Spiritual Inventory
Sunday October 15, 2000
Luke 12:13-40
13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”
Our Lord absolutely refused to sit in judgment in a case like this.
I wish today those of us who attempt to counsel might take this position.
Counselors are so quick to judge and tell folk what they should do.
The Lord Jesus would not sit in judgment.
Now, of course, when the Lord came to earth the first time, He did not come as a judge but as a Savior.
The next time He comes it will be as Judge.
The Father has committed all judgment unto His Son (see John 5:22).
Out of this incident our Lord made this statement, then gave a parable of the “rich fool.”
15 Then he said, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.”
This is certainly a good verse for many Christians in this age of crass materialism, when it seems that “things” are so important and occupy so much of our time.
Covetousness is one of the outstanding sins of this hour.
This is not a sin that others can see you commit, and at times you may not even be aware you are committing it.
St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Men have confessed to me every known sin except the sin of covetousness.”
The judgment sometimes made of Americans is quite interesting.
Several years ago the Sunday Pictorial in London gave an assessment of America in which it said: “You shock us by your belief that the almighty dollar and armed might alone can save the world.”
I am wondering if America is not in this position today: overcome by covetousness.
16 And he gave an illustration: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
17 In fact, his barns were full to overflowing.
Notice the emphasis on the word I in this passage.
This man had a bad case of perpendicular “I-tis”—“What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits.”
18 So he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store everything.
19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
This man had gathered all of his treasure on earth but had stored none in heaven. The same idea is expressed in this epitaph:
Here lies John Racket
In his wooden jacket.
He kept neither horses nor mules.
He lived like a hog.
He died like a dog.
And left all his money to fools.
Our Lord called the man in this parable a fool, but notice what kind of man he was, apparently.
All outward appearances indicate that he was a good man.
He was a law-abiding citizen. He was a good neighbor.
He was living the good life in suburbia in the best residential area of the city.
He was not a wicked man or a member of the Mafia.
He was not in crooked politics.
He was not engaged in shady business.
He was not an alcoholic or keeping a woman on the side.
This man seems to be all right; yet our Lord called him a fool.
Why? This man gave all of his thought to himself, and he was covetous.
I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
’Twas very small—
Three guests in all
Just I, Myself, and Me.
Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea.
’Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to Me.
This is the way many people live.
The parable of the rich fool is one of the most pungent paragraphs in the Word of God.
The philosophy of the world today is “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Our Lord said, “That’s the problem, that’s what makes a man a fool.”
If you live as though this life is all there is, and you live just for self, and as though there is nothing beyond death, you are a fool
22 Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear.
23 For life consists of far more than food and clothing.
24 Look at the ravens. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!
Now, of course it is not wrong to store up things.
The problem with the rich fool was covetousness.
He was trying to get more, more, and more.
That is the curse of godless capitalism.
Have you noticed the strong judgment that is pronounced upon the rich in the last days?
James 5:1 describes it: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” Riches have become a curse.
Our great nation thought that the almighty dollar would solve the problems of the world, and we are in a bigger mess than ever.
We are arguing about whether or not “In God we trust” should remain on our money.
Let’s take it off because it is hypocrisy anyway.
We are not trusting in God but in the dollar.
To have a slogan on money means nothing at all.
America needs to turn back to reality and truth and quit mouthing religion.
We should search our hearts and ask ourselves, “Am I living for this life only?”
Our Lord said, “Go look at the birds. Learn something from them.”
25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not!
26 And if worry can’t do little things like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
Look at the hibiscus. It is one of my favorite flowers.
I wonder what God had in mind when He made the hibiscus.
It is a careless flower.
The rose is a careful flower that holds its petals tightly and opens them up gradually.
The hibiscus, however, flings open the door and great big petals wave at you. It is a beautiful and colorful flower.
Our Lord said, “Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Flowers are saying a lot to us today: “My, you human beings certainly go to a great deal of trouble to take care of your bodies.
You use lotions, sprays, ointments, and perfume, among other things upon your bodies, and then you clothe them.
Even after you are all perfumed and dressed up, you cannot compare to the beauty of a flower.” What a message, friend.
Some of us need to depend upon God a little bit more.
28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!
This is not to encourage indolence. Birds cannot build barns; flowers cannot spin.
But man can. God intends him to use the ability He gave him—but not to live as if the exercise of these abilities is all there is to life.
29 And don’t worry about food—what to eat and drink. Don’t worry whether God will provide it for you.
30 These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs.
31 He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
Our world is engaged in commerce.
Half of the world will spend its heart’s blood in building a better mouse trap while the other half will go to the ends of the earth to buy the mouse trap.
Both groups are forgetting there is a God in heaven and that all men have an eternal soul.
32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
33 “Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe—no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.
34 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.
All men will one day stand before the awful presence of God, stripped of the “things” that occupied his life on earth.
He will have no treasure up there. He lived without God; he will die without God.
35 “Be dressed for service and well prepared,
36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.
37 There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!
38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready!
39 “Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would not permit the house to be broken into.
40 You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Although this parable primarily applies to Israel and the second coming of Christ to set up His Kingdom on earth, the principle applies to the church as we anticipate His coming at the Rapture.
In the Orient a groom had a wedding supper with his friends and then went to claim his bride at her home.
The servants of the groom were expected to be dressed for work and have their lamps lighted for the return procession.
The attitude of the believer to the return of Christ is to be one of the readiness, having “the loins … girded”—doing all we can for Him, and living in expectation of His return.
When the figure changes from the “bridegroom” to the “thief,” it is to emphasize the element of an unexpected appearance.
Paul used the same figure of speech for Christ’s second coming in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 which says, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” However, the Lord does not come as a thief to Rapture the church.
Rather, we shall arise to meet Him in the air.
Our sermon today is about Spiritual Inventory.
As we come to the close of another year, it is time for you to take inventory of the year.
All of us should evaluate our spiritual progress.
Has this been a year that has drawn you closer to God?
Has this year been a year in which you took hold of your life and moved to be completely obedient to the Lord?
Have you taken advantage of the year to lay up treasure in Heaven?
Have you drawn closer to the Lord or have you drifted farther away?
Have you been faithful in your service to the Lord?
Are you ready if He should return for you today?
When you have taken your inventory, then you should sit down and use the results to plan the next year, or better yet I think that it would be wiser to plan our next move.
Are we going to get closer to the Lord or we just going to gamble a little longer.
The day is going to come that the Lord will say I am tired of all of this playing around and I am going to leave you to your fun.
When God makes up His mind to that fact that you are just playing games with Him, it is then I am afraid that it is going to be your second coming.
I am not saying that you are going to die, I am just saying that God will turn you over to a reprobate mind and let you go on with your game playing.
When that happens my friend, you have gone too far.
The years will come and go and your relationship with the Lord will not change unless you take the opportunity to use your time wisely to draw nigh to Him.
As we begin now to examine this subject of, Spiritual Inventory, let us consider first what your priority has been this year.
Jesus told us in our text that we should seek first the kingdom of God above all things.
And we can read the same thing in,
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
God knows that we have need of things to live in this world and He doesn’t deny us any of the good things of life.
What He does want though is for us to put His Kingdom here on earth first and then the other things of life will be added to us.
He had just given us the parable of the fool that sought first the abundance of wealth and material things of the human.
Jesus clearly lets us know that this is a foolish approach to life.
The right approach is to seek first the kingdom of God.
By seeking first the kingdom of God, God sees that you are sincere in your love and worship of Him.
He then promises to satisfy all your needs.
Not all your wants, but all your needs.
He knows that you need food & shelter and He tells you that these things will be provided to you by our Father which is in Heaven.
You may feel that God has provided you a job so that you can provide for your needs and the needs of your family and I will readily agree that that is the way God works.
But if you have used your job as an excuse to skip worship services, Bible Study, Prayer time, and other obligations of your soul, then I ask you to be honest with yourself and with God.
Are you working to provide your need or to provide yourself the luxuries that money will buy?
I know that God has some people working the night shift, Sundays and holidays.
I also know that people find a way to do the things that they really want to do.
Therefore, there are special worship services held, home Bible studies, and time taken off to honor the Lord.
It disturbs me when I see people working overtime and missing church.
And, yet, these same people find time for vacations and visits to relatives, to go hunting and fishing, and to do just about anything else that they wish to do.
Don’t let the Devil deceive you into ignoring the need of your soul to be fed.
As Air, Water, Food, and Shelter are essential to the human life.
So also are The Holy Ghost anointed preaching of God’s Word.
The Spirit filled singing of praise, Bible study, and Prayer to spiritual life.
Take away any one of these elements and you will have a death on your hands.
You may be able to survive awhile without food, but as every day passes you are moving closer to the brink of eternity.
So it is with the Christian that is not getting his soul fed, he is slowly losing his spiritual life.
Another disturbing area is how some people use sickness to avoid taking care of their soul.
We know that all people get sick from time to time and think nothing about it.
However, when you take your inventory and find that your sick times have only caused you to miss church, prayer, Bible study, etc. and have not caused you to miss work, vacation, or pleasure you can be sure that your spiritual condition needs work.
It has always amazed me the way people will say that they can’t afford to miss work so they need to stay home on Sunday and rest up for the work week!
Do they really think that God is not able to get them ready for the coming work week?
Don’t people realize that with God all things are possible?
If you put God first, and I mean first from the bottom of your heart and not with just mere words, God will take care of you.
If you allow satan to deceive you, then you see what you will end up with.
And so with that we see that our spiritual inventory shows us what our priorities have been.
We can now use this inventory to plan and implement changes.
The second point we will look at in this spiritual inventory is the instructions of our Lord to provide for yourselves treasure in heaven.
Many of you will be counting up your money earned for the year and calculating how much taxes the government is going to keep.
This is a good time to count up what you have invested in the things of God.
Have you invested a significant amount in the kingdom of God?
Has your investment grown in the year 2000?
Jesus reminded us that where our treasure is there will our heart be also.
I know that if you own a large number of stocks in a certain company, you will want to see that company prosper and grow.
After all you have an investment in it and it is close to your heart.
So it is with the kingdom of God.
When you have invested a significant amount in your local church, you will want to see it prosper and grow.
After all your heart will be close to it.
So what is the inventory showing on your balance sheet of treasure in heaven?
Remember that the Lord does not only count dollars.
He also is looking for laborers to work in His harvest field.
He is counting time that we put in as helpers.
He is counting the use of talents that He has distributed to every man severally as He wills.
He is looking for faithfulness to pray and labor for the increase of His Kingdom.
Every kind deed, every word of encouragement, every genuine interest in helping those in need adds to your investment in heaven.
Remember the story of the rich young ruler that came to Jesus:
Mark 10:17-22
17 As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.
In this day of crass materialism, this incident of the rich young ruler and the teaching of our Lord about riches are certainly very applicable.
Matthew tells us that the ruler was young, and this was a normal question for a man under the Law to ask.
He is living under the Mosaic system and is asking what he must do to inherit eternal life.
Jesus tries to get the young man to think.
Why should he call Jesus good?
There is only One who is good, and that is God.
If he is calling Jesus good, then Jesus is God.
Now notice that Jesus gives the young man the commandments which are in the second section of the Ten Commandments.
19 But as for your question, you know the commandments: ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’ ”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a child.”
The first section of the commandments is labeled pietas and has to do with man’s relationship to God.
The second section is labeled probitas and has to do with man’s relationship with man.
Our Lord did not speak of the man’s relationship to God but of his relationship to man.
He could meet the standard of the second section and said he had kept them all.
21 Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. “You lack only one thing,” he told him. “Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this, the man’s face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions.
Jesus told him he lacked one thing.
What was that?
It was his relationship to God.
The thing that was hindering him was his riches.
He had called Jesus good; and if he will follow Jesus, he’ll find out that the reason Jesus is good is because He is God.
Jesus asked him to separate himself from his riches and follow Him.
Where would this lead him?
Well, at this time the Lord Jesus is on the way to die for the sins of this man.
Had he followed Jesus, he would have come to the Cross for redemption.
But the young man “was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
TEACHING ABOUT RICHES
There is a great message here. Paul says that “… the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:10).
He was merely repeating what our Lord said in this discourse. Money will buy anything except the most valuable thing—eternal life.
This discourse reveals the impossibility of a rich man entering into heaven by means of his riches.
It is impossible for any man to enter heaven by his own means.
He had plenty of opportunity to have treasure in heaven, but it seems that he was only interested in having treasure here in this earth.
So it is with many today that are rich toward themselves and poor toward God.
Jesus reminded us that there is one great difference in having treasure in heaven over having it in the earth.
Here thieves break through and steal it, moths eat it, corrosion eats away at it, and its container’s rust through.
In heaven, there are no thieves and no corrupting elements to eat your treasure.
The bags wax not old and your treasure is preserved for you.
Mark 10:23-31
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God!”
24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to get into the Kingdom of God.
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
The man can’t do it; only the Lord Jesus can.
We have the idea today that money can buy everything.
Money will buy a bed, but it will not buy sleep.
Money will buy food, but it will not buy an appetite.
Money will buy medicine, but it will not buy health.
Money will buy a house, but it will not buy a home.
Money will buy a diamond, but it will not buy love.
Money will buy a church pew, but it will not buy salvation.
Jesus invited this young man to get rid of that which stood between him and God.
If he had followed the Lord Jesus, he would have learned that the reason Jesus is good is because Jesus is God.
28 Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples had left behind. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
29 And Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,
30 will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.
Instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus promised a reward for those who sacrifice for Him.
31 But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then.”
This is a principle which will operate in giving out rewards.
A third area in our spiritual inventory is to check on our Love for God.
Jesus reminded us that to Love God above all else, is expected of every Christian.
Mark 12:28-34
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Jesus emphasized that the first two commandments were of utmost importance.
As you take inventory of your spiritual condition, you need to consider your love for God and for your fellow beings.
Let’s review the basics of love from:
1 Corinthians 13:1
1 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.
Charity here means love in a social or moral sense.
If you do not have this love from your heart, then all your words become hollow, empty, noise in the ears of God.
It is easy to say and sing, "I love you Lord", but are the words coming out of a heart that is meaning what the mouth is saying?
Too many times the words are spoken in the fashion of one saying the politically correct as the spiritual correct.
The words are spoken to pacify the Lord instead of truly expressing a deep and true affection.
Think back over the year of your words spoken to your Lord and to your neighbors.
Have they come from a heart that felt and meant them?
Or have they been just words spoken to appease the hearer.
God is not desiring you to say what He wants to hear.
He is wanting you to say what you truly feel and if what you truly feel is bad, then He is asking you to repent of it.
2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be?
And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.
No other ability counts if you don’t have this love.
All your works, knowledge, and wisdom are of no value without a real, genuine love for God.
3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
No amount of money given or injustice suffered will profit your soul without it coming out of a heart that truly loves God.
Too often sacrifice and suffering are done out of hatred rather than love.
To fight against evil with evil only perpetuates evil.
The Bible teaches us to overcome evil with good.
Consider the characteristics of love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.
You can see here that Love is one of the most important things in the bible.
Without true love in our hearts, now I am talking about true love, not just words, but true from the bottom of your heart love, you will be able to go nowhere in the eye’s of God!
9 Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little!
10 But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
11 It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.
13 There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
It is imperative to keep your love hot for God.
Some have left their love as it tells us in,
Revelation 2:1-7
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
4 But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
5 Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
6 But there is this about you that is good: You hate the deeds of the immoral Nicolaitans, just as I do.
7 “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
We see in this message to the Church of Ephesus that the Lord is greatly concerned that the church has left their first love.
You will notice that this church still had many commendable features.
They continued to be workers.
They had the ability to sort out false apostles.
They had withstood trials.
They has patience.
They had not fainted.
Nevertheless, they had left off the most important aspect of being a Christian.
They had left their first love and the Lord commands them to repent.
That same command is to you too today if you have left your first love.
No amount of work, words, or patience can replace a true love for God.
Then there are those that have a love for God, but their hearts are divided because they have a greater love for other things.
2 Timothy 3:1-9
1 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.
2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good.
4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.
6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by many desires.
7 Such women are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth.
8 And these teachers fight the truth just as Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.
9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as happened with Jannes and Jambres.
It is just that they love pleasures more.
That is why it is so hard to get people out to worship on Sundays.
There is so much going on that is more interesting and pleasurable on Sunday.
And add to that all the pleasures to be sought through the week and on Saturday well into the night and you have a ready formula for spiritual bankruptcy.
You can become so wrapped up in the pursuit of pleasure that even what time you do have for worship becomes meaningless.
It is hard to carry on a good conversation when you are exhausted and it is impossible to worship.
How is your love for God?
As you look over your spiritual inventory for this past year, how do you find your balances in the areas of your priorities?
Your treasure in heaven?
And your love for God?
Will this coming year find you making any real changes?
You have opportunity to prosper in your soul in 2000.
The choice is yours.
You can be spiritually rich by putting your house in order.
Worship of God, love of God, and love for your neighbor are not options to be a Christian; they are requirements.
Anything less is spiritual bankruptcy.
