My Stuff Doesn’t Define Me

One Point: My Stuff Doesn’t Define Me.

[Scripture Reading]

1)For today’s message, let us turn to the Gospel of Mark 10:17-22. Let us all rise and recite the scripture responsively. I will read one verse, you guys the other.

2)마가복음 10:17–22 (NIV)

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Amen.

[Sermon]

I want to start off today’s message sharing a bit about myself. 3)I was born in South Korea and when I was 7, 4)my whole family immigrated to Sydney Australia. I can’t say that my family was rich at the time, but what I still remember about my time in Korea was that I always got what I wanted. My father owned 2 businesses and had rice paddies. My mother also had her own Hagwon business that she was running. But I don’t know what happened, but one day everything disappeared. 5)In 1996 our family filed for bankruptcy and 6)in 1997, to start off a new life, our family moved to Australia. Like that our families new chapter began.

It wasn’t a well planned and well sought out move. Which meant that our family had to start from scratch. My sister and I didn’t prepare English and we weren’t able to go to school for the first 3 months because of our visa status. My fathers day job was a cleaner at a film school. My mother washed the dishes at a Chinese take away restaraunt . In the evenings my parents second job was cleaning toilets at a shopping center. Life was a struggle. I still remember seeing my parents fighting before they left for the night job. My mother was tired and sick, despite being ill, she still wanted to go to work because she knew that it was going to be hard for my dad to work by himself. So, it wasn’t really a fight but an argument, being considerate of each other. During the first 6 months in Sydney, we didn’t have a car so, my father would literally run to and from work. If I think about it now, it wasn’t such a struggle for me but more of a struggle for my parents. All work is hard and difficult but you can do something about it. But as a Parent not being able to send your children to school, not being able to provide for your children is difficult to bare.

Like my story the first few years in Australia was really a difficult time. But what I learned from all these situations, what I learned from my Parents was that no matter what troubles and harships you face, always seek God. Even though my parents were working all day and night, they always prioritizes God over anything else. They would attend all church worship no matter how tired and sick they were. Whenever we had to move we moved closer to Church. Seeing my parents love God, seeing my parents love the Church, it made me feel the same way. I still keep these lessons that my parents taught with their lives and try to follow them to this day.

Not only my parents love for God and Church, I also learned a lot of different things from them in this troublesome time. This is a sort of a sad and funny story. No matter how hard the times might be, you still need clothes and shoes to get through my daily life. But because we were financially unstable, my mother would get me clothes from the second hand shop. Not like those hip vintage shops that you will find in Brooklyn, but we would go places like 7)Goodwills. I got my school uniform from there, I got my shoes from there, clothes from there. And each time my mother would pick out a clothe for me, she would look at the label of the clothes and choose a named brand. And whenever we found something decent, she would say, 8)“이거 좋은거야! This is a nice brand.” I was early educated of the so-called Good Brands. Even from elementary school, I already knew what was this high quality clothes. I was able to tell which brand was what, what good quality meant. And through this education I became very pretentious of what I wear.

Brands, styles, fitting, how the fabrics touches my skin. Even though, I couldn’t afford any good things, I knew what is Good and whenever I saw someone with the clothes that I wanted, I was jealoused. Because, I knew of the so-called good things, as I got older and older, and as I came to see that I could not wear these clothes, I was discouraged. 9)“I am what I have.” I believed in this lie and I have created an Artificial Identity for myself. But because I was not able to live up to this identity, I was sad. I was mad at my life and situation. When I got into college, our families financial situations got much better. I did not wear like designer wear clothes but, I wore nice things. Even though nice clothes didn’t neccesarily made me a nice person, I would feel my self esteem grow from the clothes that I wear.

I know you all aren’t as serious or hyped about clothes and shoes like me, but I can see that some of you guys feel the same way. You want nice things. It might not be nice but you all want things that is in fashion. You want to fit in with everyone. We all want that Fear of God hoodie. We want the Stussy hoodie. AF1, Travis Scott Jordan 1s. But, I want to be very upfront with you. “I am what I have” is a lie. No matter how nice clothes you wear, no matter what you have, it does not define who you are. When I was in Grad School in Korea, I came to Princeton to do an exchange program. That’s when I was at the Peak of my sneaker game. People knew me as the Korean guy with the Aussie accent that has nice shoes. Year after I left, when another exchange student went to take part in that program, people in Princeton didn’t remember me as a guy who was passionate for God and his kingdom, but I was that sneaker guy. The world will tell you, “Look you need to have good things. You need nice things for you to be a nice person!” But that never defines who you are.

In today’s scripture, we see someone else who is struggling to find his true identity. This young rich ruler, he visits Jesus. In verse 17 he asks, 10)“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” He is asking the right question. This rich young ruler probably heard of what Jesus was doing and believed that he was the Messiah. Knowing that Jesus came to give eternal life, he asks, “What must I do to get it?” But then Jesus answers him in a funny way. Let’s read verse 18 togther. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3. 11)“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” “Wat?” I mean like Jesus, are you T. The rich young rulers question seems right, it right, for this questions show the true identity of a disciple of Jesus. But what Jesus is implying in this answer is that, 12)“That’s the wrong question.” Because, the young rich ruler already had his own thoughts on how to be saved. This young ruler, he really didn’t mean what he was asking. He wanted to confirm with Jesus if he is going to be saved or not. He thought he was doing good, so to make sure of his salvation he is calling out to Jesus, “Am I going to be saved?” How can we know this? Jesus tells him, “Keep the ten commandments,” How does he react? Let’s read Verse 20 together. 마가복음 10:20 13)“20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”” “Look Jesus, I have been a good boy. Been there, done that, now what?” And then Jesus adds, ““Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The question that the Rich Young Ruler asked made him look as if he knew his true identity as the disciple of Christ Jesus. Jesus’ answer made it seem as though, this young man was living up to this genuine identity. But when Jesus told him to sell everything, we can see his innermost identity in this man. 14)“22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” The Rich Young Ruler already had made his own Artificial Identity. His identity was made up on the things he had. His wealth, his money, his property and it meant a lot to him. When Jesus told him to sell everything, his face fell. It sounds as if he has been unmasked. This means 2 things. 15)First, he believes that He is what he has and that he has no intetions to put this down. 16)Secondly, he has prioritized his things then being saved. Like this rich man, when we are asked of which identity we live by, 17)if we prioritize anything over salvation, that is the Artificial Identity that we have created for ourselves.

My parents didn’t teach me to live according to “I am what I have.” What my mother said, “이거 좋은거야!” was something any sorry parents would say. I’m not sharing this story to say that I am living this lie because of my parents. But this world we live in right now, it tells us this lie is the truth. As capitalism met conusmerism, and as we the people of God became the victim of this lie, we chose to believe this lie. This hoodie does not define me. These shoes does not define me. But there is a genuine identity that defines me in today’s scripture. Verse 18, 18)“No one is good—except God alone.” Who is Good? God is Good. And who are we? 19)We are the children of the only Good God. Verse 21, 20)“21 Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Jesus knew that the Rich Young Man had wealth that he can’t give up. Jesus knew the intentions of this Young man but what does Jesus say? It is written, “Jesus Loved Him.” No matter what gibberish we speak and no matter what Artificial Identity we live by, no matter what sins we commit, 21)we are loved by God and Jesus. This is what we need to know today. This is our identity and only identity we need in our lives.

You go on any social media, you look at anything on TV or the web, it is going to lie to you. You are what you have! Have me and boost your self esteem. Get the new Iphone 16 and take good photos. I got mine 2 weeks back and took like 5 Photos. Your identity cannot be this lie. God created us to be great but when we give into this lie, all we become is just the brand that we think is good. Instead we need to have our identity in the Good God. And that this Good God Loves us.

As you can see, I am also living this lie. My external looks means a lot to me. If I was rich and I was asked the same question like this rich young ruler, my face probably fell and hit the ground. Maybe that is why I am not rich. But today, I want to have you all as my witness and confess to God, 22)“Lord, I want to put my identity in the Good God. I am your child and I am loved by You. I am not loved for I have nice things but I am loved for you are a good God.”

Dear Power Wave. You are not what you have! You guys are the Children of the only Good God! You are loved by God no matter what! This is our identity. Follow after me. 23)“I am a Child of the only Good God!” “I am loved by God!” This is our identity and no lie in this world could ever take this away from you. But guys, for us to truly live up to this identity, there is something we need to do. After the rich man heard what Jesus said, his face fell and left. But what we need to do, is not to be like this Rich Man. Instead of our face falling, we need to listen to Jesus and step out of this lie. Today, let us commit to this. Lord, I want live up to the identity that you set for us. The genuine identity. Lord God, I am the child of the Good God. I am loved by you. I am not what I have. Lord, I put down my past of living this lie. Always seeking good things for myself. So give me the strength to let this go and give the strength to live according to our genuine idetntity. Let us pray.

When we have this identity. When we could see our genuine identity as the child of the Good God and that we are loved, we can see others in the eyes of God. In this world we live in, we defined others according to lies. We would see others according to what they have. We would judge to their external presentation. But through today’s scripture, God is speaking to us see others in my love. As how Jesus loved the Rich Young Ruler, let us love our families and friends. Let us see them in your sight and through our genuine identity. With a genuine heart let us pray together.

Father God, we thank you for being our one and only Good God and for telling us that you love us. Lord, this is our identity. Our identity is not what we have but who you say we are. Lord, let this truth set us free and through this truth let us love one another. We thank you and in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

[Benediction]

Father God, as we go out into this world to be your light, let us remeber that you are a Good God that loves me and see others in your eyes.

For all who are here today, For all students teachers and for all the missionaries spreading the light all over the earth. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with us always and forevermore. Amen.

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