Scripture Matthew 19:16-30
Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly
astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are
possible."
Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."
Jesus' question for today is, "Why do you ask me about what is good?"
This is in response to the greatest question any human can ask, "What good thing must I do to live forever?" Who wants to live forever in a perfect heaven where Rev 21:3-4 "The dwelling of God is with people, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. And where Rev 21:16-22:2 the city is made of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls are decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates are twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city is of pure gold, like transparent glass. You will not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. And there will be the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of heaven.
Who wants to live there forever? ME!
That is what we mean by eternal life. People have always wanted to know what
good thing they can do to get there?
Atheism: atheists believe there is no heaven.
Zoroastrianism: Zoroastrianism may be the first religion that stated that the afterlife was dependent upon one’s good deeds in life.
Baha’i: Man does not sin. Upon death, a person’s soul continues its spiritual journey.
Buddhism: Buddhism believes that heaven, or “Nirvana,” is to be rejoined in spirit with god. It requires following the Eightfold Path, including acting, speaking, and living in the right manner and with the right intentions.
Eastern Orthodox: Orthodoxy is a Christian-Judeo derivative that reinterprets key Scripture verses in such a way that works become essential to reach heaven.
Hinduism: Salvation is reached when the worshiper is freed from the cycle of reincarnation, and his spirit becomes one with god.
Islam: Muslims believe salvation comes to those who obey Allah sufficiently that good deeds outweigh the bad. Martyrdom in service to Allah is the only work guaranteed to send a worshiper to paradise.
Judaism: Jews believe they can lose their salvation, but they can also earn it back through repentance, and good deeds.
Mormonism: Mormons believe to reach the highest heaven, one must believe in God and Jesus, repent of sins, be baptized in the church, be a member of the LDS church, receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, obey the Mormon “Word of Wisdom” and all God’s commandments, and complete certain temple rituals including marriage. Then you give birth to spirit children who return to Earth as the souls of the living.
Roman Catholicism: Accept Christ and performed sufficient good works to go to heaven.
Scientology: Salvation is achieved through knowledge of self and the
universe.
Unitarian-Universalism: Unitarians are encouraged to believe anything they like about the afterlife and how to get there. Although, they believe people should seek enlightenment in this life and not worry too much about the afterlife.
Christianity: Christianity is the only religion that teaches people are saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In the lists of best lists, the top ten include the Seven Wonders of the World, The Bill of Rights, the FBI's Ten Most Wanted. But the consensus pick for the number one list ever was the Ten Commandments.
Good choice?
Most people would agree. Not all. Ted Turner said the Ten Commandments were
obsolete: We're living with outmoded rules. The rules we're living under are
the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to 'em,
because they are too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no
nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the Ten Commandments wouldn't go
over. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out.
Ted then
modestly offered his own version which he called the Ten Voluntary Initiatives.
his first two: #1, "I promise to love and respect planet Earth and all
living things on the earth, especially my fellow species." Not bad. #2,
"I promise to treat all persons everywhere with dignity, respect and
friendliness," but that was made intriguing when he violated it in the
same speech - it was just a bit later that he bashed Christians and called us
losers and bozos. An interesting view from one who, while growing up,
considered a career as a missionary.
The Gallup
Organization has found that approximately 85% of Americans feel that the 10
Commandments are still applicable for us today. But the polls show something
else too: that of the 85%, less than half can name even five of the Ten. If you
don't know them it is hard to live by them.
They are a
description of what it will be like to live as God's own people. *Have No other
gods; no images; do not use the Lord's name foolishly; keep the sabbath; honor
your father and mother; do not kill; do not steal; do not commit adultery; do
not bear false witness; and do not covet. Ten commandments to define
relationships between God and God's people, and between one person and another.
Jesus summarized them all when he gave what has come to be known as "the
Great Commandment" - You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, soul, mind and strength; and your neighbor as yourself.
If you think
about them all in some quiet moment, you would realize that were they all
obeyed, this would be a splendid world. Crime would stop - no murders, no
theft. Husbands and wives would not have to worry about the faithfulness of the
other. Lying and gossiping would all stop. Parents would not have to be
concerned about disobedient children or how they would be supported in their
old age. And the churches would be jammed because God would be preeminent in
all our lives. But that quiet moment would be ruined once the News came on -
Film at 11. Too bad.
The place to
begin, of course, is at the beginning. Number One: Exodus 20, verse 3 - "You shall have no other gods before me."
Who is your God?
Some offer their allegiance to Money...Possessions... Things. Christians are
not immune. The accumulation of wealth is a national obsession. If you are wealthy and not a child abuser
people think you have arrived.
Of course, you have
not arrived if Mammon becomes pre-eminent over God. The Bible says, "the
love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."(7) Lying, cheating,
stealing, killing...the list could go on and on (and we love our lists)...all
to acquire money, possessions, things. But the worst evil of all is when they
become the objects of our real worship.
Years ago, a man
who had been successful in business proposed this honest epitaph for his
tombstone: "Born 1878, a human being; Died, 1954, a wholesale
grocer." A friend of his asked him what prompted such a request, and he
replied, "I have been so busy selling groceries and amassing riches that I
have pushed practically everything else out of my life. I have been successful,
but so busy making a living, I never had time to live."
Have you ever wondered why God would have given this commandment in the first place? Is God insecure? Is God like some jealous teenager who would go crazy at seeing his girlfriend out with some other guy? Of course not. The God of love whom we have come to know in Jesus Christ gave this command for OUR sakes.
As
Paul would go on to say, “My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Or as
the text today says, “What is impossible with men (and women) is possible with
God.”
Sarai knew it when she conceived a child in her barrenness.
Joshua knew it when a horn’s cry felled Jericho.
David knew it when he took up a stone to battle Goliath.
Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego knew it when they entered the
furnace.
Daniel knew it when he entered into the den of lions.
Moses knew it when he stepped in front of Pharaoh.
Jesus knew it as he hung upon the cross.
None of us enter eternal life without putting our heart in God’s
hands.
The man approaching Jesus is trying his best to “attain”
goodness. Jesus challenges him to “give up” on his attainment philosophy and
put his “money” on faith in God.
A hard thing to do indeed.
But “what is impossible with any of us is possible with God.”
VIDEO: Sacrifice https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/player/video/98110?session=98110
"Teacher, what good
thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good, and he stands before you. Go get rid of the things of this life that are weighing you down, and come, follow me and I will lead you straight into LIFE - life abundant here and life eternal in Heaven!"
YOU SAY
The only
thing that matters is everything you think of me.
In You I
find my worth, in you I find my identity.
No comments:
Post a Comment