Bigger and Better Barns Killen 3/1/2025

Luke 12:16-21   nkjv16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

❓What if someone offered to buy you one thing, anything you wanted, what would it be? ❓If you could have anything you wanted to make you happy, what would it be?❓

👉 ****) II heard it once said, “The first step to getting what you want is to have the courage to get rid of your want.” (****👈👉 ****) Someone else said, “ Sometimes what we think we want is not what we need.” (****👈

💥  We live in a world where everyone is into building bigger and better barns!

➣   What used to be upper income houses for the rich in our society is now considered average to below.  

➣   Areas where middle to upper income people used to live are now considered strictly lower income housing.       

⭐   We want to build “dream houses” that we don’t necessarily need.

💥   THIS IS NOT ABOUT HOUSING!    v16)  “The ground of a certain rich man with a big barn, yielded plentifully.

     ➣   What happens when we are not content with our needs being met and we want more?

     ➣   What happens when we don’t handle our possessions and wealth wisely?

💥  When we fill our life with things we don’t need:

1.     We are robbed of the joy and satisfaction of being content with what we have.👉 ****)Being happy doesn’t mean you have it all -- it simply means you’re thankful for ALL you have.  

 If we cannot be happy with what we do have, then we will not be happy even when we get what we want.  

(****👈   We don’t need it.    *   Can’t use it   * Give it away.)

A.   It interferes with our relationships with others.

B.   Don’t have time for family or kids -- working to have more and more. 

2.     We lose our purpose. v19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

• Sounds good!  But not the purpose or plan that God had for him! v20)
  • It can take us out of God’s will. > v21)  

💥   When do we have too much?  When we are rich in life but not rich toward God.

3.     We become FOOLS. v20) 

• Selfish -- Greedy
• Don’t have time for God > family > helping others

What does this teach:

I.     It is not wrong to be rich or have barns! v21) 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”    

A  Let God be Your treasure.      Luke 12:34 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

     1   The pearl of great price.     

     2    The hidden treasure in the field. 

     But we are wanting too much when what we want takes us away from our relationship with God. v21)

          Life becomes about what we want and what makes us happy.  (Building treasure up for self.)    High Cost.  We pay for this in the family. 

          We don’t have time for God.  Too busy to worship.  Don’t feel like we need to go.

          Not using our excess to help others.  (Brazil fruit in the jungle)

II.        We use what is supposed to help others for ourselves.   

A   USE WHAT YOU HAVE WISELY 

Matthew 19:12) Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

• Give to others.   (This man could have said, “This is what I need to retire.”)
  • But God gave it to him to help others.

➣    It isn’t just about material things that can help, but making a difference in others.

• We can change lives 
• God uses us as instruments to change the world of others, thus changing our own world as well.

III.    Be rich toward God. v20)  20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

   A   PREPARE FOR THE RIGHT RETIREMENT! 1 Timothy 6: 17-19  As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 

• If we listen to the world, we will become fools!
• If we lay up more than is right, it can affect our SOUL.
• When we don’t give of ourselves to God, we are not rich toward God. ( It’s not the amount.)

👉 ****)  Luke 21:1-4’21 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.[a] 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings [b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Only God can help us keep our hearts and minds in Christ

We can only be rich toward God by following Him

We must be wise with what we have.