Priorities

Priorities

Luke 12:13-21

Intro: I thought I would start today’s message with a couple questions for you. I will point to you for your answer. Questions #1: If I was given a million dollars I would . . . . .

Question #2: I would be happy if . . .

I VS. 15 “The Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’”

A Jesus tells us to be on guard against all kinds of GREED! What is greed? We live in a society that runs on greed, encourages greed, and uses greed to keep us in bondage to things.

B St. Thomas Aquinas said, “greed as an immoderate love of possessing.” / love of possessing: If I want it, I should get it. / If I say I need it, somebody should get it for me. If I got it, it’s mine to da as I please.

C Do you know anyone who thinks the world revolves around them?

II Jesus tells a parable that is painfully close to the way we might think outside of these walls.

A Read VSS. 16 – 19. Were you aware of all the time I read the word “I”.

B We all have 3 debts that we never fully pay during our lifetime: 1) what I owe me, 2) what I owe you, 3) what I owe God.

C Unfortunately, we tend to think of paying those debts in that order. God usually comes last and is given from the “leftovers.”

III Don’t get me wrong. God and I don’t believe there is something wrong with saving for a rainy day.

A VSS, 20 – 21 – . . .Rich toward God.”

B We can and should store up things for ourselves. The problem here is not that the man stored up for himself. The problem is that while he did that, he forgot completely about God.

C Being rich for God means spending some of our treasure on what matters to God. What matters to God is the poor, widows, orphans, immigrants, the homeless, the hungry, and the abused. All the forgotten people of our society and community are what matter to God.

Concl: Have you ever been invited to a very special event and say to others or to yourself, “I don’t have a thing to wear!” What you are really saying is “I don’t have something brand new to wear that will impress others.

How much is enough? If we are completely honest with ourselves, we will admit that God and the things and people who matter to God are usually at the end of the line when it comes to our priorities.