When I was in Bible School, a fellow student once preached a sermon in a chapel service entitled, “Four Things the Foolish Farmer Forgot.” It was based on a portion of our Bible reading for today, Luke 12:13-21.
His short, arresting outline still sticks in my mind…
1. He remembered His gifts, but forgot the Giver.
This is the essence of materialism, putting things before everything else, even God. It springs from a lack of recognition that everything we have comes from God.
2. He remembered himself, but forgot others.
Much of his wrong attitude can be seen by his frequent use of the word, “I.” Think of how much good he could have done with his bumper crop had he thought of helping the poor, etc., instead of just building bigger barns to keep it all for himself!
3. He remembered today, but forgot tomorrow.
A common mistake is sacrificing the future on the altar of the present. Wise people consider both the long and short-term outcome of their attitudes and actions.
4. He remembered life, but forgot about death.
Death is a part of life. It is the destination we are all headed toward. In a sense, life is nothing more than an opportunity to prepare for death. Scripture teaches us that we all will eventually die and then give an account to God for our lives. Death is not the end. It is just the beginning of life after death.
Here is the “bottom-line” concerning all the mistakes this foolish farmer made:
HE LIVED FOR TIME INSTEAD OF ETERNITY…!
I encourage you to make this verse from Psalms your prayer for today,
Psalm 90:12 (NIV84) — 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Pastor Mark
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