The Coolidge examiner., 1936-03-20

Gifts.
JUNIOR ToPIC-when Is a Man
Rich?
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC-What Is Most Worth Living
For?
The common tendency of men is
to be engrOsSed with the gifts of
God instead of knowing him as the
heavenly Father and enjoying his
blessed fellowship. Mans supreme
need is to know and enjoy God
himself.
|. A Warning Against covetous-
ness wv. 13-2D.
1. The occasion wv. 13-15). One
of the company requested Jesus to
be umpire in disputed estate. Two
brothers were in trouble over an
inheritance. Christ refused to en-
ter the sphere of the civil law and
warned against the spirit Of ava
rice. His, mission was pre-emi-
nently spiritual.
2. The warning enforced wv. 16-
22). This was done by the parable
of the rich man. He showed most
clearly that to be concerned with
earthly riches while neglecting God
is the highest folly. Concerning
this man, note:
a. His increased goods ". 16).
His riches were rightly obtained,
for the ground brought forth plenti-
fully. A man may be rich because
the Lords blessing is upon him.
b. His perpleXity ". ~. His
lands were producing more than his
barns would hold. He did not want
1t to go to waste. No frugal man
wants to see the fruits of his toll
perish. If he had possessed right
views of life and a sense Of stew
ardship before God, he would have
seen that his barns had enough for
his personal needs, and would
have distributed the surplus to the
needy.
c. His fatal choice (vv. IS. 1W.
He chose TO enlarge his barns. and
give up his life TO ease and luxury.
1t ought to be delightful task for
men whom God has made rich to
devote their time and energy to the
distribution Of their possessions to
benevolent objects.
d. The awful indictment wv. 20.
2D. God calls him fool and this
is no arbitrary Judgment. Riches
furnish neither cOntentment in life
nor guarantee of the continuance
of life. 1t is not only fOoliShnpSS
but madness to forget God while
engaged In heaping up riches. soon
the man must die and his riches
may get into the hands of unwor-
thy men or even curse the lives of
the children who inherit them.
u. The Certain Cure for Anxiety
(vv. 22-34).
Having shown the folly of the
rich man who gained gold and lost
God, he now urged the disciples TO
trust God and dismiss all anxious
care.
]. The argument wv. -. 23).
This is summed up in one brief sen,
Fn ie
and the body is more than raiment."
3 The illustrations (vv. Z4-2S).
24-26). The ravens do not sow nor
reap, they have neither StOrehouSeS
nor barns. yet they live. for God
feeds them. IF God does not forget
the fowl. certainly he will do more
for his children who have been Gre
ated in his likeness and image and
redeemed by the precious blood Of
his Son.
b. Gods care for the flowers of
the field (vv y. 2S). IF God Is so
careful of those flowers which ap-
pear hut for day, how much more
will he cl0the his children?
8. The exhortations (vv. 29-34).
a. The getting of food and clothes
should not be mans chief concern.
b. Seek the kingdom Of God ".
3D. Those who make Gods king
dom first shall have all OF their
needs supplied Phil. 4:19).
C. BE not afraid ". 32). Gods
goad pleasure is upon his own and
all good things he will give them.
d. Practice splf-denial in order to
give gifts to those in need (vv. 33.
34).
III. Be Ready for the Coming of
the Lord (vv. 35-40).
Having warned the disciples
against the acquisition of worldly
goods, while forgetting God, and
shown them the needleSsnesS of
anxiety for food and clothes, he
shows them the blessedness of be-
ing in a state of readiness when the
Lord shall come. Conviction as to
the certainty of the Lords coming
is sure cure for wOrldliness and
anxious care.
This attitude of heart he made
clear by two parallels; that of the
return of the Lord, and that of the
thief. The Lord will he so pleased
with those who are waiting for him