The Habit of Simplicity: Matthew 6:19-21

Preacher: Dr Victor Nakah

Text: Matthew 6:19-21

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Prioritize treasures in heaven rather than what is earthly, our earthly possessions, our earthly treasures. Matthew 6 says there's something that is important, that is eternal, something that does not fade, something that does not pass away. And Matthew 6 says, Jesus speaking to us, he says, prioritize that, that which lasts forever. And so this morning I want us to reflect on the value of simplicity. And God helping us, I want us to examine how decluttering our lives, decluttering our lives from unnecessary distractions helps us to focus on what truly matters. And what is it that matters the most? What is it that truly matters? It is loving God and loving neighbor. It is loving God and serving others. And when we talk about decluttering, decluttering is like pruning. The things that are pruned in our lives are not necessarily wrong. You know, if you take a vine and the need to prune, uh, what needs cutting off are branches. Some of them look healthy. And yet these are branches that prohibit the vine from producing more fruit. And so decluttering might not necessarily be about what is negative, but it is about what stops us from being productive as believers. And so there are three spiritual habits that are important for us to build a strong spiritual foundation. One of them, the last one I'll spend time on, is simplicity. But the first one is the habit of prayer. And as a church, you've been going through some of these things. The habit of prayer, which is our daily lifeline to God. Prayer is to a Christian what oxygen is to the body. Without it, you stop breathing, you start chalking, and you could actually die. And so prayer is essential for the believer. Essential is the continuous lifeline when it comes to communicating with God, talking to God, conversation with God, prayer, which is to us like oxygen is to the body. And the second one is scripture, the living word that shapes and transforms us. The gospel that we proclaim, the gospel that we leave, the gospel that shapes us, the gospel that transforms us. And engaging with scripture is an active daily encounter. And that's the reason why reading scripture on a day-to-day basis, engaging with scripture, shapes our perspectives. It shapes the way we think. And without scripture, we miss all the horizons. You know, when we talk about horizons, it's like you are living Rosebank and you know the tallest building, you know the most colorful building, and as you drive away from Rosebank, you're driving away from that. But when you're driving back, when you're walking back, your tallest building becomes the horizon you need in order to remember where you came from. And scripture provides those horizons. And these two habits help us hear from God, but not only that, they help us align our lives with His will. I think I've given this example before. You know, you're talking Christmas and Christmas presents, and you know, as mom and dad, you decide this Christmas we're going to buy our son a bicycle. And meanwhile, in the other room, your son is wondering, what do I need for Christmas? And he says, Bicycle. So your son walks into the bedroom and says, Mom and dad, please buy me a bicycle. Well, that's your son asking according to your will. And that's a request granted, right? So when we align our lives with the will of God, we ask the things that God would want us to have. And often we get disappointed because we request outside the will of God. And doing that is like your son walking in and saying, Can you please buy me a gun? And that's a request not granted. So the two habits of prayer and scripture, they they help us hear from God, but they also align our lives with the will of God. But here's a question for us this morning. What happens when our lives are so full of stuff? Our lives are full of noise and busyness and commitments and distractions. Our lives are full of all these things that at the end of the day we can't even hear the voice of God? What happens when our lives are so full of noise? Too much is going on. And so when God speaks to us, we can't hear Him. What happens when our lifestyles don't evidence who we are in Christ Jesus, except for coming to church on Sunday or joining a Bible study group? What happens when our lives are such that when people look at us, they don't see Jesus. There is no evidence that we have been with him. There is no evidence that we walk with him. And that's where I think the third spiritual habit comes in, the habit of simplicity. In our world, more is often better. More is often seen as better. More stuff, more options, more hassle, more everything. And that's the reason why your celebrities, you know, they have 10 cars in their garage. And you wonder when then do you get the time to drive them? You end up with more of everything. But Jesus invites us into something radically different: a life of intentional focus, a life of spiritual clarity and freedom, a life that pulls us away from materialism and destruction. And this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 5 when you read the Beatitudes and you wanting to understand what Jesus teach? And in Matthew 5, Jesus gave the characteristics of kingdom people. Call it the hallmarks of the people of the new order, the new humanity. And when you become a Christian, that is what you become, isn't it? You become part of the new order. You become part of the new humanity. You become a child of God. You are born again. And in verse 8 of chapter 5, Jesus described these citizens of heaven, people who are of the new order. He described them as those who are pure in heart. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And I don't think he was referring to personal holiness, because we all know that we are not going to get there until Jesus comes back, right? We're not going to be pure in heart. In other words, those who believe in perfection live in perpetual failure. Because this is only a reality when Jesus comes back, in that final kingdom when it appears. So Jesus was not referring to personal holiness, but this is a Hebrew expression that speaks of the single-mindedness of our hearts. Our hearts are fixed in one direction. We are not divided in our loyalties. Allegiance is to God and his kingdom before everything else. In other words, we are not tossed this way and that way. We are not distracted and deflected in our pursuits. Everything that we do from Monday to Monday is focused on the coming of the kingdom of God. There are no split loyalties, no divided minds. We don't live with compartments, faith and work. Disciples are pure in heart. And that's why it's important to understand the Christian faith as a worldview, as a way of life. The Christian faith is a way of being, a way of doing, a way of thinking, a way of living. Those who are of the kingdom of God, there is a godly biblical, spiritual way of spending, of doing relationships, of doing marriage. There is a godly way of loving and relating. It's a worldview. And in Matthew 6, verses 19 to 20, which is a passage for this morning, Jesus says, do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. And then he goes on to say, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And so simplicity is not about minimalism for the sake of it. It's about clearing away what doesn't matter. Putting aside, pushing aside what doesn't matter. Why? So that we can focus on what does. It's about trading clutter for clarity. It's about trading hurry for peace. It's about trading ethnic treasure for eternal value. It's about maintaining a kingdom value system that allows us to keep important things as important and not so important things just as that. We talk often about a warped value system, a value system that is upside down, it's all mixed up, it's confused. The example is two boys from a very rich family decide to break into a supermarket. And when they get in there, you know, think of macro. And the intention is for them to mess up the value system at macro. So a loaf of bread that will cost 20 rand, they remove that price tag and they put it on a camera. And the price of the camera, they put it on a loaf of bread. And when you wake up in the morning, everything is upside down. And so Toby, who has been wanting to buy this camera for years, all of a sudden it's 20 Rand. And you can imagine how many he's going to pick. That's a warped value system. Expensive things have become inexpensive. Right? Inexpensive things have become, and often that's our lifestyle, isn't it? We don't quite know what is important and what is not. We don't quite know what is of value and what is of no value. And that's a warped value system. That's the reason why often we don't know the difference between what is temporary and what is eternal. And we messed that up. We don't know the difference between what is important and what is not. And this morning we are going to explore how simplicity is not just a lifestyle choice, but in fact it's a spiritual discipline. A door to a fuller, freer, more focused life in Christ Jesus. And so simplicity begins with the heart. And that is what Matthew 6, 19 to 21 say. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In other words, when you get to know someone well and you can almost enumerate their treasures, then that becomes a reading of their heart. Simplicity is not just about cleaning out your wardrobe or kitchen or garage. It's not even just about buying less stuff. It's first and foremost a heart issue. And that's why generosity is a heart issue. Giving is a heart issue. And Jesus points this out clearly: where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In other words, uh, if I get to know and understand where most of your money goes, where most of your time goes, then I will have a good idea of what is going on in your heart. In other words, your heart will always, and this is important, your heart will always follow what you value most. Your heart will always follow what you value most. We've just moved house and we were in this house for six years, uh, and my dear wife and I, yeah, almost embarrassed, I think, how much we have accumulated in six years. Uh, and most of it you wonder, so why did we buy this?

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Uh, you know, often there's a good explanation. You know, often there's a good explanation why we have 20 suitcases. Right? So uh, if you need a suitcase, talk to my wife.

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If we value possessions, money, recognition, or comfort, guess what? Our hearts will be wrapped up in those things. And over time they begin to own us to the point of enslaving us. But if we value God's kingdom, if we prioritize eternal things, then our hearts will begin to align with what truly matters. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Think of simplicity as the act of clearing away the clutter so that our hearts can stay focused. Uh Paul echoed this in 1 Timothy, writing to Timothy 6, verse 6 and 7. He said, But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. If that's true, it then means nothing in, nothing out. And then we have to ask ourselves the question, what then really matters? What is it that should come in and does not get out? What's the most important thing in a world filled with things? One of my favorite authors, the late John Stott, uh, I did campus ministry years ago, and he was one of those who discipled. Here's how he puts it. He says, We came into the world naked, and we will live naked. And therefore, we must learn to travel light and live simply. And he goes on to say, our enemy is not possessions, but excess. And Uncle John always reminded those who spent time with him that life on earth is simply, and I love this, life on earth is simply a brief pilgrimage between two moments of nakedness. And that's why he challenged believers to reject excess and live generously. And we all know what happens when you have too much excess. Whether it's too much excess weight or you're just carrying too much, uh, and that becomes a hindrance for you moving forward. And John Stott called this the pilgrimage mindset. If we come into the world with nothing, if we came into the world with nothing and live with nothing, then how should we view material possessions? He says we should view them as temporary tools rather than ultimate treasures. And can you see the problem? When all of a sudden you treat temporary tools that are meant to help you live, help you navigate, you take those as though they're ultimate treasures. And John Stott was known for living simply. Um, you know, when he passed away, uh, he lived in a small room, you know, single bed. Um he made millions of dollars from writing books and he donated all that money to ministry. Uh and 30 years later, there are people who are going to seminary on account of those funds. Living simply, living generously. So simplicity creates space for what is most important, isn't it? For what matters most. Uh Luke 10, verses 38 to 42. Uh, Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one. And this is a good story because it points us to what I refer to as, you know, how decluttering is like pruning. Because we would be wrong to say what Martha was doing was wrong. The truth is, simplicity frees us. It's almost like Jesus was saying, just chill, slow down. Simplicity frees us from anxiety, it frees us from comparison, it frees us from distraction, it frees us from uh comparing ourselves with other people, how they dress, what they drive, where they live. And simplicity makes room for peace. Simplicity makes room for purpose, and it makes room for God. And perhaps one of the clearest pictures of this comes from that passage about Mary and Martha, the small home in Bethany where two sisters welcomed Jesus, and each did something totally different. And Martha was busy with all the preparations. She wanted to make sure that the place was sparkling clean for Jesus. The food was well cooked, the living room was well organized. She was doing good things, serving, hosting, working. But she was also overwhelmed and anxious and distracted. I mean, so distracted that she could not see Jesus or hear Jesus. The Jesus who was guest to their small home, she could. Can you imagine how that works out? That the very same person for whom you're doing all these things, you're not going to hear them, you're not going to see them, and you're going to be satisfied that the house was in good order. So Mary, on the other hand, simply sat at Jesus' feet, listening to him. It's almost like the sister was saying, Listen, I don't care how disorderly the house is. Jesus doesn't live here, he doesn't come to us every day. Today, I'm gonna sit down and listen. I'm gonna sit down and listen. So Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Can you see that? And it will not be taken away from her. So here's the lesson: simplicity isn't just about what we remove, it's about what we make room for. Martha was doing all the right things, but guess what? Her heart was cluttered with many things. It's almost painful to say, right? Unfair to say. Her heart was cluttered with many things. And Mary chose the one thing that mattered most, and that was being with Jesus. So when we practice simplicity, we say no to hurry and we say yes to presence. We say no to consumerism and we say yes to contentment. We say no to spiritual noise and we say yes to the voice of God. In a world that tells us to do more, to have more, to be more, to hustle more. Well, Jesus invites us to abide, to sit at his feet, to listen and to rest in him. To be conscious of the fact that when we sit, when we listen, we pay attention, God continues to work. The world does not stop on our account. So simplicity opens the way to what you could call eternal priorities. Because often we struggle to identify what is eternal and what is not. Well, simplicity opens the way to eternal priorities. In Matthew 6, uh we've read that verse 33, but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. And all these things will be given to you as well. That last bit we often don't read it. Because, you know, when God says seek first his kingdom, we think God is trying to rob us of fun or rob us of things, right? Well, the text says, and all these things will be given to you as well. It's almost like God is saying, You can in fact have the best of both worlds. You can have things, have a healthy relationship with things, and yet put the kingdom of God first. When we strip away the unnecessary, we reveal the heart of God's calling, to focus on eternal treasures rather than fleeting possessions. And you notice it's it's always about the heart. You know, parents who are struggling with their children, parenting and all that. Often we want to parent on the basis of performance. And we get disappointed. Why? Because biblical parenting is about parenting the heart. Unless the heart changes, then nothing changes. So the discipline of simplicity recalibrates our priorities. In macro, everything upside down, the discipline of simplicity restores the supermarket value order. It frees us from the grip of anxiety, comparison, and distraction, allowing our hearts to focus on God's greater purpose. In a world that bombards us with messages of more, more of everything, literally, more wealth, more status, more things. The call of Scripture is clear. Jesus invites us to seek first his kingdom. And when we do so, our perspective shifts entirely. And that's why this subject of worldview is so important, isn't it? There is a spiritual, biblical, godly way of reading history, of reading South African history. There is a God-honouring way of seeing what is happening in the world today. The Apostle Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 18. He says, so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. And this reminds us that our ultimate investment should be in what endures, on what lasts, what lasts forever. Isn't it wonderful that God actually tells us that there are things that last forever? One of the uh uh seminar stuff I'm preparing, uh working on is on marriage. And I'd actually say to Toby, do you want me to talk about marriage? One of the things that you learn from scripture, which is very difficult for us to accept, is that marriage is not eternal. And scripture clearly says there's not gonna be marriage up there. Uh yeah, we end up with questions, isn't it? Yeah, so my wife, when I see her, am I gonna wink? Am I right? And so we need a biblical understanding of marriage in order for us to live simply. Right? It's it's yeah. Marriage is not eternal. So are many other other things. Uh it would have been so easier if God said it was eternal, and that you know, what we're doing here in terms of marriage, we're going to carry on doing there. Right? It would be easier. Well, scripture says it's not. So simplicity helps us to let go of the chase after temporary gain so that we can invest in what is eternal. By focusing on what truly matters, we allow God to do his work within us, the work of transformation, right? The work of sanctification. Guess what God transforms one day at a time, slowly but surely. He transforms our desires, he transforms our appetites. Uh, you know, we we and we acquire foreign appetites very easily. Uh fore appetites. It's like when we say, um, oh, you know, I I started drinking wine when I was 30. You know, and and I actually enjoy one where it's an acquired test, right? But at times we also end up acquiring unholy appetites. And God changes that, he transforms, renews our minds, and he redraws our priorities, he helps put our value system the right way up in a way that glorifies him. Uh, poor Aegis, the Philippians, he says in Philippians 2, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others. This teaching shows that a simple uncluttered heart is one that can naturally extend itself to serve others. Uh, talking about what is eternal, what is not, um uh, it hit me in the face to realize that um our biological human families relationships are also not eternal. But guess what is this is eternal. Right? Your church spiritual family is eternal, and and and we get it so wrong when all of a sudden, as we think politics and economics and life, we very quickly go ethnic and tribal. Right? Very quickly. You know, the whole blood is what? Blood is when our lives are not preoccupied with accumulating more things for ourselves, we can more easily embrace humility, generosity, and service. When we embrace simplicity in this way, guess what? We experience true freedom. Right? No more comparing with whosoever, no more competing with whosoever. You just live life. You make do with what God has put in your hands. When we embrace simplicity in this way, we experience true freedom. And true freedom is not freedom in the sense of lack, because we struggle with these things, right? You know, we we we think by you know following Jesus, by being kingdom-minded, we're gonna miss out on fun, right? We're gonna miss out on fun. As though Christians are not allowed to dance and listen to good, healthy music and organize, you know, birthday parties and anniversary parties that invite others, and when you leave, you don't feel dirty, right? Uh or you know, you hear some girls who are afraid of dating a Christian brother because Christians are boring and all you do is pray and quote scripture and go to church, you know, and all that. Uh it's not freedom in the sense of lack or boring, but freedom from the chaos of our culture, having a good, healthy relationship with culture, right? With wealth, where you don't allow culture or wealth or things to enslave you. In other words, freedom to live purposefully, freedom to love abundantly, freedom to serve selflessly, freedom, freedom. You know, my wife and I, we've had a few experiences uh, you know, where uh we we were able to identify a heart issue. At one point we had two cars, um and the the assistant pastor at our church who was doing a lot of running around, and we would try to help it.

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You know, he would you know borrow our car, you know what it is like, you know. And we looked at each other with my wife, and we said, Do we really need two cars?

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And we gave away the car. I think what was so amazing, even as we look back, how liberating the experience was.

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So liberating. So liberating.

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So, in conclusion, the call to simplicity is not about having less for the sake of less. It's about making space for what matters most. It's about releasing the grip of materialism. Right? Uh, you know, I don't know where I watched this where you know you you can try this with your son. You know, give your son to hold things in both hands, and then you ask him, Do you like what I'm carrying? Uh if you like it, you have to let go what is in your hands, right? So it's it's letting go of what is not important so that we can have what is most important. And so I would want to encourage us this week, take courage to step up, simplify your schedule, for goodness' sake. Simplify your schedule, simplify your space, simplify your heart. And in doing that, make room for what is most important. Perhaps you would want to choose just one area of your life to simplify this week. Uh, it could be anything.

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It it, you know, uh I'm in the process of simplifying my wardrobe. Because I've I've discovered that every time I travel, I bring back another t-shirt, another shirt, another, another, and before I know it, I have five, I have six, I have.

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Well, maybe it's simplifying your wardrobe. Maybe it's simplifying your your family or personal library where you just accumulate books and you love watching them, even when you don't read them. Maybe it's your calendar, right? Maybe it's your tech habits, maybe it's your spending habits. Uh for me, the other thing, my wife helping, trying to help me, your sleeping habits. You wake up early, you go to bed late, and during the day you're tired. So, whatever it is, ask God, what's getting in the way of my focus on you? And then take intentional steps to remove that barrier. And remember, it's not just removing stuff, it's making room for what is important. Replace the noise with stillness, replace the clutter with clarity, replace the hurry with the presence of God. Make room for. Let me pray. Lord, we confess that we so often fill our lives with things that don't last. Help us to simplify, not just to make life easier, but to make room for you. Reorder our hearts, Lord, refocus our desires. Teach us what it means to success the kingdom and help us to follow you.