There is a reason why there is not a Bigger Barns church of Christ (if you know of one, let me know). With Jesus as the head of the church and we as the bride. He gave himself up for her (us) to present her (us) radiant and spotless. As Jesus’ bride, we are to be as generous as Jesus. We share not only the gospel but our very lives. Sharing our lives means sharing our possessions. We don’t store up treasures for ourselves, we store up treasures for God.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Anne Frank
Jesus tells a parable in Luke 12 of a man who is blessed with an abundant harvest and chooses to store up his surplus of grain by tearing down his existing barns and building bigger ones.
Building bigger barns is not the real problem of this story.
The problem with wealth is not being prosperous. The problem with wealth is the temptation to keep it all to yourself.
Your wealth is not your greatest joy.
Your willingness to share it is. The problem was not that the farmer had reaped a good crop. The problem was that he thought the crop was his greatest asset. With his new barns full he could “eat, drink and be merry.” He could take things easy. His life of luxury would be a life of leisure. He was looking forward to the (false) comfort and security of his possessions.
Your wealth does not define you.
What would then define the farmer’s life? His wealth became his most recognizable attribute.
“Well done good and faithful servant” are not the words spoken by God to the person who takes life easy. They are spoken to the person who extends hospitality. They are terms of endearment and reward for the person who gives, not to the person who only receives.
“Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Jesus
Your wealth is not your greatest asset.
For a person of faith, our possessions are not our greatest asset, God is. Real riches are not defined by what is in our garage, or what is in our bank account. Real riches are found in a relationship with God.
Be rich toward God.
The temptation is to be rich toward self. In this
We don’t live for “I,” we live for “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).
When self is all we choose to serve then when our lives are demanded of us then we will have very little to show for it.
When we die we take nothing with us but only what has gone before us. What goes before us is what we have chosen to store up for God.
What goes before us is what we choose to give away.
Through generosity, giving, hospitality, and offerings we choose to say to self that we will not take it easy but we will give encouragement. We will not be motivated by leisure but we will be compelled by love.
Use what God has gifted you to give the gift of encouragement and love to others.
… so in
Romans 12:5-6, 8 (NIV)Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us… if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously…
A gift isn’t a gift until it’s given away. Give the better gift. The better gift is the one you give.
Be rich toward God.
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Jovan preaches for the Littleton Church of Christ near Denver, Colorado. Visit here to listen to sermons preached at the Littleton Church.