Building Bigger Tables: Embracing Generosity Over Accumulation

This morning, we gathered to reflect on Jesus’ parable of the rich fool from Luke 12:13-21, a story that challenges our culture’s obsession with accumulation and self-sufficiency. The parable begins with a man who, blessed with an abundant harvest, chooses to build bigger barns to store his surplus, believing that his security and happiness rest in his possessions. Yet God calls him a fool, reminding him—and us—that life is not found in the abundance of things, but in being “rich toward God.”

We explored how our society, shaped by relentless advertising and systems that encourage endless consumption, often pushes us from “we” to “me.” Our cravings for more are not just personal but are shaped by forces that profit from our restlessness. The result is a cycle of overwork, debt, and anxiety, as we chase after the illusion that more stuff will bring fulfillment. Yet, as Jesus teaches, bigger barns never quiet bigger cravings. The spiritual danger is not in having possessions, but in letting them possess us—crowding out gratitude, generosity, and our reliance on God.

The parable is not a condemnation of planning or enjoying God’s blessings, but a warning against imagining we can secure our future by ourselves. True life is found in sharing bread, not hoarding grain; in building bigger tables, not bigger barns. We are called to see our possessions as gifts entrusted to us for a time, to be used in service to God and neighbor. The ancient gleaning laws and the example of Jesus himself remind us that the economy of God’s kingdom always leaves room at the margins for those in need.

We are invited to examine our own “barns”—our accounts, closets, and calendars—and ask whether our possessions have begun to possess us. The remedy is found in gratitude and generosity: giving breaks the grip of greed and reorients our hearts toward treasures in heaven. As we come to the Lord’s Table, we taste the abundance of God’s grace, which is never meant to be hoarded but always shared. May the Spirit open our hands and hearts, that we might become a people who build bigger tables, welcoming all to the feast of God’s love.

Key Takeaways

• 1. From “We” to “Me” and Back Again: Our culture often shifts our focus from community (“we”) to self (“me”), tempting us to believe we are self-made and independent. Yet, Scripture reminds us that we are always part of a larger whole—dependent on God and one another. True fulfillment is found not in isolation, but in communion and shared life. Remembering the “we” restores our sense of belonging and purpose. [15:59]
• 2. The Spiritual Danger of Possessions: The problem is not wealth itself, but the way possessions can subtly become our security and even our god. When we store up treasures for ourselves without gratitude or generosity, we risk letting our things define us and distance us from God. The rich fool’s mistake was not his abundance, but his failure to see it as a gift to be shared. Our hearts follow our treasures—so let us treasure what is eternal. [25:14]
• 3. Systems That Shape Desire: Our cravings for more are not just personal failings, but are shaped by powerful systems—what Scripture calls “principalities and powers.” These forces bend our desires toward accumulation and away from communion, making it harder to live generously. Recognizing these influences helps us resist them and seek freedom in Christ, who calls us to challenge the machinery that feeds our greed. [22:15]
• 4. Gratitude and Generosity as Antidotes: The way to break free from the orbit of our possessions is through gratitude and generosity. Giving reorients our hearts, loosens the grip of greed, and opens us to God’s abundance. When we see all of life as gift, we are empowered to give freely, trusting that God’s grace is always enough. [31:04]
• 5. Building Bigger Tables, Not Bigger Barns: The invitation is not to hoard more, but to share more—to build bigger tables where all are welcome. The kingdom of God is found in open hands and open hearts, in communities that make room for the stranger and the needy. As we practice radical hospitality and generosity, we become rich toward God and reflect the abundance of Christ’s love to the world. [32:27]
  ** [32:27]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [07:08] - Gathering and Introduction
• [15:59] - Children’s Lesson: From “We” to “Me”
• [17:52] - Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13-21
• [19:03] - The Problem of Possessions
• [20:34] - Affluenza and the Culture of More
• [22:15] - Systems That Shape Our Desires
• [23:47] - The Spiritual Issue of Accumulation
• [25:14] - The Rich Fool’s Mistake
• [26:25] - Stewardship and Seeking God’s Kingdom
• [28:02] - Forgetting the Giver
• [29:11] - Examining Our Own Barns
• [31:04] - Gratitude and Generosity
• [32:27] - Building Bigger Tables
• [41:01] - Communion: The Joyful Feast
• [44:04] - Prayers and Offering
• [48:13] - Community Announcements
• [51:14] - Sharing Good News and Prayer
• [54:26] - The Lord’s Prayer and Blessing
• [55:24] - Celebrations and Upcoming Events
• [58:10] - Sending and Benediction

Bible Reading

Luke 12:13-21 (ESV) — 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: 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 ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Observation Questions

1. In the parable, what does the rich man decide to do with his abundant harvest, and what is his reasoning? (Luke 12:17-19)
2. According to Jesus, what is the real danger in the way the rich man handles his possessions? (Luke 12:20-21)
3. The sermon mentions that the rich man “never once considered anyone but himself” and didn’t follow the gleaning law from Leviticus. What was that law, and how does it contrast with the man’s actions? [[27:13]]
4. What are some of the “systems” or “forces” mentioned in the sermon that shape our desires for more, beyond just personal choice? [[20:34]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus call the man a “fool” in the parable? What does this reveal about God’s perspective on security and possessions? (Luke 12:20-21)
2. The sermon says, “Bigger barns never quiet bigger cravings.” What does this mean about the relationship between possessions and satisfaction? [[22:15]]
3. How do “principalities and powers” (systems and forces) influence our sense of what we need or want? How might recognizing these influences help us resist them? [[20:34]]
4. The sermon contrasts “building bigger barns” with “building bigger tables.” What does it mean to be “rich toward God,” and how is this different from simply having wealth? [[32:27]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon invites us to “examine our own barns—our accounts, closets, and calendars.” Is there an area in your life where your possessions or resources have started to possess you? What is one step you could take to loosen their grip? [[29:11]]
2. Advertising and cultural systems often push us from “we” to “me.” Can you think of a recent time when you felt pressured to buy or accumulate something you didn’t really need? How did it affect your sense of contentment or community? [[20:34]]
3. The ancient gleaning laws left room for the poor and the stranger. What would it look like for you to “leave room at the margins” in your own life—whether with your time, money, or attention—for those in need? [[27:13]]
4. The sermon says, “Giving breaks the grip of greed and reorients our hearts toward treasures in heaven.” Is there a specific way you could practice generosity this week—either financially or with your time or skills? [[31:04]]
5. When you think about your own “table”—your home, your friendships, your routines—how open is it to others, especially those who might be on the margins? What is one way you could “build a bigger table” in your life this month? [[32:27]]
6. The sermon reminds us that “true life is found in sharing bread, not hoarding grain.” Is there a resource or blessing you have that you could share more freely? What holds you back from doing so? [[29:11]]
7. The message encourages gratitude as an antidote to greed. What is one practical way you can cultivate gratitude in your daily routine this week? [[31:04]]