Winning at the Wrong Game
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
Then one from 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 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 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.”
Introduction
Introduction
It is good to be back with you all.
We have been gone for three Sabbaths.
Last Sabbath we were near Coventry at a Pastoral Conference for the whole of the British Union. It was a blessed meeting in every way. The first one for eight years so I understand.
The two Sabbaths prior to that we were in California. We had a mini family union as well as getting the very last tour of the new worship center that will officially open in May/June at the Adventist Church we attended there for over 20 years.
It is good to be with you all. We missed you.
Today and the rest of May, we are continuing our series on the Parables of Jesus today.
We will take a summer break in June and some of July due to the Daniel Seminars in Lowestoft.
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
I wonder if you saw the BBC News feature this week on Great Yarmouth.
BBC News have been doing a feature on Coastal Britain, with Simon McCoy and Afternoon Live.
It all started from a House of Lords report stating how neglected the Coastal communities have been.
(Slide)
I would especially add the ones along the North Sea, which have seen economic declines over the years.
Great Yarmouth Factoids
Great Yarmouth Factoids
98K Population. 12K from outside UK.
1 in 10 on Universal Credit.
Tourism is worth 625m to local economy and provides 12k jobs.
Tourism is seasonal (short season).
16 miles of beaches.
Seeking to become the wind farm capital of the world. Green jobs.
Winning at the Wrong Game
Winning at the Wrong Game
These are good goals.
Great Yarmouth needs to re-invent itself and to re-generate a struggling local economy.
Lowestoft is in a similar position.
For too long places like Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft have been looking in the rear view mirror.
Adults need work, a means to provide for their family, for their future and to be useful member of society.
But here is the key point, to “win in life” from the worlds point of view, (have stuff, bank balance, comfortable retirement) without walking in close communion with God and being rich towards God, is, in the end, “winning at the wrong game”.
BTW, I believe this gives our church a unique opportunity in Great Yarmouth to seek to be relevant, welcoming, and loving, with the distinct message of Jesus.
The parable of the Rich Fool is all about winning at the wrong game.
It represents the lives and goals of so many today under the general headings of secularism and materialism.
It is a life full of “stuff”, but empty of the Lord.
The Parable of the Rich Fool
The Parable of the Rich Fool
The parable of the Rich Fool is all about “winning at the wrong game”.
Mrs While calls it “Gain that is Loss”.
It represents the lives and goals of so many today under the general headings of secularism and materialism.
It is a comfortable life full of “stuff”, but empty of the Lord.
Dispute over Family Inheritance
Dispute over Family Inheritance
The Parable of the Rich Fool starts with a dispute over family inheritance.
(Slide)
We do not know the merits of the case of the one in the crowd who said to Jesus
Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Or a better translation, “Order my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
The man had probably witnesses the way Jesus spoke with authority and reasoned Jesus could speak thus to his brother.
We do not know the merits of the case.
As you probably know, the Mosaic law stated that the elder brother received two thirds of the inheritance because of head of household responsibilities.
If there were two brothers, as seems likely here, the elder would get 2/3 and the youngest 1/3
Was the complaint about only getting a third?
Was the complaint that he had been given nothing?
We do not know.
Jesus replies “Who made me a Judge”?
Jesus replies “Who made me a Judge”?
The man had probably witnesses the way Jesus spoke with authority and reasoned he could speak thus to his brother.
Jesus replies,
Or a better translation, may be, order my brother
(Slide)
But He 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.”
But Jesus discerns the heart of the matter.
But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
The use of the word “Man” is not a great translation, given modern day usage.
Here it is a serious term and a form of rebuke.
But Jesus reply is curious.
I am the only one who finds Jesus reply curious and kind of dismissive of what may be a genuine complaint?
Jesus almost seems exasperated.
If it was me, I think I would have said, tell me more about what is happening.
Salvation vs Social Justice
Salvation vs Social Justice
Most commentaries try and pit the importance of social justice against the supreme importance of salvation or to say that it is better to suffer loss and follow Jesus.
I have to be honest and say I do not find such comments to be helpful or the case here.
Though of-course I acknowledge the supreme importance of salvation over all else.
Sometimes we will suffer “loss” for the Lord, but such things always come with a promise that the Lord is with us.
Jesus teaching in the Sermon of the Mount, found a few chapters earlier in , deals equally with our relationships with our fellow man as it does with God.
Luke has
Our Christianity starts at Home
Our Christianity starts at Home
If our Christianity does not start at home among those who know us best, it does not start at all.
I find no reason to exclude both brothers from Jesus rebuke and subsequent parable, assuming they both were in the crowd.
It is interesting that the “you” in the greek is plural.
And that that the “You” is followed by “And He said to Them”
You are sensible people, you think about these things.
If that was me, I think I would be tempted to say tell me more, what is happening.
Jesus is saviour first, then judge.
Jesus discerned the true Motives
Jesus discerned the true Motives
Jesus focused on His mission.
He could so easily have tried to correct all social injustice.
Here is the key point.
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.”
Jesus had discernment of people’s hearts and true motives like no other person who has, or will, walk this earth.
Jesus knew that people so often seek to win at the wrong game, due to wrong motives.
Often Jesus uses adverse situations, some trouble, in our life to make us face the heart of a matter.
The Lord many times has to use providential circumstances to get through all our stuff and get to us!
Has that happened to you?
“Who one is, is far more important than what we possess.”
“Seeking God as the great purpose of life, is far more important than what we possess.”
The parable of “The Rich Fool” is all about “Winning at the wrong game”.
Or winning at the wrong game.
Company Matching of Retirement Savings
Company Matching of Retirement Savings
This parable would seem to be very relevant for today.
It was one of the last events in my business career
It was one of the final triggers that caused me to leave the business world and accept the call that both Norma and I were sensing more and more to full time ministry.
It was late 2017.
Materialistic, Pleasure Seeking, Neutrality or Indifference towards the Lord.
I was called into a special meeting for management and told we were laying off people and had to come up with names.
We were also told that these people will be laid off approx 2 weeks before Christmas and would not be eligible for the company pension match.
Pension matching worked in that people would contribute a certain tax free amount every pay check and the company would match that amount up to a certain threshold, at the end of the year.
The room was silent.
I was angry.
These people all year had done their bit and through no fault of their own they were getting laid off a few weeks before the matching and it would not even be prorated.
I left and wrote to the CEO, never expecting g a reply.
I got a reply within 20 minutes from His phone.
He said he could not make an exception for my employees.
That really was not my point.
A few days later the company doubled down on their position.
Something was lost , maybe finally the light bulb went off, the moral compass of an organisation in pursuit of profit.
The Path of Casualties
The Path of Casualties
(Slide)
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Luke The Parable of the Rich Fool (12:13–21)
Those who climb over people or ignore them in the pursuit of possessions will come up empty on the day God sorts out our lives.
All the stuff we have.
It is called “Winning at the wrong game”.
What is winning in today’s world?
I first had to realise that I had been guilty of this many times.
God can use providential events in our life to search our our motives and as an opportunity for us to go deeper with the Lord
Winning at the wrong game.
The Rich Fool
The Rich Fool
The Rich Man in this parable won at the wrong game.
His possessions defined him, they were his security and and his life.
His “stuff” defined Him and His sense of self worth.
He won at the wrong game.
(Slide)
Because,
“Who one is, is far more important than what we possess.”
“Seeking God as the great purpose of life, is far more important than what we possess.”
The parable of “The Rich Fool” is all about “Winning at the wrong game”.
Freddie Star
Freddie Star
I do not know much about Freddie Star.
Comedian.
Many called him the funniest man.
He died yesterday.
The news summarised his death as follows, he died alone, in a small flat in Spain, estranged from his children.
Winning at the wrong game.
The Woman anoints Jesus Feet
The Woman anoints Jesus Feet
We find another encounter with Jesus a few chapters earlier in Luke.
It is all about a woman anointing Jesus feet.
Let us read a portion of it.
(Slide)
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
What follows is the parable of the two Debtors.
Jesus discerned what the Pharisee (probably Simon) said to Himself.
It is highly likely that the manner of this woman’s sin was moral given the words used by Simon.
The Winner and the Loser
The Winner and the Loser
It is highly probable that the
Is this not the example of being rich towards God?
Being Rich towards God
Let me ask you, Who was winning here and who was losing?
The woman looked like a total loser, but
(NKJV)
Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
This woman was rich towards God
This woman was rich towards God
And Jesus says,
The New King James Version Chapter 7
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
This has to do with realisation of our true state before God, not relative goodness between each other.
It all worldly views this woman looks like the loser here and in life.
But In reality, The Pharisee was the one winning at the wrong game.
He had religion but he did not have Jesus.
The woman had her sins but she now also had Jesus!
I earnestly hope the Pharisee learned the lesson here.
The great object of our life.
This is not about salvation.
It is about going deep with the Lord.
(Slide)
An Abundant life
An Abundant life
I end with this.
(Slide)
There is no going back at this stage!
God wants us to launch ourselves fully onto Him!
He is ever the same, in a world of ever change.
He is the rock, in a world of billowing seas.
He is the sure foundation, in a world of sand.
He has said “I will be with you always:”, amid stuff that is here today and gone tomorrow.
Come aside my beloved, rest awhile and be refreshed in the springs of His eternal love.
You see, It is all about going deep with God
You have to leap, often into the unknown, to go deep
Why? John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
(Slide)
Jumping of the cliff for the Lord.
It is about going deep with the Lord.
It is not to earn salvation, that is a gift, it is because we are saved.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.