Living for what matters

Norman Unsworth

After Pentecost • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

Luke 12:13–21

Colossians 3:1–11

Greed

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CALL TO WORSHIP

Psalm 107

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south.

HYMN

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (StF 66)

GATHERING PRAYER

Lord God, we come with our love seeking your love afresh. We come with our questions seeking your guidance. We come with our certainties seeking your challenge. We come with our sinfulness seeking your forgiveness. So come, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and be whatever you need to be to us today. Amen.

Living God, we lay down now all that weighs heavily on our minds and ask to be clothed in hope. We bring all our mistakes and ask to be clothed in understanding. We bring all that limits our vision and diminishes our love and ask to be clothed with a new focus and a fresh start. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

God of all, forgive us when we put others down and make them feel small, acting as if we are great. Forgive us when we put on airs and graces, acting as if we are more precious than others. Forgive us, clothe us in humility, integrity and generosity, and give us a fresh perspective on ourselves and those we meet. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Creator God, though the sky is vast, each star can shine. Though the ocean is mighty, each wave can dance. Though the world is noisy, each silent cry is heard. Though we are so small, your grace lifts us up and we can trust that we are forgiven, cherished and forever clothed in your life-giving love. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven,

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those that trespass against us,

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,

Forever and ever Amen.

HYMN

In Christ there is no east or west (StF 685)

READING 1

Luke 12:13–21 NRSV

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

READING 2

Colossians 3:1–11 NRSV

1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

HYMN

All I once held dear, built my life upon (StF 489)

SERMON

Living for What Matters: A Sermon on Luke 12:13-21 and Colossians 3:1-11

“Set Your Minds on Things Above”

Today we are reflecting on two powerful passages: Luke 12:13-21—the Parable of the Rich Fool—and Colossians 3:1-11, where Paul tells us to seek the things that are above. Both texts invite us to examine what truly matters, to reconsider the pursuits that shape our lives, and to align ourselves with God’s greater purposes for each of us.

There’s a character called Kate in the 2019 film Last Christmas. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but it’s worth a watch. She would certainly have been able to identify with our reading today. Life for her was rubbish. The earthly things listed in Colossians were pretty much all part of her experience and disaffection, and she really did hate her job as one of Santa’s helpers in an all-year-round Christmas shop.

And then came Tom, who encouraged and helped her to ‘look up’ and get a new focus on life.

There is something very Christ-like about the character of Tom. He is kind and, just like Jesus in the Gospels, he does not exploit this vulnerable woman but restores in her a sense of dignity and worth. He helps Kate to look beyond herself, introducing her to a homeless charity where she learns to love volunteering. Tom helps Kate be reconciled to herself, which enables her to be reconciled to her family. And why does this all happen?

Spoiler alert! Because just as in the Wham! song Last Christmas, it transpires that Tom had given Kate his heart – literally – as Tom had died in a road accident and his heart has been transplanted into Kate and thereby saved her life.

But this film is about change, the movement from self to looking out for others.

The Setting: An Unexpected Question

Luke tells us that, as Jesus was teaching, when someone from the crowd interrupted, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Perhaps this seems a simple request—a family dispute, a property matter, a desire for fairness. Yet Jesus responds, “Man, who appointed me a judge or arbiter between you?” (Luke 12:14). He then warns, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Here, Jesus sees beneath the surface. The real issue isn’t just family fairness or money—it’s the human heart’s tendency to anchor its hopes in material things. Jesus recognizes how easily the desire for more can consume us, distract us, and ultimately separate us from God.

The Parable of the Rich Fool: A Story of Misplaced Security

To hammer home his point, Jesus tells a story.

A certain rich man has a bumper crop. So much is the harvest that his barns can’t contain it. The man thinks, “What shall I do? I have nowhere to store my crops.” And then, he makes a plan:

“I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”

But God says to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Jesus concludes, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Notice the man’s words—his thoughts revolve around himself. “My crops… my barns… my grain… my goods… myself.” There is no sense of gratitude, no thought of sharing, certainly no place for God.

His riches become his security, his identity, and his purpose. Yet all is swept away in a moment.

Does that not remind you of our country today.

I have my big house

My big bank balance

My big Car

My expensive holidays.

Mine, mine, mine!

No place for God, I don’t need him!

Colossians 3:1-11: The Call to a New Life

Now, let’s turn to Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Here, the apostle lifts our eyes. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Paul reminds us that, through Christ, we have been given new life—a life not trapped in the cycle of greed, anger, malice, but a life freed to love. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” The old self—obsessed with possessions and temporary pleasures—has been put to death. The new self, being renewed in the image of the Creator, being called to reflect Christ.

Earthly Desires vs. Heavenly Pursuits

The rich fool’s story and Paul’s instruction in Colossians meet at a crucial point: both warn us against placing our trust in things that fade. The man in Jesus’ parable embraces accumulation, believing it will secure his future and ensure his happiness. Paul cautions us: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

Greed is described as idolatry—a worship of something other than God, a misplaced trust. When we make wealth, status, pleasure, or even relationships our ultimate concern, we drift from the source of true life.

What Does It Mean to Be “Rich Toward God”?

Jesus concludes his parable with a challenge: to be “rich toward God.” What does this mean?

It means living in a way that treasures what God treasures—loving God first, loving our neighbours, being generous with what we have, and steering our lives towards what is eternal and lasting.

To be rich toward God is not about denying material needs, but about holding them with open hands. It is about recognising that all we have is gift, given to us to use for God’s purposes—serving others, building community, caring for the vulnerable, and sharing with joy. It is a life marked not by anxiety about having enough, but by trust in the God who provides.

Practical Applications: Living with an Eternal Perspective

How, then, do we respond to these texts in our daily lives? Let me offer three invitations:

· Examine Where Your Treasure Lies. Ask yourself: What am I striving for? Where do I invest my energy, my resources, my attention? Does my daily life reflect a desire to be rich toward God, or am I tempted to build bigger barns for myself?

· Practice Generosity. The antidote to greed is giving. When we give—of our time, our talents, our wealth—we loosen the grip of possessions on our hearts. We become more like Christ, who gave everything for us.

· Set Your Mind on Things Above. As Paul urges, let your life be shaped by the values of God’s kingdom. Live with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Seek justice. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Let Christ be the centre, the source, and the goal of your existence.

The Freedom of Trusting God

You see, the rich fool’s tragedy is not his success, but his self-sufficiency—his belief that security comes from what he owns rather than who he is in God.

In Christ, we are invited into a different story. Ours is not a story of anxiety, hoarding, or fear, but of trust, freedom, and joyful generosity.

Paul assures us that our lives are “hidden with Christ in God”—it is secure beyond anything we could build for ourselves. This is the promise that frees us from the things that hold us, wanting to have more, and give us the power to live for what matters most.

A Closing Invitation

As we leave this place, I hope we listen afresh to Jesus’ warning and Paul’s encouragement. Let’s resist the pull of possessions and instead become people whose hearts are set on things above. May our lives bear witness to the richness of God’s love—a love that gives, forgives, and endures.

May we be “rich toward God,” today and always. Amen.

HYMN

Jesus be the answer

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

God of all we have been, of all we are and of all we can be, you give each of us value, a unique identity and a common purpose. You give each of us opportunities and call us by name. We offer you our lives afresh to live as your people in the world, sharing your perspectives and passion for all you have made. In Jesus’ name, we praise you. Amen.

Lord our God, your abundance, your love, your provision, your blessing amazes us day by day. With such knowledge we bring our prayers for others in need this day.

We pray for those in need of food on the table when the cupboard is bare or when the crops have failed. No one should need overseas aid and yet they do. No one should need to use Foodbanks and yet they do. No one should go hungry and yet they do. Help us to do all we can to help feed the hungry.