The Needle and the Camel

I asked Parker to tell me a Bible story to teach on tonight and he told me the one with the needle in camels eye. Well that’s close buddy!

In this story this rich ruler or rich young man asks maybe the most important question anyone can ask…

pray and read Luke 18:18-30

Christians should put their trust in God above all others.

Where is your trust?

18-23

We have to put our trust in Christ alone.

Have you ever done one of the climbing walls? When you get to the top, what do you do?

mention Camp at Shocco here

You have to trust that line to hold you, and it’s scary the first time! But it’s the better way.

Good doesn’t mean what we are thinking here.

The Ten Commandments sum up all 600 something of the laws. The Ten Commandments can be put into two categories…

The ones Jesus lists were thought to be observable.

Jesus tells him to sell all his riches.

What do you do when you know your friend took your phone and stuck it in their pocket? You tell them to empty their pockets! Jesus is telling this guy to empty his pockets.

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.

Where is your trust? What are you trusting in to save you? To fulfill you? In your own effort to be good? In the stuff you have? In how many followers you’ve got? In your starting position? None of those are bad things for what they are, but they all make terrible saviors. Don’t trust in any of them to save or fulfill you. Only trust in Jesus for that.

Only God can save

24-27

Only through God can we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Look to Him.

The power to save is found in no person or thing besides God.

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The power to save is found only in God. Don’t look anywhere else for it! Only He can break the power our idols hold over us! He can give you freedom if there is something you feel like has control over you, something you are looking to for salvation and not finding it but you’re too afraid to let go of it. He can save you and He has a better reward!

A better reward

28-30

Go for a greater reward than this world can offer.

There was a study done, probably been done several times at different place, I may have told y’all about it before, but a study where kids are sat down at a table with a piece of candy in front of them and told not to eat the candy and if they don’t eat the candy then later they’ll get five pieces of candy. Then the adult leaves the room. It’s really funny to watch the kids when the adult leaves. Man you can see the inner turmoil as they stare at the candy and debate internally about what to do. Then some don’t even hesitate, they just eat it. “I don’t care! Five pieces of candy would’ve been bad for me any way!

Anyway, life is full of little fleeting, immediate pleasures and satisfactions that don’t last. There is a better reward in this life and eternity for following God, even though it isn’t always immediate.

God has more for us.

When the hurt of what you feel like you’re losing or missing out on in this life for following Jesus weighs heavy on you, remember this promise. Remember that God has given you a sure hope that it will all be worth it!

So what’s the answer to his question? “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Follow Jesus. Before any other. He must have your first allegiance.