Where REAL Safety Lies: Security in Christ

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Turn to Matt. 6:19

The last 18 months have been really tough for me. I was fired. Twice. I put out almost 200 applications through my job search. Many of you have been in a similar situation. Some of you may be in that situation right now.  

Not knowing how you are going pay the bills creates a special kind of stress. It's all-consuming. You eat a meal, portioning it out to see if you can keep enough for another meal. Your kids need something for school and you wonder what else you can cut to provide for them. Our pride often keeps us from sharing our need. We are Americans. We are self-sufficient! I can handle it by myself! We internalize, and the stress and worry just eat away at us.

If that’s the way we feel today in this country, how much greater is the stress in other places and other times? We have food pantries. We have housing vouchers and homeless shelters. We have unemployment. How much more desperate are people without those things? Especially if they are farmers when the next chance for help is a harvest away, months away?

Where do we find security and safety? 

This section in the Sermon on the Mount expands the “give us this day our daily bread” section of the Lord’s prayer

Notice the repetition. Noticing repetition is one of those reading skills we’ve talked about. This is not a student trying to write a 3-page essay and trying to fluff up their 2-page essay. The biblical authors were literary geniuses, writing at a time when it was extremely expensive to write one copy, much less documents like this meant to be copied and studied. In Matthew, every word is carefully, thoughtfully placed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If he repeats something, that is one way he emphasizes a topic. 

Where do we find security and safety? That is a vital question for every person. We have learned that people have a hierarchy of needs. They must have their physical needs met, food, water, shelter. We then move on to safety needs. Do I have to fight to keep my physical needs or can I relax my guard? Trust those around me? Only then, when we can trust, can we turn to our relational needs.

Where do we find security and safety?

Treasures in Heaven 6:19–34 (ESV) 

19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 

20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 

23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 

29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

34“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus really wants you to get this. He wants you to have the right answer to the question and He hammers the answer home.

Where do we find safety and security? It is not here on earth. Time can and nature can destroy what we have. Others can take it. 

Security is not in money or resources, but in relationships. Your job can be wiped out in an instant. Any wealth you have accumulated can disappear quickly.

Through my time job hunting, many of you told me not to worry. You hear that kind of thing a lot, and it feels empty, but these words were followed up with action. They were not empty words. You offered concrete help. I can pay for this. I can help with that. Come visit me and just grieve your loss. Let me help you heal. Anytime the stress felt too much, God reminded me that He was there and He reminded me through his people. 

Security is not in money, but in relationships. This is why people have banded together and formed civilization. We find safety in numbers, in people we can trust.  But history is full of betrayal. Every person in this room could probably tell a story of personal betrayal by someone you thought was a friend. It is hard to trust when you have been betrayed.

Turn to Luke 16:1-13. 

Even the people of this world know it is more about relationships, who you know, than what you have and what you can do. 

This is Luke’s version of the sermon on the mount, sometimes called the sermon on the plain. He highlights some different aspects of Jesus’ teaching. 

Luke gives a parable Jesus shares. highlighting Relationships provide more security than money.

Luke 16:1–13 (LEB)

1And he also said to the disciples, “A certain man was rich, who had a manager. And charges were brought to him that this person was squandering his possessions. (The master was being betrayed by the servant)

2And he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give the account of your management, because you can no longer manage.’ 

3And the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking away the management from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 

His job is gone. He has not saved. His physical body has failed him to produce his own food. His pride keeps him from begging. That’s a lot of problems!

4I know what I should do, so that when I am removed from the management they will welcome me into their homes!’ 

He doesn’t try to steal or convince his master, he invests in relationships

5And he summoned each one of his own master’s debtors and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 

6And he said, ‘A hundred measures of olive oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your promissory note and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 

7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your promissory note and write eighty.’ (The manager is again betraying the master, doubling down on his dishonesty. The manager is going to get what’s coming to him!)

8aAnd the master praised the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly.

Wait, what? He literally just stole from his master, but his master praises him. 

8bFor the sons of this age are shrewder than the sons of light with regard to their own generation. 

9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it runs out they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. 

There is some sarcasm here. Make friends with your unrighteous wealth. The manager and the debtors knew this was not right! They were both being unrighteous, yet the world would call them wise! What will their eternal dwelling be? Hell! There is no lasting safety in bad relationships!

Even the wise lost person uses their money to grow their relationships! You see it done in politics to influence decision makers. You see it in attending conferences to learn a little, but network a lot. 

Money is a thing, it does not care about you! Money has no righteousness, no right relationships with people, because it is a thing! It has no care for others. 

Why are you, a follower of Christ who should be truly wise, not doing the same? Why are you not building relationships you can trust?

10“The one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much. 

11If then you have not been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 

12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you your own? 

Our gifts from God serve as a blessing and sometimes a test. Again echoing the Lord’s prayer, lead us not into temptation, the test. Help me grow my faith without needing the pain of the test! 

Unfortunately, I often need the pain of the test to get my attention. How are we going to use the gifts God has given us? Spiritual gifts, physical gifts, financial gifts, gifts of time, gifts of relationships? Are we going to hoard or are we going to give? Are we going build Godly relationships? Are we going to serve the Kingdom of Heaven?

13No domestic slave is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.”

Luke echoes Matthew’s wording here back in Matt 6 if you want to turn back there. Which can actually provide you safety and security? God or money? 

Money does not provide safety! If you have it, what prevents someone stronger than you from coming and taking it? What prevents the stock market from crashing? What keeps your body strong to keep working? Are you valuing, treasuring the right thing?

Jesus does not define treasures in heaven, but he has given us lots of clues in the sermon. Everything in the Sermon revolves around righteousness, right relationships, with God and man. People are heaven's treasure! Having a relationship brings you all the things we are wrongly seeking through money. Joy, safety, security. Invest in people not things!

Flip to Matt. 15.10

Jesus expounds more on the connection between heart and treasure here. It’s what’s inside that defiles, not what comes into the body. 

Matthew 15:10–20 (ESV)

10And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 

11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 

12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 

13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 

14Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 

15But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 

16And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 

17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 

18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 

19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 

20These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

If our security is on our earthly treasure, it has our heart and we are defiled. Our actions and words will reflect our selfishness. If our treasure is in heaven, our actions and words will reflect the love of others and God, and our desire to be in a right relationship with those around us.

The only place we can find security and safety is in Jesus.  He has shown throughout time that He is faithful and just. He works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. He is worthy of our trust and will never let us down. We then, because of that firm foundation in our relationship with Jesus,  act like Jesus by loving others, becoming a safe place worthy of their trust.

Jesus points out the heart problem seeking money causes through what seems to be a riddle.

Eye is the lamp 6:22–23 (ESV) 

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

We have learned that these are figures of speech. 

Bad eye: Hebrew metaphor for stingy and greedy  Determining what’s a metaphor and what should be taken literally is the greatest challenge when studying the Bible. This is one place where multiple translations help. Reading multiple translations is another study tool. 

Proverbs 22:9 (YLT) 

The good of eye—he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

It includes the word “eye”, which is there in the Hebrew!

Proverbs 22:9 (NIV)

9The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

They do not use the word “eye” to eliminate confusion for English readers who do not get the metaphor. Does that change the meaning of the passage? No! It preserves what the author, what God is trying to communicate! Generosity leads to blessing!

Proverbs 28:22 (NASB95)

22A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him.

Ok. What’s an evil eye? Is he looking at people with meanly? Is it like Mr. Potatohead and his angry eyes? 

Proverbs 28:22 (ESV)

22A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

They do not include the word eye, even though it is in the Hebrew, because it confuses us. They are using English to convey what the author meant.

Here is something a little deeper. This is why pastors are so important. We have the time because of your generous support to do this kind of work.  

Proverbs 22:9 (NKJV) 

9He who has a (tov) eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 28:22 (NASB95)

22A man with an (ra) eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him.

Tov and ra. Does it ring any bells? The tree of tov and ra in the garden.  Are you defining tov and ra for yourself or are you letting God decide tov and ra? 

Are you looking selflessly to be generous (tov) or for what you can selfishly take (ra)?

Jesus is using the eye to describe our spiritual health. When you have cancer, you do not say my skin has cancer or my lungs have cancer. You say I have cancer. One part of your body being sicks affects the entire body. Having a tov or ra eye makes the entire body tov or ra

Tov is light and ra is darkness. We see this connection in Isaiah

Isaiah 5:20 (ESV)

20Woe to those who call evil good (ra, tov) and good evil (tov, ra), who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Light in you is darkness. The good in you is actually bad. You are defining it for yourself. You are wrong. You have deceived yourself and it is hurting you and others.

You are an unlit lamp. You have called bad good and you are wrong! You do not get to decide! 

As a human, you are supposed to send out light! Light of the world earlier in the sermon on the mount. You are supposed to be imaging God to the world, being a city on hill, showing them the tov, the goodness of God!  Why way we do that is through generosity!

You are pretending you have light. You are being a hypocrite! If you pretend you are healthy when you are sick, do you get better? No! You get worse, and quickly because you are not dealing with the problem!  If say I am healthy, who does that help?? If I say I can take care of everything on my own, I do not need help, who does that help?

Prayer is, therefore, the opposite of anxious care, because in prayer man commits the care to God.

You cannot serve good and evil. You cannot serve light and dark. 

24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Serve: literally be a slave to. We’ve all experienced this. Two authority figures in your life give you conflicting orders. Do I listen to mom or dad? Do I do what my boss wants or what my spouse wants? My coach or my teacher? The church or the world? 

This is another common pattern in writing. You will use a negative character to highlight a positive character. Biden and Trump, you decide which is tov and ra. Hitler and Ghandi. Money and God. The contrast highlights how good one is. Money only provides the illusion of control, safety, and security. God owns all the resources. He provides actual safety and security.

Continuing in 25, Therefore. Whenever you see a therefor, stop and ask. What is it “there for”? It is connecting the ideas and bringing them to a conclusion. Money provides no safety. God provides safety.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

Birds, the offering of the poor. Small birds not fit for eating. To the Israelites, they served no purpose other than to bring joy their morning song. You have a greater purpose. You image God!

27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

Does being anxious accomplish anything? Now, we know anxiety and stress actually shorten your life! We actually make our lives worse through worry!

28And why are you anxious about clothing? 

Clothing was often the most valuable item a person owned. They were a status symbol. Are you worried about your status? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 

29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Why are you trying to look good and impress others? Do you think that kind of relationship, that kind of status, will provide safety and security? I’m struggling, but I can’t let anyone know I am struggling. I have to keep up appearances, right? Dress for the job you want, not the job you have, right?

30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

This type of grass is kindling. Animals don’t eat it. Its only purpose was to be destroyed to start something better. If God cares for the most perishable, things designed to be destroyed, how much more for you? You who are made in His image? You who are designed to rule?

31Therefore 

There is another therefore! What is it there for? You are wiser than the lost! You are made in the image of God! Because you are

do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

The Gentiles here means the unrighteous. Those not in a right relationship with God. The world. Do not get caught up in the things of this world. Do not get caught always chasing the promotion. Always chasing the prestige. Always chasing the next thing. God knows what you need! Are you going to trust him? Are you going to trust that God is working for your good, your tov? Or are you going to decide good and bad, tov and ra, for yourself? 

33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

God wants to add good things to you. He wants to bless you! Think back to the Garden of Eden. It was a place of abundance! There was work that we enjoyed doing. There were relationships that mattered and protected us. God wants you to have all that of that and more! God has so much good, so much tov, planned for you that we cannot even imagine it!

Notice it does not say “only seek the kingdom of God”. It says “seek first”. Jesus knows we live in a fallen, broken world. He knows of the curses of the Garden. He knows life is hard. We can do more than one thing at a time. We do more than one thing at a time. I am a father and husband. I am a pastor and an employee. I am a friend and a neighbor. I am a citizen of heaven living in the world. I have to keep my priorities in order. I have to seek first, do the other things, and trust that God will bring me tov.

34“Therefore What’s it therefore?

Because God knows what we need and is faithful to provide

34“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

You do not need to borrow trouble. What if…What if I lose my job…What if I get sick…what if my loved one dies…what if war… Seek first the kingdom of heaven. 

How do we make sure we are using God’s tov and ra and not our own?

Follow the teachings given in the sermon on the Mount! 

Love God and Love others.  

Be generous. Fast. Pray. 

This section of the Sermon is specifically focused on money, so I want to provide a very concrete action to help.

Give money away. Be generous! Offerings overthrow money’s power. Troy story offering overthrowign time’s power. It seduction to hoard and view it as a source of safety and security. Remember we are embodied beings and what we do with our bodies matters! When you give it away, especially when you feel like you need it, you are saying “God, I trust you more than I trust money. I trust the tov you will bring me more than the tov money can bring me.” 

Troy, Ronnie, and I have started talking about membership. What does it mean to be a member? One of the things it means is that you are generous with your gifts whether here at ReDisocver or giving to othes. And it means we will check-in. People normally stop being generous for one of three reasons.

1. They just forgot. This is part of the prophetic call of a pastor. We remind you to do what you already know. If you have stopped being generous, get started! Round up at the drive thru. Make a donation to ministry or non-profit. Give to the church!

2. Life crisis: Sickness, job loss, relationship change. You need the generosity of others! We want to make sure your pride is not keeping you from asking for help.

3. Hurt feelings. You have been offended by someone here, normally me, the pastor. It provides an opportunity for forgiveness and reconciliation so we can be unified in Christ. We can right relationship with each other.  

I think regular giving is a place where the American church has messed up. We have automated our giving. {Sarcams}It’s a blessing to you in the congregation. It helps you not forget. You do not have to think about it. It’s actually a blessing to the organization because it is more reliable. But giving to the church serves more than one purpose, just like we can do more than one thing.  

It supports the church. The building, the opportunity for ministry, it supports me, providing me time to study and bring a message to you. 

But it also is a benefit to you. We want you to think about it!  It is an action that helps you remove the influence of money and place yourself under God’s influence. Every time you write the check, put cash in the offering box, send the Venmo or the Apple pay,round up at the drive through, donate to the food pantry, your actions remind you of your priorities. Seek first the kingdom of Heaven. Seek first the Tov of God. Reject the tov of money, the tov of this world. Don’t set it and forget. Let the physical action help you remember your daily choice to depend for your daily bread. Giving is just as important as praying “Give us this day our daily bread”. Please give generously, whether here at the church or in the community! It is a blessing to you, building your faith, and a blessing to the one who receives it. Trust that God will provide all your needs when you give, even when it feels like you will be left in need.

Let’s stand and pray. His kingdom, His will first. Provide us what we need, our daily bread.