Riches and the Kingdom

Don’t let the world keep you out of the kingdom

Luke chapter 18 has lot’s of great things for us to learn from, all take effort.

(Slide) Persistence in prayer (LK18:1-8)

Wisdom from Fellow Pilgrims

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.

Ernest Hemingway Persistence in prayer (LK18:1-8)

(Slide) Humility in practice (Lk18:9-14)

(Slide) Childlike promise (Lk18:15-17)

(Slide) Today; Single-mindedness (Lk18:18-30)

So this section is entitled riches and the kingdom, in the headings in the bible you may see “rich young ruler”

Mark says he is rich, Matthew says he is a young and Luke says he is a ruler. See all these things in and of themselves are not bad if done with single-mindedness for the kingdom of God, but as you will see when not we are talking about a salvation issue.

(Slide) In this story it maybe the only case in N.T. where someone walks away in worse condition after seeing Jesus then when he came to Him. - Warren Wiersbe

With much to his benefit, he still fell short of the glory of God and did not realize it.

(Slide) He was moral and religious

(Slide) Earnest and sincere

(Slide) Would be a welcome addition to most churches; but not to the kingdom as you will see

A couple more quick thoughts before getting into passage

He had this for him too.

(Slide) Went to the right person with right questions

(Slide) He received the right answers but made the wrong decision on what to do

(Slide) He was commanded, but not committed - his lack of commitment showed he was superficial, said one thing but did another.

Let us take a look at this passage and see the importance of single-mindedness to enter into the kingdom of God.

(Slide) TURN TO PG 109 IN STORY BOOK AND LK18:18-30 IN YOUR BIBLE -READ THAT THEN GO ON

(Slide) What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you in this passage?

View of Christ

(Slide) How did the man address Jesus in (v.18)? - Good teacher, and the title of good is reserved in Jewish culture for God, I will expand on that in just a minute

(Slide) What is he asking Jesus in your own words (v.18)?

Now to expand on “good”.

Psalm 25:8 NASB95

8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

Psalm 34:8 NASB95

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 86:5 NASB95

5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

Psm86:

(Slide) In looking at these passages we see The Lord is good! Is this man acknowledging Jesus is the Lord? That Jesus is the Christ?

Jesus in (v.19) is really asking the man if he understood what he just said. - as the story goes on you will see that he did not really prove out that he thought Jesus was the Christ, the Lord. For if he did, he would have done what the Lord commanded him to do.

View of sin

(Slide) Anything you notice about the commandments that Jesus mentions in (v.20)? - JEsus mentions 4 of 5 of the commandments that have to do with how we deal with each other. Do you know what the last one is that is missing? - thou shall not covet (from Exo20:17).

(Slide) What does the man say about the commandments? - Again remember he was a religious, moral man who kept the commandments (or so he thought) but he was missing the point of seeing his own shortcoming, his own sin that would under the Law keep him from the kingdom. He did not see his own blemishes of this world.

Jesus held the commandments not to condemn the youngman but to reveal to the youngman his sins . Jesus had been teaching about faith not works and salvation is only found in the Son. Maybe if the man knew what we know in

Romans 3:19–20 NASB95

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

The sin of covetousness is what Jesus was going to use to try to help the youngman with the question he originally asked, and teach the apostles too.

(Slide) Jesus is going to ask the youngman to do something a person who is covetous would not do.

Now you cannot buy your salvation, or give everything away to earn your salvation. Salvation is a gift and from this gift we are gifted other things for the glory of God and for God’s purposes.

View of Salvation

(Slide) What did Jesus tell him, command him, to do (v.22)? - sell everything and give it to the poor; and follow Me. - now the youngman did think eternal life came to those who “did something”

Luke 18:18 NASB95

18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

and this goes hand in hand with chapter 18, remember the Pharisee and the Publican (vv.9 14) the Pharisee thought it was about works too.

When commanded, when told what to do, what did the youngman do (v.23)? - He did not have single-mindedness toward God, for he was very rich and his riches meant more than God. - Oh he wanted salvation, but on his terms not God’s and he turned away in great sorrow. Today many want salvation on their terms but they are turned away for not coming to God on His terms.

(Slide)The disciples were confused, maybe even shocked - look at (vv. 24-27)

(Slide) Jesus teaches, knowing their hearts and confusion (vv. 24-25)

(Slide) The disciples ask the question (v.26)- what is the question?

(Slide) What is Jesus answer in (v.27)?

Remember the Jewish mindset is that riches were blessings from God on His people, so if the rich could not be saved, who could?

(Slide) Having riches is not a sin, possessing riches is not a sin, but if riches posses you it is! -Abraham, David, Solomon were all wealthy. Wealth can you a false sense of security, in yourself instead of in God who gave you the wealth in the first place. You may have reliance on self instead of God.

Luke 18:28 NASB95

28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”

That looks good doesn’t it? but then in

Matthew 19:27 NASB95

27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

(Slide) Peter is wondering if leaving everything will gain you access into the kingdom, what is in it for us?

But it is important to look how Jesus answers Peter

Luke 18:29–30 NASB95

29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Riches untold, for today and for tomorrow, is this physical or spiritual? God knows, it can be either or both when you have single-mindedness for when you use God’s riches for God’s purpose and God’s glory.

Following Jesus is not without costs, but the benefits outweigh the cost eternally!