When Having Stuff is not Enough

When Having stuff is not enough! Speaker: Nicholas Booth – Dec 2nd 2018 Introduction Good morning Church. I love the way that when reading the bible, sometimes, something that we’ve read hundreds of times before, a verse or a passage will just jump out in a fresh way. That is because the Bible is a living word, spoken to our hearts by God the Holy Spirit. The other week, I was working on my previous 2 concurrently. I know that you’re thinking that 2 at a time (that takes talent). The truth is that I just had way too much to say, when the thought about what do you Lack came to my mind. (When out of the blue, a thought hit me from the gospels. all of a sudden, I had 3 sermons on the go) Well the same story actually appears in Matt, Mark and Luke, so you know that God wanted us to hear this teaching. It’s the story of the rich young ruler. You’ve heard that commonly asked question. What do you give, the person who has everything? Easy answer “Nothing” right? What if we ask the next question? What do you give the God who owns everything and doesn’t need anything? I remember being 13 or 14, Growing up in Canberra and having some very real experiences. Times with God when I would feel his presence strongly as I prayed. (Did you know that Christianity is at essence, experiential. We are meant to know God with more than just our intellects.) When these experiences happened, I was either reading the bible or listening to a Christian album at the time and I would just get this sense of God Holy presence being with me. It was drawing me to relationship with him and left me wanting to do something for God to help bring people to Jesus. I wold have thoughts about speaking to assemblies at school about Jesus and this would freak me out. (I actually told God at those times that I would do anything for him except preach or prophecy). Good news is that God didn’t accept no for an answer! (my mother used to tell me, God doesn’t make you do anything against your will, he’ll just make you willing!) I remember saying in prayer, God, I haven’t got any great talents, I don’t own anything except a drumkit, but I will give that and if you will take it, I will give you my life if you want it. God doesn’t ignore prayers like that. He definitely pays attention. How about us though? But what about when he calls us? Do we pay attention to Him? If he calls, what can get in the way? What might stop us from totally committing to following Christ every day of our lives? It might be a relationship, a career, an unnecessary financial goal. How about Guilt or Shame? Any one or more of those things can try and keep us from responding to and following Jesus. Lets look today at a young man who came to Jesus, who seemed to have everything, but Jesus said he had something missing! Text: Luke 18 18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” • Jesus often released “truth Bombs” that would blow away people’s expectation of his and also of our day. “How do the Rich to get to heaven?” • You see the Common thought of their day and even in some sections of ours was if you have money, then God has blessed you. Some portions of Christianity still want to push this emphasis to an extreme. Such an overly simplistic view can limit us and hold us back from really being in the centre of Jesus Will. • What are some of those wrong beliefs: If you believed, you wouldn’t get sick at all. You wouldn’t have any lack! Or you wouldn’t get persecuted for living right. • Opposition to something in our lives does not automatically mean that we are outside the will of God! Remember the disciples in the boat, in a storm. Jesus is the one who told them to cross the sea of Galilee that is where they got a brand new revelation of who Jesus is. 4 reactions to God’s call to Follow to people with Riches. 1. Rich Young Ruler (nameless) – No service “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. • This young Man potentially had the opportunity of being one of Jesus Disciples. He wasn’t willing to let go of the thing that had a hold of him. • Just imagine – In Acts, we are introduced to a guy named “Matthias” who filled the place of the 12th disciple that was left vacant when Judas killed himself. • I can’t say that this Rich Young ruler would have been the 12th but he could have been a contender! 2. Judas – Self Service / Greed - John 12 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. • 1 Tim 6: 9 – 10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Many people often live like it is the Lack of Money that is the root of all evil. Love of money can consume people whether they have too little or too much because it is not what you have that is the Problem to God: It is what has you! 3. Zacchaeus – Repentance and Generosity – Step 1 • Luke 19 ( the very next chapter after Luke 18’s question Who can be saved?) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” When we start following Jesus - our money needs to starts to follow him also – wow what a difference! God’s extravagant Love meant God gave his son. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 BTW – This scripture is not saying that God will make you wealthy. It is saying in its context that God gives everything that you need to make us right with God and to set us free from sin and its destructive power. 4. Matthew – Service and outreach – Step 2 Matthew 9: 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. • Philippians 4 11I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Did you notice this today – This scripture, along with the one from todays text, With God nothing is impossible! We so love to quote these passages. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Bet they actually mean that I should never let the lack of means, that nothing can stop me from obeying God. For some, that lack of means might be your lack of education, a lack of finances, even a lack of Health! Well I’m letting you know today – I can do all things means that we can do any-thing that God wants and calls us to do. Hell cant stop us, Sickness can’t stop us. Finances aren’t the reason to cease to follow, even our sins – once repented of becomes the impetus to get the message of God’s grace out to others who are trapped in sins power. Conclusion You can’t take your money with you, but you can send it on ahead…. Where your treasure, there your heart will be also. God does not want your money – He wants you. It’s just that he knows we he gets your money, he gets you and when he gets you – He gets your money. Lets pray. Christ to be followed Sins to be forgiven Sickness to be healed Financial needs to be met