With Gratitude
Pastor Phil Moser
June 4th, 2023
Pastor Phil Moser
June 4th, 2023
Luke 12:15-23
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear 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, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear 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, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
1) How am I to understand OWNERSHIP in the Bible?
I was purchased by Christ to serve others for the glory of God.
I was purchased by Christ to serve others for the glory of God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
You were bought with a price
- agorazō: “to buy in the slave market” (1 Cor. 6:20)
- exagorazō: “to buy out of the slave market; to buy for one’s self” (Gal. 4:5)
- lutroō: to buy for the intention of setting free (Titus 2:14)
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament
2) What are my (actually His) personal resources?
TIME, GIFTING, and FINANCIAL MEANS are to be used for his glory not my own.
TIME, GIFTING, and FINANCIAL MEANS are to be used for his glory not my own.
Psalm 24:1-2, NLT
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. 2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
Personal Resources
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. 2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
Personal Resources
TIME: Time has value—it’s a commodity to be invested (Eph. 5:16)
- Ephesians 5:15-17
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. - “We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake.”
Sir Francis Bacon - Free time isn’t free, its costly.
Once it’s squandered on self it can’t be recovered for others.
GIFTING: Abilities are God given—they are intended to be used for others (1 Cor. 12:7, 11)
- 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, NLT
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other... 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
FINANCIAL MEANS: Wealth leaves impact—it can destroy or reward (Mat. 6:19-24)
- Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:22-23
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! - If you can’t be content with what you HAVE, you’ll never be content with what you WANT.
- Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.