Introductory Considerations
1. It is a word that is used much more than it is understood. Parents tell their children to be good and when a daughter behaves a mother will say "Good girl". When things have gone well, we will say - "that was a good day" Perhaps we had a good vacation or saw a good movie. Sometimes we someone will say to me after church "that was a good service".
2. The word "good" takes on different meanings to us. We think of good and evil. In cartoons we see good angel telling us to do good while bad angel tries to make us do the wrong thing. We use good to describe something that is pleasing to us. We describe a person as good who treats us well. We try to be good by obeying our parents.
3. It is a word that is often used flippantly when we can thing of no other word to use. "That’s good, I glad to hear it."
Teaching
1. In our passage today a rich young man uses the word good with little thought of what he is saying. He says "what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
a. Mark and Luke phrase the question a little differently. (Mark 10:17)
2. In both cases the word good is used but in a different place in the question. Since I believe word not contradict itself, but sometimes not all is said, he must have said "Good teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
3. Regardless of how the question is shown, Jesus responds the same way.
a. His response focusesis on the word "good".
b. Why do you ask me what is good or why do you call me good?"
4. Man is expecting an answer but Jesus says lets first look at the question . Like someone I know. Ask him "How are you today?". I expect to hear fine or OK, but instead he says "Do you really care about how I am? Do you really want to take time to listen to how I’m doing?"
5. Like you asking someone for directions to Detroit? You respond "do you really want to go to Detroit?"
6. Why doesn’t Jesus just answer his question? Jesus knows that the man’s flippant use of the word "good" shows he does not really understand what he is asking.
7. He is making a presumption in his question that is wrong - that by being good he will receive eternal life. And so Jesus stops him to explain not only how to get eternal life, but what good or goodness is and what it means.
8. This evening Paul calls us to seek the fruit of goodness. Seems simple and what is there to talk about? We should be good and do good.
9. But as we consider this "goodness" we find a richness in its source and meaning and application in our lives. We find it in Jesus’ response to the young man.
10. Jesus tells him that there is only One who is good. In Luke He says "No one is good, but God alone". As we said fruit is manifestation of God’s character in our lives.
a. Goodness, true goodness comes from only one source and that is God.
11. Goodness is not only a characteristic of God like patience is but it is a basic attribute of God. Louis Berkhof says "we speak of something as good, when it is ideal in all its parts" and "God is in every way all that He as God should be, and therefor answers perfectly to the ideal expressed in the word ’"God’".
12. His goodness is His absolute perfection. It includes fact there is no sin or bad thing in God.
13. That goodness is exercised by God in His kindness to His creation. (Pss 145:9-16).
14. We could say that all good things come from God and that is true, but we must also say that all that comes from God is good - it cannot be otherwise. Even though hard to understand at times - it allows us to trust in all circumstances.
15. It the exercise of God’s goodness that He shows His character of love and His grace shows that how He treats us is not due to our deserving but out of His goodness. Both His tender mercies and longsuffering patience flow out of His goodness.
16. In summary God’s goodness is who He is and what He does.
17. This ties in very closely to what Jesus tells the young man.
18. First, to be good we first need moral perfection. If you want to enter eternal life, if you want to be good - you must obey the commandments.
19. The man asks Jesus which ones. If this was a game show we would have heard loud buzz at this time. What a wrong question - "Which ones?"
a. He really did not understand what Jesus was talking about. "Jesus, I know that there are rules that I must keep, that I must be true to your word to go to heaven and that all "good" Jews know that. But which ones must I keep, which ones may I break?"
b. He sounds like those who tell me that they live good lives - they have not done anything terribly wrong. They have not murdered, committed adultery, given false testimony. They have honoured their father and mother and loved their neighbour. At least they think they have. They think they are good but that good in their own standard of
keeping the law.
20. Man missed out on 2 points.
a. 1st We cannot pick and choose which laws we must keep - OK to covet but not kill. All of law must be kept - how can we assume we are good by saying we have kept some of law and how can we ask which laws we must keep?
b. 2nd - how can he and we assume that we are good by keeping law? Had Jesus not just said that only God is good? The man not hear Him.?
21. Jesus is talking about moral perfection as part of goodness. That moral perfection that only God has and we are to have as Christians.
22. But then Jesus goes to second part of goodness. As we said - God shows goodness in how He treats us. Jesus says to man, "If you really have this required goodness sell all you have and give to the poor."
23. To be good means to be kind and generous, to do good to others. It is a goodness inside that cannot help but flow out. God’s goodness has to be expressed and so should ours. True holiness and goodness is not something kept inside and protected and hidden away.
24. We may think we are good but the litmus test is how generous and good we are toward others? Are we willing to give our money, time, attention to others?
a. How much of self have you sold in past week and given to those in need?
b. How much money that you wanted to spend of self have you given for needy? Man comes to door - you only have $10 and you really wanted to go out for lunch tomorrow - sorry.
c. I know I should visit neighbour, but I want some time for myself.
25. How good are we really? If we think we are good in self, then we will not be good. Even if we try to prove we are good by self, problem is then we rely on self.
26. That is why hard for rich to go to heaven. Because they can rely on what they have accumulated or on their own strength and goodness.
27. If I believe all I have is a good gift from God and not because I am so great and if I believe God will provide as He has in the past, then I do not hold on to what He has given me. Instead I freely give it. I don’t need it -I trust in Him not what He has given.
28. Obeying commands is not a way to get to be good, to get to heaven. It is response to the trust we have already put in Christ. Because He died for me and I have Holy Spirit in me, I want to serve Him and live for Him and obey him.
29. I don’t ask how much I should give or obey. I want to give all to him who gave all to me because I am thankful and because I trust Him.
30. The young man could not do this? Can you? Will you end up walking away sadly when you see Jesus face to face?
31. Peter has been listening. He aks "What does this mean for us who have left all behind to follow you? Who have put trust in you?"
32. Response - you will receive from me. You will receive many fold back what you have given up - most importantly eternal life.
33. Goodness is putting self last, a giving of self to God and others. As said, we are good, it is only thru Christ. And yet we will even receive more of God’s goodness. (1Tim 6:18-19)
34. Humble self "I am not good Lord. I need you goodness."
