Well good evening again to hear from. the pulpit here at Beacon Baptist Church on this Sunday evening. Uh we have um Been enjoying our Sunday morning gatherings. Those who have been able to come and That's been a particular blessing. My family enjoyed a week of vacation at the Outer Banks this past week.
When we're there, we often Uh make a try and make a decision between watching uh the beacon service or attending a local serv a church there. And we have in the past supported a Stillwater Baptist Church, which isn't too far from where we stay. But um We've kind of got accustomed to the live stream service. And when you have uh six adults and three children running around. it's uh a little bit easier to um Tune in by live stream and not have to get everybody together and get them to the uh church.
So I was able to enjoy worship with you last Sunday morning and enjoyed the preaching very much as well as this morning. But uh we had a wonderful week of vacation. Dan and Ab were there with us, and Gabe and Kara and They're three.
So there were Ten of us, you say ten of us.
Well six adults, three children, and Abigail's with child. I think most of you that know us and know our family are aware of that, but one of the neat experiences um of this week's vacation. was um We have birthdays that we often celebrate during this uh week. Gabe's birthday is June the sixth. Abigail's is May the twenty seventh, so we often celebrate those birthdays.
So Abigail went and got some Cupcakes and I thought, well, this is strange. Cupcakes for a birthday. But we were at the beach, and she came and had a box and opened them up, and there were question marks on the cupcakes. Immediately, I picked up on what was going on there, so there was a revealing of the gender of the baby that she's carrying. And we're thrilled that Cardi and I will be expecting our first grandson.
In November.
So, thank you for praying for her and for us and. Encouraging her along the way. Many of you have followed her and her journey. on Facebook.
So thank you for that. One of the reminders, at least to me, is I've been preaching primarily here on Sunday night to an empty auditorium. Is that our audience is not the people who come and gather and join in corporate worship? Our primary audience is God Himself. And it's been a reminder to me of that.
It's because of him. And it's because of his call for us to come together and not forsake the assembling of ourselves. that we worship and come before him and There's a hymn that was on my mind this morning as Pastor Barkman was preaching from that great text in John 14. about Christ being the way, the truth, and the life. This hymn says, We come, O Christ.
to you. We come, O Christ, to you, true Son of God and man. by whom all things consist, in whom all life began. In you alone we live and move and have our being. in your love.
You are the way to God. Your blood, our ransom paid In you we face our Judge and Maker, Unafraid. Before the throne absolv'd we stand Your love has met your law's demand. You are the living truth. All wisdom dwells in you.
The source of every skill, the one eternal true O great I am. In you we rest. Sure answer. To our every Quest. You only are true life.
to know you is to live the more abundant life that earth can never give. O risen Lord, we live in you, In us each day your life renew We worship you, Lord Christ. our Saviour and our King. To you are youth and strength adoringly we bring So fill our hearts. that all may view your life in us and turn to you.
Just a couple of announcements. It is a busy. time despite the fact that our regular schedules been so interrupted with this COVID. nineteen. Pastor Parkman was away on vacation two weeks ago, so I preached for him in the morning.
I was away this past Sunday, so Pastor Latour preached for me here last Sunday night. And so there's a lot of Uh coming and going. There are three church weddings. Um starting this weekend over the next five weeks.
So that is added to the busyness, which it's a delight to to see God bringing young people together. And we're thrilled. Um to participate in that and officiate in those weddings. But That's part of the busyness. And I would appreciate your prayers for me.
I've been asked to preach at Grace Reform Baptist Church next Sunday night. They're um Pastor Stu Johnson is the lead elder there carrying uh The lion's share of the preaching responsibility there, and he's going to be away on vacation.
So he's asked me to come and preach. Uh in his absence.
So I won't be here next Sunday night, but and that's the reason why.
So, um I'm thankful for. A pastor of the tour, and he is a very capable preacher in his own right. I want you to listen to This passage in Ephesians 5 as I read it tonight. This is not my preaching text, but it's on my mind. As I think about what should our response be to all the social unrest and the chaos that's all about us, and how should we?
Live. How should we be conducting our lives. Ephesians chapter five Verse one says, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness. Let it not even be named among you.
as is fitting for saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather Giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator unclean person. nor covetous man, who is an idolater. has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons. of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness But now you are light in the Lord.
walk as children of light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. finding out what is acceptable to the Lord, and having and have no fellowship. with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light.
Therefore he says, Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See, then, that you walk circumspectly Not as fools. but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise. but understand what the will of the Lord is, and do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. giving thanks always for all things to God, To God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another. in the fear of God.
So there's some good instruction for us. Men, we're asking you, those of you who are deacons, to assemble with us on Tuesday night in the fireplace room for our monthly deacons' meeting. We haven't been able to meet for several months. We're asking you to read two chapters in Jim Orick's book, Mere Calvinism. Read those two chapters.
You'll have to allot time for that. There's uh fifty or so pages, but uh it's excellent reading and We're asking you to wear a mask as you come together, just as an extra precaution, and was.
Somebody was in the service this morning and heard that announcement and said to me that they had a box of masks that they would. give to us so If you don't have a mask, don't scurry around trying to find one. We'll provide them for you. on Tuesday night as we come together.
Well, right now, let's ask the Lord to bless our time here tonight. Father, we bow in your presence, and we rejoice that we have audience with the God of heaven. That your eyes are upon the righteous, and that your ears are open unto our cry, you who sit enthroned in the heavens. You who created everything that we see. You that sustain everything that you've created by the power of your own word.
We acknowledge that you are the sovereign ruler over all. That from everlasting to everlasting, you are. Our God. What a reminder. to see the consistency in the stars and the way you have created this world, And to be able to say with the psalmist, From the rising of your sun of the sun until its setting, Your name is to be praised.
So, our Father, we worship you tonight, we adore you. Give you The sacrifice of praise, we've come to offer that to you. We've come to offer ourselves to you as living sacrifices. We're mindful, our Father. That Jesus Christ came and Not only provided a sacrifice, but He Himself was the sacrifice.
That allows us to live our lives unto you because we were apart from him living our lives for ourselves. We had no interest outside of ourselves. We were self centered and self seeking in all the things that we did. And we thank you that your spirit has. Wrought new life in us.
We have been quickened to life. We once were darkness, but we now are light in the Lord. How we thank you for this transformation. How we thank you for spiritual eyes and spiritual insight to be able to. comprehend and understand the scriptures.
We are mindful tonight that we need the aid of your Spirit to teach us. and to instruct us and to change us and to conform us more and more into the likeness and image of your dear son. Lord, we're mindful of the turmoil and the upheaval. in our country. that is spanning the from coast to coast.
Lord, how we pray that peace and stability would RETURN TO THE STREETS OF AmERICA And that you would right the wrongs. That you would Cause Leaders during this time to be God-fearing and Seeking after you and your own will in these matters. Lord, we're seeing before us A manifestation of the depravity of the human heart. What life looks like when it's lived apart from you Your word tells us that There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death.
So we ask our Father that you'd have mercy on our land and bring renewal and bring revival and bring an awakening. that is desperately needed. Help the people of God to B. The people of God. As we have Read from Ephesians chapter five.
that we would be imitators of you. As your dear children, that we would walk in love. that we would walk in light. that we would walk circumspectly and not live as fools, but we would be wise, redeeming the time, knowing that these days are indeed evil. Oh God, how we need you.
How we need you to rend the heavens and come down. Create a longing, create a a desperate lo seeking after you in these matters. We fear that the church needs awakened. And we heed those words again as we've read them tonight: Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. Awaken your church.
Make us good soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to represent you well in this world. In this chaos and in this hopelessness and in this despair and in the fear and Apprehension that's all around us. Help us to be calm and help us to be peaceful and help us to be loving and help us to be light. as we speak into The lives of people as you give us opportunity.
Again, we thank you for This gathering of the saints in this way that you have ordained for our time. We thank you for the technology that allows us to do this. Twenty five, thirty years ago, we wouldn't have had the means to do this.
So we thank you that we're living in a day and there are people who know how to access these things and you've taught us. You've made these things available to us.
So, Lord, help us as we worship you tonight and hear your word, and help me as I preach, and help us all to hear it with believing hearts. with a willing heart to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Exalt your Son, exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst. Push back darkness, expose Error and deceit. wherever it is found.
And lead us in the way everlasting, we pray. For our good, and for your own glory's sake, we pray. Amen.
Well, tonight I'd like to return you to The series that we began some months ago, this is the 12th message in this series on the parables. We are in Luke chapter. Twelve tonight. We considered uh Group of parables that were known as that are known as the kingdom parables, and then we moved away from those and looked at a series of parables. that are known as the parables of salvation.
And tonight I want to begin to look at a couple of parables, one tonight and then in subsequent weeks. on the parables of folly and wisdom. folly and wisdom and are Consideration tonight is Luke chapter 12, beginning at verse 13. My Bible has this heading: the parable of the rich fool. Hear the word of the Lord.
Then one from the crowd said to him, Teacher Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he, that is Jesus, said to him, Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you? And he said to them, Take heed And beware of covetousness. for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things He possesses. Then he spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?
So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater. and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and and be merry But God said to him, Fool This night Your soul will be required of you.
Then whose will those things be which you have provided?
So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich. toward God. The Parable of the Rich Fool. I'd like to look at this parable under these headings tonight. I'd like to look, number one, at the context.
Then consider the warning that Jesus Gives And in the context of that warning, he gives a whole life. Principle, a life principle, to live by. And then Fourthly, A parabolic illustration.
So think with me as we consider, number one, the context. Jesus' teaching Scribes Pharisees his disciples and multitudes of people are gathered. And as Jesus is teaching A man interrupts the teaching of Jesus. He's an unnamed man. It says there in verse 13: Then one from the crowd said to him, Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
His request. Is A number of things. It's number one, it's rude.
Okay. And it's entirely out of line. and it's entirely out of line for a number of reasons. It's out of line number one because The man's Heart was distracted. He was deceived.
He was. not considering the teachings of Christ. Jesus had been teaching about very important things. He'd said about warned about hypocrisy. In the early Verses of chapter 12.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. He says, I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more. Have no more that they can do, but I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him. Who, after he is killed, has power to cast into hell?
Yes, I say to you, fear him. Jesus was bringing a warning that men ought to fear God. because of his authority over their lives. He says there in verse eight. I also say to you, whoever confesses me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
So here's this warning about the unpardonable sin, about Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, serious matters Jesus is teaching upon. Verse 11.
Now, when they bring you into the synagogue and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how. Power, what you should answer, or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. Then This man. breaks in. And says to Jesus, Teacher or rabbi, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
He was entirely out of line because he totally was distracted. by this concern of an inheritance. and wasn't able to receive the teaching. of Jesus that was a far greater matter.
So he was out of line in that regard. He was out of line, secondly, in the regard that he wasn't interested in Jesus hearing his case. He wasn't interested in. Laying his case before an arbitrator and somebody deciding about the fairness of his. Demand for His share of the inheritance, notice what he's asking of Jesus.
Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. In other words, I'm not interested in a fair hearing. I'm not interested in my case being arbitrated. I'm interested, Jesus, in you siding with me. He was out of line.
in that regard as well. For Jesus says Verse fourteen. Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator of you. What Jesus is Alluding to is that there are local magistrates, there are places to take your case, to be heard and decided. And Jesus didn't come to serve that purpose.
But what Jesus does do on the other side. On this occasion, in this context, is Pivot And use this man's interruption in the question that he brings. to bring a teaching on and a warning about the danger of covetousness. The Danger of Covetousness So that is briefly the context, and then again the warning. And here's the warning in verse fifteen.
And I want you to notice the pronouns. Verse 14 says, But he said to him, plural, or singular. He's saying to the man, who asked Jesus to side with him over this dispute with his brother over an inheritance. Jesus says to him, Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you? And then verse 15 says, And he said to them, So Jesus turns and now He's speaking to the multitudes.
He's addressing the crowd. He's using this occasion to further his Teaching. and instruction. And he said to them, Take heed. And Beware.
of covetousness Take heed. And beware of covetousness. We need to hear that. We need to heed that. The word beware.
There in verse 15, take heed and beware. Of covetousness. is a present imperative form of the verb. It's something that we ought to be ongoingly engaged in. We need to observe, to recognize, to perceive.
To be on guard. To take care, look out for, avoid, flee from. That's the idea. Take heed. And beware of covetousness.
Here's a warning: there's danger here. Jesus is saying Well, what kind of danger?
Well, what did I read in your hearing in Ephesians chapter 5? Did you notice that list? How L listen to this. Walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But Fornicators, but fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints.
He says in verse five, for this you know. that no fornicator unclean person nor what Covetous man Who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God? A man whose life is characterized by covetousness is not an heir of salvation, Jesus is saying. Paul is saying that here in Ephesians chapter 5. Therefore, we have this warning: beware.
Take heed. And beware. Of covetousness. How many warnings are there in the scriptures? How much teaching did Jesus do?
and give concerning Money. Listen to what Paul says in to Timothy, and if in First Timothy chapter six. First Timothy chapter six. Verse 9. Those who desire to be rich.
Fall is into temptation and a snare. and into many foolish and harmful lusts, Which do what? Drowned men in destruction and Perdition. What what What? drowns men in destruction and per perdition.
the desire to be rich. The temptation to Strive after that, to live for that. Verse 10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. for which some have strayed from the faith, in their greediness, and pierced themselves through. with many sorrows And then Paul gives this command to Timothy Verse seventeen.
Command those who are rich in this present age. Not to be haughty. Nor to trust in uncertain riches But in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give. Willing to share.
storing up for themselves a good foundation for The time to come that they may be. They may lay hold on eternal life. Money in itself is neutral. It's not innately wrong. To have money.
Jesus is Pronouncing Blessing on those who are rich if they use and are wise in their stewardship of what God has given to them. It's the pursuit of those things. It is the Giving of your life for those things. It is the love of. Money, that is a root.
of all kinds of evil. You see, the love of money causes people to forget God. The love of money causes people to trust. in uncertain riches. Jesus said many things about the liabilities of having wealth.
and the problems that it can bring. Loving money causes people to be deceived. Mark chapter 4 and verse 19, Jesus warns of the deceitfulness of riches. and a desire for other things. What is this deceitfulness of riches?
He says it has the potential to come in and choke out the word and. it becomes unfruitful.
So money can produce A deadly Spiritual deception. It can be a barrier to people believing the gospel.
So this is A warning. To take seriously, to be on guard. To be vigilant about continually. Again, it's a present imperative. Take heed and beware.
of covetousness. And then he gives What I've called a a whole life principle. A life principle to live by, and what is that? He says one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses. That's not what life is about.
Now This is a watershed issue. This is what divides, this is what separates. Children of light from children of darkness. This is what Characterizes people who are Unbelievers who are outside of Christ. They're living their whole life.
According to this life principle, what is that? The accumulation, the gathering of things. That's what people live for. They believe This lie. Jesus said a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses, but this world says this is what.
A man's life consists of. This is what you should be seeking. This is what you should be pursuing. This is what you should be living for. The accumulation of things.
Look around you. Look at your neighbors. When you're on vacation. You're on vacation. Yes.
But Knowing that you have to preach when you come back from vacation, you have to find time to. Get away and think and pray and do some studying, which I don't mind doing.
So I was working on this, thinking on this, praying over this, and. In the parking lot of the resort in which we stay. I think the second night we were there, This huge F 350 truck. Was in the parking lot. This man was from Texas.
And there was a huge, I mean a huge... Boat. That he had hooked up behind him and it took up Well, you couldn't park it in a park and spot. It was. It was take it would have taken up four or five.
Parking spaces. There were three huge Evanrood motors on the back of that thing. And uh You couldn't help but notice it. I glanced over there and I noticed he was from Texas, and there were people walking around that thing. I saw eight or ten people just walking around, and this went on for half an hour, 45 minutes to an hour.
Every time I glanced over there, there were people milling around. And what is all that about what was all that about? I I I don't I mean But look look at this Look what I've got.
Now I don't know the man. But my guess is that he had he's probably had other boats. Smaller boats. That D didn't Couldn't go as fast as maybe this boat. I don't know, but this was a big boat.
No, I don't own a boat. don't really have a desire to own a boat.
So it didn't have any appeal to me other than it caught my attention, and I noticed a lot of people were. Very enamored with this. Beautiful boat. But it's what people live for. A bigger boat, uh I can enumerate, but it's what People who do not know Christ are living their lives.
to accumulate things. It's the abundance of the things that one possesses.
Now this word In this principle, One's life does not consist in what? In the abundance. of the things he possesses. The word abundance translates a form of the verb. That means to exceed, to surpass, to have more than enough, or to overflow.
And the word that's translated life a man's life. It's not the word That means biological life. It is the word that means purpose. Meaning Fulfilment. And this is what Jesus is saying.
Fulfilling, satisfying life. That enjoys eternal peace, joy, hope, and blessing from salvation is not. Attainable from the material world, no matter how much. One possesses. That's the life principle.
Now There's a temptation just to move on. But I think it's worth stopping and thinking and asking And considering Those who know you the best. Those who live the closest to you. Those who live in your home, those who are your friends and relatives and neighbors and co-workers. What would they say?
If we were to ask them. Joe or Mary or Nancy or whoever Let me ask you, are they living their lives? To accumulate things? Is that what you perceive about them? Or are they living their lives?
For some other purpose. It's interesting to stop and think that through. Because my fear is Too many. Of God's children. Too many of God's people.
Are squandering away their stewardship because they bought into the lie of the world that this is really what life is about. Life is about accumulating, gaining, getting more and more stuff. Don't believe that lie. Either Jesus is telling the truth. Or the world has the corner on the truth.
Which is it? Is the words of Jesus true? That a man's life does not Consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses. That's not what life. Meaningful life.
Purposeful life is about. That's what Jesus is saying. And he's saying this to the crowd, and he's saying that to us, and he's saying that to professing Christians. And he's saying that to lost people as well. That's not what life is about.
Then We have the context. We have the warning. We have the life principle. And then we have this parabolic illustration. Jesus is going to illustrate what he has said about this warning, about this principle.
And here Verse 16 says, Then he spoke a parable to them. saying The grind of a certain rich man yielded plentif plentifully.
Now let's consider This parable. It's not often. that the Bible Call somebody a fool. But here's a man. That Jesus characterizes as a fool.
And it is a parable. about folly. The folly of being Preoccupied with riches.
Now, there's wisdom here to be contrasted with the folly. But the emphasis on wisdom comes only at the end. When the Lord says Not to be rich. In the things of this world, but. The admonition is to be rich toward God.
This man That Jesus is portraying in this parable was a fool. He was a fool. And he was called a fool by Jesus for I'm going to consider four reasons. why this man is called a fool by Jesus. Reason number one.
This man lived his life. with no reference toward God. This man in this parable Lives his life with no reference toward God. Psalm 14.1 says, The fool has said in his heart There is no God.
Now he may have said that in his heart, That doesn't Eliminate the fact that God does exist. The fool says in his heart there is no God because he doesn't want to be accountable to God. But the fact that he says it in his heart doesn't change the fact that there is a God. that holds him will and will hold him accountable. that it'll have to answer to.
But the fool Is the man or the woman? who lives their life With no reference toward God.
Now, look how this is characterized in the parable. the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought, Within himself. Same. What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?
Notice the pronouns: I, me, my.
So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and all my goods, and I will say to my soul.
Soul You have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. He was a fool. He lived his life with no reference toward God. Wasn't willing to acknowledge God in his life.
Boasted about how hard he'd worked. And notice how Jesus characterizes this. The ground. Of a certain rich man yielded. Plentifully.
Wonderful. How do we explain that? How is it possible that the ground of any man yields plentifully? Apart from God's good, kind providence. in providing rain at the right time.
Good soil. Proper sunlight. Proper temperatures. If God doesn't do that, I don't care how hard you work. I don't care how much knowledge you have about farming.
You won't have a bumper crop. This man Enjoyed a bumper crop. But He didn't acknowledge that God was the cause of it. That's the point. No, he.
was a fool. He had plowed The ground. He had planted the grain. He had toiled the soil. He had gathered the harvest.
He had done it himself. He says over and over again. The wealth was his and He had no responsibility to anyone.
So he thought But you see, that's not the way Jesus viewed the matter. Jesus did not say A certain man worked very hard and accumulated a good fortune. That's not what Jesus says. Jesus says. The land of a rich man produced plentifully.
The man's prosperity was from God. Who made the ground? and prospered the harvest. Yes, the man had worked. But apart from the blessing of God upon that work.
He wouldn't. have had the results that he did. The rich man's blessing. Was from God, but he failed to see that. He failed to acknowledge that.
He regarded The wealth as his rather than God's, and therefore he what? He misused it. He thought it was all for him. He stored it up, taking no thought of any one else.
So he was a fool. In that, he did not acknowledge God. He did not live his life in reference to God. was all about him. He was a fool, and that he misused.
the wealth that God had given to him. He thought it was all for his own pleasure, all for his own benefit.
Now, I'm not, I don't think that it would be right to fault the man in his business practice. Perhaps he thought, you know what, if I take my harvest to the market, I might flood the market and the price may drop, and I may get less for it than what I could get for it if I store it and wait for a more opportune time to sell it. No, there's nothing wrong with doing that. Farmers do that all the time. They watch the commodity markets.
They see what soybean's selling for, what corn is selling for. And if it's at a good price, when they harvest it, they'll sell it. But if more Grain has come to the market before they got there and the prices been suppressed and has come down. Farmers Have silos, they store their grain, they wait for the price to rise to sell it. There's no problem with that.
The problem is That It was all self-centered. All this was for himself. And the language is very Deliberate to communicate that. He thought within himself, What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? He said, I will do this I will pull down my barns I will build greater, and there I will store up my crops and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and. Be merry He was a fool. He was a fool because he lived his life with no reference to God. He was a fool in that he misused.
his wealth. He wasn't a good steward of it. He wasn't He didn't see himself as blessed of God that he might bless others. He thought the blessing of God was only to indulge himself. He was a fool.
in that he allowed Number three, he allowed the concern for riches to eclipse the far more important concern than he should have had for his soul. See, this man had no concern for his soul. In fact, he equated. Notice he ties his Problem. material prosperity to the condition of his soul.
He said, I will say to my soul, verse 19, soul. You have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink. And be merry. There's the philosophy of the world.
Eat, drink, and be merry. And it takes Money and wealth and prosperity in order to indulge in that. And here he was. Living high on the hog. His bumper crop had come in.
Eat, drink. And be merry. I've pointed out to you other times. the significance with the words but God and the contrast that comes When we see those words repeated often in Scripture, and here's another one of those, but God. Statements.
This man says in verse 19, I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Verse twenty says, But God But God said something contrary. God did not agree. With his philosophy of life.
But God said to him, Fool! You are a fool. God said to him, Fool, this night. your soul will be required of you, then whose will those things be? which you have provided.
So he was a fool. Jesus characterized him as a fool. Number one, because he lived his life with no reference to God. He was a fool, number two, because he misused. His wealth.
He was not a good steward of the blessings of God upon his life. He was a fool. Number three, in that he allowed his concern. For riches to eclipse The far more important concern that he should have had. For his soul, and he was a fool number four because he was presumptuous about life itself.
He thought he had many years. He stored up. He was planning for the future. And Jesus says in this parable, You fool, this very night your life will be. Demanded of you.
This very night, your soul will be required. Of you. Then Then Who will get what you have prepared for yourself? You see, that's one of the concerns that rich people have that People who aren't rich don't have. People who are rich, they want to control their Riches But they know that when they die, their ability to control it will be diminished.
Yes, they can set up trusts and they can do this and they can do that, but Their concern is Will my kids, will those who inherit my money, will they squander it? Will they waste it? Will they not appreciate it? And that's the appeal that Jesus is making in this parable. He doesn't appeal.
To a higher level, he appeals to a very base level. Fool, this night your soul will be required of you. Then, whose will those things be which you have provided? What will your kids do with it? Will they fight over it?
Will the government get a big portion of it because you didn't plan? I remember years and years ago listening to. James Dobson, teach, and he was talking about playing a game of Monopoly with his family. And uh it was well into the middle of the evening. nine, ten o'clock and the game was going on and He was just enjoying himself.
He was putting houses and he was collecting mortgage and he bankrupt. his wife and his kids and they all gave up and said, Uncle and They all went off to bed and there he was uh putting And he was he was really hamming it up. he was taking their money and sticking it in his pockets, you know, and But in the silence of the late evening as he was putting The pieces of the game back in the box, he started taking the money out of his pocket and putting it back in. And he said, It dawned on me. This is what life is about.
Regardless of how much you accumulate, regardless of what blessing you might know from God materially. It all goes back in the box. At the end of the day. It all goes back in the box. You can't take it with you.
So this man was a fool. And Jesus is warning us about this. Everything. You Have One day we'll be left behind. It is yours now.
And it's yours now to be a good steward of it, to use it or abuse it. But one day You'll be separated from it. And you will stand before God. and give an account of your stewardship. Jesus has a punchline.
To the story. There's an unexpected twist. Just when this man imagine himself to be set for life, God took his life. God took his life. After he finished making his self-centered plans, God said to him, You fool.
this very night. Your soul is required of you. And that word fool. Refers to someone who's mindless, somebody who lacks sense, somebody who is ignorant, somebody who is destitute of knowledge and truth. This man had forgotten two things.
He had number one foolishly Forgotten God. God was not in his plans. He hadn't equated God. He hadn't put God into the equation of his life. He hadn't factored God in.
Hadn't factored, hadn't thought about God and the blessing, hadn't thought about God and His stewardship to Him, hadn't thought about that He would meet God someday. He'd forgotten. About God. And number two, he'd forgotten about his own mortality. That he wasn't going to live forever.
that one day he would die. And none of us know when that will be. And here's the point. There is no bigger fool. than he who does not prepare for the life to come.
There is no greater fool. than the man who lives his life solely for this life. It makes no preparation for the next. Again, I said this as a parable. concerning folly and wisdom.
We've seen the folly and how it's been depicted by Jesus in this parable. But what about the wisdom? Notice what he says. Verse twenty again God said to him, Fool, this night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?
So is he. who lays up treasure for himself See, that was this man's number one fundamental flaw. He was laying up treasures for himself. And he was not rich. toward God.
Not rich toward God. How is a man or a woman rich toward God?
Well, we can be rich in faith. We can be rich in good deeds, as I read to you there in 1 Timothy chapter 6. If we're in Christ, we are rich. We rejoice. In Though he was rich, Yet, for our sakes, he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich.
If we're in Christ, we're rich. And we need to rejoice in that richness.
So, the question. is How are you living your life? Are you living your life as a fool? And I don't say that. Mean with me with a mean spirit.
I simply am asking the question that Jesus raises in the parable. He's depicting a fool. And a fool lives For the possessions of things. He's living for himself. And the question is, who are you living for?
Are you living for yourself? Or are you living for the Lord? Using that which he's given to you to advance his kingdom, to invest in others, to Lay up treasures in heaven, or are you simply Mimicking the world. Yes, there's a place for savings. Yes, there's a place for making provision for retirement.
Yes, there's Yes, yes, yes. You know the warning I'm talking about. The Christian life is a life of what? Moderation. Moderation.
Enjoying the things that God has given to us. But at the same time, knowing that we're stewards of it and there'll be an accounting. of our life. and that which He's entrusted to us. It's easy.
To be Molded by this world and to imbibe the philosophy of this world and to. Be pursuing the accumulation of things and more things and more things. The older we get. The wiser we should be. The more instruction we've received from the Word of God, the better we ought to be.
Only one life. Twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ. will last. Listen to these words from Robert Murray McShane: When this passing world is done. When this passing world is done.
When has sunk yon radiant sun? When I stand with Christ on high, looking o'er life's. History. Then, Lord, shall I fully know Not till then. How much I owe?
When I stand before the throne, dressed in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thou art, love thee with. unsinning heart Then, Lord shall, I fully know, Not till then. How much I owe? Chosen not for good in me. Wakened up from wrath to flee Hidden in the Saviour's side By the Spirit sanctified.
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show. By my love how much I owe Oft I walk beneath a cloud dark as midnight's gloomy shroud But when fear is at its height, Jesus comes in all his light. Blessed Jesus bid me show Doubting saints how much I owe When the praise of heaven I hear Loud as thunders to the ear Loud as many waters noise. Sweet as harp's melodious voice Then, Lord, shall I fully know Not till then How much I owe. Shall we pray?
Father, thank you for your word, thank you for its warnings, thank you for its instruction. Thank you for the clarity of the words of Jesus. Help us that we might be men and women. who have not Followed the path of folly. living our lives for the accumulation of things, the abundance of things.
Lord, if you've given us an abundance, help us to know it's not for self. indulgence. Help us to know that it's invest In eternal matters, it's to invest in the gospel, it's to invest in the kingdom. It's to lay up treasures in heaven. Help us to be wise and good stewards.
For our good and for your own honor and glory, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. and the love of God, And the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
