WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Luke chapter 12. I want you to know that I could preach on the kingdom of God for probably another two years without repeating myself. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:15.000 It is the theme Jesus preached on the most in the Bible. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:25.000 But I do want you to know that in the next three weeks or so, I am going to land it, because there are other things I feel we need to be preaching. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:35.000 So keep listening. I know it's week 24, next week is almost half a year, but you can do this. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:45.000 Thank you so much for your kindness. Key text is Luke chapter 12 from verse 20. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:55.000 But God said to him, you fool, you will die this very night. Then you will get everything you've worked for. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:05.000 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:15.000 That is Jesus telling the story of a guy who dies in his wealth and God addresses him. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:25.000 We're going to get to that story just now, and you're going to discover that this guy addresses himself. And then when it's too late, God addresses him. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:35.000 Whether you're rich or you poor, this is how life always ends. The dead leave everything behind and the living decide what to do with what's left, if there's anything left. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:45.000 And those left behind are not always happy with the way things have been divided. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:55.000 A friend of mine called his children together about 10 years ago, and he's still going strong. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:05.000 And he says, I just want you to know, when I die, you're not getting anything. So that when that day comes, you're not gonna... I do listen to this. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:15.000 I do not want my legacy to be that when I'm not here, you are fighting over what I leave that. The last thing I leave you with is a split family. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:25.000 So what he did was he gave them each an inheritance while they were alive, sold a lot of his possessions, and then said, when I die, you each will get equal. This. That's it. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:35.000 I'm going to live and give and spend my money before then. Most people, however, they're waiting for, oh, what's the name to croak. 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:45.000 Hey, have you ever wondered why they have an open casket at a funeral? You want to make sure he's dead, and then you can't wait for the will to be read out. 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:55.000 And verse 13 of chapter 12, it literally says this. Let me find it. Verse 12, verse 13. Sorry of Luke 12. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:05.000 Then someone called from the crowd, teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:15.000 A man's dead, his two sons are fighting over the money he'd left behind. And My first point for this morning is the motive of self. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:25.000 When we want to look at what is your life, we have to look at the motive of self. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:35.000 If you were to turn your Bible back a page and just read, you will see in Luke, chapter 12, 11 and 12, Jesus is trying to teach people how to take a spiritual stand against opposition. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:45.000 How do you stand in your faith? How do you stand confident in what God's given you? How do you live fearlessly against all opposition? 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:55.000 But rather than listening to what Jesus is saying on how to live well, this guy starts a conversation with what's in it for me? 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:05.000 He cannot see past his own situation. He wants his rights and learn what happens next. Jesus doesn't get involved. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:15.000 Dudley Daniel wrote a book once called choosing your battles. Have you ever found how often you brought into someone else's battle that isn't yours and they want you to fight it? 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:25.000 I would say a lot of the phone calls I receive are me having been invited to get into situations that I'm not involved in. But no, we want you to be involved. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:35.000 Jesus gives this guy the brush off. He says this in verse 14, friend, who made me a judge over you to decide things like that? 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:45.000 You see, Jesus was clear about his calling. One day he would stand in judgment over everyone and over everything. But that time has not come yet. 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And in his earthly ministry, he's not being called to dissolve a dispute between two brothers who are both greedy for their father's money. He's come to seek and save the lost. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:05.000 It's important to know the difference between what you called to do and what you're not called to do. And the enemy will try and keep you busy. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:15.000 I'm starting with what is your life? When I look at the motive of self, ask yourself, should I be doing what I'm doing? We're not called to do everything. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:25.000 And if we want to do what God has called us to do, we need to be sure of our calling. And in this case, it wasn't Jesus' calling to decide what brother gets what. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:35.000 He was there to challenge this guy about his ultimate priorities. He's not showing indifference to the guy's need. Sorry, Rabbi, Pastor, can you help me? 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:45.000 He's simply trying to say there is a greater gain than getting an inheritance and there's a greater loss than losing it. There's more to your life. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:55.000 And so he comes and he gives a proper warning here, a proper warning. He doesn't give this guy what he wants. He gives him what he needs, settle his estate. 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:05.000 Verse 15. Beware. Beware. Guard against every kind of greed. That's how Jesus answers this question. 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:15.000 Man, who might have judged you? What's going on between you and your brother? Beware. Guard against every kind of greed. Listen to this. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:25.000 Life. What is your life? Life is not measured by how much you own. These are the words of Jesus. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:35.000 How many times do you go to a function? What's your job? What's your car? Where do you live? People are trying to sniff what you earn. 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:45.000 A friend of mine once in this room today, bought a very nice car. And he went to some wedding or some function. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:55.000 And when they looked at his car, they were all talking about what they do for a living. I asked him, what does he do? He didn't know what to say. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:07:05.000 You know what he said to them? I smell flowers at the airport. What a brilliant answer. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:15.000 If someone asks me what I do, I say, I look after someone else's wife. So, Pastor, you look after the church, the bride, what do you do? 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:25.000 I get paid and I look after another guy's wife. Poor. You see, Jesus knew this man's heart. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:35.000 And he knew that when a guy doesn't come to him nicely, shouts out from the crowd, Jesus, I want to make my problem yours. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:45.000 Jesus looks straight into his heart and sees that he is guilty of the great sin of coveting. But that's everyone, isn't it? 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:55.000 If you have or have not, we still tempted for more than we have. The poor want all the things they don't have, while the rich want even more stuff than they do have. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:05.000 So Jesus warns us to be on our guard from all kinds of covetousness. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:15.000 Do you know the Greek word here in the Bible for covetous is pleonechia, which means excess? It's the attitude and the desire to want more, more than you need. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:25.000 A covetous heart is never satisfied. Someone described greed this way. Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth. And whatever you feed it is never enough. 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:35.000 Have you noticed that even when you get what you want, the job, the home, the car, the furniture, the clothing, the merchandise, it's not long before you want something different. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:45.000 You want something better. It's the power of advertising. Haven't you ever put a TV on or open a magazine or something popped up and you suddenly need something you didn't need 10 seconds before? 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:55.000 Have you ever been like that? Or am I the only one? In that evil way? They put a steers ad on just before supper. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:09:05.000 You look at what you're getting. You look at what you can get. It was my middle boy's matric dance yesterday. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:15.000 So somebody kindly lent him a Porsche to go in, not to drive. He was driven by the guy who owns it. But that guy allowed me for the first time. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:25.000 He said to me on Friday, Craig, have you ever driven a Porsche? I said, no, I've been in one twice, but I've never ever driven one. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:35.000 Said, don't you want to drive one? So I got in this Porsche and I drove around Bedford View a little bit on Friday afternoon. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:45.000 And do you know that up until Friday afternoon, I didn't know I need a Porsche? I had no idea. Now I'm contemplating, which child do I sell. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:55.000 Obviously I won't get that much. I've got in a supplement. Do I be available for a wedding singer on Saturdays? I don't know. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:05.000 So that I can get this Porsche that I didn't know I need, but I right now can't do without. It's a joke. It's a joke. 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:15.000 I don't know for certain, but I think the advertising playbook is taken straight out of Genesis chapter 3 and verse 6. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:25.000 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it and gave to her husband who was with her, 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:35.000 which, when you see covetousness is a problem, you ask, what is your life? Some of us never get to the question of answering which, what is my life about? 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:45.000 Because I'm so distracted by covetous stuff, I never get to the hard yards of what my life is actually about. Where do I spend my time and my diary and my priorities? 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:55.000 The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5, 10, those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:05.000 So Jesus doesn't get involved in this guy's request to help sort out the inheritance. Because Jesus knew that sorting out that inheritance would never meet his basic need. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:15.000 It would never actually solve the problem the guy has. That's why we're told to be content with what we have. Don't chase after what God hasn't given. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:25.000 Be content with what you have. And it requires a constant vigilance in our hearts. Jesus is giving what theologians call an emphatic imperative. 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:35.000 In this verse. If you read the Greek, when he says, beware, he's telling you, watch out, there's danger here. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:45.000 There are guys and girls who've sold the call of God for a new house, a new car, a new job, a new city to live in a new country to go to, and you've sold out the call of God. 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:55.000 You see, God wants you in a place, and he will meet your need in that place. But sometimes we know what we want and we would rather go to another place to get what we want. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:05.000 But the very people he wanted us to minister to in that place is still there. And if you're chasing after possessions, it's very difficult to be his disciple. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:15.000 Take heed against greed. It's a good way to say it. You know, even something you've never coveted in the past can suddenly become one. 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:25.000 You want a nicer holiday, more reliable car, slightly larger house, a little bit of a bigger salary. What's happening is your possessions are trying to possess you. 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:35.000 And the way you know whether you own something or something owns you is what happens when God says, give it away. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:45.000 I remember once in the life of this church struggling with one car between two of us. Oh, Lord, please. Some guys in this church got more than one car. It's not fair. 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Lord, please, can I have a car Tuesday morning? Please, Lord? Going to elders meeting. In the elders meeting, someone says, Greg, do you know anything about a new car? 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:05.000 I said, what? He said, last Friday, someone put a deposit in the bank, said, it's for Greg for a new car. Really? God answered my prayer before I asked it. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:15.000 Yeah, wow, 100,000 rand. I tithed. I then bought the car for 89,995. I got a car tithe and five bucks. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:25.000 And I drove that thing with great joy for about five or six months. Uncle, one of our elders said, there's someone in the church or some condition where we prayed about it. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:35.000 And they were struggling and didn't have finances. And we all went in and prayed about it as we always do. And as I was praying, the Lord said, the reason I gave you that car was to give to that person. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:45.000 It wasn't for you. How easy was it to let it go? Does your possession possess you or do you possess your possessions? 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:55.000 And the question that you have to answer is, is it an ownership or a stewardship issue? Would you release whatever God gives when he says. 00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:05.000 Because Jesus is trying to tell us what life is not about. Life does not consist in the abundance of possession. And the word again is excess perusuum. It means surplus and overabundance of stuff. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:15.000 And what you're going to learn is that having more stuff doesn't add anything to your life. How can we find life in the things we consume? 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:25.000 Someone once said this. It is true that a certain minimum of material goods is necessary for life. But it is not true that a greater abundance of goods means greater abundance of life. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Possessions do not add life to us. You go to many, many, many wealthy families and look at the discord in those families caused by covetousness, greed, and the ability to feed your own desire. 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:45.000 Can I say this? With the demands they make on your time and effort, possessions usually end up taking time away from you. You got to work harder. 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:55.000 It takes time and effort to maintain what you already have. I've always said all the devil has to do to get some really good men out of church is give him a good bicycle or a very good set of golf clubs or some timeshare. 00:14:55.000 --> 00:15:05.000 You'll never see them again. I'm going to go and enjoy God's blessing. And I know there's no one in this church like this, but for some people, it's give them a new baby. 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:15.000 And once they have that little blessing from Jesus, we never see them again. And it's not long before the blessing becomes an idol. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:25.000 I can't bring my kid out for the first six to eight weeks. There are diseases. Oh, grow up, grow up. That kid's got a system that's so tough, can handle anything. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:35.000 JC Rylee said the more acres a man has, the more he cares. The more his money increases, the more of his time is generally consumed and eaten up in thinking about it. 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:45.000 It's not what life is about. It's not what you possess. What is your life? It's not what you have or don't have. It's what you are. It's what you are. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:55.000 Covetousness is folly, stupidity, because it grasps for the world's attractions with the false belief that it secures a good and a happy life. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:05.000 Some people have found that when you finally reach the goal you are aiming for, it doesn't satisfy what you thought it would. And you've paid an unnecessary price to get it. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:15.000 A price that bites you. Your marriage, your children, your relationship, sacrificed, chasing stuff. If that's the lie, what is the truth? 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:25.000 You and I know this. The truth is that all life and meaning in life is found in God, in our Creator, not in anything else. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:35.000 The Bible says that Jesus is the life. What is your life? Jesus is your life. We sang that this morning. John 14 was referenced a few moments ago. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:45.000 John 14:6 says, Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:55.000 The Bible says that true life is to know God and to know his son, Jesus. John 17:3. And this is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you sent to earth. 00:16:55.000 --> 00:17:05.000 In fact, the Bible even says from the time you become a Christian, you no longer live to yourself, you live to the Lord. Romans 14:7. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:15.000 For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord, and if we die, it's to honor the Lord. Whether we live or die, we belong to the lord. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:25.000 It goes one step further. To live is Christ. Philippians 1:21. For me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:35.000 Brett and I sat together at that memorial on Friday. Hundreds and hundreds of people pitched up to honor the life of one of our old deacons who then went to serve in one of our partnering church. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:45.000 And this was a guy who, 25 years ago was given a death sentence of leukemia. Do you know that till today, Johns Hopkins University, top research hospital in the world, runs a file on him because he's the world's longest survivor of leukemia. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:55.000 25 years. And he joined our church about five years before he was given the sentence. And both his kids are in full time ministry. They served the Lord with all their lives. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:05.000 And one of the things I once asked Donald, I said, what is it that keeps you going? Loving Jesus and being so large at life? 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:15.000 He says, Greg, I have an unfair advantage because unlike most people, I know my clock is ticking and because I don't know when my end will come, I'm gonna live every day as if it were the end. 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:25.000 Now, you and I, some of us who don't have those kind of sentences, what we do is we put things off. I'll cover that later. I'll get to it. 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:35.000 Whenever he had an unfair advantage, and Jesus is trying to say, your life is not caught up in your possessions. You need to leave this room today. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:45.000 Saying this for me to live is Christ. Galatians 2:20. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It's probably my favorite verse at the moment. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:55.000 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:05.000 So life is to know Jesus, to live for him. Can I tell you what? Sometimes the things we have stop us from living. They distract us and they actually stop us from living. 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:15.000 Watch out. Beware. And so now Jesus has to make the story strong. So point three now talks about the hoarder. He wants to emphasize it. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:25.000 So I want to pick up in verse 16. Then he told them a story. A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:35.000 He said to himself, what should I do? I don't have room for all my crops. Have you ever heard someone complain about that? What shall I do? I don't have enough houses for my stuff. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:45.000 Can I be honest? It's very hard to feel sorry for the sake. Then he said, I know. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:55.000 Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I'll sit back and say to myself, my friend, can you hear that language when you talk to yourself? 00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:05.000 And you call that selfish? Pratt, your friend. My friend, you have stored enough for years to come. Now take it easy. Eat, drink and be merry. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:15.000 This guy has made it all. He's got two good things going for him. He's got a lot of money. All he needs. Now he can enjoy them. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:25.000 Not only does he have a lot of money, but his riches keep getting richer. It's harvest time. His money keeps making money. His biggest problem is storage. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:35.000 Can you imagine? I need more stuff. Listen to this. What should I do? I don't have room for my crops. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:45.000 How do you feel sorry for yourself because you got too much stuff, Huh? I can't feel sorry for this oak. There are people who have far more than they need. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:55.000 But the thing is, his plans for his life and his plans for retirement often are a reflection of many Christians around the world. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:21:05.000 Let me describe this guy to you quickly. Firstly, this guy was thankless. His prosperity did not come from his hard work, his superior skill at business. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:15.000 His prosperity came because the ground produced a good harvest and he had nothing to do with should have been obvious. It was a gift from God who sends the rain that the crops can grow. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:25.000 God. But he's so ungrateful. He doesn't even thank God. Doesn't even recognize God. He's thankless. 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:35.000 You want to know if your life is not about Jesus? How thankless are you? Number two, the man was selfish. He didn't give a neighbor any more thought than he gave God. 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:45.000 Rather than giving his extra bounty to the poor where it would multiply for him in heaven, he looks at storing it. He can't use all he's got, but he wants more. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:55.000 He could have solved his dilemma by not building bigger bonds. He could have just given some away. Augustine, the great Church Father said the bellies of the poor were much safer storerooms than his barns. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:22:05.000 It would of course be digested on earth, but in heaven it would have been kept all the more safely. The man's real dilemma should have been, how do I give this away? Not how do I keep it? 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:15.000 Number three, he's self absorbed. He can't seem to think about anyone else. This is one of those guys we speak of. This guy fell in love with himself and he's been faithful ever since. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:25.000 Out of the 54 words used in this parable in the original Greek, fully 18 of them are first person words like I, me and my. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:35.000 This guy was so obsessed with himself that 33% of his conversations, all about he's have an inner monologue. He talks to himself about himself. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:45.000 Do you know what's wrong with talking to yourself about yourself is because if you ask yourself the questions, you normally give yourself the answers. And that's what this guy's doing. 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:55.000 I have a problem. I need more stuff. I know what you should do. You should build more barns. Okay, I'll build more barns, my friend. An inner monologue going on with himself. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:05.000 My problem, my issue, my solution, my well being, my money, my choices. There are two kinds of pride. 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:15.000 The one is I talk about how wonderful I am. The other is I talk about how humble I am. They're both pride. Stop. About you, 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:25.000 Number four. He's anxious. What shall I do? My crops, my barns, my grain, my goods. This is ownership, not stewardship. 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:35.000 He's not thanking God, he's using it all. He doesn't understand that God has given him way above so that he can benefit others. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:45.000 Do you remember the Old Testament story in Genesis about Joseph who had the exact same situation and he also built bigger barns. But he saw from the beginning, I'm here to benefit humanity, not me. 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:55.000 Number five. He's self indulgent. He wants to live the good life. His golden retirement years. He wants to give himself. I've never heard of this. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:05.000 I want to give myself to eating, drinking and partying. How do you do that? How do you every day? What can I eat? What can I drink? Where's the next party? You should have stopped it when you were 16. 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:15.000 Number six. He's presumptuous. He keeps putting things off. He thinks he's going to live indefinitely. As an older guy, he's still putting capital investments in place, thinking he's going to live long. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:25.000 He doesn't look at living meaningfully. Says to himself, you've stored away for years to come. And into this situation, God has To now speak, God has to speak. 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:35.000 And God in point four talks about this hoarder's folly. I've just described to you six things. To notice a guy whose life is caught up in his possessions, whether he has them or not and wants them, 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:45.000 Jesus simplifies it and simply calls the rich man a fool. God said to him, you fool, you will die this very night. Who will get everything you've worked for. 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:55.000 In the NIV version, the Greek puts it slightly differently. It says this God said to him, you fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you've prepared for yourself? 00:24:55.000 --> 00:25:05.000 In Greek, when you say your life will be demanded from you, it's the same language or terminology a banker uses. When a loan that's been granted, the time has come to give it back. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:15.000 When you're calling in a loan, God is saying to that man, your loan is now due. I made you fearfully and wonderfully. I gifted you. I talented you. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:25.000 And in everything I've given you, I've given you this life as a blessing. I give you gifts and skills and abilities to reach out to other people. 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:35.000 Now, sunshine, the clock is ticking. I demand my loan back that life I gave you, God. There's a time to die and a time to be born, isn't it? A time to plant and a time to pluck up. 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:45.000 I planted you. It's now my time to pluck up. I'm pulling in the loan of your life. It's always belonged to God. He just didn't see it because he's a fool. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:55.000 His life belonged to God, and now God says, I want it back. This guy's having his own private monologue, but God's been listening to him the whole time. 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:05.000 Here's what's ironic. He thinks he's going to live for many years. My friend, this is what I'll do. His life's going to be demanded that same night. 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:15.000 The guy who wants to build bigger barns and keep it all for himself is losing it all the same night. The man who doesn't give a thought to God is going to answer to God that same night. How ironic. 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:25.000 Why does Jesus call this man a fool? Because he thinks he's got years left. And at some point I'll do good for God in his kingdom. And God wants it now. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:35.000 He didn't count on his early departure from Earth. In fact, the Bible even says, a fool and his money are soon parted. 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:45.000 So then Jesus asks the rhetorical question, who's going to get what you've prepared for yourself. And here's the great irony of when you die. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:55.000 You spend some people your whole life trying to accrue things, that the moment you die, you lose all of it. The best you can hope for is a nice casket. 00:26:55.000 --> 00:27:05.000 Yes, I mean, it's morbid, but you won't even get to enjoy that casket. You get nothing. Then a whole lot of people come and lie at your funeral. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:15.000 He was such a good man. Heaven's better off for having him there. Every single person on this earth dies poor with nothing. 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:25.000 Psalm 49:10 says, those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and the senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:35.000 What's the biggest reason God calls this guy a fool twice in that passage? Because he doesn't know God. He doesn't know God. 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:45.000 Psalm 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts there is no God. They are corrupt. Their actions are evil. Not one of them does good. 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:55.000 This guy doesn't even seem to believe in the existence of God at all. But if he does believe in God, he doesn't recognize him. He doesn't thank God for his produce. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:05.000 He doesn't ask God what he must do with the grain. He doesn't offer his time and talents to God. He doesn't acknowledge God's sovereignty over his life. 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:15.000 He doesn't in fact, give one thought to God at all. He thought he had a storage problem and he had a spiritual problem, and he couldn't even see it. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:25.000 Jesus flips it over and he says, don't be that fool. Learn to be rich in your relationship to God, because that everyone can do. 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:35.000 Hey, the guy at the side of the road and the guy that owns the road can both be rich in their relationship toward God. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:45.000 Don't be a fool. Be wise. Thank God for every blessing. Be wise. Pray to him about your issues. Be wise. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:55.000 Offer the best of your ability for what God needs to be done. Be wise. Know that today could be your last day. Be ready to meet God. 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:05.000 I use the scripture one more time. Jesus says in Luke chapter 12 and verse 21 yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:15.000 Jesus calls us away from poverty of soul to be rich toward God. You see, whatever you have today, it's because God has lavished you with the gifts of his creation. 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:25.000 He's lavished you with the blood of His Son and forgiveness. He's lavished you with eternal life and destiny. He's lavished on you identity and ownership. 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:35.000 He's given you all you need to love him, all you need to serve him has already been given to you. All he wants you to do is give a portion of what he's given you back to Him. 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:45.000 And I think we've got a decision to make. And your giving is a clear indication of where your real treasure actually lies. 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:55.000 What would your life be like if you weren't so stingy? What does it look like? Actually? Let me ask this question. To be rich toward God, you got to be rich in your relationship to God. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:30:05.000 Let me throw out a few things and we're done. This is how it looks, to be rich toward God. Number one, his glory is my highest goal. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:15.000 His worship is my deepest joy, and his fellowship is my deepest satisfaction. I'm rich towards God. 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:25.000 Number two, I am rich towards God when I offer all my talents for his work without reservation. I find out or I recognize what I'm good at for the sake of the kingdom and I choose to use it to benefit the Lord. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:35.000 I'm rich toward God so far. You can do both of those. Number three, I am rich toward God when I take time to serve people in need and I take the first portion of my income and I give it to the church and I give it to Christian projects. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:45.000 And I say, I recognize that those who don't know Jesus are the poor in spirit. And I recognize that I'm going to give myself towards those who who do not have the revelation of Jesus that I have. I am rich toward God. 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:55.000 Number four. I am rich toward God when I embrace a simple lifestyle so that I can be generous to those who don't have. 00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:05.000 Number six, I am rich toward God when I decide there are some things I can live without so as not to raise my standard of living so that I can bless God's creation. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:15.000 And number seven, I am rich toward God when I give and I give and I give and I give of myself to his purposes. To see his kingdom come, to see his name preached, to see him glorified. 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:25.000 When I determine in my life from today I'm no longer a taker, I'm a giver. We all have friends who are Tyrannosaurus rexes. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:35.000 Isn't it when you go and have a meal with them and their little hands can't reach their wallets. We all have friends. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:45.000 Some of you didn't know that until today that your nickname is T. Rex. And you thinking it's no, it's and it's time to become a giver. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:55.000 What has God given you to give away? What's he giving you to give away? What's he giving you to give away? 00:31:55.000 --> 00:32:05.000 Stand with me. Thank you so much for being a part of our meeting today. Can I just ask two things? 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:15.000 The first is if today the message has in any way been useful to you, would you mind just maybe liking it or putting perhaps a statement down or a comment down that we can know how the ministry has helped you, 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:25.000 Maybe a thumbs up, maybe you can subscribe to the, the channel, do whatever, just so we can know what impact this message may be having on you. 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:35.000 And secondly, you may be someone who's saying, Greg, I hear you. And this hope that Jesus has for us can come into my heart and it can change me. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:45.000 But the reality is that I don't even know if I know Jesus. I want to say two things to you right away. The first is he's near you right now. 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:55.000 The Bible says if you believe in your heart that he is the Lord and if you confess him with your mouth, you will be saved. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:05.000 Which means you just need to where you are. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ even now and just say, Lord, here I am. I recognize who you are. 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:15.000 I confess my sin to you. I acknowledge you as Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, the Son of the living God. And I want to follow you. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:25.000 I want to become a disciple of yours. I want to give my life to you, Lord. And you can pray that prayer right now between you and the Lord. 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:35.000 Secondly, you can get hold of us. We could either send you some material, we can put you in touch with a really good church near you. If you live in our area, you can come to us, you can follow us on YouTube. 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:45.000 But it is good to get connected into the family of God, to get connected into a local church that your life changes being surrounded with the family of God. 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:50.000 Please stay in touch. God bless you.