Harvest Thanksgiving Service

Well, we can turn back to our reading in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

You can read again at verse 15, where Jesus said,

! He said to them,

Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness,

for one's life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions.

We're going to think about the whole of this section from verse 13 to verse 34,

but it's really based on that verse, verse 15,

where it speaks about the reality that our lives are not just based on the abundance of one's possessions.

It's not about all that we have in the sense of possessions.

Because tonight we come to give thanks to God in a particular way,

as we think of the service this evening being a harvest thanksgiving service.

But many of us, I'm sure, who gather here this evening,

we're not involved directly in the harvest, as it were.

We're not depending on what we produce for ourselves,

like maybe a generation in the past did.

So maybe we lose sight of the very fact that we have so much to give thanks for.

We expect to have food on our table.

We take it for granted that we'll have clothes in our homes and the warmth that we enjoy.

We can become distracted in many ways.

But we want to focus this evening on that sense of thanksgiving,

recognising that we have so much to give thanks for,

that maybe it's not directly our labours that are provided for us,

but the labourers who are out there working day and night,

that we might have food on our table and clothes to wear in the homes that we have.

So we come this evening to give thanks to God for all that we have.

And perhaps when we think of harvest thanksgiving,

we can maybe think of particular people who come to our mind.

We think of farmers.

We think of those who produce crops in our own nation,

and indeed many nations of the world,

how much we have on our tables before us that come from all corners of the world.

So we think of farmers.

We think maybe of those who go to sea and take goods to us,

or catch our goods fishermen,

and all of those involved in that kind of work.

They have to deal with all kinds of things in their work.

And many of them are wise to their surroundings.

They're wise to what's going on.

And that's what we're looking at here this evening in many ways,

is this parable of the rich fool.

He was obviously someone who was good at what he was doing,

producing a harvest.

He was wise in that.

And he was seeing a harvest that was great,

and he was wanting to multiply this and to build bigger barns.

But in it all, he lost sight of what was truly important,

and that was his soul.

And I guess in many ways,

we can lose sight of what's truly important in life as well,

especially when we take things for granted.

And we often need reminding,

and reminders given to us to have our focus right.

So as we give thanks,

it always leads us to come back to thanksgiving to God.

But when you think of those involved in harvest,

whether it's farmers, fishermen,

they've often got wise sayings,

just little sayings that they have,

that they've learned and seen over their years of experience.

A farmer once said,

an empty barn needs no roof.

Well, that's just looking at,

if there's no harvest,

there's no point in a roof in the barn.

We need to have a harvest for that to be so.

A fisherman once said,

there's a time to fish

and a time to dry the nets.

So there's a time for all things.

And there's wisdom in all of these things.

But when you look at the harsh reality

of these kinds of lifestyle,

you wonder,

well, where is their hope?

Where is their hope when it comes to

the harvest that's going to come

or the catch that they're going to get?

It's often true that they could say,

well, it's a life,

a profession of hope.

We hope we have a good harvest.

We hope we get a good catch.

But as we were thinking about recently,

the word hope,

it has those two different ways of looking at it.

We can have a worldly hope

where it's based on the uncertainty of things,

or we can have it when it's looking to the Lord.

Because when we're saying,

when our hope is that we have a good catch

and it's in a worldly sense,

then there's no room for thanksgiving.

When our hope is in a harvest

without thinking that God's providing it,

there's no room for thanksgiving.

But our hope is in the Lord.

And so tonight,

as we come and give thanks for all that we have

and all that we enjoy,

our hope is in the Lord who provides,

whether it's in plenty or in need,

it is still the Lord who provides.

And it's the Lord who gives us wisdom.

And when you look in the Bible,

and especially maybe the book of Proverbs,

you find there many wise sayings.

One of my favorites is this,

and it ties in with what we're looking at this evening.

Proverbs 30, verse 8 and 9.

Proverbs 30:8

Give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much

and disown you and say,

Who is the Lord?

Or I may become poor and steal

and so dishonor the name of my God.

There's wisdom in these words.

Give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

And that's really what Jesus is teaching here

in this parable of the rich fool.

He's reminding us of what's important.

He's teaching us of the wisdom

or lack of wisdom that we can find

in having too much or too little

and reminding us of what is truly important.

You see, this passage is reminding us

it's not all about having

an abundance of possessions.

It's about having a perspective

on what is important in our lives.

A harvest thanksgiving

almost immediately assumes

that there is plenty to give thanks for.

But it's not always the case.

For some, this may have been a good year

and there's much to give thanks for.

But for others,

it's been a difficult year.

A year of sorrow.

A year of hardship

in many different ways.

Maybe we struggled

to make ends meet.

But do we not still

have a reason to come

and thank the Lord

for his goodness to us?

That he is the one

who never leaves us

or forsakes us.

And so Jesus is here teaching

in this parable

about verse 15 there.

Take care and be on your guard

against all covetousness

for one's life

does not consist

in the abundance

of one's possessions.

He's teaching

to be careful

whether it's in our plenty.

And then as he goes on

to speak to them

as we go on in this chapter

not to be anxious

in our need

but to remember the Lord

who is able to bless

and especially to bless

with a treasure

that never fades.

So we want to look

on these things this evening.

Too much, first of all,

distracts.

Too much takes our eyes

of the Lord.

So here in chapter 12

Jesus is teaching

to this large crowd.

He's preaching to them.

Thousands have gathered.

They're trampling over

one another.

He's preaching the gospel

to them.

He's preaching

of the importance

of their soul.

He's preaching

of the importance

of their need of God

to fear the one

who kills the soul,

the devil.

He's talking about there

to fear the judgment,

to fear all of these things,

to see the seriousness

of life.

But in the midst of this

there's an interruption

from a man.

And that's what we see

in verse 13.

And this interruption

you'd think

he's got an important

question to ask

on eternity

or his soul

or what is important

in life

but we see

what is important

to him

with the thing

that he asks

of Jesus.

Someone in the crowd

said to him,

Teacher,

tell my brother

to divide the inheritance

with me.

After all

he's been hearing

the most important

thing he has to ask

of Jesus

is to settle

this dispute

so that he can

have more.

So that he can

have his inheritance.

Here he is

listening to Jesus

preach

on the most

important thing

in life

his soul

and this is

what is important.

But how easy

it is

to be

distracted

away

from what is

the most

important thing

and not just

our own soul

but the soul

of others

around us.

All that matters

to this man

is self.

his own

prosperity.

He's after

his inheritance.

He's after

what he wants

that he thinks

will fulfill

his life.

And that's

what he brings

to Jesus.

So he's looking

for more.

But when you

ask yourself

this evening

what kind

of harvest

have you

had

this year?

Have you

managed to

get all

that you

wanted?

Are you

thankful

or are you

deciding

more?

You see

it's easy

for us

to end up

like this

man.

To get so

distracted

away from

the important

things in the

gospel and

to think

about

ourselves.

ourselves.

To put

ourselves as

number one.

Are we

thankful

or are we

deciding more?

We have to

be careful.

And this

goes right

back to the

beginning of

the scriptures.

You think

about Adam

and Eve

in the

garden.

They had

everything

that they

needed.

All the

trees in

the garden

were theirs.

Bar one.

there was

one that

they were

told not

to touch.

What did

they do?

They weren't

content until

they would

have that

one as

well.

That's the

kind of

parable that

Jesus is

teaching here

as he

teaches of

the rich

fool.

As he

goes on to

explain about

the one

who had

plenty and

was building

bigger barns.

Never

content.

Always

wanting

more.

And when

you look

at the

rich

fool

produced

plentifully

what did

he start

saying in

verse 18?

I will

do this.

I will

tear down

my barns

and build

larger ones

and there

I will

store all

my grain

and my

goods

and I

will say

to my

soul

soul

you have

ample

goods

laid up

for many

years.

Relax

eat

drink

and be

merry.

You see

the word

I

I

I

I

is all

that we

see there.

He's got

his own

plans.

His life

is the

abundance

of one

one's

possessions.

And he's

thinking

about himself.

But what

does the

Lord say

to him

in verse

20?

But God

said to

him

fool

this night

your soul

is required

of you

and the

things you

have prepared

whose

will they

be?

This

man

is a

fool.

And so

are we

fools

if that's

what we're

putting

first.

The

abundance

of our

possessions.

Psalm

107

the last

verse

verse 43

let all

the wise

take note

and learn

the Lord's

love

does not

cease.

The wise

take heed

of the

Lord's

love.

the fool

just

looks

to

himself.

So we

have to

be careful

of the

abundance

of good

things that

we have

that we

don't lose

sight of

what is

truly

important.

A

preacher

called

George

Truitt

in

America

in the

early

1900s.

He was

quite a

famous

preacher

in his

time.

And he

was

alongside

all kinds

of different

people

ministering

around

Texas.

Texas

was quite

a wealthy

place

at the

time.

The oil

had started

flowing and

there was

so much

money and

wealth in

that place

at the

time.

And he

got invited

along to

a very

wealthy

man's

home in

Texas.

And they

enjoyed a

meal together

and after

the meal

the host

led George

outside and

he started

looking around

and showing

him all

that he

had.

He

pointed in

one

direction

and there

was the

oil wells

that were

producing

the oil

at that

time where

his wealth

was coming

from.

And he

said 25

years ago

I had

nothing.

Now all

that you

see is

mine.

He looked

in another

direction

where herds

of cattle

were and

bragged

they're all

mine.

He looked

another

direction and

looked to

the fields

that were

full of

grain.

that's

all

mine.

He

looked in

the last

direction

and saw

the forest

behind him

and says

that's

all mine

too.

And he

paused

expecting

George

through it

to have

something

to say

to him

in a way

of

congratulations

on making

so much

wealth

for himself.

But instead

George put

his hand

on his

shoulder

with one

hand and

pointed up

towards the

heaven

with the

other

and he

said to

the man

what do

you have

in that

direction?

And the

man's

head hung

and he

confessed

I hadn't

thought

about that.

He had

everything as

he looked

around.

Plenty

of wealth.

In his

own eyes

everything he

needed.

But the

most important

thing

was missing.

What did

he have

in the

heavens?

He was

a fool

too

because he

had no

consideration

of that.

So as

we think

of all

that we

have

we have

much

to give

thanks for.

Let us

not lose

sight

of the

Lord.

Let us

not lose

sight

of our

soul

that is

so precious

above

everything

else.

Too

much

distracts.

But as

you go

on in

this we

see too

that we

could think

too little

can leave

us in

despair.

And Jesus

turns his

focus now

to his

followers and

especially

the disciples

after he's

explained

this

parable to

them as

he spoke

in this

parable

to them.

In verse

22 down

to verse

34 it's

headed there

do not

be anxious.

so the

opposite

problem

of having

too much

is worrying

that we've

got too

little.

You see

greed can

never have

enough

but worry

is afraid

it will

never have

enough

either.

Greed can

never have

enough

worry is

afraid it

will never

have enough.

And so

worry is

something that

can come

quite naturally

to us.

We think

we're

anxious

about

our

harvest

we're

anxious

about

what

we have

we don't

have

enough

we're

struggling

and when

you think

of the

disciples

here we

know that

they had

left

everything.

In Mark

Mark 10:28

chapter 10

verse 28

Peter said

to Jesus

we have

left

everything

to follow

you.

So they

had left

behind so

much and

they didn't

have a lot.

They wandered

around village

to village

town to

town

sometimes

going

hungry.

But what

Jesus says

to them

is do

not worry.

Do not

worry.

It's easier

said than

done isn't

it if we're

struggling.

Do not

worry.

But Jesus

here reminds

them why

they should

not worry.

We can

give thanks

for all the

Lord has

given us in

the past

year.

And can

we honestly

say that

God

has failed

us.

Is there

a point

where you

say God

let me

down.

We can

probably say

it of

ourselves

in the

sense of

I have

failed

the Lord.

But can

we say

the Lord

has failed

me.

We might

find ourselves

in situations

where we

don't

understand.

We find

hard.

But the

God

that we

read of

in the

scriptures

he

doesn't

fail

us.

Because

he says

I will

never

leave you.

I will

always

be with

you.

And so

as you

go through

verse 23

down to

verse 34

Jesus is

here explaining

reasons we

have not

to worry

not to be

anxious.

In verse

23 it

says for

life is

more than

food and

the body

more than

clothing.

Jesus is

saying here

do not

be

anxious

because

life is

so much

more than

this.

It's not

all about

what you

eat or

what you

wear or

all of

these

things.

That's

not what's

important.

Don't

be anxious

about that.

Then in

verse 24

he says

consider

the ravens

they neither

sow nor

reap.

They have

neither

storehouse nor

barn and

yet God

feeds them.

Of how

much more

value are

you then

than the

birds?

God

views his

people as

so important

as so

precious to

him.

You are

much more

valuable to

him than

all the

birds.

And so

he's saying

do not be

anxious.

I care

for you.

I love

you.

And then

he speaks

about our

lives.

In verse

25,

which of

you by

being anxious

can add a

single hour

to a

span of

life?

If then

you are

not able

to do a

smaller thing

as that,

why are

you anxious

about the

rest?

We cannot

add to

our lives.

We worry

about our

lives,

maybe worry

about getting

older.

All of

these things

can cause

anxiety.

But God

is saying

do not

be anxious.

You cannot

change that.

You cannot

add to

your

life span,

but he

is in

control.

So we

trust him.

Then it

goes on

in verse

27.

He speaks

there of

the lilies.

Consider the

lilies,

how they

grow.

They

neither

toil

nor

spin.

Yet

I tell

you,

even

Solomon

in all

his

glory

was

not

arrayed

like

one

of

these.

The

Lord

has

so many

precious

things in

this world.

He says

consider the

lilies.

Look at

the

lilies.

How

beautiful

they

are.

And

how

precious

we

are

to

him.

These

lilies

have a

glory

to

them.

And

the

Lord

is

saying

do

not

be

anxious

because

when

you're

trusting

in

me

you

have

a

glory

that's

mine

as

well.

And

he

goes

on

then

to

speak

of

the

care

that

he

takes

in

verse

28.

But

if

God

so

clothes

the

grass

which

is

alive

in

the

field

today

and

tomorrow

is

thrown

into

the

oven

how

much

more

will

he

clothe

you

or

you

of

little

faith.

Is

that

us?

Are

we

those

of

little

faith?

Are

we

trusting

!

God

who

provides

for

us

to

clothe

us

to

feed

in

all

of

these

things.

Then

in

verse

30

he

says

for

all

the

nations

of

the

world

seek

after

these

things

and

your

father

knows

that

you

need

them.

God

knows

everything

that

we

need

and

he

provides

he

will

give

it

to

us

as

we

need

but

he

gives

it

to

us

as

we

seek

his

kingdom

first

verse

31

instead

seek

his

kingdom

and

all

these

things

will

be

added

to

you.

So

he's

reminding

us

here

to

trust

him.

It's

not to

say

that

we

get

everything

that

we

desire

but

that

he'll

give

us

what

we

need.

If

you

read

Alistair

Begg's

online

daily

reading

today

was

a

great

reminder

in

the

midst

of

Thanksgiving

!

Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

and

he

quoted

verse

17

and

18

from

Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

which

says

though

the

fig

trees

should

not

blossom

nor

fruit

beyond

the

vines

the

produce

of

the

olive

fail

and

the

fields

yield

no

food

the

flock

be

cut

off

from

the

fold

and

there

be

no

herd

in

the

stalls

yet

I

will

rejoice

in

the

Lord

I

will

take

joy

in

the

God

of

my

salvation

as

the

beg

went

on

to

say

this

on

that

verse

Habakkuk

was

imagining

a

situation

that

would

amount

to

great

devastation

for

an

agricultural

society

no

fruit

no

fruit

produce

yields

flocks

or

herds

meant

a

completely

broken

economy

and a

chronic

shortage

of

food

yet

Habakkuk

says

that

even

if

confronted

with

that

scenario

our

greatest

concern

should be

neither

pestilence

nor

plague

but that

the work

of God

would be

revived

ultimately

Habakkuk

said

he would

be found

singing

trusting

the

sovereign

work

of the

Lord

the

God

of

salvation

was

all

he

needed

for

joy

it

doesn't

depend

on the

abundance

of

great

possessions

but that

our joy

is in

the

Lord

and that

he is

the one

who has

blessed

us

maybe

we feel

a sense

of fear

and

anxiety

about

the

future

about

what

lies

ahead

but

even

in

that

we

don't

want

little

to

leave

us

in

despair

but

to

see

that

God

cares

and

God

knows

so

he

says

do

not

be

anxious

so

too

much

can

distract

too

little

can

leave

us

despairing

but

thirdly

in

this

we

see

that

God

gives

us

what

we

need

he

gives

us

what

we

need

as

Jesus

rounds

off

this

section

he

does

by

reminding

us

what

is

of

greatest

importance

and

should

be

our

greatest

delight

in

life

to

be

part

of

the

kingdom

of

God

fear

not

it

says

in

verse

32

little

flock

for

it

is

your

father's

good

pleasure

to

give

you

the

kingdom

he

gives

what

we

truly

need

the

fool

who

wanted

to

build

bigger

barns

his

soul

was

required

of

him

the

one

who

is

anxious

we

can

have

a

sense

of

despair

and

lose

sight

of

God

but

Jesus

here

is

teaching

us

keep

our

eyes

on

what

is

important

fix

our

eyes

on

him

and

his

kingdom

because

that

is

the

most

precious

thing

of

all

and

he

goes

on

to

describe

it

in

the

way

of

our

treasure

he

says

in

the

middle

of

verse

33

that

there

are

money

bags

that

do

not

grow

old

with

a

treasure

in

the

heavens

that

does

not

fail

where

no

thief

approaches

and

no

moth

destroys

so

we

have

something

that

God

is

able

to

give

and

it's

not

the

abundance

of

possessions

that

counts

it's

this

treasure

in

heaven

but

he

leaves

them

with

a

challenge

in

verse

34

where

your

treasure

is

there

will

your

heart

be

also

and

so

where

is

our

heart

where

is

our

treasure

tonight

are

we

looking

for

the

abundance

of

possessions

are

we

anxious

in

little

things

or

are

we

seeking

first

the

kingdom

of

God

that

adds

everything

else

for

us

where

your

treasure

is

there

your

heart

will

be

also

David

gives

us

a

great

lesson

in

Psalm

37

about

this

and

he

says

in

verse

3

set

thou

thy

trust

upon

the

Lord

and

be

thou

doing

good

and

so

thou

in

the

land

shalt

dwell

and

verily

have

food

delight

thyself

in

God

he'll

give

thy

heart's

desire

to

thee

thy

way

to

God

commit

him

trust

it

bring

to

pass

shall

he

there

is

wisdom

for

us

trust

the

Lord

do

good

delight

thyself

in

God

trust

him

he'll

bring

it

to

pass

as

we

give

thanks

to

God

for

a

harvest

as

we

give

thanks

to

God

for

all

that

we've

enjoyed

from

his

hand

in

this

past

year

let's

not

be

distracted

by

too

much

let's

not

be

anxious

in

too

little

but

let

us

trust

the

Lord

let

us

continue

to

do

good

for

he

will