Thank you. We're going to turn in the
Scriptures. And as you're turning to the
Scriptures, I remember one time in the Whitfield College of the
Bible and the Whitfield College of the Bible was at Lawrence
Town. I'm not sure what was happening.
There was some sort of choir being formed and one of the
ladies who was involved looking after the choir at that time.
And she was going down the line and she was listening to each
one of us singing. And of course the Reverend Goods
was beside me and she stopped at him and she was doing this and
she come to me and she just said, oh, you can't make a silk
purse out of a souge log. And went on.
Amen. It was great to make a joyful
noise unto the Lord. I'd love to be able to sing.
I've told you before, if I could sing and play a musical
instrument like the Reverend McRae or the Reverend
Greenfield, oh, well, the Lord knows, right?
We're going to read from Luke chapter 12, Luke chapter 12, and
we're going to read the first 21 verses of Luke chapter 12.
It's good to hear the rustling of the paper.
It's important that we have the book of God and you carry it
with you. It's a testimony.
It's important that we turn to the Scriptures.
Many churches have stopped us reading from the Bible and the
Bible tells us give attention to reading.
Blessed to see that readeth the words of the prophecy of this
book. Well, we'll try to be faithful.
Luke chapter 12 for those online the words that come up on the
screen will read from verse one. Let's hear the word of God.
In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable
multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon
another, He began to say unto his disciples, First of all,
beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed,
neither head that shall not be known.
Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be
heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear
and closet shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
But I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill
the body, and after that have known more than they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear.
Fear Him, which after he have killed, hath power to cast into
hell. Yeah, I say unto you, fear him.
Are not 5 sparrows soul for two farthings, and are not one of
them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, are you not
more valued than many sparrows? Also I say unto you, Whosoever
shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also
confess before the Angel of God. But he that denieth me before
men shall be denied before the Angel of God.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, that
shall be forgiven him. But unto him that blasphemeth
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto the
magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how, or what thing
you shall answer, or what you shall say.
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you
ought to say. And one of the companies said
unto him, Masters, 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 consisted not in the abundance
of the things which he possesses.
And he speak a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a
certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do?
Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits.
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 has much goods laid up for many years, take thy knees, eat,
drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thy full
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. A member know the Lord will
bless to us this reading of His own precious and infallible
word. Now my text tonight is taken
from Luke chapter 12 and in verse 20 and 21.
But God said unto him, Thy full this night thy soul shall be
required of thee. Then who shall those things be
which thou has provided? So was he that layeth up
treasure for himself, and is not rich to word God.
And I want us to thank this evening of the subject, the
passing on of your possessions. Look, chapter 12 verses 1 to 21
is a very important chapter containing some of the most
important topics that came from the lips of the Lord Jesus.
Now think of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's preaching a vast multitude of gathered to hear Christ
speak. His disciples are listening
closely, they're straining their ear intently.
And in these verses the Lord Jesus first of all warns of the
sin of religious hypocrisy. He says in Luke chapter 12 and
verse one, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which
is hypocrisy. And you see sadly in this world,
as there was in the world when Christ lived to this day, men
and women professed to be spiritual, professed to be
religious, professed to be holy men of God.
And yet the reality is they're only pretending.
It's just again, and their pretence is really polluted
because they're not born again. They don't truly love and know
the Lord Jesus Christ. Their hearts and lives have
never been changed and transformed.
They still have hearts that loves sin.
In these verses, the Lord Jesus also emphasised the sovereignty
of God. He taught that God is all wise
and all powerful and all knowing, and that God cannot be
deceived or taken in because God sees and knows all things.
He is God over all. Listen to verse 2.
For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed,
neither head that shall not be known.
Do you know that even the very hairs of your head, they're all
numbered? Do you know that He says, are
not 5 sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them
was forgotten before God, even when they fall to the ground?
And then he went on to teach his disciples to truly fear God
rather than men, and to confess Him as God boldly before men.
Here he warns against the blaspheming of the Holy Ghost
and the denial of Him before others.
Now as this crowd listens intentionally and gives rapt
attention, thinking this, never man speak like this man.
There was a man from the crowd interrupted him.
Look at verse 13. And one of the companies said
unto him, Masters, speak unto my brother, that he divide the
inheritance with me. Now think of this.
A man from the crowd interrupts him as he's preaching, and he
interrupts him with a request about dividing his inheritance
with his brother. And Christ of course, rightly
refuses to be judged in such a civil matter.
Now here was a man, he's listening to Christ's preaching
about religious hypocrisy, about proclaiming him before men,
about fearing God and being aware of covetousness.
And this man is concerned about money.
He's not really listening to Christ.
This man's mind is on other things.
And in that context, to deal with the sin of covetousness,
Christ utters to the crowd this parable of the rich fool.
Now, there's a deeper spiritual truth in this parable of the
rich fool. And it's not about his wealth,
but it's about this individual who was living for this world
while neglecting his own soul. Because you see, the rich fool
believed his prosperity guaranteed his security and his
well-being. And yet despite all the
possessions that he had, the stuff that he'd accumulated over
the years, this rich fool had forgotten God, forgotten the
salvation of his soul, and forgotten the great eternity.
And in that context, we come to verse 20 and verse 21.
And the Lord Jesus here in these words pronounces His judgement
upon this man who stored up riches for himself, but was not
rich toward God. And in these words, the Lord
Jesus teaches us that earthly riches can't save us.
He teaches us that life is short and uncertain, and that true
wisdom is only found in being rich toward God.
Listen to verse 21 again. So was he that left up treasure
for himself and is not rich toward God.
Four things this evening very quickly. 1 The prospectus that
deceived him. If you look at the text, it says
here then who shall those things be?
Think about the words, those things.
We could even add the words in verse 21.
Layeth up treasure for himself. You see, every generation
labours to accumulate things. This man was no exception.
I believe he was an honest man. I believe he was a hard working
farmer. Probably from dawn to dusk he
was busy labouring. He was not lazy, He was not
slothful. He didn't gain his wealth by
theft or deceit. This man had property.
He had barns. This man was a successful
farmer, and yet one unavoidable truth stands over this man's
life, and it was this. His prospectus deceived him.
He forgot that one day death would come and take him away and
death would separate him from everything that he owned.
This wealthy farmers grown brought forth plenty.
His problem was not really the prosperity.
It was his prospectus. He prepared for everyday.
He prepared for things, things to do with the farm.
But not for eternity is he. Solomon centuries earlier
wrestled with the same reality. Listen to these words from King
Solomon in Ecclesiastes chapter 2, we read in verse 18.
Yeah, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun.
Why? Because I should leave it unto
the man that shall be after me, and who knoweth whether he shall
be a wise man or a fool, Yet shall he have rule over all my
labour, wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself
wise unto the sun. This is also vanity.
See, Solomon wrestled with this. A man works all his life, he
works hard. He, he builds a successful
business. He, he, he builds an empire, he
builds a a thriving business, only to leave it to someone
else. And whenever he's dead and gone,
he doesn't know if he's going to be a wise man that will carry it
on, or he'll be a foolish man who will squander it.
The dead man cannot control what happens to most of his stuff
after he is gone. The Lord Jesus asked the
question, then, who shall those things be?
This man's ground blocked forth plentiful, His land prospered,
his plans expanded, his barns multiplied, but there's no
mention of God. There's no mention of gratitude
to God. But when you read the story, if
you look at it, it's it says here verse 17.
Then he thought within himself saying, what shall I do because
I have no room for to bestow my fruits.
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, you see the whole thing is
about I and my This man had completely forgotten God.
The green in his barn, the green in his hand didn't even remind
him of God. Deuteronomy 18 says, But thy
shall remember the Lord thy God, for he is he that giveth the
power to get wealth. And this man had forgot the true
source of all his blessings, physically, mentally, materially
and spiritually. You think of a man, his heart
and mind, he's got this prospectus to possess.
Stuff starts out with a small house.
His business expands, largest deed, bigger bank account.
He goes on holidays. He loves his wife and he loves
his family, His good to his workers, his good to his
friends. And yet all the way, this
individual remains dead to God. He's blind to God's salvation.
He has no affection for God or the things of God.
His expansion is outward, but that doesn't equal growth
inward. And you know, thousands and 10s
of thousands in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom
are deceived because they've got the wrong prospectus.
They've been deceived by their prosperity, the things that they
have, the love for their stuff. It's not the same as love for
the Saviour. The prospectus is all wrong.
The prospectus is deceived. Notice secondly, the priority
that destroyed him. We'll ask the question to this
rich, wealthy farmer. What's your chief and main
priority in life here? Was his purely focused on the
temple? The Bible talks about a certain
man. I believe he was a real life
character. He talked about my fruits, my
barns, all my friends, my goods. Say to my soul, Thou hast much
good. He was obsessed with his goods.
He was obsessed with the making of money.
Nothing else mattered when he he talked and and spoke to himself.
Well, he mentioned the ground. There was no mention of God.
He mentioned his barns, but there's no mention of the
blessing of God. He mentioned his fruits, but
there's no mention of the Heavenly Father.
He mentioned much goods, but nothing of the grace of God,
nothing of the goodness of God, nothing of the gospel, nothing
of gratitude to God. Notice verse 17.
And he thought within himself saying, what was he thinking
about? He was thinking about time.
He was thinking about temporal things.
He was thinking about trinkets that don't really matter.
See, this man lived a life without reference to God.
He was purely focused on the temple.
His plans were for here and now, not the hereafter.
And of course the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 6 and verse
33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these other things shall be
added unto you. It was Mark that told us there
in Mark chapter 8 and in the verse 36.
For what shall a profit a man if he shall gain the whole world
and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul? See this man, when he talked to
himself, he, he, he, he, he addressed his soul.
I will say to my soul, verse 19, this man knew he had his soul,
but it didn't bother him. He wasn't really concerned about
his soul. One of the greatest priorities
in life is soul. Salvation is to be in a right
relationship with God. What is man's TV and man's TV
and is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
We live in a day of atheism, a day of godless materialism, a
day when many fools have emerged.
Here's one of them, the rich fool.
And how many rich fools they are in Northern Ireland, trusting in
their wealth, trusting in their riches, but not in the Redeemer.
What about the fried fool? There's a man called Nabal.
He was a proud man. Horrors and refused kindness.
We could talk about the atheistic fool, Psalm 14 verse
one the full of said in his heart there is no God.
What about the heedless fool, the man who built his house upon
the sand? He had heard the word of God but
refused to obey it. And someone has said knowledge
without true obedience leads to ruin.
There was a day when this fool wanted it all, all the temporal
blessings that life could bring his path.
But all the while there was no reference to God, his soul,
salvation, heaven and hell, or even the day of judgement to
come. Remember what we read in John
chapter 3 and in the verse 18. The Lord Jesus, in speaking to
Nicodemus in the house in that particular evening, said in John
3 and 18. He that believeth on him as not
condemned, but he that believeth not as condemned and ready,
because he had not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life, neither believeth not.
The Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth in him.
This fool had his priorities all mixed up.
This man lived and died obsessed with things of time and sense.
He lived. He died as a fool.
In fact, the Lord Jesus said, but God said unto him, Thy fool,
this was a foolish farmer. We can ask him, Who or what were
you living for? He was just living for temporal
things. Could I ask you that tonight?
Who or what are you living for? Are you living for the pleasures
of sin? How many are living for a life
of drunkenness, getting blocked at the weekend, different times,
not even remembering what happened the night before in the
new day? What about those who are begin
to drug addiction and how did it start?
Started with taking one or two E tablets or something else?
What about those that are addicted to clubbing?
Addicted to sport? See, all of these individuals
and we could name many other things, their priorities are all
wrong. They're all mixed up.
Why? Because they've forgotten the
most important thing. They've forgotten that the most
important thing is not temporal, but truth.
Jesus said I'm the way, the truth, the life.
No man comes unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus said, sanctify them through thy word.
Thy word is truth. And those who are focused on
temporal things have a disregard for the truth as it's
personified in Christ and the truth of the word of God.
I'll tell you something else very quickly.
The presumption that disclosed him.
If you look at our text, it says in verse 19 and I will say to my
soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years.
Take thy knees, eat, drink and be merry.
Notice these words. Years, many years.
He presumed he had many years left.
He presumed that his goods guaranteed his security.
He presumed that he had comfort. And there's comfort equals
certainty. And here in verse 19 he utters a
single statement that was really one of the biggest mistakes in
his life. He displayed an ungodly
characteristic of his life because there was a presumption
that disclosed him. He displayed an ungodly
confidence in his life. He talked about many years, yet
the Bible says, Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for no man
knoweth what a day may bring forth sufficient unto the day.
Jesus said, as the evil thereof many years.
See, the man had no thought of dying and going to live on.
Death is a far off event. It's in the distance.
I'm not going to die yet. This man was pursuing on time.
That was not his. Remember what the Psalmist said
in Psalm 90 and in verse 12 it says so teach us to number our
days that we apply our hearts unto wisdom.
You see the days of our years are three score years and 10 and
if by reason of strength there be 4 score years, yet as their
strength, labour and sorrow for it has soon cut off and we fly
away years many he talked about not months, not weeks, not days,
not minutes, not seconds. He was presuming on time that he
was never going to have. James 4 and 14 says what is your
life? There's even a vapour that
appears for a little time and then vanish away.
You see your life and mine is not guaranteed.
Ownership of our lives is not in our hands.
Our life is in the hands of Almighty God.
He's the God who gets his breath to breathe every day.
And this man planned for many years, years that he did not
possess. We've learned this morning, Job
said, my life is swifter than a weaver's shuttle.
I told you the shuttle moves very quickly.
And you see, you can't bank on tomorrow.
You can't bank in more time. The Bible says, behold, now is
the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.
You see, to bank on tomorrow, to say I've got many years left,
even as a young person, it's a sign of a fool.
Remember those in James talked about going into the city,
staying there for a year, buying and selling things.
Their plans were made and yet they forgot the most important
thing. It's all subject to God's will.
God is sovereign because God is the God in whose hand their
breath is. I'll tell you one final thing,
the pronouncement that damned look at verse 20.
But God said unto him, Thy fool this night thy soul shall be
required of thee. See, God interrupted his plans.
Death came unexpected, come unannounced.
The cold hand of death just laid its hand upon the man.
Thy fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee.
Notice death came suddenly, but notice his soul was required,
not as silver. The issue wasn't not that he had
barns to build bigger. The issue wasn't that he didn't
make preparation, for he did, but he only prepared for this
life. He prepared for his ease.
He prepared for eating and drinking and being merry, but
not for eternity. All that he did was just for
this life, not for eternity. Plans for the future, yes, but
not plan for the most important plan to meet God in eternity.
The Bible says prepare to meet thy God.
Remember, one day we'll stand before Gods.
Then everyone of us will give an account of himself to God.
Prepare for life after death. Prepare for the judgement to
come. If this man had been a wise
farmer, if he had been really prudent, the goods that he had
would have reminded him of God, and he would have thanked God
for God's goodness, and he would offer gratitude to God.
And that would have brought him to the realisation that the most
important preparation that he could make was for eternity.
But this man was not wise. He's called a fool thy fool.
Why? Because he was poor towards God.
He was not rich toward God. It's not what Jesus said.
So was he that left up treasure for himself?
That's exactly what this man did and is not rich toward God.
You know, often times when people have died and the
funerals taking place, people usually ask somewhere either at
the wake or towards the funeral as it makes its way to the
cemetery, how much did he leave? People of real interest in that?
Well, here's the answer. He or she, whoever they are,
young or old, they left it all. They don't ask was he ready?
They don't ask was he saved? They don't ask did he leave
behind a testimony? But they do ask how much did he
leave? And here's the answer.
He left it all. You see, from when we die, we
carry nothing away. And I just want to throw this in
here, You know, it used to be whenever people died from
within, we'd say the Protestant community, there was no such
thing as putting bottles of whiskey into the coffin or a
favourite teddy bear or some stuff for the afterlife.
Why do that? Because remember this, all
accumulation of stuff stops at the grave.
Christ is asking, who shall these things be?
Is that not a humbling question? Is that not an honest question?
Is that not a haunting question? Solomon felt the weight of it.
So did David over there in Psalm 49, in the verse at 16 and 17.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his
house is increased. For when he dieth, he shall
carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend
after him. You can't take it with you.
You can't control your stuff after you're dead.
You can't guarantee its outcome, neither the factory nor the
farm. What will happen to it or what
will be inherited? It'll be sold off, it'll be
divided, stuff will be given away, stuff will be disregarded,
taken to the rubbish dump and stuff will be left and
forgotten. Remember what Paul told Timothy
at Ephesus? He says first Timothy 6:00 and
7:00 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
that we can carry nothing out. As we close tonight, I want you
to think of the true wealth that matters.
Think of these words rich toward God.
Think of the true wealth that matters, the heavenly treasure
that's eternal and secure and testimonial and unaffected by
death. And how can you be rich toward
God? Let me suggest, as we finish,
prepare to meet God by trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and
Saviour, by trusting him as the true Messiah, trusting him as
the mediator of the New Covenant.
For there's one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus. Come and recognise your sin.
Repent of that. Repudiate and receive Christ.
Rejoice in soul salvation. Testify that you're saved by the
grace of God alone. That's found in Christ alone.
That's the first step, to be rich toward God.
And then the second step is prioritise all that's truly
spiritual. As you grow in grace and the
knowledge of Christ, aim to have a knowledge of Christ.
Pray about that. Lord, give me a greater and a
better knowledge of thyself. Read this word of God.
Have an appetite for the Scriptures.
Seek to serve God in whatever capacity you can in your own
church and other missionary organisations.
Attend the House of God on the day of God.
Offer praise to God. Be truly thankful.
Join with God's people. I believe in corporate worship
for seeking, not the assembling of yourself together as the
manner of some is. And another way is to plan to
measure success by its eternal impact.
Have this assessment that whatever you do in life's
journey, you do it unto God. You do it for His glory.
If man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then
you want to be able to stand before God and you want to hear
those words. Well done, good and faithful
servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord and any success that
we enjoy in this life we measured against its eternal
impact, that it's for the glory of God.
It honours the Lord's name. It sees the implementation of
his wealth, it advances his Kingdom.
That's the way I believe to be rich toward God.
Whose shall those things be? Here was a fool, the prospectus
that deceived him, the priority that destroyed him, the
presumption that disclosed him, and the pronouncement that
damned him. But God said, thy fool this
night shall thy soul be required of thee.
Don't be a fool, be a true friend by knowing Christ as Lord
and Saviour. May the Lord bless this gospel
message to our heart. We're going to sing.