Abundant Stuff
Luke 12:13-21
Introduction-
Good morning everyone- Would you bow your head and open your heart as we ask to Lord to speak to us.
Prayer-
Turn to Luke 12
I want to talk about stuff- your stuff and my stuff.
I mostly want to talk about your stuff because I like my stuff and don’t want to get rid of it.
All my stuff is good stuff.
Stuff is another word for possessions.
We buy a house so we can store our stuff. We need a storage shed or storage lockers to keep our stuff.
We take stuff when we go to other people’s homes.
We take stuff when we go on vacation.
We take stuff to make life fun and we take stuff when life has been too much fun. Stuff… what to do with all our stuff.
What to do with all our stuff… I am glad you asked.
God does give us some words on what to do with our stuff and warns us to be careful that stuff doesn’t own us.
Matthew 16:26
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
After this life, none of our stuff will matter to us- we cannot take any of it with us.
The parable of the rich fool begins Luke 12:13-15
There is no name for the fool because if we are not careful, we can be the fool- it is a fictional parable about what could happen and what the consequences would be if it happens. It begins …someone.
“Someone in the crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, Man, who appointed me a judge or arbiter between you? Then he said to them. Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his positions. (Stuff)
This is not a tithing message but we are going to talk about money. We are going to talk about where you put your treasures.
“Someone”, that could be you or I or someone we know- has a beef with their brother over how the inheritance is being divided.
Many families have been broken or destroyed because there is massive fighting over stuff.
Think of your money as a financial pie- 100% of the pie and what will you do with it?
God clearly tells us that 10%, the top 10% is His and it should be brought into the storehouse of the church so that ministry and needs can be met.
One preacher said that God has all the money He needs, he just has to get it out of our pockets.
The battle becomes wither you are going to tithe. Do you believe the Lord to provide for you after you give that 10% back to Him?
Can you live on the 90%?
Do you believe that the first 10% is not yours or do you believe it is all yours and you just give God an offering once in a while if you have extra?
Because the way you answer that question is probably how you will answer about your stuff.
Don’t touch my stuff.
I will not get rid of my stuff.
I will not share my stuff. I hoard my stuff and proud of it.
Jesus himself is confronted with two brothers who could not come to agreement on stuff.
It was not even their stuff. It was from their parents- an inheritance. Stuff that was going to be passed down to them.
Old Testament clearly says said that the eldest son gets the inheritance and that he does not have to divide it or share it.
It was done that way so that properties weren’t divided and farms and homes lost by dividing.
Jesus said “who appointed me to be arbiter” because it has already been decided.
The younger wanted Jesus to go against law.
Jesus addressed the brothers and then he said to them (those who were listening)
“Then he said to them. Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his positions. (Stuff)”
Where are we to draw the line? Where do we go from needs to greeds?
Illustration-
Does the name R.G. LeTourneau mean anything to you?
Most people do not recognize the name but maybe what he invented. He had a seventh grade education and he taught himself engineering. He held over 299 patents for manufacturing. His earth moving machines help win WWII and built modern roads in America. He was a believer that did something very unique- he gave away 90% of his income and stock in his company. It was a decision he made as a young man in his 30’s who was deeply in debt. He asked God to be his business partner.
Once he found out that God does not only use people to be missionaries, preachers, evangelists, but could also be used of God as a business man, he wanted God as his partner.
He took it serious and as he became financially successful he believed that he was debtor to God as well as to his fellowmen.
He says that when people understand that their work and money matters to God and that they are partners in whatever is given to them by God, he says the answer for him was clear.
He says the correct question to ask your self is not how much money I give to God but rather how much of God’s money will I keep.
Let’s break this down as Jesus tells us that “man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his positions”
Greed is the enemy of the heart and an attitude of stuff will keep you from being obedient and sensitive to what the Lord wants us to do with our stuff and our resources.
Guilt says I owe you. Anger says you owe me. But greed says I owe me.
A greedy person is a person who believes that everything they have and everything they will ever get belongs to them. Most greedy people wither they admit it or not deals with a fear factor. They believe that they must be prepared for anything. What if… they have a real problem believing that God will supply their needs.
Fear leads to greed. Greed leads to hoarding. Greed leads to bigger barn syndrome.
Luke 12:16-21- Read from bible
The parable is a man that has done well for himself and has to decide what to do with his wealth- he can share and be a blessing to others or he must decide what else to do with his wealth.
“What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.”
I must decide what I am going to do with my stuff!
Then he says- talking and thinking to himself- this is what I will do!(Talking to himself. I do that all the time)
I will tear down the old and build new.
I will build bigger ones!
I will make sure I have plenty to enjoy my remaining years.
I will eat, drink, and be merry.
I syndrome- it is all about me!
I want you to see something here- nowhere does God tell us to be frivolous with our money. We are to be good stewards of our money.
We are to be saving for a rainy day and it is okay to help grandkids with college and all those kinds of things- what he is asking each of us is when is enough …enough?
When do we not have to buy new?
When do we not have to go bigger?
When is the savings enough for kids and grandkids?
At what point do we decide that the legacy and mark we also want to leave after we are gone is that we were sensitive to people around us.
I don’t believe in a society that forces people who have two coats to have to give up one of them and give to another- that kind of society breeds lazyness, but I do believe Jesus when you says we should willfully desire to give someone one of our coats if we see that they need one because then it is an act of kindness.
Kindness and generosity will stop greed in it tracks and keep our heart open to what the Lord wants done in our lives.
Life doesn’t consist in an abundance of positions- those words are from Jesus- Abundant life not abundant stuff is living the life God intended.
Nowhere does Jesus promise longer life for a giver than a person who was stingy. He does point out that if we are not careful that we lose life and its importance because there can come a time that we have stuff to our stuff has us.
In Matthew 6:33-
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
What things? All these things!
Your needs
Some of your wants
Peace that you don’t not have to live in fear or worry
A heart that desires to bless others as you have been blessed.
Matthew 6:19-21- “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where month and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Each one of us is given an option of where we will build our barns- here or in heaven.
Illustration
Tell you a story that happened to me over 30 years ago and I have never forgotten it. I was a young dad who just moved to Pennsylvania from Texas. I was a youth leader not a youth pastor yet and I was studying online courses that I would have to take before I could ready myself for ministry. I work a job that in the winter months was an on call 40-60 hour a week job. My car broke down. It was about a week to get fixed and I did not know how I was going to do all that I needed to do and get to work. A family in our church heard about my car and approached me about it- I did not know them well, but we shared a common friend. They told me they just got a new car and they would double up on the wife’s car and I could use a car until mine got fixed. I was very much appreciative of that and they came to the house with the car. They came in, handed me the keys, stayed for a minute and left. In the morning I went out to go to work and found that they had left their new car in my driveway. I could not believe it. I asked them about it and they said that they wanted me to enjoy the car for a few days. I am not saying that was the right way to do it but I will tell you I never forgot it.
Generosity and kindness will beat the enemy of greed everytime!
As we look to close …why do you think the Lord would be so mad at building bigger?
“But God said to him, you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
We can plan and we should plan and be smart with all the resources God has given us- but we cannot forget that it is God who has given it to us-
Here is where this parable gives us the last few points to look at-
Everyone of us will at one time die- and someone else will distribute and have our stuff.
What you prepared for yourself, you may not get to enjoy-
The heart that says- I have laid up for myself and I will be okay for many years-
Eat, drink, be merry is the heart that God says is a fool- a heart that has forgotten or a heart that has not realized that what you have God has given you. You may have studied hard, worked hard, been smart with what He gave you but it is His and you are only a steward of it.
“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things (stuff) for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Stay with me-
He never saw beyond himself
He never saw beyond this world
How are we doing with those two things?
John Wesley rules for his own life were that he purposefully lived below his means so that he could help others. There came a point of enough for him and he would use what God had given him to help others.
Once we allow God to speak to us generosity becomes a joy for us as we bless others.
The Romans had a proverb which said “money was like sea water; the more you drink the thirstier you become.”
That is the reverse of Christianity- the fool in the parable was not rich toward God-
He had not invested in the kingdom of God
He had not sent anything ahead. The only thing you can send ahead is blessings in some form.
We cannot take it with us- my friend that loaned me their car (new car) sent blessing ahead. Sent riches toward God.
It is not only money that blesses other people but if you keep a tight fist on your money, you will not be able to bless others as the Lord speaks to you.
No one will be remembered for what they planned to do! Only what they purposely did
Well pastor I am not rich- this speaks to all of us because no matter how much money you have your heart can be wrong.
We all can give to the Lord what is His-
We can all be sensitive to those that are in need and see what God would have us do.
Closing prayer-
