1. Over 100 years ago, Charles Haddon Spurgeon published a book entitled, Lectures to my Students.  It is a collection of addresses delivered to the students of his “Pastors’ (Bible) College” in London, England.
2. One of the chapters is entitled, “Anecdotes From the Pulpit.”  In this chapter, Spurgeon said, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the great teacher of teachers, did not disdain the use of anecdotes.  To my mind it seems clear that certain of His parables were facts and, consequently, anecdotes.  May not the story of the Prodigal Son have been a literal truth?  Were there not actual instances of an enemy sowing tares among the wheat?  May not the rich fool who said – “Take thine ease,” have been a photograph taken from life?”
3. “A photograph taken from life.”  Personally, I think Spurgeon was right and this parable of the rich fool is an anecdote – i.e., a true story, and “a photograph taken from life.”
4. And though this story took place many years ago, it is as up-to-date as this morning’s newspaper.
5. My message this morning is entitled, “Modern Problems in an Old Parable.”

I. THE PROBLEM OF COVETOUSNESS (12:13-15).

1. This parable deals with the problem of covetousness.  A man in the crowd requested that our Lord speak to his brother about dividing their inheritance (12:13).
2. This is the context.  Luke 12:15 says, “And He said unto them (not just to the man who made the request, but to all those who were there, and to us as well), Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
3. Verse 16 says, “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.”  This “certain rich man” already had plenty but he wanted more and more (Luke 12:17-19).
4. R C Trench in his book on our Lord’s parables says, “The curtain is here drawn back, and we are admitted into the inner council-chamber of a worldling’s heart, glorying in his abundance.”
5. After telling this parable, our Lord goes on to say in verse 22ff.  “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment…”
6. In other words, the cure for covetousness is contentment.
7. The apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 6:6ff, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”
8. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
9. On Wednesday evenings we have been going through the book of Ecclesiastes.  This book deals quite a bit with the problem of covetousness.
10. King Solomon said, “Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 4:6).
11. Covetousness inevitably leads to “vexation of spirit.”  And yet people foolishly believe money will make them happy.
12. The tenth commandment is, “Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17).
13. In Romans 1, the apostle Paul describes sinners as, “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Rom. 1:29-32).
14. What an indictment!  And right in the middle of this catalogue of wicked sins is “covetousness.”
15. And yet many people do not even consider covetousness a sin. Paul says in Colossians 3:5 that covetousness is idolatry.
16. And in Ephesians 5:3, Paul says, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.”
17. Paul says in Romans chapter 7 that it was the tenth commandment – “Thou shalt not covet” – that convicted him of his lost, sinful condition.
18. Oh that the Holy Spirit would use this tenth commandment to bring conviction today!
19. Saul of Tarsus had never worshipped an idol.  He had never taken the name of God in vain.  He had kept the Sabbath and he honored his mother and his father.
20. He had not lied or stolen or murdered or committed adultery.
21. You might remember that in Philippians 3:6, Paul wrote, “touching the righteousness which is in the law, (he had been) blameless.”
22. But when the Spirit of God showed him that he was guilty of covetousness, he recognized his sin and got things right with God.
23. And so later on, Paul could write, “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11).
24. “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (I Tim. 6:8).
25. But covetous people are never content.  King Solomon said, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity” (Eccl. 5:10).

II. THE PROBLEM OF NOT BEING RICH TOWARD GOD (12:21).

1. This follows covetousness like night follows day.  It all goes together – covetousness, materialism, and not being rich toward God.
2. In Malachi 3:8, the LORD said to the Jews, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.”
3. The Jews answered back, “Wherein have we robbed thee?”  God said, “In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation” (Mal. 3:8, 9).
4. Robbing God!  What a terrible sin!  And our Lord concluded His parable in Luke 12:21 by saying, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
5. In other words, he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God is just like the rich fool in our Lord’s parable.
6. Are you “rich toward God”?
7. Notice our Lord said, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).
8. Our Lord wants us to lay up treasure – but not for ourselves.  He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).
9. May I ask you an important question this morning?  Where is your treasure?

III. THE PROBLEM OF DYING UNEXPECTEDLY (12:20).

1. In Luke 12:20, the Lord calls the rich man a “fool.”  According to the Bible, a fool is someone who lives his life without God.
2. A fool is someone who loves to make money, and spend money, and invest money, but leaves God out of his plans.  Then he dies and goes to hell.
3. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21).  Where is your treasure?
4. God said to the rich man, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (Luke 12:20).  How foolish to live for self, and not for God!
5. “Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
6. Ecclesiastes 2:14 says, “The fool walketh in darkness.”  The man who lives for the things of this world is nothing but a fool.
7. The Bible is filled with sad stories of foolish sinners dying unexpectedly.  Think of Nabal, the man of Carmel who insulted and mistreated David’s messengers.
8. Nabal’s name literally means “fool.”  Nabal was rich; he was a rich fool (cf. I Sam. 25:2, 3).
9. Furthermore, like the rich man in our Lord’s parable, Nabal was a covetous man (I Sam. 25:4—12).
10. David wanted to kill Nabal, and probably would have, had it not been for the wise intervention of Nabal’s gracious wife Abigail (25:13-35).   First Samuel 25:3 says, Abigail “was a woman of good understanding.”
11. Abigail returned home and told her husband Nabal what had happened. And then he too died unexpectedly (25:36-38).
12. King Herod died unexpectedly (Acts 12:20-23).  He was arrayed in royal apparel, and sitting proudly upon his throne.  But soon worms were feasting on his body.
13. And let us not forget Lot’s wife.  In Luke 17:32, our Lord said, “Remember Lot’s wife.”

CONCLUSION:

1. Last Saturday, a 28-year-old police officer was killed in her new home out in Bay Shore.   No one has been charged with the murder but police suspect her live-in boyfriend.
2. I remember a teenage girl who used to visit our church but she never did get saved.  Like so many others who come and go, I lost track of her.
3. Then one Sunday a young lady visited our church.  It turns out she was her sister, and she told us her sister had been shot dead by her boyfriend.
4. Every day people die unexpectedly – either by murder or by accident.  The Bible does not say how the rich fool died.  Our Lord said, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (Luke 12:20).
5. Remember Amos 4:12, “Prepare to meet thy God.”