The Man Who Forgot God

"This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?"

— Luke 12:20

 

Here is the story of a man whose date with death came unexpectedly. He wasn't prepared. He was the man who forgot God.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink and be merry." ' But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16–20)

There are many commendable things about this man. He apparently was a hard working farmer. Jesus does not criticize his success. This man got up early. He spent time watching his crops. He worked hard. And he made a good living. His mistake was not success.

His mistake was that he failed to plan ahead. He had all his bases covered but the most important one of all: he had not considered eternity. He had forgotten God. And he died a fool because he died unprepared. It's important to know that heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.

Are you prepared?

Make a Choice

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

— James 4:4

 

Lot was the nephew of the only man identified in the Bible as the intimate friend of God, Abraham. Abraham essentially wanted to walk with God, but Lot did not. Abraham was a man who possessed a deep friendship with God. Lot was interested in a friendship with God, but he was also very interested in a friendship with the world. The Apostle James asked the question, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

James is saying that if you are going to follow Jesus Christ, you can't be a friend of this world. And "the world" means this world system that is hostile to the truth of God. In case you haven't noticed it, this culture we are living in does not promote Christian values. In fact, if anything, this culture promotes the opposite. It seems at every turn there is hostility toward those of us who believe there is right and wrong, morality and immorality. In a day when anything goes, people don't like those who hold to a set of standards and are unshakeable in them. So if I want to be a friend to this world, if I want to go out there and do whatever my little heart desires, and engage in any pleasure that interests me, I cannot be the friend of God.

It's like having a foot on the dock and a foot in the rowboat that is beginning to drift away. You are going to have to make a choice. You can't live in two worlds. You need to walk with God, as Abraham did.

Suit Up for Battle

The day you believed in Jesus was the day that the real battle began. For just as surely as there is a God who loves you, there is also a devil who hates you.

It has been said, "Conversion has made our hearts a battlefield."

So we have a choice in this spiritual battle. We will either win or lose—gain ground or lose ground.

You can't be a "spiritual pacifist." To fight a spiritual battle, you need spiritual armor. It's time to "man up" (or "woman up") and put on the whole armor of God.

The apostle Paul lays out the components of our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:13–18, using the various pieces of armor that a Roman soldier would wear to make his point. Having spent a lot of time being chained to them, he probably asked a lot of questions, and had an excellent working knowledge of ancient weaponry and warfare.

Each piece of the Roman soldier's armor is interconnected to the others; all of it must be used. In the same way, it is not for us to "pick and choose" what pieces of armor we want (or don't want) to wear.

First, you need to put on your "utility belt of truth." As Ephesians 6:14 says, "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth."

When I was a little boy, I remember being amazed by Batman's utility belt. It had his Batarangs, Batcuffs, rebreather (for breathing underwater), night vision goggles, and much more—all the things that the "Caped Crusader" needed to fight crime.

Problem is, both it and he are not real, so let's consider the belt of real crime fighters: policemen.

Officers refer to this belt as their "Sam Browne." It consists of their radio, handcuffs, holster and gun, Taser, chemical spray, flashlight, holder for extra magazines, baton, etc.

The officer needs that belt when he is out and about, doing his duty, and the same was true for the Roman soldier.

The belt was essential. Why? Because the breastplate and the sword's sheath were attached to it. It also held up his tunic, giving him freedom of movement. If the Roman soldier's belt came off, his breastplate would fall off, along with his tunic.

So what does it mean to "gird your waist with truth," practically speaking? The utility belt of truth represents a life and mind that is pulled together and is ready to serve for the glory of God.

The utility belt of truth speaks of having integrity and truth in your "heart of hearts." David said, "Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6 NKJV).

The opposite of integrity is duplicity. Duplicity is hypocrisy—trying to lead a double-life.

The person who tries to live this way is a "sitting duck." But a true soldier of Jesus Christ cannot live that way. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:4, "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

I encourage you to put on your belt, and live truthfully.

Tell Your Story

"Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?" So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

— John 4:29–30

 

One of the most effective tools you have in your evangelistic toolbox is telling your story, your personal testimony about how you came to believe in Jesus.

After a conversation with Jesus at the well, the Samaritan woman—minutes old in the faith—immediately went out and told others. The Bible tells us that "many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, 'He told me everything I ever did!' " (John 4:39).

It is the power of a changed life. Use your story, because it is a way to preach to a person without preaching at a person. People don't like to be preached to. Your story is a bridge. You can say, "Let me tell you my story. I didn't always believe these things. Here is what I used to be. Here is the way I used to live. Here is what I used to think. But here is what I heard, and this is how it changed my life." They can argue with a sermon, but they can't argue with your story. They can't argue with what God has done for you. So use that story to build the bridge.

Telling your story is a powerful bridge for the gospel message. It is merely a bridge to tell His story. It is not about you; it is about Him. So when you tell your story, don't glorify or exaggerate your past. Sometimes I have heard people give their testimonies, and the story gets more dramatic with the telling. Sometimes Christians want to make their story more dramatic to be more impressive. Just tell the truth.

Don't boast about what you gave up for God, but about what God gave up for you. We gave up guilt. We gave up judgment. We gave up hell. And in their place, God gave us purpose and meaning and heaven. And remember, it is not about you. It is about Him.