March 13, 2005

 

The Things We Wish Jesus Had Not Said

The Kingdom of Thingdoms

Matthew 19:16-30

Opening Words: This is sermon number six in an eight part sermon series I have called The Things We Wished Jesus Had Not Said. The lessons Jesus has taught us have been difficult to hear. Today’s passage is no different. Let us called this message The Kingdom of Thingdoms.

Introduction

A rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Have you ever wondered what you need to do to inherit eternal life?

On May 24, 1738 John Wesley had his sanctifying experience. Many believe it was on that day that he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. In his personal journal he simple writes, “I felt my heart strangely warmed.” He spoke very little about that experience the rest of his life but it was the watershed of his life. Prior to his conversion he was lost and confused. After his conversion he became a lion for the faith.

I tell you that story for one simple reason. Wesley was thirty-five years old before he had a personal relationship with Jesus. That is an amazing fact because he had so many opportunities to experience Jesus for himself earlier in his life. His father, Samuel was an Anglican priest. His mother, Susannah set the standards high for Christian parenting. Wesley studied theology at Oxford University and was an ordained minister with the Church of England. He served as a missionary in the North American colony known as Georgia but he still didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. John Wesley illustrates for us today that you can be involved in the institutional church and still not really know Jesus. I hope that is not your story.

A rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Have you ever wondered what you need to do to inherit eternal life?

This morning we are in the nineteenth chapter of Matthew. It is really nothing more than a dialog between Jesus and a rich young man. It is easy to visualize in your sanctified imagination. The rich young man has a question for the Master. The topic is salvation or eternal life. The young man is spiritually restless. From the world prospective he seems to have it all. However, having it all is never enough. In his heart of hearts he knows something is wrong. He comes to Jesus to get an answer to a difficult question. In verse 16 he asks Jesus the question that has been keeping him up late at night. It is a good question, “Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The rich young man asked the question. However, everyone here today has asked that question at some point in their life. What must we do to inherit eternal life? It is really a question for the ages.

So this morning we are going to talk about eternal life. Using the rich young man as our model we are going to look at eternal life by looking at three words. Each word begins with the letter I. Each I-word will help you understand your own salvation. If you have any interest in living for eternity then say, “Amen!”

Identity Webster defines identity as, “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” So the identity of this individual in the nineteenth chapter of Matthew was that he was a rich young man. Everyone knew him as the rich young man. Everyone wanted to be the rich young man. Yet in the midst of his identity he forgot his true identity. Have you forgotten your true identity?

There was a time when generation after generation people stayed the same. Generation after generation family’s political and economic views stayed the same. That is not true in America today. Fueled by modern technology we live in a fast paced society where change is in vogue. Every generation is different in American society. Within the same family you can have a wide variety of opinions on a wide variety of topics. Let me say this clearly. No generation is right or wrong. However, they are all different. They all perceive the world in a different way.

What generation are you? If you remember World War II, then you are part of the World War II generation. If you were born between 1946 and 1964, then you are part of the Baby Boomer generation. Next came the Baby Buster generation. If you are in your twenties or early thirties you are part of Generation X. Researches tell us that a new generation has emerged in our society. If you are twenty years old or younger, then you are part of the Generation Y.  

The Y Generation people are far more brand conscience than the rest. Hence the word branding has been coined. Did you know the average ten year old already knows 300 different brands? They are far more interested in image then quality. (That will drive the World War II Generation people crazy because they value quality over image.) That is why you can expect in the future to see more logos on clothes and see more people lease cars. Leasing gives people an opportunity to have the image without having the money. It is not the best value but it is a way to have the image. The rich young man was really a Y Generation person. Image was everything. Yet, image is everything to every generation. What is your image?

On Ash Wednesday some of you came to worship. When the service was over some of the worshippers opted to have ashes placed on their forehead or their hand. Those ashes marked you as a Christian disciple. Those ashes marked you as a child of God. That is really your identity. You may be a doctor or a lawyer. You may be a carpenter or a plumber. You may be a teacher or a preacher. You may be a husband or a wife. You may be a mother, father or a Grandparent. You may be a veteran. Those things are really only a role you play in the world. What you really are is a child of God. The rich young man was the rich young man but he was really a child of God. It was that fact that was calling him home. It is the child of God in every person that calls them home. You are a child of God! That is your true identity! If you like being a child of God then say, “Amen!” The first I-word is identity. The second I-word is impossibility.

Impossibility Verse 16 says, “Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life? Verse 24 says, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Verse 26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Biblical scholars have picked on verse 24 for years. They try to explain it by saying that there was a gate in Jerusalem that was so small that it was called the needle’s eye. At night the main gates in Jerusalem were closed but the needle’s eye remained opened. When camels came to that small gate they would have to get on their knees to pass. It was nearly impossible. I understand what the scholars are trying to say but I believe Jesus spoke clearly in this massage. The camel was the largest animal in Palestine and a needle’s eye was the smallest opening. For that to happen is impossible.

The rich young man lived in the Kingdom of Thingdoms. We live in the Kingdom of Thingdoms. Everything that we have in this world we have earned. Like I tell my children, “Work is a good thing.” If you are going to get anywhere in this world then you better go to work. There is nothing worse than a healthy person sitting at their parent’s home, expecting other people to pay. But the Kingdom of God is not about work. The Kingdom of God is about grace. It is impossible for you to work your way into the Kingdom of God but there is a free pass for you at the gate!

Some of you have heard this story before. It is not original. It came from my good friend George Lee, who is now pastor emeritus at the Canfield United Methodist Church. He had a parishioner. We will call her Betty. She was a wonderful church member through the years. She served on every committee twice and never missed helping in the kitchen. In time Betty became a victim of cancer. George went to visit her near the end of her life. They were just talking when she said, “George, have I peeled enough potatoes to get to heaven?” George said his heart stopped! Betty was one of his most faithful church members but she never heard a word. You can not earn your way into heaven. We are saved by grace and by grace alone! It is impossible for you to earn your way into heaven. But there is a free passwaiting for you at the gate of the Kingdom of God if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you would like to go to heaven someday then say, “Amen!” The first I-word is identity. The second I-word is impossibility. The third I-word is independent.

Independent In the Kingdom of Thingdoms our things make us feel independent. If you need something then you buy it. The rich young man felt independent. He was a man of means but there was one thing he could not buy, salvation! He said, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was dependent upon Jesus! We are dependent upon Jesus!

For those of you that know United Methodism, you know this is appointment season. It is the time of year when the bishop and all the district superintendents start to move ministers. It is a difficult time of year to be a United Methodist minister. The next phone call may be for you! People ask me all the time if I am moving. The answer is no! I am not expecting to move this year. I don’t want to move. Many of my colleagues don’t understand why I don’t want to move. They believe I should move on to a bigger church with a higher visibility. Some would say I am committing professional suicide in staying. Do you know what? I don’t really care.

This church is a wonderful place to be for a variety of reasons. Canfield has really become our home. I hope and pray I don’t have to move Anna half way through high school. God is doing something special here at Western Reserve and I don’t want to miss it. Let me be real honest with you. Where would I go that would be better than here? We worship in one of the best buildings in the East Ohio Annual Conference. We have the best choir in the East Ohio Annual Conference. Generally, we are financially stable. (We had $94.00 left after last month.)We offer a variety of worship services and we are not afraid to try something new. There is a wonderful spirit in this church that can’t be matched! We have a lot and sometimes it is easy to feel independent. But the truth is we are dependent upon Jesus! It is his blood that washed us white as snow. If you will admit that you are dependent upon Jesus then say, “Amen!”

The first I-Word is identity. You are a child of God! The second I-Word is impossibility. We are saved by grace and by grace alone! The third I-Word is independent. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away your sins!

Conclusion

A rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Have you ever wondered what you need to do to inherit eternal life?

John Wesley was involved with the institutional church is entire life but he didn’t have the promise of eternal life until he was thirty-five years old. How I hope that is not your story!