Series: METAphor
Sermon: Bet The Farm
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21
ICE BREAKER: Would you rather live on a farm with acreage or a high-class loft downtown?
REVIEW:
This week we learned the parable of the Rich Fool. Before teaching the Parable, Jesus gave us a proverb to warn us about Greed distorting our identity. He then told the story of a rich man who had the best harvest of his life. The crops were so plentiful they did not fit in his current barns. To fix the problem, he decided to tear those barns down, replace them with bigger barns, and live out the rest of his life in ease and comfort.
The parable's point is not that it is wrong to have things or be successful - it is focused on GREED. Greed is defined in scripture as always reaching to have more - and never achieving it. In other words, "MORE" is a moving target. The closer you get to the amount you think will satisfy, the further away the target moves!
Is there something in your life that you are convinced will satisfy you if you can just get it?
Have you ever gotten something you really wanted only to find yourself still wanting more of something else?
The parable shifts when God himself breaks into the story to tell the wealthy farmer that he would lose his life that very night. God then asks what will become of all his selfish pursuits.
Greed caused the man only to consider himself when God blessed him. He didn't think about how to support his parents, leave a legacy for his children, help those in his community who were in need, or, most importantly, how to give back to God!
APPLY:
Greed keeps us reaching and reaching for something we will never find in the things of this world - purpose, and significance. Greed also distorts our identity as someone who is defined by what we have instead of who we belong to (God).
To defeat Greed, we must establish a strong identity in Christ, and we must learn to be generous with what we have because Generosity is the Antidote to a Greedy lifestyle. In other words, we must:
KNOW WHO WE ARE
&
SURRENDER WHAT WE HAVE
In God, we find the security to move from reaching and reaching to giving and giving. There is nothing wrong with having things or success; however, we should use all we are and all we have to live out the purpose God has placed inside of us!
HERE IS THIS WEEK'S APPLICATION QUESTION:
What is ONE AREA of your life where you are consistently Greedy, and what is ONE WAY you will choose Generosity instead?
PRAY:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where Greed is distorting your identity. Seek opportunities for Generosity and ask Jesus to give you the strength to follow through!
