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Pastor George’s Message... Sunday, August 29, 2010 |
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May 30th SAMSON: “A Strong Beginning” June 6th SAMSON: “A Dark Ending” June 13th —Rev. Cliff Black Speaking June 20th —Rev. Cliff Black Speaking June 27th Singspiration/Hymn Sing July 4th “Life, Liberity, and the Persuit of Happiness” July 11th “When Little is Much” July 18th —Rev. Cliff Black Speaking July 25th “When Sin is Sin” —1 John 1:5-10 Aug 1st “Our Assurance of Salvation” Part 1 —1 John 2:1-6 Aug 8th “Our Assurance of Salvation” Part 2 —1 John 3:1-10 Aug 15th “The Stockholm syndrome” —1 John 2:15-17 Aug 23rd “The Unsearchable Riches of Christ” —Ephesians 3:7-13 Aug 29th “How to Fail While Really Trying” Sept 5th LABOR DAY: “Spectator Syndrome” —Matt. 5:13-16 Sept 12th UNWHOLESOME TALK: “Falsehood, Words Spoken in Anger, & Obscenity” —Ephesians 4:29 Sept 19th UNWHOLESOME TALK: “Foolish Talk, Course Joking, Too Many Words” —Ephesians 4:29 Sept 26th UNWHOLESOME TALK: “Flattery, Swearing, Gossiping, Slandar” —Ephesians 4:29
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Pastor George’s Preaching Schedule... |
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Church Phone: 219-447-3045 Email: pastorgeo@VERIZON.net |
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HOW TO FAIL WHILE REALLY TRYING SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:16-20 Key Verse: INTRODUCTION: This morning I want to tell you how to fail while really trying! There are all kinds of books, tapes, seminars, and workshops on “How to succeed while hardly trying!”… so I thought maybe I should tell you “How to fail while really trying”. It seems to me, that if it’s so important for us to know how to succeed, then maybe we should know how we can fail first… because, if Murphy’s Law holds true… which for most of us it does… then knowing how to fail first, while really trying, should get us on the road to success. So this morning I want to give you two ways you can fail for sure, while really trying… By giving you these two ways to fail, then you can avoid them, and that means you’re two steps closer to success. The two ways to fail I want us to look at this morning is taken from the story Jesus told which we have read as our Scripture Lesson this morning. Before we get into these two ways to fail, I want us to look at the background of this story. Background of The Story: Jesus begins by saying: Luke 12:16 (NIV) "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. You may be saying already: “But I thought you were going to tell us how to fail?!” The man was rich… He was a success… Well… maybe he was… maybe he wasn’t… The Scripture Lesson says: Luke 12:16 (NIV) "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. The man seems to have come by his wealth honestly… He didn’t get his wealth by devouring widow’s houses or by oppressing the poor or by cheating his hired hands. It simply says: Luke 12:16 (NIV) "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. You would have to same in some sense: “He was a success…” Well… maybe he was… maybe he wasn’t… At lease he seemed to be foresighted and practical. He seemed to have all the qualities of a good business man. When his harvest demanded new and bigger granaries, he wasn’t afraid to make the investment to build larger ones. By all human standards he had “arrived”… he was a success… No doubt his neighbors greeted him with the respect due the “successful”. He may have even been elected to the local school board or chairman of the City Council or Better Business Bureau. But in verse 20 at the end of the story God called him a “fool”. In God’s eyes he was a failure. Why?... God called him a “fool” for two basic reasons: 1) He thought only of Himself. 2) He thought only of this world. Jesus doesn’t condemn the man for his wealth… Jesus doesn’t condemn him for his foresightedness… Jesus doesn’t condemn him because he was a progressive farmer and businessman… Jesus condemned him because of two drastic character flaws that showed up later in his life… but which had probably been there from the beginning. Jesus called the man a fool and a failure because of two drastic flaws he had developed early within his character. Want to fail?... Then think only of yourself… Want to fail?... Then think only of this world… Let’s look at how these two character flaws affected the life of the “rich man” in our story. Then let’s see how these same two character flaws may affect us. He Thought Only of Himself: The fact that he thought only of himself is seen in the fact that almost no other passage of scripture in all the Bible has more of the words, “I” and “my”, than this one. The word “I” occurs six times in just 2 short verses. The word “my” is used another six times. Illustration: A little schoolboy was once asked by his English teacher what part of speech “My” and “Mine” were. Since he had a little trouble with the King’s English and grammar, as I do from time to time, all he could remember was that they were called “aggressive pronouns”… instead of “possessive pronouns”… Certainly the “rich man” in our story was “aggressively self-centered”. He could think of no one else except himself. He had no thought of God… Everything was “my crops”… “my barns”… “my grain”… “my goods”… But in what real sense were they his?... Did he command the seed to grow?... Did he release the fertility of the soil into the roots of the plants?... Were the sunrise and sunset under his control?... Was the faithfulness of the seasons his merit?... If the rain had not come, where then would have been his wealth?... The Scripture Lesson says: Luke 12:16 (NIV) "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He was given his fortune because of the fertility of the soil… the heat and light of the sun… the consistency of nature’s cycles… and yet he had the audacity to call them “mine”! His title is well earned… (vs. 20) “You fool!” He also had no thought for his fellow human beings… Had he earned all the riches by himself?... It is doubtful that he did all his own plowing… reaping… and building of his barns single-handedly. It’s been said: “Wealth is always more of an achievement of society, than of the individual.” Without society maintaining and enforcing laws, industry and free enterprise would be impossible. The sources of all our income are land, labor, and ideas. No individual, no matter how resourceful or industrious, can make a fortune all by him/herself. We are always reliant upon the labors, ideas, and inventions freely given by others living and dead who have gone before us. The rich man had reached affluence mainly by reason of others… And yet he had no gift of sympathy… he expressed no thanksgiving or gratitude for what other had done before him… he thought only of himself. He said: (vs. 17) “I don’t have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do?...” Need we ask: “Was there no sickness to heal?… no nakedness to clothe?… no hungry to feed?... Instead he said to himself: (vs. 19) “Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” He was heedless of his fellow human beings… just as he was heedless of God, who had given him all his wealth. Want to fail?... Think only of yourself… Forget about God!... Forget about your neighbor!... Jesus was once asked what was most important… he said: (Matt. 22:37-39) “Love the Lord your God with your whole being…” and secondly: “Love your neighbor as yourself…” The rich fool had missed everything that was of ultimate importance. He Thought Only of This World: The rich man’s second great character flaw was the fact that he thought only of this world. “He never saw beyond this world. All his plans were made on the basis of life in this world.” Modern Parable: There’s a story of the conversation between an ambitious young man and a wise old man who knew life. “I will”, said the young man, “learn my trade”. “And then?” said the old man. “I’ll set up my business.” “And then?” “I’ll make my fortune.” “And then?” “Well, I suppose that I’ll grow old and retire and live on my money.” “And then?” “Well… I suppose that someday I will die.” “And then?”, said the old man… Our Scripture Lesson says: Luke 12:20 (NIV) 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' How rich he was… yet how poor… The rich man in reality was a pauper… He lost his own soul… We are not told the reason for the sudden death of the man in the parable. But it’s fair to assume that it was the grind of getting and getting and getting without really being satisfied or finding any real purpose for his life… this was what caused his premature death. It had sapped his strength. Many such men have died in what should have been the prime of their life. We often question and wonder, why God brings such men to such an early grave… yet in fact, there is no mystery… except the mystery of what drives men and women to burn themselves out just for things. We are reminded of the question Jesus asked on another occasion: Matthew 16:26 (NIV) 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? The tragedy was not the sudden loss of the man’s life… even as young as he might have been. Jesus lost his life when He was a young man too. He in fact invited death by refusing to compromise His principles and character. George Buttrick points out in comment on this story of the rich man: “The (real) tragedy of the Rich man was that the sudden death of the body… brought the realization of a soul sick unto death.” In gaining just part of the world, he had forfeited his own soul… all because he thought only of this world! Want to fail?... Think only of this world! Make plans for life only in this world! Ultimately our choice in life lies between ourselves and others… and between this world and the next. Conclusion: What is real wealth and success? It’s a conscience void of offense… cleansed by frequent prayer… made strong by high resolve and noble deed. What is real wealth and success? It’s the glad outgoing of human love… compassion’s spring kept wet and warm… What is real wealth and success? It’s the quest for a soul washed white… worthier homes… kindlier thoughts… purer patriotism… a world of peace and righteousness. What is real wealth and success? It’s the finding of the Great Companion, Jesus Christ, whose love atones for our mistakes and sins… This is the wealth that a “certain rich men” exchanged for barns… What will you be buying with your life?
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Called By God To Be A Multicultural Church Reaching... Loving... Caring... in Jesus' Name |
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Tillman Road Church of God Fort Wayne, IN |