do absolutely nothing about the fu ture, except to live by the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ. This is a blunt charge Christ is making against anyone who repeats the mistake of this foolish country squire. While he may not have been immoral or dishonest, he was still a fool. He thought he did not need God. But, you see, when it comes to life’s possessions, it is not just a question as to whether you are going to be good or bad, selfish or gener ous, contented or grasping. It is al ways a question as to whether you are going to let life’s prosperity make a fool out of you so that you neglect your soul and fail to recognize the Lord. If you do not give yourself to Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour, then, in spite of your stature in the world, you will be as foolish as this man. After death what good are all the barns? Prosperity means nothing in that final moment on earth because there are no pockets in a shroud. “You cannot take it with you.” How many people bargain away their squ I s for the material things of life. They do not give one single thought to the spiritual welfare of their never- dying souls which some day will be in heaven or in hell forever. It all depends on what an individual does with Jesus Christ. Do not barter with God. Do not forget your soul! Real ize that the Lord “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlast ing life.” After this life, there’s anoth er life that never ends. Have you ever given thought to that? Have you ever made preparations for it? The only way you can really be ready is to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart as your own personal Saviour. Anyone who in any form advocates do ing wrong that good may come is under the condemnation of God.
things. First of all, how did he get that way, and even more important, what will happen now that he is that way? There are great perils in be coming successful or rich. It is far more dangerous than the perils of poverty. Success is sometimes the devil’s delight. Its temptations are so subtle and hard to trace. Abraham Lincoln and Gladstone of England were born the same year in the ex tremities of human circumstance. Both of them rose to heights with a brand of greatness that the God of life could smile on, Lincoln, in Amer ica, in spite of his poverty; Glad stone, in England, in spite of his privileges. This is not always true. Here was a farmer so interested in reaping a harvest that he forgot that his time was coming to be reaped of God. While thinking he was pre venting physical famine, he himself starved his own soul. The prosperous man failed the test as he walked from field to field watching a de lightful sight of power, prestige and prosperity. His real problem was that he surrendered his soul to those great big wonderful barns. He was con gratulating himself, thinking he had arrived. The best Jesus could say about this man was that he was a fool. Here he was, standing so secure by his bams, forgetting that his soul would be summoned by God for an accounting. His ease, comfort, and security will mean little then. Several months ago we had some terrible fires here in Southern Cali fornia. Hundreds of people in their magnificent homes felt secure and prosperous. God says, “Do not de pend and rely upon material things. Do not give your soul to what the world has to offer because it will all pass away. One day, naked as you came into the world, you are going to go out of it, and will have to stand before Me in judgment.” Most people do not like to think about that. They would rather preachers did not talk about it. But still it is true. We can Page 36
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