March 3, 2024 Habits of a Healthy Heart: Simplicity

 

March 3, 2024                               NOTES NOT EDITED
Series:  Habits of a Healthy Heart
Sermon: Pt2: Simplicity
Text: Matthew 6:19-24; 33

SIS: The Healthy Habit of Simplicity untangles the twisted chords of our chaotic lives to help us focus on eternal matters.

INTRO: Trivial Pursuit is a board game for 2-6 players or teams, in which winning is determined by your ability to answer general knowledge and pop culture trivia questions. The game was created in December 1979 by two Canadian journalists; its popularity peaked in 1984, when over 20 million games were sold. Dozens of question sets have been released for the game,. The actual game play involves pieces of a pie that travel around in a circle without getting anywhere. (COPIED)

People love “trivia.” In fact, I’d go out on a limb and say, “the pursuit of trivia is a way of life for the vast majority of people on earth.” Of course, one man’s trivia can be another man’s pursuit of survival. Take a mother in Ethiopia, herself starving and with starving children. For most of us, bread is a “trivial matter.” For the Ethiopian mother it is a matter of life and death.

Even having said that, “the bread the starving mother seeks—while not trivial in regard to this life for sure—is a trivial matter in the vast scheme of eternity. Even the Lord addressed this after having not eaten for 40 days. The Lord said,  “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Mt. 4:4)

My point this morning is not to disparage a starving mother using all her human strength to feed her family. That would not be Christian. That would simply be cruel. Neither am I trying to make anyone feel guilty here among us because you have been richly blessed with God with many fine things.

My desire this morning is to simply put our lives under the microscope of the spiritual discipline we call, “simplicity,” and to evaluate—for ourselves—if we really are “seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

The Healthy Habit of Simplicity simply means, “to have a laser-guided pursuit of godliness seeking to become more and more like Jesus moment by moment.” The King James Version of verse 22 calls this “a single eye.” The original word is haplous. It’s basic meaning is “single” (as opposed to duplous meaning double, distracted, or duplicitous as in James 1:8).  It refers to good vs bad; healthy vs diseased; generous vs stingy; focused vs. worldly; spiritually minded vs worldly minded. Colossians supports this latter view:

Colossians 3:1–2 (NIV84)  1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

When our “vision” in life has this singleness of purpose, then all the other matters of life will fall into line.

Let me address a few general matters in regard to the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life, or “Healthy Habits of the Heart.”

First, spiritual disciplines can be, and have been, greatly misunderstood leading to many misapplications of this area of Christian teaching. It would be good to begin with a “working definition” of some kind so we can all be on the same page as we move forward.

This first one is a good one and I have read so much this week I cannot remember where I found it. It describes spiritual disciplines as: a regularly repeated, Biblical practice that personally and communally: Enhances sensitivity to Holy Spirit; Cultivates Christ-like Character; and Strengthens love for God and others.

Another good definition comes from a Catholic priest, Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556), who established the Order of the Jesuits. I’m not a big fan of anything Catholic, but this is a pretty good description of spiritual disciplines: “Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening life in me.”

Not to be outdone by a Catholic Priest, I offer my own definition of a spiritual discipline: Regular habits of living that help you “become more like Christ and make Him Known.” In short, spiritual disciplines are “Healthy Habits of the Heart.”

Here’s a typical list of spiritual disciplines but there is no list that anyone could call, “official.” Prayer; Worship; Solitude: Confession; Meditation; Service; Bible Study; Simplicity; Stewardship: Celebration; Journaling; Submission; Fellowship; Silence; Serving; Gratitude; Guidance; Learning; Retreat; Meditation; Evangelism.

Don’t get hung up on lists as I’ve often said before.

Second, since, as I said, the issue of practicing spiritual disciplines has been misunderstood and misapplied through the years, in addition to a working definition I want to offer a couple cautionary notes.

CAUTIONARY NOTE 1: Spiritual discipline is not for SHOW but for SANCTIFICATION. Those of you who have been regular around here have heard me talk plenty about the doctrine of sanctification, or the practice of becoming holy in our living. Spiritual disciplines are means to that end, not ends in themselves. Jesus gave this instruction:

Matthew 6:16 (NIV84) When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

CAUTIONARY NOTE 2: Christians must avoid any idea of “mysticism.” Mysticism is the seeking of direct information from God not mediated by the Spirit through Scripture. Phrases like, “God spoke to me,” or “God showed me in a dream,” signal you are in the danger zone of “mysticism.” In regard to people getting “supernatural revelation” after the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, Peter says,

2 Peter 1:20–21 ^(NIV84) 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Timothy clarified the Christian standard for assessing truth:

2 Timothy 3:16 ^(NIV84) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

With this hefty foundation of background issues, let’s talk about what the Bible says about “simplicity” and survey a few ways the virtue of a “singleness of eye” or “simple life” can be expressed in daily living.

Simplicity consists of TWO PARTS: 1. Inner Virtue; and 2. Outer Expressions.

1. INNER VIRTUE

Our text this morning began: “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

This text falls within Jesus’ great sermon we call, The Sermon on the Mount. It is the most famous sermon ever preached and is common knowledge in most every culture in the world. This section, beginning in chapter 6 and continuing through verse 12 of chapter 7 is titled by the great scholar, Charles Ryrie, as, “The Practice of Kingdom Life.” The word, “practice,” is related to the issue of spiritual discipline. Spiritual Disciplines are the “Do” part of the Christian Experience.

This section follows a repeated pattern of, “Don’t do this, but do this instead.” It is the same basic pattern Jesus used establishing the “laws of the kingdom” in chapter 5. “You have heard it said, but I say.” In both sections there is a contrast between religious PRACTICE and personal VIRTUE. The problem with religion is it focuses on the PRACTICES of faith, not the VIRTUE from which those practices spring forth.

Look at verse 24: “No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”

Last week, Brother Robert mentioned an ancient book in his teaching on baptism. That ancient book is titled, “The Didache.” This book, written probably around 100 A.D., was extremely popular among early Christians. For reasons known only to God, it was first included in the list of “Bible (canonical) Books,” but later excluded. While not considered an inspired book, it reveals how very early Christians practiced their faith. It also sets forth a very, very important foundational understanding of Christianity called, “The Two Ways.”

Here's the very first verse (1:1 of 16 chapters): “There are two ways: one of life and one of death.”

Scripture teaches the very same truth: “Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV84)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

This truth lies at the heart of Christianity, and is the very foundation for the spiritual discipline we call “Simplicity.” Simplicity is a fervent, single-eyed, simple focus on the “Narrow Way” of godliness. The essence of the Healthy Habit of Simplicity is found in

Mat. 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This is the part of Simplicity I call:  INNER VIRTUE. It involved three aspects: 1. Grace; 2. Trust; 3. Generosity

1. GRACE 

Grace is the “starting point” of all it means to be human, not to mention what it means to be a Christian. Long before God’s grace overwhelmed us in salvation, it touched us in creation. I’d love to say more about that but do not have time.

As we mentioned, there are Two Ways in life. The narrow way of godliness and the broad way of worldliness. These could also be called the Way of Grace, and the Way of Works. Our lives are either directed, moved, and influenced by what God has DONE in Christ, or it is guided and founded in what we try to DO for Christ. The first is the Way of Faith, the latter the Way of Works. The first is a matter of the Spirit. The latter is a matter of the Flesh. Christ versus Religion.

Christ-like comes through receiving God’s gift of grace. It has always been that way. Look back at Psalm 24:1, “Psalm 24:1 ^(NIV84) The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

We have nothing. We control nothing. All we have or anything we do comes as a “gift from the Almighty Hand of God.”  The beginning of a life of SIMPLICITY is to realize all we are or all we have or all we will ever be or ever have comes as a gift by God’s grace. James says,

1:17 ^(NIV84) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

We complicate our lives and bring to it utter chaos because when we expend all our energy trying to possess things that WILL NEVER, and in fact, CAN NEVER be ours.

Living a Simple Life is all about walking in the grace of God. Any success we have in life, or any joy we experience in life, or any charity we participate in life is a matter of God’s grace. Paul says,

Eph 2:10 ^(NIV84) For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Simplicity is all about grace—what God has DONE, not what we DO.

2. TRUST

A Simple Life also requires TRUST. Matthew 6:25–26 (NLT)

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

Here's a bitter but true analysis of life: people, even believers, get more security from money in the bank than from faith in the heart. It is a fact of life today, and has been throughout history, that the man with the most money has the most power.

The great Preacher, John Wesley, who moved millions to faith and established what would become the Methodist denomination once said, “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” Wesley lived a simple life even though he was a 18^th Century celebrity which would rival such modern celebrities as Taylor Swift or LeBron James.

But, instead of following Wesley’s Biblical model of “Earn all you can; save all you can; and give all you can,” most of us “Earn all we can, put it in a can, and sit on the lid!”

Too often, we are like the person Jesus warns us not to be like in Matthew 6:19-20: (NIV84) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Living a “Simple Life” requires we trust God to provide all we need and protect all we have. As our text tells us, “It is God’s business to care for us, not ours.”

SIGNPOST  The Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity requires the INNER VIRTUE of Grace, which means we understand everything we have and enjoy comes as a gift from God Who owns it all. Simplicity requires the INNER VIRTUE of TRUST which means it is God’s business to care for us by giving us what we need and protecting what we have.  Simplicity requires third INNER VIRTUE of

3. GENEROSITY – to know that everything we have is God’s, and that God will ALWAYS take care of our needs means we can freely and cheerfully make our stuff available to anyone who might have a need.

Almsgiving, or generosity, is itself a spiritual discipline. It is a major practice of the three related monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Jesus mentions this as a “common practice” of God’s people in Mat. 6:1-4. It is the practice of SIMPLICITY that makes the practice of GENEROSITY possible.

A very deep-thinking Christian, Richard Foster, says this in his book, Celebration of Discipline, regarding SIMPLICITY: “To have our goods available to others marks the third inner attitude of simplicity. If our goods are not available to the community when it is clearly right and good, then they are stolen goods.”

Generosity and sacrificial giving were hallmarks of the Early Church in the Book of Acts:  (Acts 2:44–45 ^NIV84) 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Now, this is NOT CHRISTIAN COMMUNISM as some have suggested. This is outright CAPITALISM at its charitable finest. True believes enthusiastically and cheerfully made their goods available to others in need.

Not all early believers lived this SIMPLE LIFESTYLE, as it is today. One couple, Ananias and Sapphira tried to “hide their assets from the community fundraiser.” Here’s what God’s Word says about that:

Acts 5:5 ^(NIV84) 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

Three Hours Later: 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

SIGNPOST  Simple Living Results in Generous Giving! Grace. Trust. Generosity. These are the three pillars of a Simple Life. Until these three are firmly in place in a person’s heart, any attempt at living a Simple Life will be a failure at best and a fraud at worst.

As I said, the Healthy Habit of Simplicity had two parts:  Inner Virtue and Outer Expression. If the former is in place the latter cannot be contained. Here are TEN WAYS the Healthy Habit of Simplicity is expressed in the real world. These are mostly self-explanatory so I will just list them. 1. Buy things for their USEFULNESS, not their STATUS. 2. Limit anything that is producing an ADDICTION in you like Soft-drinks, sweets, alcohol, or NFL games on T.V. 3. Develop a habit of GIVING STUFF AWAY (DECLUTTERING). 4. Don’t become a prisoner to GADGETRY. 5. Enjoy what you don’t have to own like campgrounds, beaches, parks, or even a library! 6. Get closer to NATURE—plant a garden, cut your own grass. 7. Avoid the “Buy Now-Pay Later Trap” of credit. 8. Use FEWER WORDS—and all of them positive. “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.” Yes and No are both powerful.  9. Reject enjoying things that cause OPPRESSION to others—like blood diamonds; some coffees, etc. 10. As Geoge Fox, the Quaker said, and I paraphrase, “Don’t let any of your busyness distract you from God’s business.”

Einstein was famous for being a genius. He was also famous for having disheveled hair and a very cluttered desk. I guess it might be a bit ironic that he was also famous for saying,

Out of clutter, find simplicity.

Simplicity gives us LASER FOCUSED “SIMPLE EYE”  in life that approximates the very center of God’s will for our lives. When we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” we have tremendous power to influence the world around us for good, and receive the goodness of God for ourselves.