Episode 1187: Building Bigger Barns

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks for joining me on episode 1,187 of the inspired stewardship podcast. I'm

[00:00:07] Len Herstein: Len Herstein. I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent. And your treasures to live out your calling, having the ability to remain vigilant and avoid complacency is key.

[00:00:23] And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend, Scott Maderer.

[00:00:31] Scott Maderer: I don't think it's that the rich man couldn't have also had a rich relationship towards God it's that he doesn't, that we're being challenged to think. And this idea of forcing my brother to divide the family inheritance is about focusing again. On the material wealth not welcome. And thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast.

[00:00:58] If you truly [00:01:00] desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast, who will learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence. So that. Can impact the world

[00:01:19] in today's spiritual foundation episode about developing your influence. I talk with you about Luke chapter 12 versus 13 through 21. I share why we are meant to be rich in a different way. And I also share why that does not mean you won't have material wealth as. Luke chapter 12 versus 13 through 21 says someone in the crowd said to him, teacher tell my brother to divide the family, inheritance with me.

[00:01:49] But he said to him friend who set me to be a judge or arbiter over you. And he said to them, take care, be on guard against all kinds of greed [00:02:00] for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Then he told them a par. The land of a rich man produced abundantly, and he thought to himself, what should I do for, I have no place to store my crops.

[00:02:13] Then he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and all of my goods. And I will say to my soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, be Merry. But God said to him, you fool this very night, your life is being demanded of you and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?

[00:02:41] So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves, but are not rich towards God. This parable is one that many of us have probably heard and thought about. And this idea of. Being on guard against greed, because life [00:03:00] does not consist of the abundance of possessions. know, This passage seems to be saying that success richness, having a good life, whatever those terms are that you use are really about, more than just stuff, more than just money, more than just how much you have.

[00:03:21] More than just a scorecard of what it looks like to have a bunch of things. This rich man is talking about, just building bigger barns, storing up more hoarding and holding onto everything that he has rather than enjoying it, rather than sharing it with others, rather than doing anything that produces with.

[00:03:47] There is no benefit from this, even for he himself, the only benefit is he feels even more secure. It says here that the rich man feels [00:04:00] I've got ample goods laid up for many years. I can just sit back and do nothing. I can relax, eat, drink, be Merry. The purpose of the wealth is his own ability to not do.

[00:04:15] currency is currency. It is in motion like the current of a river. This is about passing things through not just holding onto 'em. I don't even think it's this idea of relax. Eat, drink it. Be married. That's necessarily the problem. But the fact that. All he's doing all of the security has been put merely in the ownership of these possessions and what we're being challenged to think about is that it's not the possessions.

[00:04:50] That's the problem. It's the fact that's what he's hooked everything too. That's where his security is. That's what he worships. That [00:05:00] is what he has set up above all other things. and we're being challenged to look at this as being rich in a different way, rich towards God, recognizing that our relationship comes from our relationship with God.

[00:05:20] That's where our real riches come from. That's where our real security comes from as well. Not just from material wealth. I don't think again, that this is saying that material wealth is the problem. I don't think it's that the rich man couldn't have also had a rich relationship towards God it's that he doesn't, that we're being challenged to think.

[00:05:48] And this idea of forcing my brother to divide the family inheritance is about focusing again on the material wealth, not on the family [00:06:00] relationship. On the connections, not on what else is going on, but merely on what is put in front of them that are the goods. That's what the security is coming from. It doesn't necessarily mean you can't have material wealth or won't, it means that can't be the point that can't be what you're putting above all other things.

[00:06:25] If all you're trying to do is build bigger barns. Then something's wrong with how you're viewing, what you've seen as success. That seems to be what this passage is challenging us to recognize. Thanks for listening.

[00:06:43] Thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast. As a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively. But act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. [00:07:00] If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor, go over to facebook.com/inspired stewardship and like our Facebook page and market.

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