The Only Thing that Matters

Luke 12:13–21 KJV 1900

And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 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. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 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. 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. 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? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Where are we in the Bible?

end of chapter 11- Pharisees gonna Pharisee

12:1- beware of the leaven of the Pharisees- hypocrisy

a controversy between brothers

Jesus did not come as an earthly judge adjudicating the differences between man and man. He lays down great principles, obedience to which will bring heaven into human lives.

So, this man wants Jesus’ to settle his earthly problems.

MAYBE THIS MAN HAD INDEED BEEN CHEATED

or maybe THIS MAN WAS HIMSELF A CHEATER WHO WANTED JESUS’ AID IN GETTING AN UPPER HAND ON HIS BROTHER.

He wants Jesus to speak here as a prophet— to speak as a King— to speak with authority.

Deuteronomy 21:16-17: “Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.”

Because Jesus addresses covetousness here, it is not that this man wanted to get even— he wanted to get ahead!

Moses:

Acts 7:35: “This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.”

Rather, Jesus came as a director of man’s consciences.

Jesus kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and not of this world.

Jesus’ kingdom does not interfere with civil powers, nor take the authority of princes out of their hands. Christianity leaves the matter as it found it, as to civil power.

Jesus’ kingdom does not encourage our expectations of worldly advantages by our religion. If this man will be a disciple of Christ, and expects that in consideration of this Christ should give him his brother's estate, he is mistaken; the rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature.

Jesus’ kingdom does not encourage our contests with our brethren, and our being rigorous and high in our demands, but rather, for peace' sake, to recede from our right.

Jesus’ kingdom does not allow ministers to entangle themselves in the affairs of this life (2Ti 2:4: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”)

What We Say to our Souls

Luke 12:17: “And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?”

you’ve worked hard and deserve a break

WE MAKE THE MISTAKE BY MISCALCULATING OUR OWN GREATNESS!

yet, who made the ground?

who sent the rain?

who provided seed?

appease your flesh! It’s all that matters!

WE MAKE A MISTAKE BY MISINTERPRETING WHO WE REALLY ARE.

Job 38

Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.”

thinketh- to act as gatekeeper

Mark 7:21-23: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

What God Says about our Souls

it is imminently accountable to God

required- God demands it back

it’s not yours!

ILL. keeper of the stream

MATTHEW 16:26: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

many give away their souls to acquaintances, popularity, sex, money, pleasure, leisure, travel, and other things that cannot satisfy. They will never gain the world, but if you seek to gain them you’ll lose what’s important.

Jesus’ doctrine turns our doctrine on its head:

John 12:21-25: “The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

God proves in the end that a man’s true self does not consist in what he owns.

ILL. What's the most outrageous thing you would do for $10,000 cash? That's the question posed recently by Chicago radio station WKOX, which attracted responses from more than 6,000 full-tilt crazies.

The eventual winner: Jay Gwaltney of Zionsville, Indiana, who consumed an 11-foot birch sapling -- leaves, roots, bark and all. For the event, he donned a tux and dined at a table set elegantly with china, sterling, candles and a rose vase. Armed with pruning sheers, the Indiana State University sophomore began chomping from the top of the tree and worked his way, branch by branch, to the roots. His only condiment: French dressing for the massive birch-leaf salad. The culinary feat took 18 hours over a period of three days.

When it was all over, Gwaltney complained of an upset stomach. Evidently the bark was worse than his bite.

The Soul is the Most Important Part of You

DO YOU EVER SPEAK TO YOUR SOUL?

Psalm 16:2: “O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: My goodness extendeth not to thee;”

Psalm 42:5: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.”

Psalm 42:6: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee From the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.”

Psalm 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

What was his problem? He was not rich towards God.

Luke 16:11: “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

I Timothy 6:18-19: “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

James 2:5: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”

ILL. Jonah- Ethan

What calms the storm?

lighten the ship

the prophet himself— he is the appeasement. God doesn’t want the stuff—He wants you!

Jonah 1:4-5: “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.”

Jonah 1:14-15: “Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.”