Peeled: Luke 18:18-29: Being Good in a Bad World

Introduction

Eating brussel sprouts - no matter how you cook them, they’re terrible. You can’t make them good.

Common grace - God allows good things to happen in an evil world. He allows scientists and doctors to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. That’s good!

BUT… don’t be fooled… all the things the things we would call good don’t disguise or change the reality… This world is not good. It’s broken and full of evil. You don’t even have to be a Christian to know that. You instinctively know that the world is broken.

In a world where everything seems to be bad, God calls us to bring goodness into the world.

Fruit of the Spirit: goodness. What is it?

Goodness is moral purity and excellence, worthy of approval. A good person does what is right because of who they are in Jesus.

Jesus is good. He is good for you. Because He is good, He always does what is right. Aren’t you thankful?

Are you good? How can you grow in goodness? Why should you want to grow in goodness?

Two simple truths to help you grow in goodness.

You’re not as good as you think you are.

Last week, we looked at a rich man named Zaccheus. This week, another rich man. We don’t know his name. (Such a sad story… Maybe Luke protected his identity to not bring shame to him and his family.) He was young. He was a ruler. Some type of official. Maybe a religious leader? Member of the Sanhedrin?

RYR had everything going for him: wealthy, young, and influential. Unlike Zaccheus, he wasn’t hated. RYR was admired by people. Other young men looked at him with envy. He was so young, and he had accomplished so much. He was the guy that everyone else wanted to be.

Even though he looked liked he had it all together, doubt plagued him. He was looking for security that his wealth could not give him. Did he have eternal life?

If he was a member of the Sanhedrin, probably had many conversations with religious leaders about eternal life. Wasn’t satisfied with the answers he was getting.

Had he heard Jesus teach before? Maybe he sought Jesus out because he knew Jesus because Jesus taught like no other Rabbi he had ever heard.

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus: “Do you know what you’re saying? You can’t throw that word around!”

Only God is good!

(Obviously, Jesus is God, but RYR didn’t know that. He thought Jesus was just a Rabbi. He didn’t know he was talking to God in the flesh.)

RYR was trying to flatter Jesus. In reality, he didn’t know what he was saying. Only God is good...

We throw the word good around without a thought. He’s such a good person. She’s so good to me, etc. But, Jesus is clear. Let’s talk about the One who is truly good: God Himself. (Hudson wanting to be a preacher. He doesn’t know what he’s saying!)

God is good. God is the STANDARD for goodness. He is absolutely morally pure. He is everything that is right and pure. There is nothing evil in or about God.

God does good. “You are good, and you do what is good; teach me your statutes” (Psalm 119:68). Every gift He gives is good (James 1:17).

Because God is good, he is worthy of our approval. We can say, “God is good. All the time.” We can say that He is very good to us. We can’t say, “God messed that one up.” Or, “God, you’re not that good to me.” Good is who He is.

God is the standard of goodness. You are not the standard of goodness. God is. We like to say, “George is such a good person...” But, when compared to God, George isn’t that good. In fact, you are far from good.

What do I have to do to inherit eternal life? Interesting. First, Jesus tells RYR that only God is good. Second, Jesus answers the question by essentially saying, “If you want to inherit eternal life, be good!” Specifically, keep the ten commands.

RYR felt pretty good about himself. After all, he was religious. He was a good person. He had never committed adultery, murdered, stolen, etc. He had honored his father and mother.

RYR probably hadn’t heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where Jesus exposed what’s at the root of things like adultery and murder.

vs. 21 - RYR says, “I’m good!”

vs. 22, Jesus says, “Oh yeah… One more thing… Go sell everything, give it away, and then you will have treasure. Come follow me.” An invitation to follow the King of kings and Lord of lords!

An invitation you can’t refuse… BUT, RYR refused. How many people do you know in the Gospels who come to Jesus and leave sad? RYR left sad because Jesus exposed something in his heart - RYR was an idolater. He loved his money more than he loved God. He failed the first command. He might have done “good” in his life, but he failed to have no other gods before God. He failed to love God with all his heart, mind, and soul.

RYR wasn’t as good as he thought he was. AND, you’re not as good as you think you are.

Romans 1 - All of us turn to false gods.

Romans 3:10 - none righteous.

Romans 3:23 - all have sinned.

Yet, we all want the same thing the RYR wanted: eternal life. So, if our good outweighs are bad, we’re in, right?

God is not impressed by your goodness. He loves you, but He’s not impressed by you. You will never be able to stand before God and say, “Look at what I’ve done! Aren’t you impressed?” All your good works tainted by your sin (Isaiah 64:6).

We feel like we’re good because we compare ourselves to others. We impress ourselves. BUT, when compared to God, you’re not good at all.

God is not hoping you will get it right. He’s not sitting on His throne thinking, “I’m just going to give him a little more time. He’ll eventually get it right. He’ll eventually try hard enough, figure out, and become right.” You’re never going to get it right. You’re never going to be able to be good. If anything, you get it increasingly wrong.

Sounds discouraging, right? BUT… you can’t be good until you know how bad you are.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rod-ponton-im-not-a-cat-legal-zoom-meeting_n_6022e4a8c5b6f38d06e7a1de Cat lawyer - convincing the judge that he’s not a cat. The judge knew he was not a cat… The JUDGE knows you are not good.

Jesus is better than you think He is.

When the RYR walked away sad, I imagine Jesus was sad as he watched the RYR walk away. Jesus loved RYR, but the RYR failed to understand that he had been talking to the King of kings who had come to give him the gift of eternal life that the RYR was desperately trying to earn.

vs. 24: a famous statement. Hard for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus could have said something different… “Hard for the person obsessed with his job...” Hard for anyone to enter the Kingdom of God who grasps at anything in this life with two hands and unwilling to let go...

Disciples watched the rich man walk away. They heard Jesus’ words. They sounded so harsh and discouraging. “Then who can be saved?”

vs. 27 - “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

It is impossible for you to gain eternal life on your own. It is impossible for you to save yourself. It’s impossible for you to be good.

BUT… a good God made it possible for you to have eternal life by sending His Son. If the RYR would have followed Jesus, he would have watched Jesus go to a cross for him.

At the cross, Jesus made an exchange with you. He took your badness on Himself and in exchange He gave you His goodness. When the heavenly Father looks at you, He sees the goodness, the moral purity and perfection of His Son, applied to your life.

You’re good, not because you are good, but because Jesus is good.

Jesus is better than you think He is. He’s more than a good teacher. He’s more than a miracle worker. He’s God. He’s your redeemer. He’s the only One who can give you hope and life everlasting.

The ONE who has given you His goodness now lives inside of you and calls you to IMITATE His goodness.

How do I grow in goodness?

Choose Jesus. There is no lasting goodness apart from Jesus. NOT choose morality. (I can be a good person and still live my way.) Choose Jesus for the first time. Follower of Jesus, choose Jesus every day. You are not good apart from Jesus, but as you choose to follow Jesus He will grow you into someone who longs to be righteous in character and action.

Constantly Immerse and Constantly Examine. (Colossians 3:1, Philippians 4:8) You’ve chosen Jesus, but you don’t seem to be growing in goodness. RYR walked away because it was easier. I wonder if you walk away from what Jesus is calling you to because it’s easier to walk away than to follow Him. Growing in goodness is hard because it requires constant immersion and constant examination. It requires hard questions:

What captivates my heart? What captivates your heart will hold your heart. What captivates your heart will get your affections, your time, etc. For many of us, Jesus doesn’t captivate our hearts. To grow in goodness you need more than an appreciation of Jesus. You need to be like Jesus.

What needs to go? Constant examination. You can’t grow in goodness if you constantly run to what’s not good. You can’t grow in goodness if you’re holding on to unconfessed sin. Unconfessed sin hinders your fellowship with God. Unconfessed sin hinders the mission of God. You’re UNWILLING to grow in goodness because you’re UNWILLING to confront your sins and turn from them. You like staying stuck in what you know is draining the life from you. Some of you will choose today to continue to say “Yes” to your sin because it’s easier than doing what you know is right by God.

Jesus offers something better that your sin. He offers you goodness.

Practice goodness. Do what’s right. That simple. Do what you know honors the Lord.

Do right by God. Honor Him with your choices. Honor Him by fleeing from what you know is sinful. Do right by others. Show kindness. Live at peace.

But, don’t do right because you’re trying to earn points with God. Do right because God has been good to you. Do right as an act of worship. Do right because you know God knows what is best for you. Do right because by you doing right, you open a door for Gospel ministry. In a world full of people who choose evil instead of goodness, people need to see you living to honor the Lord (Matthew 5:16).

This morning, experience the goodness of God for the first time by turning to the One who was good for you and who is good to you. Believe that Jesus died and rose again for you, and turn to Him in faith.

Believer, choose goodness.