 19:24, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Two Masters
And then we come to the final precept in Jesus teaching about money and possessions—verse 24.  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

What more do I need to say?  Jesus is pretty clear. 
You cannot serve two masters.  You cannot serve both God and money.

I like the way the NLT puts Jesus’ words.  You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.  Most of us don’t think about being enslaved to money. 
Probably most of us think it would be great to have a little more money.  It would solve a lot of our problems.  Right? Well… Not according to Jesus.  You need to be careful.  Money will make you it’s slave—especially if you’re thinking money is what is going to fix things in your life, make you happier, fill some void in your life, etc.  Money can’t do that. Jesus is the Savior.  He’s the one who does the saving.  Jesus is Lord.  He’s the one we absolutely must put first.  Because you can’t serve 2 masters.

Conclusion
This Christmas Eve, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ—the Lord and Savior of the world—spend some time praying and meditating on your attitudes about money and possessions.  Are you storing up treasures on earth or in Heaven?  Do you good eyes that focus on Christ or double vision because you covet?  Have you been trying to serve two master?