Sunday August 12, 2001
LUKE 12:13-21

o Many of you probably remember
o Alben Barkley, a Kentuckian
o Who served as the vice president
o From 1949 to 1952
o Like all politicians
o Mr. Barkley also used
o Some of those political expressions
o That really do not mean much
o One evening he was invited
o To one of those big political dinners
o Sometime in the course of the evening,
o Someone asked him
o "What does the expression
o "'A qualified maybe' mean?"
o Barkley replied by telling a story
o About an Irish sergeant in WWI
o The sergeant was trying
o To inspire his troops with a pep talk
o He describe the task
o That lay before them
o Then he asked with determination,
o "Boys, will ye fight,
o "Or will ye run?"
o "We will," they all answered
o "Will what?" the sergeant asked
o "Will not!" they chorused
o "That's the spirit,"
o The sergeant beamed
o "I knew ye would."

o I wonder if the sergeant really "knew"
o What those men had committed to
o Sometimes I wonder if that is not
o The same level of commitment
o Some people give to Christ -
o A "qualified maybe"
o They say they will:
o Love God & their neighbor
o Put God 1st in their lives
o Support the church with their
o Prayers, presence, gifts, & service
o But when the going gets a little bit rough
o When the rubber meets the road
o When they are called
o To account for their promises
o They are found somewhere else
o Doing other things
o Not necessarily bad things
o Just other things

o Folks, God has called us
o To commit our lives to Him
o But for some people this has been
o A half-hearted commitment
o A "qualified maybe"
o Maybe we all need to ask ourselves
o Every now & then
o Just how secure we would feel
o In our salvation
o If God were as committed to us
o As we are to Him?

o You see, our real life / our eternal life
o Rests on the foundation
o Of our commitment to God
o & For too many people
o That commitment -that foundation-
o Is a little bit shaky

o Jesus was in the middle of a large crowd
o Luke says many 1,000's had gathered
o There were people crowded around
o Stepping on one another
o & Here in the midst of all these people
o Jesus was teaching His disciples
o He warned them
o Not to fear those
o Who can kill the body
o He said fear the One
o Who can cast your soul into hell
o He comforted them
o When He told them God cares
o For the tiniest details of our lives
o He challenged them
o When He discussed
o The ultimate importance
o Of confessing Him as the Christ
o He encouraged them
o With the promise of
o The presence of the Holy Spirit
o & Then - right in the middle of
o This powerful teaching & preaching -
o Someone says to Jesus

o "Teacher, tell my brother to divide
o "The family inheritance with me."
o How petty can you be!!!
o It is like a teacher in a math class
o Who is at the blackboard
o Diligently deriving
o The quadratic equation
o & Someone says,
o "Teacher, tell Susie, her blouse
o "Does not match her skirt."
o It is rude / inconsiderate / unthoughtful
o It is just plain selfish!
o Hadn't this person heard anything
o Jesus had been saying?
o Apparently not
o Apparently this inheritance issue
o Was in total control of him
o Apparently every aspect of his life
o Was preoccupied with it
o It is true - an injustice has been done
o His older brother apparently
o Was not giving him his _ share
o You can just hear this younger brother
o "It's not fair!"
o "This matter must be put right!"
o "It's my property!"
o "I'll go to a judge."
o "I'll sue my own brother
o "If I have to."
o This man is committed to one thing

o He is committed to getting his share
o Of his family's inheritance
o You know, it is pathetic to watch families
o Quarrel & squabble over
o The property of someone
o Who has loved them
o Someone has aptly said,
o "Where there is a will,
o "There is a wail!"
o But we know, don't we, that
o Our commitment to our possessions
o Is not limited to our inheritances
o We are a people
o Consumed with a desire for "things"
o We commit our whole lives
o - Our time / talents / treasures -
o To obtaining more "things"
o We want bigger & fancier
o Cars
o TV's
o Computers
o Clothing
o Shoes
o Houses
o Vacations
o We seem desperate to get more
o Money
o Power
o Honors
o Esteem
o Titles

o It is no wonder the bumper sticker
o Came out a few years ago that said,
o "He who dies with the most toys wins!"
o It explains exactly
o How many of us are living
o We are committed - body & soul-
o To "winning"
o To getting more "toys"
o But Jesus tells us,
o "Even if you have all the 'toys'
o "You can accumulate,
o "Even if you have so many 'toys'
o "You cannot get them
o "Into your 'toy chest,'
o "You still do not win!"
o & That is because "real life is not
o "Measured by how much we own"
o You see our real life / our eternal life
o Rests on the foundation
o Of our commitment to God
o Not on our possessions

o So Jesus tells a parable about a rich man
o He was rich
o Even before the parable begins
o He has large fertile fields
o But one year everything goes perfectly
o There is rain when rain is needed
o It is dry when it needs to be dry
o It is hot when it needs to be hot

o There are no bugs & no crop diseases
o His hired help are always there on time
o This man has what could be called
o The bumper crop of bumper crops
o He has so much produce
o His barns are not big enough
o To hold it all
o So he decides to build bigger barns
o Just so he can store it all
o Now a crop this size meant this man
o Would make a huge sum of money
o & He assumed this money
o Would give meaning & value to his life
o Because of this vast fortune
o He determined he could retire early
o & Life a life of total rest & relaxation
o To him this was "really living"
o So he said to himself
o (Actually the original text says
o (He said to his "soul")
o "Soul, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!"
o You know, it is interesting
o That he spoke to his soul
o Our soul is the center of our being
o It is the most important part of us
o It is who we really are
o Our life resides in our soul
o It is our soul that lives

o But the important question is
o What is the source of that life?
o Who put life into our souls?
o Where does life come from?
o We know the answer, don't we?
o God gave us life
o God is the One who existed
o Before all other things
o "In the beginning, God . . ."
o Actually, "Before the beginning, God . . ."
o God is the Creator
o Genesis 2:7 says,
o "And the Lord God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person."
o Life is a gift from God
o Even this rich man understood
o His soul / his life
o Was of supreme importance
o Unfortunately he did not recognize
o The source of his life
o He did not recognize it was God
o Who gave him his life
o & What God has given
o God can take away
o Which is exactly what happened
o To this rich man that very night

o But not only did this rich man
o Not understand the source of his life
o He also did not understand
o Who it was who had been
o Sustaining his life all along
o He seemed to think he needed
o All his fabulous wealth
o To sustain his life into his old age
o But just as God is the source of all life
o So also God is the sustainer of all life
o But God does not sustain us
o In the way most of us would like it
o He does it day by day
o In the Lord's Prayer we pray
o "Give us this day our daily bread."
o Most of us would like that to read
o "Give us a supply of bread now
o "That will last for our whole lifetime."
o But that is not how God works
o When the Children of Israel
o Were wandering in the Wilderness
o God gave them manna to eat
o But He only gave them enough
o For one day at a time
o Now that does not mean God is chintzy
o Far from it
o He just wants us to learn
o To lean on Him
o All the time, day by day by day
o God does provide us our daily bread

o But perhaps we need to remember
o God provides our bread daily
o He has promised to do that
o But the rich man in Jesus' parable
o Just like so many people today
o Did not trust that it would happen
o He just did not trust in God

o So God called this man "a fool"
o That line in the Bible
o Has always bothered me
o I cannot imagine what it would be like
o To stand before
o The God of the Universe
o & Have Him point his finger at me
o & Call me a fool
o I really do not like being called a fool
o Especially by God
o & I do think anyone else does either
o But that is what God called this rich man
o Because he did not recognize
o Either the source of his life
o Or the One who had been
o Sustaining his life all along
o This rich man tried
o To care for his own soul/his own life
o By building up treasures for himself
o Just like a lot of people today
o Who are working so hard
o Trying to build up
o Their 401k's

o Their IRA's
o Their mutual funds
o & All those other things
o We think we have to have
o For our future security
o Now there is nothing necessarily wrong
o With these things
o They just are not
o The source or sustainer of your life
o God called the rich man a fool
o Because he failed to turn to God
o For the source & sustaining
o Of his life

o Maybe an analogy would help us
o Understand this story a little better
o Picture, if you will, in your mind
o A small stream
o Now most days there is plenty of water
o In the stream
o As it flows along every day
o But when a drought comes along
o The stream dries up to a small trickle
o Now, when the drought is present
o It does no good whatsoever
o To build up
o The banks of the stream
o If you want the water to flow again
o You need to return to
o The source of the stream's water

o The rich man, like so many of us today
o Was busy building up
o The banks of his stream
o Like us, he was busy accumulating
o More & more possessions
o As if this will somehow add
o Quantity or quality to our lives
o Friends, if we would add true value
o To our lives
o We need to go to the Source
o We need to go to God
o We need to become rich
o In the things of God
o We need to commit ourselves
o To Jesus Christ
o Over & over again the Bible says
o Jesus is the source & sustainer of life
o He came to give us life
o & Life abundantly
o He is the author of life
o We are saved by His life
o He is our life
o A life hidden with Him in God
o In Him is life
o He is the resurrection & the life
o He is the way, the truth, & the life
o He is the true & eternal life
o Jesus is the source & sustainer of life
o If you want get a life
o Commit yourself to Jesus

o You see, the rich man was a fool
o The man concerned with his inheritance
o Was a fool
o Everyone who is committed
o To getting more & more "things"
o Is a fool
o Because they have not recognized
o The source & sustainer of all life
o They have denied the One
o Who gives life
o They have denied the author of life
o Only in Jesus Christ
o Can we have life & life eternal

o That is why Jesus has called us
o To commit ourselves to Him
o So we may share in His life
o But the word "committment"
o Has become a dirty word in our age
o Many couples live together today
o Instead of getting married
o They are afraid of commitment
o Many parents have abortions
o Rather than children
o They are afraid of commitment
o Many people attend church
o But they do not join
o They do not become active
o They do give generously of
o Their time, talents, or money
o They are afraid of commitment

o Of course, that is not true of everyone
o There are others who, rather than being
o Afraid of commitment
o Have lost sight of what
o A "real life" is really all about
o Their wealth and well-being
o Have immunized them from
o The possibilities of "a real life"
o Soren Kierkegaard tells a parable
o About a wild duck who was flying
o In the springtime northward
o Across Europe
o During the flight he landed
o In a Danish barnyard
o Where there were some tame ducks
o The wild duck enjoyed
o Some of their corn
o & Decided to stay for an hour
o Then a day/then a week/then a month
o Finally this wild duck so enjoyed
o The security & food of the barnyard
o That he stayed the whole summer
o But one autumn day a flock of wild ducks
o Was winging its way southward again
o As they passed over the barnyard
o The wild duck heard their cries
o He was stirred with
o A strange thrill of joy & delight
o & With a great flapping of wings
o He rose into the air

o To join his old comrades
o In their flight
o Unfortunately the good food
o & The slow life of the barnyard
o Had made him so soft & heavy
o That he could rise no higher
o Than the eaves of the barn
o So he dropped back to the barnyard
o & Said to himself,
o "Oh well, my life is safe here,
o "& The food is good."
o Every spring & autumn
o When he heard the wild ducks honking
o His eyes would gleam for a moment
o & He would begin to flap his wings
o But finally the day came
o When the wild ducks flew over him
o & Uttered their cry
o & He paid not the slightest attention
o To them

o It seems in our Western affluent world
o So many people are either
o Afraid of commitment
o Or have forgotten what the "real life"
o Is really all about
o But whatever the reason, far to many
o Try to give God a "qualified maybe"
o Like those Irish soldiers
o But that really does not work

o Because there is no such thing
o As a "qualified maybe"
o You are committed to something
o You are either be committed
o To God
o Or to the "things" / the "toys"
o Of this world
o & You cannot be committed to both
o As Jesus said, "You cannot serve
o "Both God & mammon."
o Friends, if you would have
o Life & life abundantly
o If you would have a "real life"
o You must commit yourself -
o Your time
o Your talents
o & Your treasures
o To the Lord
o Because our "real life" rests on
o The foundation of
o Our commitment to Chris
AMEN.