"And someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" Then He said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’" But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you prepared?’ So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today, whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, your presence is both noticed and appreciated. If you have recently received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we'd love to hear from you, so please reach out and let us know so that we can be in prayer for you.
Greed isn't just an anomaly, it's an epidemic. In the last four years, inheritance related legal battles involve siblings have surged by over 44%, with over 9,625 cases filed in 2024 alone, that devours not just bank accounts but destroy many familial bonds forever. What should be a moment of shared memories and sorrow suddenly explodes into a courtroom battle after the will is read that can often drags on for years. And it's not just a matter of inheritance, according to the American Psychological Association's 2022 survey, more than 50% of Americans report that money stirs up conflict within their families. In fact, arguments over money are more frequent and have been found to be more recurrent and longer lasting than any other types of conflicts. And, according to The American Institute of Stress
stress level of Americans is rapidly rising, as 66% of adults cite fears about personal finances, such the cost of day-to-day necessities like groceries, gasoline and utilities continue increase with concerns over economic uncertainty tends to be a major contributor.
Debt is arguably the most common source of infidelity, and leading cause for divorce with 41% of Gen Xers ending their marriages due to financial disagreements. A 2019 survey found that nearly 40% of millennial couples, specifically those aged 23 to 38, admit to fighting about finances at least once a week, up 4% from 2015. Work-related stress is also a significant factor, estimating that a whopping 83% of U.S. workers experience stress at work, contributing to burnout and reduced productivity, including anxiety, irritability, and sleep disruption. With all of that in mind, it's really not surprising that Scripture commands us to pursue righteousness over riches. Scripture speaks boldly and clearly about sin! The issue isn't what God has said, the issue is the way man continues to twist what He has said to justify sin for filthy lucre!
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You for Your Word. We are so very grateful for its influence, guidance and correction, thank You for Your choice of servants, each with strengths, gifts and character flaws we all can relate to. Father, I am so grateful to be privileged to offer those who are without Christ that same Savior and Lord, as well as those who are in Christ, who have been less than grateful for the grace, mercy and forgiveness they've received. Lord, I trust that You, by the power of Your Spirit, will work a mighty work in each of their hears to do what only You can do. May it all be for Your glory and for Christ's sake, and their eternal blessing. It is in His most precious name we ask and pray these things.
Amen
Today's Message: The Overwhelming Foolishness of the Rich
Let's not kid ourselves, we may claim to be better than those in the Bible who mocked Christ, who lied on Him and ultimately crucified Him, but we’re not. Examine your life, not in terms of other Christians, not in terms of what sins your pastor teaches God is fine with, as he passes the collection plate, and reminds you God loves a cheerful giver examine your life by what God has actually said in His Word. Scripture repeatedly warns us against the dangers of deceitfulness, who are you kidding? Your foolishness will only lead you to arrogance, then destruction. God will not be mocked.
It is with great joy we gather together to study God's Word, a tremendous privilege to learn His profound Truth, allowing it to very powerfully transform our lives. Jesus isn't an arbitrator for your sin, who overlooks it, while we continue to indulge ourselves, even celebrating it. But, He is mercifully willing to free us from it and promises to graciously forgive us, which is not limited to our first-time sins but extends to our repeated failures
But willful sin cannot remain the habitual pattern of our life if we profess to have been born again, because old things have passed away, and we have been made new.
Read your Bible, genuine conversion always results in a changed life. Has your life changed? Or has it just been rearranged?
Open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter 12, verses thirteen through twenty-one. Luke 12:13-21. This is truly enlightening portion of Scripture,
where tells a parable of a rich man whose land produced such a bountiful harvest, that his barns were much too small to store the enormous crops. So, in his foolishness, he decides to tear down his existing barns and build larger ones to store his tremendous wealth, then, he plans to just relax and enjoy the life he has made, eating, drinking, and being merry for many, many years. However, God demanded his soul from him that very night, calling him a fool, and asking who will now get the wealth which he had prepared. The man’s sin was not his wealth, but his selfishness, arrogance, and misplaced trust in possessions. Beloved, this is a stark warning be on your guard against every form of greed that threaten to damn the eternal souls. As I begin to age, applying the wisdom that I've acquired from having lived, loved, lost, and learned, my perception sharpens and I begin to realize what a precious gift every day truly is and become acutely aware of just how few of them remain.
So, I am compelled to encourage you to walk well my beloved, walk worthy. Follow along with me if you will as I read, and then, let's get into our text, which I believe demands that we contemplate not only what we do, but why we do what we do and for whom. So many Christians, who are routinely sitting in church on any given Sunday, yet, fail to listen well, hearing and applying His message. They have allowed their love for Christ and His Word to grow cold, becoming more and more like the world, pursuing wealth and material possessions, and consequently, less and less like Christ.
"And someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" Then He said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’" But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you prepared?’ So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Let's look at verse 13 where the scene unfolds, "And someone from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." I remember growing up as a young child, waking up thinking about what I was going to do that day, never imaging not being able to complete the things I had planned. As I grew older and hopefully somewhat wiser, I've realized that there were some circumstances that were beyond my ability to control the. Today, I've learned to understand I am actually in control of very little and that Almighty God is in control of everything, from the biggest to even the most minute detail of our lives, which not only brings humility, but an indescribable peace, as we embrace His Sovereignty. Jesus has been teaching about false religion and warning about the dangers of hypocrisy, when some guy from the crowd who doesn't seem to care about heaven, he's more concerned with getting what he can while he's still on earth. He commands Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family inheritance with him.
Keep in mind, he's not asking a question, he's actually making a demand! And he’s not even ashamed or embarrassed about it. He didn’t want any sort of arbitration, which is a private, legally binding process where one or more neutral parties resolve a dispute between two or more parties, which was a pretty common things for Rabbi's to do to bring the law to bear upon parties involved in civil issues, listening to evidence and arguments from both sides before issuing a final decision. However, we don't know any facts, because he wasn't interested in a discussion about the facts. This is obviously convinced he's not getting what he deserves. We don't even know if he's the older brother or the younger brother, or whether he even had a legitimate claim on it or not to the inheritance. He just said, "Tell him! Make him give me what's mine."
Verse 14, "But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" Jesus' question humbles the requester, using man, a title used for a stranger, to remind him that God alone appoints authorities. He knew this wasn't about fairness," this was about greed, a deadly condition of the human heart. According to Deuteronomy 21:16–17, the firstborn son received a double portion of the father’s estate. If there were two sons, the elder would receive two-thirds, and the younger one-third. The eldest son also was left in charge of the estate, with responsibility to manage its wealth and care for the entire family’s welfare.
Notice Jesus doesn't just ignore the interruption, He recognizes his request, which on the surface seems reasonable, since inheritance disputes were, and still are a very common flashpoint in many families—while framed as a matter of fairness, was rooted in greed and covetousness, so Jesus refuses to play the role of arbitrator. In fact, He seizes the opportunity to turn a family feud into a soul-searching moment, cutting straight to the point, by redirecting this man's petty dispute over a temporary earthly estate to what's really important, his eternal inheritance!
Verse 15, "Then He said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." I believe the core of Jesus' message is abundantly clear; a person's true value is not defined by their material wealth, emphasizing that even great affluence cannot prevent death. Furthermore, greed is the sin of idolatry (Colossians 3:5), ultimately dethroning God from our affections. What a person is willing to fight for reveals the true spiritual condition of their heart. A person's true value is not defined by material wealth, emphasizing that even great affluence cannot prevent death. Greed often divides, isolating us, making us more vulnerable to the next strike, fanning the flames of resentment, eroding trust. It's even worse in our hyper-connected world, where social media "likes" breed comparison and contention. Division isn't greed's endgame; it's merely the point of entry. That's why Proverbs 27:4 warns, "Wrath is cruelty and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?" These are not the softly spoken words of a timid pastor, fearful of offending the congregation with the Truth of Scripture, this is Jesus, the Son of God, looking at not the lost pagan sinners of the world but His own followers square in the eyes, crying out, "Watch out! Beware of every form of covetousness! It's coming for you!" Those who love their money and love their possessions are never satisfied. The more they acquire, the more they desire. So Beware! Discontentment is as dangerous and as deadly as false religion, it's like quick sand, once you fall in, it's nearly impossible to get out of it. There are a number of wealthy people in both the Old and New Testaments. Abraham was wealthy. Job was wealthy. Solomon was wealthy. Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy. The sin is not in having money, the sin is what you do with it. The life that truly is abundant, is eternal life. Jesus came to give us eternal life, you won't ever find it by pursuing earthly things. That's worshipping creature rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:25)
Verse 16, "And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive." To illustrate the principle, He told them a parable. That's what parable means, a story placed alongside a principle. It's the from the Greek word "paraballó," ballō, "to place," para, "alongside." He begins the parable by saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive," there's nothing sinful about yielding a good crop, right? That's very good thing. The sin has nothing to do with the crop. Jesus says the land was very productive, it was very fertile to bring forth abundance. The word productive is the verb "euphoreó," from which we get our English word "euphoria." Euphoria is extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation; it's like a drug induced feeling.
Paul writes in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Verse 18, "Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods." Lord, because I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and I cannot be restrained in my giving! No, there's none of that here, this man is thinking, "I'm set for life! I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods." This is not of gratitude, it's grasping at plans that will ultimately swallow the soul. Talk about a divine gut-punch from the fiery furnace of Truth to expose our worldly addiction to accumulation. It is my prayer that we will all feel the weight of conviction, especially for you hard-hearted believers who sit in the pews and nod yet, cling your cash like it's your cross. Beware, the devil's hounds of Hell are howling at your heels. Grain and goods are lifelines in lean times, they're also the essentials elevated to empires. How long are you prepared to worship your stock piled wealth, while those around wither from starvation?
Verse 19, "And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry." Love doesn't hoard selfishly, it gives sacrificially. Talk about a searing indictment, Scripture doesn't whisper God's warnings— it unapologetically roars like a Lion! Notice that "soul" is singular. A narcissistic man with axiological hedonistic views, he lives for himself and his own pleasure rather than for the glory of God. He has no idea what it means to "Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ and love your neighbor as yourself." You have many goods is the multiplier of materialism! In his delusion, he thinks he's got everything covered, but, there's one thing he forgot to consider, his own mortality. "Many years to come," oh, the arrogance of self-delusion.
If these words don't ignite an blazing inferno in your belly that convicts your conscience, then your heart may well be harder than Pharaoh's, who drowned in the Red Sea! Audit your abundance. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." It's time to wake up and learn to loosen your grip on this life, Jesus didn't die for your personal comfort; He died for your conformity to the cross-carrying life.
Verse 20, "But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?" Jesus strips the self-made fool of his senseless false sense of security in a shocking plot twist. Your abundance without God is nothing more than bankruptcy of the soul, when the debt collector is at the door, the fool's fortune evaporates. How foolish then is it to horde what you have only to leave it all behind? In Matthew 16:26, Jesus warned, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Folks, God's Word is living, active, sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting right to the point. The life that truly satisfies doesn't come through acquiring amassing wealth or a surplus of possessions, the only that life that is truly abundant is eternal life, which comes from God. Foolishness isn't a low IQ, it's high treason against God. The brevity of life become abundantly clear here, "this very night" serves as a powerful metaphor in Walt Whitman's poem "A Clear Midnight," when the cessation of earthly work transitions into inevitable death. The fool's tale doesn't need to end in tragedy, Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 6:2, that tomorrow is not promised; "At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is "the day of salvation."
That brings us to verse 21, the application, "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." These are scathing words from our Lord, not for atheists, not for skeptics—but for those who profess to know God. You may have a good home, a successful career, you may even serve faithfully in church, yet are spiritually bankrupt. God is not impressed with your accumulation! You were set apart for consecration, you were blessed to be a blessing to others, to reflect His holiness, His compassion, as part of your service to God. You've been busy playing church, laying up treasure for yourselves, giving no consideration toward God or your own immortality, and soon your life is going to be over, and you'll be standing face to face the One Who demands your soul, the One Whom you have treated like He is an accessory, rather than a priority! To be rich toward God means He occupies the throne of your heart. You know the Truth but resists the transformation. You think you're sitting under Scripture’s authority yet filter it through convenience. You claim surrender, but only to what fits your schedule.
You cannot claim to love God wholeheartedly while comfortably guard your sin. Your divided devotion is nothing more disguised idolatry. Make no mistake, God refuses share His glory with your selfish ambitions. He demands everything— He gives Himself in return.
Beloved, the same Jesus Who is warning the rich fool in our text, is speaking to you! If His words no longer pierce your heart, you're affection has probably grown cold. I urge you to repent, turn from self-sufficiency to surrender to the Holy Spirit, be a fool no longer going forth. Start living each day as if it is your last. And may the God Who will soon demands our souls redeem them forever. You may fool the church, you may fool your friends with your pious appearance, you may even fool yourself with all your church activity—but you cannot fool God.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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