Majoring in the Minors

Luke 12:13-21

August 1, 2004

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."

Can you remember the dumbest mistake you ever made? You probably can but I suspect you don’t want to talk about it.
We might admit to a few minor mistakes, but we certainly don’t like to admit to major ones! Or not extremely embarrassing ones! And certainly not costly ones!

An extremely costly mistake was made by General Motors one time in which they had to recall 4.9 million vehicles to check for faulty carburetors and exhaust systems. THE POSTAGE ALONE FOR SENDING THE REGISTERED LETTERS COST THEM MORE THAN FOUR MILLION DOLLARS!

Well, one important thing to remember about any mistakes that we make in life is they are generally not fatal. AND THEY CAN BE FORGIVEN IN CHRIST!

Our text in Luke 12 tells us about some big mistakes that people make in life.
1- In planning for himself, he forgot his neighbor
2- In considering his goods, he forgot the giver
3- In providing for his body, he forgot his soul

I. IN PLANNING FOR HIMSELF, HE FORGOT HIS NEIGHBOR
V. 17 With a good crop coming in, the man said, “What shall I do?” As in, “What shall I do with my money?” “How shall I spend my money on me?” It sounded like he wasn’t thinking about anybody but himself.

ILL.- The beggar was dirty and hungry. As the lady passed by she gave him a quarter. “Tell me,” she said, “How did you get so destitute?” “Well, ma’ am,” the beggar said, “I was just like you one time, always giving vast sums of money to the poor.”

Obviously, that woman wasn’t giving vast sums of money to the poor. Of course, if we give anything to the poor, we are doing something. But I doubt seriously that any of us will ever give away too much money.

Any time we think only about ourselves, our wants, our needs, etc., or what we want to do and never consider anybody else then we are in trouble! We are in trouble with the Lord, because He wants us to think of others!

Two friends met for dinner in a restaurant. Each one requested fish and after a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, a large one and medium-sized one, were on the same platter.

One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the medium-sized piece of fish on a plate, he handed it across the table to his friend. His friend said, “Well, you certainly do have a lot of nerve!”

“What’s the matter?” asked the other man. “Look at what you’ve done! You’ve given me the smaller piece of fish and you kept the big one for yourself.”

The man responded, “Well, how would you have served the fish?” The angry man said, “If I were serving, I would have given you the bigger piece.” “WELL,” replied the man, “I’VE GOT THE BIGGER PIECE, DON’T I?”
There are many people who always want the bigger piece!

The Christian way of life is supposed to be unselfish, thinking of others and how we can help them and bless them.

Phil. 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Paul is saying that we are not to be selfish with our lives. Yes, we should take care of our interests, our lives but also help other people with their concerns, burdens, etc.

Eugene Bertin said, “It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that are remembered.”

A certain man was being conducted on a tour of the next world. On reaching the nether regions he was greatly surprised to find the people all seated at a banquet table loaded with appetizing food. On the wall was the one law that was strictly enforced. EVERYONE MUST USE THE KNIVES AND FORKS PROVIDED BY THE MANAGEMENT.
But the tools of service had such long handles that no one could get a bite of food near his mouth. They were all starving to death. And that was hell!

In the celestial city our visiting friend also found the people seated at banquet tables loaded with the same food and they were holding the same long-handled forks. But they were having a delightful time! THEY WERE FEEDING EACH OTHER! AND THAT WAS HEAVEN!
Heaven on earth is when we think of others. Hell on earth is when we think only of ourselves.

II. IN CONSIDERING HIS GOODS, HE FORGOT THE GIVER
V. 18 The rich fool thought about his material goods, but not about the Giver of the goods!

 

Prearcher H.A. Ironside was in a crowded restaurant one day. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited the man to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don’t." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat." 

The man said, "Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!"
Ironside said, "Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!"

James 1:16-17 “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
All good things come from God our Father. All good material, physical, and spiritual things come from God.

The problem is that sometimes we just don’t look at things correctly. We are blind to the goodness of God.
Someone put it this way: “Not only count your blessings, but consider their source as well.”
In considering your goods, don’t forget the Giver.
III. IN PROVIDING FOR HIS BODY, HE FORGOT HIS SOUL
V. 19 The man said, “I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”
All this rich fool was thinking about was the “here and now,” not the hereafter.

There is a life after this life and it is eternal! It will never end! Are we making plans for that life?
So many people in our world think about the body, enjoying the pleasures of this life, but they forget all about the fact that some day they are going to die. THEN WHAT?

I think of people like Bill Gates, who is worth about a billion dollars. He can do anything he wants, go anywhere he wants and he can say anything he wants. He’s got it made in the material sense. BUT SOME DAY HIS LIFE IS GOING TO BE OVER JUST LIKE YOURS AND MINE. THEN WHAT?  Death, they say, is the great equalizer.

The more money and material goods people have, the more they can do without God! But that’s foolish thinking and living!

Haven’t you ever noticed how most children are interested in God and Jesus? And how clearly they seem to see the importance of faith? Then as times goes on it seems that our vision becomes clouded from or distorted to the things of God. We get all excited about the things of this life: going places, doing things, playing, having fun, to the point that we tend to lose sight of the more important things in life, such as loving God and serving Him.

There is a hell to be shunned and a heaven to be gained, but it won’t happen unless we keep our priorities in proper order and our eyes on the Lord!
One of the biggest mistakes that anybody can make in this life is to get all wrapped up in this life and forget about their soul.

Two men and a youth, Arnold Dobson, Harold Most and his son Harold Jr., perished in the summer heat of Death Valley. Deputies found their bodies 7 miles, 14 miles and 17 miles from their abandoned car. The deputy said, “They were kind of strung out like a line and the heat had turned them black.”

In leaving their car to seek help, the three had tragically headed in the wrong direction, going toward a ranch house they had passed 30 miles back. But just a mile in the other direction was a grove of willows and a spring!

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst...” Jesus is the water of life! Make no mistake about it.
The waters of this life do not satisfy nor are they lasting! BUT JESUS SATISFIES AND HE IS LASTING!

So many people are heading in the wrong direction in life. They keep on looking for pleasure from this world and they will eventually end up dead. But if they would just turn and head the other direction, where the living water can be found, they would find true satisfaction and eternal life!

The biggest mistake that people make is following the things of this world and not in following Jesus Christ! Don’t major in the minors!  We need to keep on heading in his direction and point others to Him!


Let us now follow Christ to his table this day, that we might meet him anew and appreciate the gifts which he has given us.