Luke 12.13-21 What will you be doing 100 yrs from Now

A) His opening comments contained just 3 words

B) GREED IS GOOD - GREED IS GOOD

C) RESPONE? Those university students responded w/ some light hearted

laughter – almost EMBARRASINGLY SO

1. That followed by one clap of the hands / then another - & another – soon the whole place broke into thundering whole hearted applause .

D) All for – GREED IS GOOD – You see that is worldly wisdom – it

focuses on the hear & now / it has a hard time focusing on the future

1. But I wonder if Mr. BLOSKEY would feel the same way today –

1. The focus of our message this morning – deals w/ that very issue – what does the future hold –

1. QUESTION TO ASK - what will you be doing 100 yrs from now ?

1. Now we have the tendency to think of the future in unrealistic terms – our tendency is to think – next week / next month / next year.

2. But the real question – that I believe the Lord wants us to consider often & I think that Scripture backs this thought up

1. is not what doing – next week / month / yr./ 2 yrs or 10yrs

1. BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BEING DOING – 100 YRS FROM NOW –
2. Now Before you think that your Pastor has flipped his lid / if thinking – Rob is anyone home? – 100 yrs from now we will all be dead !!!!

B) You are going to be SUFFERING in the tormenting flames of hell.

1. For that reason alone – the question I ask is a serious question.

1. We would rather leave it light & vague – because that keeps us from the responsibility of having to change & get serious about the here & now

2. And that is what the enemy of our souls – would love for us to do –

Don’t really consider the future - don’t think about what doing in 100 yrs

1. But Jesus would say the opposite – we must – think about / and be concerned w/ and focus on ETERNITY.

1. That is followed by a Parable concerning a man who was no ready to face ETERNITY !!/ Divide section 3 Parts / Incident / Instruction/ Illustration

1. Now this is an interesting portion of scripture - & the first thing that we want to point out is that this man was not wrong in bringing this matter to Jesus

1. See it was the custom of that day for the Rabbi’s to deal w/ matters like this . /

1. Some even traveled from town to town – had special days where this was all that they did. ( Listen to DISPUTES)

1. The people respected the wisdom of the Rabbi’s because – they studied the word of God / so their knowledge & wisdom was esteemed

1. So this man comes to Jesus & addresses him as teacher – some versions MASTER / it was a sign of RESPECT

1. It was his way of saying that I believe that you have the knowledge & wisdom to deal w/ this problem - & I will submit to your DECSION .

c) It was the custom in that society for the oldest son to divide up the

inheritance & then he would choose last – divided evenly

1. But for some reason this wasn’t happening here – so the brothers

1. Answer is that Jesus has a way of getting to the root of problems/the heart of the matter / & in this case the root problem was a matter of the heart!

B) COVETOUSNESS - It was not the property or possessions that were

being JUDGED it was the PERSON .

C) These guys were having a problem w/ the COVETOUS CONDITION

OF THEIR HEARTS

1. So He said to them,( Whole Crowd) INSTRUCTION 2 things –

1. St. Francis – declared I have heard the confessions of every conceivable sin that you can imagine / except for the sin of Covetousness

B) When is the last time you saw same one really Broken up over the sin of Covetousness /

1. when last time you yourself – shed tears over a covetous heart?

AA) Wanting more of what you already have enough of !!!!!!

commandments

NOTE: It is this particular commandment that woke Paul up to the spiritual nature of the Law Romans 6 plagued him/ Attitude not an action

B) See As long as Paul interpreted the Law... As most all Pharisees did/ As pertaining only to the OUTWARD observance of it,

1) he had a sense of righteousness

C) But when he realized that the Law said: Thou shalt not covet....He

realized that the Law was addressing NOT an ACTION

1) but an ATTITUDE / HEART/ And He was guilty

1. 1^st Coveting of Possessions – ( Students Josh. 6 – Story of Achan – wasn’t satisfied w/ his lot in life – he wanted more /
2. So he took of that which was to be set aside for the Lord. / Perhaps he was wanting to help his family "get a little more ahead."

1. Ended up costing him his life & the life of his family.

1. PERFECT PARRELL TODAY – How many families have been ripped apart by covetousness

D) The husband and or wife are out working more & more to amass more Stuff/money/ climb the corporate ladder ("for the good of the family")

1. In the meantime His wife and children become strangers to him and he

1. Stress & Ulcers are going to eat away You.

1. Example I know that I am called to be the Pastor of this church – but I also know that I am NOT called to be the ADMINISTRATOR.

1) AND EVERY TIME that I cross that line in trying to be more than I am called to be there is an eating away that takes place in my life.

2. And every time that you try to be or do more than you are called to be or do/ in ministry / in Business / in your life – the same is true.

3RDLY - COVETING FOR POWER - Gen. 3 I think of Eve – Satan told her that if she ate of the forbidden fruit / she would become like God.

1. Her desire for Power / her desire to usurp God’s authority cut her off from the very thing that was of most value. – her relationship w/ God.
2. Now what is interesting in each one of these situations is that Eve, Achan, Uzziah already had an allotment that would have satisfied them.

1. Eve had the whole garden she was only forbidden to eat from one

1. Achan like the rest of the Israelites w/ Joshua – was about to be blessed w/ the abundance of the PROMISED LAND ./

1. The Lord just asked for the FIRST FRUITS - from the Victory at Jericho .

1. And Uzziah was a King/ the whole Kingdom was his/ all that was forbidden was the position of priest .

E) They each had an allotment that should have satisfied them / but instead of being satisfied they wanted the one thing that God said they couldn’t have

1. Isn’t that the way that it often is – the very thing that the Lord says no to is the very thing that we want . SO SAD!!!!!!!

1. Possessions can be Dangerous because they can Possess you. – Spend all your time working on & taking care of your stuff.

B) This is something that people in our SOCIETY for the most part do NOT

believe IN FACT

B) We have been led to believe by high powered advertising that a mans life DOES consist in the abundance of things that he possesses

1. We have been led to believe that we are NOT happy because we do

C) Many people believe this: If they only had that new house...

that new boat../ car / a new wife/ Husband –

1. Then they would be HAPPY / And THEN all of their problems

1. RESULT : Consumer debt has hit an all time high of 1.2 trillion dollars

1. Visa study predicts that there will be 2.2 million personal bankruptcies by the year 2001

1. See that mentality that says if I can only get more / or something better then I will be happy & my problems will be over IS A LIE

1. Nothing truly brings a lasting satisfaction / more you have the more problems / more stuff to break down / fix / more RESPONISBILITY

A) He amassed so much wealth, that during his reign silver was as common as the rocks (That is VERY common in Israel )

1. Some scholars estimate his annual income to have equaled ONE BILLION dollars / How much is one billion dollars ?

2. If you spent $10,000 per day, it would take just about 274 years to spend ONE billion dollars

C) If you only spent $1,000 per day 2,740 years to spend 1 Billion dollars

D) You would think that Solomon would have been VERY CONTENT with that income

1. But he writes of the impact that such wealth made on his life in Eccl.5:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied w/ silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

E) Solomon learned what many people fail to see today is that RICHES

CANNOT PURCHASE LASTING CONTENTMENT

1. has provided - is great gain.

2. The reason We become discontented w/ what we have when we compare it to what someone else has / but that can work both ways

1. The other day I was driving down college BLVD in my 1985 Toy. Corolla 209,000 – No A/C – it was Hot / meeting sweating already

C)Watching everyone driving by me in w/ their windows rolled up / A/C on

began to complain to the Lord – I want a new car

1. Until I drove by a guy walking down College carrying groceries /

great men & women seek to be-"

1. Just content & enjoying where the Lord has them – what doing in them.

1. Now at the Core of Covetousness is REALLY SELF - A desire & Passion to please self – above pleasing God.

1. To live for self instead of living for God!!!!!

20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! Always know you’re in trouble God says FOOL - This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

1. He had everything that this world deems as important – earthly riches were abundant – but – spiritually he was poor.
2. Now the Lord’s perspective in this story is Interesting – Jesus didn’t see the farmer enjoying life – but facing death/ facing ETERNITY

1. And the Problem was - he was not rich toward God.

1. Worldly possessions galore / worldly standard rich – here & now set ! –

Some would be prone to say

2. "Too bad this fellow died just when he had every-thing going for him! How tragic that he could not finish his great plans."
3. But the greatest tragedy is not what the man left behind but what lay before him: eternity without God!

6. The man lived without God and died without God, and his wealth was but an incident in his life.

1. Earthly Rich / but spiritually poor !! Because / Not Rich toward God

Two brothers were discussing their life goals after Sunday school. The first brother's goal was to be rich and famous. The second brother's goal was to follow Christ to the fullest.

The second brother went on to reach his goal. His name was David Livingstone, the renowned medical missionary and explorer of Africa. The first went on to be rich, but his fame came from another. The epitaph on his tombstone reads: "Here lies the brother of David Livingstone."

1. Unfortunately His material riches did nothing for him in the Kingdom / He couldn’t take it w/ him

B) Nor did his brothers spiritual RICHNESS benefit him in the Kingdom.

1) Rich on Earth / But not Rich in Heaven!!!!

Now What does it mean to be "rich toward God"? 3 things done

1. 1^st it means to know Jesus Christ / become a Child of God by placing your faith in the finished work of JC on the cross at Calvary.

B) When that takes place – You become an inheritor of great blessings

Paul put it this way in Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

6. Living in the Reality that He has given us all things that pertain to life & godliness through the knowledge of Him.

1. It is Knowing who you are in Christ – Knowing that God sees you in His Son – Holy & living accordingly

True story of a Sailor who was shipwrecked in the 1880’s down in the South Pacific . he was taken in by some islanders & was amazed when they hoisted him up on their shoulders & had this grand procession making him King.

As time went on he discovered that these Islanders had a tradition which said that after a year the King was to be Banished to a Deserted Island where he would starve to death & Die.

GUESS WHAT HE DID – He ordered that a massive building project was to begin on that Deserted Island – Built huge home / store rooms food to last 100 yrs / running water/ Recreational area.

So that when the day came for him to be banished to that Island he lived a life of Luxury . He was smart He used his position & wealth that he had to prepare for the Future – to prepare for what was coming.

1. 1^st are you going to be there / SERVING in Glory / SUFFERING…..
2. 2^nd What will you be doing / see we understand from the scriptures that in Eternity we are going to have some RESPONSIBILITIES
3. During the 1000 yr. Millennial reign ruling & reigning w/ Christ / we are going to be in Charge of certain things / Responsibilities
4. Now Don’t get me wrong – we are all going to enjoy Heaven – just different capacities – all full / some more

1. So some will be like a Dixie Cup / others like a 32 ounce Big Gulp / still others 55 gallon Drum.

1. The Question is what will be you Capacity – How full will you be !