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The Rich Man
That Forgot God
Introduction
Most people say they want a good life. Scripture defines goodness
very differently than the world. Luke 12 records a story that
exposes a life that looked strong on the surface and empty at its
center—the rich man who forgot God. By watching his choices, we
learn what a good life truly is and how to live it.
A Dispute, A
Warning, And A Heart Check (Luke 12:13–15)
The scene opens with a family quarrel over inheritance. Jesus
refuses to serve as civil referee and goes straight to the real
danger: “Beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in
the abundance of the things he possesses.” Greed shrinks the soul.
When possessions become the measure of life, people, gratitude, and
eternity fade from view.
A Prosperous
Harvest And A Small Circle (Luke 12:16–19)
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.” There is no
hint of fraud or theft. His fields simply produced. Yet his thoughts
reveal a shrunken world: “What shall I do… I will pull down my
barns… I will store… I will say to my soul…” He lives inside a tight
circle that contains only himself. God receives no thanks. Neighbors
receive no help. He even tries to feed his soul with grain and
goods, as if eternal hunger could be satisfied with storage and
leisure. His calendar fills with plans for bigger barns and longer
vacations; his prayer list remains blank.
God’s
Verdict And The End Of The Game (Luke 12:20–21)
God speaks one word that unmasks the life: “Fool.” The soul he
ignored is “required” that very night. The game he thought would go
on forever ends at once, and every possession stays behind. The
question lands like a hammer: “Then whose will those things be?” The
only account that mattered was empty. Jesus seals the lesson: this
is the end of everyone who lays up treasure for self and refuses to
be rich toward God.
Everything
Wears A Sticker: Temporary
Walk through a showroom, a closet, a barn, a portfolio, and imagine
the same label on each item: Temporary. James says riches corrode,
garments are moth-eaten, and even gold and silver testify against
false security (James 5:1–3). Ecclesiastes admits the sting of
leaving hard-won labor to another who may waste it (Ecclesiastes
2:17–19). At a wealthy man’s funeral someone always wonders, “How
much did he leave?” The answer never changes: all of it. Every key,
every deed, every dollar.
Forgetting
The Giver (Deuteronomy 8:11–18)
Israel received a sober warning on the threshold of prosperity: when
houses multiply and flocks increase, remember the Lord who gives the
power to get wealth. Full barns tend to lift the heart in pride. The
rich man in Jesus’ story never reckoned with the Giver. He counted
acres and silos, yet never counted grace.
What Rich
Toward God Looks Like
Rich toward God means a nourished soul and an open hand. It chooses
treasure in heaven over storage on earth (Matthew 6:19–21). It
embraces generous stewardship, good works, and active care for
people God places nearby (1 Timothy 6:17–19). It honors God in the
home and in the community. It treats resources as tools for
ministry, not masters of the heart. A good life grows from a
well-kept soul that walks with Christ, serves others, and uses
temporary things for eternal purposes.
The
Question That Settles Everything
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his
own soul?” (Mark 8:36–37). The rich man gained plenty and still
stood before God with nothing that mattered. A good life treasures
Christ, tends the inner person, and invests in what will meet us in
glory.
Living The
Good Life Today
Thank God for every ability and opportunity. See each possession as
temporary and assign it a mission. Plan generosity the way others
plan expansions. Teach your heart to say often, “My soul belongs to
Christ,” and feed it with His Word, His worship, and His work. If
God has given increase, use it to lift burdens, spread the gospel,
and strengthen His people. That pathway is the good life.
Conclusion
The man who forgot God built bigger barns and starved his soul. A
good life grows rich toward God, guards against greed, and treats
every blessing as a trust from the Father. Choose that life while
time remains. Your soul is the only possession that crosses the
river.
Sermon Outline
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Text: Luke
12:13–21
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Introduction: Desire for a “good life” viewed through
Scripture’s lens
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A dispute
over inheritance leads to Jesus’ warning against covetousness
(Luke 12:13–15)
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The
prosperous farmer: inward talk, small circle, storage plans,
leisure goal (Luke 12:16–19)
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God’s
verdict: “Fool,” the soul required, possessions reassigned (Luke
12:20–21)
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The
“Temporary” label on all things (James 5:1–3; Ecclesiastes
2:17–19)
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Remembering
the Giver in seasons of plenty (Deuteronomy 8:11–18)
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Rich toward
God: treasure in heaven, generous stewardship, good works,
ministry mindset (Matthew 6:19–21; 1 Timothy 6:17–19)
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The
profit-and-loss question that settles the heart (Mark 8:36–37)
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Practices
for living the good life: gratitude, open hands, nourished soul,
intentional generosity
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Appeal:
choose Christ, tend the soul, use temporary things for eternal
purposes
Call to
Action
Step out of the small circle. Confess Jesus as Lord, be baptized
into Christ, and rise to walk in a new life that is rich toward God.
If you are a Christian who has drifted into storage and self-talk,
return today. Reassign your resources to kingdom work, renew your
soul in Scripture and prayer, and let generosity mark your path.
Scripture
Reference List
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Luke
12:13–21 — Core narrative of the rich man who forgot God;
warning and verdict.
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Matthew
6:19–21 — Treasure in heaven; the heart follows its treasure.
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James 5:1–3
— Riches decay; false security exposed.
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Ecclesiastes
2:17–19 — Labor left to another; emptiness of hoarding.
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Deuteronomy
8:11–18 — Remember the Lord who gives the power to get wealth.
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1 Timothy
6:17–19 — Charge to the rich: hope in God, generosity, riches in
good works.
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Mark 8:36–37
— The soul’s worth exceeds the whole world.
Prepared by Bobby Stafford of the church of Christ at
Granby, MO
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The
church of Christ
