Where is your hope?
Notes
Transcript
My mum called me this week,
It’s a fairly unusual occurance, being one of 5 siblings, there are plnety of us to share round.
And
She called to let me know that she was making arrangements to give me power of attorney in the event of her not being able to make lucid decisions herself.
For a second the idea of using this new power to write my other siblings out of my parents will crossed my mind!
Then I realised that and inheritance of almost nothing divided by 1 or 5 is still almost nothing!
Of course I’m joking,
I wouldn’t rip off my other siblings,
and it turns out she was actually giving me authroity over her medical care and treatments should she need them, not financial decsions -
that job was going to another lucky sibling of mine!
But this sort of thing reminds us that life, this life, this world, our bodies even, are really very temporary!
Our wealth, our health will all come to an end,
and it begs the question ‘what’s it all for!?’
Should we eat, drink and be merry - is that really all the hope we have in this life?
Or is there another place to put our hope?
Jesus, told the story we had read to us about this very issue.
Where is your hope?
It’s a facinating subject really.
Perhpas you put your hope in Some of us have a lot of hope in our own abilities and acheivements in life.
It’s such a simple story,
it’s easy to listen to,
but I’m afriad that as we think about it seriously, it’s so very painful to think about.
It’s about a person who filled his Barns with hope!
But to make sure we understand what Jesus is teaching,
we need to consider why he told it.
Have a look at
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
luke 12 13
In those times the eledest son would have inheritted eveything from his Father.
He would become the new head of the household,
But as that great theologian, Spiderman once said:
‘With great power comes great responsibility.’
He may inherit it all,
but he must also now provide and care for the extended family.
Who else would!?
So, clearly this younger brother is not too impressed with how things have worked out.
Perhpas the younger brother is greedy, and thinks he desevres more of the support.
Or perhaps the older brother is neglecting his responsibilites,
But either way, he comes to Jesus,
this powerful teacher,
and tells him to sort it out!
But,
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
Jesus didn’t walk this earth to sort out familiy fueds or sit in judgement at low claims court,
He came to do something far more wonderful than that.
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
luke 12
What a phrase.
Think carefully about what Jesus has just said,
‘life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
He could have said,
‘life is not about an abundance of possessions’
or
‘life does not revolve around an abundance of possessions.
But NO!
life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
In other words, if all you have is an abundance of possessions, then you do not have life at all!
Life is something else - outside of possessions.
If your lifes hope is in possessions - then you have no life at all - and your possessions are pointless!
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
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Bigger barns,
more promotions,
better education,
more children,
more money,
a better pension
more shares,
a larger house,
a nicer car,
the best holidays,
the best family,
the best friedns,
the best dinner parties,
the latest phone,
the most followers on instagram,
the most ‘skills’ on linked inn,
the fastest marathon time,
the healthiest body,
The biggest savings pot,
The earliest retiremnet date,
The holiday home,
The nicest clothes,
the best marriage
The most power,
the most influential,
The most control,
‘You fool!’ says the God of all creation.
All this stuff,
all that image,
all that worship of personal comfort.
Eat drink and be merry!
You fool!, says God.
For one day,
every person in this room here today will still die.
And if your hope is in ‘having’
‘having things,’
Then you have no hope,
and you have lived no life at all.
I told you..
It’s such a simple story,
it’s easy to listen to,
but oh so very painful to think about.
Ok, but come on Sam,
we might die,
but surely we have still had a life,
especially if we’ve got lots of those things you just listed off?!
Why does Jesus say that’s no life at all?
Well, becasue you have believed the lies that our world is telling you.
You believe that when our physical bodies die, then that is the end.
You believe we will rot in the ground or our ashes will drift off into the atmosphere.
It’s a lie that has infiltrated our world,
Which is extraordinary
as It’s a lie that is based on absolutely nothing at all!
Science cannot prove in any way that there is no life after death.
How could it.
Sure our phyiscal bodies might decay in the ground,
but the bible also says that.
But we’re also told all mankind will rise after death.
Our souls are eternal
- we have been created by a great God, in the image of a great God,
and we, like him, have no end!
But we have fallen for the lies of the world.
In the passage just before this parable, Jesus warns us about this very point.
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
luke 12 4
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
That’s all the world can do - it can harm your body, it can even kill you.
But that is nothing - don’t believe their lies,
just becasue they might laugh at you, or even harm you,
Jesus goes on
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
If you think this life is all there is, then you have believd the lies of this world,
You may well understandably put your hope in ‘having’
Eat drink and be merry!
But it means you have rejected the almighty God of the universe.
There is not hope in ‘having’ things,
There is no life in ‘having things,
because if you have lived for yourself,
then you have rejected your creator God,
your rejection, or sin as the bible calls it,
has sentanced you to hell.
We need persepctive says Jesus!
Don’t put your hope in worldly things,
worldly ideas,
just becasue you’re too afraid to consider the possibility that they are worng!
If you need to fear something, at least fear the greatest thing worth fearing! God himself!
Forget putting hope in ‘having’ things -
that will not help you, and only lead to death and hell.
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
So instead of putting our hope in ‘having’
Instead, live for God,
we should, be rich towards God!
What does that mean?
It means,
forget about ‘having’
and think about living!
YOu see,
Jesus, does not come to send us all to hell!
Quite to opposite!
He came to save us from hell!
He warns us that hell is exactly what we have chosen for ourselves - by rejecting God Almighty!
He only warns us so that we can run to the loving arms of the only Hope there is in this life.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Look at v6 and 7 after that terrible warning of hell,
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
It’s odd isn’t it,
Be afraid of God, but don’t be afraid, you are worth more than sparrows!
It’s as we have already said
If you need to fear something, at least fear the greatest thing worth fearing! God himself!
BUt as it is,
if you turn to God,
and stop putting your hope in other things, in worldly lies, in ‘having’
Then, there is nothing to be afraid of at all!
You’re worth more than sparrows, and sparrows have everything they need for life!
How do I turn to God,
How do I receive his care and love?
It’s in the next verse, v8
“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.
Acknowldge Jesus, the son of man - a title that recognises him as God himself.
Jesus who died on a cross in history,
but it was not just a historical event,
it was the greatest spiritual event of all time.
For the judgement of hell that we deserve for rejecting God in our lives,
for our sin,
for putting our hope in ‘having’
was all put upon Jesus on that cross.
God the Just and loving God satifies his loving justice on Jesus, not us.
So that we can truely ‘LIVE”
Where is your hope?
Is it in ‘having’, in the lies this world has taught you?
Or is it in Jesus, and the Life eternal he gives us.
And life that continues after death,
without judgement, in love.
pause
So back to our younger brother who is unhappy about his inheritance - or lack thereoff!
Jesus says,
‘Having’ is so insignificant, so futile and temporary - that it is not worth spending your energy and life on!
you’ll still die, and you’ll have forefitted true life entirley!
Instead - Put your hope in, Jesus,
and work now to store up treassure in heaven - by loving others, and loving God, before your own needs,
Jesus sums it all up to his disciples straight after telling this parrable about the Rich Fool,
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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Put your hope in Jesus,
Don’t worry about ‘having’
For God loves you
so store up treassure in heaven, not on earth,
by knowing, loving and following Jesus.
That is life.
That is hope, both now and forever more.
This is too important to ignore,
Is your hope in ‘having’
or in really Living
2 - Barns
We’ve done enough
Cultural expaecttaions was that the eldest son recieved it all - but they would clearly be expected to provide for the whole family now.
If this message is new to you, i urge you to talk to me or the person you came with about it more.
It truely is a matter of life or ‘no life at all’
What does v14 mean?
Jesus is talking to his disciples.
If you’re not a disciple - then have a glimpse at what the disciples life is like!
Where is your hope, in self or in Jesus.
Pray
Such a simple story that is so true!
1 - This life cannot be about an abundance of possessions - eating, drinking anf being merry!
2 - This life is about being rich towards God - let go of our live of comfort and possessions, love others first and obedince to God shows where our heart belongs.
3 - Trust God. - you’re more pressious than a sparrow.