Sermon Tone Analysis

class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>*Psalm 14, Luke 12:13-21**<<A fool is someone who lives as if God doesn’t exist.>>*

* *

*“LIVE LONG AND PROSPER”*

*MR SPOCK*

*Yes *– but what does that *mean?*

*Nick* - Live eternally – in relationship

*Prosper* – make it big in your career, bottomless pit of money, drink fine wine, latest cell phone, flash car, travel the world?

*/Or /*Living in harmony with God and creation?

Commentary on postmodern life:-

The Verve /“Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life \\ Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.”/

No different in time of Jesus

* *

*MR ANGRY*

Someone in a crowd /“Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me”/

“*/Man/*, who appointed me as a judge or arbiter between you?”

§        Like a teenager going to his mate and saying /“tell your sister to go out with me!”/.

§        Kid in a youth club “/Tell him to stop hitting me”/ – when he started the fight in the first place.

Jesus hadn’t got *the time nor the desire* to get dragged into a *squabble* over inheritance.

/“*Man,* who appointed me as a judge or arbiter between you?”/

§        IRONY is that God appointed him as judge (kritaen).

Turn with me Acts 10:42

 

Because he is to be judge he warns: v15 /“Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

/

 

Tells a story

*MR GREEDY*

Starts off Fairly ordinary sort of story

*Farmer – harvest*.

Read v16-19.

Does what we would call *good business sense*.

Today – deposit on a loan to buy a new combine.

/“Live long and prosper”/

*SHOCK *We don’t get to choose how long we live.

v20.

*“You fool.”*

--  we would say */“good head for agribusiness”/* */“entrepreneur.”/*

A fool is someone who lives as if God doesn’t exist - Psalm 14:1

 

 

But would it have made any difference to Mr Greedy to know that he was going to die?

Not sure.

I’d like to think he would have done.

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way”.

*Most common song at a funeral*.

*My Way - Frank Sinatra *

And now the end is near ~/ And so I face the final curtain \\ My friend I'll say it clear ~/ I'll state my case of which I'm certain \\ \\ I've lived a life that's full ~/I traveled each and every highway \\ And more, much more than this~/ I did it my way \\ \\ Regrets I've had a few ~/ But then again too few to mention \\ I did what I had to do ~/ And saw it through without exemption \\ \\ I planned each charted course ~/ Each careful step along the byway \\ And more, much more than this ~/ I did it my way

 

Didn’t do it God’s way.

Gave it my best shot.

Enjoyed myself.

That’s it.

What’s so wrong about Mr Eat Drink and be Merry?

Enjoying youself making a bit of money.

*MR SILLY*

* *

§        *Money Cuts you off from others.*

V19 “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.

Take life easy, eat drink and be merry.”–

*Lawnmower.

Car.

Swimming Pool.*

§        *His actions take no account of others.*

Effect on longer term economy – pushing others out of business

§        *His actions don’t make his family happy.*

v20 /“Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

/

Who would normally?

– back to the man in v13

§        *Completely writes God out of the equation.

V21 */“This is how it will be for those who store up things for themselves but are not rich towards God.” /

 

A fool is someone who lives as if God doesn’t exist

 

 

*AN EQUATION*

LONG LIFE + POSESSIONS = EMPTY

ETERNAL LIFE + RELATIONSHIP = FULL

 

A fool is someone who lives as if God doesn’t exist

 

 

*SO HOW WILL YOU LIVE?*

§        Often professing Christians are guilty of living as if God doesn’t exist.

§        Preachers ~/ church leaders can minister as if God didn’t exist.

§        World economy often in total opposition.

as if God didn’t exist.

What does it mean for you to be rich towards God?