Luke 12:13-21
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Introduction
Introduction
We are going to talk about money this week.
The humor of the fact that many of you recieved “stimulus” checks last week is not lost on me.
but...
that is not why we are talking about money this week.
If you attend regularly you know that what we do is go through Scripture one verse at a time.
Therefore, I feel completely safe in saying that God scheduled the timing of this.
He has a sense of humor, doesn’t He?
==
There is absolutely no question that we live in the richest society to ever exist on the planet.
That is not to say there is not poverty around us...
because we all know there is.
but...
many of the poor among us are fat and have cell phones.
We are such a rich society that our poorest have trouble maintaining a healthy weight.
That is not what poor has normally meant throughout history.
==
We get it into our heads that our kids need all the latest and greatest toys and clothes...
and...
we train them from early childhood to be just as materialistic as we are.
We buy new toys for ourselves and our children before we invest in the kingdom of God.
Is having a nice new car and other nice stuff wrong?
You probably expect me to say “no.”
but...
I will say it depends
PRIORITIES - What comes first?
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Most of us put God to the test alright, but not in this one way we are told to.
Why?
The answer is simple and we all know it.
Because we don’t trust Him with our money.
Some of us trust Him with our immortal souls...
but not our money.
Why?
Again, the answer is simple and obvious.
We treasure our money and comfort in this life more than our souls.
==
Now, that is so messed up that I hope it is not actually the case.
I hope that many of us have been lulled into the foolishness of the world and can be warned, awakened, roused from our foolishness by the Word of God.
Why is money such a big deal?
It is a big deal because...
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
For us to really understand this...
We are going to have to put away...
our pride
our defensiveness
and think maturely.
We will have to see that money matters are really and truly and fundamentally heart matters.
Alright, are you submitted to God?
Are you ready to conform your life to the Word of God?
If so, let’s read our passage.
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear 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, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
This parable is not hard to understand is it?
It’s easy to understand the point - It’s a lot harder to put the point into practice.
Kind of like “love your enemies.”
==
Let’s set the stage for this parable.
If you can recall back to last week, Jesus was explaining the dangers of, and how to avoid hypocrisy.
(( teaching and nobody seems to be listening… ))
Cat and cop and babies
sermon and looking at watch
Jesus was teaching deep and awesome stuff and this clown in the crowd says...
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus didn’t seem to welcome the question.
He said...
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
but...
Jesus was not one to waste a teaching opportunity.
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
What is covetousness?
Greediness...
but...
with the possible nuance of greed for other people’s stuff.
Miriam Webster says:
1: marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions
Don’t be greedy!
Now that goes against our nature and our training.
Do you have to teach your kids not to share?
Nope.
We come out of the womb greedy.
We have to work that out through the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
When my kids were little they would be starving...
eat three bites of something...
and claim to be full until...
twenty minutes later when they were again starving.
I figured out how to get them to sit and eat.
I would make them all compete for one common food source.
When they realized that if they didn’t eat, their siblings would get the food, - they would eat.
We didn’t over feed them or encourage them to over-eat...
but they knew if they wanted to go play and come back in 20 minutes the food would be gone
because
their siblings would have eaten it all.
==
We want our fair share of everything...
How many times have you heard politicians say that rich people need to pay their fair share?
What is the fair share for rich people?
Enough that the politicians’ constituents don’t have to work.
Greedy people are not fit to decide what “fair” is.
==
Let’s look at the last part of v. 15
“for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
What is your life about?
What is your life about?
Is it about your stuff...
your family...
your business...
your ego?
OR
Is your life about your identity in Christ and about the mission that He gave you?
If you are a disciple of Jesus, your life is NOT about your stuff.
The world says...
“He who dies with the most toys, wins.”
The world is dead wrong!
You can’t take the toys with you.
==
What can you take with you?
The souls of men and women you win to the Lord.
You can store up treasure in heaven.
How?
Rewards come through obedience.
Invest your money in the kingdom - you can’t take your money with you but you can send it on ahead.
==
Let’s get into the parable.
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
Who made that man’s land produce plentifully?
God.
Who gave you the things you treasure?
Who gave you the things you treasure?
Who gave you the job you have?
God.
Who gave you the mind and body you use to make money?
God.
God provided for this rich man.
He provided generously and plentifully for him.
We have to realize the reason we have what we have is that God provided us the ability to make money.
He could take that away tomorrow.
Don’t get all proud and forget the source of your blessings.
God resists the proud.
Look with me at this verse...
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
It’s great to work hard and save wisely, but remember God is the source of your stuff.
Considering that God is the source of your wealth...
What will you do with the wealth with which God has entrusted you?
What will you do with the wealth with which God has entrusted you?
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
What could have been the answer to this guy’s question?
He could have given it to God.
The church needs money in order to function.
The more money it has, the more it can do.
Sometimes churches are foolish and just horde God’s money, but ministry takes money.
Expansion takes money.
Church plants take money.
This rich man could have given his money to God and he would not have squandered it.
He could have sent his treasure on ahead of him.
John MacArthur’s story of guy on cruise who was going to donate millions in savings. Heart attack before cruise over.
What else could this guy have done with the wealth God entrusted to him?
He could have given it to the needy.
There are people all around you with genuine needs.
Also, there are people in other countries who truly are in poverty to the point they don’t have food and clean water.
You can give to places like Samaritan’s purse that will use your money wisely to alleviate suffering.
BUT...
This guy forgot about God and his fellow man and only thought of himself.
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear 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.” ’
Here is the problem...
We are all at least a little bit like this guy.
We have what we need, but what about tomorrow.
I better save any and all excess in case I need it later.
There is nothing wrong with saving...
but...
there is plenty wrong with saving what you should be giving to God.
There is plenty wrong with using for yourself and your family what you should be giving to God.
==
If you are awake and paying attention this may seem really weird because what I’m saying is absolutely countercultural.
It’s true though.
People come up with amazing ways to rob God and feel justified.
“I don’t like everything about how the church uses my money, so I’ll withhold my tithe.”
Translation: I want to rob God without my conscious bothering me so I’ll blame other people.
“I have too many expenses right now and I can’t possibly give a tenth or more to God.”
Translation: I live above my means and I am not about to change that.
“I have a lot of debt and to be a good steward of my money I should get out of debt and then tithe.”
Translation: I bought stuff I couldn’t afford and now I’ll just rob God to get out of the hole.
==
The rich man in the parable forgot about God.
He forgot about his fellow man...
and...
He forgot about his own mortality.
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
If you think this life is all there is then get all you can, relax, eat, drink, and be merry.
If you know that God and eternity are real then live accordingly.
Have you ever read Ecclesiastes?
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
If you love money, you will never have enough to be satisfied.
If you love God, He will always satisfy.
Paul learned the secret of contentment.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Where will you invest your money?
Where will you invest your money?
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Where will you invest?
This world
or
the world to come?
There is nothing wrong with investing in this world
unless
you fail to be rich toward God.
What do we do?
What do we do?
Give to God FIRST.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there.
If you do what is right with your money, you will control it rather than have it control you.
Money is a blessing to be used not a master to be obeyed.
The only way any of this makes sense to you is if you are a disciple of Jesus.
If you are here and have not come to Jesus in unconditional surrender, then you may think I want your money.
That is not how it works.
I don’t work on commission.
I am worried about where your heart is.
Gospel
salvation
membership
prayer