The First Article: God Provides For Me
Sermon
What's That Supposed To Mean?
Using The Catechism In The 21st Century
Object:
The Apostles' Creed -- the first article
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God ... has given me ... also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger, and guards and protects me from all evil.
"God richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life." Do you really believe that? After all, there are Christians in Somalia and Ethiopia and other places in the world starving to death right now. There are Christians in India and Africa who are wearing the same outfit they have been wearing for the last three years. Locally, grain is still selling for the same price it was fifty years ago. How can a farmer make a profit? Who's going under this year? Children in school are bothered because they can't talk the folks into buying designer jeans. "I can't go to school dressed like this! I look like a beggar." Where I came from, we used to talk about keeping up with the Joneses. If the Joneses got a new car, everyone had to get one. If they got a color television, everyone had to get one. Otherwise people would think you were poor. In the city, unlike the rural areas, it's socially unacceptable to look cheap. Fear of poverty has created a welfare state. Do you know who gets the most welfare? The middle class! The middle class allows itself to be taxed silly so we can have entitlements, farm programs, and other social welfare benefits.
This reminds me of a poem: Said the Robin to the Sparrow: "There is one thing I would really like to know, Why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so." Said the Sparrow to the Robin: "Friend, I think that it must be, That they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me."
Jesus promised that our heavenly Father will take care of us. "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." When He first came to this world nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus was showing how God wants to take care of us. First, He wants to get rid of the sin that curses us to death. To those who seek the righteousness of God, He promises all the food and protection they will need.
Dr. Martin Luther teaches us to say, "I believe that God has given me also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil." The same God who sent Jesus to remove our sins, for Jesus' sake gives us all the good things we need to survive until Jesus comes again to take us to Himself.
The money and property you possess come from God, not from you. Two farmers can work just as hard, plant the same seed, use the same fertilizer, have the same soil, get the same amount of rain and still not harvest the same crop: one can get hailed out while the other doesn't. Same with those who punch a time clock. The doors of your shop could be closed tomorrow. God can work things so that you don't have a job there anymore -- it happens every day. Don't count on things always being the way they have been. God may decide that the table He wants to put your food on will be in a different part of the country than where you now live. He may decide to dress you better or worse than what you are wearing now simply by arranging for you to have a different job, or no job at all.
But the same Father who sees to it that Jesus Christ takes care of your soul, will see to it that your body is cared for until Jesus can come again to get and take you to where He will provide eternal room and board. The heavenly Father who sees to it that birds are fed and who dresses weeds better than kings will do at least that much for you. If He spent the life of His Son to save your soul, won't He richly take care of your body, according to what He thinks you need! We don't have to worry about our standard of living! A man who has a layover at an airport does not go into the bathroom, frown at its decor, and start redecorating! Why? Because he doesn't live there. He has a home in another place. While he is away he will get by with only what he absolutely needs, to have more money with which to furnish his permanent home. Why do we Christians work hard at trying to make our life in this world more comfortable? This life is like the airport and we are on our way home. We should spend our energy on getting ready for our eternal reward, and not worry so much about the bare walls in the airport restrooms of this temporary life.
Prayer: Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for worrying about what we shall eat or drink or what we shall wear. Forgive us for confusing what we need with what we would like to have. Help us believe that for Your sake, the heavenly Father will provide all that we need to support our body and life, that He will protect us from evil and harm. When we don't get what we think we should have, help us be thankful for what we do have. Fill us with Your Spirit so we will be able to wait patiently in this life until You return to take us into the next life. Amen.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God ... has given me ... also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger, and guards and protects me from all evil.
"God richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life." Do you really believe that? After all, there are Christians in Somalia and Ethiopia and other places in the world starving to death right now. There are Christians in India and Africa who are wearing the same outfit they have been wearing for the last three years. Locally, grain is still selling for the same price it was fifty years ago. How can a farmer make a profit? Who's going under this year? Children in school are bothered because they can't talk the folks into buying designer jeans. "I can't go to school dressed like this! I look like a beggar." Where I came from, we used to talk about keeping up with the Joneses. If the Joneses got a new car, everyone had to get one. If they got a color television, everyone had to get one. Otherwise people would think you were poor. In the city, unlike the rural areas, it's socially unacceptable to look cheap. Fear of poverty has created a welfare state. Do you know who gets the most welfare? The middle class! The middle class allows itself to be taxed silly so we can have entitlements, farm programs, and other social welfare benefits.
This reminds me of a poem: Said the Robin to the Sparrow: "There is one thing I would really like to know, Why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so." Said the Sparrow to the Robin: "Friend, I think that it must be, That they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me."
Jesus promised that our heavenly Father will take care of us. "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." When He first came to this world nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus was showing how God wants to take care of us. First, He wants to get rid of the sin that curses us to death. To those who seek the righteousness of God, He promises all the food and protection they will need.
Dr. Martin Luther teaches us to say, "I believe that God has given me also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil." The same God who sent Jesus to remove our sins, for Jesus' sake gives us all the good things we need to survive until Jesus comes again to take us to Himself.
The money and property you possess come from God, not from you. Two farmers can work just as hard, plant the same seed, use the same fertilizer, have the same soil, get the same amount of rain and still not harvest the same crop: one can get hailed out while the other doesn't. Same with those who punch a time clock. The doors of your shop could be closed tomorrow. God can work things so that you don't have a job there anymore -- it happens every day. Don't count on things always being the way they have been. God may decide that the table He wants to put your food on will be in a different part of the country than where you now live. He may decide to dress you better or worse than what you are wearing now simply by arranging for you to have a different job, or no job at all.
But the same Father who sees to it that Jesus Christ takes care of your soul, will see to it that your body is cared for until Jesus can come again to get and take you to where He will provide eternal room and board. The heavenly Father who sees to it that birds are fed and who dresses weeds better than kings will do at least that much for you. If He spent the life of His Son to save your soul, won't He richly take care of your body, according to what He thinks you need! We don't have to worry about our standard of living! A man who has a layover at an airport does not go into the bathroom, frown at its decor, and start redecorating! Why? Because he doesn't live there. He has a home in another place. While he is away he will get by with only what he absolutely needs, to have more money with which to furnish his permanent home. Why do we Christians work hard at trying to make our life in this world more comfortable? This life is like the airport and we are on our way home. We should spend our energy on getting ready for our eternal reward, and not worry so much about the bare walls in the airport restrooms of this temporary life.
Prayer: Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for worrying about what we shall eat or drink or what we shall wear. Forgive us for confusing what we need with what we would like to have. Help us believe that for Your sake, the heavenly Father will provide all that we need to support our body and life, that He will protect us from evil and harm. When we don't get what we think we should have, help us be thankful for what we do have. Fill us with Your Spirit so we will be able to wait patiently in this life until You return to take us into the next life. Amen.
