Now as [Jesus] was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions
Mark 10:17-22
Here we have the story of a man other Gospel writers call “the rich young ruler,” who came to see Jesus.
• He’s a good Jewish lad. We can tell this by his response to Jesus: “I’ve kept these commandments since I was young.”
• He genuinely wants to hear from Jesus: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• When faced with what the Lord required of him, he turned away, full of grief and sadness.
Today I want to diagnose what kept this young man from following Jesus’ words, and how we can keep ourselves from following his example.
“Uh-oh-itis”
Have you ever prayed to God for direction? Many of us struggle with what to do for our future, our children, our work. We pray, “God, lead me. Show me what to do. Help me, Lord.”
Some of us pray for years without an answer. Others pray and receive an answer quickly, but understand that what they are called to do will take preparation. What is your response when you receive the answer to your cry for direction?
This young man came to Jesus looking for direction. He had a question and needed an answer. Perhaps he thought he’d prepared Himself for anything Jesus asked. His heart wasn’t ready, though, for the answer Jesus gave him.
“Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
“Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Mark 10:17, 21
The young ruler had what I call, Uh-oh-itis. Uh-oh-itis is the fear and hesitation we face when we receive an answer from God, and it takes us into one of 3 situations:
1. The Unfamiliar
This is something completely new to us. We haven’t heard about it or read it in our Bibles before. No one taught it to us in Sunday School. It may have been available to us all along, but we didn’t see it. It’s unfamiliar, so we hesitate.
2. The Uncomfortable
When God’s word directs us to do something that is outside of our gifts or comfort zone, it gets uncomfortable. It’s a stretch for us. It isn’t bad, it just doesn’t seem like God called the right number when He decided to assign this task. When it’s uncomfortable, we fear, doubt and deflect.
3. The Undesirable
Sometimes God’s direction is totally different or opposite than we expect from Him. We have another approach or interpretation of what’s going on. We think we’re right, and He must not have heard us correctly. Our hopes were for something different. We don’t think His direction is correct or possible. It’s undesirable, and we grow sad and return home sorrowful.
Not a single one of us is immune to Uh-oh-itis. The only treatment for it is discipline.
Now, I’m not talking about grounding yourself or hurting your body as a means to purify or cleanse you. Discipline is training that says, “This is what I must do,” and then does it. This kind of discipline is what treats Uh-oh-itis.
Of course, even this treatment is not a true cure. We will not be immune to the fear and hesitation that comes from unfamiliar, uncomfortable and undesirable direction from God. But each time we buckle down and do what we must, it gets easier the next time.
“Just Do It”
This discipline that treats Uh-oh-itis can be summed up in three words, which also happens to be the popular marketing slogan of a clothing brand: “Just do it.”
“It” is a broad descriptor of the things various activities we take part in. For Nike it relates to sports: running, weight lifting, walking, basketball, baseball, football, etc.
eBay, the online selling and auction giant, at one time used the following for a marketing phrase: “Whatever it is, you can find it on eBay.” Whether you’re looking for books, home décor, music, cars, a scale replica of the star ship Enterprise, or a Survivor tribal Buff, you can find it on eBay.
In the Church “it” relates to that direction God gives us for our lives. Whatever God has called you to do, “Just do it.”
James spoke about what it means for us when we hear what we should do and don’t do it:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
James 1:22-24
We have to make every effort not to all – keep us from doing what God has called us to do. It paralyzes us, causes us to sin, and therefore separates us from God.
Jesus said,
“If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you.”
John 14:21 CEV
Let me make a quick interjection here.
The point of this message is not to bog you down or convict you. In fact, this is a word of encouragement.
In the face of the unfamiliar, uncomfortable and undesirable, the power of God is available for us to do what needs to be done.
… "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
Philippians 4:13 MSG
Do not be discouraged by this word today. Instead, know that while we are all susceptible to fall under the spell of Uh-oh-itis, we can have victory over it through training ourselves to walk instead by the power of God.
And that brings us to our final point today:
“What Should I Do?”
You might say that there is nothing easier to do than what we know we should do. But it’s not really that simple, is it? It is easy to know, but often hard to do.
• Paul freely and honestly told the Romans about his struggle in this battle.
• When Jesus spoke of a willing spirit but weak flesh, He may have also looked ahead to when He would ask for the cup of crucifixion to be taken from Him.
We must find a way to do what God is asking of us. If we can get ourselves to do it once, it will be easier the next time. Maybe it isn’t really that hard at all.
Let’s make it personal. Here are a few concrete ways to “Just do it”:
1. Just praise the Lord
Let’s start with something easy. We are told to praise God in all of life’s circumstances.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Ephesians 5:18b-20 ESV
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised…
Psalm 18:3
Of course, it’s nothing to say that it is easy to praise God in everything. A few walks around the block will quickly prove how difficult it is in practice.
• How do you praise God when you lose a loved one?
• How do you rejoice when you are passed over for promotion or recognition at work?
• Where is your praise when your home or your car is taken, or your electricity is shut off, or there is no food in your fridge?
How does praising God, through every situation and turn in life, register to you? Is it unfamiliar? Does it seem crazy to lift your hands in praise when your world is breaking down?
Only God is worthy to be praised. He desires it from us. When God’s praises are continually in our mouth (see Psalm 34:1), we are protected against whispering, complaining, and any other sinful use of our tongue. We should just praise the Lord.
2. Just walk across the room
[Jesus] answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10:27
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:11
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another . . . By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35
I have a few books on a bookshelf at home that are my “to read” pile. One of these is a book by Bill Hybels, pastor of a church outside of Chicago, Illinois. The title is, “Just Walk Across the Room.” The book is a call to evangelism through our relationships. We are amongst the lost through much of our week, but do we take the time to interact with them?
However, I think we can take this phrase as a call to community and relationship within the church. We often find ourselves sitting even in the church sanctuary with people we do not really know. The truth that we need them and they need us may escape our minds and so we fail to really connect. But we are told that our love for one another will be a witness to the world.
When was the last time you walked across the room and took the time to get to know someone new? If you’re sure you already know every one, when did you last take the time to delve deeper into relationship with someone? It may be awkward and uncomfortable at first, but we are called to be one Body. We need each other to be complete.
3. Just do the right thing
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James 4:17 ESV
This is really what it all boils down to. We have to do what is right.
What are some of the unfamiliar, uncomfortable or undesirable things to do that are the “right” things?
• Forgiving
• Asking forgiveness
• Following Scriptural patterns
• Submitting to authority
• Thinking of others before ourselves
• Treating others as we want to be treated instead of how we think they deserve to be treated.
• Praying for our enemies
• Taking up our cross daily
• Choosing to enter God’s will instead of satisfying our own
The Scriptures are full of God’s will for our lives. When we start praying for God to lead or to do, shouldn’t we check to see what He has already said about it first? If we still need to hear from Him, shouldn’t we prepare ourselves to follow as He leads?
We cannot give in to Uh-oh-itis.
When we ask for His revelation in our lives, we must follow Him.
Rely on His power.
Trust in His goodness.
Know that He will not lead us astray or into temptation.
Follow His word today, and tomorrow it will be easier for you.
