1
00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:13,500
Turn your Bibles to Matthew 
chapter 19 as we listen to the 

2
00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:20,380
world's cutest hiccups. 
Don't apologize, no apologies, 

3
00:00:20,380 --> 00:00:22,060
and don't leave just 'cause I 
mentioned it. 

4
00:00:26,620 --> 00:00:31,740
Yeah, what's going on? 
My babies would have never 

5
00:00:31,740 --> 00:00:40,680
hiccuped like that in sermon. 
In chapter 19, of course, we've 

6
00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,320
already hit where the Pharisees 
come. 

7
00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,080
They're saying, hey, let's talk 
about divorce. 

8
00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:47,720
And Jesus says, I want to talk 
to you about marriage. 

9
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,040
And then from there the 
disciples are corrected. 

10
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,200
Jesus says, let the children 
come to me. 

11
00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,360
And now here we are. 
So it's kind of interesting we 

12
00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,920
go from, we talk about marriage,
we've talked about children, and

13
00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,720
now we're going to look at 
possessions as what's often been

14
00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:06,000
called the the rich young ruler.
So another passage here where 

15
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,600
three gospel writers recorded 
this account. 

16
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,080
So the Holy Spirit really wanted
to emphasize this and mark this 

17
00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,360
moment, the rich young man in 
verse 16. 

18
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,560
And behold, a man came up to him
saying, teacher, what good deed 

19
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,480
must I do to have eternal life? 
And he said to him, why do you 

20
00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,360
ask me about what is good? 
There's only one who is good. 

21
00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,440
If you would enter, if you would
enter life, keep the 

22
00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,120
commandments. 
And the man said to him, Which 

23
00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,640
ones? 
And Jesus said, You shall not 

24
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,360
murder, you shall not commit 
adultery, you shall not steal, 

25
00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,120
you shall not bear false 
witness, Honour your father and 

26
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,640
mother, and you shall love your 
neighbor as yourself. 

27
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,240
The young man said to him, All 
these I have kept, what do I 

28
00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,080
still lack? 
Jesus said to him, If you would 

29
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,160
be perfect, go and sell what you
possess, and give to the poor, 

30
00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,960
and you will have treasure in 
heaven, and come follow me. 

31
00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,720
When the young man heard this, 
he went away sorrowful, for he 

32
00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,480
had great possessions. 
And Jesus said to his disciples,

33
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,160
Truly I say to you, only with 
great difficulty will a rich 

34
00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:12,800
person enter the Kingdom of 
heaven. 

35
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,120
Again, I tell you, it is easier 
for a camel to go through the 

36
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,280
eye of a needle than for a rich 
person to enter the Kingdom of 

37
00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,680
God. 
When the disciples heard this, 

38
00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,440
they were greatly astonished, 
saying who then can be saved? 

39
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,400
But Jesus looked at them and 
said, with man this is 

40
00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,760
impossible, but with God all 
things are possible. 

41
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,640
Then Peter said in reply, See, 
we have left everything and 

42
00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,520
followed you, What then will we 
have? 

43
00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,840
Jesus said to them, Truly, I say
to you in the new world, when 

44
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,880
the when the Son of Man will sit
on his glorious throne, you who 

45
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,440
have followed me will also sit 
on 12 Thrones judging the 12 

46
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,080
tribes of Israel. 
And everyone who has left houses

47
00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:01,400
or brothers or sisters or father
or mother or children or lands 

48
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,920
for my name's sake will receive 
a hundredfold and will inherit 

49
00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,920
eternal life. 
But many who are first will be 

50
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,800
last and the last first. 
Heavenly Father, thank you for 

51
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,000
your word. 
Thank you for recording this. 

52
00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,760
Thank you for telling us the 
truth, because you love us so 

53
00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,760
much. 
God, I pray that you would build

54
00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,800
our affection for you and that 
You would help us to kill idols,

55
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,840
that we would be jealous for 
your glory, that we would be 

56
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,600
jealous for your credit, that we
will be jealous for your 

57
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,080
delight, and that we would seek 
to please You more than anything

58
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,680
and anybody else, and most 
importantly, ourselves. 

59
00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,400
Holy Spirit, minister through us
and among us today. 

60
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,560
I pray that your anointing would
come and flow freely and 

61
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,760
powerfully. 
God, your word is anointed, so 

62
00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:57,360
it will divide, it will clarify,
it will accomplish everything 

63
00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,560
you send it out to accomplish. 
I pray that our hearts would be 

64
00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:01,840
tender. 
I pray that the hearts of your 

65
00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,520
flock would be tender and soft, 
eager to receive, joyfully ready

66
00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:12,040
to obey for your glory and for 
their good in Jesus name, Amen. 

67
00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,000
As you can already see here, 
what we've read is a tragedy. 

68
00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,480
What we've read is a nightmare 
of a story for this man, this 

69
00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,600
rich young ruler, as he's often 
been called. 

70
00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,800
This is a moral man. 
Let's let's talk about what's 

71
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,280
good about this guy. 
You would want this guy as your 

72
00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:33,760
neighbor. 
This is a good guy in the 

73
00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,840
community. 
He's honoring to Jesus. 

74
00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:38,720
Luke even tells us that he comes
and he kneels before Jesus. 

75
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,880
So as we put all the accounts 
together, we get the fullest 

76
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,480
picture. 
He comes and kneels before the 

77
00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,640
Lord Jesus and still he is shut 
out of the Kingdom of heaven 

78
00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,000
because he's not willing to 
surrender his life to God. 

79
00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:52,800
This man would be a great 
neighbor. 

80
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,400
This man is thinking about 
eternity. 

81
00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:01,440
This man would be appointed as a
leader in many churches and 

82
00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,400
still he shut out of the Kingdom
of heaven. 

83
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:05,080
Why is he shut out of the 
Kingdom of heaven? 

84
00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:08,040
Because he loves the world more 
than he loves Jesus. 

85
00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,920
The same reason any of us would 
be shut out of the Kingdom of 

86
00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:11,640
heaven. 
That's why. 

87
00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,840
Because Jesus is the ultimate 
prize. 

88
00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,960
He refuses to be the sprinkle on
top. 

89
00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,960
He is the bowl, He is the ice 
cream, He is the everything. 

90
00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,640
But he will not be a supplement.
This is why the scripture says 

91
00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,880
that God is a jealous God. 
He will not share His glory. 

92
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,080
He will not share his love. 
A loving husband understands 

93
00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,320
this. 
He will not share his wife. 0 

94
00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:36,320
point 0.0% I would rather die 
than share my wife in any 

95
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,360
degree. 
And God, How much more does he 

96
00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,120
love His church? 
How much more does He love you? 

97
00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,440
How much more is he unwilling to
share your ultimate love and 

98
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,160
ultimate affection? 
He's not, not at all. 

99
00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,920
So you can have the ultimate 
prize, or you can have all the 

100
00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,600
things that you wanted and 
everything that they lead to. 

101
00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,640
Jesus gives this man the same 
invitation that he gives us. 

102
00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,400
Come and die, lay it all down. 
Lose your life and you'll find 

103
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:01,000
it. 
Why? 

104
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,320
Because I'm worth it. 
But of course, the passage ends 

105
00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,480
in tragedy. 
The man walks away from a 

106
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,120
personal invitation from the 
King of the universe, not 

107
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,040
because Jesus asks too much, but
because the man loved Jesus too 

108
00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,040
little. 
That's the issue. 

109
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,080
And Jesus just asked for so 
much. 

110
00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:23,520
No, he doesn't, because Jesus is
the ultimate reward. 

111
00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,320
And that's the thing we have to 
continue to renew our minds for.

112
00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,480
So on, on. 
On one hand, yes, the Scripture 

113
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,520
says that we are to be a living 
sacrifice. 

114
00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,480
So it's very plain that the 
Bible says we are to sacrifice. 

115
00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,160
And on the other hand, as I've 
told you before, how in the 

116
00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,040
world could we ever sacrifice? 
What in the world could we ever 

117
00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,840
give up? 
We give up our dog turds and the

118
00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:45,160
Lord says here's a treasure and 
here's a Kingdom. 

119
00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,440
Well, but I held those closely 
and they were precious to me. 

120
00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,640
Yeah, I know. 
But compared to Jesus, Paul said

121
00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:55,520
it's all dumb, it's all refuse, 
it's all waste, it's all 

122
00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,960
excrement. 
He used probably stronger 

123
00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,040
language than that at the time 
to communicate the idea. 

124
00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,240
But I won't offend your sense. 
I won't offend your 

125
00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,120
sensibilities this morning. 
But Paul, what? 

126
00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,120
Paul was wanting to emphatically
make the point. 

127
00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:08,840
He's like all the things that I 
am. 

128
00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:11,160
He begins to brag about who he 
is and what he's done and he 

129
00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,080
says all of that. 
And right about the time his 

130
00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:14,720
audience is gone. 
Paul's pretty impressive. 

131
00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,920
Paul says all that is trash 
compared to the greatness of 

132
00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,800
what knowing Jesus, and Jesus 
knows that about himself. 

133
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,320
So let's look through here 
together in verse 16. 

134
00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,880
Behold, a man came up to him 
saying, Teacher, what good deed 

135
00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:36,720
must I do to have eternal life? 
So first of all, this guy knows 

136
00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,320
that there's something missing 
from his life. 

137
00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,160
He realizes that, he feels that,
he senses it. 

138
00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,080
Everyone who hasn't come under 
the grace of God lives with this

139
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,520
fear and lives with this 
constant insecurity. 

140
00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,280
It's a terrible way to live. 
What a nightmare. 

141
00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,560
What a scary way to be. 
I feel like I'm doing the right 

142
00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:56,160
religious things. 
I think I'm doing the right 

143
00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,720
religious things. 
But in this man's spiritual 

144
00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,120
insecurity, he comes to Jesus 
not to throw himself at his feet

145
00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,440
for mercy, not to throw himself 
at his feet for grace, but to 

146
00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:07,120
kneel before him. 
Go. 

147
00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,000
Good teacher. 
I've got a pretty good checklist

148
00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,520
going, but something in me tells
me it's not enough. 

149
00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,280
What good thing must I do to be 
saved? 

150
00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,640
What do I have to do to inherit 
eternal life? 

151
00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,840
Have I done enough? 
Let me make sure that I've met 

152
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,840
the standard. 
It's a haunting question that 

153
00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,880
people live with. 
It drove this man of prominence 

154
00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,800
to seek Jesus out this way and 
to ask him about it. 

155
00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:34,760
People still live with this 
burden. 

156
00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,159
People still live with this 
torment. 

157
00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,320
Am I secure? 
What must I do? 

158
00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,200
This concern, this conviction 
should be enough to bring 

159
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,039
somebody to realize there's 
nothing they can do to save 

160
00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:46,720
themselves. 
That's what it's supposed to do.

161
00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,720
The weight of perfection does 
crush people. 

162
00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,120
The weight of perfection is 
supposed to crush people. 

163
00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,760
The law of God is supposed to 
crush us and go. 

164
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:56,440
I've got to keep all this 
perfectly. 

165
00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:57,800
Yeah. 
And if you kept it all 

166
00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,640
perfectly, you would go to 
heaven. 

167
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,840
Why? 
Because you were perfect, 

168
00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,920
because only perfect people can 
be in the presence of God. 

169
00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,560
So if you can keep the law 
perfectly, then you'll go to 

170
00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:12,120
heaven. 
But the problem is you can't. 

171
00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,440
And already you haven't. 
And already you were born in 

172
00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,320
sin, so your very nature desires
wrong. 

173
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,880
Even if you can manage the 
external presentation, which is 

174
00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,120
what this young man had focused 
on, which is what the Pharisees 

175
00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,320
focus on, the external 
presentation. 

176
00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,120
The Lord always goes to the 
heart of the thing, the last 

177
00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,680
command he gave and he said, and
love your neighbor as yourself. 

178
00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,000
No one has ever kept that 
perfectly except for one. 

179
00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:40,840
And this man certainly hadn't 
done it. 

180
00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,040
Why haven't technically 
committed adultery? 

181
00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,720
OK, well, I haven't technically 
killed anybody. 

182
00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:48,800
I've I've got hatred in my 
heart, which Jesus says is 

183
00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,760
murder. 
I've lusted, which Jesus says is

184
00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,680
adultery, but I haven't actually
gone out with the external 

185
00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:56,600
deeds, so I'm still good. 
Jesus says love your neighbor as

186
00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,360
yourself. 
You might take care of some of 

187
00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,760
the don't do the commands. 
Oh, I'll never rob the bank. 

188
00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:03,840
I'll never do this thing. 
Fine. 

189
00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,960
But what about the positive 
commands like love the Lord your

190
00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,040
God with all your heart and soul
and mind and strength? 

191
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:11,960
What about loving your neighbor 
as yourself? 

192
00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,320
Have you always loved your 
neighbor as yourself? 

193
00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,400
How far is far enough? 
How much love should I give? 

194
00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,400
How much blessing? 
How much sacrifice? 

195
00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,280
How, How, How much should I 
truly care for them? 

196
00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:25,720
Jesus is getting to the heart of
the matter. 

197
00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,960
He knows this man is not 
perfect, even though this man 

198
00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,960
might think that he's close. 
Lord, is there just one more 

199
00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,720
thing that I need to lock in? 
Is there just something else I 

200
00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,720
should do? 
All that burden, all that weight

201
00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,440
should crush us so that we would
throw ourselves under the mercy 

202
00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,520
of God and seek the grace of 
Jesus. 

203
00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,760
That's what that should do. 
It should just be, Oh my 

204
00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:45,520
goodness, Oh my, I'm just 
overwhelmed. 

205
00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,160
This is so heavy, I can't do it.
I know what I'll do. 

206
00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:53,440
I'll run to a merciful God. 
I'll run to a gracious God who 

207
00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,920
can actually help me. 
Like in Luke 18 where Jesus 

208
00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,320
tells the parable about the 
Pharisee and the tax collector. 

209
00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,880
He said two men come to pray and
the Pharisee goes in and prays 

210
00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:08,080
and he says, Lord, I thank you. 
What's he about to thinking for?

211
00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,480
I thank you that I'm not like 
this man. 

212
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:12,680
I thank you that I'm not like 
that man. 

213
00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:15,120
I thank you that I'm not like 
all these dirty yucky Sinner 

214
00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,400
people. 
That's it. 

215
00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,880
Just came to thank you for that 
God self righteousness. 

216
00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,640
He is looking at himself and his
own standards and his own 

217
00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,440
accomplishments and he's 
comparing himself to others, 

218
00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,960
which is always a bad idea 
compared to the tax collector. 

219
00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,880
So even when remember every time
Jesus, a Jewish audience heard 

220
00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,080
about a tax collector, they 
would bristle. 

221
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,920
This is worse than the IRS 
because they're a traitor to the

222
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,520
Jewish people. 
They have now sided with Rome. 

223
00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,920
Remember, this is what Matthew 
was. 

224
00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,840
But the tax collector, when he 
comes into the temple to pray, 

225
00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,480
he doesn't say, God, I'm doing 
my best out here. 

226
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,040
He stands far off. 
He won't even come near. 

227
00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,320
He beats his chest in his shame 
and he says, forgive me, God, a 

228
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,280
Sinner. 
And then Jesus clarifies for all

229
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,200
of his listeners. 
He says, one of these men went 

230
00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:11,360
away justified. 
Spoiler alert, it's not the guy 

231
00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,080
who said, God, I'm so great and 
I just wanted you to know about 

232
00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,240
it today. 
It's the one who humbled himself

233
00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,040
and said I need mercy and I need
to receive grace. 

234
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:20,480
That's the one who can receive 
it. 

235
00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,200
The one who knows that he is 
poor in spirit. 

236
00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,320
That man shall inherit the 
Kingdom of heaven. 

237
00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,160
Jesus is testing the rich young 
ruler here to see, is this man 

238
00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,640
humbly coming to God for grace 
or is he just trying to justify 

239
00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,360
himself? 
Hey Lord, what else do I need to

240
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,400
do? 
Do you understand what you're 

241
00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:41,640
talking about? 
Keep going. 

242
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,800
Verse 17 And then he said to 
him, why do you ask me about 

243
00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,400
what is good? 
There's only one who is good. 

244
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:50,040
If you would enter life, keep 
the commandments. 

245
00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,880
So sometimes folks get stumped 
on this verse because it seems 

246
00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,840
as though Jesus is trying to put
distance between himself and 

247
00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:00,080
God. 
Those who don't understand the 

248
00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,720
Scriptures, frankly, have used 
this to say Jesus is not divine,

249
00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,320
which is just laughably stupid 
because we've already seen over 

250
00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,880
and over and over why Jesus 
calls himself the Son of man. 

251
00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,480
And we've understood the 
significance of that as we 

252
00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,360
looked it up in Daniel, just 
throughout Matthew alone, not to

253
00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,760
mention all the other places in 
Scripture that reveal who he is.

254
00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,720
What's happening here is Jesus 
is testing this man. 

255
00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:21,800
Do you really understand who I 
am? 

256
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,360
It's a test for him. 
Jesus isn't saying don't call me

257
00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,360
good. 
I'm just another rabbi out here 

258
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,040
just trying to teach folks. 
That's not what Jesus is doing 

259
00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,520
at all. 
He's not putting distance 

260
00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,880
between himself and God. 
He's testing this man to see if 

261
00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,760
he actually knows who he's 
talking to. 

262
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,160
The man calls Jesus good 
teacher. 

263
00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,000
It's a polite title, but in 
Jewish thought, good in the 

264
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,560
ultimate sense can only apply to
God himself. 

265
00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,320
So Jesus is pressing him. 
Do you really understand what 

266
00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,760
you're saying? 
If you're calling me good, are 

267
00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,840
you acknowledging that I'm God? 
Or are you just tossing out 

268
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,240
compliments? 
You call me good, but do you 

269
00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,480
realize what that means? 
Because if I'm good in the way 

270
00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,000
that only God is good, then I'm 
not just a teacher. 

271
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,240
You owe me your life. 
This is a test to this man. 

272
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,560
This is a challenge to this man.
Oh good teacher, I got a 

273
00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:09,680
question of about what I should 
do. 

274
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,880
Why do you call me good? 
Well, because you know, you seem

275
00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,000
like a good guy. 
Ah, you don't know who I am. 

276
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,600
You don't understand who you're 
coming to. 

277
00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,040
You're just a self-righteous guy
instead of a humble guy coming 

278
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,440
to the king looking for help. 
Who do you say Jesus is? 

279
00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,600
That's the question Jesus asks 
to his disciples. 

280
00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,080
Who do they say that I am? 
They say you're Elijah. 

281
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,240
They say you're John the 
Baptist. 

282
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,720
Who do you say? 
And be thoughtful How you answer

283
00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,120
church, because how you answer 
is what you'll answer for. 

284
00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:45,240
Your revelation of Jesus is what
you're expected to live in 

285
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,360
accordance to. 
Your revelation of Jesus matters

286
00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,440
and your understanding of Jesus 
matters. 

287
00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,200
Peter said you're the Son of the
living God. 

288
00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,400
Jesus said flesh and blood 
hasn't revealed this to you, but

289
00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,360
my Father in heaven and that 
revelation and that confession 

290
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:00,720
is what I'm building my church 
on. 

291
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,320
Jesus is building you up on the 
revelation and confession of who

292
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:07,480
he is. 
So we want to continually 

293
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,280
declare who he is and who he is 
to us. 

294
00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:16,360
If you would enter life, Jesus 
says keep the commandments. 

295
00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,760
That's all you got to do. 
If you want to enter eternal 

296
00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:20,560
life, just keep all the 
commandments perfectly and 

297
00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,360
Florida State and you're in and 
this man goes all right, I'm up 

298
00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:28,120
for the task all 400 and some of
the the law of Moses. 

299
00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:29,360
We're going to start walking 
this out. 

300
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,200
Just walk me through the list. 
Lord, tell me what I need to 

301
00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,120
accomplish. 
But that's, oh, the, the the 

302
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,400
response of the man is funny 
now, because Jesus keep the 

303
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:41,320
commandments and the man says 
which ones, which is like, which

304
00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,080
ones do you think all of them? 
But that's exactly what someone 

305
00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,240
who is missing the greatest 
commandment would say. 

306
00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,880
He's going, what's like the 
minimum I can do? 

307
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:54,080
What's like the smallest way I 
could go by and maybe pass this 

308
00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:55,960
test. 
That's not a question that love 

309
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,680
asks. 
Love doesn't ask that, right. 

310
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,840
If I was marrying, if I was 
officiating a wedding and and 

311
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:03,840
the two were at the altar and I 
was leading them through vows 

312
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,000
and they were going, Hey, could 
we get like a pared down version

313
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,560
of the vows? 
I would say, hey, everybody, 

314
00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,320
wedding's off. 
These two aren't getting married

315
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,240
today or ever, potentially not 
by me anyway, because they're 

316
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,160
like, what are the what are the 
minimums we can do? 

317
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,800
Does love think that way? 
A couple on their wedding day, 

318
00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,120
as they should be, are excited 
to exchange their vows and 

319
00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:28,040
they're going they're they're 
committing to the maximums in 

320
00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,480
sickness and in health. 
If we're rich or if we're poor, 

321
00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:35,800
if it's good or if it's awful, 
I'm all in because that's what 

322
00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,080
love does. 
Love says I'm committing to the 

323
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,040
maximum. 
I'm not saying how do I get out 

324
00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,200
of this thing with the minimums.
That's what the loving heart 

325
00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:50,360
towards God always does. 
What's the minimum? 

326
00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,560
That's a question asked by 
somebody who would be happy to 

327
00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,400
have eternity without Jesus. 
And there are plenty of people 

328
00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,440
who would be happy in eternity 
without Jesus. 

329
00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,760
Hey, how do I get to heaven? 
Well, let me tell you about 

330
00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:03,640
Jesus. 
I'm not. 

331
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,000
I just, I'm just interested in 
in heaven. 

332
00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,280
Well, everybody who has Jesus 
knows that a heaven without 

333
00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,560
Jesus would be hell. 
A heaven without Jesus is a kill

334
00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,680
me now put me to sleep. 
Like give me oblivion. 

335
00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,839
What else could there? 
Jesus is the treasure. 

336
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,520
Jesus is the reward at the right
hand of God the Father. 

337
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:23,720
No, I was I was thinking like 
there's going to be clouds. 

338
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,359
I was thinking there's going to 
be delicious food. 

339
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,080
Well, we know that he spared not
his own son. 

340
00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,200
So sure along with him he'll 
freely give us all things. 

341
00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,560
But you know that the all things
are lesser things, right? 

342
00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,480
You knew, though, that the all 
things were lower things, right?

343
00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,080
You knew those were not needs. 
Jesus is the only need that you 

344
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:44,960
have. 
You were built this way by your 

345
00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,320
creator to love him, to want him
and to and to care for him. 

346
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,520
So you can go without anything 
and everything else and God 

347
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,480
expects you to be willing to. 
This isn't new, this isn't brand

348
00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:57,080
new. 
This isn't some like extreme 

349
00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,120
Christianity. 
This is old school Jesus 

350
00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:01,240
Christianity. 
This was the invitation that he 

351
00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:06,040
gave that day. 
The heart that loves Jesus knows

352
00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,320
that heaven without Jesus is not
heaven at all. 

353
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,320
Jesus gives him these commands. 
Keep going to verse 20. 

354
00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,320
The man said to him, All these 
I've kept, what still do I lack?

355
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,360
He says he's kept those 
perfectly, which he hasn't 

356
00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,560
'cause if he did so, even 
externally, he had not done so 

357
00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,520
internally. 
His heart is still far from God.

358
00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,680
But now Jesus shows him what's 
really needed. 

359
00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:35,120
In verse 21, Jesus said to him, 
If you would be perfect. 

360
00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,400
So he doesn't take him to task 
on all of his detailed broken 

361
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,040
theology. 
Like I'd be tempted to, I'd be 

362
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,400
tempted walking through like, 
hey, sit down, I'm going to 

363
00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,880
learn you something here. 
Like give me a minute and let me

364
00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:49,840
cook and we'll get to it. 
But it's going to be good. 

365
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,320
It's going to help you. 
Jesus just sidesteps his 

366
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,800
stupidity and says, all right, 
I'll Jesus actually plays along 

367
00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:57,160
with this man's broken 
framework. 

368
00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,480
He goes, Lord, what's the one 
command I need to obey that I 

369
00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,720
haven't obeyed yet? 
And once Jesus realizes where 

370
00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,760
this man's heart is and he goes,
oh, I've done the things, I just

371
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,120
need one more thing to do, Jesus
goes, this guy doesn't love God.

372
00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,080
He doesn't love God with all of 
his heart and soul and mind and 

373
00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:14,680
strength. 
That's the command that he's 

374
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,160
broken, which is the command 
that everyone's broken. 

375
00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,920
But Jesus in his perfect wisdom,
the Scripture says, I think it's

376
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,920
in Luke or Mark, it says Jesus 
loved him. 

377
00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,560
He loved him. 
And then Jesus dropped a nuclear

378
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,840
bomb on him. 
That's how he did like he, he 

379
00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:36,240
says Jesus loved him and said to
him, what a strange way to put 

380
00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:37,680
it. 
He doesn't do that often. 

381
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,480
He doesn't say Jesus loved him 
and said he said Jesus loved 

382
00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:41,960
him. 
You know, like, what was it? 

383
00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:45,320
What was it that was seen there?
What was it that was understood 

384
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,360
there? 
But Jesus knows what's really 

385
00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:50,280
needed. 
Total perfection, and 

386
00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,400
specifically perfection with 
obedience to the greatest 

387
00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,960
command, which none of us have 
kept perfectly. 

388
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,400
So now the command to sell all 
he has and give his money to the

389
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,960
poor isn't a thing that's going 
to make him righteous. 

390
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,920
It's just a thing that's going 
to reveal that his heart really 

391
00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,160
is all out for God. 
So this isn't a prescription for

392
00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,120
every single person who's ever 
lived. 

393
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,720
This is clearly a man in a in a 
moment. 

394
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:15,600
Could the Lord ask you to do 
this? 

395
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:20,440
Of course he could. 1000% yes, 
absolutely no doubt. 

396
00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,120
Why? 
Because he'll ask you to do 

397
00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:23,800
anything. 
He wants you to be willing to 

398
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,160
give up everything. 
So whatever you're thinking 

399
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,160
right now, well, I hope the Lord
wouldn't ask me to. 

400
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,280
There, you have found something 
that you love more than God. 

401
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,280
I hope the Lord would never ask 
me to. 

402
00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,120
There you have an idol that you 
need to put on the altar of the 

403
00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:40,960
Lord to reveal to yourself who 
you love more. 

404
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,600
No, I love God more. 
I'm just also going to hold on 

405
00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:45,880
to all this stuff. 
What evidence would there ever 

406
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,200
be of that in the court of law? 
How would we convict you? 

407
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,840
Would we say clearly he loved 
God more or would we have to say

408
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:59,040
the evidence spoke otherwise? 
So Jesus loves him shows him 

409
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,840
what he really needs. 
The selling and the giving to 

410
00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,240
the poor isn't really the issue.
Loving God is the issue and the 

411
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,680
man knows that. 
He loves his money more than he 

412
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,560
loves God and this is the idol 
that he must kill. 

413
00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,000
So what would you not give up if
Jesus asked you to give it up? 

414
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,280
You just found something that 
you love more than God. 

415
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,160
What would you not give up if 
Jesus asked you to give it up? 

416
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,520
He went straight for the heart 
with this man, but he goes 

417
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:29,720
straight for the heart with 
everybody. 

418
00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:31,920
This guy doesn't get some unfair
treatment. 

419
00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,520
He got the same treatment that 
Matthew got. 

420
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,800
The tax collector who's writing 
this very gospel. 

421
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,240
Matthew, come follow me. 
And Matthew walks away from it 

422
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,600
all. 
They had all walked away from it

423
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,280
all. 
That's what Peter's point was. 

424
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,360
Peter watches a man who he's 
like, he's like, Jesus is 

425
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:51,360
inviting this guy. 
Cool. 

426
00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:53,120
I like this guy. 
I hope he joins the group and he

427
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,920
walks away. 
And then Jesus says it's 

428
00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:58,440
difficult for a rich man to 
enter the Kingdom. 

429
00:21:58,440 --> 00:21:59,600
And we'll get to that part in a 
second. 

430
00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,960
But Peter's going, we've walked 
away from everything we've done.

431
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:05,400
We have walked away from 
everything. 

432
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:07,680
Well, that's what a disciple of 
Jesus does. 

433
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,960
You're not special if you've 
walked away from everything to 

434
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:11,880
choose Jesus. 
Congratulations, you have a 

435
00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,920
brain in your head and you 
recognize that Jesus is the most

436
00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,560
valuable treasure ever. 
I walked away from dog turds to 

437
00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,040
choose $1,000,000. 
Do you want a Gold Star? 

438
00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:24,280
Of course you did. 
Why wouldn't you? 

439
00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,080
That's that's the grace of God 
working in your life. 

440
00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,760
And of course you made the best 
decision for yourself possible. 

441
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,680
You stored up treasures. 
God's not opposed to you storing

442
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,640
up treasures, Saints, He's not 
opposed to you storing up great 

443
00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,760
amassing incredible wealth. 
He's saying just prioritize 

444
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:42,920
where you put it. 
Make sure you're make sure 

445
00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,680
you're prioritizing incredible 
wealth and eternity. 

446
00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,680
Pastor, are we allowed to have 
money here and now? 

447
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,240
Yeah. 
I want you all to be just crazy 

448
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,000
wealthy financially, literally, 
like I would love. 

449
00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,440
I would love that for you. 
The danger, though, is that 

450
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,560
wealth along with it brings a 
temptation to trust in it. 

451
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,800
So on the other hand, I go, I 
don't, I want whatever is best 

452
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,800
for you, whatever you can handle
and whatever you can manage. 

453
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:10,480
You know that everybody who wins
the lottery loses it all, right?

454
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,800
They destroy their lives. 
It's a sad thing. 

455
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,040
It's a tragic thing. 
Those people are stupid. 

456
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,520
If I had it, if you had it, you 
do the same thing with it that 

457
00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,200
you do with your money now. 
Your level of stinginess, your 

458
00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,480
level of greed, your level of 
generosity. 

459
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,120
It would travel with your degree
of income. 

460
00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,000
This is the safety of the tithe 
as well. 

461
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:33,360
The tithe always travels with 
you. 

462
00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,920
The tithe is always the tithe. 
10 percents, always 10%. 

463
00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:38,800
That's a lot of money. 
No, it's just 10%. 

464
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,520
It's always been 10%. 
It's never changed and it's a 

465
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,280
starting point. 
By the way, it's not, again, 

466
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,640
it's not a pat on the back like 
Pharisees would do because 

467
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,640
that's one of the things the 
Pharisees pray God. 

468
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,520
I tithe, I fast twice per week. 
I'm not like this man. 

469
00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,360
That was one of the things he 
was stacking up for his 

470
00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:57,120
righteousness. 
So don't get it confused. 

471
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,080
Loving God is the heart of the 
thing. 

472
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,400
We can easily get distracted 
with all the externals. 

473
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,920
We can easily focus on all the 
externals. 

474
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,440
But what would I not give up if 
Jesus asked me to. 

475
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:13,800
That's the thing that should 
really scare you and then simply

476
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,840
that's the thing you should go 
drive a stake right through the 

477
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,440
heart of it. 
What's the way that the Holy 

478
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:22,360
Spirit would have you do that 
man if he asked me to this OK, 

479
00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:26,040
we'll take that to him in a 
humble merciful I'm throwing 

480
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,120
myself at your feet grace filled
prayer. 

481
00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:33,040
Don't be like the rich young 
ruler who went you just stabbed 

482
00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,560
me in the you stabbed you got me
with that one pastor. 

483
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,680
Don't just stay there, carry it 
all the way to Jesus and be 

484
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,960
like, help me like wring that 
out in prayer. 

485
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,800
Don't just be condemned by Oh 
no, I wouldn't give up this and 

486
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,280
this and this and this. 
If you just feel bad right now, 

487
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,680
if you just feel sad because you
just got found out on something,

488
00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:57,320
you're you're being the rich 
young ruler. 

489
00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,320
He went away sorrowful. 
Why? 

490
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,880
Because he knew Jesus was right,
but he wasn't willing to change.

491
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,560
Why do you go away sorrowful? 
You're rich, you're young, 

492
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:08,520
you're healthy. 
Why is he going away sad? 

493
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,560
Disagree with him, right? 
Just disagree. 

494
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,640
Oh, that rabbi's an idiot. 
I'm going to go live my happy 

495
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:16,400
life because I'm hashtag 
blessed. 

496
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,600
But he knew Jesus was right. 
That's why he goes away sad. 

497
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,080
Because he goes, he had, he got 
to the heart of the thing and 

498
00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:31,560
God has just cut me and I'm not 
willing and I'm doomed. 

499
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,040
And that settles it. 
And he walks away. 

500
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,920
You fool, Throw yourself more 
deeply on his mercy. 

501
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,280
God, I can't do all of that 
without your help. 

502
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,240
Because here's the thing. 
He can't go and sell everything 

503
00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,360
he has and give it to the poor 
without grace to go do it. 

504
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,040
This, and I want to clarify, 
this is not a test. 

505
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,280
Jesus is. 
Well, it is a test, but Jesus 

506
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,080
literally wants him to sell 
everything. 

507
00:25:57,360 --> 00:25:59,720
I want to clarify that point. 
He meant it. 

508
00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,320
It wasn't like a hey, let me 
check and see, and then the guy 

509
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,120
was going to go do it. 
This isn't like Isaac on the 

510
00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:06,680
altar, right? 
This is literally the real 

511
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:08,640
invitation. 
Just like it was literally the 

512
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,280
real invitation for Matthew. 
Hey, come follow me. 

513
00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:12,920
He shuts down the tax booth. 
He just runs through. 

514
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:14,880
No, no, no, Finish up your 
business. 

515
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:16,920
You got to meet answer the 
Romans. 

516
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,360
You got to give a report for 
this week. 

517
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,840
No, no, no, no, no. 
Whoever puts their hand to the 

518
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:24,080
plow, your pastor's quoting 
Jesus. 

519
00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,160
Whoever puts their hand to the 
plow and then turns back from 

520
00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:28,960
the work is not worthy of the 
Kingdom. 

521
00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,840
I don't know how it got in 
there, but it's been in there a 

522
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,600
long time. 
I didn't invent any of this 

523
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,480
stuff. 
This is how Jesus talked about 

524
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:43,440
following Jesus. 
God tested Abraham and asked him

525
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,320
to offer his son as a sacrifice.
The very son that God promised, 

526
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,640
the son Abraham waited for for 
years. 

527
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,280
Abraham did it because he loved 
God with all his heart, soul, 

528
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:59,000
mind and strength. 
And this guy gets a personal 

529
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,000
invitation and come follow me. 
Sweeter words have never been 

530
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,160
spoken. 
It seems like Jesus is putting a

531
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,320
massive standard on him. 
It's the standard we all get. 

532
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,800
If you don't love God with all 
your heart, soul, mind and 

533
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,520
strength. 
If you don't love your neighbor 

534
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,560
as yourself, then you're not 
worthy of Him and His Kingdom. 

535
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,160
I can't do that on my own. 
So glad that you recognize that 

536
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,480
point. 
That will throw you more deeply 

537
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,640
onto the mercy of Jesus. 
That will throw you humbly into 

538
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,800
prayer and go, God help me, God 
help me. 

539
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:37,040
Apart from you I can do nothing.
It's the prideful heart that 

540
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:38,560
thinks, how can I do that in my 
own strength? 

541
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,040
You can't. 
Welcome to the point. 

542
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,640
It's almost like you have to be 
made a new creation. 

543
00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:49,000
It's almost like the old you has
to die and there has to be a new

544
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:53,720
you. 
Jesus loves him and he gives him

545
00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,600
a standard. 
Jesus loves you and he gives you

546
00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,160
a standard. 
When you love others, you will 

547
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:06,000
also give them a standard. 
Jesus still says hard things to 

548
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,800
people like stop living with 
your girlfriend. 

549
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,960
He still tells people forgive 
your father. 

550
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,640
He tells people confess the 
abortion. 

551
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:19,160
He tells people repent of 
bitterness, confess the porn, 

552
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,560
submit to your husband with joy,
get off the couch and lead your 

553
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,560
family. 
Those are heavy. 

554
00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,600
Welcome to the point. 
Run to Jesus for mercy and 

555
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,680
grace. 
God, I can't do any of this. 

556
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,760
I I know you're right. 
So I walk away sorrowful because

557
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:38,720
I'm unwilling and I'm hard 
hearted. 

558
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,960
Then you are doomed. 
But when the burden and when the

559
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,000
law, when the command crushes 
you, if you throw yourself at 

560
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,920
the feet of Jesus and say, God 
help me, I'm weak and I need you

561
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,400
and I can't do anything apart 
from you, He goes, we can work 

562
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,680
with this and I'm going to 
strengthen you and I'm going to 

563
00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,360
give you the grace to do the 
thing that I do require of you 

564
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,760
because make no mistake, I do 
require things of you. 

565
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,080
Love requires things that loving
husband and wife do. 

566
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:10,520
They require things of one 
another. 

567
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,920
They should. 
There are standards there, 

568
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,760
Expectations. 
I require things of Natalie. 

569
00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:19,400
Natalie requires things of me. 
We don't do this as bratty 

570
00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,840
children, but there are 
expectations because that's what

571
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,480
a loving relationship looks 
like. 

572
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,240
So God has requirements for his 
people. 

573
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,360
Jesus creates the standard. 
Jesus sets the standard. 

574
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,080
Jesus is the only one who 
fulfills the standard, which is 

575
00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,880
why you and I need the grace of 
God. 

576
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,000
But I failed them so many times.
I know. 

577
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,680
Welcome to the cross and welcome
to the point of the story. 

578
00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,280
Welcome to the gospel all over 
again. 

579
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:47,520
You need to hear it. 
I need to hear it. 

580
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,280
And if you ever get bored with 
it, you're in big trouble. 

581
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,440
Jesus loves you. 
So Jesus tells you the truth 

582
00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,640
about what's needed. 
And your love for people will 

583
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,320
not make loopholes for them 
either. 

584
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,040
It will not make exceptions for 
them. 

585
00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:03,960
It will always call them to love
God. 

586
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,080
Would you have told the rich 
young ruler that that day? 

587
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:11,040
I wouldn't have, You know, he's 
new. 

588
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,200
He's like, let's you know, let's
be a step. 

589
00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,640
Like, let's be gentle with it. 
And like, there's all kinds of, 

590
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,680
there's all kinds of ways I 
could have weaseled out of 

591
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:20,800
having to say the strong thing 
and the true thing to him. 

592
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:26,600
I don't want to confuse you. 
This isn't to say that for those

593
00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:30,600
who are less mature in their 
walk and for those who are less 

594
00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,840
mature in Christ, this isn't to 
say that you need to crush them 

595
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,720
with law constantly every time 
you see them slip. 

596
00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,520
What we're looking for in a in a
persons life is an awareness of 

597
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,120
the grace of God and a humility 
to grow if that's present. 

598
00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:46,840
There are many things that I can
say. 

599
00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,960
I don't have to put my finger on
that right now. 

600
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,080
You understand that. 
I don't have to put my finger on

601
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:53,520
that with every single thing 
that I see. 

602
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:54,880
Chris sees some things in my 
life. 

603
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,680
He doesn't have to put his 
finger on every single thing 

604
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,080
that he sees, as long as he sees
the one most important thing, A 

605
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,760
genuine desire to keep following
Jesus, knowing that the Holy 

606
00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,800
Spirit will will bring off some 
rough edges. 

607
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:08,960
And Chris knows that he's not 
the Holy Spirit. 

608
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,000
But Chris also knows he's his 
brother's keeper. 

609
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,200
So he still has to look out for 
me. 

610
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,160
He still has to speak up. 
And yet he doesn't have to put 

611
00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,120
his finger on every single 
occasion. 

612
00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,160
So what do we need? 
We need the wisdom of God again.

613
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,720
We need the grace of God again, 
which always drives us back into

614
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,960
prayer so that we would be wrung
out and we go, God, there's, 

615
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:33,000
there's gross stuff in here. 
That's, that's what that's what 

616
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,880
was supposed to happen next in 
the story. 

617
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,600
Jesus crushed him with the 
biggest weight and then he was 

618
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,120
just supposed to go. 
God help me. 

619
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:44,520
And Jesus is going to go on. 
I will, I will. 

620
00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,240
I don't know what it would have 
looked like next. 

621
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,840
We'll never know, unfortunately,
because the story ends in 

622
00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:54,120
tragedy. 
But you've got to also tell 

623
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,600
people the truth, the truth that
weighs them down. 

624
00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:03,400
And they say you're judging me 
and you say I'm loving you, and 

625
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,720
I also want to take you to Jesus
who will empower you. 

626
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,520
That's what we feel when we feel
big weights and we feel heavy 

627
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:10,680
standards. 
That's the problem and that's 

628
00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,520
the pride that rises up in it. 
So we go, that's impossible. 

629
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:15,920
And you go, well, hang on, I 
wasn't finished. 

630
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:17,560
That was the bad news. 
There's good news too. 

631
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,720
God will give you grace to walk 
out your obedience. 

632
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,000
So whatever crazy obedience you 
think is that the Lord is 

633
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,960
calling you to good news. 
He's drawing you to follow him. 

634
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,480
He's drawing you to fellowship. 
He's drawing you into the prayer

635
00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:36,280
closet so that you can actually 
crucify that flesh, so you can 

636
00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,720
actually grow into the place he 
wants you to grow into. 

637
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,440
Welcome to what Christian 
discipleship was always supposed

638
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,960
to look like. 
Not I'm the same Christian I 

639
00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:48,080
have been for the past two 
decades, going to heaven when I 

640
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,160
die, I think because I got good 
theology. 

641
00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,920
But what new idols have you been
killing? 

642
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:56,480
Because the human heart is an 
idol factory. 

643
00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,000
By the way, you don't get to 
just win this battle once and 

644
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,280
then live free. 
We're not free of this stuff 

645
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,960
until we breathe our last 
breath, until we return our 

646
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:10,680
borrowed breath to the Lord. 
And then finally, finally, then 

647
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,960
at that point, we are completely
delivered. 

648
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,560
In the meantime, the Holy Spirit
is with us to strengthen us, to 

649
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,760
make much of Jesus, to remind us
who the greatest treasure and 

650
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:25,520
the biggest prize is. 
Jesus doesn't give a message to 

651
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,560
the rich man that he's going to 
further bless his already 

652
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,120
blessed life. 
To the man who comes to God and 

653
00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,400
says I've got everything. 
Jesus simply says, and that's 

654
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,800
all I ask for, I've got 
everything all together. 

655
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,960
And the Lord says I'll take it. 
I'll take it all, give it all to

656
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,600
me. 
Well, no, Lord, I, I have it. 

657
00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,240
Well, but you're, I thought you 
thought you loved me, right? 

658
00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,880
What I meant was, and the truth 
has been revealed, the Lord 

659
00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,480
already knew the truth, but now 
I have to face it. 

660
00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:56,720
He puts the mirror right in 
front of me and goes, here's 

661
00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:00,320
what you're dealing with and go,
what's your response in this 

662
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:02,200
moment, Church, walk away 
sorrowful. 

663
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,200
That is a hard word. 
That is a heavy word and I am 

664
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:09,520
unwilling to obey it. 
Congrats on His honesty. 

665
00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,360
First of all, because most folks
in our modern moment won't admit

666
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,239
it. 
They will argue with the Lord of

667
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,600
glory. 
So that's the one thing I can 

668
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:19,040
respect. 
Again, a moral man. 

669
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,639
He wasn't about to deny the 
Lord's truth and the Lord's 

670
00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:23,840
accuracy. 
That's why he went away sad. 

671
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,320
That word sorrowful means 
grieving. 

672
00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,920
The Lord loved him, loved him 
and invited him. 

673
00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,040
I can't do it, I'm not doing it.
Those are the options. 

674
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,719
Think you got to do it in your 
own strength and go away sad. 

675
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,320
Or Lord help me, help me, help 
me. 

676
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,360
Lord help me. 
I don't have a fancy prayer. 

677
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:50,040
Lord help me. 
It's a real gut wrenching prayer

678
00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:51,719
that would come out in those 
moments. 

679
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:55,000
It's a real honest prayer. 
It's like the Psalms. 

680
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,600
It's something that's true. 
It's not trying to sound real 

681
00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,840
Christian. 
It's oh God, help me. 

682
00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:02,960
I'm scared. 
I don't want to let this thing 

683
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:04,320
go. 
I can't even believe I'm saying 

684
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,800
this out loud. 
That is what the Holy Spirit can

685
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:08,520
work with. 
Because finally we're being 

686
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,800
humble. 
We're finally being honest 

687
00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:13,760
instead of just throwing the 
prayers up. 

688
00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:15,920
They come out of your mouth, but
they, they, they were never in 

689
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:20,840
your heart to begin with. 
Look how different this all is 

690
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,840
from the lukewarm message many 
so-called Christians carry 

691
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,400
today. 
But he's inviting the rich man 

692
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,440
to the same what? 
The same way he invited Matthew,

693
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,080
the tax collector. 
Matthew's like, I've seen this 

694
00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:34,520
before, seen this story. 
Matthew's watching. 

695
00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:40,960
He's going man, this guy missed 
it. 

696
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:45,760
He missed the mark. 
Matthew left it all same 

697
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:49,080
invitation to all of us. 
Lose your life and you'll save 

698
00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,280
it. 
Come follow me. 

699
00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:53,200
But this man goes away 
sorrowful. 

700
00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:59,080
He came looking for reassurance 
and instead he left being 

701
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,800
exposed. 
He thought he was doing great, 

702
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,200
but Jesus revealed the command 
that he couldn't keep. 

703
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,680
He wouldn't love God most. 
I'm not going to give you Isaac.

704
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,600
You can't have Isaac. 
My life is yours, Lord. 

705
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:14,360
Can I have Isaac? 
No, not Isaac. 

706
00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,760
Anything and anyone but Isaac. 
You can't have that part of my 

707
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:18,680
life. 
You can't have that part of my 

708
00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,280
heart. 
It's too precious to me. 

709
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:28,960
OK, Jesus taught the blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs 

710
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:31,880
is the Kingdom of heaven. 
If you think you're somebody, 

711
00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,080
you're in big trouble. 
If you know you're nobody. 

712
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,680
I'm poor in spirit. 
Humble before you, Lord. 

713
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,880
Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
I can always work with that. 

714
00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,320
So you can have a gajillion 
dollars and if you're poor in 

715
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:48,560
spirit, you're good, you're 
safe, but that's what's needed. 

716
00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:56,080
Verse 23 and 24, he said to his 
disciples, truly I say to you, 

717
00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,480
only with difficulty will a rich
person enter the Kingdom of 

718
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,880
heaven. 
Again, I tell you, it's easier 

719
00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:04,080
for a camel to go through the 
eye of a needle than for a rich 

720
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,520
person to enter the Kingdom of 
God. 

721
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,840
So there's been much said and 
and some commentaries over the 

722
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:11,160
years. 
They are inaccurate. 

723
00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:16,000
I heard this growing up as well,
but it is definitely inaccurate.

724
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,280
It's been said that they were 
inside of the main gates of 

725
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,080
Jerusalem. 
There was like a smaller gate 

726
00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,320
you could open to pass through 
and that was often called the 

727
00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:24,200
eye of the needle. 
That is false. 

728
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,000
That is not true. 
There was no such gate. 

729
00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,520
The concept, the idea or those 
gates might have existed, but 

730
00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,240
the concept was the idea was 
that a, that a camel could fit 

731
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:35,120
through these things. 
So the idea is that the camel 

732
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,640
could be stripped of all of its 
baggage and then you could force

733
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,600
the camel to kneel and then you 
could press on its hindquarters 

734
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:42,840
and it could travel through the 
gate. 

735
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,840
We know this is not true. 
And in fact, this is a softening

736
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:48,840
of what Jesus, the point he was 
trying to make. 

737
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,040
The point is it is actually 
impossible. 

738
00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:52,760
It's impossible. 
Impossible. 

739
00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:54,760
It's easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle. 

740
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,160
And the word needle that Jesus 
used, there was an actual 

741
00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,160
needle. 
He wasn't referencing a gate. 

742
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:03,160
He was referencing actually a 
camel can't go through the eye 

743
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,840
of a needle. 
His point is it's impossible. 

744
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,600
That was the point he wanted to 
emphasize For all of these guys,

745
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,800
without God, it's impossible. 
Apart from grace, you have an 

746
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,080
impossible task. 
You're not a camel who can shed 

747
00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,160
some baggage and still make it 
through. 

748
00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:20,880
You're a dead man who has to be 
made alive. 

749
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,400
Something has to change in a in 
a, in a miraculous way. 

750
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,680
You must be perfect to get into 
God's presence. 

751
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,120
Let me tell you this church, 
only perfect people are going to

752
00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,600
heaven. 
Does that mean people who only 

753
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,920
lived a perfect life? 
No important distinction there, 

754
00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,960
right? 
Because it's also, it's often 

755
00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:39,800
been said, no perfect people go 
to heaven. 

756
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:41,160
Only forgiven people go to 
heaven. 

757
00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:43,160
That's also true in the way that
that's meant. 

758
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,440
But what I'm telling you is only
perfect people go to heaven. 

759
00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:50,960
How can I be perfect in Christ? 
Whoever has the perfection of 

760
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:54,680
Christ placed upon their life, 
whoever has the blood of the 

761
00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,680
Lamb put on the doorposts of 
their heart, that is the 

762
00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:01,520
perfection that's given to us. 
And that is why Christianity 

763
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,400
always stands apart from every 
other world religion, every 

764
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,880
other false philosophy, every 
other cult and twisted 

765
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,080
perspective, because Jesus 
always gets the glory and nobody

766
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,240
else does. 
I don't get any credit for 

767
00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:15,840
anything. 
Nobody's going to be impressed 

768
00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:17,800
with me in heaven. 
Nobody's going to be impressed 

769
00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:21,480
with you in heaven. 
The thief on the cross in heaven

770
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:24,520
got there the same way the 
apostle Paul did. 

771
00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,440
Those two could stand there and 
go, how'd you get here? 

772
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:30,440
The name in the blood. 
How'd you get here? 

773
00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:32,440
The name in the blood. 
That's it. 

774
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,880
Thief on the cross talking to 
Paul and tell me, what was your 

775
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:38,720
life like on earth? 
He starts to sound like, well, 

776
00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:42,880
I'm kind of planted the whole 
church and, you know, did a lot 

777
00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:43,800
of work. 
Wow. 

778
00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:45,960
Is there a reward? 
Absolutely. 

779
00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:47,440
There's a reward for 
faithfulness. 

780
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,760
The thief on the cross came in 
in the last minute. 

781
00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:55,680
Not a good plan, not a way that 
we want to live, but God's grace

782
00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:01,280
accomplished the work. 
In verse 25. 

783
00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,160
When the disciples heard this, 
they they realized it's 

784
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:06,960
impossible to make it into the 
Kingdom of heaven. 

785
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:09,680
When the disciples heard this, 
they were greatly astonished 

786
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:13,440
saying who then can be saved? 
But Jesus looked at them and 

787
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,280
said with man, this is 
impossible. 

788
00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,320
But with God, all things are 
possible. 

789
00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:20,280
The reason they're shocked at 
what he just said is because 

790
00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:23,320
Jewish thought was that if a 
person was rich, then they're 

791
00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:26,000
blessed by God. 
This their, their wealth shows 

792
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:27,640
the favor and blessing of God 
upon their lives. 

793
00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:30,880
So they're going like, if the 
rich can't make it in, blessed 

794
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:34,400
by God, who can make it in? 
And Jesus doesn't even take the 

795
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,120
time to correct all their 
stupidity there. 

796
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,800
He just goes with man, 
everything's impossible. 

797
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,880
But with God, all things are 
possible. 

798
00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:47,440
And we're closing verse 27. 
Then Peter said in reply, see, 

799
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:48,960
we have left everything and 
followed you. 

800
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:54,800
What then will we have Jesus 
said to them, truly, I say to 

801
00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,840
you in the new world, when the 
Son of Man will sit on his 

802
00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,920
glorious throne, you who have 
followed me will also sit on 12 

803
00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:03,760
Thrones judging the the 12 
tribes of Israel. 

804
00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,280
And everyone who has left houses
or brothers or sisters or father

805
00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:11,520
or mother or children or lambs, 
for my name's sake will inherit,

806
00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:15,240
will receive a hundredfold and 
will inherit eternal life. 

807
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:22,880
But many who are first will be 
last, and the last first. 

808
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:26,960
Peter's question might sound 
self-serving. 

809
00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:29,320
I don't think it is. 
I just think it's honest. 

810
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:31,760
He's seeing this thing happen in
front of them. 

811
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,240
They have left everything. 
This guy wouldn't leave 

812
00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:37,720
everything. 
And it's kind of like the right 

813
00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:41,920
time to ask it, Hey, we left 
everything for you. 

814
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,200
What? 
What does that mean for us? 

815
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:48,040
Jesus doesn't rebuke it. 
He just wants to know what's 

816
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:49,800
going on. 
And Jesus tells him, following 

817
00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,680
me is not a loss. 
Following me is a gain. 

818
00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:58,040
Following me is a net positive. 
It is an exponential multiplier 

819
00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:00,680
for your future. 
But it actually requires a 

820
00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:02,680
person to live like eternity is 
real. 

821
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,120
It actually requires a person to
live like there is life after 

822
00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,400
death. 
And plenty of people don't and 

823
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:10,400
won't. 
Yeah, I believe I want to go to 

824
00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:11,520
heaven when I die. 
But why? 

825
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:13,280
Then why aren't you storing any 
treasure up for there? 

826
00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:16,160
You're working hard as some 
temporary treasure. 

827
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:18,760
Hard. 
Yeah. 

828
00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,160
Well, I want to go to heaven. 
So what treasure are you storing

829
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:22,600
up? 
As long as I get in. 

830
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,920
Interesting. 
Because we're told to store 

831
00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:27,760
treasure there. 
We're told that there's reward 

832
00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:29,360
there. 
We're told there's rulership and

833
00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,280
blessing. 
You're 80 years. 

834
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:37,560
You're banking on this instead 
of banking on your thousand 1000

835
00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:43,640
Thousand 1000. 
Lord build my faith. 

836
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:48,840
You who have followed me will 
sit on 12 Thrones. 

837
00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:51,920
He promises reward that was 
again specific to those 

838
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:53,720
disciples. 
This is not you and I are not 

839
00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:56,480
going to sit on the 12 Thrones 
and judge the tribes of Israel. 

840
00:42:56,720 --> 00:42:59,080
That will specifically be the 12
apostles of the lamb. 

841
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:04,280
Mine is Judas plus Matthias. 
They, they were literally going 

842
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,920
to be the ones judging Israel, 
and they will have a particular 

843
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:10,640
place as the apostles of the 
Lamb that we will not have. 

844
00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:14,960
But to all of his people he 
promises reward, authority, 

845
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:18,200
eternal inheritance, not for 
earning anything, but for 

846
00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:20,600
trusting, for loving, for 
following. 

847
00:43:20,720 --> 00:43:24,920
And then he widens it. 
He widens the, the whole 

848
00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:27,560
promise. 
Everyone who has left houses or 

849
00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:30,600
brothers or sisters or father or
mother or children or lands for 

850
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,280
my name's sake will receive a 
hundredfold and inherit eternal 

851
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:36,760
life. 
The rich man walked away. 

852
00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,000
Peter's walked away from 
everything else and walked 

853
00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,680
towards Jesus. 
Jesus tells you the same thing. 

854
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:46,080
He's always told everybody. 
Whatever you lay down for me, 

855
00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:49,200
you will never regret it. 
I will always give you back more

856
00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:51,480
than you lose, because I give 
you myself. 

857
00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:54,400
If that sounds like a good deal 
to you, you're right. 

858
00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,520
But many who are first will be 
last in the last. 

859
00:43:57,520 --> 00:43:58,400
First. 
What's he mean? 

860
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:02,760
Those who have the priority 
here, many of them will be last 

861
00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,520
in the Kingdom. 
The rich man, I had it good 

862
00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:09,320
here, but eventually is thrown 
into the lake of fire. 

863
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,680
Or those who had it poor here 
because they were poor in 

864
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:16,160
spirit, maybe poor in status, 
but mighty in the Kingdom. 

865
00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:19,400
And then in the Lord's eyes, he 
says they'll be first. 

866
00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:22,480
They'll be prioritized like his 
apostles, for example. 

867
00:44:28,490 --> 00:44:30,410
Those who love God most will be 
honored forever. 

868
00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:34,480
What Jesus required of the rich 
young ruler, he requires of all 

869
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,800
of us total surrender. 
Not just polite religion, good 

870
00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:43,440
teacher, not respectable 
morality, not surface level 

871
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:47,240
interest in eternity, But love. 
Love that's deep. 

872
00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:50,960
Love that is exclusive. 
Love that is loyal for the 

873
00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,320
living God. 
Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

874
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:54,800
for theirs is the Kingdom of 
heaven. 

875
00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,480
The Kingdom does not belong to 
those who have it all together. 

876
00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:02,000
It belongs to those who come 
empty because they know that 

877
00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:03,960
Jesus is the treasure that will 
fill them. 

878
00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:07,760
I'm the fool who found the 
treasure in the field. 

879
00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:12,960
I went and sold everything and I
just bought this field. 

880
00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:15,080
It doesn't look like much to 
everybody else. 

881
00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:17,000
Look at all he had. 
And he bought a field. 

882
00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,240
Like, I know, I know it doesn't 
look like much to you. 

883
00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:21,960
I know I look like a fool 
dancing in a field. 

884
00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:24,720
But please, come, let me show 
you the treasure. 

885
00:45:24,720 --> 00:45:26,680
It's not visible to you right 
now, but it's here. 

886
00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,520
It's here, and it's worth more 
than everything that you think I

887
00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,040
gave up, everything you think I 
sacrificed. 

888
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:36,800
I assure you I didn't sacrifice.
In fact, I was very clever. 

889
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:38,960
I was very shrewd in my business
dealings. 

890
00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:42,520
I gave up trash to get the King 
of Kings. 

891
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:48,320
I did well, it was quite wise. 
It was very Serpentine of me. 

892
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:58,000
So remember Lot's wife? 
She looked back, but Jesus told 

893
00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,360
us, no one who puts his hand to 
the plow and looks back is fit 

894
00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:02,480
for the Kingdom of God. 
Don't turn back. 

895
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,840
Don't walk away sorrowful. 
Oh, this is heavy. 

896
00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:07,760
Then run to the Lord for His 
grace. 

897
00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:10,600
It's almost like you need His 
grace all the time, Christian. 

898
00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:12,320
It's almost like you keep 
needing it. 

899
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:14,840
It's almost like you didn't just
need grace to get saved. 

900
00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:17,680
You need grace to say saved. 
It's almost like you didn't just

901
00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:18,960
need grace to come into the 
Kingdom. 

902
00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:20,680
You need grace to stay into the 
Kingdom. 

903
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:24,120
It's almost like you didn't just
need grace to repent once, but 

904
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:25,720
you need grace to repent 
constantly. 

905
00:46:26,240 --> 00:46:28,680
We need grace for our full 
sanctification. 

906
00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,520
And you should be having some 
gut wrenching prayers throughout

907
00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,920
your life as a believer. 
If you haven't had one in a 

908
00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:37,000
while, you're probably stale. 
You probably need to break up 

909
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,800
the fallow ground of your heart 
and go, man, this thing has 

910
00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:41,400
gotten hard. 
This thing has gotten dead. 

911
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:45,520
My my daily bread has gotten 
stale and I need freshness. 

912
00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:47,800
What's the key? 
What's the gateway? 

913
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:52,960
Heart wrenching, real prayer, 
real faithfulness, real 

914
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:56,000
humility. 
God help me, I believe, help my 

915
00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:58,360
unbelief. 
God, I want to obey, but I don't

916
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:00,640
want to obey. 
God help me to obey. 

917
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,400
Taking all that and saying and I
need grace. 

918
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:07,840
Beating your chest like the tax 
collector. 

919
00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:09,400
Forgive me. 
God a Sinner. 

920
00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:13,600
God can work with that. 
God can mature that. 

921
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:17,720
Don't walk away, lose your life 
and save it. 

922
00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:20,520
Don't cling to idols and forfeit
Christ. 

923
00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:24,960
Come to Jesus Christ joyfully 
and never wonder about your 

924
00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:28,520
eternity again. 
Never let the fear get you again

925
00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,280
of have I done enough? 
Let that be buried forever. 

926
00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:34,560
Lay everything down, your pride,
your plans, your possessions and

927
00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:40,440
take up the invitation. 
Come follow me Jesus, we love 

928
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:44,880
you, we come and we follow you. 
Lord, I pray that we will be a 

929
00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:51,920
people who will wrench out our 
hearts and continue to submerge 

930
00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:55,440
them back into Your grace. 
Help us to wrench out sin and to

931
00:47:55,440 --> 00:48:00,800
just soak in Your presence where
we can be strengthened, where we

932
00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,440
can receive the grace that we 
need. 

933
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:06,520
The help in the time of need, 
not to just overcome 

934
00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:10,680
difficulties of life, but to 
crucify this flesh that seems to

935
00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:14,520
want to be revived at times. 
A living sacrifice. 

936
00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:18,880
We have to keep getting on this 
altar, Keep humbling ourselves 

937
00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:20,440
before You because You really 
are worth it. 

938
00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:23,880
God, bring that revelation, Open
our eyes that we would see 

939
00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,000
Jesus. 
God, if we would, if you would 

940
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:27,680
just open our eyes that we would
see Jesus. 

941
00:48:27,680 --> 00:48:30,840
It gets so simple. 
What an easy thing if you would 

942
00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:36,120
just reveal more of him to us, 
reveal more of Jesus to us so 

943
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:40,240
that we would see the trade and 
that we would even then be more 

944
00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:44,440
blown away that you would even 
care, that you would even accept

945
00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:48,720
our our measly offerings. 
What is our life that you would 

946
00:48:48,720 --> 00:48:51,920
even care about it? 
But you are so full of grace and

947
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:55,520
so full of love. 
God, help us. 

948
00:48:57,440 --> 00:49:01,160
Help us to grow, help us to 
follow, help us to be like the 

949
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:06,000
faithful. 
May your people be strengthened 

950
00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:12,960
today by you their Father, by 
the presence of the mighty God 

951
00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:17,960
in them, and by a deep love. 
But I pray for for all those who

952
00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,760
you revealed something to them 
today that they wouldn't walk 

953
00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:24,400
away sorrowful, but that they 
would come to you and say, God 

954
00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:26,880
help me with it, help me with 
it, help me with it. 

955
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:29,560
Don't let me walk away. 
Don't let me postpone it another

956
00:49:29,560 --> 00:49:35,000
five years in my Christian walk.
Help me to come to you today. 

957
00:49:38,240 --> 00:49:41,760
I will give up the world, I'll 
keep my soul, and I'll gain the 

958
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,240
treasure of all treasures. 
We love you Lord, we thank you 

959
00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:51,400
and now the Lord bless you and 
keep you. 

960
00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:57,120
The Lord make his face Shinedown
upon you and be gracious to you.

961
00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:01,400
The Lord lift up his countenance
upon you and give you great 

962
00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:05,520
peace in Jesus name, Amen.
