WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.439 And we're looking at one of the only interactions 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.360 prior to Passion Week, which is the week of Jesus' 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:10.480 death, or arrest, beaten, death, resurrection, 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:12.240 that holy week where we have Maundy Thursday, 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:14.339 Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Palm Sunday, the 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:17.179 Sunday before. It's one of the only interactions 00:00:17.179 --> 00:00:20.399 that Jesus has where we would say the outcome 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:26.469 is not kind of consistent with... Jesus' healings 00:00:26.469 --> 00:00:29.289 and his teachings and all of those things. Because 00:00:29.289 --> 00:00:31.629 more times than not, those have pretty happy 00:00:31.629 --> 00:00:34.869 endings. Endings that we go, man, look at what 00:00:34.869 --> 00:00:37.750 he did by feeding the 5 ,000 or raising Lazarus 00:00:37.750 --> 00:00:39.850 from the dead. After four days, we know what 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:43.649 that meant now from the sermon over Lent. This 00:00:43.649 --> 00:00:48.310 is an interaction that Jesus has that unfortunately 00:00:48.310 --> 00:00:51.670 I probably resonate myself with the most. Because 00:00:51.670 --> 00:00:54.829 I've never died to be raised in, that's something 00:00:54.829 --> 00:00:57.229 you eat, to be rose back to life, or however 00:00:57.229 --> 00:01:01.229 you say it, you get it. Or my friends lowering 00:01:01.229 --> 00:01:03.390 me down to put me in front of Jesus because I 00:01:03.390 --> 00:01:06.030 couldn't walk. Those are wonderful stories, but 00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:09.489 to resonate with one of those, like walking on 00:01:09.489 --> 00:01:13.430 water, never have tried that. This one does. 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:16.680 And it's really convicting that this is one of 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:18.280 the interactions that someone has with Jesus 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:21.060 where that desired outcome of just grace and 00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:25.239 mercy and to change lives isn't there. So we're 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:27.780 going to jump in. Matthew 19, verse 16 through 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:31.060 24. Give you a minute to find it or to look it 00:01:31.060 --> 00:01:32.980 up. Or again, we have it on the screen. Again, 00:01:33.060 --> 00:01:34.680 we use the English Standard Version here, but 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:36.719 use whatever version of the Bible you want. It's 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.719 just going to read different. Where Matthew writes, 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.019 And behold, a man came to him, him being Jesus, 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.099 saying, Teacher. What good deed must I do to 00:01:46.099 --> 00:01:49.159 have eternal life? And Jesus, he said to him, 00:01:49.260 --> 00:01:51.900 why do you ask about what is good? There is only 00:01:51.900 --> 00:01:54.939 one who is good. If you would enter life, keep 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:58.260 the commands. He said to him, which ones? And 00:01:58.260 --> 00:02:00.219 Jesus said, you shall not murder, you shall not 00:02:00.219 --> 00:02:02.439 commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:04.439 not bear false witness, honor your father and 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:06.620 mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:10.180 The young man said to him, all these I have kept. 00:02:10.780 --> 00:02:14.930 What do I still lack? Jesus said to him, if you 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:19.849 would be perfect, go sell what you possess and 00:02:19.849 --> 00:02:23.150 give it to the poor, and you will have treasure 00:02:23.150 --> 00:02:26.310 in heaven. And come, follow me. When the young 00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:30.330 man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he 00:02:30.330 --> 00:02:32.810 had great possessions. And Jesus said to his 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:36.610 disciples, truly I say to you, only with difficulty 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:38.990 will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:42.090 Again, I tell you. It is easier for a camel to 00:02:42.090 --> 00:02:44.250 go through the eye of a needle than for a rich 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:49.449 person to enter the kingdom of God. Already you 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:53.330 hear, you feel this weight. You have this guy 00:02:53.330 --> 00:02:57.110 coming to Jesus asking good questions. Good questions. 00:02:57.150 --> 00:02:59.509 We're going to break that down. But there is 00:02:59.509 --> 00:03:02.990 a weight. And I think we can kind of sense it 00:03:02.990 --> 00:03:05.629 in the text. And one of the things we have to 00:03:05.629 --> 00:03:08.969 understand is wealth is heavier than it looks. 00:03:09.030 --> 00:03:11.250 Let me just pose a question. You know, that age 00:03:11.250 --> 00:03:13.650 -old question, what would you do if you won the 00:03:13.650 --> 00:03:16.210 lottery? And, you know, two -thirds of you, we 00:03:16.210 --> 00:03:17.810 got to play to win first, and I'm pretty sure 00:03:17.810 --> 00:03:20.250 that's how that goes. But think about it. What 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:22.449 would you do? Let's just say the lottery is $30 00:03:22.449 --> 00:03:26.449 million. What would you do if you won the lottery? 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:33.039 Now, take a second. Again, I'm not going to try 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.000 to figure out the tax stuff, but let's just say 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.500 roughly half of it, right, has to go to the government. 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:40.180 So that's $15 million. That's a pretty good day, 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:42.879 right, winning $15 million. I don't know if anyone's 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.840 going to scoff at that. But what would you do 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:52.199 with it? Who has the courage to answer? You wouldn't 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:54.400 win, so you wouldn't buy the ticket. You're part 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:57.159 of that two -thirds. You would buy land, okay? 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:04.319 Anyone else? Huh? The Vanderwood church edition 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:07.659 would go up. Absolutely. Right? We'd have a statue 00:04:07.659 --> 00:04:11.979 of Nancy like Michael Jordan in the United Center. 00:04:12.180 --> 00:04:15.800 Right? Tongue out. Thank you. Okay. We'd put 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:18.040 the edition on. I appreciate that. That's great. 00:04:18.540 --> 00:04:20.540 That's a verbal contract binding in the state 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:25.680 of Indiana. Right? Good. What? Pay off friends' 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.839 college debts starting with your wife. Right? 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.839 Yeah, absolutely. Hannah, if you're watching, 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:38.540 you're welcome. Okay. Others? I don't remember 00:04:38.540 --> 00:04:40.879 anything of what you just said. Just hire a team 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:44.360 to do life for you. Okay. Very good. Others? 00:04:45.540 --> 00:04:50.060 Travel. Where would you go? Huh? Evansville. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:57.569 Great. Others? Oh, anywhere. The mind hears what 00:04:57.569 --> 00:05:04.449 it wants. Anywhere else? Own a baseball facility. 00:05:04.829 --> 00:05:07.189 Yeah, that would be, yeah. The Adams Baseball 00:05:07.189 --> 00:05:09.389 Academy. That sounds great. We'll put it in the 00:05:09.389 --> 00:05:15.870 Vanderwood Arena. Anyone else? Thank you. Tithe. 00:05:17.089 --> 00:05:20.230 None of you said tithe, right? Thank you. Give 00:05:20.230 --> 00:05:22.470 back. You meant tithe, right? Just say yes. Yes, 00:05:22.509 --> 00:05:25.430 you did. Okay. Like. There's a lot you could 00:05:25.430 --> 00:05:28.949 do, but, you know, tithing 10 % on $15 million, 00:05:29.389 --> 00:05:33.870 Dan? 1 .5, good, okay. We could do a lot with 00:05:33.870 --> 00:05:39.189 that. Wealth is heavier than it looks because 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:42.329 there's a lot that goes on. You read stories 00:05:42.329 --> 00:05:46.009 about people who win the lottery. It's not all 00:05:46.009 --> 00:05:50.370 rainbows and sunshine. There's actually a sense 00:05:50.370 --> 00:05:53.670 of depression that comes because of the weight 00:05:53.670 --> 00:05:57.029 of wealth that's different than those that have 00:05:57.029 --> 00:05:59.470 maybe worked their business and saved well and 00:05:59.470 --> 00:06:02.230 earned the wealth that way or kind of generational 00:06:02.230 --> 00:06:04.629 wealth of family that may have that. That is 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:07.149 different than all of a sudden, boom, a one lump 00:06:07.149 --> 00:06:10.230 sum or if you take it over how many years. But 00:06:10.230 --> 00:06:13.750 wealth is heavier than it looks. How do I know? 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:16.139 Because I'm going to ask the question, how many 00:06:16.139 --> 00:06:18.759 of you in the last 48 hours of your life have 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:23.000 thought about your money situation at all, positively 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:27.500 or negatively? That's more than went to Ileana. 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:32.959 Okay? Wealth is heavier than it looks. Have you 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:37.199 ever carried something that didn't seem heavy 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.220 until you tried to walk with it for a while? 00:06:39.740 --> 00:06:42.720 You might pick it up, and it doesn't seem heavy 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.079 at the time. It was three or six years ago. We 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:48.279 were at our family reunion in Ludington. Last 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:52.220 day we leave, and we go to the Big Sable Point 00:06:52.220 --> 00:06:54.600 Lighthouse, something like that, that's just 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:56.980 north of there. And it's like, Nikki, you've 00:06:56.980 --> 00:06:59.000 been there. What kind of walk is that from the 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:03.439 parking lot? 1 .5 miles. And so at that time 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:05.519 we had younger kids, and we're like, it'll be 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.560 fine. We didn't really bring anything, right? 00:07:08.980 --> 00:07:11.240 Halfway through that, the sun's beating down. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.779 I'm carrying a kid like this. Another kid's on 00:07:13.779 --> 00:07:16.240 my back. Carrie's carrying a kid. Like, we're 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:18.879 a half of a, like, and this really goes in contrast 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.360 to the seven -mile hike we took this past summer. 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:24.199 We've grown. But we thought we were going to 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.139 die, right? Because it was like we did not plan 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:30.569 well for this wait. The kids didn't want to walk 00:07:30.569 --> 00:07:32.430 anymore, so we're carrying them. Thank God my 00:07:32.430 --> 00:07:34.209 cousin Jeremy and his wife were coming back, 00:07:34.350 --> 00:07:36.949 and we felt like beggars. I think they gave us 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:39.629 $11 for water for when we go to the lighthouse. 00:07:39.769 --> 00:07:41.870 It was not the greatest day for the Holland owners. 00:07:42.050 --> 00:07:46.410 But the weight seemed to get heavier over time 00:07:46.410 --> 00:07:49.930 because we didn't plan well. We didn't have a 00:07:49.930 --> 00:07:52.870 strategy for it. The more you carry, the harder 00:07:52.870 --> 00:07:55.930 it becomes to follow. The more you cling, the 00:07:55.930 --> 00:07:59.920 less you trust. And that's the tension, the weightiness 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:03.139 that we feel in our text today. What good deed 00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:07.120 must I do to have eternal life? Not inherently 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:11.220 a bad question, right? Not a bad question. This 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:14.779 guy is sincere. He's a moral man. He's successful. 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.540 The text gives us all of that. He's not testing 00:08:18.540 --> 00:08:22.199 Jesus like a Pharisee. He wants a real answer. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:25.279 This is legitimate. This is a legitimate question. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.939 And Jesus gives him the answer, but in Jesus' 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:31.300 fashion, it's not the answer he was expecting. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.059 It wasn't the answer he was looking for. But 00:08:35.059 --> 00:08:37.700 friends, this story that we share today and we 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:40.639 want to learn from today is a warning. But it's 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:44.179 also a window, okay? It's a warning, also a window. 00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:47.340 I'll get there. It invites us to ask the question 00:08:47.340 --> 00:08:50.200 today, Munster Church as a whole, as a collective, 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:53.740 but also individually, what am I holding on that's 00:08:53.740 --> 00:08:59.500 too heavy? to carry into the kingdom of God. 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:02.720 So let's start with the guy. Let's start with 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.879 this man. He's a good man. He's a good man with 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:07.759 a divided heart. The man asks, what good deed 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:10.899 must I do? The Greek phrasing here is interesting. 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:14.620 It frames salvation, this idea of what must I 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:18.980 do, transactionally. If I do this, then I get 00:09:18.980 --> 00:09:23.610 this. That's not grace. Right, that's more of 00:09:23.610 --> 00:09:27.169 a earned salvation. That is a works righteousness. 00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:29.490 There's that transaction which if we're being 00:09:29.490 --> 00:09:32.049 honest, we go to that in our lives all the time. 00:09:32.289 --> 00:09:35.330 If I do this, I expect this. If I do this for 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:37.289 my spouse, I expect this for my spouse, even 00:09:37.289 --> 00:09:39.309 though you never tell her and she can't read 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:42.149 your mind. Verbal expectations, different sermon 00:09:42.149 --> 00:09:45.399 series. But understand that we have transactional 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:47.779 hearts, which is really, really sad because we're 00:09:47.779 --> 00:09:50.460 a church and we're believers that really buy 00:09:50.460 --> 00:09:53.480 grace. We buy into the idea of grace. Grace is 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:56.519 what saved us. For it is by grace you have been 00:09:56.519 --> 00:09:59.080 saved through faith, not of your own works. Why? 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.820 So we don't boast about it because we so would. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:05.139 If we've earned our salvation, I'd be standing 00:10:05.139 --> 00:10:07.539 up on the mountaintops going, I did this for 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:10.600 me. I wrote a book. Buy it. So you can do the 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:13.100 same formula. That's the heart this guy has. 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:18.179 It's a divided heart. Jesus redirects him. Why 00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:21.100 do you ask me what is good? Isn't there only 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:25.779 one who is good? Jesus points him away from personal 00:10:25.779 --> 00:10:32.259 to God. It's not about you, but it's about the 00:10:32.259 --> 00:10:36.000 character and the divine nature of God. The man 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.059 responds to Jesus' list of commandments and says, 00:10:39.610 --> 00:10:42.490 I've done all of these. I've kept all of these. 00:10:43.649 --> 00:10:46.570 And Jesus doesn't challenge him. Jesus doesn't 00:10:46.570 --> 00:10:49.549 go, false. Nope, that's wrong. He doesn't challenge 00:10:49.549 --> 00:10:53.090 him on that. Instead, he goes after the one thing 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:58.769 the man is not expecting. Reading scholars, reading 00:10:58.769 --> 00:11:02.750 kind of my own, I think, and I don't want this 00:11:02.750 --> 00:11:06.509 to step on any toes, but I have found 20 years 00:11:06.509 --> 00:11:08.960 in, Those individuals and families, there seems 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.039 to be a theme of those that are definitely more 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.980 well -to -do, right, tend to want to step into 00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:16.779 situations or challenge authority or whatever 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:19.519 in a very different way than families that don't. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:23.039 That there's an understanding of wealth and socioeconomics 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:26.799 that can go into our mindset as far as how we 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.340 engage and interact not only in situations but 00:11:29.340 --> 00:11:33.629 with individuals of authority. One of the things 00:11:33.629 --> 00:11:36.529 that you see sometimes in churches is when you 00:11:36.529 --> 00:11:39.450 have just the wealthy in leadership positions, 00:11:39.669 --> 00:11:42.190 there seems to be a disconnect with the common 00:11:42.190 --> 00:11:46.070 man. And a council is only as good as its relatability 00:11:46.070 --> 00:11:48.850 to the church because it is the leadership that 00:11:48.850 --> 00:11:51.629 speaks for the church. I'd like to think we do 00:11:51.629 --> 00:11:53.769 that in a healthy way here at Munster Church. 00:11:53.809 --> 00:11:55.690 We don't always get it right, but that's why 00:11:55.690 --> 00:12:00.480 there's grace. But Jesus goes after the one thing 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:05.259 the man doesn't expect. His wealth. Because his 00:12:05.259 --> 00:12:10.320 wealth has become his identity. Doing good, following 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:12.179 the commandments, seeking forgiveness when you 00:12:12.179 --> 00:12:14.679 break them, should be our identity. That's grace. 00:12:14.779 --> 00:12:18.519 That's faithfulness. That's righteousness. But 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:21.740 Jesus goes right after his wealth. So here comes 00:12:21.740 --> 00:12:24.700 the command. Jesus turns this teaching real quick. 00:12:25.019 --> 00:12:29.240 The command. If you would be perfect, go and 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.980 sell what you possess and give it to the poor, 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:35.840 and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:40.879 follow me. The word perfect here, teleios, in 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:44.580 the Greek, means not flawless, but whole, complete, 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:50.419 and undivided. If you would be flawless, if you 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:53.899 would be whole, if you would be complete, if 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:58.470 you would be undivided, Sell what you possess 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:01.710 and give it to the poor. Jesus isn't giving a 00:13:01.710 --> 00:13:04.769 general requirement for all the disciples, but 00:13:04.769 --> 00:13:08.750 a personal invitation completely wrapped up for 00:13:08.750 --> 00:13:15.169 this guy. He's giving him the personal invitation 00:13:15.169 --> 00:13:18.090 to do something that's very, very important. 00:13:18.990 --> 00:13:25.039 To unshackle his heart. He's kept all the righteousness. 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:28.220 He's done all the things. He says that to Jesus, 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.220 but Jesus goes, brother, there's still something 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:33.620 that is shackling your heart, chaining up you 00:13:33.620 --> 00:13:37.960 from living the best life you can in me, in Jesus. 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:44.000 It's your wealth. For this man, wealth had become 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:47.419 not only an idol, it became his security, it 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:52.629 became his identity, and maybe... It became his 00:13:52.629 --> 00:13:57.629 hope. That's why I think I can relate. The hope 00:13:57.629 --> 00:14:01.509 of wealth, right? The hope of having eternal 00:14:01.509 --> 00:14:05.409 security. The hope of one day not worrying about 00:14:05.409 --> 00:14:08.629 food on the table, clothes on your back, all 00:14:08.629 --> 00:14:11.230 of those things, whether those are irrational 00:14:11.230 --> 00:14:14.090 or rational fears at times or things you walk 00:14:14.090 --> 00:14:17.669 through in life. But it's the hope that is found 00:14:17.669 --> 00:14:21.460 in what he possesses. The scriptures made it 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:24.740 very clear. He owns a lot of stuff. I'd love 00:14:24.740 --> 00:14:26.919 to know what it was, right? We'd love to get 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:29.019 a little sneak peek into his finances or into 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:31.019 his, you know, the storage bins that he has. 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:33.840 Was it grains? Was it meat? Was it clothing? 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:36.379 Was it jewelry? We don't know. But the scriptures 00:14:36.379 --> 00:14:40.320 tell us it was a lot. I kind of get the sense, 00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:42.000 and it's probably not right, of like a hoarder, 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.139 a hoarder of possessions. He doesn't seem like 00:14:44.139 --> 00:14:45.980 that because he seems like an upright, he seems 00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:50.259 like a good guy. Yet his possessions, his wealth, 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:53.620 became his hope. Jesus is not calling him to 00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:59.879 poverty. He's calling him to priority. There's 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:04.500 the difference. Sell whatever you have and give 00:15:04.500 --> 00:15:07.500 it to the poor. He doesn't say, so you become 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:11.389 poor. He says, but then come and follow me. Because 00:15:11.389 --> 00:15:14.409 what is one thing that he promises his disciples 00:15:14.409 --> 00:15:16.970 the entire time they follow him, those three 00:15:16.970 --> 00:15:21.889 and a half years? I've got you. Come and follow 00:15:21.889 --> 00:15:26.009 me. The shepherd provides for the sheep. So the 00:15:26.009 --> 00:15:29.450 wealthy man, the rich man, is being invited to 00:15:29.450 --> 00:15:32.809 become a sheep following a shepherd. But what's 00:15:32.809 --> 00:15:35.769 tripping him up in order to do that? All his 00:15:35.769 --> 00:15:40.919 stuff. So if you really kind of break this down, 00:15:41.179 --> 00:15:44.279 his security, his identity, maybe even his hope, 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.820 it's not Jesus isn't saying, hey, I want you 00:15:46.820 --> 00:15:49.320 to engage your poverty. He's not telling him 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:52.279 that. He wants Jesus to be the priority above 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:55.580 and beyond his stuff. And not just Jesus, but 00:15:55.580 --> 00:16:00.659 following Jesus. If I'm a Pharisee and I hear 00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:04.799 this, I'm getting very upset because now Jesus 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.049 is placing himself. As the superseding of the 00:16:08.049 --> 00:16:10.929 law, the Ten Commandments, the book of Moses. 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:13.769 So there's something else going on in the background. 00:16:14.250 --> 00:16:17.730 He is saying, let go of what is holding you back 00:16:17.730 --> 00:16:22.870 and trust me. And friends, we know that that's 00:16:22.870 --> 00:16:26.659 hard. But we've all, if you've grown up in Reformed 00:16:26.659 --> 00:16:29.279 circles at all, right? We're a confessional church. 00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:31.480 We have this Heidelberg Catechism thing. And 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:34.559 my favorite one, probably all of ours, question 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:39.299 answer one, reminds us that I am not my own. 00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:43.340 I'm not my own. That should be one of the greatest 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:48.139 clarifications, identity, definers of your life, 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:50.820 my life, and the life of the church. We are not 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:54.629 our own. I don't belong to my sinful self, though 00:16:54.629 --> 00:16:59.629 I war against it daily, but I belong. Hey, the 00:16:59.629 --> 00:17:02.669 lonely, I see you, you belong. Hey, the insecure, 00:17:02.950 --> 00:17:04.789 I see you, I bring you along. Hey, the poor, 00:17:04.930 --> 00:17:06.670 I see you, I bring you along. Hey, the rich, 00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:10.809 sell your stuff, come and be, belong. To who? 00:17:11.289 --> 00:17:16.470 My faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. But in my opinion, 00:17:16.470 --> 00:17:20.230 verse 22 is one of the saddest in the entire 00:17:20.230 --> 00:17:23.480 scriptures. When the young man heard this, he 00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:27.519 went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:34.420 He just met with the living God, the Messiah, 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:37.759 the one who had done some amazing things up to 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:42.099 this point. And he walks away sorrowful, because 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:45.779 Jesus doesn't give him what he wants. I'm sorry, 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:47.859 I think I just defined all of our relationships 00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:50.750 with Jesus at times. That there are times in 00:17:50.750 --> 00:17:53.569 our lives, in our testimonies, in our walks with 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:56.250 the Lord, we walk away sorrowful or perplexed 00:17:56.250 --> 00:18:00.430 or even angry or doubtful because we're not getting 00:18:00.430 --> 00:18:02.490 what we want. That prayer goes unanswered the 00:18:02.490 --> 00:18:06.430 way we want it answered. But the Heidelberg Catechism 00:18:06.430 --> 00:18:09.009 should remind us always, it's not about what 00:18:09.009 --> 00:18:13.569 you want. It's about who you belong to. Because 00:18:13.569 --> 00:18:15.750 that is the identity and the definition of your 00:18:15.750 --> 00:18:18.150 life that you need the most. Which is why we 00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:20.390 have the command, but now the teaching. And the 00:18:20.390 --> 00:18:23.650 teaching is just as hard. It's hard for the rich. 00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:27.230 Jesus says to his disciples, only with difficulty 00:18:27.230 --> 00:18:29.289 will a rich person enter the kingdom of God. 00:18:29.410 --> 00:18:32.410 Why do you think that is? Let's poll the audience 00:18:32.410 --> 00:18:35.670 for a second. Why do you think he starts with 00:18:35.670 --> 00:18:38.549 that? I'll read it again. Only with difficulty 00:18:38.549 --> 00:18:42.089 will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven 00:18:42.089 --> 00:18:44.430 or the kingdom of God. Why do you think that 00:18:44.430 --> 00:18:47.170 is? Why does Jesus start that teaching that way? 00:18:47.250 --> 00:18:50.650 Anybody haven't, I thought? Because they're shackled 00:18:50.650 --> 00:19:01.829 down, okay? Yeah. So back in that day and age, 00:19:01.829 --> 00:19:07.099 you probably had to beat down. Yeah. That if 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:09.279 it was all in stuff, and we learned last week 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.299 where people tried to hide it in their walls 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:13.359 and all that kind of stuff, there wasn't big 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:16.099 banks, there wasn't big vaults, it was probably 00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:19.740 a full -time job to people not steal stuff of 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:22.480 yours. So that's a chaotic life just to begin 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:25.880 with. Only with difficulty will a rich person 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:27.579 enter the kingdom of God. I heard over here pride. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:38.980 Why pride? You think, oh, you're not done. Go 00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:43.799 ahead. You come up and finish it. Just bring 00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:47.559 it home. Your name is Jim. It works, right? It's 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:51.160 right on, right? Because when you have a lot 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.900 of stuff that's very different than having a 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:56.460 lot in savings, right? That's a sermon about 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:58.880 just being a miser. But understand that if you 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:00.660 have a lot of stuff, you're believing you're 00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:03.059 the one getting it all. You're the one buying 00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:05.950 it all. It's not, you know, the different things, 00:20:06.069 --> 00:20:07.750 whatever it is, isn't coming down like manna 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:10.170 from heaven into your driveway, into your garage, 00:20:10.309 --> 00:20:13.029 into your storage bins, whatever it is. You think 00:20:13.029 --> 00:20:16.609 you're doing it. That's why this teaching is 00:20:16.609 --> 00:20:19.950 so hard. Then he doubles down. It is easier for 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:22.450 the camel to go through an eye of a needle, right? 00:20:22.509 --> 00:20:25.269 Whether you're looking at the needle or the little 00:20:25.269 --> 00:20:27.670 gate in front of the city. We've talked about 00:20:27.670 --> 00:20:30.049 that years ago in a sermon. Or an eye of a needle 00:20:30.049 --> 00:20:33.799 of a pin. Both understandings help. One's just 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:35.759 cultural and one's just kind of day and age now. 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:39.519 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:42.599 of a needle than a rich person to enter the kingdom. 00:20:43.059 --> 00:20:45.759 Because they have to drop their identity. It's 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:48.079 like that for every sin. The image isn't about 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:51.160 squeezing, it's about impossibility. The largest 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:53.539 animal in the Palestine world going through the 00:20:53.539 --> 00:20:56.440 smallest opening, it's a hyperbole that should 00:20:56.440 --> 00:20:59.700 bring shock and awe. Because it's just not possible. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.759 So what Jesus is saying, it is not possible. 00:21:02.650 --> 00:21:06.369 for the rich to remain rich, so to speak, in 00:21:06.369 --> 00:21:09.529 their spirit, in their identity. Now, if you're 00:21:09.529 --> 00:21:13.450 rich and you give it away, different story. Again, 00:21:13.509 --> 00:21:16.170 it's not a sin to be rich, but it's how you got 00:21:16.170 --> 00:21:18.369 that way and what your identity is about it. 00:21:18.750 --> 00:21:21.269 Jesus is not saying wealth is evil. Hear that. 00:21:21.910 --> 00:21:25.150 But he is saying that wealth can weigh down your 00:21:25.150 --> 00:21:30.869 soul. 90 % of you rose your hand. That, you know, 00:21:30.869 --> 00:21:33.170 in the last 48 hours you thought or looked or 00:21:33.170 --> 00:21:36.170 had an anxiety about your finances of some way, 00:21:36.250 --> 00:21:37.990 shape, or form. Not all of us, if any of us, 00:21:38.009 --> 00:21:40.609 are rich, right? But it's still weighing you 00:21:40.609 --> 00:21:43.269 down. I've told you the story that I would start 00:21:43.269 --> 00:21:45.329 most mornings checking the bank account and it 00:21:45.329 --> 00:21:48.920 started ruining my day. Because all of a sudden 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:50.660 I just started thinking financially throughout 00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:52.859 the day. You start with God's word. You start 00:21:52.859 --> 00:21:54.180 with a scripture. You start with a devotion. 00:21:54.420 --> 00:21:56.359 You start with kissing your wife. You start with 00:21:56.359 --> 00:21:59.759 seeing your kids. Those are better ways to start. 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:03.660 But Jesus is not saying that wealth is evil, 00:22:03.740 --> 00:22:06.220 but that wealth can weigh down the soul. And 00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:11.900 that wealth often competes. Here we go. Wealth 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:15.740 often competes with the same space that our hearts 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:20.569 have. Only for God. Because God should be our 00:22:20.569 --> 00:22:24.430 identity. God should be in that pilot seat of 00:22:24.430 --> 00:22:27.809 your life. Yet a lot of times finances can find 00:22:27.809 --> 00:22:31.690 their way there. Belgian Confession Article 24 00:22:31.690 --> 00:22:35.230 reminds us that true faith is always accompanied 00:22:35.230 --> 00:22:40.069 by surrender. And good works. Not in earned salvation, 00:22:40.410 --> 00:22:44.029 but to reflect that we've been joined with Christ. 00:22:44.130 --> 00:22:47.170 Hear that. It's not works righteousness. It's 00:22:47.170 --> 00:22:50.650 surrender first. We just sung about it a couple 00:22:50.650 --> 00:22:55.309 minutes ago. Surrendering everything. You can 00:22:55.309 --> 00:22:59.670 have it all, Lord. Every part of my world. Why 00:22:59.670 --> 00:23:03.309 are we giving it to God? Easy. Because with God, 00:23:03.309 --> 00:23:07.029 all things are possible. The disciples are stunned. 00:23:07.250 --> 00:23:13.029 Who then can be saved? Jesus replies, with man 00:23:13.029 --> 00:23:15.910 this is impossible, but with God all things are 00:23:15.910 --> 00:23:19.589 possible. This is the gospel moment of the text. 00:23:19.930 --> 00:23:22.690 Salvation is not about trying harder or giving 00:23:22.690 --> 00:23:25.950 more. It's about completely surrendering all 00:23:25.950 --> 00:23:29.109 that you have. Only God can change your heart. 00:23:29.309 --> 00:23:32.670 Only God can remove the idol. Only God can break 00:23:32.670 --> 00:23:35.339 the chains of the mammon. that we talked about 00:23:35.339 --> 00:23:38.420 last week, that demon of wealth. We're going 00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:40.180 to get to that later in this sermon series more 00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:43.779 specifically. But understand, it's only a tighter 00:23:43.779 --> 00:23:46.319 relationship with God, surrendering everything 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.420 to God, even the good things in life. Not just 00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:52.880 all of our stuff, but surrendering our families. 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:56.579 Right? Whether it's your first or your twelfth. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.690 Understand. We have to surrender. I have to surrender 00:24:01.690 --> 00:24:05.230 my kids to God. It's what we do in baptism, right? 00:24:05.349 --> 00:24:07.450 And it's not surrendering them for them to fend 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:09.569 for themselves, even though I'm sure some days 00:24:09.569 --> 00:24:11.569 they think it feels that way. But that's what 00:24:11.569 --> 00:24:15.410 happens when you say no. Understand, we have 00:24:15.410 --> 00:24:19.230 to surrender every aspect. Why? Because everything 00:24:19.230 --> 00:24:23.470 in life can become an idol. Whether you want 00:24:23.470 --> 00:24:26.690 to be the greatest worker in your field, not 00:24:26.690 --> 00:24:29.450 a bad aspiration. Can that become an idol? Absolutely. 00:24:30.140 --> 00:24:32.519 When you start stepping on the people under you 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:35.640 to get there. Parenting can easily become an 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.700 idol. Sports can become an idol. All of these 00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:41.720 things can become an idol. Things that take you 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:45.019 away from the body of Christ. Anything that is 00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:47.680 going to take your focus off of Christ, guess 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:50.680 what? Is trying to become your idol. It is rooted 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:56.369 in sin. Friends, that's the gospel answer. That's 00:24:56.369 --> 00:24:59.289 what Jesus is trying to get at. Salvation is 00:24:59.289 --> 00:25:01.970 not about trying harder or giving more. It's 00:25:01.970 --> 00:25:05.670 about surrendering completely to someone who 00:25:05.670 --> 00:25:09.609 can change your heart, change your desires. Friends, 00:25:09.670 --> 00:25:12.829 it's not bad to work hard and to earn that money. 00:25:12.990 --> 00:25:15.309 It's not bad to get a large inheritance. It's 00:25:15.309 --> 00:25:19.450 not bad to have a mindset where you want to be 00:25:19.450 --> 00:25:21.410 good stewards of that. You're called to be. We 00:25:21.410 --> 00:25:26.400 all are. So the first thing I think we need to 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:29.799 do, and this is hard, and I'm saying this to 00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:32.160 myself first in the mirror. First thing we need 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:34.500 to do is let go of the weight. So what does this 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:40.099 story mean for us? Well, the question's got to 00:25:40.099 --> 00:25:41.980 be asked. What do you cling to more tightly than 00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:45.240 Jesus? It's a simple question to ask. It's a 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:47.619 hard question to answer. What are you clinging 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:50.630 to? You're clinging to power and authority? You're 00:25:50.630 --> 00:25:53.470 clinging to your name? You're clinging to climbing 00:25:53.470 --> 00:25:58.390 the corporate ladder? Are you clinging to that 00:25:58.390 --> 00:26:02.309 more than you are Jesus? Where's your comfort? 00:26:02.730 --> 00:26:06.529 In Jesus or in your safety net? Again, not bad 00:26:06.529 --> 00:26:09.130 to have savings. Not bad to have a 401k. It's 00:26:09.130 --> 00:26:13.609 not bad to have any of that. Or are you clinging 00:26:13.609 --> 00:26:16.490 to it more than Jesus? Are you checking your 00:26:16.490 --> 00:26:18.450 accounts more than you're checking in with God's 00:26:18.450 --> 00:26:22.130 word? Or checking in with God in prayer? Are 00:26:22.130 --> 00:26:25.549 you letting go of the weight? Or do you do it 00:26:25.549 --> 00:26:28.529 when people are watching? Just like prayer. I'm 00:26:28.529 --> 00:26:30.769 going to put it in God's hands. Come back. Wait 00:26:30.769 --> 00:26:33.170 until everybody's gone. And then go pick it back 00:26:33.170 --> 00:26:36.109 up. Or letting go of the weight for good. Do 00:26:36.109 --> 00:26:41.880 you trust Christ fully? or only when it's convenient. 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.599 Friends, this is not a call to sell everything. 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:50.299 It's a call to surrender everything, to live 00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:56.339 with open hands and an undivided heart. Now, 00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:58.180 we don't know what happens to this man. I'd love 00:26:58.180 --> 00:27:00.859 to think he gets saved. I would love to think 00:27:00.859 --> 00:27:06.859 he sells it one day. But what if he didn't? What 00:27:06.859 --> 00:27:09.759 if the stuff, the possession, What if he was 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:13.799 buried all with it like some Egyptian king? What 00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:17.500 an absolute waste, right? What an absolute waste. 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:20.400 Again, if you're saving for your kids, kids, 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:23.259 kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, kids, and you can 00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:26.619 do all that, fantastic. Please tithe. But understand, 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:29.680 it's not bad to save up for that and to have 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.440 all that ready to go. But this got in the way 00:27:32.440 --> 00:27:35.920 of his salvation. He was standing face to face 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.119 with the living God and he walks away sorrowful. 00:27:42.119 --> 00:27:45.839 Friend, is the son of the living God looking 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.059 at you right now? Is he saying you gotta let 00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:53.039 this go? Whether it's this weird obsession or 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:56.480 attraction with wealth or stuff or success or 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.680 whatever it is. Believe me, we've asked that 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:02.160 question in the council room. Let us not hold 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:04.619 so tightly to this potential building project, 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:09.200 but hold it open -handed, asking God's will be 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:12.380 done. Knowing that over 300 of you, we're not 00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:15.599 all going to agree on it. But what is God saying? 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:19.420 When you have clenched fists and hands over yours, 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:21.920 you can't hear it. You can't understand it. You're 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:26.619 not asking. Okay, pastor, this is great. I feel 00:28:26.619 --> 00:28:30.019 awful, right? What do I need to do? Okay, let 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:32.559 it go. Great. How? Well, let's look to the one 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:36.119 who let go first. Jesus is not asking us to do 00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:41.519 something he didn't already do. Huh? Think about 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.119 the life of Jesus. He left the riches of heaven 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:51.180 for the poverty of earth. One of my favorite 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:53.140 comedians, John Chris, does a bit, I think I've 00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:55.579 talked about it before, about looking at the 00:28:55.579 --> 00:28:58.519 Lazarus story from Lazarus' point of view. Maybe 00:28:58.519 --> 00:28:59.859 you've seen the clip. Maybe you won't. I probably 00:28:59.859 --> 00:29:03.539 won't do it justice. But like, you're in heaven, 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:07.259 right? You died. We know that. You're seeing 00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:09.240 all your relatives. You're in the golden streets 00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:11.619 or whatever Ray Bolt's saying about in the 80s. 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:15.039 Like, you're experiencing it. And like, how does 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:17.019 that work? Does like an angel come to your door? 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:23.539 Lazarus, we've never done this before, but you 00:29:23.539 --> 00:29:27.500 have to go back down. Clearly I'm not doing it 00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:29.220 justice because they laugh and you're all judging 00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:31.700 me, and that's totally fine. But if you think 00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:33.960 about it, play a little bit in your mind. He's 00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:36.900 in glory. Jesus was in heaven. He was sitting 00:29:36.900 --> 00:29:39.359 at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:42.859 who was there brooding over the waters, who hasn't 00:29:42.859 --> 00:29:46.740 yet died for all of us. He leaves his riches 00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:49.839 for heaven, of heaven, for the poverty of earth. 00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:53.880 He emptied himself, Philippians tells us, taking 00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:57.839 the form of a servant. How did he die? Not with 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:03.660 money, no home, no inheritance. Well, no, he 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:08.980 did have an inheritance. He had you and me. He 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:13.140 did all of that for you and me. He gave up everything 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:18.059 to gain you, to gain me, to call Munster Church 00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:21.940 his bride. And he doesn't do that to burden you, 00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:25.420 right? He's not like that person that loaned 00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:27.279 you money years ago and always kind of reminds 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:28.779 you, even though you paid them off with their 00:30:28.779 --> 00:30:31.180 family member or friend years ago, but they're 00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:33.960 always, you know, or you do that one favor, right? 00:30:34.059 --> 00:30:36.980 It's like, you know, if you ask someone to move, 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:39.339 get ready. For help with that, get ready. You're 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:41.640 going to get asked nine times over. It just happens. 00:30:41.900 --> 00:30:44.640 Jesus doesn't do any of that. He gave up everything 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:49.180 to gain you, not to burden you or me, but to 00:30:49.180 --> 00:30:54.609 free us. Because couldn't Jesus do that? In whatever 00:30:54.609 --> 00:30:56.730 sin you committed this week, couldn't Jesus just 00:30:56.730 --> 00:30:59.910 whisper in your ear, hey, I didn't die for you 00:30:59.910 --> 00:31:03.990 to do that. He doesn't guilt you, right? He may 00:31:03.990 --> 00:31:06.789 convict your heart, but he doesn't place it over 00:31:06.789 --> 00:31:09.369 you. He says, no, come to me because my burden 00:31:09.369 --> 00:31:12.430 is light. The stuff the world's going to give 00:31:12.430 --> 00:31:17.269 you is heavy. My burden is light. He does this 00:31:17.269 --> 00:31:19.900 not to burden you, friend, but to free you. So 00:31:19.900 --> 00:31:21.380 what does this look like? We'll land the plane 00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:24.500 here. What would it look like to trust God more 00:31:24.500 --> 00:31:27.940 than your possessions? Are you willing to let 00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:33.339 go of anything that competes? Anything that competes 00:31:33.339 --> 00:31:37.259 with Christ for your heart? Money, sports, status, 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.160 family, all of those things. Are you willing 00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:43.059 to let it go? Anything that competes with Christ 00:31:43.059 --> 00:31:45.000 for your heart? Because friends, that's what 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:48.039 Jesus is inviting us to do today. To walk with 00:31:48.039 --> 00:31:51.059 Jesus, not sorrowfully, but in surrendering. 00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.740 To lay down the weight of wealth and to pick 00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:59.619 up something much, much better. The joy of salvation 00:31:59.619 --> 00:32:03.339 in Christ following his example every day.