What'll ya have? What'll ya have?

Service Notes

Baptism Video from Taiwan / Vision

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Quick Review

Jesus starts the discuss that runs to 13:7 surrounded by 10,000s

We look at another “beware” passage

SO much to consider in relationship to discipleship as Jesus focuses on the heart and life of his disciples

Luke 12:13–21 (KJV 1900)

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable (lay alongside) unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: (we get the word euphoric - abundance of joy)

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Introduction

Title: What’ll ya have? What’ll have?

Alternative: Beware of Covetousness

Why teach this to his disciples? They were of rather modest means.

Covetousness trips up different people in different ways.

To the poor - those who have less, to look at those who have more and be envious, and to think that, “If I had what he has, my life would be better.”

To the rich - a wealthy man can be tripped up by things, not because he envies what someone else has that he doesn't have, but because he finds his security and his treasure in what he has.

Why address covetousness with the disciples?

Covetousness is a very subtle sin and it is often very difficult to detect in ourselves.

There are not many people who will walk up to you and say, “You know, I'm a covetous person.”

Have you broken this commandment. Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. [nor anything on Amazon]

Maybe you will recognize it when we say it like this; Covetousness is desiring something so much that you lose your contentment in God.

Some questions we might ask ourselves from time to time.

Am I content with my condition?

Can i be happy when others are blessed?

Are you discontent with what you have?

Told to BEWARE Luke12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

When our hearts are set on what we don't have but what we want, it diminishes our joy in that which really matters.

Covetousness is a dangerous sin because it tempts us to hypocrisy.

Last week, we were BEWARING of the sin of hypocrisy.

How is covetousness hypocrisy? You know we say that our hearts are set on things above, when in fact our desires are set on things below.

Let your life be without covetousness. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Covetousness brings about the ruin of the soul because it leads our hearts toward idolatry.

Covetousness is important for us to think about, and it was important for Jesus to address His disciples about, because it's a root sin. 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Covetousness is idolatry. Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Pray, this elongated introduction will help you want to listen intently as we listen to Jesus give this parable.

Was Jesus not the judge or arbiter between these two brothers?

Luke 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Sometimes I face problems in the Text and am tempted to skip over it hoping you won’t ask. / Seems like a teenager raising his hand and asking an unrelated question.

What your thoughts are preoccupied with may well reveal something about what your heart treasures.

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about anything else? This man was thinking of an inheritance.

It was not uncommon for Jewish people to go to rabbis and to ask them to settle family disputes of this nature.

Jesus is the judge of the world right? John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Often get asked in stores where things are at. People just assume I work there. “Man, I don’t work here.”

Jesus is making it very clear He will wants to deal with the weightier/spiritual matters in life. Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Parable of the “great” problem

Luke 12:16–17 (KJV 1900)

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

Story of Hu-guette Clark

Heiress to the William A Clark fortune

Built 7 million dollar mansion on Madison Ave in 1920 / cost more than the Yankee Stadium at the time

$100 Million dollar estate in CA she hadn’t set foot in 50 years

Beautiful country house in Connecticut she has never been to

42 room apartment overlooking Central Park she hasn’t been to in the last 20 years.

She writes handwritten letters to the staff telling them how to care for the buildings

What should she have done with her wealth?

We all could have many good opinions on the idea.

We all have probably spent billions of dollars in our imagination better than we think she did.

We have a definitive answer on the question.

Luke 12:20-21 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

God is not opposed to the wealthy

Abraham

Solomon

Homes where many of the first churches were started

We must see “laying up treasures for ourselves” as a synonym for covetousness.

Man’s Response to the “Great” Problem

Reasonable goal to have an abundant life. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Great Harvest

Luke 12:16 “16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:”

No reason to believe this was anything then the result of honest work.

No mention of dishonesty,

no mention ill-gotten gain,

no mention of extortion

no mention of evil

no mention of immorality

no mention of an illegal crop

His answer to his great gain is telling

The man lived in the singular.

Luke 12:17–19 (KJV 1900)

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Reasoning to himself.

Deciding what he should do.

Possessions clearly seen as solely his.

Conversation with his soul to help enjoy what he has

Why not sell, buy more land, more equipment?

Goal was ease in the form of eating, drinking, and being merry.

My step-father told us about wanting to turn our warehouse into a place with many large closets people would rent. What a crazy idea!

Why didn’t he say this instead “You know, God, You’re the one that makes the rain fall. You’re the one that makes the earth warm. You’re the one that makes the seed to grow. I need to take some of this that You’ve given to me and give it back to You, because I know I’m to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and I cannot be restrained in my giving to you, because my love commands me to be generous with You. Love gives. It can’t not give. And then I know the second law is to love your neighbor as yourself. And because Your love abides in me, I love these people, and I want to share this with others.”

The man invested where his heart is.

Matthew 6:21 KJV 1900

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Could have invested in family.

Could have invested in others.

Could have invested in eternal things. Matthew 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

But he didn’t because his heart was not there.

With great gain is great potential for foolishness

Luke 12:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Gain has caused him to forget some very important things about life.

God, others, and his own mortality.

In his great gain he forgot His great God

James gives a description of how this man and most men live out their days.

James 4:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Seems to be that a man with a productive business should be growing closer to the Lord and not farther away.

So many opportunities to look to God for guidance.

The man in the parable should have turned to Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Materialists worst nightmare. Someone else gets all their toys.

This is why Stephanie keeps her van near empty. She can’t trust that after the rapture the next person might not use it for good.

Covetousness can cause you to believe false, hurtful teaching

How? 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

This may mean that they had fallen into heretical teaching.

In his great gain he forgot about others

Luke 12:21 (KJV 1900)

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

What good is gain just for the sake of gain? Ecc 5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

Solomon makes a compelling case.

A covetous person never derives enjoyment from his wealth Ecc 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

His increased wealth merely brings him increased anxiety. Ecc 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Anxious people are not attentive people!

The life of the covetous person never stops to think about others. James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

I could give dozens of stories how people used their great gain, remembered their great God, and made a great difference in this world. Doc & Phyllis West ran a dentist office. God blessed them. They wanted their 16 year old son to go on a missions trip. Because they had a good harvest they had surplus and with it they took his 18 year old best friend. I am forever grateful they remembered their great God during their great gain.

In his great gain he forgot about his morality

We see him make not preparation for death when his great gain (no amending of his will, no life insurance policy, no consideration)

Covetousness lets you down when you need help most

1 Timothy 6:9 (KJV 1900)

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Verse isn’t saying that greed can mess up your marriage, or your business, which it certainly can, but it’s saying covetousness can destroy your soul.

In a world of seeming uncertainty we best consider the things we know to be certain.

1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Conclusion

Covetousness can be damning to the unbeliever and dangerous to the believer. Flee from it!

1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV 1900)

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Where should you run?

Go to the Lord in prayer. When you mind wonders direct your thoughts upwards and not at the object of your covetousness. Psalm 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, And not to covetousness.

Let the Word renew your mind. 1 Timothy 6:6 “6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

Rejoice in what you have in a God that will never leave nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

As the Lord as our helper we do not have to be a victim to this thing called covetousness. We can put it to death. Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

You see the man in the parable that had the great problem of great gain. That is all he had. That is all he could ever have.

Great gain but not great contentment with God.

Great gain but not great purpose in helping others.

Great short term plan for life but no plans for his eternity.

That doesn’t seem like a great problem to have after all