Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Stewardship of our resources remains a sticking point for most church members.

Financially, the average church member gives roughly 4% of their income towards his or her church.

We tend to hold on to our money for our sakes instead of giving that portion of our lives to Christ and trusting Him to be enough.

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deuteronomy 21:17

Rabbis, as experts in the law, were sometimes called to resolve disputes.

Jesus was considered a rabbi, why do you think He balked at the request to get involved here?

Though Jesus was Lord of the entire universe, he was careful not to become involved in matters that did not directly pertain to his earthly work and ministry, and he expected people to work out such things on their own.

For Jesus to treat a normally legitimate legal recourse here as a sign of greed seems to radically value relationships over property (see ).

What do you think Jesus was really addressing here?

Jesus addressed a more serious concern—a problem that lay at the heart of the dispute (and, no doubt, in the hearts of both disputants).

The problem was greed, which at root is but one expression of a deeper pathology, worldliness.

Jesus explained that greed—the inordinate desire for “more”—is pointless because life does not consist of an abundance of possessions (12:15b).

That is, life is to be about more than the “stuff” accumulated in this temporal existence.

There is another, transcendent existence that the “stuff” of this life is to serve.

The “stuff” of this life must never become an end in itself.

If Christ’s people are consumed by him, they cannot yield to consumerism.

Look at ;

Look at ;

But then he addresses the problematic attitude behind the dispute, warning, “Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (12:15).

Paul calls greed “idolatry” (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5) because it places earthly possessions ahead of God in your life.

In reality both brothers were focusing on their earthly wealth and consumed by greed, the one demanding the money, the other refusing to give it up.

I know of an instance where two sisters turned their mother against their older sister so they could get the inheritance for themselves.

It is too easy to be a wealthy parent and allow the inheritance to destroy the family.

Jesus addresses both brothers but also the crowd as well, telling them, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

True life must center on eternal realities, not temporary affluence.

Do we place earthly possessions (or the pursuit of them) ahead of God in our lives?

Not making a legal judgment, Jesus did make a moral one.

Your request shows how greedy you are, he told the man.

Lay aside your greed.

Think about life.

What is most important to you?

Money or relationship with God? Surely, your life is more important than what you own.

12:13–14.

An anonymous member of the crowd interrupted Jesus.

He set Jesus up as a human judge deciding inheritance rights.

Jesus denied that he had any right to act in such a position.

That belongs to the nation’s court system.

12:15.

Not making a legal judgment, Jesus did make a moral one.

Your request shows how greedy you are, he told the man.

Lay aside your greed.

Think about life.

What is most important to you?

Money or relationship with God? Surely, your life is more important than what you own.

Let’s move to

What’s the moral of this parable?

Compare to winning the lottery.

Riches have one major weakness.

They have no purchasing power after death.

They cannot buy the currency needed to get to heaven.

Do not try to be rich in regard to the bank or barn.

Be rich in relationship to God.

Riches have one major weakness.

They have no purchasing power after death.

They cannot buy the currency needed to get to heaven.

Do not try to be rich in regard to the bank or barn.

Be rich in relationship to God.

Through prayer, study, obedience, and practice of the word, be sure you are part of the kingdom of God.

Through prayer, study, obedience, and practice of the word, be sure you are part of the kingdom of God.

12:21.

This is not an exceptional case.

It applies to anyone who trusts in riches.

Riches have one major weakness.

They have no purchasing power after death.

They cannot buy the currency needed to get to heaven.

Do not try to be rich in regard to the bank or barn.

Be rich in relationship to God.

Through prayer, study, obedience, and practice of the word, be sure you are part of the kingdom of God.

Is Jesus condemning wealth?

No. Jesus clearly warns his hearers concerning the dangerous eternal implications of wealth, with its seductive tendency toward complacency, self-sufficiency, and covetousness.

Though the rich fool anticipates years of ease—a time to eat, drink, be merry—instead an eternal destiny apart from God awaits him.

As Jesus’ condemning words confirm, “This night your soul is required of you.”

Ironically, the man who took such great care to prepare for his own (earthly) needs turns out to be a fool.

Instead of fulfilling his moral responsibility to care for the needs of others, he is rebuked for laying up treasure for himself and for not being rich toward God.

Notice God was nowhere in the rich man’s plans.

Everything is about “me, myself, and I,” as we see in this and the ensuing verses.

He ignores God and family in favor of himself.

The elevation of self above God is the very definition of greed.

But what about ?

In his plans, God is left out of the picture, and it is about him: “What shall I do … I will tear down … and build … I will store … I’ll say to myself …” He commits the sin of the shallow Christian businessman in James 4:13–17 who plans only to go from town to town making money and forgets God in the process.

The elevation of self above God is the very definition of greed.

Again, there is a certain prudence when the harvest demands bigger barns.

The plural “barns” shows the productivity of the harvest.

He seems to be a wise businessman until we notice the self-centered nature of it all.

“Eat, drink and be merry” stems from Ecclesiastes 8:15, where God’s people are told to consider this world as a gift from God meant to produce “enjoyment of life.”

But he has turned it into selfish pleasure and polluted God’s gift.

“Be merry” is euphrainomai, “enjoy the good life,” and that is all he lives for.

His conclusion proves that our suspicion about his true motive was correct: “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

His entire goal is self-indulgence rather than to use his largesse to help others or to serve God.

His desire assumes the pleasure principle.

In this story, no family or friends are mentioned, no one to share his plenty with or use it to help.

He is all alone and wants it that way.

“Eat, drink and be merry” stems from Ecclesiastes 8:15, where God’s people are told to consider this world as a gift from God meant to produce “enjoyment of life.”

But he has turned it into selfish pleasure and polluted God’s gift.

“Be merry” is euphrainomai, “enjoy the good life,” and that is all he lives for.

He has wasted his life and is truly a fool.

This proves the old adage, “You can’t take it with you,” but it is also incredibly sad when you also can’t leave it for anyone to enjoy.

Wealth is not wrong, but it must be used for the glory of God and to help the needy.

This is what Jesus means by becoming “rich toward God.”