Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Introduction

Emergency surgery on a gecko - tedious, slow peeling back of skin - because dead skin controlling his mouth - couldn’t eat. Couldn’t have a dead lizard when Luke came home. What’s inside of you controls you.

What’s inside of you controls you, and what controls you determines how you live.

If you were to take a good look inside of you, w

Who are you on the inside? What’s controlling you? Anger? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? Pride? A career? A person? We may see the outside, and on the outside, you may have lots of people fooled, but who’s the real you? What controls your heart? Do you even know? Have you been honest with yourself?

What you allow to control your heart is a matter of eternal life and eternal death.

Jesus revealed to a young man what was controlling his heart. Two challenges for us:

1. Stop ignoring the real condition of your heart.

A rich man - young (Matthew); maybe Jesus’ age - a ruler (Luke); maybe a synagogue leader or member of Sanhedrin - had his act together - young, wealthy, respected, and morally upstanding.

BUT, a burning question; approaches Jesus: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” As religious as he was, unsure if he would live forever. He had lived a good life - morally upstanding. He believed in God. Attended synagogue services regularly, but was he missing something? A question that he wrestled with - kept him up at night - had probably asked other rabbis - no satisfactory answer.

“Good Teacher...”

Knelt before Jesus, addressed Him as “Good teacher.” Common way to address a rabbi. Valued Jesus, but didn’t see him as someone other than a gifted rabbi. Jesus challenges his definition of goodness - “Why do you call me good? You think I’m just another man like you - don’t you realize that there is only one who is good - and it’s not you, and it’s not who you think I am?” To call Jesus good, or anyone else, was to call them God, because only God is good!

The ruler didn’t understand what goodness was! He thought goodness was something to be obtained, but Jesus was about to show him reality :no one is good - you’re not good! “No one is righteous; no one does good.” () This is why we need a Savior!

Jesus: “You know the commandments.” He starts listing the commandments, and the young man thinks to himself, “Blah, blah, blah… I’ve heard all this before. This is what other rabbis have told me.” Says to Jesus, “Check. I’ve done all of those things since I was a boy.”

Jesus could have said, “Liar!” because we have all broken his commands. (Sermon on Mt. - Harbored anger - murder; lust - adultery, etc.) But instead, Jesus looked at him and loved him. He wanted this young man to get it - to see what it really meant to have a relationship with God. Jesus says, “You think you’re missing something? You are - here’s how you find it. Go sell all you have and bless those who have nothing. AND come follow me - come discover I’m enough for you.”

When Jesus gave the man the commandments, he didn’t mention the first four. (How we relate to God.) Particularly, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Jesus to young ruler, “Let’s see if you really love God. Are you willing to give up everything for the God you say you serve?”

Rich young ruler goes away sorrowful. Grieve = same word used in Matthew’s Gospel to describe Jesus praying in the garden when he was about to experience separation from the Father at the cross. This man grieved in a similar way when asked to give up his money. He couldn’t fathom parting with his money - it was the center of his identity. His money was his god, his savior, his greatest love.

Fill in the blank: I can’t live without _________________. Whatever you put in the blank is your greatest love, your greatest joy, your god and savior whether money, career, family, etc.

What’s the condition of your heart? What does your heart reveal is your greatest love?

If you’re greatest love is anything other than God you’ll settle for a checklist God. What the young ruler wanted - give me a list of things to do so I can be in good standing with God. Problem: you’ll always be like the rich young ruler. “What do I lack? Have I done enough?”

If you’re greatest love is God you’ll desire a consuming God. You’ll say, “Consume my life. Give me what you want, take from me what you want. You know what’s best.”

Living open handed vs. closed handed. The rich young ruler live closed handed and would miss the gift of eternal life.

Ill. - Missing the Dolphins at the beach - if your heart is set on anything other than Christ, you’ll miss the work God wants to do in you.

Living open handed vs. closed handed. The rich young ruler live closed handed and would miss the gift of eternal life.

What about you? If your greatest love is anything other than God, you’ll miss eternal life no matter what you check off of your religious checklist.

This morning, stop ignoring the real condition of your heart. Are you willing to look deep inside and see what you really worship? What really moves you? What you are really passionate about?

Maybe you’re a believer - there was a time when Jesus controlled your heart, but you’ve been letting other things control. Don’t ignore how your heart has strayed! Come back to Him!

Start pursuing the One who changes your heart.

Jesus looked around to His disciples, “How difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom...” Disciples amazed. Wealth = a sign of God’s blessing. Plus - this man was so moral. If this man couldn’t gain eternal life, who could?

Jesus makes famous statement: “Easier for a camel to go through eye of needle than a rich man to enter Kingdom of God.” Temptation always present to let money control your heart.

What ever controls your heart determines how you live. If money controls you, you’ll live for it. You’ll want possessions. You’ll find security in what you have. You’ll do whatever it takes to get more. If lust controls you, you’ll try to find security in sex. You’ll destroy relationships in order to feed your desires. If bitterness controls you, you’ll live to spew negativity, and you’ll try to find satisfaction in making sure everyone else is just as miserable as you. Jesus could have said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a lustful man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Disciples shocked (exceedingly astonished). “Who can be saved?” “With man it is impossible, but not with God.” God must do a work. He must change you in such a way in which you gladly give Him control of your heart.

Shocking statement, but reality: you could substitute rich man for a number of words. Always the temptation to let something besides Jesus control your heart. Lustful man, bitter man, prideful man, angry man, arrogant man, hateful man, gossiping man, etc.

Hyperbole - an impossibility. Does not mean

What ever controls your heart determines how you live. If money controls you, you’ll live for it. You’ll want possessions. You’ll find security in what you have. You’ll do whatever it takes to get more. If lust controls you, you’ll try to find security in sex. You’ll destroy relationships in order to feed your desires. If bitterness controls you, you’ll live to spew negativity, and you’ll trying to find satisfaction in making sure everyone else is just as miserable as you.

No matter how you try to clean up the outside, whatever is on the inside will control you and lead you far away from the God who loves you.

You can clean up the outside. Think of how we classify a good church member:

Faithful attendance

Faithful giver

Faithful service

Cooperative

Regular

Good attitude

Morally upright

Look like a good church member but controlled by things other than God. You can be a “good church member” without letting God control your heart. No different than Mormon or JW. But when God does an impossible work in you and takes control of your heart you become:

Devoted

Devoted

Surrendered

Surrendered

Disciplined

Growing (Fruit of Spirit, knowledge, etc.)

Investing

Missional

When God does the impossible in you, everything about you changes. Why? Because He controls your heart! Does he control your heart?

Not the “pretend you” that you put on for everyone else to see - not the “pretend you” that tries to impress others with your religious service, your religious works, and your religious actions. What’s down in your heart controlling you? Let’s be honest - because it’s a matter of eternal life and eternal death. What needs to change?

Today, start pursuing the One who changes your heart. This morning:

This morning:

See real goodness. Real goodness isn’t the stuff you do to try to appease your conscience to make you feel like a “good Christian.” Real goodness is Jesus. He’s the ultimate Rich Young Ruler - Jesus of incomprehensible wealth and glory, but for our sake, He became poor () Jesus didn’t call the rich young ruler in this story to do something that Jesus Himself was not willing to do. He gave it all way - His life - so that we could have life. If Jesus would give His all away for us, how can we not give our all away for Him? Jesus is real goodness.

Experience real repentance. Today’s the day to come clean. What have you let control your heart? What or who have you loved more than Jesus? Money? A person? Your career? Or, bitterness? Unforgiving heart? Pride? Anger? Gossip? Critical spirit? Believer - maybe at one point Christ controlled you, but you strayed. You see how your walk with the Lord is suffering because you are letting something besides Him control your heart. Today, grace is available - an opportunity to repent and once again give Him control. Or, you’ve never experienced salvation. Your whole life has been controlled by things other than Christ. Today, repent and turn to Him. Today is the day of repentance.

Start real living. Peter… What about us? We’ve left everything to follow you… We’ve given you control. Does that mean we’re in? Do we gain eternal life? Jesus encourages - rewarded a hundredfold - There will be persecution. It won’t be easy, but you’ll receive eternal life. While the disciples were hard-headed and didn’t understand it all - they lived open-handed lives - Lives that said, “Jesus, here we are, for your purpose and glory.” What about you? Are you really living? Real living is an open handed life that can be used for Jesus. Open your hands. Let Him use you.