Myth Busters
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
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.”
Luke 12:13-15
Mythbusters is one of those TV shows I enjoy watching. So let’s bust a myth today about money and families.
A lot of people think that a terrible disease like cancer or a death of a parent brings out the best in families. Not so… this is a myth that needs to be busted.
What happens to families in crisis is that the reality of the relationship is uncovered. Whatever is hidden beneath the surface – whether it is good or bad – in a family is revealed. If there is unresolved sibling rivalry, anger about not feeling loved, and resentment over perceived favoritism then in crisis it all comes bubbling up.
That’s what we see here in the beginning of an extended teaching by Jesus on the subject of possessions and money.
Here is a man who wants Jesus to settle an old family dispute. Jesus refuses to get involved (that’s called wisdom) and then begins a powerful and insightful teaching on possessions and faith.
Today I’m going to walk you through this passage verse by verse and let Jesus teach us about our possessions and faith. He busts a whole bunch of myths about possessions in this teaching. These are foundational truths that once really understood – will transform your heart by turning you away from stuff and helping you to be a giving and generous person.
This is not my sermon. It’s not my teaching. It’s our Lords – so listen up!
Are you ready? Let’s go… We begin with a story about a rich man. In this story Jesus reveals some simple truths about possessions. We see the first right away.
Myth: Possessions Are Good
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?’
Luke 12:16-17
The Truth: Possessions aren’t good… and they aren’t bad. They are just… well… stuff and they are neither good nor bad. Money is not immoral and neither are the things you can buy with money. That is not the real issue. The real issue is that money and possessions are a burden.
We all believe that if we had enough stuff all our problems would be solved! Well Jesus is pointing out that this is a myth! Possessions do not make life better. Possessions weigh you down.
Look at this guy that Jesus is telling us about. Look at what he says! “I’ve got all this corn, wheat, and soybeans and nowhere to put them! They are going to rot in the fields. Now what do I do?” There is the weight of possessions – they require our attention.
When you have stuff you have to take care of it. Consider that new car you just bought. Now you have to insure it. You have to change the oil in it. You have to put gas in it. You have to wash it so it looks nice. You have to park it carefully so some other jerk doesn’t ding up your doors with his heap of junk when you go to Meijers. You have to tow it in when it won’t run and pay the shop to fix it. That car is a burden.
And think about that house you own. The furnace has to have new filters. The lawn has to be mowed. The driveway has to be shoveled (well maybe not this year). The carpet has to be cleaned and the floors mopped. It just goes on and on.
You say, but if I have enough money I’ll just hire someone to do all that for me. And it is true that If you get rich you can hire people to work for you… but that’s a burden too. Now you have to watch and manage the people to make sure they are doing the work and they aren’t cheating you. If you are really rich you can hire some to watch the people you hire but then you have to watch the watcher. It never ends.
I’m not saying it is wrong and that you should live like a monk or take a vow of poverty… although it might be an attractive option on some days.
I’m just saying that possessions don’t free you up… they weigh you down. The more you have the more you have to take care of, maintain, protect, and defend. Possessions are a burden.
This rich man could have given some away to others and by sharing the burden he could have made it into a blessing but he didn’t.
Myth: Possessions Give Security
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.
Luke 12:18
He didn’t because he believed another myth… that possessions made him secure. They don’t!
The Truth: Possessions create a false sense of security. If you rely on the abundance of possessions for your security you will never be secure… never.
Where do you park your money when the stock market is going down, bonds are shaky, interest rates are low, and inflation is going up? Buy Gold! Gold can be lost, stolen, or even confiscated. Money can be taxed or lost. Cars get rusty, roofs start leaking, food gets moldy, and stuff happens to stuff all the time.
I know a man who made a million dollars in good and lucky business decisions by the time he was 30 years old… he lost it all in bad and unfortunate business decisions by the time he was 40.
There is no security in possessions. We know this but that doesn’t stop us from buying into another myth about the abundance of possessions.
Myth: My Possessions are for Me
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
Luke 12:19
The Truth: Possessions that you keep for yourself and that aren’t used for God’s kingdom or shared with others.
Look at what this guy said. I can’t think of anything more selfish than this statement. It is totally “me” centric. I will say to MY SOUL… Soul… It’s all about me!
God doesn’t bless you with stuff so you can stuff yourself. That makes you dead. He gives you stuff so it can flow through you to bless others.
Even in business the most successful entrepreneur is the man who serves his customers and helps to solve their problems. The most successful businesses are not about making money… they are about helping people and providing work for their employees.
Possessions are a tool for blessing others not for keeping for you!
The Dead Sea is dead because water comes in and nothing flows out. It would be teeming with life if there was outflow as well as inflow.
Tithing, Offering Giving and Generosity are ways to open up your soul to rivers of life.
Make the decision to hold onto the stuff in your life loosely! If you fail it will be because you believe in the fourth myth Jesus busted. The fourth myth…
Myth: My Possessions Are Mine
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?’
Luke 12:20
The Truth: Possession isn’t ownership. They aren’t yours. They belong to God and he has allowed you to “possess” them. Someday you will give them up and they will go to another.
Have you heard that possessions is nine tenths of the law? While that may true there is still that first tenth (which is a tithe by the way) and it trumps the other nine. God owns it all. You are a manager (a steward) of all that belongs to God. Don’t confuse possession with ownership. Your job as a steward is to use what you have for the benefit of the owner… not yourself.
Why? Simple! Because Someday you will answer to the owner for what you have done with what he owns. And when that day comes what will he say? “Well done, good and faithful servant…” or “Fool, it’s time to give it all up.”
My dad used to tell the story about the Texan who was buried in his brand new Cadillac convertible. They used a large crane to lower the car into a big hole with him sitting in the front seat with a big cigar in his mouth, grasping the steering wheel. One of the workers running the crane turned to another and said, “Man, now that’s living!
That’s not living. Real living comes from really giving!
Consider the hundreds and thousands of dollars that are given through our tithes and offerings every month. These offerings support the ministries of this church and pay the salaries of its ministers. They are funding programs to encourage and train the unemployed, build houses for the homeless, and watch over the children of single and working parents who are scraping to get by. Now, THAT’s JOYFUL LIVING!
There is one last Myth that Jesus busts…
Myth: My Possessions Make Me Rich
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:20-21
The Truth: Possessions don’t make you rich. Real riches come from a real and a lasting bond with Jesus.
Possessions are simply earthly measures of life (a way of storing up our hours of work, the skills of our hands, and knowledge of our minds) that you can use, save, hoard, and give.
How you manage these possessions is the test of your life, the training of your character, and the development of your heart.
Truth: Faith In God Makes You Rich
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
Luke 122:22
Faith is built on a simple premise – that there is more to life than the physical world.
There is more to life than food and clothes. You are not merely a physical being. You are an eternal being.
Look carefully into that coffin the next time you are in the funeral home. That body is the husk of a person. The soul is gone and is liberated. Our time is a vapor. It’s like the breath you see on a cold winter day. A wisp… and then gone.
Life is so much more than food and clothing… It is spiritual. It is eternal. It is real.
Jesus is saying – in very clear words. Read my lips… Possessions don’t make you rich – Faith in God makes you rich!
In the next few verses he gives three explicit reasons why living by faith is different than living for possessions.
This is a Proven Truth
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them…
Food is symbolic here of the basics of life. God takes care of his children and we are the Kings Kids!
We don’t need to fret and worry. Do you best for God and God will take care of you… that’s called living by faith.
Look at the birds of the air!
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Clothing here is symbolic of God’s extraordinary care. He not only takes care of the basics but gives us even more than what is needed. God lavishes his love and his blessings on us – so we can enjoy sharing it with others.
It is the blessings of God that make we who are believers different and exceptional. It is a beauty that comes from within. Joy is based on Jesus not our possessions.
Pursue God and His Kingdom
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Luke 12:29-31
This is the ultimate paradox. When you seek happiness through possessions… you lose everything.
When hold onto possessions loosely and pursue his kingdom… you get it all!
So how do you do that? What does it mean to seek the kingdom? Here are the actions steps that Jesus preached that day. They are still good counsel.
Jesus’ Action Steps
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:32-34
Jesus told this parable, busted these myths about possessions and taught these truths about faith so he could encourage you to take these steps to be Rich toward God!
Let me break it out and show you how we can put this into action today here at Meridian Christian Church.
Action Steps
Follow Jesus and Stop Being Afraid
Jesus said… “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
God has given you the kingdom of God… It’s a done deal! Come to Jesus. Accept him as your Lord and Savior. This is the way to become part of the kingdom of God. And when that happens it’s time to celebrate! No more fear!
Sell Some Stuff
Jesus said… “Sell your possessions”
Minimize. Simplify. Change your priorities. Do it beginning today. Get rid of stuff in your life. Maybe you need to sell a bunch of stuff and give it to our Generosity Offering on January 29th
Give a Special offering on January 29
Jesus said… “give to the needy”
Give your time, money, skill, service, and heart Help us out with the next Pink Slip Event
Give to the Generosity Bucket
Put some money aside as an offering to God and be pray for the opportunity to give
Give a special offering on January 29 so we can help build a Habitat House, help single parents and working parents with their kids this summer, and train up young men and women in the ministry of the church.
Return the Tithe to God
Jesus said… “Provide yourself with moneybags that do not grow old”
Bring your tithes and offerings to God’s storehouse – his church for his work.
Invest in his work. Return the first tenth. Settle this issue and begin today to Live by faith.
