The foolish farmer

Sermon notes from Monday 15 October 2018 Pastor Kenny Wilson

Luke 12 verses 16 – 21

The foolish farmer

If you think of this parable for a few moments, you would think the Lord gave it for a harvest service, to give thanks for the harvest.  A man coming out of his house and seeing how things have done well for the year, then he thinks to himself my barns will not be big enough.  Notice the words “he thought within himself.”  He said “What shall I do”.  He was thinking now.  It is good when we think.  He is looking on what God has blessed him with.  Then he decides what he is going to do.  What would you have done?  What would I have done?  He could have fell on his knees and gave thanks to God.  We don`t praise the Lord half enough.  The Lord has blessed him abundantly.  James 1 verse 17 says “every good gift cometh from above.”  Everything we have God has given it to us.  This man could have fell on his knees and thanked the Lord.  He could have repented of his sins and trusted in the Lord as his own personal Saviour.  Romans 2 verse 4 “the goodness of God leadeth to repentance.”  It may have led him to repentance.  He could have thanked God.  He could have asked for repentance and asked God to forgive him and save him.  He could have given some of his harvest away to someone in need.  He thought to himself “what shall I do” verse 17.  Then in verse 18 he decides “this is what I will do, I will pull down my barns.”  All he did was think about himself.  He was a man fixated on stuff.  He only thinks of himself.  He is only thinking about stuff.  This is what I am going to do.  I will advance my own cause, make sure my life is dead comfortable.  He does not think of eternity.  The things which are seen are temporal.  The bible says when you look at everything you have, you have to realise it will pass away.  The things that cannot be seen, your precious soul is more important.  Verse 16 the parable begins with the word “and”.  That tells me there is a reason for telling this parable.  A set of circumstances have arisen.  The Lord told this story, it is not a fairy story but a real live story.  Verse 1 shows why the Lord told the parable.  He makes it more important and relevant to you.  When did he tell this story?  Who did he tell this story to?  Why did he tell this story? 

First of all notice the need.  This is not a meeting like our meeting tonight, there is an innumerable number of people present.  They could not be counted so there were more than 5000 there.  We cannot tell how many were there.  The Lord is preaching.  He has gathered in this number of people.  Notice the ministry.  He is starting to teach the disciples.  Then he lets in those who were already there.  First point he makes is about hypocrisy.  It is a serious subject.  A hypocrite is someone pretending to be something they are not.  A lot of people pretend they are Christians because they go to church or do certain things.  The Christian is someone who has trusted Christ as Saviour and Lord.  Verse 5 the second point is his message – hell itself.  The fear of God, the power of God and the wrath of God.  It is a very sombre meeting, there is no messing about.  Hell is a real place.  It does not matter if you believe in hell.  It is real.  Verse 13 in this meeting the Lord is preaching.  Notice also the men.  This great crowd and in that crowd there were 2 men.  I want you to see 2 brothers who are in this meeting.  Their dad has just died and they are not speaking to each other.  The inheritance goes to the older son and these 2 boys are in the meeting.  The Lord has been talking about hypocrisy and hell.  This particular boy did not hear the message.  He was only interested in the inheritance.  He wanted Jesus to speak to his brother and tell him to give him half of everything.  They are huffing and fighting.  They haven’t heard a single thing.  They are only interested in temporal things, they are not concerned about hell.  There are only interested in the inheritance.  Can you see now why the Lord is telling the parable?  The Lord goes on to tell this parable to the 2 men who are fighting over the inheritance.  One has everything and the other has nothing.  Verse 16 the parable is for these 2 brothers.  2 sons squabbling over a farm of land.  They have not heard anything that has been said.  They are not even interested in hell or salvation.  They are only interested in the inheritance.  He spoke a parable unto them.  The man in the parable is the father.  They have been raised by a greedy selfish father.  He has led them this merry dance, full of greed and selfishness.  They couldn’t care if he lived or died.  We are only interested in temporal things.  He is telling the parable to us.  As the Lord relates the parable they will recognise who he is speaking about.  The Lord is talking to those 2 men.  Maybe he will talk to you tonight.  Do not worry about your job, your house, your car, your stuff.  You should worry about the Lord.  He wants to speak directly to you. 

The Lord says to these 2 men about their own father “thou fool”.  They were beginning to see their father was a fool when he was alive.  They would not have stood up to their fears.  That is the divine assessment.  This is not his neighbour.  He thinks he is a great fella.  They think he is a great man, would like to be big with him.  This is not what others are saying about him but God is saying this to him.  He is not a fool because he is a farmer or because he has made money.  He is a fool because he failed to see his need.  He failed to see his need of salvation.  There are people like this farmer.  No I am a good person, I go to church every Sunday.  This man is a fool because he failed to see his need as a sinner.  He never prepared to meet his God.  He has made no preparation.  He has got so much money, he never thought of heaven.  That is why he is a fool.  This is what God says about this man. What does the Bible say what a fool really is.  Proverbs 12 verse 15 he is a fool because of his direction.  “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.”  You cannot have turned or talked about to him.  He thought he was going to heaven.  He is absolutely convinced that he is on his way to heaven.  Maybe someone has told him he is on his way to heaven.  Someone has told him a lie.  Work the hardest you can.   You can try your very hardest, do your very best and you will win your way to heaven.  It is not work nor worship or win your way to heaven.  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the father but by me.”  He is convinced he is going to heaven but all the time he is going to hell.  Are you sure the direction you are on is taking you to heaven?  If you are not you are a fool. This is the divine assessment.  Ecclesiastes 2 verse 14 “the wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in darkness.”  He is a fool because of his darkness.  He cannot see the danger ahead.  He cannot understand he is on his way to hell for all eternity.  Here’s what the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4 “the god of this world has blinded the eyes of them that believe not.”  If you haven’t trusted Christ as Saviour the devil has blinded your eyes.  You are walking in darkness.  There is going to be punishment and judgment ahead of you.  John 3 verse 19 “this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light.”  He is in the dark because he wants to be there.  Men loved darkness rather than light.  This man’s sins are so vile and vicious in God’s eyes.  He is happy that no-one knows he is walking in darkness.  Psalm 53 verse 1 he is a fool because of his declaration.  It is not saying there is no God.  No-one could look out over a field of barley and say there is no God.  In the original the words “there is” were not there.  They are in italics.  The translators put it in there to make it read better.  He is a fool because of a declaration.  People can say yes to God or no to God.  This man has done that.  The Lord has called this man “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  The sinner can say no and that is what this man has said.  The Lord said unto this man “thou fool”.  The divine assessment but also the divine appointment.  That particular night he was not going to see another day. 

If you look at verse 17 what is this man thinking about.  He was thinking about his predicament – what am I going to do.  Verse 18 thinking of his advancement I will pull down my barns and build bigger.  Verse 19 he is thinking now about his retirement.  How wonderful it will be.  He is thinking about his enjoyment “eat, drink and be merry” but he forgot about his appointment.  Verse 20 I want you to picture the house the next morning.  He is usually up early in the morning, wants everyone else up early too but on this particular day the 2 boys are wondering why he is not up as usual.  Then they found him dead.  Hebrews 9 verse 27 “and as it is appointed unto man once to die.”  You and I will have an appointment that we will never miss.  This man forgot about his judgment.  Have you ever thought about that day when your life will be over?  I am believing the Lord in his word to send his son into the world to die on the old rugged cross for my sins.  You will one day have to stand before the Lord and give an account to him of all your actions, words and feelings.  Colossians 2 verse 14.  That is what Christianity is about – trusting alone in Jesus who died on the cross and rose again and he ever lives.  He will blot out the book of all your sins.  Hebrews 10 verse 17 “their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.”  He will never remember them.  There is no record of them again.  God will not remember them again because there is no memory of them. 

Thou fool - the divine assessment. 

The divine appointment - this night. 

The divine accountant “then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided.” 

This man will die that night.  All the things he thought about, everything that he is longing for and had planned for is all left behind.  The thing he couldn`t leave behind, his soul will be in eternal hell.  You can see the divine appointment.  1 Timothy 6 verse 7.  You have brought nothing into this world and it is certain you shall take nothing out of it.  All the things this man had planned out for will be left behind but the thing he couldn`t leave has gone.  Notice when this happened – at harvest time.  It also happened at night.  If I wasn`t saved tonight I wouldn`t be going to bed another night until I had accepted Christ as Saviour.  Would you?