WEBVTT 00:00:13.070 --> 00:00:15.949 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected 00:00:15.949 --> 00:00:19.550 or to give online, please go to hcv .church slash 00:00:19.550 --> 00:00:23.730 connect or hcv .church slash give. If at any 00:00:23.730 --> 00:00:25.949 point during this message you feel called to 00:00:25.949 --> 00:00:28.750 make a change in your life, text CHANGEME to 00:00:28.750 --> 00:00:33.329 97000. Now enjoy the message. Well, good morning, 00:00:33.350 --> 00:00:38.369 everyone. I wanted a low, drowning hum to just 00:00:38.369 --> 00:00:41.679 go across the room. So that you would all wake 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:44.979 up and know how much I appreciate you. So welcome 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:47.439 to HCV. We're so glad you're here. If you're 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:49.020 joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:00:49.020 --> 00:00:51.060 us into your place. A couple of things I want 00:00:51.060 --> 00:00:53.439 to highlight and address. Our HCV apparel has 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:56.640 been restocked. And it includes the tie -dye 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:59.179 jean jacket. So if you loved it when I wore it, 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:02.539 it's available for purchase. There have been 00:01:02.539 --> 00:01:04.599 a few people, as you saw in the announcements 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:08.170 there. desiring to partner with one another to 00:01:08.170 --> 00:01:12.349 purchase backpacks in bulk. Okay, that is a possibility. 00:01:12.469 --> 00:01:14.890 Tracy has all the details at the Welcome Hub. 00:01:14.930 --> 00:01:17.450 If you don't feel like going to Walmart or Target 00:01:17.450 --> 00:01:20.629 or Sam's to buy a backpack, see her at the Welcome 00:01:20.629 --> 00:01:22.670 Hub, throw your money together, and we'll buy 00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:26.590 hundreds at a very discounted price so that we 00:01:26.590 --> 00:01:28.930 can further expand the kingdom of God through 00:01:28.930 --> 00:01:33.519 our backpack giveaway. I need to address something 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.040 that really bothered me yesterday on social media, 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:40.379 if that's okay with you. So I was making my Facebook 00:01:40.379 --> 00:01:44.000 post, as I always do every single week before 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.120 our Sunday gatherings, inviting and including 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:50.400 people to come and be a part of our Sunday gatherings. 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:53.920 As I was on Facebook, as I was on our social 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.099 media circles, I saw this sharing of an unfortunate 00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:00.980 event that took place at a concert this past 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:05.400 week. A couple was caught in idolatry with a 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.039 kiss cam. And it's a very unfortunate event. 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.699 I am in no way condoning what that couple was 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:18.219 doing or has done. But it breaks my heart when 00:02:18.219 --> 00:02:21.620 I see people in the church and even in our church 00:02:21.620 --> 00:02:25.199 sharing this post, making fun of them, pointing 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:32.780 fingers at them. Church, we can be better. We 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:39.120 can be better. And the last time I checked, Jesus 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:42.860 said, but let the one who has never sinned throw 00:02:42.860 --> 00:02:48.659 the first stone. So I just want to challenge 00:02:48.659 --> 00:02:52.400 you. If you're in your social media circus, which 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:58.620 many of us are, be better. Be positive. Be encouraging. 00:02:59.550 --> 00:03:03.150 invite and include people to life change. Don't 00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:05.689 tear people down, because chances are if you're 00:03:05.689 --> 00:03:08.810 sharing and making fun of that couple, maybe 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:11.469 you're called in it too, and you're just trying 00:03:11.469 --> 00:03:14.689 to take the light off you. So let's just be better, 00:03:14.789 --> 00:03:18.069 and let's let people see the light of God in 00:03:18.069 --> 00:03:22.069 us, even in our social media posts. So today, 00:03:22.169 --> 00:03:25.030 we continue our July series, God's at War, and 00:03:25.030 --> 00:03:27.509 we've been addressing a simple question throughout 00:03:27.509 --> 00:03:31.479 this series. We don't worship idols in our modern 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:35.439 day American society, do we? I mean, after all, 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.759 we don't worship images of stone and of wood. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:40.620 That's a primitive culture. That's Old Testament. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:43.580 There's no way in our modern day civilization 00:03:43.580 --> 00:03:48.099 that we struggle with this issue. And yet over 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:50.120 the last two weeks, here's what we've learned 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:53.719 and discussed. For most of us, idolatry is the 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:58.000 issue. It is the issue. It's the one thing that 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.400 is keeping us from living the life that God wants 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:04.479 us to live. See, we all have these gods at war 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:08.639 within us, and they're battling for who will 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:11.900 have control of our hearts. Os Guinness explains 00:04:11.900 --> 00:04:15.080 it this way. Idolatry is the most discussed problem 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.060 in the Bible, and it's one of the most powerful 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:20.540 spiritual and intellectual concepts in a believer's 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:24.620 arsenal. Yet, for Christians today, it's one 00:04:24.620 --> 00:04:28.730 of the least. meaningful notions. There's more 00:04:28.730 --> 00:04:32.490 than a thousand references to this issue of idolatry 00:04:32.490 --> 00:04:35.529 in the Bible, but we tend to skip over them and 00:04:35.529 --> 00:04:38.410 believe, well, they don't apply to us. I don't 00:04:38.410 --> 00:04:42.870 worship carved images. But it is my prayer that 00:04:42.870 --> 00:04:46.269 throughout this series, we become aware of the 00:04:46.269 --> 00:04:49.290 gods that are within us, and that will lead all 00:04:49.290 --> 00:04:51.649 of us to a more deeper and passionate commitment 00:04:51.649 --> 00:04:54.079 to Jesus, because I know in the first... Three 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.259 weeks in preparing for these talks, it significantly 00:04:56.259 --> 00:04:59.540 changed my life. Let's open in prayer. Holy Spirit, 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:06.540 come. God, we're thankful for this series. We're 00:05:06.540 --> 00:05:08.779 thankful, God, that you highlight areas of our 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:13.759 life that become God's, that become more important 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:18.860 to us than you. Speak to us today, God. Reveal 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:20.899 your truth to us. Open our hearts to receive, 00:05:21.180 --> 00:05:24.279 and more importantly, to be changed. In Jesus' 00:05:24.420 --> 00:05:28.879 name, amen. So if you were to ask most of the 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:32.000 people within our culture what is the definition 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.319 of success, I believe the word happiness would 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:39.860 show up. Aristotle called happiness the chief 00:05:39.860 --> 00:05:44.339 good. The ultimate purpose, he would say, for 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:49.000 our life's existence is to be happy. And when 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.160 talking to people about happiness, it won't take 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:55.819 long for them to start speaking in terms of money. 00:05:56.660 --> 00:05:59.720 Truth is, in our American culture, money has 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:03.540 become the symbol for our happiness. When we 00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:06.379 see money as something that is the ability to 00:06:06.379 --> 00:06:09.779 satisfy us, what are we doing? We're giving it 00:06:09.779 --> 00:06:14.439 a divine attribute. See, we choose who or what 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:17.519 will have control of our hearts. We learned last 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:20.300 Sunday that oftentimes, God will put himself 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:24.300 in direct competition with something that we 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:27.759 love or care about too much. And he says to us, 00:06:27.819 --> 00:06:31.939 choose. Choose between this or that. Choose between 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:35.759 me or them. You choose. In week one, we learned 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:39.079 about a surprising attribute God has when it 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:42.360 comes to this word idolatry, and it is that he 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:47.100 is jealous. That God is jealous of someone or 00:06:47.100 --> 00:06:49.579 something that is more important than him in 00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:53.139 our lives. See, we were created to worship, to 00:06:53.139 --> 00:06:56.339 be in relationship with God. I mean, he sent 00:06:56.339 --> 00:06:59.439 his own son, Jesus, to die, so that is even a 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:03.339 possibility. And until we understand who or what 00:07:03.339 --> 00:07:06.779 has control of our hearts, we will not experience 00:07:06.779 --> 00:07:10.060 victory. Instead, we will continue to walk in 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:14.019 frustration and doubt and anger. We won't walk 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:16.199 in abundance and we will continue to give in 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:19.740 to sin. And listen, it doesn't have to be alcohol 00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:22.980 or drugs or pornography or lust that we're bowing 00:07:22.980 --> 00:07:26.639 down to. See, for many followers of Jesus, the 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:29.899 most destructive gods are the ones that we don't 00:07:29.899 --> 00:07:34.339 recognize. Last week we talked about taking good 00:07:34.339 --> 00:07:37.519 things that God has given us and turning them 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.730 into false gods. And when we do that, we're breaking 00:07:40.730 --> 00:07:43.949 the first commandment that Jesus told us to follow. 00:07:44.610 --> 00:07:48.589 Jesus said, you must love the Lord your God with 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.370 all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 00:07:51.430 --> 00:07:55.430 In other words, put him first. And just because 00:07:55.430 --> 00:07:58.850 these gifts that God has given us are good or 00:07:58.850 --> 00:08:02.149 fine, it does not mean they should control our 00:08:02.149 --> 00:08:06.050 hearts. For example, it may start out with a 00:08:06.050 --> 00:08:09.259 young person. Who has a God of sports in their 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:11.920 life. They're passionate about the sport they 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.160 play. They practice. They work hard. They're 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:18.139 successful. Practically speaking, that's what's 00:08:18.139 --> 00:08:22.939 most important to them. As they get older, that 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:26.160 God is displaced by the God of a car. And then 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.600 that God is displaced by a boyfriend or a girlfriend. 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.120 And then it's college. And then it's a career. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.840 And then it's a husband or a wife. And then it's 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.379 a home. And then it's our children, and then 00:08:37.379 --> 00:08:39.860 it's financial status, and then it's retirement, 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:43.940 and then it's the God of our grandchildren. See, 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.519 we can constantly be filling the throne of our 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:50.600 hearts with different gods. John Calvin puts 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:53.820 it this way. He says the human heart is a factory 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:59.379 of idols. He says we are always creating and 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:02.840 putting different things and people in place 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:06.580 of our worship. And until we identify those and 00:09:06.580 --> 00:09:10.299 remove them from controlling our hearts, what 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:11.519 are we going to miss out on, church? We're going 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:14.320 to miss out on abundance. We're going to miss 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:17.220 out on the life that God wants us to live. We 00:09:17.220 --> 00:09:20.419 need to replace worldly desires with a love for 00:09:20.419 --> 00:09:24.139 God. Because we cannot defeat these desires in 00:09:24.139 --> 00:09:27.139 our own strength. We have to strip them away, 00:09:27.460 --> 00:09:31.500 strip them of their power, and put God first. 00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:35.720 So we now know that there's this choosing that 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:38.500 must happen in our lives. And again, oftentimes 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:43.100 in church, we focus on a choice that is made 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:48.080 on the day of salvation. But truly being a follower 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.740 of Jesus is much more than a choice. It's a continual 00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:54.419 choosing. It's not even just once a day. It's 00:09:54.419 --> 00:09:56.480 many times throughout the day. We have to make 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:00.240 the choice of what we will worship. Are we going 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:03.000 to worship God? Or are we going to worship something 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:06.960 else? Will we worship God or will we worship 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:10.080 our spouse? Will we worship God or will we worship 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:13.039 the food that gives us pleasure when we're depressed? 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.799 Will we worship God or will we worship our career 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:20.139 and what other people think of us? And the list 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:22.480 continues. It goes on and on and on. But every 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.500 day we have this choice. And I believe when we 00:10:26.500 --> 00:10:29.840 start to see life through that lens. that lens 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:32.799 that we have a choice, will I worship God or 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.559 will I worship something else, then things become 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:39.720 very clear to us. And it allows us to move forward 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:42.500 in our relationship with Jesus and overcome the 00:10:42.500 --> 00:10:45.860 sins that have torn us down, which leads us to 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:49.139 our first thought this morning. The pursuit of 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:54.320 success can replace God in our lives. The desire 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:59.669 to be successful. It's a desire that is in many 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:02.509 Americans' hearts, and today we're going to discuss 00:11:02.509 --> 00:11:04.850 the man who faces this choice in a very direct 00:11:04.850 --> 00:11:08.289 and specific way. In Luke's Gospel, chapter 18, 00:11:08.450 --> 00:11:10.690 there are three words in the Bible used to describe 00:11:10.690 --> 00:11:17.090 this man. Rich, young, ruler. All of which point 00:11:17.090 --> 00:11:19.250 to the fact that he was what? He was a successful 00:11:19.250 --> 00:11:22.389 person. And what Jesus is going to do in this 00:11:22.389 --> 00:11:25.389 story is he's going to put himself in direct 00:11:25.389 --> 00:11:29.320 competition. With what this man loves. And he's 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:32.000 going to say to this man. He's saying to us today. 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:38.120 You choose. And in doing so. I believe all of 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:41.299 us are going to be challenged. This man has accumulated. 00:11:41.460 --> 00:11:44.799 He has achieved. He has accomplished. He is a 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.639 success. And he was worshiping the gods of success. 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:53.570 Luke chapter 18 verse 18 says this. Once. A religious 00:11:53.570 --> 00:11:56.049 leader asked Jesus this question. Good teacher, 00:11:56.350 --> 00:11:59.029 what should I do in order to inherit eternal 00:11:59.029 --> 00:12:00.870 life? Now, I'm going to break these verses down. 00:12:00.929 --> 00:12:02.450 You can just keep them on the screen, on the 00:12:02.450 --> 00:12:04.730 Sky Bible. But I really want to break it down 00:12:04.730 --> 00:12:06.509 so that we understand it. Now, in the Bible, 00:12:06.830 --> 00:12:12.889 young means 40 and under. Now, in Matthew's account, 00:12:13.070 --> 00:12:14.350 because some of you are thinking, wait a minute, 00:12:14.669 --> 00:12:19.029 it doesn't say rich young ruler. But in Matthew's 00:12:19.029 --> 00:12:21.350 account, he describes this man as a rich young 00:12:21.350 --> 00:12:26.730 ruler. Under 40. Now I understand some of us 00:12:26.730 --> 00:12:34.730 think we're young. We feel young. We look at 00:12:34.730 --> 00:12:37.649 life as being young. But if we're over 40, we're 00:12:37.649 --> 00:12:40.990 no longer young. Unfortunately, that's a biblical 00:12:40.990 --> 00:12:44.929 truth, okay? The Bible teaches 40 and under, 00:12:45.090 --> 00:12:49.090 okay? So I'm old. I'm acknowledging that I have 00:12:49.090 --> 00:12:53.440 gray hair now. So we have a young ruler, and 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:56.139 what do we know about him? He was a person who 00:12:56.139 --> 00:13:01.620 was driven. He was driven to succeed and be successful, 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:06.039 and it says a certain ruler, and the word ruler 00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:09.500 in Greek means a recognized official. So in other 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:12.080 words, he would have been recognized as a person 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.879 of authority in this culture, and he asked Jesus 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:18.820 a very simple question. Now you have to give 00:13:18.820 --> 00:13:21.320 this man credit because If you're going to ask 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:24.320 Jesus one question, this is the question. What 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:28.480 must I do to live forever? What must I do to 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:32.080 inherit eternal life? But notice, even the way 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.779 he asks the question reveals the God that he 00:13:34.779 --> 00:13:37.460 worships. Because how does he phrase the question? 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:44.240 What must I do? What must I do? And those of 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.340 us who struggle with gods of success are continually 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:49.220 wanting to be the source of our own salvation. 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.700 Then the word he uses here for inherit could 00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:57.080 just as easily be translated as acquire earn. 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:00.580 So yes, he's asking Jesus a simple question, 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:03.700 but he's asking it through his lens of success. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:08.500 And this is one of the many reasons people are 00:14:08.500 --> 00:14:11.480 drawn to the gods of success. Because it allows 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:15.740 them to put our hope into our accomplishments, 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:21.519 into our success. Into our achievements. And 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:25.080 Jesus doesn't even seem necessary anymore. Because 00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:27.039 we look at everything we've been able to accomplish 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:30.279 and achieve and we put feathers in our caps and 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:36.240 we say, I'm doing it. It's all me. And this is 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:38.120 one of the reasons why successful people are 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:39.840 some of the hardest to reach with the good news. 00:14:40.580 --> 00:14:42.919 In order for them to respond to Jesus and to 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:46.500 follow him, they have to take themselves out 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:50.419 of their heart. They themselves are the center 00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:52.279 of their attention, the center of their affection. 00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:55.299 They put themselves as the God of their heart. 00:14:56.419 --> 00:14:59.279 And it's hard to take yourself off the God of 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:00.759 your heart because you have to admit your weakness. 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.779 TV personality Bill Maher, when talking about 00:15:04.779 --> 00:15:07.559 the crucifixion, said this, I just don't get 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:09.799 the thought of someone else cleansing me of my 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:12.279 sins. It's ridiculous. I don't need anyone to 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:14.919 cleanse me. I can cleanse myself. I can earn 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:20.330 it. Warren Buffett donated 85 % of his $44 billion 00:15:20.330 --> 00:15:24.409 fortune to charity, and he says, there's a lot 00:15:24.409 --> 00:15:26.690 of ways to get to heaven, but this is a pretty 00:15:26.690 --> 00:15:31.129 good one. Essentially, what is he saying? I can 00:15:31.129 --> 00:15:34.789 do it. I'm successful enough. I can earn my way 00:15:34.789 --> 00:15:38.649 into heaven. So Jesus responds to this man's 00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:41.769 question right away, verse 19. Why do you call 00:15:41.769 --> 00:15:46.750 me good? Jesus asked him. Only God is truly good. 00:15:47.250 --> 00:15:49.309 Notice he points him right back to the Father. 00:15:49.549 --> 00:15:51.669 But to answer your question, you know the commandments. 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:54.190 You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. 00:15:54.330 --> 00:15:56.470 You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 00:15:56.490 --> 00:15:58.809 Honor your father and mother. The man replied, 00:15:59.009 --> 00:16:02.230 I've obeyed all these commandments since I was 00:16:02.230 --> 00:16:09.649 young. So Jesus is trying to help this man form 00:16:09.649 --> 00:16:12.970 the appropriate response. This man should have 00:16:12.970 --> 00:16:16.980 said, I'm not good. I haven't kept those commandments. 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:21.320 I can't do it on my own. But he doesn't. This 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:25.899 man was too proud. Instead, he says, oh, I've 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:29.940 done all those things since I was a boy. And 00:16:29.940 --> 00:16:31.779 what this man is doing is unfortunately what 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:34.919 many do in the church today, especially for those 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:37.659 who've grown up in the church. While success 00:16:37.659 --> 00:16:40.779 may not be something that you're caught up in, 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:42.980 meaning you're not worried about your job titles, 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:47.580 your financial success, it is very possible for 00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:49.679 people in the church to make spiritual success 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:55.299 a false god. Just like the man in our text. When 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:58.679 we keep all the religious rules, it makes it 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:02.309 very difficult to see we need a savior. We can 00:17:02.309 --> 00:17:06.250 be so spiritually minded, so spiritually successful 00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:09.490 that that's where our confidence is. That's where 00:17:09.490 --> 00:17:12.549 our security is found. For example, every time 00:17:12.549 --> 00:17:16.410 the doors are open, I'm at the church. We read 00:17:16.410 --> 00:17:18.630 our Bible. We memorize scripture. We pray. We 00:17:18.630 --> 00:17:22.869 fast. Maybe we've come up with our own set of 00:17:22.869 --> 00:17:26.410 religious rules. We don't go to the movies. We 00:17:26.410 --> 00:17:28.430 don't watch Netflix. We don't listen to secular 00:17:28.430 --> 00:17:34.609 music. We don't just give 10%. We give 15%. Now, 00:17:34.670 --> 00:17:36.509 I am in no way saying these things are bad. Please 00:17:36.509 --> 00:17:40.470 hear me. If the Holy Spirit has convicted us 00:17:40.470 --> 00:17:44.369 or you to live that way, go for it. But don't 00:17:44.369 --> 00:17:46.210 allow those religious rules to become your God. 00:17:49.490 --> 00:17:55.049 If this rule has replaced Jesus as our security 00:17:55.049 --> 00:17:59.150 and our salvation, it has become our God. There 00:17:59.150 --> 00:18:01.190 are way too many Jesus followers living this 00:18:01.190 --> 00:18:05.450 way in the church today. Forgive us. Let's continue. 00:18:06.970 --> 00:18:09.150 So remember, this man has great confidence in 00:18:09.150 --> 00:18:11.789 his spiritual success. I've kept all these since 00:18:11.789 --> 00:18:15.589 I was a boy. Then in verse 22, Jesus takes aim 00:18:15.589 --> 00:18:19.069 at this false God that has controlled this man's 00:18:19.069 --> 00:18:21.029 heart. He says, when Jesus heard this, he said, 00:18:21.210 --> 00:18:25.890 there's still one thing you haven't done. Still 00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:28.099 all your possessions. and give the money to the 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:30.359 poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:34.519 come follow me. But when the man heard this, 00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:39.720 he became very sad, for he was very rich. Now 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:42.400 the adjective used here to describe this man's 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.799 wealth would have put him above pretty much everyone 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:49.819 else at this time in this geographical location. 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:54.660 He was in the top 10 % in terms of wealth. But 00:18:54.660 --> 00:18:56.160 I want to challenge you this morning. Remember, 00:18:56.460 --> 00:19:00.559 as Americans, we are in this income bracket compared 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:04.339 to the rest of the world. Now, I get it. It may 00:19:04.339 --> 00:19:07.640 not feel like it. But in comparison to the rest 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:11.140 of the people living in our world, we are rich. 00:19:11.819 --> 00:19:14.559 And quite often when reading this story, what 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.980 do we see it as? We see it as a story about money. 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.339 But this is not a story about money. It's a story 00:19:21.339 --> 00:19:24.170 about idolatry. The problem with this man is 00:19:24.170 --> 00:19:27.730 not that he had a lot of money, it's that the 00:19:27.730 --> 00:19:30.750 money had him. Which leads us to our next thought. 00:19:30.970 --> 00:19:36.289 Money, money has the potential to become a God 00:19:36.289 --> 00:19:40.390 substitute. The Bible does not say that money 00:19:40.390 --> 00:19:42.670 is the root of all kinds of evil. It says the 00:19:42.670 --> 00:19:48.849 love, the love, the control, the idol of money. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.900 1 Timothy 6 .10, for the love of money is the 00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:54.619 root of all kinds of evil. For some people craving 00:19:54.619 --> 00:19:57.779 money have wandered from the true faith and pierced 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:00.819 themselves with many sorrows. See, this morning, 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:04.259 we are sitting here, we are gathered together, 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:10.519 and we are rich. But let's be honest, we may 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:14.799 be poor in terms of American culture, but that's 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.799 not really the issue. It's not whether we do 00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:20.130 or don't have money. It's whether money has us. 00:20:21.029 --> 00:20:23.329 See, the rich young ruler has turned his money 00:20:23.329 --> 00:20:25.990 into a what? Into a false God. And the reason 00:20:25.990 --> 00:20:29.670 Jesus talks so much about money in the Gospels 00:20:29.670 --> 00:20:33.769 is because these right here, this right here, 00:20:33.910 --> 00:20:36.730 has the potential to become a false God in their 00:20:36.730 --> 00:20:40.130 lives. Jesus talked more about money than he 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:43.130 talked about heaven and hell. He talked more 00:20:43.130 --> 00:20:45.430 about money than he talked about sin and judgment. 00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:48.430 He talked more about money than he talked about 00:20:48.890 --> 00:20:54.230 prayer. Think about that. All big issues that 00:20:54.230 --> 00:20:56.869 we teach Sunday after Sunday in the church, but 00:20:56.869 --> 00:20:59.710 yet Jesus taught more about money. And in the 00:20:59.710 --> 00:21:02.670 Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentions idolatry 00:21:02.670 --> 00:21:06.210 briefly, and when he mentions idolatry, guess 00:21:06.210 --> 00:21:10.589 what it's tied to? Money. Matthew 6, 24. No one 00:21:10.589 --> 00:21:14.109 can serve two masters, for you will hate one 00:21:14.109 --> 00:21:16.250 and love the other. You will devote it to one 00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:18.309 and despise the other. In other words, You have 00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:20.809 a God in your life. You cannot serve God and 00:21:20.809 --> 00:21:24.869 be enslaved to money. In the Bible, money is 00:21:24.869 --> 00:21:27.589 consistently portrayed as God's chief competition. 00:21:28.470 --> 00:21:32.210 And here's why. Because the things in our life 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:34.150 that have the most potential to become a false 00:21:34.150 --> 00:21:38.109 God are the things that carry with them the false 00:21:38.109 --> 00:21:40.549 promise that they can do for us what only God 00:21:40.549 --> 00:21:43.180 can do. They can provide for us. They can give 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:47.039 us meaning and purpose and a life full of abundance, 00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:49.460 which leads us to three ways we can make money 00:21:49.460 --> 00:21:53.859 a false god. First, money will give me satisfaction. 00:21:54.900 --> 00:21:57.319 Look at Ecclesiastes 5, 10 through 11. Those 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:01.859 who love money will never have enough. How meaningless 00:22:01.859 --> 00:22:04.099 to think that wealth brings true happiness. The 00:22:04.099 --> 00:22:06.259 more you have, the more people come to help you 00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:11.339 spend it. Amen. So what good is wealth except 00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:13.200 perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers? 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:17.039 I mean, what do we say about money? Americans 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:19.640 believe that money will satisfy them. And in 00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:21.660 so doing, we give money. What are we doing? We're 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:24.420 giving it a divine attribute that it has the 00:22:24.420 --> 00:22:29.799 power to satisfy us, to satisfy our hearts. We 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:32.039 make it a God in our lives. What did Aristotle 00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:35.420 say about happiness? It's the chief good. It's 00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:38.319 the ultimate purpose. It's the existence to be 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:41.700 happy. And so many people in our country think 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:44.640 and believe that money is the key to happiness. 00:22:45.940 --> 00:22:48.940 Forbes magazine, though, put out their 75th anniversary 00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:54.740 issue. It was 570 pages long, and the majority 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:56.740 of it went to answering this simple question, 00:22:56.900 --> 00:23:00.910 what do we in America, excuse me. why do we in 00:23:00.910 --> 00:23:05.430 America feel so bad if we have it so good? They 00:23:05.430 --> 00:23:08.349 asked 11 of their best writers to probe, to answer, 00:23:08.509 --> 00:23:11.210 and to do research on that question, and it all 00:23:11.210 --> 00:23:14.089 came down. Every single one of them came down 00:23:14.089 --> 00:23:17.170 and created one simple equation. Money does not 00:23:17.170 --> 00:23:21.430 equal happiness. And yet, everyone in our country 00:23:21.430 --> 00:23:25.329 believes it will. Satisfaction is not something 00:23:25.329 --> 00:23:27.390 we can order off the internet or drive off a 00:23:27.390 --> 00:23:31.589 lot. Yet we think we can do it. We think if we 00:23:31.589 --> 00:23:35.549 drive this car, I would be satisfied. That every 00:23:35.549 --> 00:23:38.789 time we see someone else driving that car, if 00:23:38.789 --> 00:23:41.650 only I could drive that car. We watch TV shows 00:23:41.650 --> 00:23:43.930 about home makeovers and we think, if only I 00:23:43.930 --> 00:23:49.309 lived in that house, I would be satisfied. But 00:23:49.309 --> 00:23:54.470 what are we doing? We're giving that stuff divine 00:23:54.470 --> 00:24:00.910 attributes. And God says, I want to give it to 00:24:00.910 --> 00:24:04.269 you. We are saying that stuff has the power to 00:24:04.269 --> 00:24:06.410 do for us what only God can do. Another thing 00:24:06.410 --> 00:24:08.630 we say about money, money will give me security. 00:24:10.250 --> 00:24:13.369 What's Ecclesiastes say? Ecclesiastes 5, 13 through 00:24:13.369 --> 00:24:16.089 15, there is another serious problem I have under 00:24:16.089 --> 00:24:20.200 the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. money 00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:22.759 is put into risky investments that turn sour 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:24.539 and everything is lost. In the end, there is 00:24:24.539 --> 00:24:27.220 nothing left to pass on to one's children. We 00:24:27.220 --> 00:24:29.279 all come to the end of our lives as naked and 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:31.680 empty -handed as on the day we were born. We 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:35.539 can't take our riches with us. God wants to be 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.940 our security, but when we look to money for our 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:40.259 security, what are we doing? We're making it 00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:43.220 our God. Again, we're giving it divine attributes. 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:46.460 We're saying, you can make me secure. But whatever 00:24:46.460 --> 00:24:51.440 we put our security in, ultimately God is going 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:54.900 to challenge us to put him first. And so many 00:24:54.900 --> 00:24:56.920 people have come to believe that comfort and 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.519 security is something that can be bought. If 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:02.839 I had enough money, I can be comfortable. I have 00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:04.980 security. If I had extra money, I could have 00:25:04.980 --> 00:25:07.500 the best health insurance and it would make it 00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:10.059 so that I'm healthy. If I had extra money, I 00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:12.119 would have the best life insurance and my family 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:14.259 would be taken care of. If I had extra money, 00:25:14.339 --> 00:25:16.819 I could save enough to retire and relax when 00:25:16.819 --> 00:25:25.690 I'm 65. If I had extra money, then I, then I, 00:25:25.970 --> 00:25:30.970 then I. If I had that extra money. And what are 00:25:30.970 --> 00:25:35.549 we doing? We're putting our trust in the money. 00:25:36.529 --> 00:25:41.029 And we're taking it away from God. It's the money 00:25:41.029 --> 00:25:44.150 that we are given those divine attributes. We're 00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:46.509 making it a God. And what is God? God is jealous. 00:25:47.609 --> 00:25:50.529 And he says, church, we got to change. The last 00:25:50.529 --> 00:25:53.779 way we. Can say this about money is, money will 00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:58.079 bring you significance, success. Ecclesiastes 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:01.480 5, 16 through 17, and this too is very serious 00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:03.799 problem. People leave this world no better off 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:06.240 than when they came. All their hard work is for 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:08.099 nothing like working for the wind. Throughout 00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:10.700 their lives, they live under a cloud, frustrated, 00:26:10.900 --> 00:26:13.700 discouraged, and angry. Does that not sound familiar? 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:20.059 People are burnt out, working long hours, frustrated. 00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:24.430 discouraged, and angry. I mean, just think about 00:26:24.430 --> 00:26:27.509 it. When we talk about a person's worth, we talk 00:26:27.509 --> 00:26:31.210 about their net worth. As Americans, we determine 00:26:31.210 --> 00:26:35.309 someone's value by what? Their valuables. We 00:26:35.309 --> 00:26:37.509 have containers and containers and containers 00:26:37.509 --> 00:26:42.089 of stuff. We're giving money a divine attribute. 00:26:42.690 --> 00:26:45.109 But God wants to be the person that gives us 00:26:45.109 --> 00:26:46.990 significance. He wants to be the person to give 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:50.319 us worth. But when we look to money to do that, 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:53.519 which we often do, we're making money the God 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.859 of our life. I mean, I don't know if you're like 00:26:56.859 --> 00:26:59.579 me, but I can do that. I'm currently driving 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:03.559 a 2010 Jeep Wrangler. I love that car. It's the 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:05.599 nicest Jeep I've ever owned, but there are two 00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:08.359 lights that never go off on my dashboard, the 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:09.940 check engine light and the tire pressure light. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:18.819 And hear me out. Thank you, Steve. Thank you, 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:21.119 Mike. Those lights mean nothing. It's been tested. 00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:23.700 There's nothing wrong with my vehicle. Yet when 00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:26.279 I'm driving around town and I see someone driving 00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:29.720 a new Jeep Wrangler, I get jealous. I bet their 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:35.680 lights aren't on. I'm jealous because two lights 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:38.380 are on thinking to myself that I'm driving a 00:27:38.380 --> 00:27:43.380 piece of junk. I need a new Jeep. Is that the 00:27:43.380 --> 00:27:48.039 truth? No. It's not the truth. But in my mind, 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:52.519 I see that. I think that. What am I doing? I'm 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.420 looking to my value in my valuables. And when 00:27:57.420 --> 00:27:59.220 we do that, what am I doing? I'm making it a 00:27:59.220 --> 00:28:03.140 God. Because we look to money for security, for 00:28:03.140 --> 00:28:07.619 significance. God says, no, I want to do that. 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:10.920 I want to be your source of satisfaction. I want 00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:12.819 to be your source of significance. I want to 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:16.539 be your security. which leads us to our third 00:28:16.539 --> 00:28:19.940 and final thought. See, the problem with idolatry 00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:22.440 is we are putting our trust into something other 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:26.420 than Jesus. Luke 18, 22 to 23. When Jesus heard 00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:28.940 his answer, he said, there is still one thing 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:30.400 you haven't done. Sell all your possessions, 00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:32.500 give the money to the poor, and you will have 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:35.220 treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. But 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:38.700 when the man heard this, he became very sad, 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:44.180 for he was very rich. In week one of our series, 00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:47.359 we asked several probing questions so that we 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:49.480 could begin to identify different idols that 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:53.160 could be in our life. This is really true when 00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:56.460 it comes to money. For example, what do you complain 00:28:56.460 --> 00:28:59.680 about the most? Do you complain about your finances, 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:02.099 never having enough money? What about the car 00:29:02.099 --> 00:29:04.660 you drive, the house you live in? It's a false 00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:08.920 guide. So many Americans, what do they sacrifice 00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:13.650 their time for? They sacrifice their time for 00:29:13.650 --> 00:29:16.630 making more money. Overtime is at an all -time 00:29:16.630 --> 00:29:19.309 high throughout the country because what are 00:29:19.309 --> 00:29:21.750 they worried about? They're worried about money. 00:29:22.890 --> 00:29:24.910 Because they have fears revolving around their 00:29:24.910 --> 00:29:27.970 finances, gas prices, 401Ks. How am I going to 00:29:27.970 --> 00:29:32.730 pay the mortgage? Right? What brings you the 00:29:32.730 --> 00:29:36.089 most joy? For many people, when they dream of 00:29:36.089 --> 00:29:40.670 things, it's something they can buy. What controls 00:29:40.670 --> 00:29:44.150 you? I mean, I've spoken with people in the church 00:29:44.150 --> 00:29:47.210 who have told me they really feel called by God 00:29:47.210 --> 00:29:49.529 to leave their job and be involved in full -time 00:29:49.529 --> 00:29:52.009 ministry. They feel like that's what God wants 00:29:52.009 --> 00:29:54.910 them to do. Yet they haven't done it because 00:29:54.910 --> 00:29:59.089 it doesn't make sense financially. Money is saying 00:29:59.089 --> 00:30:02.609 to them, you can't afford it. Church planning 00:30:02.609 --> 00:30:12.119 is at an all -time low, I believe, Trust money 00:30:12.119 --> 00:30:14.599 more than God. Is this a step of faith? Do you 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:16.279 have to sell it all? Do you have to take up your 00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:18.279 cross? You're darn right, but it's all worth 00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:22.039 it in the end. So if God is saying this is what 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:24.319 you should do, and money is saying you can't 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:29.400 do it, what you decide reveals you're God. I've 00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:31.960 had conversations with couples, and one of the 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:34.039 spouses feels like they need to quit their job 00:30:34.039 --> 00:30:35.759 so they can stay at home and raise the kids. 00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:38.000 They feel like that's what God wants them to 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.259 do. But to do that, they have to downsize. They 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:43.220 have to get a smaller house to make the numbers 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:48.500 work. But they don't do it. Money is saying you 00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:52.140 can't do that. You need the bigger house. What 00:30:52.140 --> 00:30:55.740 they decide determines who their God is. And 00:30:55.740 --> 00:30:57.980 I get it. There's different situations and scenarios 00:30:57.980 --> 00:31:00.660 that make it difficult to determine what God 00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:02.859 wants. But at the end of the day, what is it 00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:06.319 that controls you? God wants to be your number 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:10.000 one. He wants to control our hearts. And as I 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:12.220 said last week, he will not share the love seed 00:31:12.220 --> 00:31:17.920 of your heart with money. And chances are he'll 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:21.420 make us poor to prove it. He's just not gonna 00:31:21.420 --> 00:31:24.720 do it. Are you putting your work, your success, 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:27.539 your money ahead of God? Then you're either experiencing 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:32.920 God's active anger or his passive anger, right? 00:31:33.529 --> 00:31:36.869 You're experiencing his passive anger in that 00:31:36.869 --> 00:31:38.890 he has just allowed you to pursue your career 00:31:38.890 --> 00:31:42.670 advancement, financial success, all at the expense 00:31:42.670 --> 00:31:44.589 of your children not having a parent around to 00:31:44.589 --> 00:31:49.210 play catch with. Go ahead, be successful. What 00:31:49.210 --> 00:31:53.369 about your children? God says if that's what 00:31:53.369 --> 00:31:55.230 you want to worship, go ahead and worship it. 00:31:55.670 --> 00:31:58.170 But one day you're going to realize you wasted 00:31:58.170 --> 00:32:03.369 your time and your kids. Are the ones that suffer. 00:32:04.750 --> 00:32:08.069 Or are you experiencing God's active anger? Where 00:32:08.069 --> 00:32:10.349 he's taking some of these things away from you 00:32:10.349 --> 00:32:14.650 in order to turn you back towards him. Maybe 00:32:14.650 --> 00:32:16.710 our bills got tight because of the current inflation. 00:32:16.829 --> 00:32:20.549 And the first thing that always goes is our tithes. 00:32:21.730 --> 00:32:27.890 Bills get tight. House payment goes up. Cut the 00:32:27.890 --> 00:32:34.430 tithe. Cut the tithe. Remember, a tithe is not 00:32:34.430 --> 00:32:37.450 a religious rule. It's a baseline established 00:32:37.450 --> 00:32:39.829 by God so that money does not become a God in 00:32:39.829 --> 00:32:43.329 our life. It's what it is. It's a baseline. If 00:32:43.329 --> 00:32:45.289 you want to debate with me whether tithing is 00:32:45.289 --> 00:32:49.730 biblical or not, let's go. You're going to lose. 00:32:52.609 --> 00:32:56.369 Jesus knew the power of money. He told the Pharisees. 00:32:56.369 --> 00:32:58.150 For those of you who say Jesus never taught on 00:32:58.150 --> 00:33:03.970 tithing, he told the Pharisees, yes, tithe. But 00:33:03.970 --> 00:33:06.430 don't do it for show. Do it as a means of expressing 00:33:06.430 --> 00:33:09.049 justice, mercy, and faith. That's what he said. 00:33:10.750 --> 00:33:14.369 That's Jesus' words, not mine. God desires to 00:33:14.369 --> 00:33:16.430 be our source of hope and joy and happiness, 00:33:16.609 --> 00:33:20.089 Romans 15, 13. I pray that God, the source of 00:33:20.089 --> 00:33:22.150 hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace 00:33:22.150 --> 00:33:24.710 because you trust in him. Then you will overflow 00:33:24.710 --> 00:33:26.109 with confident hope through the power of the 00:33:26.109 --> 00:33:29.349 Spirit, which leads us to our action step. And 00:33:29.349 --> 00:33:30.990 what you're going to learn in these last four 00:33:30.990 --> 00:33:36.220 weeks is that It's pretty apparent that they're 00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:38.900 simple. How do we overcome the gods of success? 00:33:39.460 --> 00:33:44.279 We prioritize Jesus first. We prioritize Jesus 00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:47.299 first. Luke 18, 22, when Jesus heard this, he 00:33:47.299 --> 00:33:49.900 said, there's still one thing you haven't done. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:52.220 So all your possessions, give the money to the 00:33:52.220 --> 00:33:53.680 poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:56.619 come, follow me. And when he speaks these words 00:33:56.619 --> 00:34:02.779 to the rich young ruler. It's tempting for us 00:34:02.779 --> 00:34:06.839 to say, he really didn't mean it. He's speaking 00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:10.239 in story, it's metaphorically. I believe Jesus 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:15.079 meant it. I mean, I wonder, did the rich young 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:19.980 ruler just become a richer older ruler? Or did 00:34:19.980 --> 00:34:23.559 he, at some point, realize that he needed to 00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:27.440 trust in Jesus? I mean, one of the strangest 00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:29.539 verses that we read in the Bible is verse 23. 00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:32.179 It says, he became very sad because he was a 00:34:32.179 --> 00:34:35.219 man of great wealth. I mean, it doesn't make 00:34:35.219 --> 00:34:40.000 any sense. He became very sad because he was 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:42.519 a man of great wealth. When we hear that, we 00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:45.619 think, that's an oxymoron. How could that be? 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:51.820 But it all comes down to a simple point. This 00:34:51.820 --> 00:34:56.409 man did not want to choose. Jesus left him with 00:34:56.409 --> 00:34:58.909 a choice. He didn't want to choose. And yet that 00:34:58.909 --> 00:35:01.650 was the only invitation that Jesus offered. It's 00:35:01.650 --> 00:35:05.769 all or nothing. I'm either Lord of all or not 00:35:05.769 --> 00:35:10.650 at all. That was this man's invitation. And what 00:35:10.650 --> 00:35:15.670 did the man do? Walked away. But notice he walked 00:35:15.670 --> 00:35:21.329 away sad. Which to me means he walked away empty, 00:35:21.469 --> 00:35:28.599 depressed. grieving, because he knew he had idolatry 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:29.880 in his heart and he didn't want to give it up. 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:32.599 And the problem with idolatry is that ultimately 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:35.579 we are putting our trust in something other than 00:35:35.579 --> 00:35:38.519 Jesus. We are looking to something or someone 00:35:38.519 --> 00:35:40.940 other than Jesus for our happiness, for our joy, 00:35:41.019 --> 00:35:44.699 and for meaning, and for many of us living in 00:35:44.699 --> 00:35:48.460 the United States, it's money and success. And 00:35:48.460 --> 00:35:50.340 maybe you're here this morning and you're lonely. 00:35:51.849 --> 00:35:54.070 And you're looking to a relationship for redemption. 00:35:54.710 --> 00:35:56.570 Maybe you're here this morning and you're empty 00:35:56.570 --> 00:35:58.269 and you're looking to possessions for happiness. 00:35:58.409 --> 00:35:59.949 Maybe you're here this morning and you're oppressed 00:35:59.949 --> 00:36:03.469 and you're looking to food or alcohol for peace. 00:36:04.349 --> 00:36:06.349 Maybe you're here this morning and you feel rejected 00:36:06.349 --> 00:36:08.309 and you're looking to pornography for salvation. 00:36:09.349 --> 00:36:11.670 Maybe you feel you have no purpose in life and 00:36:11.670 --> 00:36:14.150 you're looking to work for that meaning. Maybe 00:36:14.150 --> 00:36:16.110 you're worried or anxious and so you're looking 00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:19.869 to money for your salvation. See, we've made 00:36:19.869 --> 00:36:23.880 these things our Savior. We have said, this is 00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:26.119 where I'm gonna look for salvation in my life. 00:36:26.260 --> 00:36:29.139 And Jesus challenges us in Matthew 6, 33, seek 00:36:29.139 --> 00:36:32.019 the kingdom of God above all else, live righteously. 00:36:32.539 --> 00:36:34.920 And what's he gonna do? He's gonna give us everything 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:39.000 we need. Matthew 10, 38 to 39, Jesus said, if 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:40.920 you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, 00:36:41.039 --> 00:36:43.099 you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling 00:36:43.099 --> 00:36:46.119 to your life, to your idols, you will lose it. 00:36:46.619 --> 00:36:48.800 But if you give up your life for me, you will 00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:50.440 find it. And again, Jesus isn't saying we're 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:52.659 gonna lose our salvation. What's he saying? He's 00:36:52.659 --> 00:36:56.780 saying we're going to lose our abundance. And 00:36:56.780 --> 00:37:00.059 listen, that invitation has not changed. It's 00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:02.199 the same invitation that he presents to us today. 00:37:03.340 --> 00:37:08.559 Will you make Jesus Lord of every area of your 00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:15.880 life? Not just parts of it, but your entire life. 00:37:15.940 --> 00:37:20.019 Will you let him have control of your heart? 00:37:21.900 --> 00:37:25.760 And listen, how you walk out these doors today 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:32.280 is up to you. But Jesus is patiently waiting 00:37:32.280 --> 00:37:37.920 for that position in your life. His grace is 00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:41.360 sufficient to cover every area of sin in our 00:37:41.360 --> 00:37:45.820 life. I believe grace wins. And it may take some 00:37:45.820 --> 00:37:49.019 of us five, six, seven, eight, ten years to come 00:37:49.019 --> 00:37:51.340 to this realization, but God is presenting to 00:37:51.340 --> 00:37:59.960 us. right now. Will you make Jesus Lord of every 00:37:59.960 --> 00:38:04.619 area of your life, including your Benjamins, 00:38:04.619 --> 00:38:09.579 including your finances? And this isn't a talk 00:38:09.579 --> 00:38:13.860 about money. This is a talk about what has control 00:38:13.860 --> 00:38:17.960 of our hearts. Amen? Will you stand with me? 00:38:23.210 --> 00:38:27.449 Is it okay if I challenge a group of you? There's 00:38:27.449 --> 00:38:32.829 a group of you gathered here that you think if 00:38:32.829 --> 00:38:35.889 you throw a couple bucks in the bucket, you're 00:38:35.889 --> 00:38:39.590 good. If you think you're giving 20, 30, 40, 00:38:39.730 --> 00:38:42.769 $50 a week, you're good. I want to challenge 00:38:42.769 --> 00:38:46.130 you with something. Those of you that don't believe 00:38:46.130 --> 00:38:51.030 in tithing, you know what God says? He says, 00:38:51.070 --> 00:38:54.829 test me. That's what he says. He says, put me 00:38:54.829 --> 00:38:57.090 to the test. You don't believe in tithing? Test 00:38:57.090 --> 00:39:01.590 me. Tithe for a month and see what happens to 00:39:01.590 --> 00:39:07.429 your finances. Do it. Test God. Don't test Chris. 00:39:08.070 --> 00:39:10.969 Don't give to HCV because I'm trying to convince 00:39:10.969 --> 00:39:13.590 you that you have to tithe and we need your money. 00:39:13.710 --> 00:39:17.730 I'm not saying, I'm saying test God. Start giving 00:39:17.730 --> 00:39:23.780 10 % this week for a month. And see what God 00:39:23.780 --> 00:39:27.159 does. Because I believe by the end of the month, 00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:30.239 your priorities will be in line, your finances 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:32.420 will be stronger, and you will be walking in 00:39:32.420 --> 00:39:38.940 abundance. If that's your choice. So I'm going 00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:40.360 to pray for the Holy Spirit to come. I'm going 00:39:40.360 --> 00:39:44.139 to ask him to reveal any area of our life where 00:39:44.139 --> 00:39:48.300 we are putting an idol in place of God. And here's 00:39:48.300 --> 00:39:50.050 what I want to ask you to do. I want you to be 00:39:50.050 --> 00:39:52.809 bold, and I want you to be obedient, and I want 00:39:52.809 --> 00:39:54.590 you to lay that down at God's feet and say, I 00:39:54.590 --> 00:39:56.550 want it to be gone, and I want to replace it 00:39:56.550 --> 00:39:58.809 with you, and then take the steps you need to 00:39:58.809 --> 00:40:02.530 do to do that. How do you replace an idol with 00:40:02.530 --> 00:40:05.010 God? You replace it with scripture. You replace 00:40:05.010 --> 00:40:07.210 it with prayer. You replace it with serving, 00:40:07.429 --> 00:40:13.389 giving to others. You replace it with living 00:40:13.389 --> 00:40:18.469 passionately for Jesus. And as you do that, Then 00:40:18.469 --> 00:40:22.789 that addiction or that lust or that anger, whatever 00:40:22.789 --> 00:40:24.989 it is that is controlling you, it will go away 00:40:24.989 --> 00:40:29.050 because we're prioritizing God first rather than 00:40:29.050 --> 00:40:34.170 the idol. Amen? So Holy Spirit, come. Your invitation 00:40:34.170 --> 00:40:39.789 is for us all. Reveal to us, God, any areas of 00:40:39.789 --> 00:40:45.789 our life that are not lining up with you. Areas 00:40:45.789 --> 00:40:48.510 of our life that we've made idols. someone or 00:40:48.510 --> 00:40:50.550 something that we've elevated to a position above 00:40:50.550 --> 00:40:54.590 you, forgive us, God. We lay them at your feet, 00:40:54.690 --> 00:41:00.949 God. My prayer, God, is that as we leave this 00:41:00.949 --> 00:41:05.510 place, as we walk through these doors, God, we 00:41:05.510 --> 00:41:08.570 leave this place smiling, happy, full of joy, 00:41:08.750 --> 00:41:13.170 excitement, and passion for you. Allow none of 00:41:13.170 --> 00:41:22.119 us, God, to leave here sad. For some of you, 00:41:22.179 --> 00:41:25.460 your journey in your relationship with Jesus 00:41:25.460 --> 00:41:27.760 starts right now. I'm going to pray a simple 00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.079 prayer. And I'm going to invite you to pray it 00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:34.059 with all of us. So that you don't leave this 00:41:34.059 --> 00:41:38.440 place sad. But you leave this place walking in 00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:41.099 abundance in new life. Amen? Let's pray together. 00:41:41.219 --> 00:41:45.500 Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of doubt. Shame. 00:41:46.219 --> 00:41:51.340 Regret. Sin. Change me. I believe. You're God's 00:41:51.340 --> 00:41:55.940 son. I believe you died for me. Make me new. 00:41:56.440 --> 00:42:01.000 Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. Help me, 00:42:01.019 --> 00:42:06.159 God, to serve others and put you first. In Jesus' 00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:09.619 name, amen. So if you prayed that prayer, see 00:42:09.619 --> 00:42:11.659 me. I want to point you to get baptized in the 00:42:11.659 --> 00:42:14.019 coming weeks. There was three words of knowledge 00:42:14.019 --> 00:42:17.780 I need to share with you before we go. You have 00:42:17.780 --> 00:42:20.829 nerve damage and pain around your left hip. God 00:42:20.829 --> 00:42:23.510 wants to heal you. You have persistent headaches 00:42:23.510 --> 00:42:27.210 that are causing pressure in your eyes. God wants 00:42:27.210 --> 00:42:30.809 to heal you. You have arthritis in your fingers. 00:42:31.829 --> 00:42:35.449 God wants to heal you or any other need that 00:42:35.449 --> 00:42:38.170 you may have. Our prayer team will be here on 00:42:38.170 --> 00:42:40.929 my right to agree with you and pray with you 00:42:40.929 --> 00:42:42.230 and believe that God's going to heal you. What 00:42:42.230 --> 00:42:45.050 door am I going to today? I'm going there. Okay, 00:42:45.090 --> 00:42:46.670 cool, I'm going to my right, so I'll be there. 00:42:46.730 --> 00:42:48.909 If you need to run out, go there. Thank you for 00:42:48.909 --> 00:42:51.289 joining us online. God bless you guys. We close 00:42:51.289 --> 00:42:54.690 this series next week with the gods of love. 00:42:54.969 --> 00:42:55.630 God bless.