Farming for Coins
Game Over • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Show Wayne’s World Clip
Sometimes people say certain things
But end up doing something totally different
Missing that they’re not genuine in what they are saying
We’re going to see that today
Sometimes it’s because we don’t actually understand what’s happening
This is our last message in the Game Over series
Next week is Easter!
Then start new series in Jonah
YouVersion: Farming for Coins
We’re in Mark 10:17-27
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Today, we start Holy Week with what’s called “Palm Sunday”
Celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry
Jesus sends disciples to grab a donkey - why are you taking that? The Lord has need of it
Jesus rides into Jerusalem (symbolizing peace) - fulfilling Zechariah 9:9
They throw down palm branches and cloaks for Jesus to ride over
He heads for His palace - not for earthly kings, but Spiritual ones at the Temple
In this scene, it is clear what is happening
Shouting “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!”
Comes from Howasiah-na - meaning “save us now!”
This is so outrageous that Pharisees say, “Rebuke your disciples! They think You’re the Messiah!”
Jesus: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
This is happening - I will be praised and recognized
Until now, Jesus repeatedly says, “tell no one about me”
Now He says, there’s nothing that can stop it!
Even if you gagged every person here, the rocks would start shouting!
But as He rides toward Jerusalem, in the midst of praise and shouts, Jesus starts to weep
41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Jesus is saying, “Wow, you guys don’t get it”
In a few days, shouts of “Hosanna!” turn to “Crucify Him!”
That’s a quick flip!
The crowds were only looking for a heroic, warrior-like Messiah
When Jesus wasn’t that, they turned on Him
So what were their problems?
The same ones we deal with today
1. Our dedication to Jesus is on the surface only
1. Our dedication to Jesus is on the surface only
2. We don’t know what is good for us
2. We don’t know what is good for us
3. We choose our way over God’s way
3. We choose our way over God’s way
For us, we struggle with those things today
Maybe we don’t think we’re looking for a “Messiah” exactly...
But we do try to find another type of savior, a source of hope, a promise for security
Some put their hope in a different master: money!
There’s another story just before this in Scripture
We see a man struggle with those same things in regards to money...
Let’s look at his game now in mark 10:17-31
The Rich Young Ruler
The Rich Young Ruler
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Now this guy seems to have it right!
He calls Jesus “Good Teacher”
In the OT or the Talmud (Jewish extended Rabbinic teachings) - never called “Good Teacher”
It was clear this guy gave Jesus a special title
But Jesus seems a little skeptical, look at His response
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Ever say little too much too soon
But once it’s out you can’t back down?
Jesus doesn’t say he’s wrong
It’s not Jesus’ goodness that’s in question
It’s the man’s BELIEF in Jesus’ goodness that Jesus is questioning
Make sure you know what you’re saying!
This guys must have honey on his foot - just stuck it in his mouth!
But that’s not all the guys said - he asked how to inherit eternal life
More than that - he said what must “I” do!
He wanted the accomplishment to be something HE did
So Jesus responds:
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ”
Jesus doesn’t say this is the answer
He’s actually proving to the man that it CAN’T be done by him!
1. You are not good
1. You are not good
Anyone here guilty of murder? I am!
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
That one right there eliminated all of us from earning eternal life!
But let’s say you want to argue - I don’t even have a brother!
Okay next - how about adultery?!
Yep, I’m guilty of that too!
Now, I’ve never cheated on my wife BUT...
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.
That’s pretty much everyone!
Watch porn, ladies walking by, had a locker room conversation...
Yep, done for! No eternal life for you!
Let’s keep going - ever stolen something?
My first date with Tash, she got up to go to the bathroom and I finished her steak!
Boom, no eternal life
Here’s more: bearing false witness or defrauding?
Lying, tricking, deceiving...
Boom, locked my self out of heaven almost as soon as I began talking!
Honoring your father and mother?
Anyone in here who’s ever been a teenager lost that one!
That’s only 5 commandments and everyone has been deemed a sinner
With still 5 more to go!
It should be clear to everyone that they are not “good”!
That’s why Jesus says NO ONE IS GOOD!!
2. So we rely on Jesus’ righteousness
2. So we rely on Jesus’ righteousness
At this point the guy should say, “Hey, man I fell short! Have mercy on me!”
All of us should!
Romans 3:23 tells us we simply CAN NOT be good - we ALL fall short
20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”
Really dude? You’re THAT good?
You’re lying right now!!
Watch this, Jesus is about to light this guy on fire and send him straight to hell!
Stop at “LOVED HIM”
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Oh wow, Jesus loved him?
Even when he was being self-righteous?
Even when he was lying to himself and directly into the face of God in the flesh?
Man, that’s heavy isn’t it?
That’s something we don’t get enough...
That level of compassion...
Imagine if we had the ability to deny our righteousness and love someone who sins against us...
That’s powerful stuff...
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I’ll never get why He would do that
But I’m sure glad He did!
Jesus goes on here with a nice little mic drop
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
You want me to do what?
Jesus could have challenged the man on his righteous claims
But instead, he let’s the man set his own course
Essentially, Jesus says, “You want to do it yourself? Go ahead, do it all!”
David Guzik: “He had climbed to the top of the ladder of success, only to find his ladder leaned against the wrong building.”
Surely now the man will see that he can’t do it
Now he’ll ask for mercy, right?
22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Interesting the man went away sorrowful
Jesus said if you do this, you’ll have treasure in heaven!
He simply couldn’t let go of “now”
Edmund Burke: “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.”
But Jesus isn’t done teaching...
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
This passage has scared rich people for centuries!
Many of us might be scared!
Who are the wealthy? Top 40%? Top 25%? Top 15%?
If your family makes $50,000 annually, you’re top 10%
If your family makes $75,000, you’re top 5%!
Sounds pretty rich to me!
It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!
Ever tried to put a camel through a needle? Not easy...
Go home tonight and try to drive your bike through it, or your toaster, or even a marble!
Man, it sounds like we’re in trouble - because it sounds IMPOSSIBLE!
This is TERRIFYING!
So terrifying that scholars have tried to explain it away so it wouldn’t cost them their riches!
They say “eye of the needle” was a small side gate into the city
So it’s hard to get a camel through it, but it can be done! Whew!
Or they say the word for camel (kamelon) was supposed to be kamilon (cable)
Um, sorry! You can’t put a cable through a needle either!
No, Jesus is saying that for a rich man to get into heaven, it is virtually impossible!
And how you might feel right now, is exactly how the disciples felt!
26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
So we’re ALL going to hell then?!
Well that’s the worst news I’ve heard today!
Actually, He’s looking for us to learn the same lesson He was trying to teach the rich man
So Jesus just lays it out:
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
In order to get a camel through the eye of a needle, you need one thing - God’s intervention!
We need a miracle!
The impossible trip to heaven happens ONLY because God made it possible
You’ll never do it yourself, you’ll do it when you trust God
And that trust is put in His plan to send His Son Jesus to die on a cross for us
What Do We Need to Know About Money?
What Do We Need to Know About Money?
1. You can’t serve two masters
1. You can’t serve two masters
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What does a master do?
It controls you, tells you what to do, runs your life!
Here’s a test: What wakes you up in the morning?
God or your job?
Are you in such a hurry to get to work you forget to pray?
Do you spend more time worrying about your kids grades than their spiritual health?
Do you feel worse when you miss time with God?
Or when you lose money in your 401k?
When you think about retirement, do you think of vacations and shopping?
Or are you finally going to be free to do all the ministry you have dreamed of?
Ask yourself, which master drives your emotions, decisions and thoughts?
And realize this, Jesus says there can only be ONE
God or money...
If you think you can serve both, your playing a game with yourself
2. Money can be a prison
2. Money can be a prison
Boy do I know this one!
When I left the mill everyone told me I was a moron
What about money, medical insurance and retirement?!
I’ll tell you this, I make far less but I have NEVER regretted my decision
Not for one single second
Making God my master is the best thing I have ever done
And I haven’t even begun to see the reward in that!
Alan King: “Banks have a new image. Now you have ‘a friend,’ your friendly banker. If the banks are so friendly, how come they chain down the pens?”
Avg. American household has 300,000 items in it!
When Jesus died, He had nothing
Even had to borrow His tomb
But we “need” 300,000 things...
Money becomes our master because we want more
We actually think we NEED more
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus are known as “The Minimalists”
They ask a question: “How might your life be better with less?”
Challenge: Throw away one thing everyday for a month
I’ve done it; threw away A LOT more than that
Pick up items and ask “Does this add value to my life”
I don’t let myself keep more than 6 items of clothes per category
6 shirts, 6 sweaters, 6 pants...
I threw away dozens of things!
When I buy a new one, my rule is to throw another one away
Go through your car
How many chargers do you need?!
Go through your DVD’s and BluRays
Do you even watch them? You have Netflix!
Go through your junk drawer
I don’t even know what these things are!
Go through your tools and spare parts!
Why keep a special wrench for a tool you don’t have anymore?!
Why keep these extra hinges?
Go through your bathroom!
Why do you have 6 curling irons?
Why do you have 1,000 hair thingys you NEVER use!
Go through your kids toys!
They haven’t touched that toy since you bought it for them!
That thing is still in the box from last Christmas
But we lie to ourselves
We need this “just in case”
Without the DVD’s, you will still have things to watch
You won’t remember you have hinges and you’ll buy new ones!
By throwing away half your kids toys, they will find things to do
Think about the things we do to maintain stuff
We only have a 2,000 sq foot house - we need more room for our family of 4!
Room for what? Your STUFF!
So you buy a bigger house which costs more so you need more money and get both parents to work and start a side hustle...
Too bad I don’t have time for church now - too bad I can’t read my Bible or do ministry to give to the church...
THAT is a prison
You “need” more so it takes more
I’m not telling you to be lazy
I’m telling you to spend your efforts on the things that matter
Be free from money, and free to serve the Lord
Doyle Brunson: “A man with money is no match for a man on a mission.”
The next point is a big reason why:
3. Money is temporary
3. Money is temporary
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
If you died RIGHT NOW, what would happen to your money and your stuff
You certainly wouldn’t take it with you!
Maybe your kids would sell your house
Donate your clothes to Goodwill
Keep a few sentimental items
I’m sure you enjoyed your stuff for awhile...
Average American makes $2.7 million in their lifetime (not counting interest, benefits, etc)
When you get to heaven - God might ask “What did you do with your $2.7 million?
Did you help the hurting? Support the church? Invest in missions?
Or did you always have the latest iPhone, biggest TV and newest cars?
In heaven, God will reward the investments in His kingdom
But you won’t get anything for having the nicest house or fanciest clothes
That reward was already enjoyed temporarily on earth
Which brings up our last point:
I don’t want you to think money isn’t valuable
4. Money is important
4. Money is important
There are about 500 verses about prayer in the NT
But there are 2,000 verses about money!
Why is that? Money gets things done, and it reveals truth about us
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Where do you put your money?
That tells a lot about what’s important to you
Do you pay for private school for kids - their education is important to you
Do you eat out 6 days a week - not cooking is important to you
Do you tithe regularly, give to the poor and go on missions trips - the Lord is important to you
The trick is not letting money be your master, but allocating your money for the sake of Jesus, who is your master
Jonathan Swift: “A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.”
Closing
Closing
Talk about John (Harry)
Dragged all his stuff around
Never got anywhere
We’re not better - just look a little better
Aliens watching, it’s all the same!
Maybe we oughta gain that heavenly perspective
Do something that matters!
And that is going to end our “Game Over” series
Church, it’s time to stop playing games
It’s time to get yourself right with God
It’s time to put God first in your marriage
First with your parenting
First in this church
And first with your finances
When He’s not where He should be, bad things happen
If your marriage is failing
If your kids are messed up
If you’re deep in debt
If your life is empty...
It’s going to stay that way unless something changes
I want you to be blessed church - so let’s stop playing games
and honor God like we should
Prayer
Prayer