So our final project for Intro to Preaching at TMS was to preach a 12- to 15-minute sermon on a text of our choosing. I chose Luke 12:13-21, the Parable of the Rich Fool, and preached it to my fellow first-year TMS students. I called the sermon: "Portrait of the Wasted Life." Some of you have asked about it, and so I post it here in two parts.
A couple of things to note. I apologize in advance for speaking too quickly at points. We had to keep it under 15 minutes, and if you've known me for any amount of time you know that was a challenge for me. So if you have to rewind at a couple of points, I'm sorry. I hope it's worth it. Also, sorry for the weird camera angle. My professor set it up where he usually sits and not at a straightaway angle from the back. And also, the prayer gets cut off at the end. Basically, I prayed that the Lord would apply His Word to my heart as well as the hearts of my listeners.
I suppose those are enough qualifications. I pray that this will be a benefit to you. The preparation certainly challenged me to examine what the source of my comfort and contentment is. May God give us grace to live like our citizenship is in Heaven and not on Earth, especially in the realm of the pocket book.
For what is a man benefited
if he gains the whole world,
and loses or forfeits himself?
- Luke 9:25 -
Do not be afraid, little flock,
for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to charity;
make yourselves money belts which do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Luke 12:32-34 -
if he gains the whole world,
and loses or forfeits himself?
- Luke 9:25 -
Do not be afraid, little flock,
for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to charity;
make yourselves money belts which do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Luke 12:32-34 -
2 comments:
Mike, it's so encouraging to see how God has grown you in the spiritual gifts that you have! I can honestly say that now you're a better preacher than you were the last time I heard you preach. I'm so looking forward to see you grow more and more in the image of our Lord and Savior!
I appreciated your points a lot. I found the first point to be the most helpful: considering Jesus' estimation of wordly riches. What a great exhortation! To look at Jesus in this matter and follow in His footsteps.
Your second point reminded me of the "Mortification of Sin in Believers" and the point Owen was making about knowing our enemy because if we know our enemy we will be more equipped to fight it.
Also, in your third point about stewardship, I found it very helpful that you mentioned savings accounts. I didn't realize that before, but sometimes decisions that seem wise are motivated by our selfish desires for comfort and financial security. I appreciated your exposing that idol, because it is so subtle especially in the world today. I want to always remember what you said, that "Everything we have is given to us by God to minister His grace". HUGE!!
And you already know how much we (your close friends and siblings in Christ) appreciate the reminder that God is our only true treasure, the lover of our souls and the only one who can fill us and satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness.
We all really miss you and Janna!
Monica,
Thanks so much for your comments. What an encouragement they are to me. Janna and I miss you all as well, and we can't wait to come home and see you all in a few weeks!
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