SUCH GREAT MISTAKES: NOT GETTING READY FOR THE JUDGMENT
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Such Great Mistakes
a) We consider another theme evident in many of the parables, namely the great and terrible mistakes that people make.
b) The parables that Jesus told often portray people making tragic and terrible mistakes, or on the other hand, being wise and avoiding such mistakes. People generally seem blind to the terrible mistakes they are making in life. Christ's poignant stories so vividly show up these mistakes, that it is hard to remain blind once the point of a parable sinks in — if only you will let it. A burden of Jesus's teaching is to enlighten humankind, to help us realize the mistakes we have made, and how we can overcome them.
c) Usually the wisdom of our times tells us that the mistakes we are making are things like not thinking positive, not managing our time and money, not practicing meditation and relaxation, not planting trees, or not giving up smoking.
d) Those, and a hundred other things, may well be serious mistakes, but they do not compare with the enormity of mistakes made on a spiritual level. These mistakes are utterly simple. Even a child can understand them. Yet people go on making them whether blindly or deliberately.
2. Not Getting Ready For The Judgment
a) The Rich Fool
Luke 12:16-21
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
b) The Bible says, "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this comes the judgment" at Christ's second coming (Hebrews 9:27-28). Our first priority in life should be to prepare for this appointment, for we could be called to it at any moment. Tragically, most people make no such provision, and live as though death is not a reality. They put their time and effort into the comforts of this life and thus miss out on all the joys of heaven. Jesus told a simple story of a farmer busy gathering into barns more and more goods, unaware that he had only hours to live.
The End ...
1. Such Great Mistakesa) We consider another theme evident in many of the parables, namely the great and terrible mistakes that people make.
b) The parables that Jesus told often portray people making tragic and terrible mistakes, or on the other hand, being wise and avoiding such mistakes. People generally seem blind to the terrible mistakes they are making in life. Christ's poignant stories so vividly show up these mistakes, that it is hard to remain blind once the point of a parable sinks in — if only you will let it. A burden of Jesus's teaching is to enlighten humankind, to help us realize the mistakes we have made, and how we can overcome them.
c) Usually the wisdom of our times tells us that the mistakes we are making are things like not thinking positive, not managing our time and money, not practicing meditation and relaxation, not planting trees, or not giving up smoking.
d) Those, and a hundred other things, may well be serious mistakes, but they do not compare with the enormity of mistakes made on a spiritual level. These mistakes are utterly simple. Even a child can understand them. Yet people go on making them whether blindly or deliberately.
2. Not Getting Ready For The Judgment
a) The Rich Fool
Luke 12:16-21
16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
b) The Bible says, "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this comes the judgment" at Christ's second coming (Hebrews 9:27-28). Our first priority in life should be to prepare for this appointment, for we could be called to it at any moment. Tragically, most people make no such provision, and live as though death is not a reality. They put their time and effort into the comforts of this life and thus miss out on all the joys of heaven. Jesus told a simple story of a farmer busy gathering into barns more and more goods, unaware that he had only hours to live.
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