Kingdom Incarnate Part 13
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
We continue our series, ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which aims to teach us to see and know Jesus through the Gospels. Last week, we discussed prayer. This week, we will discuss the topic of generosity.
Luke 12:16–21 (NIV)
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
In Luke 12:16–21, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man whose land yielded an abundant harvest. Rather than seeking God’s purpose for his increase, the man stored it all for himself, saying, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God called him a fool and declared that his life would be demanded that very night. “Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Jesus ends the parable with this solemn truth: “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
To be “rich toward God” is to live with a heart that treasures Him above all. It is not about how much we have but about how we steward what we’ve been given. The rich man’s mistake wasn’t his success—it was his self-centeredness. He never asked, Why has God blessed me? or How can I use this for His kingdom? Instead, he viewed his wealth as security and the source of his peace. His life was full of things but empty of God.
Being rich toward God means living with an eternal perspective. It is investing in what matters to Him—loving people, advancing the gospel, and living generously. It is acknowledging that everything we have is from God and for God. Jesus warns us that life does not consist of an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Although our culture may suggest otherwise, the kingdom of God operates on different values. When we are rich toward God, we lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can destroy them. We trade temporary comfort for eternal reward.
Ultimately, to be rich toward God is to know Him, love Him, and walk in His ways. It is to be faithful stewards of time, talents, and treasure, using them not just for our benefit but for the glory of God and the good of others.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
