The Most Important Thing in LifeLuke 12: 13-34

“Rich people live longer because they can afford a better lifestyle – better food, health care, etc.

Steve Jobs:

Co-founder of Apple Computers

Died: October 5, 2011

Steve Jobs died at age 56.

He came face to face with this reality:

Our MORTALITY.

Are you ready to face it?

The Context

Jesus is telling the people about important matters of life:• Heaven and hell• Value of life in God’s eyes• Rejection of Christ as the Son of God is

the unforgivable sin.• A young man interrupts Jesus:

Luke 12:13 [NIV] - “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

The issue of his inheritance was so important to him he didn’t hear a word that Jesus was saying about the important matters in life.

Jesus’ rebuke and warning:

Luke 12: 14-15 [NIV] - Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?

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.”

greed some translations: covetousness

Def’n: a strong desire to acquire more and more material possessions or to possess more things than other people have, all irrespective of need (Louw, Greek English Lexicon)

v.15 – Then he said to THEM “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;”

Jesus’ warning is addressed to the crowd and to us.

Greed has plagued our modern culture.

Jesus warns us: That’s not what life is all about!

v.15 “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The Parable:

1. The Man is Prosperous

The Bible never teaches us that wealth in itself is evil.

Wealthy men in Scripture:• Abraham• Job • David and Solomon

Wealth in itself is not evil, but wealth can become a hindrance to our relationship with God.

2. The Man is Productive

The wealthy man did not gain his wealth illegitimately

He was honest and worked hard

The Bible encourages productivity and condemns laziness:

Proverbs 10:4 [NIV] - Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

2 Thessalonians 3: 10-12 [NIV] - For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

We need to guard ourselves against the pitfalls of productivity.

Avoid being a workaholic.

We lose sight of the purpose for which we are working.

The man in the parable had one focus HIMSELF.

Jesus teaches that it’s possible to be very productive in life but for all the wrong reasons.

Are you working hard in serving the Lord, contributing towards furthering God’s Kingdom not your own kingdom?

3. The Man is Progressive

Our society hails progress.“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls

around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect”. Ronald Reagan

We spend an incredible amount of time, resources, and energy on progress.

We are investing in things not people they are what’s important in God’s economy

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” C.S. Lewis

4. The Man is A Fool

One night changes everything.

Luke 12: 20 - “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?’

“fool” - a person who does not believe that God’s exists or one who makes choices in life as if God does not exist.

Psalm 53:1 - The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

• His actions were self-centered• His focus of life was driven by materialism

and a desire for possessions• His goal in life was self-indulgence

God intervenes and takes the man’s life.

He had planned for his earthly future but failed to plan for his eternal future.

Luke 12:21 - “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

How can we be rich towards God?

Application: Make God the Center of Your Life

Everything the world offers us is worthless in light of eternity

We must surrender everything – including ourselves over to God.

Is God the most important part of your life?

Luke 12: 22,23 - Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

God provides v.30 “Your Father knows you need them.”

God knows you need to buy groceries, to pay the rent, to fix your car.

Jesus: “Don’t WORRY about these things”

The young man was focused on the

material things of life

He missed Jesus’ teaching on the

important things of life.

Luke 12:31 “But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you.”

Luke 12: 33-34 - “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Invest your time, energy, resources in things that will have eternal value.

Where you focus your resources like time and money is an indication of where your heart is focused.

Where are you storing your treasure?

Life is about more than just things, Jesus says.

Seek God’s Kingdom first.

1 Timothy 6: 17-19 - Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Put God first – that’s the most important thing in life.