The Rich Fool

The Rich Fool  

Luke 12:13-21

INTRO:
Good evening. I’ll start this evening with a story. One Friday near the end of work four employees from different departments rushed to use the photocopier at the same time. The person from accounts payable said, "We have to get our bills paid, so I should go first." Accounts receivables said, "If we don't get our receivables collected, you won't have the money to pay the bills." The product manager said, "Unless I get these sales posted, there won't be any receivables to collect to pay the bills, so I should go first." The last person said she was from payroll and everyone swiftly cleared a path to the copier.

I guess the point of the story is when it comes to priorities, some things are more important than others. Pleases turn your Bibles to Luke 12. We are going to look at “The parable of the rich fool,” this evening and Jesus is going to teach us about just how forgetful we can be sometimes, especially if our priorities are all wrong.

In Luke 11 Jesus is preaching one of the fieriest sermons He ever preached. In Luke 11:14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. Some of those in the crowd accused Him of using the devil’s power to do it. Then in Luke 11:29 He preached to the multitudes and called them a wicked generation because they were always looking for miraculous signs.

Next in Luke 11:37-38 Jesus was invited to a Pharisees house for dinner but He didn’t wash His hands and the Pharisee marveled about that. Jesus told the Pharisee that they were cleaning the outside of the cup and not caring about the inside. He called them, “foolish people”. In verse 45 “One of the experts in the law said to Him when you say these things, you insult us also."[para]

In verse 50 Jesus tells them that this generation was going to be held accountable for the death of the prophets since the beginning of time, which set the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law to fuming.

In the next chapter at verse 1, Luke 12:1 Jesus speaks to His disciples and tells them to look out for those people, those leaders. There are a lot of people listening in on the conversation that Jesus is having and it’s in Luke 12:13 where we pick up the story.

I. Luke 12:13-15 – “13. Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.'' 14. But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?'' 15. And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.''”
A. Have you ever been having a conversation with someone when someone else jumps in and totally changes the subject? That’s what this guy does. Jesus had been speaking about vital truths of divine providence. He had been speaking about vital truths of confession. He had been speaking about the Holy Spirit and while Jesus was talking with His disciples this man spoke up and said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
B. This was totally out of order; this was not the place and time. Now what does this tell us about the man? Well this tells me that he wasn’t interested in spiritual things, his whole heart was absorbed with his present life. Jesus said to this individual, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?''
C. Jesus bluntly refused to answer this man’s blunt request. Jesus didn’t want anything to do with a quarrel over family property.
1. The Jewish Law was specific enough about this kind of thing. Deuteronomy 21:15-21 – “15. "If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved, 16. "then it shall be, on the day he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, who is truly the firstborn. 17. "But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. 18. "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19. "then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20. "And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21. "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil person from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.”
2. The Law said that the firstborn son was to receive a double portion (i.e. two-thirds) of the inheritance and the remainder was to be divided among the other sons, this Law left no room for debate.
3. Now this man who spoke to Jesus seems to have been the younger brother. He speaks to Jesus to try and get Him on his side in order to get an equal share of the inheritance. In other words, he knew the Law, but he wanted more than his rightful share.
D. I think that if I were ever asked to choose a song, which summed up the society we live in today, I would choose the Rolling Stones song, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Folks, what follows in the next verses are a severe warning against covetousness. First Jesus says in Luke 12:15 – “Take heed and beware of covetousness...” “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed." This warning covers any and all forms of covetousness.
1. A businessman, who needed millions of dollars to clinch an important deal, went to church to pray for the money. By chance he knelt next to a man who was praying for $100 to pay an urgent debt. The businessman took out his wallet and pressed $100 into the other man's hand. Overjoyed, the man got up and left the church. The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed, "And now, Lord, now that I have your undivided attention...."
2. Christians too can fall for the temptation of covetousness. But what is covetousness? It’s not simply a desire for property. For example, a person can have an excessive and unrestrained desire for food; someone might say that they are hungry all the time. Just as some people are hungry for food some other people may be hungry for gain. In others words some people that have want more and more.
3. I heard this about some past lottery winners. One of them won 1 million dollars and the other won 6 million dollars. The story was told by a repo man who had the assignment of repossessing a Cadillac from the $1 million winner. He learned that when the annual lottery check arrived, she quickly spent it partying, leaving her without enough to make her car payments. He said after the winner came back from a party one night, he drove her car away while she slept.
4. Of the $6 million winner she was a hairdresser and when she had won, she invested her money in successful businesses. In an interview she said that, “she still plays the lottery”. There are people who will never be satisfied with what they have. Anyone who desires anything in that way is a perfect example of what covetousness is, it’s an excessive desire for gain.
E. After warning against covetousness, Jesus states the reason for the warning. He says in Luke 12:15 – “... for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” [NKJV]
1. What’s Jesus saying? He’s saying that life is more than things. He’s saying that the success of a person’s work cannot be measured in terms of what he has been able to accumulate.
2. If we are still confused about what Jesus means, it’s now that He shares “The parable of the rich fool” to illustrate the meaning.
II. Luke 12:16-21 – “16. Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17. "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18. "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'' ' 20. "But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21. "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.''”
A. Everyday of our lives we see evidence of covetousness all around us. Certainly, we recognize the sins of adultery, drunkenness and dishonesty which are even frowned upon by secular society; but covetousness rides right through society and is pretty much ignored.
1. Even among self-professed Christians it is so widespread that it is scarcely recognized for what it is.
2. And what is it? It is a sin. Even in the assembly there are individual members who are in such hot pursuit of their own interests that they find very little time and energy left for the Lord. We really need to listen to what Jesus is teaching us today.
B. Here was a man who in the world’s eyes was a great success, yet God called him a fool. But why? What was wrong in his life? How did he miss the way? How did he act like a fool? Well this man was a fool because of the important things he forgot. That’s what I want to look at and consider.
III. I would suggest he forgot 5 things and the 1st thing he forgot was other people. He thought of no one except himself. This is the first thing that leaps out at you when you read the parable. 6 times he uses the word “I” in the parable. 5 times he uses the word “My” in the parable. This man was all about self, everything he did, he did for himself.
A. Perhaps other people never even entered his mind, not once did he remember those people who worked for him. Luke 13:17 says, “He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'” Think about it, maybe the farmer across the field was saying to himself, “What can I do, for I don’t have any bread to feed my children.”
1. If he didn’t have enough barns, there were other places he could have put it. You might ask where, where could he have put it? James 1:27 – “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
2. That’s where he could have put his crops. He could have put it at the feet of the homeless, he could have put it in the houses of the widows, or he could have put it in the mouths of the orphans and infants.
3. But oh-no, this rich fool didn’t think about those things, all he could think about was his own little world where there was no room for anyone except himself.
B. The 2nd thing that he forgot was that man is more than what he owns. You see he looked on life in terms of the physical things only. It’s here that he makes a tragic mistake, like much of the world makes today. He didn’t distinguish between what a man has and what a man is.
1. It’s not always easy to make a definite distinction because many of us, even those who have been brought up in the church, still count a person fortunate if he enjoys a long run of prosperity. The Bible says in Mark 10:23 – “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
2. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 – “9. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” In other words, a person’s life is not the same as their business.
3. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “17. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19. storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” You see it’s more important to be rich in good deeds than it is to just to be rich in goods.
C. That brings me to the 3rd thing he forgot. He forgot the source of real happiness. He had a false conception of life and because of that; he had a false conception of happiness. He thought he could be happy by indulging himself.
1. Here is another man like this; he is described in Ecclesiastes 2:3-10 – “3. I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6. I made myself waterpools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.”
2. This man searched in his heart and what conclusion did he come to? Ecclesiastes 2:11 – “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. there was no profit under the sun.”
3. Folks, happiness is not found in things. Money can buy a lot of things, but it can’t buy a sense of usefulness. It can’t buy a clear conscience; it can’t buy a mind content with God and man. Or as the Beetles once sang, “Money can’t buy me love.” These are the real riches and without them no one can be really happy.
D. The 4th thing he forgot, and this was his biggest blunder, he forgot God. He didn’t take God into account at all. There was nothing wrong with him wanting to tear down his barns and build bigger ones because as we know a good farmer must have foresight. But his fatal mistake was that in all his well-laid plans, he didn’t spare one thought for God. Sadly, this is also a common failing in many Christians.
1. James 4:13-15 – “13. Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit''; 14. whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.''”
2. Folks, if we ever leave God out of our plans, then we should not be surprised our plans end in ruin.
E. That brings me to the final thing he forgot, he forgot about death. He thought he was going to live a long life. Luke 12:19 says, “And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' Then God says to him in Luke 12:20 - “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.”
1. He only had one more day left to live and like him, we deceive ourselves constantly by thinking that we too have plenty of time to live. We put off until tomorrow and the truth of the matter is that we don’t even know if there will be a tomorrow.
2. Satan’s lie is not, “You will not die” but what he does say to us is, “You will not die soon.”
IV. Let’s turn to Psalms again for a moment, Psalm 90:9-10 where it says; “9. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. 10. The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
A. In the height of this man’s prosperity and self-satisfaction, God appeared to the rich man and required his life. How much did he leave? He left it all. No wonder he’s a fool. He spent his whole life striving for the things he had to leave behind. He neglected the true values of life that he could have taken with him.
B. Matthew 6:19-21 – “19. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20. "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Many people may have a good title while they are here on earth, whether it be the Queen, or the President, whether it is Lord such and such or the Speaker of the House. But when they get to heaven their title stays behind.
C. You know the story about the rich man and Lazarus. The story about a rich guy who lived in a great big mansion and outside near the gate was a beggar named Lazarus. For years he begged at the rich man’s gates, but the rich man did nothing about it. Now he wasn’t unkind to the guy, he never had him thrown in prison or moved away. But one night his soul slipped out from him and all his wealth, all his ease and all his self-indulgences were gone.
1. Why was the rich man condemned? In Matthew 25:41-46 when Jesus is talking about the great division on judgment day. “41. "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42. 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43. 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44. "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45. "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46. "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.''”
2. The rich man lost his chance, Lazarus was right there in front of him and yet he did nothing about it. The rich fool in the parable forgot about many things and Satan whispered in his ear, “These are not important.” Satan is still doing it today, whispering in people’s ears, “Just look after yourself because nobody else cares about you.”
3. Let me tell you folks, God cares and He cared enough to send His only son, whom He loves, Jesus Christ, to give His life and die a horrific death on a wooden cross, so that you and I don’t have to be condemned. Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
V. Turn your Bible to Matthew 5 where Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount. He says beginning in verse 3-12, “3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12. "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Now notice that Jesus finished by saying, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
A. Let me share with you something I read called the devil’s beatitudes. 1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour or two once a week with their fellow Christians -- they are my best workers. 2. Blessed are the touchy that stop going to church -- they are my missionaries who help the unchurched stay that way. 3. Blessed are the troublemakers -- they shall be called my children. 4. Blessed are the complainers -- I'm all ears to them. 5. Blessed are those who are bored with the preacher's mannerisms and mistakes -- for they get nothing out of his sermons. 6. Blessed are those who gossip -- for they shall cause strife and divisions that please me. 7. Blessed are those who are easily offended -- for they will soon get angry and quit. 8. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God's work -- for they are my helpers. 9. Blessed are those who profess to love God but hate their brother and sister -- for they shall be with me forever. 10. Blessed are you, who, when you hear this think it is about other people and not yourself -- because I've got you too!
B. Do we see the difference? If we listen to Satan, we will end up being with him in eternal damnation. But if we listen to Jesus and do what He asks of us, we will have eternal life, the crown of glory, treasures stored where nobody or nothing can touch them. Or as He says to His disciples in Luke 12:33-34 – “33. "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
CONCLUSION:
Each of us needs to ask ourselves, and more then once, where’s my heart at? Is it set on being rich in good deeds to others for the Lord? Or is it set on getting rich with good things for myself?

What are we going to do with our crop when the barn gets full? Are we going to build another barn? Or are we going to look at the barns that are empty around us?

There was a little greeting card with a picture of Winnie the Pooh, his honey pot, some bees and some flowers and the card said; “When I try to remember, I forget.”

When we remember our purpose as a church, we will never forget our purpose as individual Christians. Because the minute we forget about God, that’s when we forget our purpose. That’s when we forget about other people, that’s when we forget that a person is more than what they own. That’s when we forget the source of real happiness, that’s when we forget God and that’s when we forget about death.

If you’re a Christian this evening who has or is beginning to forget your purpose, then read your Bible, talk to God in prayer or just speak to someone about it and allow them to pray for you and with you.

If you’re not a Christian this evening, and you’re tired of chasing after material things, or maybe you think life is meaningless. Or maybe your just looking for a purpose or some meaning to life, then please, just ask any member of the church here and we would be happy to share with you the reason why we believe there is a reason for life and how God has got a purpose for every individual in this life.

God bless, and thanks for taking the time to grow in your understanding of God’s Word.

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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.
Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

Invitation song: # ???
Reference Sermon by: Mike Glover