Rich & Sorrowful

Service Notes

Baptism

reminder of Send Off for the Tills / have him pray

Time of Prayer for the Troell Family

reminder to turn off the livestream

According to the Bible, there is no such thing as a closed country. However, there are places and groups of people that reaching them come with an elevated risk.

Two weeks before 9/11 I first learned of the religion of Islam

Thankful to be at Crown College the day of and the weeks to follow 9/11

I was surrounded by good, Bible thinking people as I processed this new world.

Shortly after 9/11, Osama bin Laden told a reporter: “We love death. The U.S. loves life. That is the big difference between us.”

This was a statement based on his understand of martyrdom in the muslim world.

Bin Laden was wrong. America sent her sons and daughters. America proved they loved liberty than we love life.

At this same time America, as a nation, was responding we watched to see how the church would respond.

Would we send our brothers and sisters to share the Gospel with people with whom many hated us.

This is when I first heard of the name Stephen Troell.

Here is a picture of his family. [slide]

Christians do not love death. We love Christ. If he bids them come and die, they count it an honor to suffer and die for the sake of the name. Acts 5:41 “41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

There is a long history of Christian martyrdom.

It started with Christ and will not stop until He rules and reigns for eternity

An Iraqi milita group shot Stephen in front of his wife this week in Baghdad

He was known as a loving father, who like to laughing with the people on the street, he learned arabic so he could teach Christ

His children are from 2 years of age to 17. We should pray for them.

We share in sorrow with the family.

We do not “say what a waste” but say what a savior. We say God bless this family and thank you God for them.

On Fox News: The family's statement concluded: "Stephen often quoted the words of two Moravian young men who gave their lives for the cause. We echo them again: 'May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering

Bible Reading

Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18, also share this same story.

We call this the story of the rich, young, ruler because of what we learn of him here and in Matthew.

This section in Luke is all about the kind of people that are in the kingdom

the kind of people that are not in the kingdom; Pharisee & Publican

the kind that are entering the kingdom; shown in not forbidding the children

the kind that are barred from the kingdom; story of the rich, young, ruler

This is not a parable, this is a real account.

Story starts with a character that we could all envy and it appears he is about to have it all. Wealth, youth, power, and now he is reaching for the Kingdom.

We which watch a man “come short of the glory of God” though he reaches

Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Luke 18:18–27 (KJV 1900)

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

20 Thou knowest the commandments,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not kill, Do not steal,

Do not bear false witness,

Honour thy father and thy mother.

21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Luke 18:28–30 (KJV 1900)

28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Sermon Introduction

Life can be eternal, starting now

Money can be damning, if mishandled

Jesus is abundantly clear, when He calls us to follow Him

Life can be eternal, starting today

This portion begins and ends with a question and a truth about eternal life. The expression “eternal life” is used about fifty times in the Bible

Luke 18:18 “18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke 18:30 “30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

What a great question

The question all of us who love the Gospel would love to have someone ask “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Unprepared for the questions of the kids in Northern Ireland

What is eternal life?

Jesus provides an explanation in John 17:3 “3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Knowing God, the knowledge of God; that's eternal life. 

Eternal life cannot be separated from God and Christ.  It is to know God.  1 John 5:20 “20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

It is to possess the life of God, the deep intimate knowledge of God.  Phil 3:14-15 “14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

It is the life that God possesses in the heart of man so that man and God have fellowship. 

It is fellowship with God. 

It is the love of God shed broad in our hearts. Romans 5:5

It is when the light of the knowledge of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ shines in us, 2 Corinthians 4. 

It is the peace of God that passes all understanding, Philippians 4. 

It is the joy unspeakable and full of glory of 1 Peter 1. 

Life that makes one spiritually alive, that brings us into true communion with God.

It is life that is unaffected by death. It does go on forever, but it is a quality of life. 

It is the gift of God

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The rich, young, ruler didn't have it and he knew it. 

It was the last missing ingredient needed for an exceptional life.

He didn't know God in any intimate way. 

He was honest unlike the Pharisee who prayed his resume in the temple.

He knew about God but he didn't know God and he knew he didn't because none of the peace, joy, rest, settled confidence, fulfillment were there. 

It is available right now. Luke 18:30 “30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

How to receive eternal life?

Luke 18:18 “18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

It brings great sadness to the overachiever when want they want in life cannot be earned.

Nobody “enters the kingdom of God” through their own efforts or assets, but only as God does for them what they cannot do for themselves.

Right place, right question, right understanding of whom He was speaking to

He rightfully addressed Jesus as the Good Master

He recognizes that Jesus had the attribute of the Father

He wasn’t really admit that He didn’t

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

20 Thou knowest the commandments,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not kill, Do not steal,

Do not bear false witness,

Honour thy father and thy mother.

21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Transitional Statement: How does such a young, talented, obedient young man leave from here sorrowful?

Money can be damning

Let’s talk about money. Not new to a church. Not discussing what you should bring to church but where what you have can take you and your family.

Luke 18:22-24 “22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

Come and follow me

Such an incredible invitation

This is life; Knowing God

Isn’t this what He came looking for? Unfortunately not.

Sorrowful?

Luke 18:23 “23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.”

Riches becomes part of his identity.

Documentary film (2003), Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson and Johnson wealth, looks at the children who are born to the very wealthy, among them the Vanderbilts, the Trumps, and the Bloom-bergs. He talks about the difficulty that these children have in coming to personal identity, as their sense of their selves can be compromised or lost by their wealth.

There was a time he was not “the rich, young ruler” he was just a child.

Danger within the ability to accumulate wealth

The danger of money is it appears validate are ability to be good at living but it doesn’t mean we are going to be good at dying.

What if we leave our kids with material possessions that will cause them to be sorrowful?

What if in the pursuit of making life easier for them on earth we make if hard for them to enter into the Kingdom?

This is not just among the kids of the wealthy.

Kids in our our home that have lost almost everything. Ever new thing they receive seems to be extremely important. Their life could very easily revolve around never lose what they had once lost.

Living life on our own terms

I read a quote the other day that said, “The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your own terms.”

We should teach them how to handle finances, how to make the most of their youth, and use their God given influence but not to find any identity in this.

Why Normal Christianity Looks Radical Today / chapter from Pioneer Sender

Some 14 years ago I became very concerned about raising my children in this community. It is filled with opportunity. It is filled with challenges to developing a proper worldview.

The horror of the American suburbs is that, having met all our primal needs (real needs, not needs with an Apple logo on them,) we have not turned with still-full hands to the world. Instead, like the rich man in Jesus' parable, we have built bigger barns, so that we could go on meeting our primitive needs in a high-tech way. Has there ever in human history been a people who spent so much energy, money, and time on something so base as the satisfaction of their own personal desires for comfort? We have eaten to the full and have not thought of the hungry. Instead we have thought of dessert.

I am proud to be American. We are supposedly people who believe in certain unalienable rights life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It does seem that we have replaced the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of opulence. If a desire for a house with a two-car garage, white picket fence, boat, vacation home, and whatever else you been told to add to this list is the “American Dream” then I would like to be un-American in this aspect. If my dream only affects the quality of my life it seems more like a selfish nightmare.

What if suburban kids were taught, like good princes are taught that they are born into extreme privilege for the good of many? What if, instead of uncomfortably avoiding the less-fortunate, we showed them how limiting our own lifestyles enables us to benefit the less fortunate?

Transitional Statement: We teach our kids generosity not just so others have their needs met, but so they know that our greatest needs aren’t met by material wealth.

Jesus is abundantly clear

Note the assumption that eternal life depends on doing something. Jesus’s reply will be equally practical , but it will go far beyond morals to demand an all-embracing personal commitment.

Luke 18:22 “22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

Instead of finding terms acceptable to him, Jesus introduced terms absolutely unacceptable to him. 

Luke 18:24-25 “24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Instead of making it easy for him to believe and be saved, he made it impossible for him to be saved, so much so that people listening to the conversation said, "Who could be saved?" 

And by Jesus’ even personal admission, "It is impossible for men."

It is here that we must fear doing our neighbor, this community, and this world a great injustice.

In 1882, C. H. Spurgeon wrote something that precisely fits our times as well

A very great portion of modern revivalism/preaching has been more a curse than a blessing, because it has led thousands to a kind of peace before they have known their misery; restoring the prodigal to the Father’s house, and never making him say, ‘Father, I have sinned.’ How can he be healed who is not sick, or he be satisfied with the bread of life who is not hungry? The old-fashioned sense of sin is despised…. Everything in this age is shallow…. The consequence is that men leap into religion, and then leap out again. Unhumbled they came to the church, unhumbled they remained in it, and unhumbled they go from it.

Question concerns commitment not charity

Luke 16:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Example of a man with his hands full reaching for more, but God telling him to set them down to take up his cross and follow Him.

Peter can’t wait to speak

Luke 18:28-30 “28 Then Peter said, Lo, we HAVE left all, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

He went away from life eternal?

Matthew 19:22 “22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

Walking away from Jesus is walking towards death

Romans 6:23 (KJV 1900)

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

sin vs. God,

wages vs. free gift

death vs. eternal life.

You can walk a narrow path down a broad road and end up eternally separated from God.

You must follow Christ to have eternal life.

Wo whom shall we go?

The rich, young ruler joins the thousands and now millions who have decided to walk away. John 6:66 “66 From that time many of his disciples (students) went back, and walked no more with him.”

Let Peter’s answer be our answer. John 6:68 “68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

This young man answers the question differently.

He goes back to life on his own terms

He goes back to his possessions

He goes back to what he believes he is good at. Doing right and making money

He goes back completely unprepared for the life to come.

As he fades out of the picture there is Jesus teaching his disciples.

Luke 18:29-30 “29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

reminding us that following him is worth walking away from everything else

reminding us that following Him is life everlasting

Conclusion

Eternal life is not something you wait for after death. It is something you have NOW if you are believing in Jesus.

Eternal life is available today. John 5:24 “24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Jesus prayed for you as you would make this decision. John 17:20 “20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”