Experience TRUTH - #3

This is Darren Kuhn with the masculine journey podcast research the ancient paths to find ways that God brings light into a dark world and help set men free from the struggles that we all face on a day-to-day basis.

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This is the Truth Network have you ever been to good to come to God while the rich young ruler was we talked about it last week and were back on this week and what is it mean for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Why is that so hard what you say I'm Stu Epperson I'm so glad you're here with us on this journey through the book of Luke on experience truth with me is my partner in crime compulsory and radio the Christian car guy himself, Robert O'Reilly read the Scripture. Let's get right in the passage this week as we get into why that the most seemingly qualified person in history. The rich young ruler leaves Jesus weeping. After this encounter, instead of joining him and his disciples on the road to Calvary. What's up without Robbie read the passage will get in these final questions.

Our Luke 1818 through 25 now certain ruler asked him, saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. So Jesus said to them, why do you call me good, no one is good but one, and that is God.

You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder. Do not steal, do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother, and he said all these things I've kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to them, you still act one thing so all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich and when Jesus saw that he had become very sorrowful. He said how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Also, this is a fast encounter.

Last time we talked about how Jesus uses the wall to expose this young man's sin. Here you have a likely a leader of the synagogue. He's rich, young as ruler we have in this account and all three of the synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke is not recorded in John and you have a guy who we probably most of us would sign up to be a big hitter in all of our churches made he could stroke a big check to help us with the building program fix the parking lot all at stuff he could be a real leader and he came to Jesus, thinking, and I want to get this Rabbi's blessing and confirmation enough to find out for sure how to inherit eternal life. Will he left weeping age maybe didn't get the answer.

He deftly did not get the answer that he wanted and Robbie pick up with this question for review and it will do these final couple questions and will get through this.

What was so hard about the one thing he lacked the Jesus told him to do, and he was a Doer so I was the so sorrowful that she thought a piece that I kept these all these for my youth. So you actually could get in oh. The fact is role lawbreakers. The fact is role sinners. The fact is we all have callous layers and layers and layers of self-righteousness and our own abilities and own were our own good deeds covering them in in inoculating us from our actual guilt of our sin. And so God says something that is in the impossible standard. The law the law. Galatians tells as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Jesus Christ use the law effectively in this instance.

This guy was so hard and so self-righteous like all the Pharisees the Jews encountered. It wasn't a sinner who cried out for God's mercy like the sinner who went the public and the way to the temple to pray, the Pharisee, he wasn't like the lost son who humbly came back to his father and said I'm not really be your inner your servant.

He wasn't like the blind beggar who cried out in a son of David, you have mercy on me wasn't like that. He was a he was an arrogant law keeper who says what can I do to inherit eternal life. Those exact words. So he's thinking there's a formula any in.

That's what our flesh craves. So Jesus uses the law to expose the one thing he lacked because he had a deep rooted pride and covetousness is when Jesus ago sell everything you have. He touched the very nerve point of what this man love you love his stuff and there's really assist role. I got Robbie and me.

We can we can say all thank you God I'm not like that rich young ruler, but there is something all of us that we hold onto that we before Christ. We treasured more than Christ, and even in Christ, as believers, there's a constant rushing to satisfaction into valuing all kinds of stuff things people over Jesus right now and try this out on your own.

You have to sell everything I ever get to the port is exactly right. So what would Jesus what it years of front fascia question Robbie. Some of the Scripture bless Gillis wander awful bit less probe this question.

What's the one thing Stu lacks Jesus tame for you right now. What's the one thing you lack under the examination of Almighty God, whose eyes, a fire see right through you.

He's knows exactly what you're thinking right now or when other driving listing where you are. He knows your heart.

He made you he put you together. He gave you those talents that have taking taken a higher place in your life than him and him in love for him. He gave you that family that you love more than you love Jesus is author of the gospel have these messages to Julius preliminaries is unless you hate your father, mother, brother, sister got no part of me was you deny yourself, take up your cross, Lily hi to everything but me you will not have any part of me so so so there's this there's this Robbie know James will James ever forces friendship with the world is enmity with God, so you aren't if you love anything more than Jesus or anything else is your treasure you have found yourself an enemy of God. That's the bad news.

The good news is that's why Jesus came to to to take the seat the highest seat in our life and to bring the only satisfaction he could bring in to bring us into perfect relationship with our father and this guy who seems so close to God because he God's law, or so he thought perfectly. He didn't because he had all the religious regalia in all of the appearing in the posturing and the posing he had it all. Robbie, yet he was so far away. What should break our heart is.

Maybe someone else there who thinks they're good enough we ask the average person who's lost, why should God let you Windows 7 and what's the answer to give you. I've done this and on the person you know what I've done, you know, DO any or or what I haven't done DO NT Wright's dude don't you know what I've accomplished and is not focused on Jesus, finished work. Here's the here's the real question Jesus, how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God, he says, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. But why is it so hard for rich people to say Robbie. Fundamentally, Robbie. Why is this we may complicate this you know it we may get into it too much, but really wise. It's a basic and similar admit that it's too big to fit yeah which is my head well is a right you know that it's it's at that rich spirit is too big to fit through the island so you know the by lessening ourselves to the point where we realize how much we need to surrender as is the worst as you are thinking as you were describing to what's the one thing that if Jesus was down there he would say electives one thing and you know you that's a real issue for prayer between you and Jesus and for me.

Clearly I start praying right then and I for some reason God took me right back to the scene. The garden work you know where I was realized I was naked so I hid floors of fig leaves maybe three. As a result, but when you said I hid from your presence is what it actually says in the Scriptures when I found out just this morning since I was doing what you always suggest reading the word was that word presence actually means that he hid from God's face a while and that such what am I doing that I'm hiding up.

As I began to think Jesus ago thing will Robbie where we hide. Let where are we hide right now that that you know you not to do that in front of me and and.

And therein is this is some of the stuff that I gotta get rid of to make it through that that Newhall is a process of me as we get closer in. You know, in the fact is is is the next verse he says you know Jesus disciples is will this is impossible and Jesus is wealth course with man it's impossible but with God all things are possible. You know, and then you have this miraculous salvation of cenote were to get to it in the next. In the coming weeks, and Luke of someone who does go through the eye of a needle, so he does get saved who the last person you ever would've thought and he was a little beam and easily little man record player much more about the Fitzwilliam but he was also of great wealth. So there's a couple things I want to touch on her real quick. Robbie, as we as we as rabbits up.

First of all I Jesus says you like one thing in in in Jesus and saying that and what he when he when he brings up this he's bring up the that the first commandment in the 10th commandment. The first commandment is no other gods before you. So really, who really comes on who you're worshiping in the 10th commandment is don't don't covet those two commandments inflame the other eight commandments. Because really, ultimately you will if you worships anyone other than God love anyone of the God that you will you will kill you will steal you will you even kill when is Jesus said by you know committing anger in your heart you will adulterate by coming lessening heart you will you will fall into sin. God is not on your throne you you will you will chase after other gods, as it were, within the covetous thing.

Both of those things have to do with one thing the the treasure trove of the heart what you love someone. Jesus says in one thing you lack of so everything has a says this man was very rich see. He loved his riches. So the question is really the negative way of putting it is what you lack the possibly putting is what you love and what was he like one thing you love. What is that thing that I love more than Jesus Christ will.

I've just identified the idle, maybe something I spend more time talking about anything else me was that thing I want to spend more time with it is that that person thing treasure, wealth, hobby, job, spouse, whatever that has the seat of my affections. That is not Jesus Christ and so so designated we would have the positive way. It is not my half of the, the, the passion my heart aligns with a lover of my soul.

Jesus Christ and the father who begot me by Jesus suddenly when aligns suddenly their satisfaction beyond what we can even explain or describe in this man was so far from that because he was so full of himself, but this this is also does not mean being wealth you go to the I have a cat innovate the camel to the I've needle it does not mean is that calling to eval of poverty or monasticism that you know it doesn't mean if you're poor you so everything you have eternal life.

You know she is not is not a there's a lot of poor people to get good health as is really scary.

Yeah. Is it so is really is not really the one guy said is which is not what you own, but is what owns you.

You know so and then it is also another thing is Jesus did not tell other wealthy folks, the Bible to go serve a habit until Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, Joseph Joseph.

There is even say Hegel's living have because always of their heart was believing and trusting in God, and God bless that to me. Look at Abraham, yet always got all his stuff because his heart was that of following God, you know, and so anyway this man should have gladly accepted use offered. Tragically, he did not and Jesus. The beautiful thing about it. This man would not admit he was a lawbreaker but he was Jesus would go on to absorb the wrath of God on the cross. As he took the punishment of all lawbreakers for himself and that's the beauty Jesus Christ.

The law.

There's only one person didn't break the law and he died for lawbreakers like you and me.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us synchronous 521 and thus the question of the day. What is that thing in my life. They survey was today experienced truth, share the word of God was someone before your head is the pillow day the words of life. The word of truth that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. This is the Truth Network