Sermon # 85 Luke
Sermons
Title: “Neither Be Ye Of
Doubtful Mind”
Text: Luke 12:22-31
Subject: Anxiety, Fear, and Indecision
Date: Sunday Evening—
Tape # X-30b
Introduction:
Luke
12:22-31
22.
And
he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you,
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye
shall put on.
23.
The
life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24.
Consider
the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which
neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye
better than the fowls?
25.
And
which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26.
If ye
then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the
rest?
27.
Consider
the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you,
that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28.
If
then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little
faith?
29.
And
seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of
doubtful mind.
30.
For
all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father
knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31. But rather seek ye the
I take the words of our Lord in verse 29 for the title of my
message tonight.—“Neither
be ye of doubtful mind.”
We will come back to the passage again next week, the Lord willing.
I want grace to
trust God’s grace, goodness to trust his goodness, and wisdom to trust his
wisdom. And I want the same for you.
In this passage, our Savior bids us care for our souls and the
eternal interests of our immortal souls. Our chief concern regarding ourselves
ought to be our hearts, specifically our hearts’ relationship to our God.
Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life.” Most people take great care in adorning their bodies, but
give little thought to the ornaments of the soul. The feeding of the body
involves much care, but the supply of spiritual food is neglected. But our
bodies are only the abode in which we dwell for a time. We are living souls!
The soul is immortal. The body will soon become food for worms. How I wish we
could grasp this fact!
(Mark 8:36-37) "For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
The Son of God calls our attention to the higher and nobler part
of our beings, and bids us see to it that our souls are in a right state.
·
Seek God’s grace.
·
Trust the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
Make certain that all is well with your soul.
·
But our Lord’s instruction in this passage is principally
about trusting his wise and good providence in the everyday affairs of our
lives.
No doubt there are some people who are in easier circumstances
than others, — some who are in positions where they enjoy many comforts, while
others are in places where they suffer many hardships. But our circumstances
have little to do with our lives in reality. Our circumstances are temporary
and change quickly.
Happiness, contentment, peace of mind are
not found in circumstances, but in our inner being, in our soundness of heart,
in our minds. The inner man has far more to do with one’s joy or sorrow than
anything outside us.
There have been some who have been perfectly free in a prison
(Paul, Bunyan, Madam Guyon), while others have been in absolute bondage with
wide estates to roam over. I have known some, whose spirits have triumphed when
all around has tended to depress them (Bob Cox). I have seen others, who were
wretched and desponding when they had, apparently, all that heart could wish.
It is the heart, the mind, the soul, that is the main thing. Your
inner self is that which brings you daylight or
Try as you may, you cannot alter the world in which your lot is
cast, and you cannot alter God’s providential arrangements. Would it not be
better to alter yourself to God’s providence and be resigned to his will? Of
course it would!
Did you ever notice how often, in the Book of God, the inspired
writers of Holy Scripture busied themselves with what one old writer called
“indoor work” — the work that has to be done within one’s own heart?
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,” says David, in the 103rd
Psalm; “and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” This indoor
work always pays best; and our Lord Jesus, in his exhortations, constantly
urges us attend to it. He said to his disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled.” A little later, he said, “In the world
ye shall have tribulation.” He says the same to his disciples in every age.
We cannot avoid tribulation. Yet, our Master says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” All the water in the sea will not hurt
your ship so long as you keep it outside. The danger starts when it gets inside
the ship.—It matters little what is outside you, if
all is right within. So long as the Dove of heaven in our hearts enables us to
sing sweetly of the love of God and causes the flower “Heart’s-ease” to bloom
in our souls, we can and will be at peace, content, and joyful in the
wilderness of trouble, the desert of care, and the raging sea of tribulation.
As Spurgeon put it, “A hurricane of afflictions may beat about
you, yet you shall be a blessed man, for all the elements of blessedness are
within your own heart. God has given them to you, and the devil himself cannot
take them away.”
This message of our text is God’s message to me.
(Luke 12:29) "And seek
not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful
mind."
I will be preaching to myself tonight. I hope it will be blessed
of God to you, as you listen in.
The language used by our Lord in this verse is very unusual. The
word translated “doubtful” is not used anywhere else in the New
Testament. It means “midair.” It appears to have something to do with meteors,
so that the passage might be rendered, “Neither be ye
of meteoric mind.” Even more literally, we might read it, “Neither have your
mid in the clouds,” or “Do not have a cloudy mind.”
Our Lord’s word here is an imperative command. He is saying, “Stop
seeking what you shall eat or what you shall drink, and stop living in
suspense.” He is telling us to quit living like birds in the air,
flighty and unsettled. He is saying, “Do not let your mind be tossed about like
clouds in the air by every wind of circumstance.”
The word “doubtful” is so pregnant with meaning that I have
no hope of expounding it. Rather, I will simply give you some of the things
suggested by it.
Stop worrying. Stop being tossed up and down by your outward
circumstances. If God prospers you, do not allow that to make you soar. If he
empties you, do not allow that to make you sink. If God sends you a little
pleasure, do not allow that to put your head in the clouds. If he sends you
heaviness and sorrow, do not allow that to put your head in the dust. Stop
being so greatly affected by external things. Stop worrying. Do not allow your
heart to fret. Cease from your anxious care about your circumstance.
(Philippians 4:4-9)
"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again
I say, Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is
at hand. (6) Be careful for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things. (9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and
received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with
you."
(Colossians 3:1-3) "If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
Our Savior’s injunction in Luke
·
Be prudent. We have no right to spend the money of other
people, nor even our own, in wastefulness.
·
We are to be careful and discreet. Every believer should
constantly remember that he is only a steward, and that he is accountable to
his Master for whatever he has, and the use he makes of it.
·
But when we have done our best with what God has trusted to
our hands, do not worry because you cannot make more
of it. And when you have done your best to meet your expenses, do not sit down,
and wring your hands because you cannot make them less.
I cannot turn a dime into a dollar. If I must sometimes live from
hand to mouth, that is God’s purpose. He commonly feeds his children with daily
manna. Seldom does he give bread to his own for weeks and months and years, but
daily. Why, then, should we be staggered, much less astonished by such
experiences?
It is irresponsible for anyone to live greedily and bring hardship
upon himself and his family because he can never have enough toys. But it is
insane to fret about things over which you have absolutely no control. All the
worrying in the world will not alter what is, has been, or shall be.
Have you ever made any profit by biting your nails and pacing the
floor? Have you ever gained anything by worrying? I have never seen anyone get
comfort from the blanket of worry. I have never seen anyone fetch grist to the
mill by fretting, or any meal to the barrel.
Perhaps you are thinking, “I know that is right, but I cannot help
fretting and worrying.” I beg your pardon. Are you a believer? The Lord Jesus
says to you, “Stop worrying.” “Stop being of a doubtful
mind.” That means stop. And he would not tell us to stop, if we could
not stop. Would he? No. The fact is, our worrying is a
matter of disobedience and unbelief.
More than that—We
only make matters worse by worrying. Have you not always found that to
be the case? It is not our difficulty
that makes us unfit for anything, but our unbelief
that makes us unfit for our difficulties. I read this week about a timid farm
hand who was sent to gather eggs. But she was so nervous and fearful as she carried her basket of eggs, so
fearful of dropping the basket, that she shook it in fear until she had broken
all the eggs.
In all the troubles of our lives, we would be wise to heed the
often repeated words of Moses to the children of
(Isaiah 41:10-14)
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am
thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (11) Behold, all they that
were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as
nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. (12) Thou shalt
seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee:
they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
(13) For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee,
Fear not; I will help thee. (14) Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye
men of
“He sits a Sovereign on his throne
And ruleth all things well”?
Our Savior demands that we stop worrying, and cast all our care
upon him, because he truly does care for us.
II. Worry has far more to do with proud, personal ambition than
any of us want to acknowledge. So, I cannot fail to show you second,
that another meaning of our Lord’s
admonition—“Stop BEing
AMBITIOUS.”
God’s word to Baruch is God’s word to us all.—“Seekest thou
great things for thyself? Seek them not. Behold, that which I have built will I
break down, and that which I have planted will I pluck up” (Jer. 45:4-5).
Most of us are too much like meteors in the sky, soaring high with
great thought about ourselves, but sporadic and unstable. That ought not be. May God give me grace to seek wisdom not wealth,
faith not fame, and patience not praise. We all need
to have the wings of our proud ambition clipped. We ought not
soar so high as we do in ambition for ourselves. We ought to strive to be
great, and stop striving for greatness. We ought to be ambitious for goodness,
not for glory. We ought to seek acceptance with God, not the applause of men.
We ought to be ambitious for favor with God, not fame among men. Let me
be specific. I do not want you to miss my message because I failed to
be clear.
·
Ambition for Wealth
·
Ambition for Ease
·
Ambition for Acceptance
·
Ambition for Approval
·
Ambition for Position
·
Ambition for Importance
·
Ambition for Usefulness
III. A third meaning of the text is this, “Stop being unstable in your mind.”
We ought to be men and women of resolute, decisive, stable
character. If you look at the context, you will see that this meaning fits in
very well. Many there are who are time-servers. Their
thoughts are consumed with they shall eat, or what they shall drink, or how
they shall be clothed. They are always watching to see which
is the best way to go to get what they want. As the old proverb has it,
“they know on which side their bread is buttered.” They wait to see which way
the cat jumps, and then they discover great principles that cause them to jump
in the same direction. They wait to see which way the wind blows, and then are
moved with great passion in the same direction.
God’s people are cut from different cloth. Grace makes people
resolute, decisive, and stable. “God hath not given us the spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Like Jephthah of old, having
lifted their hands to the Lord, they cannot and will not go back. Like Joshua,
they are determined, no matter which way the tide runs, “As for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord.”
Our Lord says, to you and me, “Neither be ye of doubtful
mind.” The long and short of it is this.—
·
In any circumstance, at any time, tell me what is right,
and you have told me what I must do. If I give consideration to anything else,
I will not do what I know is right.
·
Show me God’s will, and you have shown me my path. If I
give consideration to anyone else’s will I will not do God’s will. – “I
conferred not with flesh and blood.”
IV. Fourth, and I am not
stretching the text at all, our Lord Jesus here says to his believing people, “Stop being of a doubtful mind with regard to
God’s goodness, grace and mercy. Neither be ye of doubtful mind regarding your
soul’s salvation.”
There are many who are not saved who are very confident that they
are. There are many, who know nothing of the grace of God who sing, and sing
with great liveliness,
Blessed assurance! Jesus is mine,
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Such presumption is deadly. But, then, there are those who make
doubt a vital point of godliness. That, too is
horrible. Our Lord says to you who trust him, and to me, no matter what our
circumstances, no matter what our feelings, no matter what our failings may be,
no matter how great, “Neither be ye of doubtful
mind!” Our salvation is a matter of faith, not of feeling. Child of God,
hear and heed the word of your Savior, “Neither be ye of doubtful mind!”
May God the Holy Spirit now
enable me to speak to your hearts. I want to
reprove my own heart and yours for our horrible, inexcusable unbelief while, at
the same time, encouraging us truly to trust our great, gracious, glorious God
and Savior. I am going wrap this message up by making five plain statements.
They are like barbed arrows piercing my heart. I trust they will be the same to
you. These are five heart-piercing, convicting, humbling facts. First, I
want us to go back to Isaiah 41:10…
A.
We have entirely too many fears for a people to
whom the Lord God has said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea,
I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah
41:10)
Why can’t we believe God? Has he not
proved his great faithfulness to us? David heard God’s promise and believed
him. His faith in God gave quietness to his heart. God’s promises quientened is
fears. Didn’t they? "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy
staff they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4) "I will both lay
me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalms
4:8) "When my father and my
mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." (Psalms
27:10)
Now,
look at Matthew 6:28-30…
B.
We have far too much anxiety and worry about earthly, material
things for a people to whom the Son of God has said—"And why take
ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,
shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:28-30)
It is written in the Scriptures, "But
my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
Why
should I worry, fret and pace
the floor by day and by night, when God my Savior has promised that my Father
will for his sake provide me with everything I need in this world? Why should I concern myself about
that which God, who cannot lie, has promised? Look at Matthew 6 again, verses
31-34.
"Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But
seek ye first the
Turn to John 6:37…
C.
We have far too many doubts concerning God’s mercy, love and grace for a people to
whom the Lord Jesus Christ has said—"All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)
Listen to this, too—"And I give
unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand."
(John 10:28)
I have preached about this many times. I
know that many of you have trouble here. And I acknowledge that I do, too. My
shameful, sinful, baseless doubts are inexcusable. I will not attempt to
justify them or excuse them.
Upon what grounds dare we call into
question the mercy, love and grace of God? We have absolutely no reason to
entertain any doubt concerning him! Did he promise; and shall he not fulfill
it? Perish the thought!
Mr. Spurgeon once said, “The
Scripture says, ‘He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life.’ I
believe the Son of God. I have life!”
Why
should we question that, ever? Paul was a
sinner, just like us, save by grace, just like us. He didn’t question God’s
promise (2 Tim.
(2
Timothy 1:12) "I am not
ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to
keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
(2
Timothy 4:6-8) "For I am
now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. {7} I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the
faith: {8} Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing."
(Romans
8:31-39) "What shall we then say to
these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? {32} He that spared not his own
Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely
give us all things? {33} Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. {34} Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. {35} Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? {36} As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. {37} Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us. {38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, {39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
I am not going to doubt God’s love
because of something I have thought, or said, or done. His love is
unconditional and free! I am not going to question his grace because of my sin.
His grace superabounds where sin is found! I am not going to be suspicious of
his mercy because I do not deserve his mercy. His mercy is for the undeserving!
I am not going to doubt his faithfulness because of my unfaithfulness. His
faithfulness stands forever!
(2
Timothy 2:13) "If we believe
not, yet he abideth faithful: he
cannot deny himself."
(2
Timothy 2:19) "Nevertheless
the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of
Christ depart from iniquity."
Look next at John 16:33…
D.
We spend entirely too much time grumbling and complaining about our
trials and troubles for a people to whom the Lord Jesus has said—"These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"
(John
We ought not be
surprised when troubles come our way. We ought to be surprised when they don’t
come! As long as we live in this world, we are going to have trials, troubles,
temptations and sorrows.
God in
Of affliction,
pain and toil.
These spring up
and choke the weeds
That would else
o’erspread the soil.
Every ounce of gold that has ever been
perfected and made valuable has been refined by fire. And if God puts the gold
of his grace in us, he will also make us pass through the fire.
(Isaiah
48:10) "Behold, I have refined
thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of
affliction."
(1
Peter 4:12) "Beloved, think
it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you."
Trouble is not a strange thing. For the
believer, the absence of trouble is a strange thing. Yet, when we meet with
some great difficulty, some heavy trial, some heart-breaking sorrow, though we
may not say it, our first shameful, wicked thought is usually - “Why me?” Our
first thought really ought to be - “Why
not me?”
Shall I
be carried to the skies
On flowery beds
of ease,
While others
fought to when the prize
And sailed
through bloody seas?
·
Our trials are nothing compared to what others have had to
endure before us.
·
Our sorrows are nothing compared to the sorrows our Master
endured to have us.
·
Our grief is nothing compared to the glory that shall be
revealed in us!
Turn with me to one more text - Hebrews
11:8-10…
E.
We have entirely too much attachment to this world and to this
present life, for a people who are looking for a city whose
Builder and Maker is God.
(Hebrews
11:8-10) "By faith Abraham, when he
was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. {9} By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise: {10} For he looked for a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
(2
Corinthians 5:1) "For we
know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." The sooner, the better!
We know that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” We
have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Believers are
a people who long to be with Christ. Yet, it is so difficult for us to be torn
loose from this present existence called “life”! I can’t explain that. I just
know it’s so.
I
know this too—The only way for
us to be delivered from these carnal principles, the only way we will ever be delivered
from the cares of this world, the only way we will ever be saved from our
fears, concerns, doubts, grumblings, and attachments to this world is to find
something better.
Illustration: The little boy
at Stalnaker’s Restaurant
Our
religious works will be dropped like a hot potato, if we ever see and get
hold of Christ’s finished work.
Our
boasted good deeds will be of no value, if we are allowed and made to see what
Christ has done for sinners.
·
His Incarnation (2 Cor. 8:9).
·
His Representative Obedience (Phil. 2:5-7).
·
His Substitutionary Death (2 Cor.
Our
righteousnesses will appear to us as they really are, as filthy rags, if
ever we behold the righteousness of God in Christ.
Our
goodliness will wither and die like mown grass in a furnace, if we
ever see the goodness and glory of God in Christ (Isa. 6:1-6). If ever we see Christ there will be no
more…
·
argument about our
goodness!
·
debate about our
worth!
·
fuss about our will!
Like that little boy in the restaurant,
you’ll drop your worthless, greasy, empty corn-cob of self-righteousness when
you see Christ in his redemptive glory!
Even
so, our fears, our doubts, our grumblings, our complaints against our
little trials, our complaints against our God’s providence and purpose will
disappear in proportion to the faith we have in his promises (Isa. 43:1-5;
46:4)
(Isaiah
43:1-5) "But now thus saith the
LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not:
for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee
by thy name; thou art mine. {2} When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee. {3} For
I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One
of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave
(Isaiah
46:4) "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you:
I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
The more I believe his “I
WILL”, the less I will fear. The less I believe his “I WILL”, the more I will fear.
Now, children of God, hear your Savior’s admonition one more
time—“Neither be ye of doubtful
mind.”
(Romans
8:28-32) "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"