Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “Don’t Be Anxious About Your Life” by Brian Dunkel
• Sermon: “Give Without Fear” by John Piper
• Sermon: “ ‘If Anyone Would Come After Me, He Must…’ Seek His Kingdom” by Alistair Begg
• Conference Breakout Session: “Materialism, Money, and Me Culture” by Jen Oshman

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training Podcast. Today we are in Unit 24, Session 5: He Teaches on Worry; with the core passage of Luke 12:22-34 and with the key concept of: We need not worry because God takes care of us and provides for our needs.

Right before our core passage, Jesus was confronted by a man from the crowd who tried to tell Jesus to help him settle a dispute with his brother about an inheritance in Luke 12:13 which Jesus denied. Jesus then told the crowds there to watch against greed and told them a short parable about a rich man who builds bigger barns for his goods, but then he dies and what he put his security in could not save him.

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and told them, “Therefore I tell you.” Let’s stop there first. That “therefore” informs us that this is a continuation of Jesus’s warning against storing up treasure for oneself and being “not rich toward God” from v. 21. So Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you,” to His disciples, “don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear” in v. 22; that’s the main idea right there. This message is especially poignant for His disciples who have left everything to follow Jesus. Worry would be natural. Then He gave a reason: “23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.”

How are greed and worry connected? Greed is a sinful desire for more than God has provided and a tendency to place our trust in possessions rather than in Him. But greed can be tricky because many of us may not think we’re greedy because it’s not like we want to be multi-millionaires or anything. But the reality is, we do strive for a certain amount that we think would give us stability and security. In so doing, we worry when that amount is not reached. Yes, we should be fiscally responsible, but we should watch our hearts and motives carefully that it doesn’t fall into greed. The Gospel Project Commentary on page 161 also states: “What [the disciples] feared was that they would not have enough. From that perspective, we can see that worry and greed are interwoven. We see this example in the Old Testament when God gave instructions for the people to gather manna” in Exodus 16, to not gather more than needed.

Back to the passage, Jesus then gave two illustrations. First, “24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them.” Jesus referred back to His previous parable comparing the fact that the rich man felt he had to build a bigger barn to keep his goods safe, to make sure he had enough and felt rich enough. Jesus mentioed that in contrast, the ravens, they don’t even have to work like the rich man, they neither sow nor reap; “They don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them.” God sovereignly cares for His creation, including the ravens. Jesus’s point is not that His followers will never experience hardship or material need, but that they can trust the Father, who knows their needs and remains faithful in every circumstance. So Jesus reasoned with three questions: “Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?” The assumed answer is yes; we, God’s unique created beings, are worth more than the birds. Human beings possess a distinctive dignity because God created us in His image, and Jesus assures His disciples that they matter deeply to their Father. “25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?” The answer is no, worrying cannot add a moment to our lives. “26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?” And the answer is, we thus shouldn’t worry.

Jesus’s second illustration starts with the same “consider”: “27 Consider how the wildflowers grow.” Jesus first pointed to our need for daily sustenance, for food and showed how we don’t need to worry about it because the God who feeds the birds will give us our daily sustenance to live. Second, Jesus used the wildflowers to address our worry about clothing, another basic human need. The illustration may also challenge our preoccupation with outward appearances, but its central emphasis is the Father’s attentive care. The wildflower,  “they don’t labor or spin thread.” They don’t work for it. “Yet I tell you, not even in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.” Solomon was renowned for extraordinary wealth and splendor, yet Jesus said that even Solomon’s finest clothing did not equal the beauty God gives the flowers. Jesus said even with all his riches, the wildflowers are even more beautifully presented. And with a similar reasoning through questions, Jesus asked, “28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you ​— ​you of little faith?” In other words, if God clothes and displays to the world the grass and wildflowers of the earth, things that are disposable, with such beauty, how much more will He do the same for us His creation and His people? And when we worry about our appearances, we show a lack of faith in the almighty Creator.

Where in creation do you see reminders of God’s daily provision? Answers can include: the rain and sun providing for crops, or the beauty of a rainbow, or how the ecosystem works so logically, among other answers.

Jesus again repeated His main point, similar to verse 22, but now in verse 29: “29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious.” Why? “30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.” The Gentile world, the world that doesn’t know God, literally, “the nations of the world” eagerly seeks, also strives after or longs for, these things. And to His disciples, Jesus stated, “your Father knows that you need them;” God knows our needs already and He will provide for our needs. We are not to be like the world who “seeks all these things” (material comfort and beautiful appearances), but instead, we are to “seek his kingdom,” striving for God’s will and reign in the world, like how we remember our prayer for His kingdom to come. For when we do, “these things will be provided for you.” As we seek the Father’s kingdom, we will see how the Father provides, even so much more than we can imagine.

 “32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.” We are to stop worrying, stop being afraid of the future and of a lack that may or may not come. Not only God, and not only the Father, but “our Father delights to give” us the kingdom. God not only provides but He wants to, He delights in, providing for us because He is a good, good Father. He not only provides for us, but He gives us the kingdom. It’s interesting to note here the connection from the Lord’s Prayer, that “Give us each day our daily bread” follows “Your kingdom come.”

So the practical application from Jesus: “33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” As we seek the Father’s kingdom, He loosens the grip that worry and greed have on our hearts and enables us to hold our possessions with open hands. Jesus calls His disciples to generous, sacrificial care for the poor rather than trusting in material wealth for security. The final illustration: “Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” If you’re going to store something, store that which is spiritual treasure in heaven. It won’t grow old, it’s ever-flowing, it cannot be stolen or destroyed. It is kingdom treasure, things of God that no one can take from you. Connecting it back to Jesus’s parable of the rich man, Jesus contrasted the rich man’s large newly built barns with smaller money-bags that hold spiritual treasures of the kingdom. The man thought he had security with his goods in his barns, but he dies with nothing. But with spiritual money-bags filled with eternal treasures of the kingdom, even if we die, it will not be taken from us. So we invest in spiritual, eternal, kingdom items and let go of our material desire, because we know what will last.

“34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What you value as treasure will be where you spend your time, money, and resources.

What are some areas of life where worry is taking the place of faith? For some it might be where to live, whether to buy a new car, what job to take, where to spend money. These are areas of worry.

How does generosity combat worry and cultivate trust in God’s provision? Generosity helps expose our tendency to treat money as our ultimate security. As we give wisely, willingly, and sacrificially, we acknowledge that everything belongs to God and learn to trust His fatherly care. Our giving also allows us to serve others and experience the joy of participating in God’s work.

As the Gospel Connection states: Jesus is the great provider. He takes care of all our needs, especially our need to be rescued from sin, guilt, and death. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we are forgiven and have new life through Him.

On to the Group Experience, prepare ahead of time a group of small items for the icebreaker mentioned on the top of page 156 of the Leader Guide. Relate carrying those items with the idea of carrying burdens through worry.  Transition with the idea that carrying worries and burdens can be a burden.

Move to the Context seen in earlier verses of Luke 12. Recap with going through the passage for those unable to prepare beforehand and ask what stood out to your group and why.

Move on to the Group Activity, recreating the chart, Where Is Your Treasure? on a board. Have someone read Luke 12:22-28.  Then have the group identify earthly worries that we might have, like to move to a bigger house or not, to choose a higher paying job or not, to buy a new car, to go on vacation or not, etc. Write these in the bottom row. Discuss: “What are some commonalities among these earthly concerns? Maybe they’re for comfort or pleasure or appearances or to keep up with the Joneses. “Are any of them inherently sinful in and of themselves?” No, unless they become idols. “Why does Jesus connect worry over food and clothing with having ‘little faith’?” Because God is a provider and He is good to His people. When we are consumed by worry, it may reveal that we are struggling to trust God’s goodness, wisdom, and faithful care.

Then have someone else read Luke 12:29-34. In the first row on the chart, define what it means to store your treasure in heaven. Examples can be that it means believing and acting in such a way that your heart is focused first on God’s will and His heavenly reward. Or it can mean, investing in kingdom purposes, things that truly matter and are eternal; in other words, spending your time, resources, and money more on ministries and things that God call us to, rather than on things that are temporary. Or simply seeking God first before we spend our resources to make sure our motives are right and pure and in God’s will. Ask, “Why does Jesus encourage His followers not to worry about our physical needs and instead to store up treasure in heaven?” It’s eternal. It will last. Earthly possessions are temporary, but what is done in faith for God’s kingdom has eternal significance. We do not earn salvation or place God in our debt through generosity; rather, generous living demonstrates that our hope and treasure are in Him.

Display Pack Item 14: Seek His Kingdom to help the group visualize our potential barriers and the proper goals for our treasure. Discuss and fill out the “Barriers” box as noted at the top of p. 158. Then fill out the “Ways you can store your treasure in heaven” box with possible answers on p. 158 as well.

Debrief with: How do the promises and character of God help us battle against worry and focus our hearts on what matters in eternity? God’s plan is perfect and His promise of future glory reminds us that our current worries and problems are temporary. Like Romans 8:18 states, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Knowing this helps us battle against worry. God is a good God and will provide for His people according to His perfect plan.

Summarize and highlight the Heart question if time is limited: What does your pursuit of treasures, whether on earth or in heaven, reveal about the focus of your heart? If we are honest, our hearts may be a mix of both foci. We will worry about things, material things. But as we mature spiritually, the Spirit teaches us to respond to worry by returning to God’s character, promises, and kingdom purposes. We may still experience anxious thoughts, but we increasingly learn to entrust our needs to the Father, rather than allowing fear to govern us. As we grow spiritually, we will seek more of God’s heart and His kingdom purposes beyond our own personal desires.

Move to Next Steps, as additional application points and end with prayer requests and praises, praying through Psalm 23 if time permits.

Hey, thanks for joining me on another Leader Training podcast. Reach me at [email protected] and hope you have a great group time!