Planning Ahead

Planning Ahead

Series: The Gospel Truth

Text: Lk 12:13-40

Introduction: (What?)

I am a planner. I like to organize my day a day ahead so that I know where to start, what to do, and what to put on the back burner. In our passage today we will look at the result of poor planning, how to deal with anxiety (which often springs from poor planning), and preparation for what is ahead. There is an old saying, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” One might add to that that “prior planning prevents poor performance”.

Jesus had something to say about planning, both positive and negative, and about coping. A mentor of mine, Peter Lord once said, “We need to plan for the sweet bye-and-bye while learning to live in the nasty now-and-now.”

Examination: (Why?)

1. To Retire or not to Retire

Lk 12:13-21 “Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! (There’s that word again) This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””

In the first part of the text today we find a situation where money or possessions threatened the cohesiveness of a family. This man was not making a request, but rather a demand. “tell my brother that he is wrong and he must divide the inheritance with me.” Often, when a person dies without a will, tension builds among the survivors regarding the dividing of the estate. Jesus told the one who asked, “I’m not going to settle the argument between you and your brother, but I’m going to warn you about greed.”

As usual, Jesus used a story to make His point. In the story we see a guy who considered himself to be the owner, not the steward. You understand this by his choice of pronouns. “My crops”, My barns, My goods”. His total focus was on himself and preparation for retirement. Jesus warned him that he could die in a moment, and then all he had amassed would do him no good. (all his treasures were laid up on earth, not in heaven.) Perhaps you’ve heard the sayings “You can’t take it with you” or “I’ve never seen a U-haul being pulled by a hearse”. Evidently the man was living by the words of Isa 22:13b “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”” as well as the words of Solomon in Eccl 8:15 “So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.”

Retirement is a big topic in the area where we live. People are either retired, or are planning for retirement.

Jesus spoke more about money, and its use and abuse, than He did about prayer. The reality is that we are owners of NOTHING! Psa 24:1“The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord;” So, if we are not owners, what are we? The answer to that is that we are stewards, or managers. The working definition of steward, for our purposes in this message is (look at the screen) A steward is a person morally responsible for the careful use of money, time, talents, or other resources, esp. with respect to the principles or needs of a community or group.”

The steward or manager is responsible for handling someone’s possessions for them. Perhaps the clearest scriptural example we have regarding stewardship is found in Matt 25:14-30 where three managers were given an amount of money to “steward” while their boss was away on business. The key to this parable is that there is always a “day of reckoning” or a day of giving an account for how they handled the boss’s money.

The question then, is how do we lay up treasures in heaven?

2. Stress Not

Lk 12:22-34 “Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest? “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, and inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus gave some practical steps toward biblical stewardship as He addressed His disciples.

Don’t worry about money, food and clothes. This is in line with the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples when He sent them on mission. They were not to take extra clothes or money or food. God would supply their needs as they served Him. (George Mueller; Hudson Taylor) Illus. My trip to Russia.

Ask the right question. The wrong question is “How am I going to prepare for retirement?” The right question is “Does the way I manage material things, such as money, houses, and other possessions, further the kingdom of God?”

Be generous with what you have. When you become aware of a need, are you giving to meet the needs you observe around you? The so-called “Rich young ruler” is a case in point. Jesus knew that his “god” was what he owned…his money and “stuff”. Jesus told him to get rid of the stuff and use the money to help the poor.

3. Ready or Not Here I Come

Lk 12:35-40 ““Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. You are to be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them. If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, blessed are those servants. But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.””

In the book “7 Habits of Highly Successful People” Steven Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind.” One of the exercises that he suggested toward this end was to write out your own obituary and then live your life so that it is comes true. The “end” that Jesus refers to in this passage is His second coming. He used numerous parables to urge people to live in readiness for His coming because “no one knows the day or hour”.

Application: (How do I need to adjust my life?)

Surrendering your life to Jesus includes your “possessions” as well. If you haven’t surrendered the possessions, then you haven’t surrendered your life.

If you knew with absolute certainty that Jesus would return next Sunday at 10:45 a.m., how would your plan for next week change? What would you rush to do before next Sunday?

Since Jesus could come before I say “amen” to the benediction, what do you need to do right now?