Spiritual Inventory

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.