Kingdom Focused Church - Relationship or Religion

This mornings we are continuing the series of Becoming a Kingdom Focused Church looking at the question do you have a relationship or do you have a religion?

The other night my wife and I were discussing a Bible study and we kind of got on this subject if you will, and we started talking about how all other religions or beliefs are cults.

Anything besides true salvation is a cult, whether it is Buddhism, Islam, Hindu, Jehovah Witness, anything that teaches salvation apart from Jesus Christ is the only way, is a false religion, which is a cult.

And with that I made the comment, that people can even make the Southern Baptist denomination into a cult, because hear me out here, we can focus on traditions, or rules instead of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As we look at our text this morning and look at the message that God has laid on my heart, we will see, that it is not about traditions, it is not about laws, rules, and all these different things, it is about a relationship with Jesus Christ and putting him first.

If we are putting other things first, if we are trying to follow certain guidelines, certain traditions, certain laws, and putting those things before our relationship with Jesus, and making them more important than Jesus than there is a big problem because now we have made it a cult, even though it is not meant to be a cult.

This morning we are going to be looking at the story of the Rich Young Ruler, that is found in Matthew chapter 19 this ruler ask some great questions, but he is confused and does not respond correctly. Our text will be in verses 16-26.

As we look at this story, this conversation between Jesus and this rich young ruler, and as the ruler asks these questions, we as individuals need to take those questions into consideration.

What is this rich young ruler, asking? But also how is he responding, and would we respond the same or would our response be different.

Therefore, let’s look at our text, if you are able, if you will stand with me in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 19:16–26 CSB

16 Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” he said to him. “There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he asked him. Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; 19 honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself. 20 “I have kept all these,” the young man told him. “What do I still lack?” 21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. 23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Pray

This morning as we look at this story, let’s keep in mind, do we have a relationship or do we have a religion?

I. The Commands Vs. 16-19

Matthew does not give us a lot of detail about this man, but that is not the importance part any way, it is the lessons that we need to learn from this story that is important.

This individual is coming to Jesus asking, what he must do to have eternal life, to have salvation, to be saved.

The man asks, Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life? Another words he is asking what good deeds does he need to do, in order to receive salvation?

But we are told in Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

Salvation, eternal life is not accomplished through any good works that we perform, that we do, we cannot work our way into heaven, we cannot give our way into heaven, because it is a gift, a free gift of God.

Jesus tells this man, if you want to enter into life, meaning eternal life, salvation then keep the commandments.

We must remember here that this was before Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus has not fulfilled the law, but is still preparing for that at this point of the story.

The ruler is believed to be either a Pharisee, or possible a scribe, either way, whichever part of the Jewish sect, the man was, they were generally well learned in the law, that is the law of Moses, that is the first five books of the Bible.

The Jewish people had taken the law, that was given through Moses, but they took what God had given us, the law, which is show us our sinfulness, and our need for a savior, the took what God meant for good and corrupted it.

Jesus says to the man, why do you ask me about what is good? Jesus continued, there is only one who is good. Another words, Jesus is saying, Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

That everyone that has walked this earth has failed God in one way shape or form, except for Jesus/God.

He told the man there is only one that is good, another words, there is only one that is perfect, there is only one that has lived and been able to keep the law perfectly, and that was himself, Jesus Christ, and He was going to be a sacrifice for us, in order that we could have that free gift.

The man asked Jesus which ones, which commands do I need to keep, in order to get salvation. Jesus presents the fifth through the ninth commands in the order of sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and then the fifth one.

All these commands focus on external and observable behavior that others can evaluate.

It may seem that Jesus is setting this man up, but the thing is no one can truly and perfectly keep these commands.

II. The Heart.

Matthew 19:20–22 CSB

20 “I have kept all these,” the young man told him. “What do I still lack?” 21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Jesus tells the man what commands, the man says I have kept those, but what do I still lack?

Only God could truly know this man’s heart, and only God could know whether or not this man had kept these commands perfectly.

The man asks, what do I still lack?

Jesus pin points the issue, when He tells the rich young ruler, to go sell all he had and give it to the poor, those that were needy.

See such mercy toward the poor would demonstrate inner righteousness. If he were righteous (based on faith in Jesus as God), he would have given his wealth to the poor and followed Jesus.

We are told the man went away sad, grieved or sad to the point of distress; for he had great many possessions, or great wealth.

His unwillingness to relinquish his wealth showed he did not love his neighbor as himself.

Thus he had not kept all the commandments, and he lacked salvation. Nothing more was written about this young man.

He loved his money more than God, and thus he violated even the first commandment.

Exodus 20:3 CSB

3 Do not have other gods besides me.

When God gave that commandment, not to have other gods beside me, he meant anything, even tradition, even religion, to many times we allow the way it was, to become a god, we focus more on the past than on God himself, and we must ask ourselves, have we put more effort, more time, more energy into the way it use to be than into our love and relationship with God.

Anytime that we do that than we have made whatever is taking us away from God, and is therefore a hindrance, and has become a god in our life.

This ruler allow his money, his earthly possessions to be a god, but it is not always money, or material possessions, sometimes, it is traditions, rituals, the way it used to be, sometimes it is we are to focused on our own plan than what God is trying to do.

Sometimes, we have our own agenda and we are pushing that agenda instead of what God is trying to accomplish in and through His people.

We can become so focused on which version of the Bible the pastor uses, what songs are being sang, how long the services goes, how the offering is being recieved, what the order of service is, when or how we do this or do that, or we become to focused on the building, or the way something looks, or the furniture of the building, and we are focused on all these other things and we are not focused on Jesus and we miss His will, His plan, and His direction for our lives, and the church.

I say it a lot, but it is not about me, you, or anything else, it is about Jesus Christ, and if we are not going to make it about Jesus Christ and focus on Jesus Christ, and what He is calling and leading us to do, than He will bring judgment, consequences on us, and if we do not wake up and listen, He will remove us, that is close the doors.

III. With God

Matthew 19:23–26 CSB

23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

After having the conversation with the rich young ruler, it has brought a teaching moment to Jesus with the disciples.

Jesus says, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of heaven, that is eternal life, salvation. Why is that?

Because people that have money tend to rely on their own abilities, their own money, their own resources, instead of relying on God to be their supplier.

When a person is poor, when their bills are tight, and they do not always have the resources to make things happen on their own, those people tend to rely on God, tend to turn God, and they tend to have more faith.

See the rich young man, he was to caught up in his material possessions, and was to involved in them and had placed his faith and trust in his money.

Jesus gives the illustration of the camel in the eye of a needle, this is not a sewing needle, but the eye of a needle was an actual gate, a very narrow and small gate in the wall of Jerusalem, and with the Camel being the largest Palestinian animal, it was a situation the was practically impossible.

Therefore, it drawled the question from the disciples, then who can be saved?

Jesus responded that with man trying to fit a camel through the eye of the needle, that small gate, is impossible, but with God anything is possible, He can make anything happen.

See my God is a miracle work, a way maker, a chain breaker.

This ruler was looking for a simple solution to eternal life, he claimed he had kept the commandments, but the commandments, the law is there to show us our need of a Savior, that without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we cannot have salvation.

See this ruler, believed he was righteous, he believed because he has studied the law, because he had wealth, and all these things that he was a righteous man, and he believed that he was good to go, but then he started to get convicted, but he was not fully opening up to it.

There are a lot of people that are like this rich young ruler, because they come and sit in a pew each Sunday they believe they are good to go, they believe they are righteous, that they are saved, and if they were asked the question about the commandments, they would probably respond just the same, well I have kept them.

See the rich young ruler, he was thinking in the flesh instead of in the spirit; maybe he was a good citizen, paid his taxes on time, never been in trouble with the law, done good deeds.

But Jesus turned it to a heart matter when he said go sell all you have, and give to the poor and follow me. This man was so tied up in the flesh, that he left sad, because he had so many possessions.

Billy Graham, on national television, once stated that he believe 85% of church attendees were on their way to hell.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

Reading those words of Jesus, we must think maybe Billy Graham’s statistics were correct. See what Jesus is saying there in chapter 7, is that there are many who believe that they are saved, they walked an isle, they prayed a prayer and raised their hands, they have followed all the traditions, all the legalistic ways of the church today, but when it comes down to a relationship with Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior, there is nothing, it is non-existing.

See there is a big difference between a relationship and religion, a relationship with Jesus is about Jesus, it is about love, it is about spending time with him, it is about who he is not about who I am.

Religion is tradition, it is legalistic, it is about the way we have always done it. Jesus is not interested in religion, he is interested in a personal intimate relationship with you.

I said at the beginning that even in a Southern Baptist Church it could be a cult, see if we make it about religion, about the traditions, about the legalistic things, then it has become a cult, because it is false at that point.

Jesus said to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-18

Revelation 3:14–18 CSB

14 “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.

Jesus says I know your works, you are neither cold nor hot, you have just enough knowledge about God that you think you are righteous and good to go, that you will make it into heaven.

But He says, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you our of my mouth. I am going to spew you out.

Their problem was, they would say I am rich, I have become wealth, and need nothing, He continues on with you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

A Famous thought or saying is that many, maybe that 85% or higher, will miss heaven by 18 inches, the distance from their head to their heart.

See they have head knowledge, they may even be able to quote scripture, but it is all in their head, they need to believe and trust it in their heart.

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.