Taking Spiritual Inventory

(Luke 12:16-36) And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: -17. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? -18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. -19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. -20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? -21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. -22. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. -23. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. -24. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? -25. And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? -26. If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? -27. Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. -28. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? -29. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. -30. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. -31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. -32. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. -33. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. -34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. -35. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; -36. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Our subject today is Taking Spiritual Inventory. As we come to the close of another year, it is time for you to take inventory of the year. You should evaluate your spiritual progress. Has this been a year that has drawn you closer to God? Has 1995 been a year in which you took hold of your life and moved to be completely obedient to the Lord? Have you taken advantage of the year to lay up treasure in Heaven? Have you drawn closer to the Lord or have you drifted farther away? Have you been faithful in your service to the Lord? and are you ready if He should return for you today? When you have taken your inventory, then you should sit down and use the results to plan the next year. The years will come and go and your relationship with the Lord will not change unless you take the opportunity to use your time wisely to draw nigh to Him.

As we begin now to examine this subject of Taking Spiritual Inventory, let us consider first what your priority has been in 1996. Jesus told us in our text that we should seek first the kingdom of God above all things. He had just given us the parable of the fool that sought first the abundance of wealth and material things of the human. Jesus clearly lets us know that this is a foolish approach to life. The right approach is to seek first the kingdom of God. By seeking first the kingdom of God, God sees that you are sincere in your love and worship of Him. He then promises to satisfy all your needs. Not all your wants, but all your needs. He knows that you need food & shelter and He tells you that these things will be provided you by the Father.

You may feel that God has provided you a job so that you can provide for your needs and the needs of your family and I will readily agree that that is the way God works. But if you have used your job as an excuse to skip worship services, Bible Study, Prayer time, and other obligations of you soul, then I ask you to be honest with yourself and with God. Are you working to provide your need or to provide yourself the luxuries that money will buy? I know that God has some people working the night shift, Sundays and holidays. I also know that people find a way to do the things that they really want to do. Therefore, there are special worship services held, home Bible studies, and time taken off to honor the Lord. It disturbs me when I see people working overtime and missing church. And, yet, these same people find time for vacations and visits to relatives, to go hunting and fishing, and to do just about anything else that they wish to do. Don't let the Devil deceive you into ignoring the need of your soul to be fed.

As Air, Water, Food, and Shelter are essential to the human life, so also are The Holy Ghost anointed preaching of God's Word, the Spirit filled singing of praise, Bible study, and Prayer to spiritual life. Take away any one of these elements and you will have a death on your hands. You may be able to survive awhile without food, but as every day passes you are moving closer to the brink of eternity. So it is with the Christian that is not getting his soul fed, he is slowly losing his spiritual life.

Another disturbing area is how some people use sickness to avoid taking care of their soul. We know that all people get sick from time to time and think nothing about it. However, when you take your inventory and find that your sick times have only caused you to miss church, prayer, Bible study, etc. and have not caused you to miss work, vacation, or pleasure you can be sure that your spiritual condition needs work.

And so we see that our spiritual inventory shows us what our priorities have been. We can now use this inventory to plan and implement changes.

The second point we will look at in this spiritual inventory is the instructions of our Lord to provide for yourselves treasure in heaven. Many of you will be counting up your money earned for the year and calculating how much taxes the government is going to keep. This is a good time to count up what you have invested in the things of God. Have you invested a significant amount in the kingdom of God? Has your investment grown in 1995? Jesus reminded us that where our treasure is there will our heart be also. I know that if you own a large number of stocks in a certain company, you will want to see that company prosper and grow. After all you have an investment in it and it is close to your heart. So it is with the kingdom of God. When you have invested a significant amount in your local church, you will want to see it prosper and grow. After all your heart will be close to it. So what is the inventory showing on your balance sheet of treasure in heaven?

Remember that the Lord does not only count dollars. He also is looking for laborers to work in His harvest field. He is counting time as helpers. He is counting the use of talents that He has distributed to every man severally as He wills. He is looking for faithfulness to pray and labor for the increase of His Kingdom. Every kind deed, every word of encouragement, every genuine interest in helping those in need adds to your investment in heaven. Remember the story of the rich young ruler that came to Jesus:

(Mark 10:17-22) And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? -18. And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. -19. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. -20. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. -21. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. -22. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. He had plenty of opportunity to have treasure in heaven, but it seems that he was only interested in having treasure here in this earth. So it is with many today that are rich toward themselves and poor toward God.

Jesus reminded us that there is one great difference in having treasure in heaven over having it in the earth. Here thieves break through and steal it, moths eat it, corrosion eats away at it, and its container's rust through. In heaven, there are no thieves and no corrupting elements to eat your treasure. The bags wax not old and your treasure is preserved for you.

A third area in our spiritual inventory is to check on our Love for God. Jesus reminded us that to Love God above all else is expected of every Christian. (Mark 12:28-34) And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? -29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: -30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. -31. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. -32. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: -33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. -34. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Jesus emphasized that the first two commandments were of utmost importance. As you take inventory of your spiritual condition, you need to consider your love for God and for your fellow beings. Let's review the basics of love from: (1 Cor 13:1-8) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (charity here means love in a social or moral sense) (if you do not have this love from your heart, then all your words become hollow, empty, noise in the ears of God. It is easy to say and sing, "I love you Lord", but are the words coming out of a heart that is meaning what the mouth is saying? Too many times the words are spoken in the fashion of one saying the politically correct as the spiritual correct. The words are spoken to pacify the Lord instead of truely expressing a deep and true affection. Think back over the year of your words spoken to your Lord and to your neighbors. Have they come from a heart that felt and meant them? Or have they been just words spoken to appease the hearer. God is not desiring you to say what He wants to hear. He is wanting you to say what you truely feel and if what you truely feel is bad, then He is asking you to repent of it. ). -2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. (No other ability counts if you don't have this love. All your works, knowledge, and wisdom are of no value without a real, genuine love for God) -3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (No amount of money given or injustice suffered will profit your soul without it coming out of a heart that truely loves God. Too often sacrifice and suffering are done out of hatred rather than love. To fight against evil with evil only perpetuates evil. The Bible teaches us to overcome evil with good. Consider the characteristics of love:) -4. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, -5. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; -6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; -7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. -8. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

(1 Cor 13:13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

It is imperative to keep your love hot for God. Some have left their love: (Rev 2:1-7) Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; -2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: -3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. -4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. -5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. -6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. -7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

We see in this message to the Church of Ephesus that the Lord is greatly concerned that the church has left their first love. You will notice that this church still had many commendable features. They continued to be workers. They had the ability to sort out false apostles. They had withstood trials. They has patience. They had not fainted. Nevertheless, they had left off the most important aspect of being a Christian. They had left their first love and the Lord commands them to repent. That same command is to you too today if you have left your first love. No amount of work, words, or patience can replace a true love for God.

Then there are those that have a love for God, but their hearts are divided because they have a greater love for other things. (2 Tim 3:1-4) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. -2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, -3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, -4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; It isn't that many today don't love God at all. It is just that they love pleasures more. That is why it is so hard to get people out to worship on Sundays. There is so much going on that is more interesting and pleasurable on Sunday. And add to that all the pleasures to be sought through the week and on Saturday well into the night and you have a ready formula for spiritual bankruptcy. You can become so wrapped up in the pursuit of pleasure that even what time you do have for worship becomes meaningless. It is hard to carry on a good conversation when you are exhausted and it is impossible to worship. How is your love for God?

As you look over your spiritual inventory for this past year, how do you find your balances in the areas of your priorities? Your treasure in heaven? And your love for God? Will this coming year find you making any real changes? You have opportunity to prosper in your soul in 1996. The choice is yours. You can be spiritually rich by putting your house in order. Worship of God, love of God, and love for your neighbor are not options to be a Christian; they are requirements. Anything less is spiritual bankruptcy.