Accountability

“ACCOUNTABILITY” (Luke 12:13-21)

6/03/01 Sunday AM

Sheridan, Arkansas

George Crumbly

INTRO:

The Lord gave me this message Tuesday morning as I was out on the road traveling. I was listening to News Radio & I heard the host interviewing someone on his station and the topic was “Accountability”….. They were talking about people being accountable for their actions…Another word? Folks being responsible for their actions.

You’ll have to admit that we live in a society where no one wants to own up to their‘mis-

takes’ or to their faults, we see so many politicians wanting to take credit for the good things done & then when something goes wrong…ready to point their finger at somebody else!!

We better get used to being accountable for our actions:

“But I say unto you , that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment.” (MT. 12:36)

“ So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (RO. 14:12)

Luke 12: verses 13 – 21

• This story the Lord gave me….the meat of the message here in verse 20 (read again) here the Lord uses a farmer. The Lord was always good to use a simple message that reached out to any group of people. I was raised in Central Florida, in 1955 my Father & Grandfather went into the

Cattle & the Citrus business, so all of my life we have been associated with Agriculture.

• So I have an idea of what he is talking about here.

I. First Jesus talks about Covetousness: A craving, a desire for more. It is greediness, dissatisfaction

With what is enough? It includes the cravings for both material things and fleshly indulgence.

II. The Lord uses this rich man, he had this season come to a place of having plenty…His ground had brought forth plenty, I believe that you could also say that the Lord had blessed this man!!!

III. Farmers everywhere would give anything, I mean anything to have a great year, but so many I’ve known in the past were very fortunate & very grateful to just break even or to be able to pay their bills!

But this man was blessed….. I’ve often wondered how many times he hoped for:

• The rain to let up or

• For the rain to come during a drought or

• For a good crop so he could pay his bills or

• For help in any other situation?

Yet now he has been blessed to the point he does not have room to store what he has…..He is faced with the BIGGEST situation in his life a very important decision that he was going to have to make.

(You never know when you may be faced with the biggest decision in your life)

His problem?? Look in verses 16-19….We see the big “I” six times, this guy was very self-centered.

IV. Here we see in verse 17 where he said: “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?” Another word, Man you have done so good, what are you going to do now with all of your possessions??

What is it that you do when God has abundantly blessed you with a little more than usual? This man made the BIGGEST MISTAKE in all of his life……(a mistake many make today) He left God out!!!!

I’ve thought a lot about this parable over the years, the things that God could have used thru this man to BLESS others…..What might have happen if this man here in verse 20 would have said: GOD, WHAT SHALL I DO?…..Instead of asking self what he should do!! I’ve thought of some things he could have done to help others:

1. He could have given some of his goods to the church to give to needy families in the name of Jesus, (God blesses us not by hoarding up but by replacing what we give away in the Lords name)

2. He could have leased out his land at a lesser amount to help some farmer to make a living himself, seeing now he may not have to work as hard as before

3. Now that he has made it big he has free time to devote himself to the work of the church, he could have went to his pastor & ask him what work there was to do in the church.

V. “Yes sir, SELF you sure have done a fine, outstanding job…..I am so proud of you, since you have done so good, what is it now that you would like to do?” Man he answered SELF right off the bat, “ Yes sir here is what you should do: (Verses 18, 19) You’ve got it made for years to come just sit back & take it easy……..