Luke 12: 13 – 21

      1. rich fool forgot that God was his source just as the land is what produced his own wealth.

      2. He did not remember the path to real contentment..

      • Contentment comes from thankfulness
      • Contentment comes from a fear of God which means obeying everything He has for us.
  1. The measure of life

Luke 12: 14 Life is not measured by how much you own

Vs 21 a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

Rich = abundance of outward possessions, be richly supplied, affluent so that he can give blessings of salvation to all.

EXAMPLE: like playing a game of Monopoly, when it is all over the whole thing goes back into the box.

We all end up in the box with nothing

  1. First Fruits

Proverbs 3: 9, 10 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Wealth = substance, things you place high value in.

Produce = product crops income….wisdom…(knowing how to handle a situation,… fruit of lips

Not only give to God first, but give him the very best first

Luke 6: 37, 38 37″Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

We don’t give to get blessed, we give because we are blessed

  1. Walk of Faith

Malachi 3: 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Test = try like in fire.

Key Point: Giving is a battle of faith. Do we trust God?

We will receive an abundance when we obey the word of the Lord.

Luke 5: 5 Master (Luke 6: 46 Why call me Lord if you are not going to do what I say?)We worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing., But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again. And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear. (in fact it almost sank theirs and a friends boat.)

God can make it so life does not just end up in a box