The Rich Fool
Applying the Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Reading:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Introduction:
The economy in the 90’s was much different than our economy now.
1991 the minimum wage was moved to $4.25/hr.
There were typically in each home: 2 incomes.
A salary of +/- $40,000/piece.
Total home income $80k.
Average home price was $151,000.
It would be fair to say that a lot of parents had an abundance.
What did they do with that abundance?
A least around Swartz Creek where I was:
They bought property, or cabins up north.
They bought nicer cars, updated their homes.
They bought four wheelers, dirt bikes, wave runners, boats, etc...
The consumer was spending extra dough on things they wanted, and that were fun.
It was so normal that a slogan was created:
He who dies with the most toys wins.
The idea is that it was a competition to accumulate more stuff than your neighbor.
People began building bigger barns to store that stuff, including their campers.
As all of us can probably attest to what happens when someone dies with “the most toys” - It is usually more of a headache to unload all their toys.
We would rather they lived in a ice shanty instead of 10 acres with a 2500sqft house and a 30’x50’ pole barn.
A lot of the mentality was to accumulate more, when we max out our capacity, build bigger.
The philosophy was to spend what you make and borrow the rest.
Keep up with everyone around you.
We were greedy!
Today our parable addresses our desire to consume and possess more; but ultimately Jesus nails to the cross our sickness.
Transition:
Jesus wasn’t the one who begins the discourse; but He does something that Jesus is very good at:
Keeping the spiritual point of view on situations and getting down to the heart in every matter.
In Luke 12 Jesus finishes up teaching about who exactly you should fear:
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
With that little nugget of truth He emphasizes how very special each and every one of us is:
7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
For some of us that number isn’t as many; but i’m ok with it.
As Jesus continues teaching, He points out what will happen to the disciples later and how to handle it:
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
All who were present heard what Jesus taught, so each person could’ve admitted or attested to His teaching ability, and even considered Him a rabbi.
Which makes sense considering the next parable Jesus teaches us.
The first verse sets:
The Scene (13-15)
The Scene (13-15)
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Who was this person?
No one knows; but what is it that they did?
They asked Jesus to arbitrate an inheritance.
? Why did this person feel like it was appropriate to ask this of Jesus?
The text reveals who he believed Jesus to be:
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
A teacher!
What does this have to do with the type of question he asked?
The person believed Jesus to be a Rabbi.
A Rabbi could accept a question like this because they held some authority for being able to settle disputes of the law.
The dispute of law brought before the crowd was that of inheritance.
Moses had given the law of the Lord for this type of situation.
17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
Now what was being disputed? This was a common understanding of their culture that the first born would get his rights.
But this seems to be addressing the “double portion” part of the inheritance.
If the older brother wanted, he could split the double portion with his younger brother.
This is what he was asking for: A lawful judgment on the portion he believed was entitled to him.
Jesus quickly cuts it off at the knees with:
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
Jesus was publicly proclaiming that He didn’t come to settle the material disputes.
He came to settle the Spiritual ones.
With that sentiment He moved into an charge for each person listening, and also for us here, seeing how it is recorded.
15 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.”
So the parable He is about to relate to this situation deals with the facad that he with the most toys wins.
He says: “take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness,”
15 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.”
The phrase take care is what the translators could best come up with for the Greek word; but commentators have pointed out:
That phrase doesn’t seem to capture the “force” we get from the Greek word.
One commentator describes it like this:
“It is the taking of positive action to ward off a foe.”
Many times I don’t think we understand just how forceful Jesus’ words were in some situations.
In verse 15
15 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.”
Connection:
Jesus is telling us to head towards Him and abide by His laws!
Avoid courteousness like the plague and stay very far away from it.
Transition:
Jesus’ forceful words are girded up with an explanation:
The parable which highlights:
The Problem (16-17)
The Problem (16-17)
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
How much did the farmers storehouses hold the year before?
What we have is over and above what his necessity was.
How does the farmer react towards a higher yield?
I need bigger storehouses.
Illustration:
Remember in the introduction how people had an abundance more than what they needed to survive?
What did they do with the abundance?
They created a new goal line for what their necessities were.
Their “bare necessities” to sustain life now has a richer appetite.
The guy in the parable “needs” more; but to be able to do that he has to solve his storage problem.
Transition:
Being the crafty business man he is, the farmer makes:
The Proposed Solution (18-19)
The Proposed Solution (18-19)
18 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.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
The solution was proposed.
Demolishing all current storehouses and barns to build bigger.
This isn’t a plan for bigger crops, this is his plan for the cushy life.
It’s not retirement either, it is the position of complacency for what the Lord has continued providing all these years.
He has bought into the thought that he did all of this with his wits and effort.
In the 2 verses the farmer refers to himself 4x with the word “MY”.
18 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.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
The word “I” is found 8x.
He is very selfish and self centered.
He doesn’t care to use his wealth wisely, he is frivolous.
Illustration:
The first few years of Katie and I being married we didn’t make much money.
We had the job of being good stewards of every dollar spent.
There was no room for anything extra in our budget.
We could only pay for the things that were necessities.
Home
Cars
Water
Food
Phone
Everything else fell into the category of: Non-Essential.
After almost 18 years of marriage there are some things that are still non-essential.
? Then why do we do it?
We are at a different place in our life today then we were back then.
We have grown comfortable in those areas and we don’t have to be as tight.
That means once in a while I can get a doughnut from Murphy's.
Connection:
Jesus is connecting the thought to us in these passages.
We can become comfortable enough in our lifestyle that we don’t give a lot of thought to how we are stewarding what He gives us.
We could even go as far as to believe the lie that we did it all.
That kind of mindset works it’s way into every aspect of our lives:
Friends are just people that are there to help us or meet a need that we have. All the while entirely neglecting fellowship with them.
We miss the opportunities to help others because the focus is on us and what is happening in our lives.
We may end up like this farmer:
Not being concerned with anything other than our own self-indulgence.
Listen to his goal:
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
Here his greed is on full display!
He must have forgotten Jesus teaching on the good Samaritan
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
The farmer wasn’t conducting himself according to the 2 greatest commandments, or how the commandments are carried out and acted upon.
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
The man was set on following the plan he had: The life of ease and carelessness.
Transition:
As the man is contemplating his life of fame and wealth Jesus continues the parable where it shifts to reveal that the man has very little control over things in his life.
This is where Jesus brings the story to the climax and point.
He does it through:
The Rebuke (20-21)
The Rebuke (20-21)
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
God can show anyone at anytime who is in control. Each and every one of us would do well to remember that and maintain humility.
God called the farmer a Fool!
Fool:
“One who is destitute of reason, or the common powers of understanding; an idiot. Some persons are born fools, and are called natural fools; others may become fools by some injury done to the brain.” - Noah Webster
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
This man at the emotional seat of his life stated: there is no God, only himself!
He was king of his own life.
Connection:
Every time we place ourselves in the position as all authority or almighty in our lives.
We remove Jesus from His purchased throne in our lives and place ourselves there instead!
We are fools!!
We are corrupt, our deeds are about us and we aren’t living out the righteousness He gave us!
Repent - Turn away and ask forgiveness and plead with Him to occupy His position once again on the throne of your life!
As we see here in the passages it was too late for the farmer.
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
He was going to die.
Did you know we can sin and it could bring physical death?
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
We can continue blowing past and ignoring Jesus’ warnings on the highway to our death.
? How long does God withhold His judgment?
There is a point when He says something like this to people:
“…This night you soul is required of you,...”
Look at Ananias and Sapphira.
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
They had no issues with dishonesty.
That was their sin unto death.
The farmers sin unto death was greed and the pursuit of possessions.
The farmer’s heart must have dropped when he realized he was going to die and all that he had accumulated was meaningless.
It would be sold at auction and scattered amongst the people.
Connection:
Who is on the throne of our heart?
How are we being a good steward of what God has entrusted to us?
We must maintain proper priorities when it comes to possessions.
They may cost money; but ultimately they are all just things that will be sold after we die.
We can be generous with all we have while we live, or when we die all of it will be spread around anyway!
Conclusion:
Jesus finishes the point of the parable:
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
We can be fools pursuing foolish things that are very temporary or we can lay up treasures in heaven!
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Don’t spend all your efforts and strength trying to provide for your life here and for these bodies.
Instead prepare for eternity and the wealth you have being called His child.
Don’t trust in your riches, believe and trust in His wealth you are gifted with as His child.
When we do things, do it as unto the Lord.
Every day begin it with determining to live it for Him, because every day that we live for ourselves and our desires we are foolish!
- Pray!