A LIFE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

LUKE 12:16-21; MATTHEW 6:19-21

INTRO: Life is a precious gift. Life is a gift of grace. Someone said it well, Your
life is God's gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to God.
Another said, Your life will have been misspent if you get to the end of
the road without Christ. (The complete Book of Zingers. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006.
WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). The great danger that we face is thinking
that this life holds all. Many live only for the here and now. They never
consider that life doesn't end with the grave. Life is swiftly passing.
The Bible tells us that Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and
full of trouble. (Job 14:1).

A class put on a play. The play had several acts. In one of the acts
there was a short skit that was supposed represent life. A person came
on stage, and walked slowly for a few steps, then faster and faster, until
disappearing on the other side. This was to demonstrate the brevity of
life. Life starts out. The years go slow at first, then faster, and faster,
and before you know life is gone.

Many years ago the United Negro College Fund had a commercial on TV
which stated, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Yes, it is terrible to
waste one's mind but I know of even a greater tragedyto waste one's
life! Jesus asked a very important question--For what shall it profit a
man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:
36). We have before us a man who lived for this life only. In the eyes
of the world he was a success, but in the eyes of God, he was a failure.
He WASTED HIS LIFE! God called this man a fool--But God said unto
him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20). I
want to speak this morning on the subject, A LIFE IS A TERRIBLE
THING TO WASTE. Let's consider first of all...

(1) THIS MAN'S FOCUS

LUKE 12:16-17--And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground
of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within
himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits?

A. HE WAS PROSPEROUS. The word prosperous means successful,

flourishing. (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 532). Our Lord said of
him--The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully... (v16).
This man was focused on prosperity. The man never saw beyond himself. His
lifehis focuswas himself. He was a successful farmer but he failed to
realize that it was God who had blessed him. The ground, the seasons, the
rain, the sunshine, and the ability to work was all from God. The Bible tells us
 that--Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down
from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning. (James 1:17). This man was focused on GAIN.

B. HE WAS A PLANNER. We read in v18--And he said, This will I do: I will

pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits
and my goods. Many make no plans at all. We ought to be people of plans
and goals. For this the man should be commended. The problem was that his
plans did not include God. This man never saw beyond this world. All his
plans were based on his life here and now.

ILLUS: There is a story of a conversation between a young and ambitious lad

and an older man who knew life. Said the young man, "I will learn my
trade." "And then?" said the older man. "I will set up in business." "And
then?" "I will make my fortune." "And then?" "I suppose that I shall
grow old and retire and live on my money." "And then?" "Well, I suppose
that some day I will die." "And then?" came the last stabbing question.
(William Barclay. Daily Study Bible. e-Sword. Version 9.8.3. Copyright 2000-2011. Rick Meyers. All Rights
Reserved Worldwide).

His focus was on his GOALS.

C. HE WAS PREPARED. He was prepared but his preparation did not reach
beyond this life. In v19 he declares--And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry. He prepared for the sunset years of life. There is certainly nothing
wrong with that. All of us should think seriously about this time and plan
ahead for it. His focus is his GRATIFICATION.

(2) THIS MAN'S FOLLY

LUKE 12:18-19--And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns,
and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many
years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

A. HE WAS PREPARED TO LIVE, BUT HE WAS NOT PREPARED TO DIE. The

wisest thing a person can do is to prepare for eternity. Amos 4:12 tells
us--...prepare to meet thy God.... The writer of Hebrews 9:27 tells us why
it is so imperative that we are prepared to meet God--And as it is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

B. HE WAS PROSPEROUS IN MATERIAL THINGS, BUT A PAUPER IN

SPIRITUAL THINGS. The Lord describes him thusly--a certain rich man
whose ground...brought forth plentifully. (v16). There is nothing wrong in
this man rejoicing in a plentiful harvest nor in him building bigger barns, but
what was wrong was that he focused completely on his wealth and his
enjoyment. God never crossed his mind. He never stopped to thank Him nor
 acknowledge that all the good he saw had come from God. The Bible warns in
1 Timothy 6:17--charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not
highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us
richly all things to enjoy. He lived only for himself and hoarded up his
wealth. He had laid up good things for himself; then he proceeded to spend
it all on himself. He was concerned for no one else, and he had no care for
God. With no eternal perspective, the man's life was completely focused on
the temporal. (Life Application Bible Commentary: Luke. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch
Corp. All Rights Reserved).

We have considered THIS MAN'S FOCUS and THIS MAN'S FOLLY but let us also
see...

(3) THIS MAN'S FAILURE

LUKE 12:20a-21--But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee....So is he that layeth up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God.

A. HE FAILED TO GET SAVED. He neglected the most important matter of all.

Our Lord asks in Matthew 16:26--For what is a man profited, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul? Friends, salvation is a matter that should be taken
care of early in life. Ecclesiastes 12:1 tells us--Remember now thy Creator
in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw
nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Barna Research, the
largest religious polling agency in the U.S. found that the overwhelming
percentage of those who are saved have experienced salvation before
reaching their 14th birthday. The Barna Research study , announced on
1999-
NOV-12, shows that the vast majority of those who are saved experience the
conversion during childhood -- before the age of 14. A person who is unsaved
at the age of 14 only has a 10% chance of being "saved" later in life
The survey showed that 32% experienced salvation before age 14, 36%
before age 19, and 42% before reaching adulthood.
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_savy.htm ). Friends, surely the Scripture is right when
it says--Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth....

B. HE FAILED TO LIVE A LIFE OF SERVICE. His focus was on HIMSELF. His

faith was in HIMSELF! Listen to his words, What shall I do?, This will I do,
I will..., I will say. He is living for this life only. He is seeking material
things not spiritual things. The Bible instructs--But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(Matthew 6:33). There are some things he could have done and should
have done but failed to do:

HE COULD HAVE MINISTERED TO THE OTHER'S NEEDS. Because God

had blessed him he could have been a blessing to others. No doubt that
 there were many poor around him that needed help but he was only
thinking of himself. 1 John 3:17 asks--But whoso hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
HE COULD HAVE USED HIS MONEY TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS.
The best investment we can make is that of investing in eternal souls.
Friends, let's face it, the Lord's work takes money. Someone has said, If
you fail to support missions, you are voting to bring missionaries home and
to cease missionary work. (The Complete Book of Zingers. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006.
WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved).

We have looked at THIS MAN'S FOCUS, THIS MAN'S FOLLY, and THIS MAN'S
FAILURE but let us lastly consider...

(4) THIS MAN'S FATE

LUKE 12:20-21--But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou
hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not
rich toward God.

A. HE DIED UNPREPARED. He was prepared to live but was not prepared to

die. We read in v20--But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee... The rich man had made a fatal flaw: he had
forgotten to put God at the center of his life. Concerned for no one but
himself, when the time came for him to stand before God, he was nothing
more than a fool. (Life Application Bible Commentary: Luke. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006.
WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). He died unprepared to meet God and he is in hell
today.

B. HE DIED UNREWARDED. The question is asked in the last part of

v20--then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Someone has pointed out, They will not belong to God, because the man
never surrendered those things to God. They will not belong to the rich fool,
because he can't take it with him. Perhaps they only belong to the Devil! (David
Guzik. Guzik Commentary. e-Sword. Version 9.8.3. Copyright 2000-2011. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved
All his achievements, all his attainments, and all his accumulated
Worldwide).
wealth meant nothing to God. He left it all behind. Others got what he left.
Perhaps they fought over it. But all of his riches could not buy him a place in
eternity. The man's problem was not that he had riches upon the earth, but
that he was not rich toward God (v21).

ILLUS: See the heart of the rich fool: my crops . . . my barns . . . my

goods . . . my soul. Everything is about him, and nothing is God. In the
end, it was proved that nothing was his - even his own soul was subject
to God. He didn't have any crops, any barns, any goods, and his soul
was dead. (David Guzik. Guzik Commentary. e-Sword. Version 9.8.3. Copyright 2000-2011. Rick
Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).
CLOSING: Friends, this is the story of a wasted life. What a tragedy! the
greatest tragedy is not what the man left behind but what lay before
him: eternity without God! The man lived without God and died
without God, and his wealth was but an incident in his life. God is not
impressed with our money....What does it mean to be "rich toward
God"? It means to acknowledge gratefully that everything we have
comes from God, and then make an effort to use what He gives us
for the good of others and the glory of God. (Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Exposition
Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament. Bible Explorer 4.0. Copyright 2006. WORDsearch Corp. All
Rights Reserved).

Our Lord instructs in Matthew 6:19-21--Lay not up for yourselves

treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also. Friend, Are you laying up treasure
upon the earth or are you laying up for yourself treasure in
heaven ?

Friends, A LIFE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE!

PREACHED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF UNIONTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH, UNIONTOWN, KY ON SUNDAY
MORNING, MARCH 6, 2011.