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Lesson Thirteen: The Parable Of The Foolish Rich Man 2

Luke 12:13. And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. 16 And he spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 3

Luke 12:18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you hast much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have provided? 21 So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 4

Why This Rich Man Was Considered Foolish By God 8

1. He Forgot Others. HE THOUGHT ONLY OF HIMSELF. 9

Luke 12:17. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops? 18 Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God." 11

Matt. 22:39. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Gal 6:10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. James 1:27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 13

Many Will Be Lost On Judgment Day Because They Forgot To Help Others 14

Matt. 25:41. Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 15

2. He Forgot God. HE LEFT GOD OUT OF HIS PLANS. 16

HE FORGOT TO INCLUDE GOD IN HIS PLANS 17

Matt. 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 18

The Bible teaches us to put the kingdom of God first and to love God above all others in this world. Matt. 22:37. He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 19

If we leave God out of our plans, they are sure to end in ruin. Matt. 10:37. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 20

3. He Forgot HIS SOUL. HE HAD HIS MIND SET ONLY ON MATERIAL THINGS. 21

Matt. 16:26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Luke 12:22. He 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. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 22

Many have exchanged their souls for material things. 23

Mark 10:21. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 24

The Bible warns of the danger of riches. 25

I Tim. 6:9. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 26

I Tim. 6:17. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. 27

Many Have Forgotten Their Souls In Their Pursuit Of Riches And Happiness 28

4. He Forgot REAL JOY. HIS MOTTO WAS: EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY. 29

He thought he could really be happy by eating, drinking and indulging himself. 30

Solomon tells of his search for happiness. 31

Eccl. 2:3. I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine--my mind still guiding me with wisdom--and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 32

Eccl. 2:8. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. 33

Acts 8:39. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 35

5. He Forgot DEATH. HE THOUGHT HE HAD A LONG TIME TO LIVE. 36

WE OFTEN FORGET DEATH AND ACT AS IF WE THINK WE WILL LIVE FOREVER. 38

Heb. 9:27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: James 4:14. Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." 40

Thank You For Being A Part Of This Study On The Parables Of Jesus Bill Wallace 42