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RE Verse reading–Luke 12:13-21, 16:19-31, James 5:1-6 (day three) “I will pull down my barns and build larger. . .I will store all my grain. . .I will say to my soul. . .relax. . .be merry.  And God said. . .You fool!” (12:18-19)  Proverbs has much to say about fools and their folly.  “He who spreads slander is a fool.” (10:18)  “A fool is right in his own eyes.” (12:15)  The Scripture (all parts) strongly denies that all decisions are equal.  All roads DO NOT lead up the same mountain!  This is a foolish way to think re. medicine.  Got cancer?  Take Nyquil.  Nonsense!  Why do we believe it re. philosophy and ethics?  All choices are not equal.  Jesus said a person is a fool to ignore eternity.  A person is a fool who uses all of his resources for himself and remains unconcerned and uninvolved with the needs of others.  Like the old saying goes, “There is no fool like a gold fool”. . .or something like that.

RE Verse reading–Luke 12:13-21, 16:19-31, James 5:1-6 (day two)  “And God said to him, ‘You fool!”  (12:20)  It is a strangely offensive word to us.  Fool.  Slightly less so in the scripture.  It translates the word moros (note our word moron) and refers to a person who is “dull or illogical” re. moral or spiritual truth– a person making serious and avoidable mistakes.  Proverbs 14:1 describes the kind of fool who says there is NO God.  Jesus in Luke 12 describes the kind who says that money IS a god.  The Lord often talked about the deceitfulness of riches.  (Read Mark 4:19)  He pictures money as whispering (shouting?) a promise that if we accumulate enough of it then we can rest.  The man is Jesus’ story seems to  have believed this lie. “And I will say to my soul. . .you have ample goods. . .relax. . .be merry!”  (12:19)  Most of us have known enough lotto winners to know better.  Only a fool believes that money buys contentment.

RE Verse reading–Luke 12:13-21, 16:19-31, James 5:1-6 (day one)  “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” (12:14)  Jesus had boundaries.  He was no push over.  He did not accept every request for help simply because it was requested.  Our RE Verse passage this week continues a summer series on the subject of generosity.  It tells of a day when the Lord’s teaching was interrupted by a younger brother (probably) who was frustrated (legitimately or not–the passage doesn’t say) with his older brother and the disposition of their father’s estate.  He wanted Jesus to get involved.  Jesus refused.  What He was willing to do was teach about greed and lead the young man (and all of us)  into a new heart and better approach.  Interesting! God by nature and promise is generous.  He is a God of grace.  This does not mean, however, that He always gives us what we want.  It is not His job to do so.

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day seven)  “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus. . .’it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (vs 35)  Who are the weak?  When Paul gives this command  who did he have in mind?  The word is asthenos.  Literally “those who have no strength”.  So perhaps Paul meant the poor.  Those without financial strength.  “He must labor. . .so that he will have something to share with one who is in need”  (Ephesian 4:28)  Perhaps Paul meant the theologically challenged.  Those who lack strength to fight off the wolves mentioned in vs 29.  Maybe it is those who lack motivation or vision–who without example and encouragement will be selfishly satisfied in the shallow end of God’s promises.  Whoever.  While we were helpless Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6) Those who desire His blessing must actively and generously help those who are weak.

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day six)  “You yourselves know. . .how I was with you, the whole time”  (vs 18)  As we said earlier in the week, finishing was important to Paul.  It should be important to us.  A job partially done should be regarded as a broken promise.  A few years is not enough when we commit ourselves to forever.  Faithfulness at the end of a project is more valuable than enthusiasm at the beginning.  Do not be surprised that discouragement comes.  Work through it and stay on the job!  Is there work still to do in your marriage?  Your parenting?  Your commitment to Christ?  ” I have finished the race”, Paul will say in 2 Timothy.  Not safety, not success (in the eyes of the world), not fulfillment.  Finishing the assignment that God gave him was his priority.  It must be ours as well.  “I was not disobedient to this heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19)  May the same be said of us!

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day five)  “I know that after my departure savage wolves will arise. . .speaking perverse things, to draw the disciples away. . .and now I commend you to God and the word of His grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”  (vs 29-30, 32)  Strange comfort.  Paul’s attitude.  He sees hardship ahead, savage stuggle.  It isn’t pessimism.  Kingdom progress has always been opposed. “The days are evil”( Ephesians 5:16).  Problems should not surprise or discourage us.  They should motivate us to pray.   Hard times are NOT the full story.  Hope is.  To commend these elders and their young church to God and to the word of His grace was Paul’s expression of confidence.  No matter what they would face in the coming days, God had promised grace (help, power, courage, wisdom) that would be more than sufficient.  Now unto Him who is ABLE. . . even when hard times come.

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day four)  “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak”  (vs 35)  Many modern believers misunderstand the place of work in our gospel.  Starting as we should from Ephesians 2:9 (“Not by works (ergon) lest any man should boast”), we rightly claim salvation as a gift by grace through faith alone.  Many, however, never find an appropriate balance for Philippians 2:12 “work out (kata ergon) your salvation with fear and trembling”.  In Acts 20,  Paul’s word choice is picturesque.  It was the word used for harvest.  It pictured the hot, sweaty, urgent work of bringing in crops.  The first hearers all knew exactly what was being required.   May the Lord give us the same vision for our own lives.  Hard work is God’s will for us.  It is the only way  the weak can be helped.  As the old hymn says, “We’ll work till Jesus comes.”  Sing with me, will you?

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day three)  “I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God”  (vs26-27)  As Paul reviewed his life,  he was glad for the times he did not back down from telling the truth.  It is hard to do.  Fear of people’s reaction, avoidance of tension or conflict is enough to silence most of us, most of the time.  Two times in this short sermon Paul says, “I did not shrink”  (vs 20, 27) which translates a Greek word meaning “to stand down”.  One of the signs of  Holy Spirit- filling is boldness.  (Acts 4:13)  The Spirit gives us the courage to tell truth even when it is unwelcome or unpopular.  Strange irony.  We are most generous when we are least concerned with people’s reaction to our words.   We speak the truth in love. (Ephesian 4:15). Our gift to others is to not be afraid of them.

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day two)  “You yourselves know. . .how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews”  (vs18-19)  Not to get political (as if there is any place safe from it), but those who care about anything must bear the conflict that comes.  To say that President Obama “cares” may be political spin, but the fact that his sweeping new health care law was (and will be) a fight is not a surprise to him or anyone else.  No leader can be naive at this point.  Whether building a church or proposing a new entitlement program, all leaders face difficulty.  Those who lead (and those who oppose them) must pay the price of conscience and conflict.  God forbid that we grow soft and self-indulgent.  To avoid conflict is to not care. Paul is our example.  So is Jesus.

RE Verse reading–Acts 20:17-35 (day one)  “You yourselves know. . .how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials” (vs 18-19)  Do you like unselfish people?  I do.  They attract and inspire me.  In 2 Corinthians 9, the Bible says that God loves cheerful givers.  Acts 20 says that people love cheerful givers too.  Paul is meeting with the elders of the church in Ephesus for the last time.  He loves these men.  They love him.  It may sound egotistical, but Paul is actually making a point that he has been unselfish in his service and that the same will be required of them when he is gone.  The church cannot exist unless people give unselfishly.  Can you think of examples in your own life?  People who have been generous, courageous, sacrificial in the cause of Christ?  If so, then God is calling you to follow their example and become an inspiration to others.