Gospel Reading Luke 12 13 21 13 Someone
- Slides: 28
Gospel Reading Luke 12: 13 -21
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. ”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? ”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. ”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. ’
18“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.
19 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. ”’
20“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? ’
21“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. ”
Stuff Luke 12: 13 -21 August 4, 2013 Communion Sunday Immanuel Baptist Church Rev. John W. Landis, DMin
Too Much Stuff. . Becomes a problem when it causes us to break the Great Commandment
Too Much Stuff. . Becomes a problem when it causes us to break the Great Commandment
By definition. . . To Sin!
How does “Stuff” do that ?
Stuff separates us from God when. . . When Stuff becomes MOST important! – getting more Stuff is more important than doing what God asks! – It becomes God! We think we have it because Gospel of Wealth WE earned it! We are unwilling to give it up! Story of the Rich Young Man
Separates us from each other • When we claim ownership – We fight over OUR Stuff • Today’s story • We end up taking care of and protecting Stuff instead of people • We use Stuff to determine people’s value • We use Stuff to keep score
“He or she who dies with the most toys wins? !? ”
The Gospel of Wealth! $$$
Devalues Us • We are afraid of losing Our Stuff – Therefore we can be threatened with its loss – We value it more than ourselves
How much Stuff is too much? • What do you need. . . – To survive? – To make a positive difference in the lives of others? – To do what God has called you to do? • What do you want to have happen because of your “Stuff”? – Not how much stuff!
When you have more than you need and you won’t let it go, it is TOO MUCH STUFF!
When you have to do things that separate you from God, hurt others or yourself to keep your stuff you have TOO MUCH STUFF!
The thing we need most is REDEMPTION!
That has already been paid for NOT WITH STUFF!
Use your stuff to live out the Great Commandment • Make what you have available for God’s work • Make what you have available to help others • Put God and people before things • Don’t get too attached to what you have