Life Is More: Consider the Flowers | Part 2

Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast.

We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for tuning in.

Last week, like Dave said, we kicked off a brand new series, Life is More, the surprising paradox of abundant living.

And we asked this question: how do you end up with more of what really matters in life?

Or the way Jesus would ask it, is like, how do you take hold of life that is truly life?

And Jesus said this.

We studied the parable of the rich fool, that there's actually more to life than having more in life.

And we all know this, we get this.

And the reason why is actually that life is more than just here and now.

There's far more to you than just a body.

In fact, we said it this way, or Dallas Willard did, said that you are a spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe.

That is your reality.

And what we do with our time on this planet here and now matters and impacts all of eternity.

And Jesus would say that a lifestyle of generosity is actually how we invest eternally.

And so this week we're going to continue and pick up Jesus' sermon.

But before we do, I just wanted to begin because as I just kind of sat with that phrase, life is more, there's some words that just began to kind of bubble up.

And I thought maybe these same words might be bubbling up for you.

Because when I feel life is more, maybe this is how you feel as well, that life is just more busy, isn't it?

Like, doesn't it seem like we didn't we make some commitments to ourselves that once the COVID like uh like shelter in place and like we're not gonna get back to as crazy as it was?

But doesn't it sometimes feel like we're busier than we were before?

It's just so busy.

And I mean in Silicon Valley, we're we wear busyness as a badge of honor.

How are you today?

Busy, I know, I got it.

Life is more busy, life is more uncertain, isn't it?

Doesn't it feel like life is more uncertain than ever?

We got wars going on, we got threats and rumors of wars, we have uh all that's happening in our political world right now.

Um, the economy, um, our there's a reception that's been looming and it just looms.

It's like the it's just out there, it's like the storm that doesn't quite come in, but it's just out there, and it's so uncertain what's gonna happen.

And as a result, I think uh life feels more chaotic, doesn't it?

Less settled.

It's just feel like there's a sense of uh maybe frenetic energy that is just chaos.

And at the end of it, and in fact, in our survey, many of you said this that life is more anxiety filled.

Just anxious because it's more busy, it's more uncertain, it's more chaotic, and so it's just anxiety filled.

It just feels like, gosh, I my heart rate is beating, and I don't know how to slow it down.

My mind is spinning, and I can't quite get it to stop.

And then there's the other side of life is more, and that's where many of us I think are, but then there's the other side of what we want, long for, that life is more meaningful.

That's what we're hoping that we want to learn from Jesus is like how do we experience that meaningful, purposeful life, like like the beautiful life.

Life is more fulfilling.

Or you're just not going through the motion, zeking through the day, like we said last week, ever striving, never arriving, but it's actually more deeply enriching and fulfilling, and life is more as a result, enjoyable.

In uh the Jews had this saying in the Hebrew scriptures, it it's it's the Hebrew word shalom.

It's it's the sense of well-being.

The the place of where your heart is at rest and there's peace.

It's not just the lack of strife and anxiety, it is the full presence of God's peace in a way where you are able to be present and simply enjoy what God has provided.

Or life then, as Jesus would say, is more abundance.

And that was his promise, right?

I have come that you have may have life, and life what?

More abundantly.

But if we're honest, if we're really honest in Silicon Valley, most of us do not experience the abundant life that Jesus is offering.

And if we're if I'm honest, I can honestly say that I I can bend so much to the left side and look to the right as if, yeah, one day, someday.

Maybe is that what retirement's for?

Right?

That yeah, I that's not just what retirement's for.

I have to make enough money to get there one day.

That's what we believe.

And in fact, what Jesus is gonna say is just so powerful.

And it's actually so incredibly clear.

It's this is so powerful.

I remember when I was studying, and it's the sermon Jesus gave also in the Sermon on the Mount.

Um, and I remember when I was studying this passage, I I've dealt deeply with anxiety and depression over the course of my adult life.

And isn't it funny that um like the more you have, it doesn't like take away anxiety, it produces more anxiety because why?

You have more to worry about.

Um, that's why when you get the new car, you're more worried.

The old car you didn't care, you know, who you parked it anywhere.

The new car, you're like, don't scratch it, right?

Because the more you have, the more you have to worry about.

I remember when we had kids, all of a sudden my anxiety shot through the roof.

I was that guy that was staring in the backyard, my mind was spinning at in the middle of the night, searching for people who weren't there, they're weren't going to break in, but I couldn't get my mind to stop.

And it was just fear was dominating.

And I remember just simply studying, sitting in this passage, changed my relationship to anxiety.

The very words of Jesus so powerful and so clear.

And what I want to do in our time when we are gonna kind of exposit the scriptures, explain the scriptures, is actually do something very ancient together.

And it's it comes out of the benedictine order of a way of praying through scripture.

And I believe Jesus' words are so clear and so powerful, they just need to be read.

And so what we're gonna do for the next several minutes is a practice called Lectio Divina.

And what I want to do is take you through a process where you don't just hear me explain God's word, you just get to hear Jesus' words, Jesus' sermon for yourself, and then get to hear it again, and then get to hear it again.

And it's this process by which we meditate on God's word, and I'm gonna give you a prompt and then some space, and then I'm gonna read slowly through the scripture, and then give you time to wrestle, and then I'll give you another prompt, and then I'm gonna read again slowly through the scripture, and we're gonna invite the Holy Spirit to speak to us.

He wants to speak to you right now.

He wants to speak to you out of his word to you in a very specific way that will not only encourage, it will convict and will call you into that side of more meaning and purpose and fulfillment and enjoyment and away from the busy and the chaos and all the rest.

And then after we're done, I'm gonna read it three times.

I'm just gonna close this with a point and then we're gonna partake in communion together.

Alright?

Does that sound like a plan?

So, what I want you to do is I want you to get settled.

If you're comfortable, just go ahead and put two feet on the ground.

Get comfortable.

Invite Robbie to just begin to play some light music.

Take a deep breath in.

Take another deep breath in.

Begin to quiet your mind, settle your soul.

For many, this might be the very first time you've had to stop and just be.

And it is in the quiet, in the stillness, where the spirit of God speaks.

And so, right now, would you welcome the Spirit of God and invite Him to speak to you.

Maybe that the Holy Spirit highlights to you.

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.

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

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.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the wildflowers grow.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God's 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?

And do not set your hearts on what you'll eat or drink.

Do not worry about it.

For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them, but seek first his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Do not be afraid, little flock.

For your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fill, where no thief comes near and no moth destroy.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be awesome.

Luke twelve, twenty-two through thirty-four.

What are you saying?

I want you to pay attention to what emotions and what feelings are arising within you.

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, for life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

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.

Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to your life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the wildflowers grow.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that's 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?

Oh, you of little faith.

And do not set your heart on what you'll eat or drink, do not worry about it.

For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them.

But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out.

A treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes nearer and no moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also read it a third and final time.

Jesus, what are you calling me to do?

What emotions are arising?

Ask the question, Jesus, what are you asking me to do with what I've just heard?

How am I to respond to your word and to your teaching to walk in your ways?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you'll eat, or about your body, what you'll wear.

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Consider to 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?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the wildflowers crop.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that's 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?

And do not set your heart on what you'll eat or drink, do not worry about it.

For the pagan world runs after such things, and your father knows that you need them, but seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroy.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Bobby's just gonna sing over you a little bit right now as you bring to God as He's spoken to you that this is what I'm gonna do in response to your word If he dresses the live with beauty and splendor How much more will he clothe you how much more will he clothe you if he watches over every spell How much more does he love you How much more does he love you if he dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor How much more will he clothe you how much more will he clothe you if he watches over every sparrow how much more does he love you how much more does he love Jesus we thank you for your tender care we thank you that you are our provider We thank you that you didn't just leave us here to try to figure out how to do life, but you are life.

And you simply said follow me.

And so Father, I pray for my friends as we've just sat in your teaching, under your word, with your spirit, would you give us the wisdom to know what to do and then the courage to do it.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

I want to encourage you, as I believe for many of you, Spirit of God highlighted something.

Write it down.

Write it down.

Write it down, and then as you go to brunch or lunch or some with a friend or uh maybe a spouse or someone, share what God's was showing you.

And then take the next step.

I told you I wanted to close just simply with uh how do we get the life is more in a point from here?

And from this text, one of the things that we see is that actually generosity and a lifestyle of generosity, what we talked about last week, is actually this pathway to truly enjoying what God has provided.

It's the paradox to abundant living, friends.

We think when we get more, then we'll be able to truly enjoy it, and we keep accumulating, and we're more miserable.

You know, I was sick all week long, and so you know what happens when you're sick.

Um you watch uh the today show.

Um and so as home sick, I flipped onto today's show, and it said that in America consumer debt is at an all-time high, at$1.8 trillion.

What's interesting is life is more busy, life is more uncertain, life is more chaotic, and life is more anxiety-filled, and our antidote to it is spend more on ourselves.

And it's producing things in us.

It's producing anxiety and stress and angst, and it's killing your soul.

The paradox to abundant living is a lifestyle of generosity where we recognize that wherever our money goes, wherever our treasure goes, our heart follows.

And when I begin to say, this is not mine, but God, this is yours, and I give it back to you, and I honor you first with all that I have, and I begin to look around and say, God, you've given me a lot so that I can give a lot.

You've placed me on this planet to be a light and a resource to everyone around me.

Then you begin to experience the life that is truly life.

And here's what's fascinating.

Jesus spoke these words 2,000 years ago.

The best research of our day says exactly the same thing.

Christian Smith, Hillary Davidson's, they're sociologists at Notre Dame, they wrote this book called The Paradox of Generosity.

They did a multidisciplinary study.

Uh, and it was over a five-year the scientific research behind generosity.

This is their conclusion.

If Americans want to be happier, healthier people who live with greater purpose, suffer less depression, enjoy more personal growth, one way they might better accomplish that is to learn to be more generous.

The scientific evidence shows clearly that more generous people are doing significantly better in their lives in many ways.

Important ways.

Life is more.

What we do with what we have and how we steward it is going to determine how you fill in that blank.

More meaningful, more chaotic, more anxiety-filled.

Because it determines where our heart is, who has our heart, and whether we really trust Him to be the God who provides all that we have.

And by the way, generosity is the default of God.

That's why we're going to partake in communion is the way we experience eternal life, life abundantly, is because of God's generosity.

John 3.16, the most famous verse in the world, is for God so loved the world that he gave.

An act of giving, an act of sacrifice.

The way we say it at awakening is we believe the church should unleash extravagant generosity to a hurting and broken world because we have an extravagantly generous God.

He who did not spare his own son, but graciously gave him up for us all.

How will he not, along with him, give us all things?

And so, as we close our time, I want to bring you to the table.

I want to bring you to the table of God's generosity for you, his lavish love for you poured out to remind you that God's disposition towards you is not withholding, but he has given his very self for you.

And then for us to simply take the little words, the little application that he showed you in our time together, and make that your prayer, and then make that your practice this week.

Jesus, thank you for this time together.

Thank you for the moment that your word is powerful.

Thank you that you came for us because you loved us.

You loved us before we were lovable.

And you wanted us long before we ever wanted you.

And so we remind ourselves of your great love and generosity.

In Jesus' name.

And hey, we'd love to connect with you.

Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.