God Is Going to Give Me Something For All of This

Movements

Movement 1: Introduction on God’s Creation Project

Movement 2: Three Critical Questions

Movement 3: Daniel 7 and the Son of Man

Movement 4: The Shift: From Last to First; Least to Greatest

Introduction

In my line of work, I have the distinct pleasure of putting together projects and initiatives that contribute towards a need. In fact, before I took on this role, I read a book by Henri Nouman, entitled The Spirituality of Fundraising. In this book he stated that everyone has a need, which can be described in one of two ways: One needs money and the other needs to give their money away. The art of fundraising is bringing the two together.

However, as I have began to think about my official responsibility as a fundraiser, I noticed that my unofficial purpose in this role is to help those who are in need. In doing this, I conduct research on areas of need to help bring some sort of solution.

My responsibilities require lots of time, energy, resilience, and intentionality. There are months and months that go into developing the right relationship that yields a respectable resource that matches a particular solution. Yet, after months and sometimes years of work, that one resource makes the entirety of a year’s work worth it.

Most times, these collaborations and efforts lead to what is called projects or initiatives. In these, we establish a measurable outcome and work towards building strategies that will serve the identified needs of a respective project. And we are only successful if we have met the designated outcome established before the start of the project.

Today, I want to remind you that God has a project going on in the earth today. He had this project in mind long ago when He decided to introduce His Son to earth. God’s intention is that this creation will be better off after the coming of Jesus than it was before His coming.

There are passages in the Bible that alludes to a newness that ends the torment of God’s people. The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22) expected God to usher in a new heavens and a new earth as a part of His renewal of creation project. In this renewed creation, the redeemed people of God will dwell in the newness of God. That is, they will get to enjoy this inherited world where they are indeed the rulers —not the wicked who try to overthrow the unique design of God.

When we are enduring struggles and temptations, we soon forget the promised inheritance of God’s faithful people. We also seem to forget the fact that we are participating in a renewal project that moves us closer and closer to the reality of the hope that has been given to us through the preaching of the gospel. This hope that is given to us is what keeps us committed to the cause of Christ. Today, I want to encourage with this hope and remind you that it is worth fighting for.

Observations From Matthew 19:16-30

The preaching of the gospel created hope. This is a distinguishing characteristic that sets the first century believers from the modern believers. The first believers who really got the message of Scripture lived with anticipation. They expected God to do it every single day. And though they were weary and tired, they still waited for the big project to begin.

The difference with today’s Christians is we live with no expectation. Our post resurrection lives seems to have convinced us that all that will be done has already been done. So, we must wait until we get to heaven receive the hope that we have been promised through the gospel.

The gospel message has become so heavenly that it is no earthly good. It does not care about what’s going on in the earth. Rather, it is simply concerned with getting us to heaven where the true work and presence of God can be experienced.

What an anti-biblical way to think!

Everything we read in Scripture demonstrates God’s will to bring just a little piece of heaven to earth! Most have missed this unique point, and such terms as eternal life have been explained out of its original context and placed into one of our own. Yet, the question that the rich young ruler has with Jesus places the idea of eternal life into its right context and demonstrates the expectation the nation of Israel had for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.

Observation: There are three questions being asked in this passage:

Matthew 19:16

Matthew 19:20

Matthew 19:27

All of these questions are unique, because they serve as questions anyone may ask at any time in history concerning the life they are called to live for the sake of Christ. The first question is asked by a rich man who wants eternal life.

The question we should be asking, is why does a rich man want to know about eternal life? If eternal life is simply being rich, doesn’t he already have that? The answer is, eternal life is not simply being rich. Rather, it is the idea that God has promised life forever as He designed it to be. The YLT does a tremendous job of translating “eternal life” as “life age-during”, which means life that endures the ages. This rich man is desiring creation without the turmoil caused by sin, and he recognizes the limitations of his wealth to receive that. Therefore, the rich ruler is asking Jesus to be a part of the renewed creation that God has in mind for those who are faithful.

The second question is based on the follow-up question the rich man gives. For, Jesus’s response was keep the law. Now, we know faith is important to inheriting eternal life (John 3:16). However, Jesus gives the rich man the elementary response to start him in the right direction.

It is true, the law sets one on the right path to inherit the kingdom. However, it does not carry them there. It only sets the compass and the direction. Just as a sail boat may have a compass for direction, but they need a paddler for movement. The response Jesus gave, initially, sets the rich man into movement. Yet, he understands there must be more to it, because he is already facing the proper direction to desire eternal life.

Jesus responds, that he must sell his possessions and give it to the poor. Now, what is Jesus doing here? He is providing a two-step process for inheritance of eternal life. The first is for the setting of direction, because every babe needs a schoolmaster. Yet, the mature can move forward by acting in a more “perfect” way. So, there are two conclusions we can make about Jesus’s response.

1. The law reveals the standard for renewed creation and all who live by it will understand the very nature of the kingdom of God and the renewed creation.

2. One can only live perfectly in the new creation when they are willing to live in faith and obedience to the command of Jesus Christ.

Essentially, God is saying that one must obey and commit. The rich man was only willing to do one of the two, which proved his immaturity and dependence on the law for purposes it cannot serve. So, he goes away in sorrow not willing to give up the temporary for the eternal. The hope of eternal life is too far way to abandon his temporary satisfaction.

Now, this takes us into the third question, which Peter asks. His concern is opposite of the rich man’s. For, he has given up everything and he wants to know what will he get.

Peter is not like most modern Christians. Modern Christians, in their piety, claim to serve God for nothing. They feel this is the pious thing to do, though they wish to receive something for it.

I want to caution you that there is no nobility in serving God for nothing. In fact, it goes against any understanding of Scripture to do so. For, we work with the understanding that God will grant to those who labor their due reward. We work, because we understand God is using us to create positive change in His creation. And that change in creation, itself, is a reward.

Nevertheless, Jesus’s response to Peter’s question is unique and it shall serve as the focus of everything else we have to share today.

Hope in the Son of Man

The key in the remainder of the passage we will consider for today is in Matthew 19:28. There is an incredible phrase that is used throughout the gospels that is borrowed from the Old Testament. Jesus refers to Himself, more than any other, as the Son of Man. Why does he refers to Himself as such? He does this, because the term Son of Man is deeply rooted in the understanding the Jews had concerning the restoration that would come from the Messiah’s arrival.

Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 7) in particular sets the tone for everything that should happen in the newly created world. In it three things are promised:

Christ, the Messiah will be king.

His kingdom will last forever.

Those who belong to Him will reign with Him

When Peter asked the question what will be given to them, he seemingly forgot the words of the prophet Daniel. Jesus’s response is simply a reminder of the things that were predicted by the prophets concerning the role and the purpose of the Messiah.

The Messiah did not come to simply take others to heaven. Rather, He came to use His people as the means by which creation is restored. And through the restored creation, those that belong to God receive the right to rule and a return on those things they have given.

The Last Will Be First

I want to close with our initial passage. I want us to be reminded that God’s children may be last now, but they will be first. What does it look like to be last now:

You are sowing.

You are walking in obedience.

You are walking in faith.

You are walking with limitations.

When one is walking in last place, its seems that all the wrong people are winning. However, God wants us to understand that we are a part of the project, and God is cultivating His people for the time of their inheritance. Yet, we should not think that God is blind to any of these things. In fact, we should see ourselves as living in the renewed creation, and we should anticipate the manifestation of that newness.