Do you see God primarily as the One you must please or the One who is pleased with you? How you answer that question will determine your relationship with Him and your happiness!

Luke 12:32 (Standalone Message)

Sermon Manuscript:

God’s Pleasure to Give (10/25/15 Standalone)

ATTN: Recently, I was feeling a bit of burnt out, and I knew that what I needed more than anything else is to reconnect to God and feel His pleasure. So, last week, I took a personal retreat for one day and one night to get myself aligned with God. I can’t tell you how refreshing that truly was even though it was only for a day. I read, I prayed, I listened, and one of the sermons I listened to was by Pastor John Piper focusing on one verse and I want to share that with you today. I hope that this verse will energize you and help you living joyfully as it has done for me.

            [32] “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

Context: Jesus said this to his disciples, a small group of followers, who probably had same concerns and worries about life like you and I do. “How am I going to make ends me? How is my family going to be provided for? Will my children be taken care of? What about getting married and raising my own family? Will that ever happen? Will my life count for something or is it going to be another meaningless life lost in the sea of nothingness?” No doubt their lives were filled with worries about the uncertain future, after all, they were under Roman control and one of the reasons they followed Jesus was because they believed Him to be the Messiah who will give them the desires of their hearts. To this, Jesus says “Do not be anxious.” Why? “For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” That’s why.

 

1. “Fear not”

God knows that we fear things since we are not in control of all things like God is. What do we fear? 1) Death. But Jesus would conquer death by dying on the cross and coming back from it. For believers, death is simply a doorway to life with God in paradise forever. So, don’t fear death. 2) We fear having our reputation ruined and losing our job and friends because of something we have done or said. But Jesus says in v. 4, “Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.” What matters in the end what God thinks of us and we will see today that He thinks much of us! 3) We fear not having our daily needs met. Jesus says to this:” [27] 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.” I’m sure God cares for us more than He cares for lilies and if He takes care of lilies, how much more us? 4) but perhaps there is one thing we fear more than anything else. This is what I fear more than anything else. That is, God is not really the kind of God to give us good things – the things that will make us happy. We fear missing out on all the fun in life if we were to commit fully to God. We fear that we won’t really be happy in God because we don’t really trust that God will or can give us what we really want. Isn’t that why so many of us cannot quite commit to God? We straddle the fence between the kingdom of God and kingdom of this world – trying to have best of both worlds in case the other fails? We want to hold onto God just in case there is heaven and hell after all. We don’t want to go to hell forever. But then, we don’t want to fully commit to living God’s way because the world seems to offer something far more than what God has to offer. This fear of God not being able or willing to give us what we want prevents us from fully committing to Him and His body, the church. But look at the rest of the sentence. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He wants to give you more than your heart’s desire! He knows what will make you happy better than you do. He made you! You just want a little cake, but God wants to give you the cake factory! Do not fear God’s intentions or abilities. Trust Him!

2. “good pleasure”

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

– God is pleased to do things for us. He doesn’t do this begrudgingly just because he’s promised. He doesn’t say, “I guess I have to do it for you since I promised it although you really haven’t been good and you don’t deserve it at all!” No! He loves doing things for us like a good and kind father loves doing things for his children.

ILL: I think Janet and I were more excited about our recent Disneyland trip than our kids were. You see, we kept it a secret to them right up until the moment of arrival at Disneyland. We told them that we are going to California to see some family and they didn’t make the connection between SoCal and Disney. My plan was to arrive at Disneyland entrance and turn to our children and say, “Tada! We are at Disneyland! Surprise!” And watch their reaction. But Serrie kind of ruined it because about 2 miles out, she saw a street sign that said, “Disneyland: 2 miles ahead” and she asked, “Daddy, are we going to Disneyland?” At that point, I couldn’t hide it anymore and said “Yes, we are! Surprise!” I think they were more dazed than anything and I don’t think it hit them until later that day.” But the point is that Janet and I as their parents were giddy with anticipation. I loved planning that trip for my family. Every moment of it! I am telling you I’ve spend hours online and in books studying and strategizing so that we don’t spend more than 10 minutes waiting in line for any ride because I wanted so badly for my family to have a great time. It was my pleasure doing that for my loved ones. And I’m a sinful man. An imperfect father. But our heavenly Father is perfect. How much more does He take pleasure in doing good things for His children? Listen to God’s heart for us:

[4] You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

            and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

            and your land Married;

for the LORD delights in you,

            and your land shall be married.

[5] For as a young man marries a young woman,

            so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

            so shall your God rejoice over you.

(Isaiah 62:4-5 ESV)

 

3. “Your Father”

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

One of the goals of being a disciple of Jesus is realigning our concept of the Father. So often those of us who grew up in cultures where the fathers were disciplinarians, harsh, or absent all together, we can’t shake the feeling that God the Father is like that too. So, we either try to appease Him by being good or doing good or some of us give up all together because we are such screw ups that there is no point in trying. ILL: I remember talking to a young lady who used to be in my youth ministry, “Pastor Hong, I’ve gone so far away from God, He will never accept me. I’m beyond hope…. “ I wanted so bad for her to understand that her picture of God is wrong. That’s not the Father portrayed in the Bible.

Who better tell us about the Father than His very own Son? How does Jesus describe His Father? The prodigal son story is the most elaborate and detailed parable Jesus has ever told. And the father in that story which represents God, upon learning his son’s return, forgets all decorum, embarrasses himself before his servants – baring his legs and all – runs toward his son, lunges and hugs him and kisses him all over. He was so overjoyed and overcome with emotions, he spared no money in killing the fattened calf and throwing the party of the century! All for what? For the idiot of a son coming home! It’s not like he has won the war and came home a hero! It’s not that he has succeed in business and came home with lots of money. It’s not even that he had gotten married and brought home beautiful wife and children. No. He went off, squandered all of his father’s money and now that he has nothing left, he came home! What a loser! My Asian culture dictates that he shouldn’t have even thought about coming home. How dare he after what he has done to the family! He ruined his father’s reputation and squandered his money! He should’ve just disappeared and not ever show up to remind the father what a failure he was! And yet, most amazingly, not only the father receives him, but fully restores his sonship, and on top of that throws the biggest party to celebrate! That is the most accurate picture of God the Father!

Ironically, the Pharisees (religious leaders of the day) rejected Jesus because the Father Jesus portrayed was too generous, too loving, and too forgiving. Their minds couldn’t fathom a God that full of grace

When you think of God, what’s He like? Does he smile at you? Is he pleased with you? Does he want you near by? Does he put you on his lap, laughing, giggling, or is it more businesslike? Distant? Awkward. Oh, how our view of God must change through the scripture!

 

4. “to give”

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

God is more delighted in giving us things than receiving things from us. We often think of God as “What-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of God.” He’s looking at us and constantly asking, “how are you serving me? What are you doing for me?” But rather what he truly delights to do is, “What can I do for you? Ask me to do things for you. I love to do for you. How can I serve you?”

We are not His slaves. We are His children! We are not there to serve him primarily. We are there to delight in Him mainly. God didn’t create us to serve Him. God created angels for that. But God created us out of delight and to share with us His delight. And our main role as God’s children is to receive. My children do not give me nearly as much as I give them! And whatever they give me, I have given them it anyway!

Does that mean that we do not serve God? Of course we do. Gal 4:1, “… the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, [2] but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.” So we serve God not as servants but as heirs who are learning to ropes to take over the estate! God has given us the heaven and earth as our inheritance and we will rule over them. And so we serve God out of delight and pleasure because God has given us all things, none of which we deserved!

5. “The kingdom.”

What will God give to us? Not money. Not safety and comfort till death. Not success. No! Much better! The kingdom! “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

God our Father will give us the kingdom! But what is the kingdom? Why is it desirable? The kingdom represents God’s reign. It’s Gods rule. God is the king and his desired will will be carried out perfectly and we will be rulers with Him of all that God has created! It’s “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9

            No man has seen it, but God has seen it. Jesus has seen it. It is something so wonderful and so great that our Lord Jesus Christ has endured the horrors of the cross in anticipation of it – Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, (Hebrews 12:2)

It’s our home that we’ve been wanting all our lives. It’s our permanent rest place. It is where joyful love lives forever. John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

This is future oriented, but that future joy seeps through and affects the present. That is what our good and kind Father takes pleasure in giving us, His children. In this age and the age to come forevermore.