Luke 12:13-21 (p. 727) March 23, 2014
Introduction:
For those of you plugged into social media you are familiar with a common occurrence around this time of year. For those of you who are like that older woman in the Insurance commercial who physically pastes all her vacation pictures to her condo wall and thinks she’s on facebook, I’ll clue you in. All kinds of fake death announcements tend to be circulating online. Around April Fool’s Day. I’m sure this year will be no different. Jon Bon Jovi dies in apparent suicide, Paul McCartney and friend killed in small plane crash...I will share with you something horribly ironic that happened last year...There was a joke death announcement put out about Paul Walker, the actor from the car films The Fast and the Furious which said, “Paul Walker Killed in Fiery Crash...” and then the next day he and a friend were!
Foolish and dangerous to play games with death huh?
[The Des Moines Daily News recorded this incident on April 3, 1896.
Near Nashville yesterday John Aherns, a farmer, planned an April Fool’s joke on his wife with disastrous results. He disguised himself as a tramp, fastened a white mask over his face, and knocked on his door. When his wife appeared at the door he ordered her to fix him dinner. To his horror his wife fell over faint and died an hour later. Aherns had only been married to his wife a few months and idolized his wife. Her death had crazed him with grief and remorse, and he threatens to take his own life.
The biggest problem for John Aherns was the hundreds of men who kept showing up at his door to borrow the white mask!]
(The first part was true...I made that second part up. LOL)
What we really need to understand is being a fool isn’t being silly, or stupid or crazy or loud.
The Biblical definition for fool is found in the book of Psalms the 14th chapter.
“The fool says in his heart...”there is no God.” (v. 1)
The fool’s attitude is....
Basically...there is no higher power than myself. I am accountable to no one for how I live, so I might as well “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow I die.” (Luke 12:19)
How’d you like your obituary to say...”He (or she) died Fat, Drunk, and Happy?”
I promise you...a lot of people in this world would say, “yeah...I’d like that one!”
But it’s a Fool’s Obituary according to the Savior of mankind...so he tells us a story and it begins with this truth...
I. HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS DOES NOT WIN!
Jesus is teaching in the midst of fierce opposition from the Pharisees according to
LUKE 11:53 (p. 726)
But there is also a crowd of many thousands of regular folk trying to be near him, according to Luke 12:1, so much so they’re trampling on one another.
In the midst of this Jesus focused on his small group, the 12 disciples and says, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (12:1)
And Jesus then teaches...there’s a God who knows everything, every word spoken, the number of hairs on your head...you should worry a whole lot more about pleasing Him, than pleasing people or yourself.
And from the crowd someone yells out a request...”Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Just so you know, according to Jewish laws, the eldest son receives a double portion of the estate and becomes the executor of the rest of it...all the other siblings were dependent upon his decisions...
This is probably one of those siblings and he wants Jesus to tell his brother to be fair.
Jesus says, “who made me the arbiter or mediator of your family estate? And then he says:
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (v. 15)
When the son of God says, “WATCH OUT...and then follows that warning with “BE ON YOUR GUARD” we should pay attention huh? He was telling the crowd and us...This is important for the way you live your life.
[All of us have seen families implode because of jealousy and greed during estate settlements...Damage is done that is almost irreparable...words are spoken that cannot be retrieved and Satan takes a time of grief and turns it into a relationship destroying opportunity.
Why? Because like the man who asked Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance people begin to think how much better life can be with money, the bills they can pay, the stuff they can buy.
Like the certain rich man in Jesus’ parable who thought “you have plenty of grain laid up for many years...take life easy; eat drink and be merry.”
Our sinful nature seeks “easy.” Jesus says, “life does not consist of “easy.” But if I have money...if I have plenty of grain...if my brother divides the inheritance my life gets better.
And Jesus says, “Thinking like that makes you a fool...
Why? Because you think money takes care of everything you need...instead of God. Money shouldn’t be what you search after. God should be what you search after...if he gives you some money...use if for His glory...not your ease!
Money is the power of this worldly system. You can buy stuff..and you can buy power...some people will treat you as a “god” if you have money...And its sooooo easy to love being treated like that...and use it...it feeds your ego...”I’ve got the biggest barns in town baby!!”
Don’t get me wrong...you can buy fun...you can purchase distractions...weekends in a new speed boat in your house on the lake, new cars...new toys...even new businesses...Jesus simply says if these are your pursuits in life...You’re a fool, because some day your soul will be required of you...then who will get all that stuff?
He who dies with the most toys, with no regard to God’s plan for his or her life has written a poor obituary...
[The purpose of this series isn’t to prepare you to write a physical obituary...The purpose of this series is to make sure you’re prepared for eternity whether you’re 25 years old or 85 years old...whether you’re 25 years old and in perfect health or 85 years old and just diagnosed with cancer...If you are not in a right relationship with God through a saving relationship with His son Jesus Christ, you are lost...Your eternal destination is hell...and I care a whole lot more about your soul than I do about making you uncomfortable...If you give your life to Christ...God promises to “make all things work together for the good since you love Him and have been called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)]
And it’s better to have God’s promise than have a billion dollars in your bank account. By the way, God’s children don’t receive their greatest inheritance here...”Someday Jesus, our older brother will make us co-heirs with Him in heaven...
By the way...if you’re 85 years old and just diagnosed with cancer and you are in a right relationship with God through a saving relationship with Jesus...You want me to preach this truth more powerfully and urgently than anyone else!!!
So, what would I share in closing concerning the Fool’s Obituary?
II. DON’T FORGET WHO GIVES THE ABUNDANT HARVEST!
Jesus began the parable with these words...”The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.”
Was it the ground that gave the rich man that harvest?
Someone had to make good seeds...someone had to make sure it rained at the right time and in proper amounts...and someone had to make sure the sun shined...but not too much. Someone needed to make sure the soil was good...in fact someone needed to make the soil.
Yes, the crop needed to be tended...yes it needed to be fertilized and planted and picked...but I’ve met lots of great farmers who had lousy crops, and it wasn’t their fault at all.
I’ve met men and women who have a gift of making money...They are awesome financial farmers. But whether you are gifted in the dirt or in the bank you’d better remember who provided everything that makes it possible...or you’re a fool.
”This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (v.21)
[Most of us won’t end this life like Howard Hughes or Michael Jackson...Most of us won’t be found like Whitney Houston or Marilyn Monroe. Most of us will not reach those places of fame and riches...and yet Satan will use the exact same ploy.
Live your life looking for something that will give you what you want...something that will make you happy.
All the while our loving Father will call “Come back to me.” When we’re younger, before our lives are filled with so much clutter and noise...His voice is clearer...but the longer we live our lives under our own control...the longer we listen to the voice of our nature. The more obscure God’s voice becomes to our hearts.
He might shout during a crisis...or dark valley, look to me! But all too often we slip right back into building our own bigger barns or independence. As long as there is life and the ability to understand there is still time.
There is still time for many here today...but the longer we live...the harder our hearts become...The quieter the voice seems...and our pride grows louder and louder...I wrote a poem a while back called: ”Go Spirit, Go Away.”
THE SPIRIT’S CALL
WHEN I WAS YOUNG I HEARD THE SPIRIT’S CALL
COME TO A SAVIOR WHO DIED FOR US ALL
BUT I HAD PLENTY OF TIME AND WANTEED TO PLAY
SO I RESPONDED
GO SPIRIT, GO AWAY COME AGAIN SOME OTHER DAY
WHEN I WAS OLDER AND HEARD THE SPIRIT’S CALL
COME TO A SAVIOR WHO DIED FOR US ALL
I WAS BUSY WITH SCHOOL AND WORK AND WANTED THE PAY
SO I RESPONDED
GO SPIRIT, GO AWAY COME AGAIN SOME OTHER DAY
AT THE END OF MY LIFE I HEARD THE SPIRIT’S CALL
COME TO A SAVIOR WHO DIED FOR US ALL
I COULD BARELY HEAR HIS WHISPER AND HAD TO SAY
I’M TOO OLD TO CHANGE AT THE END OF MY DAYS
SO I RESPONDED
GO SPIRIT, GO AWAY COME AGAIN SOME OTHER DAY
THERE WAS NO OTHER DAY.
Wayne Smith used to tell this story about Satan challenging his demons to come up with the most effective method for damning souls...3 of them showed up one day and the 1st said, “I think if we tell them there is no God and that there is no Devil...that will be the most effective method. They won’t worry about pleasing one or fearing the other. Satan thought that was an excellent plan! But, the 2nd demon said, “Tell them there is no heaven and there is no Hell...and people will not think about eternity...Satan laughed and thought this was even better...But the 3rd demon said, “Tell people both you and God exist...(Satan scowled). Tell people Heaven and Hell are very real (Satan frowned even deeper). But, tell people to wait until tomorrow to do anything about them!” And Satan roared with glee because he knew without a doubt this was the most effective way to damn the human soul.
The Fool believes in his heart...there’s plenty of time...life will be lived to please myself and before he knows it tomorrow’s come...and his soul is required.
Don’t be a fool today.
Let’s pray.
