Luke 12:13-21 - Rich toward God

Hey, man, what a wonderful time we have had so far baptisms in the testimonies that go along with them are such an encouragement to our hearts and such a wonderful picture of the Gospel. We continue on this morning in our sermon series through the Book of Luke looking at a parable. The parable of the rich fool the sermon. I'm entitled Rich toward God and I think as we get started here important to note that The Parables were eight normal and common way that Jesus used to teach. In fact, the word Parable means to cast alongside. It comes from the idea of casting alongside. So what Jesus would do if he would teach a truth and then threw a parable he would pass along side that truth to help people understand he use them to wrote his ministry. There are boats 35 of Jesus's Parables recorded in the synoptic gospels of there's a couple in dispute whether or not they qualify as Parables, but there's a bunch of them and when an important things I want to bring to your attention this morning as we look at this Parable is that all of Jesus's Parables impinge on his understanding of the kingdom of God and so whether or not a pair Says the kingdom of God is like this or not. I think it's important for us to know that Jesus use Parables to communicate trues about the kingdom of God that's over to look at the parable of the rich fool this morning and Luke 12 verses 13 through 21 encourage you to open up your Bibles and read along. You can also read along on the back of the insert in your Bulletin.

Luke 12 verses 13 through 21 Someone in the crowd said to him teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me, but he said to him man who made me a judge or arbitrator over you and he said to them take care and be on your guard against all covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions and he told them a parable saying the land of a rich man produced plentifully and he thought to himself what should I do for I have nowhere to store my crops and he said I will do this. I will tear down my Barns and build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods and I will say to my soul soul. You have ample Goods laid up for many years relax eat drink be married, but God said to him fool this night. Your soul is required of you and the things you have prepared. Who's will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward god, let's pray father God. We thank you for your words. We ask for your help this morning that you by your spirit would help us to understand your word not just in our minds but in our hearts And that father God through the understanding of our minds and in our hearts. You would apply it to our lives help us to change help us to be conformed to the image of Christ this morning. We asked father God as always that you would help us to see Christ to see him in his glory and in his Beauty. It's in his name. We pray. Amen.

I would argue that most Parables can be explained or or brought down into one idea. And I suggest you the parable of the rich fool could be understand to convey this truth in God's kingdom wealth is found in relationship with God's King. Not in Earthly possessions. Let me say that again in God's kingdom wealth is found in relationship with God's King. Not an Earthly possessions. Therefore we should Endeavor to be rich towards God the Father through Jesus the son. Jesus begins this teaching again with someone sort of standing up and interjecting a question. And Jesus initial teaching before he gets to the parable is this beware of greed? We see this in verse 13 through 15 covetousness or greed is weed more calmly call it now a covetousness or Greed for Earthly possessions while and harm and ultimately halt being rich towards God that was common in this day and age for rabbis to settle inheritance disputes among family members and we see here that this man is a brother and he is not satisfied with the outcome of the distribution of his father's wealth. Until you ask Jesus this question, but Jesus refuses to become involved. However, he does use this opportunity to speak of Mankind's propensity to be preoccupied with worldly possessions McCall that covetousness or greed. you'd understand the greed is no respecter of persons or a ethnicity or economic status or education the fault that poor can fall into this temptation of greed just as the rich to Greed is a very simply a desire for more no matter how much one has greed is hungry for more if they lack of contentment. Covetousness is defining life around how many things you can get your hands on and it causes a distortion about what life is really about we tell herself life consist in the abundance of what I possess that life is defined in terms of things.

It's interesting. The New Testament makes clear that greed or covetousness is idolatry because what it means is that we are serving things and suppressing God will not be serving God and suppressing things. We see this in Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 put the death of therefore with his Earthly in you sexual immorality impurity hash and evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. Jesus teaching here at the read the New Testament makes it painstakingly clear that our attitudes towards material possessions impacts our openness to and our participation in what God is doing through Jesus. And he makes clear here. His kingdom is not about acquiring an abundance of possessions. It's interesting in the Providence of God that we are dealing with this Parable right before Christmas.

How many of you in your mind when I mentioned greed's or covetousness immediately thought of that one thing that you're hoping to get for Christmas.

It could be something big that we're greedy about something as big as a vehicle. Are home or something much smaller, perhaps a certain phone or piece of clothing. What Jesus this morning would encourage us to be careful? He says take care. Those things are not what life is about.

No, it's important understand that the accumulation of wealth is not the problem. I would say that everybody should Endeavor to accumulate as much wealth as possible. You're supposed to be rich. The problem is is that we think wealth can be accumulated by amassing abundance of possessions. That's not the case. Jesus calls us to be wealthier to be rich in other ways. In fact, he annihilates this idea that life consists of an abundance of possessions. He tells us to be rich but not with possession. Covetousness or Greed for Earthly possessions will hinder and harm and halt us being rich towards God. In Jesus emphasize this by teaching a parable a parable which leads to our second point. We should be skeptical in fact of possessions. We see this in verses 16 through 20 truewell a true Abundant Life cannot be acquired through amassing possessions and to think so in to act in such a way as to acquit oneself of fool here. We have this Parable. There's this main character a rich man that says he is Rich before he encounters the plentiful season. He's a rich man. And you represent to anyone who can become greedy because he was already rich. He already had lots of stuff. But he wanted more and so we hear that his land produce plentifully understand that in those times. There was no question how that happened. That was God's doing God was in control of how much a field would produce and so his land produce plentifully in a pond and a wise action in regards to this need a ride that a plan to build more store houses so that he could store up all his stuff. And then he could relax and eat and drink and be merry. But God interrupts his plans to inform him of his imminent death. And also to inform him that he is a fool for approaching life this way. Don't understand there is nothing wrong with prudent planning many places in scripture suggest that we should plan prudently. But the problem in this situation really is hinted at in the verses 16 through 19 where we heard the pronoun. I and my 11 x + 3 verses 11 * I in mine with no mention of God by this rich man, indicating a selfish self-absorbed perspective on life. And his overwhelming self-interest results in a plan that ends in Self Indulgence. There is no hint of thanking God. There is no hint of attributing his success to God. And there certainly wasn't any hint of him using his wealth for the glory of God. And so God rebukes this man fool. He says remember from last week 8 or 2 weeks ago a fool is blind to God, it's someone who's blind to God's ways who acts without thinking about God or without thinking about God's ways. Scripture indicates there is there are many ways to be a fool, but certainly one of them is to pursue a life full of possessions with a plan to partake in those pleasures. And yet not realize that there is no promise that that plan will come to fruition. That's a fool.

See we are called in Scripture. To learn to be content. Contentment is a disposition of a heart that freely and joyfully submits the gods will whatever that will maybe it is to be okay with your station in life and to recognize the material possessions cannot bring the kind of joy and satisfaction and rest you are looking for. Only God can do that. And so another question for us this morning along with what am I greedy for is MI content? Am I content with where God has placed me? Can I freely in? Joyfully submit to God's will in regards to my material possessions.

Are we satisfied with what God has given us?

Interesting lie in his classic work on contentment called the rare Jewel of Christian contentment. You're an author Jeremiah bureau's describes contentment and what it looks like. He said you never learned the mystery of contentment unless it may be said of you that just as you are the most contented man. So you are also the most unsatisfied man in the world and you will say how is that a man who has learned the art of contentment is the most contented with any low condition that he has in the world and yet he cannot be satisfied with the enjoyment of all the world C Jesus's Parables almost always have a significant twister surprise in them. And Jesus is going to finish this terrible with a clear and explicit application an explanation of his Parable, but that explanation includes a twist. You see a contented person is one who is satisfied with the worldly things he or she possesses but who is unsatisfied with any amount of spiritual possession? We are not to be concerned with worldly wealth and yet we see in the end of this passage that we are encouraged to pursue spiritual well. We are to be both satisfied and unsatisfied and that's how he talks about being rich toward God and verse 21. Here to Kate's. It is foolish to spend all of your days attending to a choir Earthly things. With hedonistic hopes of enjoying the pleasure of those things. When your continued existence is not guaranteed. In the enjoyment of those things after your death is impossible. The person who pursues life that way is a fool. Jesus says Anna primarily a fool because they are not rich toward God when that type of richness is the only one that can be enjoyed for eternity. Jesus as soon as the one that is a fool who lays a treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. So this morning we finish with one last question. How can we be rich toward God?

We started off I said in God's kingdom wealth is found in relationship was God's King not in Earthly possessions. So, how can we be rich toward God as many ways to answer that question. I'm in Love Again. Go to Bishop Ryle from his expository thoughts on Luke for direction in regards to answering this question while said this when could be said of a man that he is Rich toward God never till he is Rich and Grace and Rich in faith and rich in Good Works. The read Ephesians 1 verses 7 through 17 3 7 through 13 pay attention to the themes of wealth and richness of Grace in our faith. Paul writes in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ has a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth in him. We have obtained an inheritance. Covington predestined according to purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will so that we who were the first to Hope in Christ might be the praise of his glory and hit me while so when you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation and believed in him, we're sealed with the promised Holy Spirit J C. Ryle said how to how are we to be rich and God first of all to be rich and his grace true wealth is found and maintained and X in Jesus and all he did in his work of redemption of weird pursue riches. The weird to pursue being rich toward God. We need to look to the gospel to look to Jesus in it and all that he did for our Redemption. We're also supposed to be rich in faith as we read in the fusions. Weirdo. Hope in Christ and we are to believe in him. The gospel really is a story of how to be rich in God.

We're rich and God is we see his grace towards us in the gospel even as me saying about this morning and it was as it was drawn your attention. Then Christ the very Son of God came to Earth and took on human flesh and became a man and lived Among Us. At the end of his life, he died for a sack of sacrificing himself on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins that we might be reconciled to God. We didn't earn that. We are in the punishment, but he took our punishment and not Grace is seen and unseen not Grace truly is and are great riches. In regards to that Grace we are to hope and believe in him to entrust Our Lives to him in the work that he did for all those who would believe that we might turn from our sin and turn to God and surrender Our Lives to him just as we heard from our candidates this morning to be rich toward God is to be rich and Grace some rich in faith. How to encourage anyone here this morning it was never entrusted their life to Christ to do so. I'll tell you quickly when I used to play football. As soon as the end of the regular season came around one of my teammates would start saying a phrase. The phrase was get money. Get money. Why would he say that a football player's contract is divided amongst the games of regular season by the end of regular season. You've got paid all that. You're going to get paid according to your contract. But there's more money to be made breach playoff game you play and continue to go on in the playoffs you get more and more money and if you win a championship you get a big bonus and so my buddy at the end of regular season would start saying get money. Let me encourage you this morning. If you don't know Christ, let me encourage you to get rich this morning. Get rich toward God. See the grace of God in the life and death and resurrection of Christ and then put your faith in him. Finally J. C. Ryle reminds us to be rich toward God is to be rich in good works. We read in 1st Timothy Chapter 6 verses 17 and 19. Paul writes us for the rich in this present age charge them not to be haughty notice set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but I'm God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy they are to do good to be rich in Good Works to be generous and ready to share the storing up Treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. Life doesn't consist in the possessions life consistency in the grace of God in the Gospel Life consists in being rich in faith, and hoping and believing in Christ and then being rich in good works good works are evidence of the Grace and Faith. Are there evidence of being rich towards God and truly living? In God's kingdom wealth is found in relationship with God's King. Jesus Christ. Not in what you possess. Let us all Endeavor to be rich toward God rich in the grace of the Gospel rich in our faith in the son and Rich and good works but spray.

Father God we thank you for this Parable. We thank you for this. Story the Jesus shared in the Gospel of Luke and I pray father God that for each one of us here today you by your spirit would help us to truly grasp the truth about your kingdom. The wealth in your kingdom in your economy is not found in what we possess God keep us from greediness. Keep us from covetousness our society bombard us with messages.

That would drive us not to be content with what you've given us help us to understand that true life is not found in those things doesn't consist of those things. But help us by your spirit to be people who are rich toward God for those who don't know you this morning. I pray father God that they would see the grace of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they would be rich and Grace by recognizing that in and putting their faith in Christ, but father for all of us help us all to grow in our faith in God. Turn Lord. May we be rich in Good Works? May we demonstrate the truth of the grace and the truth of our faith. by acting loving our neighbors and being generous to other people and all those ways that you've called us to pray this in Jesus name. Amen.