"UNTHANKSGIVING DAY"
Luke 12:16-21
Pastor Dave Campbell
"And He told them this parable: "The ground of a certain man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ’what shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ’this is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 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.’
"But God said to him, ’you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
If this story doesn’t sober a materialist up, nothing will. Why did God call this man a fool? I can find at least 4 reasons in this text:
1. HE WAS A FOOL FOR THINKING HE WAS IN CONTROL OF HIS OWN FUTURE!
When I look to the whole counsel of God’s Word, I don’t find that God called this rich man a fool for planning or projecting his future. God praises the lowly ant that gathers in the summer for winter stores and works all day long (Proverbs 6:6-11). God blesses hard work and there is nothing wrong with having money in your hand. Having it in your heart can be deadly! This rich farmer was a fool for believing that he was master of his own destiny. The book of James also addresses this issue. James 4:13-16 brings to mind:
a) THE ARROGANCE OF THIS BELIEF. Vs 13, 16.
The scenario before us is that of businessmen planning ahead and bragging on a future they know nothing about. Their attitude was: "I can make it on my own and I can control the events in my life. I can stand four-square against the winds of circumstance and make it, no problem!"
To boast on the future, however is to play God and the Bible calls it evil arrogant pride!
b) THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE. Vs 14a
The only thing we know for sure is that things change. A thousand things can come along to change our well-laid plans.
Proverbs 27:1 reminds us: "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." The rich man in our story was soon to find out just how uncertain life can be!
c) THE BREVITY OF LIFE. Vs 14b
Life is short and the older I get, the shorter it is! Look at Psalm 39:5: "You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you."
d) GOD’S WILL. Vs 15
Everything; our hopes and dreams and plans must come under the Lordship of Christ. We can’t see the future nor control it. Only God can. Doesn’t it make a lot of sense to commit your future to Him?
2. HE WAS A FOOL FOR THINKING THAT ACQUISITIONS OF MATERIAL GOODS ARE LIFE’S HIGHEST AIM! Luke 12:15
We can sense from verse 19 that he was a worshipper of the god of materialism. The KJV tells us that he said to his "soul" that he had plenty of things stored up and that he could relax and enjoy life for many years to come. "SOUL"? The soul has no interest in the things of this world, but hungers for God to fill our lives, but this man filled that "God-shaped vacuum" with things. He believed that his wealth would bring him ease and for this God calls him a fool! A multitude of things could easily rob him of this ease: loss of his wealth, run-away inflation, loss of his health, family troubles and the list could go on and on.
Someone was asked the question what he would be leaving when he dies. "Everything" was the wise and swift answer. I have yet to see a U-Haul truck following a hearse out to the cemetery.
It is only half true, however that you can’t take it with you. You can send it on ahead by investing it in the Lord’s work (See Matthew 6:19-21).
3. HE WAS A FOOL FOR NOT GIVING GOD THE GLORY FOR HIS BLESSINGS!
In all of his considerations, he reckoned God out of he plans. We see no mention of God coming from his lips even though he enjoyed all of his wealth at the hand of the Lord. There is no offering, no alms giving, no care for those who have nothing, no glory for our Heavenly Father what so ever. Consider this verse from Deuteronomy 8:10, "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."
We see none of that and for this, God calls him a fool!
4. HE WAS A FOOL FOR HAVING NO THOUGHT OF ETERNITY!
Everything was just here and now. Isn’t it interesting that the rich man of this story is not named? It puts me in mind of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Again, the lost soul was not named, as was Lazarus, but only referred to as a rich man. He was nameless, like a non-entity. His name was not found in the Lambs Book of Life. Such is the plight of the lost that ignores God’s invitation to receive His amazing grace. It appears that the man died as he lived, with no regard for his standing with God.
There is a neat little story which is only fiction and yet can be real and it goes like this: The devil called in his four highest ranking lieutenants to confer with them on the best strategy for keeping souls out of heaven. The first lieutenant suggested the lie that there is no God. This idea was quickly shot down, however because they all agreed that such a lie would never stand up. People only need to look around and see how nature itself is like an outstretched finger pointing to the God of creation. God has left too many clues of His existence for such a lie to really hold water.
Lieutenant number two came forward with his suggestion. "Let’s tell the world that there is no heaven!" "Nope. That lie wouldn’t work either. Most people know that there is something beyond their lives on earth. Almost every religion in the world teaches about a heaven of some kind." Number three had a great idea of his own: "Let’s tell people that there is no hell!"
"Wrong again! God put a conscience in people that tells them that sin must be judged. People just wouldn’t truly believe that one enough." The fourth lieutenant came forward with his suggestion. "Lets tell them that there’s no hurry!" "That’s it! The ultimate lie! Why think about eternity now? After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions!"
