The Shop, the Farm, and the Oxen
Thomas Brooks warns against the dangers of worldly business, which can consume our time and extinguish our heavenly affections, and encourages us to prioritize our relationship with God.
Thomas Brooks warns against the dangers of being overly engaged in worldly affairs, emphasizing that excessive focus on earthly business can extinguish our spiritual fervor and hinder our relationship with God. He illustrates this by referencing the distractions of daily life, such as the shop, the farm, and the oxen, which can consume our time and attention, leaving little room for communion with God. Brooks urges believers to prioritize their spiritual lives and not allow worldly concerns to overshadow their heavenly affections.
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Take heed of engaging yourselves in a crowd of worldly businesses. Many have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to heaven. As much earth puts out the fire, so much worldly business puts out the fire of heavenly affections. Look! as the earth swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numbers 22:32; so much worldly business swallows up so much precious time, that many men have no leisure to be with God in their closets. There is nothing that has kept men more from Christ--than the shop, the farm, and the oxen, etc., Luke 14:16-22.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Dangers of Worldly Business
- A. It consumes precious time
- B. It extinguishes heavenly affections
- II. The Consequences of Prioritizing Worldly Business
- A. It swallows up precious time
- B. It keeps men from Christ
Key Quotes
“As much earth puts out the fire, so much worldly business puts out the fire of heavenly affections.” — Thomas Brooks
“There is nothing that has kept men more from Christ--than the shop, the farm, and the oxen, etc.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should be mindful of how much time we spend on worldly business and make sure to prioritize our relationship with God.
- Worldly business can be a distraction from our relationship with God, and we should be aware of this danger.
- By prioritizing our relationship with God, we can cultivate heavenly affections and live a Christ-centered life.