Where is Your Treasure?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
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Parent night
An Interruption
Have you ever been interrupted? Maybe you've been in a situation where you were trying to teach a school lesson or maybe you were in the middle of having a conversation with someone and you get interrupted. For many of you, COVID was a major interruption in your lives. While I was thinking about this idea of interruption, my mind went to my internship here at Crosspoint about three years ago when I was teaching a children's lesson before the sermon and a little boy kept interrupting me.
Describe this situation.
I could give more examples but I think it is safe to say that we all have been interrupted before by something or by someone.
We see this same concept of interruption in the beginning of our text today.
So please open your bibles and meet me in Luke 12:13.
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
If you've been here at Crosspoint the last couple of Sundays, we've been going through Luke 12. In this chapter of Luke, Jesus has been teaching to a crowd (Luke 12:1 says many thousands were in attendance) in verse 13, some random person interrupts Jesus. Let's pick up this story and read starting in Luke 12:13.
Read Luke 12:13 then stop.
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
I don't know about you but if I'm teaching to a crowd of multiple thousands, I'm probably one annoyed by this man for interrupting me and two I'm probably going to ignore him and ask for him to be removed from the crowd. Especially if I had someone like Peter standing next me, I'd be like Peter come here, you see that guy over there, I think you know what to do. Just spare the ear please.
That'd be my selfish, prideful, sinful attitude. Praise God that is not how Jesus reacts to this man.
Let's see how Jesus answers him.
Read Luke 12:14-15
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12
14 “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
Did you catch the response given by Jesus?
His response is one that is filled with grace and truth. The complete opposite of pride and selfishness.
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 12
Ἄνθρωπε
We see grace in how Jesus addresses the man. The CSB translates the Greek word anthrope, which comes from the root word anthropos which means "man". Think of anthropology which is the study of man. There's your Greek lesson for today. The CSB translate this word to Friend. Now you might to asking why did they do this instead of putting the word man for the English word. Here is your second and final Greek lesson for the day. The grammatical case used for this word anthrope is what is called the vocative form. Why is that important?
A vocative is a word or phrase used to address a reader or listener directly, usually in the form of a personal name, title, or term of endearment. Hence why the CSB translates it as friend.
We see grace in the attitude of Jesus as He calls this man, “Friend”, and then we see truth as Jesus addresses the heart of the man.
This man comes with an external problem that he thinks is so importance as to interrupt the teaching Jesus.
Even though this man was right to go to a rabbi over a matter of inheritance, he came with an attitude of greed. We see this as he tells Jesus to address his external injustice without first reflecting on his own inward attitude.
Some of us need to hear this this morning. Before we go around yelling injustice or that's not fair about a particular situation, we need to ask ourselves, are we doing it with a pure heart or with a selfish and greedy heart?
Hear me out, what I'm not saying is don't pursue justice but rather pursue justice with a pure heart.
We see this in Micah 6:8
Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.
So let's pursue humility and love and mercy while we act justly.
Let's get back to our story.
Jesus knowing this man's heart decides to address the heart rather than the external situation.
One commentator puts it this way,
"Jesus refusal to answer is not a denial of his right or ability to answer, nor of his concern for social and ethical matters. Rather he turns directly to an area in which others have no right to judge, the question of motivation."
Jesus calls this man out on his sin of a greedy heart.
What is greed? Greed is defined as an excessive desire for more of something especially wealth or possessions.
We see this on display as this man values his financial situation so much so that he interrupts the teaching of Jesus to address it.
In His grace and mercy, Jesus takes time to address this man's heart with a parable.
B. Addressing the Heart
Let's keep reading.
Read Luke 12:16-21
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12
16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
There are three things we see that are true about greedy people.
1. They are concerned about their own interests over the interests of others.
Re-Read
Luke 12:16-19
Count references to the rich owner.
This rich man was someone who probably owned lots of land and had poor peasants working for him. He had a great harvest and he only thought of himself instead of giving some of the surplus to his workers. His owned interests blinded him of the needs and interests of others.
2. They think materials can bring them happiness.
Re-read Luke 12:19
3. They think they are in control of their own lives.
I can get what I want when I want it.
One commentator bluntly put it,
"The really stupid thing was the rich man's easy assurance that the future was in his control."
Repeat 3 things that are true about greedy people.
To summarize greedy people live the lie that their life is about themselves instead of living a life that is glorifying to God and serving others.
Now if any of you are like me, you might be convicted of having moments of greed. I go through those three descriptions and I'm broken.
#1 describes selfishness
#2. Describes idolatry
#3. Describes unbelief/not trusting God
I want to tell you that there is hope. Hope in our savior Jesus Christ.
There is hope for forgiveness for our sins as Christ took on our punishment when He died on the cross.
There is hope that we don't have to be stuck in our sin. Christ didn't stay in the grave, He defeated sin as he arose on the third day. So now we don't have to be a slave to our sin but rather we can choose godliness by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you are struggling with greed or when you do struggle with the sin of greed in the future, here are three things we as Christians we can do as a response when we are convicted of greed.
1. Confess/repent
Become dependent on God
2. Find your joy in Jesus
Dwell on the truths and joys that are find in having a relationship with Jesus.
3. Looking out for the interest of others / having a generous heart
If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
We see this process of being convicted of an outward action, addressing the heart issue, and then living a life that glorifies God from the inside to the outward actions of our lives.
In the end our life is not about storing up earthly treasures for ourselves but rather having eternal riches toward God as we live our lives with eternity in mind. Let's pray.