WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.540 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.540 --> 00:00:09.359 podcast, a ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.080 Church in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.160 Merrick, and it's our prayer that this message 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.519 strengthens your faith and draws you closer to 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:22.260 Christ. Let's dive in. Mark chapter 10. I don't 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:24.760 necessarily love the, once I finished my sermon, 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:27.160 writing my sermon, I realized that I didn't really 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:31.160 love my title. I have the American Trap. why 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:33.799 money is a terrible God, but I would say this 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:36.140 entire thing is just why idols make a terrible 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:38.380 God. But money is the thing we're going to focus 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:40.240 on because that's what the focus of the text 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.640 is. And then the big idea, if you're taking notes, 00:00:43.659 --> 00:00:45.659 you can write this down. The more we trust our 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:49.259 wealth, the harder it becomes to trust Jesus. 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:55.039 And so let me let me see how well you guys know 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.119 your geography and early church history. Here's 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:03.659 a quiz. You ready? Are you ready? Okay, all right. 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:14.739 So Islam started where? You can just say the 00:01:14.739 --> 00:01:16.980 Middle East, like we don't have to give, but 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:23.840 yes, Saudi Arabia. Hinduism started where? India, 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:28.680 all right, good. Buddhism started where? Asia? 00:01:29.399 --> 00:01:33.640 All three of those religions still at the center 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:36.239 of their religion. Yes, you will find Hindus 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.420 and Buddhists and Muslims scattered throughout 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:41.939 the world, but their prominent center is still 00:01:41.939 --> 00:01:45.799 in those regions. Yes. If you're Muslim, you 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:47.859 are working to get to the Middle East to get 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:49.939 to Mecca. If you're Buddhist, you're trying to 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:53.260 get to the Far East to visit monks. If you are 00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:58.700 Hindu, it's the same thing. There's this historian, 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:00.980 he's a world historian of Christianity. His name 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:04.760 is Andrew Walls. And he made a fascinating observation 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:08.199 when he noticed that wherever the other major 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:10.620 world religions began, they're still that center 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:12.860 today. So we talked about Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:18.460 but Christianity, where did it start? Israel, 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:23.500 Jerusalem, right? Can you think of the center 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:31.069 of Christianity today? Nope. Wanna know why? 00:02:32.550 --> 00:02:34.770 Because it's spread all over the world and we're 00:02:34.770 --> 00:02:36.610 gonna talk a little bit more about that in just 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:38.490 a second. But the center of Christianity has 00:02:38.490 --> 00:02:41.909 never stayed in one place. Started in Jerusalem 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:46.250 and then began to work out from there. It's always 00:02:46.250 --> 00:02:48.830 been moving and it's almost as if Christianity 00:02:48.830 --> 00:02:54.289 has always been on a pilgrimage. So as the gospel 00:02:54.289 --> 00:02:58.759 spread to the Gentiles, i .e. us, the center 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.620 shifted into the Greeks and the Roman world. 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:04.259 And then from there, it moved to North Africa 00:03:04.259 --> 00:03:08.900 and to Europe. And later it spread to barbarians, 00:03:09.219 --> 00:03:11.979 also known as the Franks and the Anglo -Saxons 00:03:11.979 --> 00:03:16.659 and the Celts. Eventually the center of Christianity 00:03:16.659 --> 00:03:20.259 crossed the Atlantic and firmly rooted itself 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:27.819 here. But Andrew Wallace predicted that Christianity 00:03:27.819 --> 00:03:30.439 being rooted in North America would not last 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:35.120 forever. He said in the next 50 to 70 years. 00:03:35.259 --> 00:03:37.860 So today Christianity is growing at an astonishing 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:40.879 rate in Latin America, Asian, and especially 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.639 Africa. More than half of the country's Christians 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:50.860 live in those nations. And so. Many historians 00:03:50.860 --> 00:03:52.580 believe that within the next several decades, 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:54.919 the center of Christianity will complete its 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:57.439 shift away from Europe and the United States 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:01.659 and into the rest of the world. So here is the 00:04:01.659 --> 00:04:05.159 obvious question. Why would that happen? Why 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:18.430 does Christianity's center move? Yep. But there's 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:20.370 also something more. So if you didn't hear Jane, 00:04:20.470 --> 00:04:24.470 he said, God gave us a command to go out and 00:04:24.470 --> 00:04:26.889 preach the gospel, right? Spread it to all and 00:04:26.889 --> 00:04:30.709 make disciples, right? That is true, but there's 00:04:30.709 --> 00:04:35.790 something about Christianity moves when it becomes 00:04:35.790 --> 00:04:41.930 a power. Read your church history and you'll 00:04:41.930 --> 00:04:44.889 see that. But Wallace gave an answer that I thought 00:04:44.889 --> 00:04:47.980 was really astounding. He said this. He said, 00:04:48.060 --> 00:04:50.579 there is a certain vulnerability at the heart 00:04:50.579 --> 00:04:54.100 of Christianity, the vulnerability of the cross. 00:04:54.779 --> 00:04:56.379 So if you think about that, here's what he's 00:04:56.379 --> 00:04:58.500 saying. The cross is about laying down power, 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:02.839 not grasping for it. It's pouring yourself out, 00:05:03.100 --> 00:05:05.620 not accumulating more. It's about sacrifice, 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.180 not comfort. It's about following a crucified 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:11.600 savior. And so Walt suggested that when Christianity 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:15.319 enjoys wealth, influence, and cultural power 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.120 for a long period of time, something subtle begins 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:22.040 to happen. What do you think that subtlety is? 00:05:24.779 --> 00:05:29.779 Yeah, forget God. Even if we say we are a Christian 00:05:29.779 --> 00:05:36.000 nation, right? The radical message of sin, grace, 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:39.639 repentance, and the cross all of a sudden become 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:43.310 muted. And Christianity slowly transforms into 00:05:43.310 --> 00:05:47.029 a safe, respectable religion for decent people 00:05:47.029 --> 00:05:51.670 trying to live good lives. And eventually Christianity 00:05:51.670 --> 00:05:54.550 loses its power. Why? Because it's not Christianity 00:05:54.550 --> 00:06:00.449 anymore. And so when that happens, the center 00:06:00.449 --> 00:06:02.889 of Christianity moves somewhere else to people 00:06:02.889 --> 00:06:06.009 who are desperate enough to realize they have 00:06:06.009 --> 00:06:09.209 nothing apart from Christ. So when you hear that 00:06:09.209 --> 00:06:11.410 the majority of Christians today live in the 00:06:11.410 --> 00:06:15.209 southern hemisphere, it makes a lot of sense. 00:06:18.329 --> 00:06:23.149 And so I can't help but wonder, could that be 00:06:23.149 --> 00:06:27.790 happening here in our church, in our state? Not 00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:30.689 because wealth is evil, not because success is 00:06:30.689 --> 00:06:33.970 sinful, but because prosperity has a way of quietly 00:06:33.970 --> 00:06:36.470 convincing us that we don't really need God. 00:06:39.719 --> 00:06:44.980 So this morning, we're going to meet a young 00:06:44.980 --> 00:06:48.879 man who had everything our culture admires and 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:52.259 wealth, power, influence. He had a lot of it. 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:55.199 He was very successful, very respected, and he 00:06:55.199 --> 00:07:00.560 was very religious. So if anyone had it figured 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.459 out, it was definitely this young guy. And yet 00:07:04.459 --> 00:07:06.839 despite having everything, he had something that 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:09.120 was missing. And what we'll discover is that 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:11.259 the young man didn't merely have great wealth. 00:07:12.139 --> 00:07:15.680 I want you to write this down. His wealth had 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:20.480 him. I think I have that back there, Bob. I don't. 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:27.420 Are you sure? Okay. So if we're honest, the same 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:30.100 strap, the same trap is waiting for every one 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:33.579 of us. I have fallen into this trap before myself. 00:07:33.939 --> 00:07:36.800 So before I get to point number one, let's go 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:41.319 ahead and read. Starting in verse 17, and we're 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:43.759 going to go through verse 31, and I'm taking 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.079 this off. I want I just want credit for having 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:50.699 worn a jacket and trying to look nice. But I 00:07:50.699 --> 00:07:53.540 forgot. Thank you. I forgot how hot it gets. 00:07:54.899 --> 00:07:58.860 So just give me points for wearing it for a little 00:07:58.860 --> 00:08:03.209 while. All right. Starting in verse 17, you guys 00:08:03.209 --> 00:08:07.949 ready? Let's do it. And he was setting out on 00:08:07.949 --> 00:08:11.050 his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him 00:08:11.050 --> 00:08:13.670 and asked him, good teacher, what must I do to 00:08:13.670 --> 00:08:16.290 inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, 00:08:16.350 --> 00:08:19.089 why do you call me good? No one is good except 00:08:19.089 --> 00:08:22.129 God alone. You know the commandments, do not 00:08:22.129 --> 00:08:24.029 murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, 00:08:24.069 --> 00:08:26.889 do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor 00:08:26.889 --> 00:08:29.689 your father and mother. And he said to him, teacher, 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:35.000 All these I have kept from my youth. And Jesus, 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:37.799 looking at him, loved him and said to him, you 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:42.120 lack one thing. Go and sell all that you have 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:44.539 and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure 00:08:44.539 --> 00:08:48.100 in heaven. And come, follow me. Disheartened 00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:52.240 by the saying, he went away sorrowful. I want 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.700 you to, if you're taking notes, I want you to 00:08:55.700 --> 00:09:00.159 write next to that word, grief. because there's 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:02.659 only one other place where that word is actually 00:09:02.659 --> 00:09:04.240 used. And I'm gonna tell you that about that 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.240 in just a minute. For he had great possessions. 00:09:08.340 --> 00:09:10.500 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.080 how difficult it will be for those who have wealth 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:15.980 to enter the kingdom of God. And the disciples 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:18.539 were amazed at his words, but Jesus said to them 00:09:18.539 --> 00:09:21.360 again, children, how difficult is it to enter 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:25.139 the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel 00:09:25.139 --> 00:09:28.320 to go through the eye of a needle than for a 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.100 rich person to enter the kingdom of God. And 00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:33.519 they were exceedingly astonished and said to 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.940 him, then who can be saved? And Jesus looked 00:09:36.940 --> 00:09:41.000 at them and said, with man it is impossible, 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:45.580 but with God all things are possible. And Peter 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:48.600 began to say, see, we have left everything and 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.120 followed you. And Jesus said, truly I say to 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:56.129 you, there is no one who has left house or brothers 00:09:56.129 --> 00:09:58.590 or sisters or mother or father or children or 00:09:58.590 --> 00:10:01.570 lands for my sake and for the gospel, who will 00:10:01.570 --> 00:10:04.909 not receive a hundredfold now and this time. 00:10:08.710 --> 00:10:11.009 Houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and 00:10:11.009 --> 00:10:14.309 children and lands with persecutions and in the 00:10:14.309 --> 00:10:17.590 age to come eternal life, but many who are first 00:10:17.590 --> 00:10:21.990 will be last and the last will be first." So, 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:27.100 Lot going on here, but there's There's only two 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:30.879 points to my sermon today because I had so much 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.299 and Even with those two points I still had a 00:10:33.299 --> 00:10:35.919 lot and so I just like I want to I really want 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:38.940 to get with just One simple idea across to you. 00:10:38.940 --> 00:10:40.559 So point number one if you're taking notes is 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:49.840 this Religion can hide an idol AW tozer This 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.720 is a quote from him. You can write this down 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:56.710 Of all forms of deception, self -deception is 00:10:56.710 --> 00:11:00.169 the most deadly. And of all deceived persons, 00:11:00.409 --> 00:11:03.789 the self -deceived are the least likely to discover 00:11:03.789 --> 00:11:10.629 the fraud. So as I, you guys should know at this 00:11:10.629 --> 00:11:12.929 point that I like to write and I think of goofy 00:11:12.929 --> 00:11:15.509 stories and I was trying to think of how I could 00:11:15.509 --> 00:11:19.190 drive home this idea of self -deception and how 00:11:19.190 --> 00:11:24.419 ridiculous it can be. And so I wrote just a story 00:11:24.419 --> 00:11:27.960 that I'm gonna share with you very briefly. But 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.080 the most dangerous person isn't the one who knows 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:34.539 they're lost. It's the person who is absolutely 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:38.259 convinced that everything is fine. And so self 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:41.179 -deception is so dangerous because it feels like 00:11:41.179 --> 00:11:43.500 confidence. The person who is deceived doesn't 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:47.120 know they're deceived. In fact, they're often 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:50.190 so certain that they're right. I have been that 00:11:50.190 --> 00:11:52.149 person usually every time I'm arguing with my 00:11:52.149 --> 00:11:56.769 wife. So I want to illustrate that point with 00:11:56.769 --> 00:11:59.250 this story. So I want you to meet this guy, Frank. 00:12:00.190 --> 00:12:03.090 Frank is just an ordinary blue collar guy who's 00:12:03.090 --> 00:12:06.190 been invited to a fancy banquet where he is the 00:12:06.190 --> 00:12:09.149 guest of honor. He's never been anywhere more 00:12:09.149 --> 00:12:11.629 upscale than an Olive Garden. So you can understand 00:12:11.629 --> 00:12:15.190 why he's probably a bit nervous. Before walking 00:12:15.190 --> 00:12:17.730 into the ballroom, Frank ducks into the restroom 00:12:17.730 --> 00:12:21.210 to make sure everything looks just right. He 00:12:21.210 --> 00:12:23.750 leans in close to the mirror to check for anything 00:12:23.750 --> 00:12:26.950 out of place. He smiles real big in the mirror, 00:12:27.110 --> 00:12:29.350 checks to see if there's any food in his teeth, 00:12:30.929 --> 00:12:33.409 gets up and checks for any stray nose hairs. 00:12:34.309 --> 00:12:36.789 And then he straightens his tie one last time. 00:12:36.870 --> 00:12:39.309 He slicks back his hair, smiles at himself in 00:12:39.309 --> 00:12:41.669 the mirror, and he says, Frank, you handsome 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:45.480 devil. You make this suit look so good. Now get 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:49.360 out there and show everyone who Frank Smith is. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:52.100 Feeling confident, Frank pushes open the restroom 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:55.299 door, walks proudly towards the banquet. As the 00:12:55.299 --> 00:12:57.480 door closes behind him, the restroom attendant 00:12:57.480 --> 00:12:59.500 quietly shakes his head and says to himself, 00:13:00.299 --> 00:13:01.940 poor guy doesn't even realize he's not wearing 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:10.080 pants. Everyone else can see the problem. Everyone 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:12.700 else knows something is terribly wrong, but Frank 00:13:12.700 --> 00:13:16.740 is completely unaware. That is self -deception. 00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:20.000 This is the rich young ruler. Pastor Logan, I 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:21.799 didn't see anything about rich young ruler in 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:24.000 there. Well, you can read about it in Matthew 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.480 as well as well as Luke. They all three have 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:30.460 the story. So this is known as the rich young 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:37.399 ruler. And so only this man's problem wasn't 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:40.399 that he forgot his pants, thank the Lord. It 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.139 was that he couldn't see the condition of his 00:13:42.139 --> 00:13:47.639 own heart. So let's look at verse 17. And as 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.799 he was setting out on his journey, it says a 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.419 man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:54.799 good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:59.419 life? Notice how impressive this man appears. 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:03.240 He runs to Jesus. He's wealthy. We know this. 00:14:03.419 --> 00:14:05.909 He's an influential man in that culture. And 00:14:05.909 --> 00:14:11.269 influential men and wealthy men did not run because 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:13.250 running was considered beneath their dignity. 00:14:15.529 --> 00:14:18.009 So he kneels before Jesus and he's respectful 00:14:18.009 --> 00:14:20.470 and he calls him good teacher. So he's very, 00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:24.750 very moral, very religious. He sees Jesus as 00:14:24.750 --> 00:14:30.070 a teacher, as a rabbi. And so he asked about 00:14:30.070 --> 00:14:33.679 eternal life instead of earthly success. By every 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:36.419 outward measure, this is exactly the kind of 00:14:36.419 --> 00:14:39.320 man every church would love to have. He's sincere, 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:43.340 he's moral, he's religious, and he's successful. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.000 If he walked into most churches today, we'd probably 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.019 have him teaching Sunday school and make him 00:14:50.019 --> 00:14:54.720 an elder before too long. But before Jesus ever 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:56.919 gets into the commandments, I want you to notice 00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:58.779 what Jesus asked him. What's the first thing 00:14:58.779 --> 00:15:03.580 that Jesus asked him? Why do you call me good? 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.240 Does that sound weird for Jesus to ask that question? 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:16.159 Why does that feel weird? Yes, because of all 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.679 people. You're like, but you are good, Jesus. 00:15:22.419 --> 00:15:26.899 And so isn't Jesus good? Absolutely, he is. So 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:29.700 then what is it that, what is Jesus trying to 00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:35.909 get to? So Jesus, of course, being the truly 00:15:35.909 --> 00:15:38.289 the only good man who ever lived. So why does 00:15:38.289 --> 00:15:41.110 he ever ask this question? Because Jesus is forcing 00:15:41.110 --> 00:15:43.210 this young man to think carefully about the words 00:15:43.210 --> 00:15:45.710 that just came out of his mouth. The rich young 00:15:45.710 --> 00:15:48.990 ruler calls him good teacher, but he uses it 00:15:48.990 --> 00:15:53.169 as a little more than a polite title. Jesus essentially 00:15:53.169 --> 00:15:54.929 is saying this. Do you understand what you're 00:15:54.929 --> 00:16:00.549 saying? If only God is good, that are you recognizing 00:16:00.549 --> 00:16:04.690 me that I'm God? Are you recognizing that I am 00:16:04.690 --> 00:16:10.389 the Messiah? But what do we see? The answer is 00:16:10.389 --> 00:16:12.909 clearly no, right? Because it says that he goes 00:16:12.909 --> 00:16:15.350 away grieved. When Jesus says sell everything 00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:20.710 and follow me, he goes away grieved. He sees 00:16:20.710 --> 00:16:23.750 Jesus as a respected rabbi or a wise teacher 00:16:23.750 --> 00:16:26.210 and someone who could tell him the final things 00:16:26.210 --> 00:16:30.129 he needs to do. but he doesn't see him as the 00:16:30.129 --> 00:16:32.750 Lord who deserves his complete true worship. 00:16:33.529 --> 00:16:36.070 And that's why his very first question reveals 00:16:36.070 --> 00:16:41.570 the heart of the problem. He's asking, what must 00:16:41.570 --> 00:16:48.190 I do to inherit what? Eternal life, right? He's 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:50.309 thinking in items of performance, but would that 00:16:50.309 --> 00:16:53.990 be off from what they already know? Not necessarily. 00:16:55.720 --> 00:17:01.759 But more than likely, this man has heard the 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.740 prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel and Jeremiah who 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:09.700 talk about a new covenant and being born again. 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:14.940 But it's still not there. He's conceived or he's 00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:16.980 convinced eternal life is another achievement 00:17:16.980 --> 00:17:20.380 to unlock, another box to check, another commandment 00:17:20.380 --> 00:17:23.299 to keep. He has no category yet for the fact 00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:25.680 that eternal life is not earned by human effort, 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:28.680 but received by trusting the one standing in 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:32.480 front of him. And so now this misunderstanding 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.440 is going to be exposed because then Jesus begins 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:37.460 listing the commandments, right? He says, do 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:39.819 not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, 00:17:39.900 --> 00:17:42.400 do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:45.200 your father and mother, and then notice something 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.670 interesting. Jesus lists the commandments that 00:17:48.670 --> 00:17:51.289 are primarily deal with how we treat other people. 00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:55.210 And how does the man respond? What does he say? 00:17:55.490 --> 00:17:57.690 What does the rich young ruler, what's his response 00:17:57.690 --> 00:18:02.230 when Jesus lists these? I've done these, I've 00:18:02.230 --> 00:18:06.730 kept them. Okay, I've kept all of these from 00:18:06.730 --> 00:18:09.670 my youth. He doesn't hesitate, he doesn't stumble, 00:18:10.309 --> 00:18:13.930 he doesn't even say, I really tried, but I mess 00:18:13.930 --> 00:18:18.259 up sometimes. He confidently says, I have kept 00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:23.799 all these, I've kept them from my youth. Here's 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:28.579 a question, do you think he's lying? I don't 00:18:28.579 --> 00:18:33.579 think that he is. I don't think that he is. But 00:18:33.579 --> 00:18:38.180 let's just keep going. I think he genuinely believed 00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:42.099 that he was keeping all of the commandments. 00:18:42.539 --> 00:18:45.259 but that's what makes self -deception so frightening. 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:49.740 He's essentially not wearing pants, right? He 00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:52.039 wasn't pretending to be righteous. He actually 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.519 believed that he was, but Jesus isn't impressed 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:58.079 by external morality because Jesus can see what 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:01.519 nobody else can see. He doesn't simply examine 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:04.460 our external behavior. He examines our worship. 00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:10.440 He doesn't just go, what have you done? He asked, 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:14.200 what do you love? What do you trust and what 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:18.380 sits on the throne of your heart? I want you 00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:21.440 to write this down. It should be up there because 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:26.000 it is entirely possible to obey many of God's 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.839 commandments while breaking the very first one. 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:36.380 Is it there? Okay, good. What's the very first 00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:41.720 one? We shall have no other gods before me. You 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:43.940 guys pass the Sunday school quiz today. Good 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:49.019 job. The rich young ruler believed his greatest 00:19:49.019 --> 00:19:51.900 strength was his morality. And Jesus was about 00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:54.819 to reveal that his greatest problem was his idolatry. 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:57.259 And church, this is where we need to slow down 00:19:57.259 --> 00:19:59.680 because this is not just his story, this is also 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:04.440 ours. Self -deception rarely looks like open 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:11.049 rebellion. More often, it looks very respectable. 00:20:12.029 --> 00:20:14.970 It's a husband who says, I'm a good man. I provide 00:20:14.970 --> 00:20:18.269 for my family. But somewhere along the way, his 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:21.769 career becomes his God. It's the church member 00:20:21.769 --> 00:20:24.009 who says, I've been in church every Sunday for 00:20:24.009 --> 00:20:26.450 30 years, yet bitterness has quietly become the 00:20:26.450 --> 00:20:28.769 thing that rules their heart. It's the parent 00:20:28.769 --> 00:20:32.470 who says, my children are my whole world. Without 00:20:32.470 --> 00:20:34.910 realizing, they've made their family their identity 00:20:34.910 --> 00:20:38.400 instead of Christ. It's the American who says, 00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:41.720 I've worked hard for everything I have. And over 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:44.299 time, their confidence slowly shifts from God's 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:48.140 provision to their portfolio. The frightening 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:51.579 thing about idols is that we almost never call 00:20:51.579 --> 00:20:55.279 them idols. Here's what we typically call them, 00:20:55.619 --> 00:21:01.619 wisdom, responsibility, success, security. But 00:21:01.619 --> 00:21:06.730 Jesus calls them competitors. And that's why 00:21:06.730 --> 00:21:08.970 this passage is super unsettling because the 00:21:08.970 --> 00:21:11.609 rich young ruler thought he was coming to Jesus 00:21:11.609 --> 00:21:14.490 with one problem and Jesus was about to expose 00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:18.130 the problem he didn't even know he had. So before 00:21:18.130 --> 00:21:19.950 we move any further in the story, I want you 00:21:19.950 --> 00:21:21.589 to wrestle with two questions, right? These two 00:21:21.589 --> 00:21:25.190 questions down because I sincerely am asking 00:21:25.190 --> 00:21:33.240 these two to think about this week. So. Write 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.240 down these two questions and meditate on them. 00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:37.660 What would Jesus lovingly put his finger on in 00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:41.460 your life? What would he kind of nudge to be 00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:47.440 like, this thing is really whom you serve. What 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:49.519 if the thing you're most proud of is actually 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:51.880 the thing keeping you from wholehearted devotion 00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:58.339 to Christ? Because in the next few verses, that's 00:21:58.339 --> 00:22:02.640 exactly what Jesus is going to reveal. And so 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:08.119 I'll let you write those two questions down. 00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:18.140 So point number two is this, the need for an 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:22.059 intervention. If you know that you've been told 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:26.480 that you've got gangrene in your foot, what's 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:30.299 the best thing for them to do for you? Cut it 00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:33.509 off. Right, gotta get it out. So if you know 00:22:33.509 --> 00:22:36.890 that you've got an idol, you need an intervention 00:22:36.890 --> 00:22:42.210 and cut that thing out. So as soon as Jesus exposes 00:22:42.210 --> 00:22:44.289 the idol, the rich young ruler has a decision 00:22:44.289 --> 00:22:47.230 to make. Will he cling to Christ or will he cling 00:22:47.230 --> 00:22:52.049 to his wealth? And what does it say? What did 00:22:52.049 --> 00:22:57.650 he choose? He chose his wealth, right? It says 00:22:57.650 --> 00:23:03.519 he went away sorrowful. for he had great possessions." 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.579 And that word sorrowful, as I said, is the better 00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:10.660 translation for that would be grief. And so here's 00:23:10.660 --> 00:23:12.599 the thing about it. I said that there's only 00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:15.140 one other time that that word is used in the 00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:19.599 New Testament. Do you wanna know when that one 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:24.819 time was? Being deeply grieved? It was when Jesus 00:23:24.819 --> 00:23:27.980 is on the cross and he is crying out to God. 00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:33.000 and that he's grieved because he's separated 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:39.880 from God. That should hit you like a ton of bricks 00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:45.240 that the two times it's used is one when Christ 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:49.779 feels separated from the Trinity and when this 00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:53.359 man goes away grieved in his heart in the same 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:57.799 manner he feels sorrow, why? Because he's also 00:23:57.799 --> 00:24:03.900 disconnected. So it carries this idea of being 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:07.539 deeply, deeply grieved because Jesus wasn't merely 00:24:07.539 --> 00:24:09.839 asking him to give away his money. Jesus was 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.420 asking him to surrender to the very thing that 00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:16.140 gave him his identity. To us, this can sound 00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:18.839 extreme. Why couldn't we just keep our money 00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:23.039 and follow Jesus? Because money wasn't simply 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:25.119 something he owned. It was something that he 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:29.869 worshiped. It was... where he found his security. 00:24:30.009 --> 00:24:32.529 It's where he found his significance. It's his 00:24:32.529 --> 00:24:36.250 worth. It's his identity. And Tim Keller makes 00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:39.210 a profound observation when he says that for 00:24:39.210 --> 00:24:43.170 this young man, you can write this down. Money 00:24:43.170 --> 00:24:47.190 was what the father was to Jesus. When I read 00:24:47.190 --> 00:24:55.029 that. Man. This man was trying to find, I'm sorry. 00:24:55.230 --> 00:24:57.490 I want you to think about that. Everything Jesus 00:24:57.490 --> 00:24:59.809 found in his relationship with the father, this 00:24:59.809 --> 00:25:02.309 man was trying to find in his wealth. Pastor 00:25:02.309 --> 00:25:04.869 Logan, are you against wealthy people and having 00:25:04.869 --> 00:25:07.630 money? Not at all. And if you would like to give 00:25:07.630 --> 00:25:11.670 away your money, I will give you my full name, 00:25:11.910 --> 00:25:14.089 my social security number, whatever you need 00:25:14.089 --> 00:25:16.390 to write the biggest check of your life. I got 00:25:16.390 --> 00:25:21.950 kids that need fit and they're not cheap. So 00:25:21.950 --> 00:25:24.569 no, I'm not against wealth at all, but wealth, 00:25:24.809 --> 00:25:28.529 there's a reason why that Paul talks about it. 00:25:28.549 --> 00:25:31.210 There's a reason why, did you know that every 00:25:31.210 --> 00:25:37.730 time Jesus mentions sex and other immoral acts, 00:25:39.029 --> 00:25:41.230 sex is not an immoral act, but when he speaks 00:25:41.230 --> 00:25:43.829 on immoral acts and on sex, I should say it like 00:25:43.829 --> 00:25:46.369 that, he speaks on money three times more than 00:25:46.369 --> 00:25:52.019 this. Why, why would that be? Because money is 00:25:52.019 --> 00:25:54.420 the thing that we tend to gravitate to and hold 00:25:54.420 --> 00:26:08.619 onto. And so. So when Jesus called him to let 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:11.799 it go, he simply didn't simply lose his savings. 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:16.119 He felt like he was losing himself. And that's 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:19.099 why he walks away grieving. He's now being disconnected 00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:21.529 from God. because he's like, I can't lose who 00:26:21.529 --> 00:26:23.809 I am. I don't know who I am apart from this. 00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:26.309 And not because Jesus has taken something from 00:26:26.309 --> 00:26:29.569 him, but because he couldn't imagine living without 00:26:29.569 --> 00:26:33.589 his idol. And church, that's what idols do. They 00:26:33.589 --> 00:26:36.410 convince us that we cannot live without them. 00:26:40.029 --> 00:26:43.650 And the moment someone threatens them, we panic. 00:26:46.150 --> 00:26:50.289 This is not in my notes, but I got a, I got a 00:26:50.289 --> 00:26:56.589 phone call. I was on the phone for over an hour 00:26:56.589 --> 00:26:58.390 with the man. My wife was like, who are you talking 00:26:58.390 --> 00:27:00.670 to? And I'm having a mouth to her. I don't know. 00:27:01.190 --> 00:27:02.369 She's like, what do you mean you don't know? 00:27:02.430 --> 00:27:03.369 You've been on the phone for an hour. And I'm 00:27:03.369 --> 00:27:05.450 like, I don't know his name. I literally asked 00:27:05.450 --> 00:27:09.890 it whenever we were getting off the phone. But 00:27:09.890 --> 00:27:12.809 if you guys have seen the emails, I started. 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:16.240 a podcast for the men in our church. And it has 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:18.900 been shared, which is really cool by a lot of 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:21.980 people. And so this guy got my phone number from 00:27:21.980 --> 00:27:26.200 another guy that shared it with him. And he was 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:28.599 thanking me for the podcast. And then he starts 00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.859 telling me his life story and like literally 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:35.700 his life story. And as he's talking, he's just 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:37.720 talking about how he's he's single, he's not 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:43.009 married. And he is, I mean, just obsessed with 00:27:43.009 --> 00:27:48.130 this one woman. And he's like praying that God 00:27:48.130 --> 00:27:52.289 would open her eyes to him. And I finally just 00:27:52.289 --> 00:27:55.410 had to ask him, what would you do if God just 00:27:55.410 --> 00:28:03.589 said no? What do you mean? If God said no, you're 00:28:03.589 --> 00:28:05.450 just to be single your whole life, what would 00:28:05.450 --> 00:28:08.309 you do? Well, I'd be fine. And I said, are you 00:28:08.309 --> 00:28:11.109 sure? Because we just spent 45 minutes talking 00:28:11.109 --> 00:28:13.329 about a woman I've never met, and I know her 00:28:13.329 --> 00:28:18.930 literal life story. I'd be totally fine. I don't 00:28:18.930 --> 00:28:21.190 think that you will because I think what you, 00:28:21.230 --> 00:28:23.690 in your mind, you think you're serving Jesus, 00:28:23.769 --> 00:28:25.490 but you're self -deceived and what you really 00:28:25.490 --> 00:28:28.490 want is you think that this is going to complete 00:28:28.490 --> 00:28:33.210 you. And the Lord's not going to grant that wish 00:28:33.210 --> 00:28:37.309 if he feels like it's going to drag you to hell. 00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:41.759 That's what self -deception does. This is what 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:44.960 idols do. It builds up in our minds, and we're 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:47.259 thinking that we are serving God. This is a good 00:28:47.259 --> 00:28:49.839 thing, because marriage is a good thing. It's 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:52.720 good to want a wife. It's good to want to help 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:56.420 me. It's not a bad thing to pray for. But when 00:28:56.420 --> 00:29:00.480 that thing becomes the ultimate thing, you're 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:03.819 no longer serving Jesus. You're serving that 00:29:03.819 --> 00:29:07.839 thing. And your identity becomes that thing. 00:29:13.259 --> 00:29:16.559 So the disciples now are panicking. If we keep 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:19.640 going in the story, he's asking them who can 00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:21.559 earn eternal life. You read in Matthew, Peter's 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:22.980 the one that asked the question. Well, then who 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:25.740 can, if he can't earn eternal life, then who 00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:31.900 can? Because in the Jewish customs, wealth equaled 00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:36.380 divine blessing. God is good with you. It's very 00:29:36.380 --> 00:29:43.180 a word of faith, right? Jesus turns to his disciples 00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:45.500 and he says, how difficult it will be for those 00:29:45.500 --> 00:29:48.059 who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. 00:29:48.059 --> 00:29:51.539 And the disciples are like, what? Because like 00:29:51.539 --> 00:29:53.859 I said, in their minds, wealth was evidence of 00:29:53.859 --> 00:29:55.900 God's blessing. And if anyone should be entering 00:29:55.900 --> 00:29:58.099 the kingdom, surely it's the dude that's very 00:29:58.099 --> 00:30:00.819 moral and who is very wealthy and has got it 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:03.480 all together. Surely that guy is the one going 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:12.460 into the kingdom. And if he can't, who can? And 00:30:12.460 --> 00:30:14.759 that's, I think that's a great question. So that's 00:30:14.759 --> 00:30:17.200 what they ask. And Peter says, then who can be 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:20.720 saved? And so now we're getting to the right 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:23.960 questions. That's why I love, Jesus asked really 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:27.619 hard questions. And ultimately everyone gets 00:30:27.619 --> 00:30:29.259 more and more confused with more questions that 00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:31.779 he asked. And then they start asking the right 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:35.019 question. He's a really good professor that way. 00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:38.619 So the rich young ruler had asked, what must 00:30:38.619 --> 00:30:42.460 I do? But what did they? What did the disciples 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:48.440 ask? Who can be saved? Now what must I do? Who 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:51.400 can be saved? There are two very different questions. 00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:54.680 One assumes salvation is earned. The other realizes 00:30:54.680 --> 00:31:00.240 salvation is impossible. And Jesus says, with 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:04.579 it, or with man, it is impossible, but not with 00:31:04.579 --> 00:31:06.880 God. For all things are possible with God. And 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:09.779 so don't miss what Jesus is saying. He's not 00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:12.400 saying rich people have harder times because 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:16.339 they're busier. He's saying idols blind us so 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:18.640 completely that we cannot free ourselves from 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:22.160 them. And so money has a unique ability to convince 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:24.599 us we're okay. It whispers things like, hey, 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:28.000 you're secure. You're independent. You're in 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:33.579 control. Everything's fine. You don't need God. 00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:38.099 And it blinds us so thoroughly that Only a miracle 00:31:38.099 --> 00:31:41.059 of God's grace can open our eyes. And that's 00:31:41.059 --> 00:31:43.839 why Jesus says salvation is impossible with man. 00:31:46.539 --> 00:31:49.279 No one argues themselves out of idolatry. No 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:51.640 one simply wakes up one morning and decides, 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:56.940 I think I'll worship Jesus instead. God has to 00:31:56.940 --> 00:31:59.799 intervene. God has to expose our idols and God 00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:02.839 has to open blind eyes and God has to change 00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:06.000 our hearts. That's why salvation is always a 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:11.279 miracle of grace. So now I want to circle back 00:32:11.279 --> 00:32:14.619 to the beginning when I was talking about the 00:32:14.619 --> 00:32:16.779 different countries and the center of them and 00:32:16.779 --> 00:32:23.279 all that with Andrew Walls. So that observation 00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:26.319 that the center of Christianity is always moving, 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:28.940 right? Why does it move? Because the gospel was 00:32:28.940 --> 00:32:32.930 never designed to be comfortable. It was born 00:32:32.930 --> 00:32:36.210 beneath a cross. It spread through persecution. 00:32:36.569 --> 00:32:38.910 It flourished among people who knew they were 00:32:38.910 --> 00:32:42.130 desperate for God. But when Christianity becomes 00:32:42.130 --> 00:32:45.289 respectable, when it becomes safe, when it becomes 00:32:45.289 --> 00:32:48.690 comfortable, when something then begins to happen, 00:32:49.250 --> 00:32:52.349 the radical call of Jesus gets softened and it 00:32:52.349 --> 00:32:54.890 begins to slow down and the cross becomes an 00:32:54.890 --> 00:32:58.529 ornament instead of a way of life. Discipleship 00:32:58.529 --> 00:33:01.569 becomes something we fit into our schedules rather 00:33:01.569 --> 00:33:04.230 than something that cost us everything. That's 00:33:04.230 --> 00:33:06.769 why Jesus immediately has a conversation with 00:33:06.769 --> 00:33:09.329 Peter after the rich young ruler rocks away. 00:33:09.710 --> 00:33:12.349 And Peter says, in essence, Lord, we have done 00:33:12.349 --> 00:33:14.589 the things that you have asked us to do. We have 00:33:14.589 --> 00:33:16.549 left our homes, our businesses, our families 00:33:16.549 --> 00:33:19.369 to follow you. Please tell me this is going to 00:33:19.369 --> 00:33:24.609 be worth it. And Jesus answers him immediately 00:33:24.609 --> 00:33:30.910 with yes. Yes, it will cost you, but yes, it 00:33:30.910 --> 00:33:35.970 will be worth it. Notice that Jesus does not 00:33:35.970 --> 00:33:42.609 promise comfort. He promises himself, but he 00:33:42.609 --> 00:33:46.789 never promises safety. He promises eternal life, 00:33:46.890 --> 00:33:49.269 but he never says that the Christian life will 00:33:49.269 --> 00:33:52.930 be easy, but he says it will be worth it. Amen. 00:33:54.529 --> 00:33:57.089 And so write this down if you're taking notes. 00:33:58.890 --> 00:34:03.150 We cannot allow comfort to become our greatest 00:34:03.150 --> 00:34:07.789 pursuit because comfort has a way of slowly convincing 00:34:07.789 --> 00:34:14.590 us that we no longer need the cross. The gospel 00:34:14.590 --> 00:34:18.570 is dangerous. It calls people to die before they 00:34:18.570 --> 00:34:21.349 truly live. It thrives among people who know 00:34:21.349 --> 00:34:23.530 they are spiritually bankrupt and it flourishes 00:34:23.530 --> 00:34:25.849 whenever men and women are desperate enough to 00:34:25.849 --> 00:34:29.190 say, Jesus is all I have. Do you know where the 00:34:29.190 --> 00:34:36.590 fastest growing church in the world is? Iran. 00:34:38.550 --> 00:34:46.789 Amongst women. They gather secretly, they face 00:34:46.789 --> 00:34:53.110 crazy persecution and death, and yet they go, 00:34:53.489 --> 00:34:55.510 Jesus is all I have and Jesus is all I need. 00:34:57.670 --> 00:35:00.969 It spreads where there is severe persecution. 00:35:01.610 --> 00:35:07.409 So when you see, when you see persecution, when 00:35:07.409 --> 00:35:10.590 you see just like, when I say persecution, just 00:35:10.590 --> 00:35:13.469 street preachers, like it's gone viral. There's 00:35:13.469 --> 00:35:16.570 a street preacher that was preaching repentance. 00:35:16.969 --> 00:35:19.429 He wasn't being vulgar. He wasn't being angry. 00:35:19.489 --> 00:35:21.510 He was just preaching repentance at a pride parade 00:35:21.510 --> 00:35:25.760 in Dallas and he was arrested for it. and he 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:30.199 was on a public sidewalk. And we can go, look, 00:35:30.219 --> 00:35:33.179 there's persecution. Guess what? We gotta fight 00:35:33.179 --> 00:35:37.559 that. Well, I don't know because I read the scriptures 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:40.460 and I read church history and it says that my 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:45.320 faith, this thing that I live for only sets fire 00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:50.199 when we're persecuted. And so go ahead and light 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:54.320 a fire to a brush that is dry. And let's see 00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:57.760 what happens. Now, do I want that to, yes, I 00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:59.980 want the gospel to go forward. Do I want to go 00:35:59.980 --> 00:36:02.320 to jail for the gospel? Not necessarily, but 00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:08.719 I'm willing to. So that's why this passage isn't 00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:12.559 ultimately about money. Money is simply the symptom 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:16.239 of the real issue in the heart. Money just happened 00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:19.639 to be the rich young ruler's idol. And if it 00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:22.130 hadn't been money, Jesus would have exposed whatever 00:36:22.130 --> 00:36:24.170 else had occupied the throne that belonged to 00:36:24.170 --> 00:36:26.690 God alone. So before we finish this morning, 00:36:26.710 --> 00:36:29.570 don't ask, do I have a problem with money? I 00:36:29.570 --> 00:36:32.130 want you to ask, what am I trusting to give? 00:36:33.409 --> 00:36:36.110 What am I trusting to give me only what only 00:36:36.110 --> 00:36:38.530 Jesus can give? I could have worded that better. 00:36:40.210 --> 00:36:42.329 Because whatever that thing is, that's your idol. 00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:46.070 And until God opens your eyes to it, you'll never 00:36:46.070 --> 00:36:49.210 know it's there. So here's the application and 00:36:49.210 --> 00:36:53.059 here's the closing. Maybe this morning, your 00:36:53.059 --> 00:36:56.380 idol isn't money. Maybe it's your reputation, 00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:58.420 your career, your family, your comfort, your 00:36:58.420 --> 00:37:01.599 political identity, your success. Whatever it 00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:04.500 is, if the thought of losing it feels like losing 00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:08.059 yourself, Jesus has probably just revealed where 00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:12.179 your true identity lies. And the good news is 00:37:12.179 --> 00:37:14.320 this, the same God who exposed the rich young 00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:17.539 ruler's idol is the God who can free you from 00:37:17.539 --> 00:37:22.659 yours. Because what is impossible for you is 00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:25.659 never impossible with Him. Well, Pastor Logan, 00:37:25.780 --> 00:37:29.840 how do I know? How do I know what would be my 00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:33.019 idol? I'm still unsure. If I have an idol in 00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:36.579 my life, it's what I always say is this, wherever 00:37:36.579 --> 00:37:40.119 your time, wherever your money, wherever your 00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:43.780 affection goes, so goes your God. Let's pray.