SOME LASTING LESSONS LEARNED FROM  LUKE

A PROSPEROUS FARMER

Luke 12:13-21 Verse 13-15 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Riches, Fleeting and Uncertain:

It is said that about 200 years ago, the tomb of the great conqueror Charlemagne was opened. The sight the workmen saw was startling. There was his body in a sitting position, clothed in the most elaborate of kingly garments, with a scepter in his bony hand. On his knee lay the Holy Scriptures, with a cold, lifeless finger pointing to reference {Mark 8:36} "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

In our story before us this morning we see someone interrupting our Lord with a question about MONEY, Jesus refused to INTERVENE in the INHERITANCE PROBLEM and instead turned the INTERRUPTION into a WARNING ABOUT COVETOUSNESS ("Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.")

I. THE POSSESSIONS OF THE FARMER.

Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth PLENTIFULLY:

Jesus said this man was already "a certain rich man" , and now he has a bumper crop.

(A) FALSE RICHES.

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Prov 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than GOLD! and to get understanding rather to be CHOSEN THAN SILVER!

Eccl 5:10 " He that loveth SILVER shall not be SATISFIED with SILVER...."

We see here a WARNING ("BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS") we see a WRONG ("FOR A MAN'S LIFE CONSISTS NOT IN THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS WHICH HE POSSESSETH")

(B). FINANCIAL REASONING..

Luke 12:13-14 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

1 Tim 6:10 For the LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS.

II. THE PERPLEXITY OF THE FARMER.

Luke 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

(A). WEALTH BREEDS ANXIETY.

Luke 12:17 "What shall I do...."

The farmer’s gain contained no thanksgiving to God for his prosperity., instead he afflicts himself with this thought, "What Shall I Do"

A TRUE STORY

(I read about a man in the news paper some years ago who had lost faith in banks who froze to death because he did not want to pay a heating and light bill, one day the man was found in his home frozen to death with HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS under BEDS, in HIDING PLACES, some UN-CASHED BONDS and CHECKS DATED BACK 15 TO 20 YEARS. He had been the owner of a plumbing company and in old age he had ask the age old question this man had ask "WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY MONEY". HE HID IT AND FROZE TO DEATH setting in his bed surrounded by nearly HALF MILLION DOLLARS)

(B). WEALTH BRINGS ACCOUNTABILITY.

Luke 12:17, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR YOUR MONEY.

Not just the 10% you gave to God, but the 90% you keep for yourself.

Eccl 11:1-2 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

Luke 12:33-34 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a TREASURE in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

JESUS SAID TO THE RICH YOUNG RULER

Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

1 Tim 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

WHAT A SON SAW HIS DAD GIVE:

. Some people just put money in the offering plate to try to save face. That reminds me of a man and his son who went to church. As they came out following the service the man complained to his son about the service being so long. His little boy said, "Daddy, I thought it was pretty good since you only had to pay a dime."

III. THE PREPARATION OF THE FARMER.

Luke 12:18-19 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

(A). THE FARMER SPOKE OF PROFITS.

Luke 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

(B). THE FARMER SPOKE OF PLENTY.

Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Prov 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven

A TRUE STORY:

I visited in the home of a very wealthy man not long ago who was dying with cancer, he said to me Mr. Lamb do you know what money can buy you? I replied no sir, I have never had much money so I’m not sure what it could buy for you. He replied  "In the end, all money is worth, the only thing it can buy you is a plot of ground four feet wide, and six feet deep". I am so grateful that this man I was talking had trusted in the Lord for his salvation. (Mark 8: "What profit a man if he gain the world and loose his soul")

IV. THE PREDICTION TO THE FARMER.

Luke 12:20-21 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Ps 39:6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Ps 49:17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

Eccl 2:17-18 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

1 Tim 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT.