Luke 12:13-21

1. Intro.
1. the Bible is the best commentary on life anywhere
2. this passage could certainly be a description of the American way of life
3. the attitude, thinking, and conduct of this man is common in America
4. it is amazing how accurate the Bible is in describing human thinking and conduct
5. let us notice several things that Jesus tell us from the text
2. a false assumption – 15
1. this is Jesus’ main point
2. His statement is a powerful rebuke to the philosophy called materialism
1. people today seemed obsessed with the accumulation of things and wealth
2. Jesus is telling us that life is not material, but spiritual
3. because life is spiritual, the material things are not principles on which life is governed
4. we are to avoid covetousness because material things are secondary in importance to spiritual things
1. "what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" – Matthew 16:26
2. "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul"
3. this is a revolutionary concept to the American way of thinking
4. Jesus is condemning the false assumption made by our materialistic thinking
3. a foolish preoccupation – 16-19
1. preoccupied with his business – 16-18
1. his ground, his fruit, his barns
2. there is nothing wrong with business, but when we leave God out it is wrong
3. this story is meant to teach us just how foolish it is
2. preoccupation with wealth
1. "brought forth plentifully" – 16
2. "much good laid up for many years" – 19
3. he wanted wealth so that he could say, "take thine ease"
4. his preoccupation with wealth is like many today
3. preoccupied with pleasure
1. reason for being preoccupied with wealth
2. notice his desires: "take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry" – 19
3. is not this the preoccupation of many today
4. is not this the wrongful preoccupation of many church goers
5. we need God’s help to be free from this foolish preoccupation
4. preoccupied with self
1. the whole of what this man was involved in was "self"
2. notice all the personal pronouns
3. his life, like many today, was centered entirely on self
4. God is only a side matter with these
5. other people are viewed as a means to an end
1. objects to be used
2. rather than souls to be won and served
4. a fatal decision
1. this man’s assumptions led him to a fatal decision about God (concerning money and possessions)
1. he chose to be rich in possessions, and poor toward God
2. God was left out
1. out of his life
2. out of his thinking
3. out of his planning
4. this was a fatal error
2. many people do this today
1. without thinking, they drift with the flow of the world, and leave God out
2. the important question in life is, "how can we be rich toward God"
3. how to be rich toward God
1. have a relationship with Jesus Christ
1. invite Him into our life
2. talk with Him often
3. by faith do all that He ask
2. develop a hunger for God
1. "blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness" – Matthew 5:6
2. seek the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind
5. the final conclusion – 20-21
1. he was a fool
1. what is a fool
1. one that lacks commonsense
2. in want of mental sanity
2. what Jesus was saying
1. this man was lacking in his perception of reality
2. this man was not wise in ordering his life (he only cared for the here and now)
2. anyone not rich toward God is a fool – 21
3. his soul was required
1. one day we will all stand before God
2. one day we will leave this world, and give an account to God
3. the fact that all die should sober us to reality
4. are you prepared to stand before God, if you soul is required today
4. he left all behind
1. to emphasize this fact Jesus said, "then whose shall these things be …"
2. we cannot take anything with us when we leave this world, except …
1. our relationship with God
2. those we have won to Christ
3. that which we have given to the Lord
6. Conclusion
1. are you making the same fatal mistake that this poor rich man made
2. are you prepared to stand before God
3. don’t make the same mistake as this poor rich man