The most important qeustion

Open: Gen Z (those born after 1997)and the questions they are asking corporate American. Before accepting a job, Gen Z employees want to know how socially aware the corporation is, in what ways is it fighting for social justice, how is it working to reduce real (or perceived) equity imbalances, and how it ranks in terms of environmentally friendliness.

According to an article by Cinnamon Janzer titled, “Corporate Social Responsibility and the Rise of the Gen Z worker” that despite this generation’s great diversity, their questions “Coalesce around 1 element: the search for truth. (Workfest, by Zenefits, Feb. 24, 2021 - accessed on 5/20/2022)

Transition: The search for Truth is not unique to Gen Z. The quest for truth has consumed the passions of countless generations since the Creation of Man in the Garden. I find it hopeful that young people are still seeking truth, and it is the Church’s responsibility to share the Truth. We live in a day of “false news” and with advanced technology at our disposal, the ability to manipulate and deceive others continues to increase. What an opportunity for the Church to present the plain truth in clear terms!

This morning we are going to look at a passage of Scripture that involves questioning by a lawyer and the answer that Jesus gives to his question.

READ the TEXT: Luke 10:25-37.

It is of vital Importance to ask the Correct Question (Luke 10:25)

Explanation: Jesus was debriefing the 70 disciples who He had commissioned to go and proclaim the Gospel. They had given their report of the incredible things they accomplished in His name, and He in turn was telling them it was more important that their names were recorded in Heaven.

In this setting, a lawyer stands up and asks Jesus a question. The lawyer’s question was a very important question, and it remains an important question today. He asked Jesus, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Argument: We live in a time when lots of folks are asking all sorts of questions. Some are asking about how to fix the economy; some are asking why America is so divided in ethnic terms; some are asking at what point does life begin; and some are asking why there is so much evil in the world. These are all good questions, and worthy of our attention.

But a more basic and fundamental question to settle is the issue of eternity. Each of us will spend Eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Death is not the end. Naturalism may teach that death is the end and that we simply fade out of existence after our last breath. Scripture, however, teaches that God has set Eternity in the heart of all mankind (Eccl 3:11) and each of us has a sense that there is an afterlife.

Application: Realize that death is just a transition from one state to another. Humans are immortal and we will spend Eternity in one of two destinations. We will either exist in a place of torment named Hell or we will experience and enjoy life in Eternity with the Savior. Those are the only two options available to mankind. Since Heaven and Hell are in fact real, it is extremely important for each of us to ask the same question the lawyer asked, “What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?

The Source of Authority for the answer is also of vital importance (Luke 10:26)

Explanation: The Source of the answer is just as important as the question. The lawyer was in the very best position possible. The lawyer asked Jesus this question because Jesus was a great Teacher and His ministry was focused on the Kingdom of God and showing others that He Himself was the answer to all of their needs. This lawyer was in the Presence of the Master, the second person of the Trinity, the One who is the Author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2), and the very One who is the giver of Eternal Life (John 10:27-28).

Jesus answered the lawyer’s question by pointing him to the law. Jesus instructed the man to go to the Scripture.

Illustrate: Plane ride from Houston to Dallas. I entered a conversation that began with a focus on the End Times (I was reading a book about the Rapture), but it went south in a hurry. The other guy asked about my birth sign and it got stranger from there. The lady on the other side joined in and asked about reincarnation. I told it was not possible and cited Heb 9:27 for my authority. They both blipped right past the Bible and started discussing how reincarnation “works”

Argument: The Bible as the Source of Authority is of paramount importance in our age of multiculturalism and diversity. If one asks the question of a Buddhist, the answer will be to engage in meditation and empty oneself of negative thoughts. If one asks an Muslim Imam, he will be told to confess that Allah is God, and to perform the other four pillars of Islam. If one asks a Hindu priest, he will be told of the endless cycles of reincarnation and of the suffering that must be accounted for before achieving perfection. And if you ask an atheist, he will tell you not to worry because we all end up as worm food.

Truth is not determined by majority opinion or by a random selection from world religions. Universal truth does exist, and it is found within the pages of Holy Scripture. God’s truths are fixed and timeless, and regardless of how moderns attempt to discredit it or overturn it, God’s truth will stand (see Isaiah 40:8; psalm 119: 89)

Application: Turn to the Word of God for wisdom in how to live live. Turn to the Word to discover how to have Eternal Life through a relationship with Jesus.

Knowing the right answer is of no value unless it is properly applied (Luke 10:27-28a)

Explanation: Jesus pointed the lawyer to the Scripture, and then asked him what his understanding of Eternal life was based on the Law. Amazingly, the lawyer gives the correct answer! He quotes from the Shema, a most well-known and often memorized portion of the OT from Deuteronomy 6:4 ff for the first part and from Lev. 19:8 for the part about loving your neighbor.

Illustrate: Many who attend church recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday without a proper understanding of what they are reading

Argument: many atheists and nominal Christians are familiar with the teaching of the Bible, but they are still under the wrath of God and on their way to Hell. Scripture teaches “that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The Bible does have the answers, but knowledge alone does not suffice. As the Holy Spirit of God convicts us of the truth of His word, we are to respond in faith. As the writer of Hebrews declares, “but without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that his is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6)

Application: Ensure that you have heart knowledge of God, instead of just head knowledge. Be in a relationship with God through a personal faith in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross .

Pride in our own ability will blind us to spiritual truth (Luke 10:28b-29)

Explanation: Jesus tells the lawyer that he has given the correct answer and then He tells the lawyer to go and live it out the answer and in doing so the lawyer would find the Eternal life he was seeking.

The problem in this is contained in Jesus’ reply. Jesus is showing the lawyer that it is impossible for him to actually do this. The law does contain the answer, but it also reveals that man is incapable of achieving the result on his own. The purpose of the Law is to reveal to us that we are sinners who cannot please God in and through our own efforts (cf. Romans 8:8).

When Jesus gave this reply to the lawyer the expected result should have been brokenness on the lawyer’s part. Any honest evaluation of a life reveals that we cannot fulfill the demands of the law. That’s why Jesus had to enter His own creation to pay a debt He did not Himself owe in order that we might have this Eternal Life.

Result: The lawyer, however, is not taken back by this revelation from Jesus. Instead of being humbled and broken by the sin in his life, he actually attempts to justify himself before the Lord of glory. In asking the question, “and who is my neighbor,” he reveals his pride in his perceived self-sufficiency. He thinks he is doing great, and he is expecting another gold star from Jesus.

Instead, Jesus gives him the parable of the Good Samaritan. We will have to wait for next Sunday to unpack the details and applications from the parable itself, but let me just state this in closing. The main purpose of the parable is to reveal to the lawyer that he doesn’t actually have Eternal life because He doesn’t have the right relationship with God. The vertical precedes the Horizontal. Jesus is showing this man that he is missing the horizontal (loving his neighbor) because even though he has knowledge of the Vertical, he is not rightly related to God through faith in Christ.

Conclusion: As mentioned in the beginning of this message there are many important questions that are being asked in the marketplace. Some are important and should be asked. Please do not underestimate how important the lawyer’s question remains - it is the most important question that humans can ask.

The time spent on this globe, even if we manage to live to be 100, is simply a snap of the fingers in relation to Eternity. You WILL spend Eternity in either Heaven or Hell; You WILL enjoy Eternal Life or suffer Eternal Damnation.

Jesus came that we might have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10b). The quality of Eternal Life begins when a sinner surrenders to the Lordship of Christ; the quality improves to a different magnitude in Glory, but it does start in this life. Don’t miss it due to pride in your own achievements - they will not suffice!