Parable Of The Rich Fool Series

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL

Luke 12:13-34

How would you finish this statement, “A man’s life is measured by _______________”? Paul said the commandment; “Thou shalt not covet” was the commandment that convicted him (Romans 7:7).What is covetousness? Your worth is not measured by your possessions or you balance sheet. Keep in mind this question, “Is your present pursuit of knowing and obeying God as intense as your pursuit for something else?”

I. THE REQUEST ABOUT AN INHEIRTANCE (13-15)

A. The Desire to Get (13-14)

1. His desire to get controlled how he heard the Lord. (7)

{Here was Jesus preaching and all the man could think of was how to get his inheritance.}

2. His desire to get was his motive for coming to the Lord. (13)

B. The Danger He Was Warned About (15)

Covetousness means to lust after, desire to get, delight in something to the point you must have it. His problem was he thought life was what he possessed. Life is not possessions.

II. THE RESPONSE BY AN ILLUSTRATION (16-21)

{Spurgeon said that a picture is like a window that lets in light.)

Warren Weirsbee outlines this parable as follows:

A. The Man’s Dilemma Of Dealing With A Bumper Crop. (16-17)

{Note it was stated in verse 16 he was already rich.}

B. The Man’s Decision About the Bumper Crop. (18-19)

{There are eleven personal pronouns and God is not mentioned.}

1. His decision is selfish.

2. His decision is shortsighted.

C. The Man’s Death Inspite of the Bumper Crop. (20)

1. Death is coming to us all.

2. Death will bring an accounting of what we have done.

3. Death will not allow us to take our material possessions with us.

{There are no moving vans behind hearses.)

III. THE REVELATION OF THE DISCIPLES PRIORITY.

A. The Passion the Father Has For His Disciples (22-28)

God will take care of us better than birds, flowers, or grass.

B. The Promise to Disciples (31-32)

1. The promise of provisions.

2. The promise of peace.

C. The Principal of Living As A Disciple (33-34)

(The reason the rich younger could not follow Jesus is that he would not let go of his riches. The rich man in Luke 16 would not share with Lazarus and in eternity he lost all.)

Covetous keeps us from obeying the golden rule.

Romans 13:8-10; “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”