Watch were you are going!
I like collecting fossils sad but true. Typically I like to do this in a difficult way. On spot in particular is a very rough seashore, all boulders, from football size to mini like, you have to jump and stretch between them to move along the shore. The fossils can be found by looking into the gaps between the boulders, you have to have a good eye to see them. Oh yes the boulders are covered in seaweed, usually very wet and slippery and you could easily break a bone or two or knock yourself out if you fell, I have the bruises to prove it is a hard knock indeed. But if you keep your eyes on the rocks and were your feet are going, you will miss all of the good fossils, if you keep looking for fossils, sooner rather than later you will slip. I use this illustration to show you can’t serve two masters, which is what we are talking about today. You can’t follow Jesus and love something else more than him. You can be 99% for Jesus its 100% or as good as nothing, that’s what we speak of today.
Has it all.
This young ruler seems to have it all, wealth, looks, respect, authority and position within society. Perhaps a synagogue leader, a member of the Jewish supreme court he had authority and the bearing of leadership. You could see him doing well in the City a good type and rich as well, quite a catch really. He had health and wealth running up to Jesus the body beautiful, full of vitality, energy, physical strength and rich as well, what a church member eh!
But wait he’s also been good to his parents, he has not murdered or defrauded anyone, is honest, dependable and does not commit adultery. A honest man, quite rare you would think, never broken the commandments, a true candidate for church leadership forget being a humble member, he’s on the fast track to the upper levels of society every thing he touched turning to gold. Knows that Jesus is a true spiritual leader, is a seeker wanting more in his life, wanting eternity no less, "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" .All seem to like him. Jesus looked at him and loved him (mind you he does that with everyone!)
Do you have it all?
I can imagine Jesus turning to this man, who has it all, you can sense something is coming when Jesus says "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. Jesus is pointing out to the man that he cannot presume to be a peer of Jesus, be on a level we he can decide if Jesus is good or not, none of us has that right, only the Father is heaven, God the pure one the I AM. Do we ever presume to be God, do we judge others and label them, do we forget God loves all, God created all and God sees into the hearts of each, it is for God to judge and God alone. The Jesus runs through the ten commandments, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour you father and mother”. No problem Jesus, I’ve kept all of those commandments since I was a boy, home free, passed with flying colors, now what about that life eternal. So close, Jesus looked at him and loved him even as he looked into his heart, well why not before him was a good man rich beyond belief yet poor in belief. The Lord reached out and touched the mans flaw with surgical precision of the word of God separated spirit from flesh as he said "One thing you lack,“. The disciples must have been thinking how can this man be lacking a thing, we need him master, can’t you just bend the rules a bit, he’s a good one and just think of all the bread he could pay for. Jesus said “Just one thing you lack”.
Then come follow me.
"Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. This rich young man would rather his wealth than God. This man who ran after Jesus seeking eternal life, would soon turn crest fallen and walk away from Jesus. He had his answer, he had been told plainly how to convert his worldly wealth to heavenly reward, treasure in heaven guaranteed for eternity what an exchange
Matthew 6: 19 – 21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. And 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
But at the end of this exchange the young man could not surrender himself to God, his heart was ruled by another, wealth, he loved his money, loved what it brought, the position, the power and authority. Could not give it up for God, could not live up to the greatest of the commandments as Jesus explains in
Matthew 22: 34 – 40
“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
So Can Christians be rich?
The answer is yes, but. But you do not keep the wealth for yourself or your own good, consider the parable of the foolish rich man as told in Luke chapter 12: 16 – 21. And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ "Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." , "But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.“
One of most dangerous things for a believer to be is materially rich. If God has blessed you with an abundance in anything, be it wealth, gifts, time whatever, it is not given just for your benefit and your benefit alone, we serve a kingdom were talents are used to glorify God, to win souls for his kingdom. We need to strive to be rich for and towards God. Here’s how to be rich toward God:
Don’t be arrogant or judgmental
Don’t trust in money
Enjoy life without being selfish
Remember all are Gods children, he loves all, so be respectful to all
Be rich in good works and be generous with what you have been given
As it is written in 1 Timothy 6: 17 – 19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Forgetting the giver
When God blesses us we should not turn our backs on him. The rich fool thought of what HE would do, the trouble was not that he had things, its was that the things had him. We should constantly be checking our priorities in regard to our processions, what we have in relation to Gods kingdom and what we could do. As an example, why is it that in most Churches twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work. We are you in the twenty percent or not, we all need to assess our priorities in regard to God. So often as in the case of the rich young man and the rich fool, we make provision for the physical needs, the body beautiful, the laying up of plenty of good things for the easy life, eat, drink and “have a laugh”, forgetting the soul, the need for redemption, the true purpose and treasure to be gained while in this life, all of the material “stuff” stays here! Be concerned about where you are going next rather than what you have here. Forgetting is the danger, the day will never come, I’m all right then bang, its over to late, what’s done is done, then you’ll want God and his kingdom. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Through the eye
What an example “A camel through the eye of a needle”. Some might tell you that one of the gates entering Jerusalem was called “Eye of the Needle”, were the camels had to be stripped of all loads to pass through. Jesus was clearly showing how difficult it is to give up money and material things you have here and now for things eternal, things unseen and yet to be. The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" They must have been thinking, look at us compared to that young man, were poor and look well worn, yet he is so rich and good looking what hope do we have! Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Again he was saying trust in God and God will not fail you, unlike wealth which could be gone tomorrow. Peter I love always quick to speak his heart, but we left everything for you – Jesus what will my reward be is Peters plea. "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." notice the word persecutions being a Christian does not immunise you against troubles and difficulties, in fact they might even multiply at times. Its the qualification to the life eternal which makes it all worth while!
Beware of Idols!
When I read of idols I always think of a carved thing with many arms and legs in a sort of hopping position, laced with gold and silver and you expect me to bow down to that, worship that, was not once wood, stone a figment of a mans mind, but many do. But beware, be careful idols are can be things that we crave, covert, things that we love and are obsessed with, anything that takes your affections and your love and attention from God, that’s an idol. God rightly views all idols and anything that becomes an idol in your heart, as “Detestable and vile”
Consider these words of idols and redemption and trusting God:
Psalm 31: 1 – 8
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, or you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
The Hebrew translation of Salvation means “ a spacious place”, surrender you idols, let Jesus lead you to that spacious place. His kingdom were our treasure should always ever be, the young ruler missed his chance, though I love to think of him selling all and giving to the poor and turning into the arms of a loving savior, safe for eternity.
Consider Luke 12: 32 – 34
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".
Final Thoughts
What did the rich young have it all ruler lack, well a Love for God. He wanted it all, wanted eternal life, kept every commandment, except the most important one, the key to the lock on eternal life and salvation, Love the Lord your God with all your heart but at the end of the day could not let God onto the throne of his heart. Wanted eternal life, was speaking directly to Jesus, just had to let go of his riches, his idols and not look back. What about us, is Jesus the centre of our lives, do we look to him all of the time. Or is a a quick glance on a Sunday then back to the serious stuff of earning more money or following your own ways for the rest of the week. We need to follow God and Jesus at all time, the more we seek his face, the more we gaze on Jesus, the more we will become like him. That’s the greatest treasure of all swapping our lives and ways to be like Jesus and to then take Jesus to the world around us, advancing his kingdom, helping those we meet to open their hearts to the glorious love of Jesus. To the greatest of riches, that stands for all time, Jesus let us open our hearts anew today. Let us pray, lets ask for the Holy Spirit to take us through the eye of the needle, for with God nothing is impossible, for with God love makes all things possible so love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and be surrendered to him and him alone.
Remember anything that you put between yourself and God in the love and obedience stakes is an idol, be it money, cars, houses, clothes, material things, people whatever, Love God and God alone, that’s what we are call to do, the greatest commandment and should be the easiest to keep it if you really think of God and think of his blessings, think his loveliness, his greatness, his almightiness and most of all his love in Jesus how difficult is it to love back?
Only 100% for Jesus will do, Amen.
