Encountering God: Faking it Till You Make it

INTRO:

Afterparty - June 8th @ 6:00pm

Cost - $15

New bowling alley in Sherman

‘Fake it till you make it’ - believe in something long enough and it will happen

Sports

relationships

academics

morality

etc

How often do we believe this? That if we keep pretending at something it will eventually come true - like a lie

Rich young ruler Jesus encountered believed the same thing about his spiritual walk

The False Narrative

Luke 18:18–21 ESV

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Luke 18:18-

Ruler acknowledges the authority of Christ, Jesus makes sure he understands what he is saying - vs. 19

No refuting from the man in vs. 19 - Jesus continues

10 Commandments are broken in two parts

Commandments in our relationship to God

Commandments in our relationship to others

Why does Jesus only address the commands to others?

loving letting this man reveal his own shortcomings

He believes that he is doing religion right by his external actions but God is always after the motives of a person, the heart:

Adultery:

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:27

Murder:

Matthew 5:21-

Matthew 5:21–22 ESV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Jesus shows that the heart reveals our motives

What is the rulers response?

Luke 18:21

Luke 18:21 ESV

21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Missed the point, external actions are not what God seeks after

Psalm 51:15–17 ESV

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:15-

Psalm 51:16–17 ESV

16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

A Heart Changed by the Gospel

Luke 18:20–23 ESV

20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Luke 18:22–23 ESV

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Is money a sin? NO! Is having money a sin? NO! Does Jesus want all of us to be poor? NO! What is is saying then?

Jesus revealed the first commandments to him in this charge - Money and possessions were his idols and God was not.

He broke the first commandment “you shall have no other gods before me”

The light of the Gospel exposed his heart

Luke 9:23–24 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

To follow Christ is the knowledge that you are a sinner that apart from the work of Christ on the cross you have no hope of salvation, can’t earn right standing before God - You’re a sinner in need of a savior

In what ways can a person “fake it till they make it”? How does the Gospel expose that we can’t “fake it till we make it” in our walk with Christ?

Why are external actions, like the way the rich young ruler had, not enough for a relationship with God? What is God after? Why is that?