Sunday
Morning Bible Study
May
1, 2016
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
Luke was a doctor and a traveling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
Jesus’ ministry is well under way, and the people have been amazed not just
at the things He’s been teaching, but the things He’s been doing.
We are in the middle of one of Jesus’ time of teaching, and there have been
large crowds coming out to hear Him.
12:13-15 The Inheritance
:13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to
divide the inheritance with me.”
Teacher – didaskalos
– a teacher; in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, and
the duties of man
tell – lego
– to say, to speak; to exhort, advise, to command, direct
This is an imperative, this man is
ordering Jesus to do this.
to divide – merizo
– to divide; to separate into parts, cut into pieces; to distribute
the inheritance – kleronomia
– an inheritance, property received (or to be received) by inheritance
:13 one from the crowd
crowd – ochlos
– a crowd; a casual collection of people; a multitude of men who have
flocked together in some place; a throng; a multitude
Apparently this isn’t one of Jesus’ disciples.
This is just one of the people from the crowd that has gathered around
Jesus.
:13 tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me
It seems the situation is that a parent has passed away, and there’s some
sort of problem over how the inheritance is being divided.
This man from the crowd wants Jesus to step in and solve the problem by being
the one to force the brother to divide the inheritance.
I wonder if the brother of this fellow might even be one of Jesus’
disciples.
It’s not uncommon a stranger to come to me and ask me to deal with one of
you. Somehow people outside the church
seem to think that I control the people inside the church. Amazing.
When a person dies, the questions about what happens to their possessions
can be a big problem.
This last week the world was kind of surprised when Prince died that he apparently
didn’t have a will.
You can only imagine what kinds of court battles are ahead as people will
try to lay claim to an estate currently thought to be worth around $300 million.
I wasn’t all that glad that my parents made me the executor of their estate
(because of the amount of work involved), but I very, very glad that they had
made all the decisions of how to handle everything ahead of time.
I’ve seen other families torn apart by issues of what will happen to the
“inheritance”.
Creating a will or trust takes a
little time and money, it also means you have to face the fact that you will
die one day.
It’s still something that every
responsible person in this room ought to take care of.
:14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over
you?”
made me – kathistemi
(“down” + “to set”) – to set, place, put; to set one over a thing (in
charge of it); to appoint one to administer an office
a judge – dikastes
– a judge, arbitrator, umpire
an arbitrator – meristes
– a divider; of an inheritance
:14 who made Me a judge …over you?
This might sound kind of cruel for Jesus to respond in this way, but He
actually knows what’s going on in this man’s heart, and this is what He’s going
to respond to.
Some of you live with or know people who are addicts. Some of you are addicts.
One of the particularly difficult traits of an addict is that of
manipulation.
An addict knows what to say or do in order to manipulate those around them
in order to get things they want.
Sometimes it is not a good thing to do what an addict asks you to do.
I’m not trying to say that this man talking to Jesus is an addict, but I do
find it instructive that Jesus did not do everything that anyone would ask Him
to do.
Sometimes, like Jesus does with this man, the better response is to say
“no”.
:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s
life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
:15 He said to them
Jesus directs this next thing to the people that are watching all this discussion
take place.
This man’s problem is a “teachable moment” for the rest of the crowd.
What Jesus has just said and done
with this man is based on something that the rest of the crowd needs to pay
attention to.
:15 Take heed and beware of covetousness
Take heed – horao
– to see with the eyes; to see with the mind, to perceive, know
Keep your eyes open to this.
beware – phulasso – to
guard; to watch, keep watch
You need some kind of “early warning system” because a big storm called
“covetousness” is coming your way.
Today, people living in the Midwest have a sophisticated warning system to
give them a heads up when a tornado is coming their way. It wasn’t always so. You all know what happens if your farmhouse
gets caught in a tornado …
Illustration
Taking A Bath
In one tornado, a house was completely whisked away leaving only the
foundation and first floor. A silver-haired farm lady was seen sitting dazed,
in a bathtub, the only remaining part of the house left above the floor. The
rescue squad rushed to her aid and found her unhurt. She was just sitting there
in the tub, talking to herself. “It was the most amazing thing... it was the
most amazing thing.” she kept repeating dazedly. “What was the most amazing
thing, Ma’am?” asked one of the rescuers. “I was visiting my daughter here,
taking a bath and all I did was pull the plug and dog-gone-it if the whole
house didn’t suddenly drain away.”
Lesson
Greed Alert
Even more than tornadoes, we need to be on the alert for greed in our
lives. It won’t just sweep our house away, but everything. It will turn the nicest person into the
wickedest witch.
covetousness – pleonexia –
greedy desire to have more, covetousness
It’s simply wanting “more” and “more”.
The word comes from pleonektes, (“more” + “to have”) one
eager to have more, esp. what belongs to others
Some people see the hunger for “more” as a good motivation to work hard.
God thinks it’s a serious problem.
It defiles us –
In giving a big
list of terrible sins, Jesus mentions “covetousness” and says,
(Mark 7: 23 NKJV) All
these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Covetousness harms
our soul.
Included in a long list of things
that describe a person heading to hell (Rom. 1:29), Paul writes
(Romans 1:29 NKJV) —29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
(Romans 1:32 NKJV) …those
who practice such things are deserving of death…
It can keep you from heaven. In
listing things that will keep you from heaven, Paul wrote,
(1
Corinthians 6:10 NKJV) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
It is something that should not even be connected to Christians –
(Ephesians
5:3 NKJV) But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not
even be named among you, as is fitting for saints
The ad agencies on Madison Avenue want you to “want” more.
They work overtime to make you feel that you can’t be
happy unless you have
that next new fashion
that newest phone
that cooler car
Video: Edsel Commercial – “Tunnel”
(BTW – the Edsel was Ford’s most famous boondoggle. It lost the company $250 million)
It is said that the difference
between a man with six children and a man with six million dollars is that the
man with six million dollars wants more.
100 years ago, J.D. Rockefeller was one of the world’s wealthiest men, was
asked how much money would make a man happy.
He replied, “Just a little more”.
Illustration – Monkey Treats
Monkey trappers in North Africa have a clever method of catching their
prey. A number of gourds are filled with nuts (or other kinds of monkey treats)
and firmly fastened to a branch of a tree.
Each has a hole just large enough for the unwary monkey to stick his
forepaw into it. When the hungry animal discovers this, he quickly grasps a
handful of nuts, but the hole is too small for him to withdraw his clenched
fist. And he doesn't have enough sense
to open up his hand and let go in order to escape, so he is easily taken
captive.
We too get ourselves into trouble when we don’t learn to “let go” of our
“stuff”.
Illustration
Once upon a time there was a White
Knight looking for adventure. He came to a village where legend told of a
terrible ogre in a pit. Bravely the White Knight took up the challenge. He
would do battle with the terrible ogre in the pit. The people remembered
several courageous men had climbed down into the pit, but no one could remember
even one of those champions returning.
The White Knight stood looking at
the deep, dark hole. The opening was so narrow he stripped himself of armor and
unnecessary clothing. He took only a long dagger, which he tied around his neck
with a leather strap. After securing a rope at the opening and testing its
strength, he gripped it firmly and began lowering himself, hand under hand,
letting the rope slip between his feet. Soon he felt the cool, smooth floor of
the chamber. It took several minutes for his eyes to adjust to the darkness,
but soon he focused on a large mound. Then he realized it was the bones of his
predecessors, along with their assorted weapons. A little way off he spotted
another mound, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
Suddenly he was surprised by the
inhabitant of the pit—surprised because he didn’t anticipate that the ogre
would be only as tall as a rabbit. The ogre waved his arms and screeched with
its squeaky voice, trying to appear as fierce as possible. The White Knight
picked up a sword from the floor and prepared to do battle, but quick as a rat,
the ogre ran into a hole near the second mound.
The White Knight followed, and as
the second mound became clearer, again he was surprised. Before his eyes there
glittered balls of gold as big as grapefruits and diamonds as big as plums.
With only a small part of that treasure, any commoner would be a prince for
life. The little ogre lost its importance in view of this great treasure.
But the White Knight had a problem.
How would he carry it out of the hole? He had no pockets. Who would believe him
if he didn’t bring back at least one piece?
He suddenly had an idea. He would
take one of the diamonds in his mouth and carry it that way until he had
climbed out of the hole. He could always come back later for the rest.
Hurriedly he chose one of the larger diamonds. It fit comfortably into his
mouth, and he began the arduous climb out of the pit, hand over hand, gripping
the rope with his feet. His tongue held the diamond tightly against the roof of
his mouth. Higher and higher he climbed until the heavy exertion began to
render him breathless. He would have to breathe through his mouth in order to
get enough air. As he took in a large gulp of air the diamond slipped and stuck
in his throat. The White Knight choked on his treasure, lost consciousness, and
fell to his death on the mound of bones below.
You see, the terrible ogre in the
pit was not the little troll. The ogre in the pit was greed … that desire for
just a little bit more.
The glitter of this world had
choked him to death.
--James S.
Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988),
p. 372.
Why is greed so dangerous?
:15 one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he
possesses
the abundance – perisseuo
– to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain
number or measure; to exist or be at hand in abundance; to be great (abundant);
a thing which comes in abundance, or overflows unto one, something falls to the
lot of one in large measure
Covetousness comes when you want to
have “more” than you have, when you want to “abound” in more than you have.
possesses – huparchonta
– possessions, goods, wealth, property
literally, “life is not in the overflowing of things you possess”
Lesson
Bigger than stuff
We think that if we just had a little bit “more”, or better yet, a LOT
more, then life would be better.
Jesus would tell you, “No”.
Your life is way bigger than the stuff you own.
life – zoe – life;
existence
This isn’t simple biological life (bios),
but the fullness of life that includes your body, your soul, and your spirit.
You are not your stuff.
The “real you” is not defined by your “stuff” or even your lack of “stuff”.
Illustration
Jim Elliot was a young pilot killed on
the mission field in 1956. He wrote,
“He is no fool who
gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
In one of his journal entries he wrote,
I walked out to the
hill just now. It is exalting, delicious. To stand embraced by the shadows of a
friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing
your heart, to gaze and glory and to give oneself again to God, what more could
a man ask?
Oh, the fullness,
pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth. I care not if I never raise
my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Perhaps, in mercy,
He shall give me a host of children that I may lead through the vast star
fields to explore His delicacies whose fingers’ ends set them to burning. But
if not, if only I may see Him, smell His garments, and smile into my Lover’s
eyes, ah, then, not stars, nor children, shall matter—only Himself.
-- Jim Elliot in The Journals of Jim Elliot; entry of January 16,
1951. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 7.
Do you want your life (zoe) to be
worth something?
There is nothing greater than knowing, loving, and following God.
12:16-21 The Rich Man’s Barns
:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich
man yielded plentifully.
rich – plousios
– wealthy, abounding in material resources
yielded – euphoreo
– to be fertile, bring forth plentifully
the ground – chora
– the space lying between two places or limits; a region or country i.e. a
tract of land; land which is ploughed or cultivated, ground
:16 He spoke a parable
Jesus is going to tell a story to illustrate what He’s been saying.
The man was already rich before his fields bring forth this huge bumper
crop.
:17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have
no room to store my crops?’
thought – dialogizomai
– to bring together different reasons, to reckon up the reasons, to reason,
revolve in one’s mind, deliberate
It is not wrong that this man is
“reasoning” within himself. The problem
is that his focus is solely upon his own self, his own welfare.
to store – sunago
– to gather together, to gather; to draw together, collect
crops – karpos
– fruit
:17 What shall I do
How would you like a problem like this one?
Too much money! Wow! Greed Alert!
:18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build
greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
pull down – kathaireo
– to take down; to pull down, demolish
barns – apotheke
– a place in which anything is laid by or up; a storehouse, granary
greater – megas
– great (comparative – “greater”)
build – oikodomeo
– to build a house, erect a building
store – sunago
– to gather together, to gather
crops – gennema
– that which has been born or begotten; the offspring or progeny of men or
animals; the fruits of the earth, the produce of agriculture
goods – agathos
– of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant,
agreeable, joyful, happy
:18 pull down my barns and build greater
It actually sounds like a pretty good idea on the outside. Hey, they guy is simply trying to save all
this money he’s just made.
It’s actually a great idea to save
for the future. There is nothing wrong
with that. Paul wrote,
(1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV) But if
anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Solomon wrote,
(Proverbs 13:22 NKJV) A good man
leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
The problem is, where is God in this whole picture? Where does God figure into this man’s
thoughts?
:19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many
years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
soul – psuche
– breath; the soul
many – polus
– many, much, large
goods – agathos
– of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant,
agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
laid up – keimai
– to lie; of an infant; of one buried; of things that quietly cover some
spot; of vessels, of a throne, of the site of a city, of grain and other things
laid up together, of a foundation
take your ease – anapauo
– to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to
recover and collect his strength; to give rest, refresh, to give one’s self
rest, take rest; to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation
This is not an “evil” word, to
“take your ease”. Look how the Greek
word is used in other places –
Jesus offers us spiritual “rest”
(same Greek word)
(Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Come to
Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus told his disciples that they
were working too hard and needed a break, physical “rest”
(Mark 6:31 NKJV) And He said to them,
“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For
there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
There will be “rest” in heaven.
(Revelation 6:11 NKJV) Then a
white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest
a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants
and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
So, what’s wrong with this picture?
The problem isn’t in finding
“rest”, the problem is in what gives you your “rest”.
The fool is trusting in his own
riches for his rest and peace of mind, instead of having a trust in God.
:19 eat, drink, and be merry
This phrase is actually found a few times in the Old Testament (Ecc. 2:24;
12:13-14; Is. 22:12-13)
eat – phago
– to eat
drink – pino
– to drink
be merry – euphraino
– to gladden, make joyful; to be glad, to be merry, to rejoice; to rejoice
in, be delighted with a thing
When Solomon was trying to figure
out what life was all about, he tried all sorts of things to find fulfillment.
One of the periods of his life was
filled with eating, drinking, and being merry…
(Ecclesiastes 2:24 NKJV) Nothing is
better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his
soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of
God.
But this wasn’t his final
conclusion. His final conclusion was:
(Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 NKJV) —13 Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God
will bring every work into judgment, Including
every secret thing, Whether
good or evil.
One of Isaiah’s prophecies was a
rebuke against the city of Jerusalem.
They had many sins that they were not dealing with. God wanted them to take steps to deal with
their sin:
(Isaiah 22:12–13 NKJV) —12 And in
that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13
But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Instead of dealing with their sin,
they were simply avoiding the problem by “eating, drinking, and making merry”.
Paul talks about how the resurrection impacts our view on life and quotes
the prophet Isaiah:
(1 Corinthians
15:32 NKJV) If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
As believers, we can face the difficult times in life because we know that
there is something greater for us in heaven.
The person who has no hope and no God can’t find anything better to do with
their life than live for pleasure.
For some of us, we aren’t exactly
in the category of “rich” people. And we
don’t exactly find ourselves with huge “bumper crops” coming our way. But we have this idea that if we just had a
little “more” stuff, then we’d be able to find “rest”.
Here’s a man that already has
wealth, and he hadn’t found rest in it.
Will even more wealth bring him peace?
Not likely.
(Ecclesiastes 5:10–11 NLT) —10 Those
who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth
brings true happiness! 11 The more
you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is
wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
(Proverbs 27:20 NKJV) Hell and
Destruction are never full; So the
eyes of man are never satisfied.
:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of
you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
fool – aphron
(“not” + “mind”) – without reason; senseless, foolish, stupid; without
reflection or intelligence, acting rashly
Mr. T??
You can be intelligent, and still
be a fool. Here’s God’s definition of
the true “fool”:
(Psalm 14:1 NKJV) The fool
has said in his heart,“There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have
done abominable works, There is
none who does good.
The man is a fool because he has
left God out of the equation of his life.
:20 your soul will be required of you
soul – psuche
– breath; the soul
required – apaiteo – to
ask back, demand back, exact something due
Lesson
Accountable to God
The idea is that God has originally given us our “life”, our “soul”, and
one day He’s going to ask for it back.
He is going to want to know what you’ve done with your life.
Jesus told another parable about a wealthy land owner who entrusted his
finances to his servants while he went on a long journey.
(Matthew 25:19–21
NKJV) —19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled
accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other
talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained
five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;
you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.’
The “talent” was an amount of money, perhaps equivalent to about 75 pounds
of gold.
This parable can sound as if God is wanting you to make a lot of money for
Him, but the point isn’t the money or the amount of money.
The point is that God has given each of us something.
It may be finances.
It may be abilities.
It may be personality qualities.
It may be certain life experiences.
It may be spiritual gifts.
There will be a day when we each stand before God and He
will want to know what we did with the things He entrusted to us.
Are you using what God has given you to further your
kingdom or God’s kingdom?
Is your goal in life to “take your ease”, or is it to
serve your King?
It starts by following Jesus and giving Him your life.
:20 whose will those things be which you have provided
All the “stuff” you’ve worked so hard for all these years will someday be
left behind for someone else.
have provided – hetoimazo
– to make ready, prepare; to make the necessary preparations, get
everything ready
Lesson
You leave it all behind.
When you work your whole life to
amass wealth and “stuff”, you face a problem at the end of your life.
Solomon hated the idea of leaving
his wealth behind for others.
(Ecclesiastes 2:18–19 NLT) —18 I
came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others
everything I have earned. 19 And who
can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control
everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How
meaningless!
And yet a wise man will leave
something behind for his children.
(Proverbs 13:22 NKJV) A good man
leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
But the contrast
with this rich man in Luke 12 is that he wasn’t thinking of others, he was only
thinking of himself.
:21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God.”
lays up treasure – thesaurizo
– to gather and lay up, to heap up, store up; to accumulate riches; to keep
in store, store up, reserve
present active participle
rich – plouteo
– to be rich, to have abundance; of outward possessions; metaph. to be
richly supplied; is affluent in resources so that he can give blessings of
salvation to all
present active participle
:21 rich toward God
Lesson
Wealth building
Though it’s true that you “can’t take it with you”, it is also true that
you can “send it on ahead”.
Jesus said,
(Matthew 6:20 NKJV)
but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Let me spend a few minutes of your time this morning to talk about “wealth
management”.
I’m not actually going to talk about IRAs or purchasing stock.
But I do hope to answer some of your questions about building your
treasures in heaven.
The Bible has some specific advice when it comes to heavenly wealth
management.
Focus on heaven
(Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV) —19 “Do not
lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Though I understand the old saying,
“You’re too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”, there is also a sense in
which heaven ought to be one of the top things on our mind.
A good test of where your mind is
would be to examine the times when you’ve lost things here on earth.
How did you feel
when your new car got its first scratch?
How does it affect
you when the stock market crashes?
Are you devastated
to the point that you think your life is over?
If you invest in heaven (like we’re
going to see), then you will find that your heart will be increasingly drawn to
heaven.
Do good
(1 Timothy 6:17–19
NKJV) —17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty,
nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all
things to enjoy. 18
Let
them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
19 storing up
for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold
on eternal life.
Lest you think
this verse only applies to people who are wealthier than you are, think again.
When Jesus was
watching people give money to the Temple Treasury, He pointed out the person
who gave the most, a poor widow woman who gave two small copper coins. He said,
(Mark 12:44 NKJV) for
they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all
that she had, her whole livelihood.”
If you have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to
sleep, you are “rich in this present age”.
Do good with what you have. Be willing to share when God prompts you (not
when others guilt you). Do good things
for others.
Check your motives
(1 Corinthians
13:1–3 NKJV) —1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but
have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
You will find no benefit (profit) in your heavenly bank
account if you are not doing things for the right reasons.
Doing good to others is easy.
Actually having the right motives and loving those same
people is not so easy.
I can do great things without love, but in the end there
will be no “profit” for me if I don’t learn to love.
:20 This night your soul will be required of you
King Nebuchadnezzar had been warned
by God in a dream about his own pride and the need to acknowledge the God of
heaven. And then one day, while
strolling through his palace grounds and admiring and boasting about his own
greatness…
(Daniel 4:31 NKJV) While the
word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King
Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
Nebuchadnezzar would lose his mind
for a period of time until he came to the point where he was willing to
acknowledge that God was the Almighty One.
We never know when God is going to say, “Your time is up”. For this man, it happened at a time when he
only got as far as “dreaming” of his bigger barns.
Illustration
Here’s
a story from all the way back in 1983, back in the days when personal
computers were just beginning to hit the market…
Dennis Barnhart was president of an aggressive, rapidly growing company, Eagle
Computer Incorporated. From a small
beginning, his firm grew incredibly fast.
He finally decided they should go public. The forty-four-year-old man, as a result of
this first public stock offering, became a multimillionaire virtually
overnight. Then, for some strange
reason, while he was in his red Ferrari only blocks from the company
headquarters, he drove his car through twenty feet of guard rail into a ravine
and died. All on the same day he became a multimillionaire.
A Los Angeles Times account read:
Until the accident at 4:30
Wednesday afternoon, it had been the best days for Barnhart and the thriving
young company, which makes small business and personal computers. Eagle netted $37 million from the initial
offering of 2.75 million shares. The
stock which hit the market at $13 a share quickly rose as high as $27 before
closing at a bid price of $15.50.
After describing the stock, the
article added: "That made Barnharts ownership of 592,000 shares worth more
than $9 million." And that same
afternoon he died in an auto accident.
The company would eventually file
for bankruptcy three years later.
Lesson
Are you ready?
If you were to die tonight, how would your discussion with God go?
There is no purgatory in the Bible.
There is no chance to work your way into heaven after you die. The Bible says,
(Hebrews 9:27 NKJV)
And
as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
When you die, you will stand before God.
If God were to ask you why He should allow you into heaven, how would you
respond?
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly
Gates. St. Peter says, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it
into heaven. You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a
certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you
reach 100 points, you get in. “Okay,” the man says, “I was married to the same
woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.” “That’s
wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth three points!” “Three points?” he
says. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my
tithe and service.” “Terrific!” says St. Peter. “That’s certainly worth a
point.” “One point!?!!” “I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a
shelter for homeless veterans.” “Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,”
he says. “Two points!?!!” Exasperated, the man cries. “At this rate the only
way I’ll get into heaven is by the grace of God.” “Bingo, 100 points! Come on
in!”
We are only saved because of what Jesus did for us, dying
for us on the cross.
All of our sins are washed away when we come to trust in God’s
grace.
Are you ready to trust Him today?