Buying Heaven with Make-Believe Money

As the Messiah.

Is he in another world is in the spirit world is down deep, can we ever hear from Paul wrote to the Colossians because of the hope you have laid up in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel is not a religion of works is a religion that is waiting to hear from God. It is a religion that needs more rules and is in a religion that needs to create something they think God might be pleased with the word has come would happen if you went to the store and tried to make a purchase with money from a child's will clearly you wouldn't get far. You might even get arrested for trying to steal.

But that's essentially what people do when they place the hope of their salvation in a false religion. The truth has come in the person of Jesus Christ and the only appropriate response is to believe in him for continuing through a series on salvation called how to get to heaven from Earth. Stephen has a message for you today entitled buying heaven with make-believe money in 1929 stock market crashed.

And you know that so many millions of people lost everything they had their homes or houses their jobs. Thanks. Went out of business. It was a very very uniquely difficult time in our history, man by the name of Charles Darrow was among the many who lost his job as a salesman. He also had some experience in the field of heat engineering that he did anything he could do to help his family survived.

He had a wife and one child in another one on the way. One night in 1930. Charles sat at his kitchen table and he drew a game out on the tablecloth that he had been inventing in his very creative mind.

It was a real estate game and because everyone had lost so much real estate. He decided that would be sort of the theme and so we did a name streets after streets he knew in his hometown. He used wooden scraps for little houses and hotels and use buttons for tokens and free paint to eventually transfer to a piece of wood he created little pieces of money.

The players earn from other players who happened to land on spaces they owned and above all, everyone earned a regular paycheck. As they made their way around the board, everyone got their paycheck of $200. They all dreamed of having data course again.

If you haven't guessed by now, it's probably because you've never played the game of Monopoly wasn't long before word-of-mouth spread and Charles Darrow was making two sets a day for his friends selling them for four dollars apiece. Even that didn't keep up and a printer friend helped him produce eventually six games a day, so eventually he knew he had to either borrow money and begin this business, which would be very risky and that culture or try to find a game maker or a corporation to buy it so he mailed a game or two to the corporate headquarters of Parker Brothers. Maybe they would buy from him. The rights and give him help in the depression years, the Parker Brothers executives played the game for a week or so and then turned him down citing 52 fundamental errors with the game among them. The rules were too hard to learn and secondly it took longer than 45 minutes to play say it does.

Dejected, he told his wife the devastating news in order to fill the Christmas orders that come in his printer friend made 5000 copies. Then it was going to be the end. One store in New York had ordered 200 sets heard about it in more interested and if you can believe that one of those sets ended up being purchased by friends of a Mr. Barton who was the president of Parker brother. They invited them over to their home in they all stayed up until 1 AM to finish. Again, that he was absolutely fascinated with not knowing his VPs and turned it down.

The next day he called his company after scolding his VPs when he learned the news he rode Charles Darrow and offered him a handsome price as well as royalties for every game that they would sell the first year alone, Parker Brothers sold 200,000 sets of monopoly and made more than $1 million back orders overflowed laundry baskets that were stacked down the hallways of corporate Parker Brothers business and you can imagine what that must've been like, especially for those VPs a walk by those laundry baskets day after day.

All this during the Great Depression. Imagine that at a time when people had little money that they would spend it on a game. In fact, it would be several days worth of their hard earned labor.

Why would poverty-stricken people in the middle of the Great Depression by this game. Well, if you know anything about the game and you understand a little about human nature.

Why not for little bit of money that you can scrape together you can have the feeling for a few hours of owning it all. You can buy back that house you can invest in property you can get a paycheck. You can strike down Park Place you can on a piece of Pennsylvania Avenue but it's only a game right hotels are made of plastic.

The money is only make-believe success that you feel is only a passing feeling before the reality of life reenters the Israelite of Paul's day. Had the game mastered. They knew all the rules and they were committed to spending whatever time necessary to follow the rules they could strut around Jerusalem as far as they were concerned. They owned a piece of heaven. It was theirs but Paul in Romans chapter 10 verse one has declared that the nation Israel was on the same unredeemed inverse to look there. He is effectively stated that their zeal for God was only a game, as it were heaven for them was only make-believe their bank accounts of religion.

Those shrines remember we talked about those monuments that they were building for themselves. They were really hollow.

Be like putting all the monopoly money you could find into a vault in the bank but it would be worthless.

You could do nothing with that. Imagine today after church. If I decide to go to Wendy's for lunch and I pulled up when I got the 20 you know of monopoly money and I made my order. He would say a few things to me. I'm sure one of them would be something like Greenville take that here, what are you thinking we don't accept that kind of money at this establishment, and a few other things. I'm sure as he sends me on my way will the Israelite was taking his righteousness in trying to hand it to God and God through Paul was in effect saying we don't take that here we don't accept that kind of currency at this establishment.

That doesn't work here will the Israelite would ask what kind of currency do you take to buy piece of heaven. Paul answers in verse three and affected heaven only negotiates in the currency of God's righteousness, that is, in effect, the only kind of money that the bank of heaven will accept everything else is monopoly money. Everything ounces plastic with a question would be, well then how do we get the currency of God's righteousness into the wallets of our soul.

We do that. Paul will answer in the place were will pick up our study again in verse four by saying Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Christ is the end of the wall. Now he cannot mean that Christ is the termination of the law can't mean that since many aspects of God's law in the Old Testament are reiterated in the New Testament means more than that, you could interpret this.

I think in the context of what he saying in this text to say this for Christ is the end of legalism in the best commentary on Paul hears would be the words of Christ himself. He says this in Matthew 517. Listen, he says do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law I came to fulfill all the word fulfill player oh means to bring to its intended meaning to great text. Because of that, many commentators translate Romans 10 verse four. Christ is the goal of the law.

He is the culmination of the law.

He is the intended meaning of the law culminates in him. I think that's so helpful that I have written into the margin of my Bible little word goal that I have brought an arrow to the word and Christ is the goal of the law. That is all the Old Testament ceremonies and types of the law pointed to his death and his sacrificial life.

The Old Testament moral law pointed to Christ's perfect life. The Old Testament prophecies pointed the way that no one would come to fulfill them.

In his incarnation and his crucifixion and his resurrection.

That's why Jesus Christ can say I didn't come to abolish it to terminate it to do away with it.

I came to fulfill it. I am bringing the law and the prophets to their intended meaning.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that is that mean that you have to be wise to be redeemed.

Does that mean you have to be sanctified to be redeemed. Does that mean you have to be righteous to be redeemed. The Israelite would say yes, and the more you are all those things, the better off you are, the more you can collect around your gameboard of life that will be impressive. Paul says no Christ Jesus has become for us the wisdom from God our righteousness and sanctification and redemption Romans chapter 10 verse four says virtually the same thing. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. Look at your text to everyone who what who is holy, no to everyone who was wise no to everyone who is sanctified, no to everyone who what who believes and will talk about more later of what the verb believes me down this text Paul continues. In fact, he begins to develop this contrast of two kinds of righteousness. In fact, if you have a pencil or pen you might circle many times the word righteousness appears in the first six verses, it appears six times you find it in verse three God's righteousness again at the end of verse three the righteousness of God. Verse for the end of the law for righteousness. Verse five righteousness which is based on the law shall live by that righteousness.

Verse six but the righteousness based on faith speaks thus one kind of righteousness that he is talking about here is play money its little plastic houses. It can give you the feeling of spiritual wealth. It can give you the feeling of spiritual power or holiness, but it's only make-believe. The other kind is real, it's authentic, it's genuine currency.

It is created by it is backed by the divine reserve. Paul writes in verse five, look there for Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by that righteousness.

Trouble is, no one can live by that righteousness that you could rendered that standard.

You can try to keep the law you can try to follow the rules. The standards you can look good. Paul wrote earlier, you can build that shrine and that monument of our righteousness by good deeds.

But it's all a front it's really just cosmetic.

It might look good and we might deny were doing it, but you get turned away, but this was kind of funny in one survey I read about it was found that 38% of the ladies just women were surveyed tinted their hair, 15%, sometimes were wearing 80% or rouge.

98% eyeshadow, 22% or false eyelashes. 93% work, nail polish, and 100% of the women surveyed voted in favor of condemning any kind of false packaging you want to meet somebody look good by the way men do the same thing. We surround ourselves with things make people think were good. You want to meet somebody with good, righteous, I mean holy.

The prophet Isaiah, and yet his personal testimony just sort of swipes all those little houses and all that little money offer gameboard and says we are all unclean.

Our righteousness is as filthy what rags you see, the issue is the object of your comparison creates all kinds of problems for us.net when I look at someone that we think were better than and that'll create a sense of false pride were better than they are. We can find a believer that seems be better than we are. That creates a false sense of insecurity.

We can live out run wise in both pursuits hears you compare yourself with a holy God and were all on level ground darkly all our righteousness is as filthy rags. In other words, we might seem good and feel right but measure ourselves against the purity God will do exactly what Isaiah did in his personal testimony.

We saw the vision of the Lord, high and lifted up the train of his robe filling the temple. The seraphim flying about them with six wings, each of them with two covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew and they sang back and forth with this incredible cacophony of sound, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory and I said Isaiah after seeing a vision and I said I for I am a man of unclean YOU your profits your lips speak forth the words of God, but Isaiah said, when in the presence of a holy God.

Even the lips of a prophet are filthy and unclean seat has to do with who the object of comparison is when you compare yourself to the righteousness of the law. You cannot even compare that.

Certainly the righteousness of Christ. You cannot even come close. Read a news article recently illustrated this truth of trying to look good with our own minds and our own imagination.

An armed robber named Dennis Curtis was arrested in 1992 in Rapid City, South Dakota. When the authorities searched through his belongings in his wallet and things they found a sheet of paper in his wallet on which he had written some rules's code of conduct for stealing hit seven rules so they are one. I will not kill anyone unless I have to.

That's reassuring. Number two I will take cash.

No checks is brilliant.

Three. I will rob only at night for I will never wear a mask five. I will not rob many marts or 7-Eleven stores. Six. If I get chased by cops on foot.

I will get away if chased by vehicle. I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line and seven I will only rob seven months out of the year to good a thief with a sense of honor and morality. He's got his homemade standards, but their flawed, you might ask him. You know what your life like all I'm keeping all seven of them. I've never worn a mask I've never robbed anybody in daylight, but when he was brought before the court. Remember, you can remember. Maybe you want before the court at some point in time you member how was he was not judged according that sheet of paper.

The judge didn't say look at the sheet out.

Now let's just check it out.

Did you ever rob anybody in the daylight. Did you mess up and go past seven months and into the eighth month, though he was judged by the high law of this state of South Dakota. We do the same thing we can we can make up our own little list will keep the rules and will follow that we are committed to them and maybe buy them, we will gain heaven heaven is not the prize of some game.

It is personal gift from Christ to us who believe, but Paul now contrasts in verse six but the righteousness based on faith speaks thus do not say in your heart will ascend to heaven. That is, to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss. That is, to bring Christ back up from the dead. What is it say the word is near you. It is in your mouth and in your hearts.

Now, if you're wondering like I did the first in a 30 minute selected these verses, you're probably asking, what are these mean, don't panic. Paul is actually quoting an Old Testament passage in fact is you study the word of God yourself.

If you ever see a word italicize. It was added to give commentary from the translation to us as English readers. If you ever see anything capitalize of all capital letters.

It means he's quoting from some other passage of Scripture.

That's what's happening here is quoting from the words of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 11 to 14 don't turn their back. I want you to look at Romans chapter 10 and follow along in verses 6 to 8 while I go back and read in my notes from Deuteronomy 30 verses 1114 Moses says to the people he's trying to get them to follow after God's word for this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult, nor out of reach. It is not in heaven that you should say who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it.

In other words, who's going to go to heaven to get the word from God so we can obey it. Verse 13 of this text, nor is it beyond the sea that you should say who will cross the sea for us to get it for us so that we can hear it and observe it in others.

We have to send somebody into the depths of the sea to find the word of God. Moses says the word is near you. It is in your mouth and in your hearts that you may observe and see the similarity what Paul does, as he loosely quotes Moses. He adds an application to the New Testament believer after each major contrast.

Look at verse six of Romans 10 do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven is called application.

That is, to bring Christ down and hours. We want the Messiah to go to heaven again to go find them, keep going.

Who will descend into the abyss.

Hebrew the sea that is literally the deep. That's where they believe the spirits would after in death literally the place of the dead.

Here's Paul's application who's going to bring Christ up from the grave and hours who's going to get the messiahs in the netherworld is in the spirit world is he down deep busy up hi how can we ever hear from God.

Paul says it's here it's close to you in the malls of your profits.

It's written in the law of your heart. You have all the word from God. You need the Messiah has come in his incarnation, he has descended and risen in his resurrection.

That's as close as it could get. He took our skin, and he wore our sandals. The word has come for in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And what happened. The word became flesh and dwelt among us John chapter 1. You don't need another word from God. He has spoken the Muslim would say no. We need another word from another prophet, Paul writes here and says no you have the words of Moses, that is enough. The Mormon would say well we need another gospel added to this one. We need the words of Joseph Smith.

Paul would say you have the words of Jesus Christ, and they are entirely sufficient in Timothy as a young child was able to come to salvation by holy Scripture that was a reference to the Old Testament. Second Timothy 315, Paul wrote to the Colossians because of the hope you have laid up in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel is not a religion of works is a religion that's waiting to hear from God.

It is in a religion the needs more rules and is in a religion that needs to create something they think God might be pleased with the word has come gospel is here and in the gospel we discover that we are far worse off than we could ever imagine. And we are far more love than we could ever dream it is not the righteousness of the law, you can keep it anyway. It is the righteousness of Christ.

It is in the game. It's a gift. One Bible college student wrote of an unforgettable experience of illustrated this issue of grace through Christ's righteousness, she writes these words in the spring of 2002. I want to some uninterrupted study time before my final exam at Hannibal College in Missouri. When I finally made it to class everybody was in there doing the last minute studying. Never been there, or she, the teacher came and said he would review with us before the test. Most of his review came right from the study guide he'd handed out that there were some things he was reviewing that we can study when questioned about it he said while they were in the book, and we were responsible for everything in the book never heard that we couldn't argue that she wrote finally it was time to take the test. He handed them out and said leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you when to start professor was Dr. Thomas Huff 50 when Dr. huffed he said begin, we turned our exams over and to my astonishment every answer on the test was already filled in by hand. My name was even written on the front page of the exam and read at the bottom of the last page. Dr. huffed he had written a quote. This is the end of your exam. All the answers on your test are correct you're going to receive an A+ on this final exam. The reason because the creator of the test took it for you all the work you did in preparation may have been a great discipline for your study in life, but it did not help you get this day, plus she writes.

Dr. huffed he then went around the room and asked each student individually with his robe and what is your grade and they would all say A+ and he would write in a plus and then he would ask them did you deserve this grade and all of them would say. Of course, no and he said to the whole class before dismissing them.

Some things you learn from lectures some things you learn from research but some things you learn from experience and this is one you'll never forget. Ladies and gentlemen, you have just experienced grace.

This is the declaration of the righteousness of Christ deposited into the bankrupt account of the individual who is trying his best to win this game trying to get another plastic piece. Jesus Christ is the end of the exam.

He has hand written all the answers for you. You had nothing to perform. You had no perfect score to earn in order to have your name entered, and there is in the record or role book of eternal life. Your name and as a war beside it would be this perfect score. It is this gift of Christ righteousness to our account. We give you three closing thoughts that I believe summarize the section of verses section by the way, if you study it a little further you pick up a lot more things, but you might notice in verse four begins with a reference to the living word and it ends in verse eight with a reference to the spoken word. This word of faith which we are preaching to give you three thoughts about this message of faith in the gospel of grace. Number one the law was delivered from Mount Sinai. Grace was delivered from Mount Calvary one represents the efforts of hands, laboriously pursuing some way to be accepted by God.

The other is the hand of a beggar who reaches that it simply accepts this gift to the righteousness of the law leads to legalism, but the righteousness of the Lord leads to liberty. Number three salvation is not the result of a thoughtless performance. It is a relationship with a faultless person and we accept the righteousness of Christ, we can say nothing more than thinking to our amazing seeing for his amazing grace some amazing love world is full of people who are trapped in false religions, and bolts belief systems seeking the salvation their heart longs for. But in the wrong place. God through Christ offers an invitation to believe and I hope that's true of you today this is wisdom for the heart with Steven David Stephen calls this message buying heaven with make-believe money. To learn more about the gospel go to wisdom. Online./gospel that resource will help you understand the free gift God offers join us again for our next lesson in this series here on wisdom