The Failure Of A Success

He only, who could bring abut success is left out of his reckoning.

B. Notice the things he claimed

The rich fool was foolish in failing to recognize where his wealth had come from.

He recognizes no ones claim on his possession but self.

"my barns"

"my fruits"

"my goods"

“my soul” - Has not God said “All souls are mine. ”

The material blessings of life are either a mirror in which we see ourselves or a window through which we see God. He only saw himself. It was all MINE and none of THINE.

See Psalm 24:1. Every tree, plant, and shrub; the silver and the gold, and the cattle on a thousand hills are the Lord’s. We are in realty nothing but stewards; God owns it all.

Any who dismiss God from the scene of their life, God calls that individual man a fool. Jesus did not call this man a fool because he was rich. Jesus called him a fool because he mistook himself for God.

II. A man is called a fool by God when he mistakes his body for his soul.

The plans and provisions he was making were for his body but not for his soul, and yet he speaks to his soul.

He had a False Success - in the eyes of world he was wise and successful, but in eyes of God he was a fool and a failure.

He had a False Satisfaction - trying to satisfy his soul with goods from a barn. A full barn does not guarantee a satisfying life to the soul.

He may have been an expert at tilling the soil, but he didn’t know anything about tending his soul.

A. Notice the goals he pursued

They were fleshly. He wanted to tear down his barns and build bigger barns. This is not a spiritual goal.

1. He had goals of profit

2. He had goals of plenty

Things will not satisfy the soul. He was so ignorant of what really belonged to the soul that he offered it the foods of the body. You cannot satisfy the soul with material things.

B. Notice the goods he professed

He said he had barns and much fruits. His riches dimmed his view of what he really needed: Jesus!

If he had said, “Body, take thine ease, for thou hast goods laid up for many years,” there would have been sense in that; but the soul is in no way interested in a barn full of corn or a bag full of gold.

Solomon like the rich man tired to satisfy his soul with things but found it was empty.

The soul is not satisfied with abundance OF THINGS . Solomon had houses, gardens, vineyards, cattle, silver, gold, hired servants. and great forest. He had great works, great workers, and great wealth. But it did not satisfy the longing of his soul

Sometimes a man’s overcrowded barns are an indicator of an impoverished soul. All the things are often an indication of an emptiness in the heart of man.

III. A man is called a fool by God when he mistakes time for eternity.

He envisioned a time when he could take it easy and not work so hard. He thought he would be secure.

He thought about time and not eternity. Preparation had been made for time and none for eternity Time is temporal ---- it is swiftly passing. Eternity is forever.

He thought of the future but it was limited only to time.

We are prone to say, "Too bad this fellow died just when he had everything going for him. How tragic he could not finish his great plans." However, the greatest tragedy is not what the man left behind but what lay before him: eternity without God.