And we're looking at one of the only interactions
prior to Passion Week, which is the week of Jesus'
death, or arrest, beaten, death, resurrection,
that holy week where we have Maundy Thursday,
Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Palm Sunday, the
Sunday before. It's one of the only interactions
that Jesus has where we would say the outcome
is not kind of consistent with... Jesus' healings
and his teachings and all of those things. Because
more times than not, those have pretty happy
endings. Endings that we go, man, look at what
he did by feeding the 5 ,000 or raising Lazarus
from the dead. After four days, we know what
that meant now from the sermon over Lent. This
is an interaction that Jesus has that unfortunately
I probably resonate myself with the most. Because
I've never died to be raised in, that's something
you eat, to be rose back to life, or however
you say it, you get it. Or my friends lowering
me down to put me in front of Jesus because I
couldn't walk. Those are wonderful stories, but
to resonate with one of those, like walking on
water, never have tried that. This one does.
And it's really convicting that this is one of
the interactions that someone has with Jesus
where that desired outcome of just grace and
mercy and to change lives isn't there. So we're
going to jump in. Matthew 19, verse 16 through
24. Give you a minute to find it or to look it
up. Or again, we have it on the screen. Again,
we use the English Standard Version here, but
use whatever version of the Bible you want. It's
just going to read different. Where Matthew writes,
And behold, a man came to him, him being Jesus,
saying, Teacher. What good deed must I do to
have eternal life? And Jesus, he said to him,
why do you ask about what is good? There is only
one who is good. If you would enter life, keep
the commands. He said to him, which ones? And
Jesus said, you shall not murder, you shall not
commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall
not bear false witness, honor your father and
mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The young man said to him, all these I have kept.
What do I still lack? Jesus said to him, if you
would be perfect, go sell what you possess and
give it to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven. And come, follow me. When the young
man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he
had great possessions. And Jesus said to his
disciples, truly I say to you, only with difficulty
will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again, I tell you. It is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
person to enter the kingdom of God. Already you
hear, you feel this weight. You have this guy
coming to Jesus asking good questions. Good questions.
We're going to break that down. But there is
a weight. And I think we can kind of sense it
in the text. And one of the things we have to
understand is wealth is heavier than it looks.
Let me just pose a question. You know, that age
-old question, what would you do if you won the
lottery? And, you know, two -thirds of you, we
got to play to win first, and I'm pretty sure
that's how that goes. But think about it. What
would you do? Let's just say the lottery is $30
million. What would you do if you won the lottery?
Now, take a second. Again, I'm not going to try
to figure out the tax stuff, but let's just say
roughly half of it, right, has to go to the government.
So that's $15 million. That's a pretty good day,
right, winning $15 million. I don't know if anyone's
going to scoff at that. But what would you do
with it? Who has the courage to answer? You wouldn't
win, so you wouldn't buy the ticket. You're part
of that two -thirds. You would buy land, okay?
Anyone else? Huh? The Vanderwood church edition
would go up. Absolutely. Right? We'd have a statue
of Nancy like Michael Jordan in the United Center.
Right? Tongue out. Thank you. Okay. We'd put
the edition on. I appreciate that. That's great.
That's a verbal contract binding in the state
of Indiana. Right? Good. What? Pay off friends'
college debts starting with your wife. Right?
Yeah, absolutely. Hannah, if you're watching,
you're welcome. Okay. Others? I don't remember
anything of what you just said. Just hire a team
to do life for you. Okay. Very good. Others?
Travel. Where would you go? Huh? Evansville.
Great. Others? Oh, anywhere. The mind hears what
it wants. Anywhere else? Own a baseball facility.
Yeah, that would be, yeah. The Adams Baseball
Academy. That sounds great. We'll put it in the
Vanderwood Arena. Anyone else? Thank you. Tithe.
None of you said tithe, right? Thank you. Give
back. You meant tithe, right? Just say yes. Yes,
you did. Okay. Like. There's a lot you could
do, but, you know, tithing 10 % on $15 million,
Dan? 1 .5, good, okay. We could do a lot with
that. Wealth is heavier than it looks because
there's a lot that goes on. You read stories
about people who win the lottery. It's not all
rainbows and sunshine. There's actually a sense
of depression that comes because of the weight
of wealth that's different than those that have
maybe worked their business and saved well and
earned the wealth that way or kind of generational
wealth of family that may have that. That is
different than all of a sudden, boom, a one lump
sum or if you take it over how many years. But
wealth is heavier than it looks. How do I know?
Because I'm going to ask the question, how many
of you in the last 48 hours of your life have
thought about your money situation at all, positively
or negatively? That's more than went to Ileana.
Okay? Wealth is heavier than it looks. Have you
ever carried something that didn't seem heavy
until you tried to walk with it for a while?
You might pick it up, and it doesn't seem heavy
at the time. It was three or six years ago. We
were at our family reunion in Ludington. Last
day we leave, and we go to the Big Sable Point
Lighthouse, something like that, that's just
north of there. And it's like, Nikki, you've
been there. What kind of walk is that from the
parking lot? 1 .5 miles. And so at that time
we had younger kids, and we're like, it'll be
fine. We didn't really bring anything, right?
Halfway through that, the sun's beating down.
I'm carrying a kid like this. Another kid's on
my back. Carrie's carrying a kid. Like, we're
a half of a, like, and this really goes in contrast
to the seven -mile hike we took this past summer.
We've grown. But we thought we were going to
die, right? Because it was like we did not plan
well for this wait. The kids didn't want to walk
anymore, so we're carrying them. Thank God my
cousin Jeremy and his wife were coming back,
and we felt like beggars. I think they gave us
$11 for water for when we go to the lighthouse.
It was not the greatest day for the Holland owners.
But the weight seemed to get heavier over time
because we didn't plan well. We didn't have a
strategy for it. The more you carry, the harder
it becomes to follow. The more you cling, the
less you trust. And that's the tension, the weightiness
that we feel in our text today. What good deed
must I do to have eternal life? Not inherently
a bad question, right? Not a bad question. This
guy is sincere. He's a moral man. He's successful.
The text gives us all of that. He's not testing
Jesus like a Pharisee. He wants a real answer.
This is legitimate. This is a legitimate question.
And Jesus gives him the answer, but in Jesus'
fashion, it's not the answer he was expecting.
It wasn't the answer he was looking for. But
friends, this story that we share today and we
want to learn from today is a warning. But it's
also a window, okay? It's a warning, also a window.
I'll get there. It invites us to ask the question
today, Munster Church as a whole, as a collective,
but also individually, what am I holding on that's
too heavy? to carry into the kingdom of God.
So let's start with the guy. Let's start with
this man. He's a good man. He's a good man with
a divided heart. The man asks, what good deed
must I do? The Greek phrasing here is interesting.
It frames salvation, this idea of what must I
do, transactionally. If I do this, then I get
this. That's not grace. Right, that's more of
a earned salvation. That is a works righteousness.
There's that transaction which if we're being
honest, we go to that in our lives all the time.
If I do this, I expect this. If I do this for
my spouse, I expect this for my spouse, even
though you never tell her and she can't read
your mind. Verbal expectations, different sermon
series. But understand that we have transactional
hearts, which is really, really sad because we're
a church and we're believers that really buy
grace. We buy into the idea of grace. Grace is
what saved us. For it is by grace you have been
saved through faith, not of your own works. Why?
So we don't boast about it because we so would.
If we've earned our salvation, I'd be standing
up on the mountaintops going, I did this for
me. I wrote a book. Buy it. So you can do the
same formula. That's the heart this guy has.
It's a divided heart. Jesus redirects him. Why
do you ask me what is good? Isn't there only
one who is good? Jesus points him away from personal
to God. It's not about you, but it's about the
character and the divine nature of God. The man
responds to Jesus' list of commandments and says,
I've done all of these. I've kept all of these.
And Jesus doesn't challenge him. Jesus doesn't
go, false. Nope, that's wrong. He doesn't challenge
him on that. Instead, he goes after the one thing
the man is not expecting. Reading scholars, reading
kind of my own, I think, and I don't want this
to step on any toes, but I have found 20 years
in, Those individuals and families, there seems
to be a theme of those that are definitely more
well -to -do, right, tend to want to step into
situations or challenge authority or whatever
in a very different way than families that don't.
That there's an understanding of wealth and socioeconomics
that can go into our mindset as far as how we
engage and interact not only in situations but
with individuals of authority. One of the things
that you see sometimes in churches is when you
have just the wealthy in leadership positions,
there seems to be a disconnect with the common
man. And a council is only as good as its relatability
to the church because it is the leadership that
speaks for the church. I'd like to think we do
that in a healthy way here at Munster Church.
We don't always get it right, but that's why
there's grace. But Jesus goes after the one thing
the man doesn't expect. His wealth. Because his
wealth has become his identity. Doing good, following
the commandments, seeking forgiveness when you
break them, should be our identity. That's grace.
That's faithfulness. That's righteousness. But
Jesus goes right after his wealth. So here comes
the command. Jesus turns this teaching real quick.
The command. If you would be perfect, go and
sell what you possess and give it to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. And come,
follow me. The word perfect here, teleios, in
the Greek, means not flawless, but whole, complete,
and undivided. If you would be flawless, if you
would be whole, if you would be complete, if
you would be undivided, Sell what you possess
and give it to the poor. Jesus isn't giving a
general requirement for all the disciples, but
a personal invitation completely wrapped up for
this guy. He's giving him the personal invitation
to do something that's very, very important.
To unshackle his heart. He's kept all the righteousness.
He's done all the things. He says that to Jesus,
but Jesus goes, brother, there's still something
that is shackling your heart, chaining up you
from living the best life you can in me, in Jesus.
It's your wealth. For this man, wealth had become
not only an idol, it became his security, it
became his identity, and maybe... It became his
hope. That's why I think I can relate. The hope
of wealth, right? The hope of having eternal
security. The hope of one day not worrying about
food on the table, clothes on your back, all
of those things, whether those are irrational
or rational fears at times or things you walk
through in life. But it's the hope that is found
in what he possesses. The scriptures made it
very clear. He owns a lot of stuff. I'd love
to know what it was, right? We'd love to get
a little sneak peek into his finances or into
his, you know, the storage bins that he has.
Was it grains? Was it meat? Was it clothing?
Was it jewelry? We don't know. But the scriptures
tell us it was a lot. I kind of get the sense,
and it's probably not right, of like a hoarder,
a hoarder of possessions. He doesn't seem like
that because he seems like an upright, he seems
like a good guy. Yet his possessions, his wealth,
became his hope. Jesus is not calling him to
poverty. He's calling him to priority. There's
the difference. Sell whatever you have and give
it to the poor. He doesn't say, so you become
poor. He says, but then come and follow me. Because
what is one thing that he promises his disciples
the entire time they follow him, those three
and a half years? I've got you. Come and follow
me. The shepherd provides for the sheep. So the
wealthy man, the rich man, is being invited to
become a sheep following a shepherd. But what's
tripping him up in order to do that? All his
stuff. So if you really kind of break this down,
his security, his identity, maybe even his hope,
it's not Jesus isn't saying, hey, I want you
to engage your poverty. He's not telling him
that. He wants Jesus to be the priority above
and beyond his stuff. And not just Jesus, but
following Jesus. If I'm a Pharisee and I hear
this, I'm getting very upset because now Jesus
is placing himself. As the superseding of the
law, the Ten Commandments, the book of Moses.
So there's something else going on in the background.
He is saying, let go of what is holding you back
and trust me. And friends, we know that that's
hard. But we've all, if you've grown up in Reformed
circles at all, right? We're a confessional church.
We have this Heidelberg Catechism thing. And
my favorite one, probably all of ours, question
answer one, reminds us that I am not my own.
I'm not my own. That should be one of the greatest
clarifications, identity, definers of your life,
my life, and the life of the church. We are not
our own. I don't belong to my sinful self, though
I war against it daily, but I belong. Hey, the
lonely, I see you, you belong. Hey, the insecure,
I see you, I bring you along. Hey, the poor,
I see you, I bring you along. Hey, the rich,
sell your stuff, come and be, belong. To who?
My faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. But in my opinion,
verse 22 is one of the saddest in the entire
scriptures. When the young man heard this, he
went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
He just met with the living God, the Messiah,
the one who had done some amazing things up to
this point. And he walks away sorrowful, because
Jesus doesn't give him what he wants. I'm sorry,
I think I just defined all of our relationships
with Jesus at times. That there are times in
our lives, in our testimonies, in our walks with
the Lord, we walk away sorrowful or perplexed
or even angry or doubtful because we're not getting
what we want. That prayer goes unanswered the
way we want it answered. But the Heidelberg Catechism
should remind us always, it's not about what
you want. It's about who you belong to. Because
that is the identity and the definition of your
life that you need the most. Which is why we
have the command, but now the teaching. And the
teaching is just as hard. It's hard for the rich.
Jesus says to his disciples, only with difficulty
will a rich person enter the kingdom of God.
Why do you think that is? Let's poll the audience
for a second. Why do you think he starts with
that? I'll read it again. Only with difficulty
will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven
or the kingdom of God. Why do you think that
is? Why does Jesus start that teaching that way?
Anybody haven't, I thought? Because they're shackled
down, okay? Yeah. So back in that day and age,
you probably had to beat down. Yeah. That if
it was all in stuff, and we learned last week
where people tried to hide it in their walls
and all that kind of stuff, there wasn't big
banks, there wasn't big vaults, it was probably
a full -time job to people not steal stuff of
yours. So that's a chaotic life just to begin
with. Only with difficulty will a rich person
enter the kingdom of God. I heard over here pride.
Why pride? You think, oh, you're not done. Go
ahead. You come up and finish it. Just bring
it home. Your name is Jim. It works, right? It's
right on, right? Because when you have a lot
of stuff that's very different than having a
lot in savings, right? That's a sermon about
just being a miser. But understand that if you
have a lot of stuff, you're believing you're
the one getting it all. You're the one buying
it all. It's not, you know, the different things,
whatever it is, isn't coming down like manna
from heaven into your driveway, into your garage,
into your storage bins, whatever it is. You think
you're doing it. That's why this teaching is
so hard. Then he doubles down. It is easier for
the camel to go through an eye of a needle, right?
Whether you're looking at the needle or the little
gate in front of the city. We've talked about
that years ago in a sermon. Or an eye of a needle
of a pin. Both understandings help. One's just
cultural and one's just kind of day and age now.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle than a rich person to enter the kingdom.
Because they have to drop their identity. It's
like that for every sin. The image isn't about
squeezing, it's about impossibility. The largest
animal in the Palestine world going through the
smallest opening, it's a hyperbole that should
bring shock and awe. Because it's just not possible.
So what Jesus is saying, it is not possible.
for the rich to remain rich, so to speak, in
their spirit, in their identity. Now, if you're
rich and you give it away, different story. Again,
it's not a sin to be rich, but it's how you got
that way and what your identity is about it.
Jesus is not saying wealth is evil. Hear that.
But he is saying that wealth can weigh down your
soul. 90 % of you rose your hand. That, you know,
in the last 48 hours you thought or looked or
had an anxiety about your finances of some way,
shape, or form. Not all of us, if any of us,
are rich, right? But it's still weighing you
down. I've told you the story that I would start
most mornings checking the bank account and it
started ruining my day. Because all of a sudden
I just started thinking financially throughout
the day. You start with God's word. You start
with a scripture. You start with a devotion.
You start with kissing your wife. You start with
seeing your kids. Those are better ways to start.
But Jesus is not saying that wealth is evil,
but that wealth can weigh down the soul. And
that wealth often competes. Here we go. Wealth
often competes with the same space that our hearts
have. Only for God. Because God should be our
identity. God should be in that pilot seat of
your life. Yet a lot of times finances can find
their way there. Belgian Confession Article 24
reminds us that true faith is always accompanied
by surrender. And good works. Not in earned salvation,
but to reflect that we've been joined with Christ.
Hear that. It's not works righteousness. It's
surrender first. We just sung about it a couple
minutes ago. Surrendering everything. You can
have it all, Lord. Every part of my world. Why
are we giving it to God? Easy. Because with God,
all things are possible. The disciples are stunned.
Who then can be saved? Jesus replies, with man
this is impossible, but with God all things are
possible. This is the gospel moment of the text.
Salvation is not about trying harder or giving
more. It's about completely surrendering all
that you have. Only God can change your heart.
Only God can remove the idol. Only God can break
the chains of the mammon. that we talked about
last week, that demon of wealth. We're going
to get to that later in this sermon series more
specifically. But understand, it's only a tighter
relationship with God, surrendering everything
to God, even the good things in life. Not just
all of our stuff, but surrendering our families.
Right? Whether it's your first or your twelfth.
Understand. We have to surrender. I have to surrender
my kids to God. It's what we do in baptism, right?
And it's not surrendering them for them to fend
for themselves, even though I'm sure some days
they think it feels that way. But that's what
happens when you say no. Understand, we have
to surrender every aspect. Why? Because everything
in life can become an idol. Whether you want
to be the greatest worker in your field, not
a bad aspiration. Can that become an idol? Absolutely.
When you start stepping on the people under you
to get there. Parenting can easily become an
idol. Sports can become an idol. All of these
things can become an idol. Things that take you
away from the body of Christ. Anything that is
going to take your focus off of Christ, guess
what? Is trying to become your idol. It is rooted
in sin. Friends, that's the gospel answer. That's
what Jesus is trying to get at. Salvation is
not about trying harder or giving more. It's
about surrendering completely to someone who
can change your heart, change your desires. Friends,
it's not bad to work hard and to earn that money.
It's not bad to get a large inheritance. It's
not bad to have a mindset where you want to be
good stewards of that. You're called to be. We
all are. So the first thing I think we need to
do, and this is hard, and I'm saying this to
myself first in the mirror. First thing we need
to do is let go of the weight. So what does this
story mean for us? Well, the question's got to
be asked. What do you cling to more tightly than
Jesus? It's a simple question to ask. It's a
hard question to answer. What are you clinging
to? You're clinging to power and authority? You're
clinging to your name? You're clinging to climbing
the corporate ladder? Are you clinging to that
more than you are Jesus? Where's your comfort?
In Jesus or in your safety net? Again, not bad
to have savings. Not bad to have a 401k. It's
not bad to have any of that. Or are you clinging
to it more than Jesus? Are you checking your
accounts more than you're checking in with God's
word? Or checking in with God in prayer? Are
you letting go of the weight? Or do you do it
when people are watching? Just like prayer. I'm
going to put it in God's hands. Come back. Wait
until everybody's gone. And then go pick it back
up. Or letting go of the weight for good. Do
you trust Christ fully? or only when it's convenient.
Friends, this is not a call to sell everything.
It's a call to surrender everything, to live
with open hands and an undivided heart. Now,
we don't know what happens to this man. I'd love
to think he gets saved. I would love to think
he sells it one day. But what if he didn't? What
if the stuff, the possession, What if he was
buried all with it like some Egyptian king? What
an absolute waste, right? What an absolute waste.
Again, if you're saving for your kids, kids,
kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, and you can
do all that, fantastic. Please tithe. But understand,
it's not bad to save up for that and to have
all that ready to go. But this got in the way
of his salvation. He was standing face to face
with the living God and he walks away sorrowful.
Friend, is the son of the living God looking
at you right now? Is he saying you gotta let
this go? Whether it's this weird obsession or
attraction with wealth or stuff or success or
whatever it is. Believe me, we've asked that
question in the council room. Let us not hold
so tightly to this potential building project,
but hold it open -handed, asking God's will be
done. Knowing that over 300 of you, we're not
all going to agree on it. But what is God saying?
When you have clenched fists and hands over yours,
you can't hear it. You can't understand it. You're
not asking. Okay, pastor, this is great. I feel
awful, right? What do I need to do? Okay, let
it go. Great. How? Well, let's look to the one
who let go first. Jesus is not asking us to do
something he didn't already do. Huh? Think about
the life of Jesus. He left the riches of heaven
for the poverty of earth. One of my favorite
comedians, John Chris, does a bit, I think I've
talked about it before, about looking at the
Lazarus story from Lazarus' point of view. Maybe
you've seen the clip. Maybe you won't. I probably
won't do it justice. But like, you're in heaven,
right? You died. We know that. You're seeing
all your relatives. You're in the golden streets
or whatever Ray Bolt's saying about in the 80s.
Like, you're experiencing it. And like, how does
that work? Does like an angel come to your door?
Lazarus, we've never done this before, but you
have to go back down. Clearly I'm not doing it
justice because they laugh and you're all judging
me, and that's totally fine. But if you think
about it, play a little bit in your mind. He's
in glory. Jesus was in heaven. He was sitting
at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
who was there brooding over the waters, who hasn't
yet died for all of us. He leaves his riches
for heaven, of heaven, for the poverty of earth.
He emptied himself, Philippians tells us, taking
the form of a servant. How did he die? Not with
money, no home, no inheritance. Well, no, he
did have an inheritance. He had you and me. He
did all of that for you and me. He gave up everything
to gain you, to gain me, to call Munster Church
his bride. And he doesn't do that to burden you,
right? He's not like that person that loaned
you money years ago and always kind of reminds
you, even though you paid them off with their
family member or friend years ago, but they're
always, you know, or you do that one favor, right?
It's like, you know, if you ask someone to move,
get ready. For help with that, get ready. You're
going to get asked nine times over. It just happens.
Jesus doesn't do any of that. He gave up everything
to gain you, not to burden you or me, but to
free us. Because couldn't Jesus do that? In whatever
sin you committed this week, couldn't Jesus just
whisper in your ear, hey, I didn't die for you
to do that. He doesn't guilt you, right? He may
convict your heart, but he doesn't place it over
you. He says, no, come to me because my burden
is light. The stuff the world's going to give
you is heavy. My burden is light. He does this
not to burden you, friend, but to free you. So
what does this look like? We'll land the plane
here. What would it look like to trust God more
than your possessions? Are you willing to let
go of anything that competes? Anything that competes
with Christ for your heart? Money, sports, status,
family, all of those things. Are you willing
to let it go? Anything that competes with Christ
for your heart? Because friends, that's what
Jesus is inviting us to do today. To walk with
Jesus, not sorrowfully, but in surrendering.
To lay down the weight of wealth and to pick
up something much, much better. The joy of salvation
in Christ following his example every day.