Ballard Campus 5-22-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll
Tags: Money, Commedy
Luke 18:18-30
Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler
This man is a man who has money and power, but he sees a lack - I don't have eternal life, what do I need to do to earn/buy my salvation
This is a story of an arrogant man who comes with hands full asking what he needs to do
The ruler says I'm not perfect but I'm really closer
He puts Jesus in the category of a good leader/teacher, but not God not savior, but a good example
Jesus rebukes him in love trying to bring the rule to the knowledge of the truth
Jesus says only God is good, so Don't call me good unless you think I am God
Jesus is in a category unto himself, he is not the best of us, he is God
Idolatry
Jesus says you know the big 10 commandments, you haven't followed them iin your heart
There are two commandments: There is only one God & Love the Him Alone
Today we only look and treat the outward behavior of people so this ruler meeting a pyschologist, would be told that he is awesome
Jesus looks straight at the heart
If I worship god I won't worship food, money, sex, reputation, etc. I'l love people and use things
Behavior modification is garbage, only worship alteration leads to real change
The ruler idolizes his status and his success
Jesus then says ok let's test this high moral conduct and wonderful life...
GIVE UP YOUR IDOLS - give away you stuff and lose your reputation
He walks away, because he can't do it
Do I seek to use God to get my idols? Better Idols?
Prosperity theology
An Idol is usually a good thing that I make into a God thing
Kids can be an idol
A grade point can be an idol
To keep and pursue this idol other people and things must be sacrificed on the alter to worship this idol
Peter reveals his and the other disciples' idols: family and the comfort of home
When an Idol is lost we become devastated/destroyed, angered with God
To Idolize one thing means you must demonize something else
Idols lie / disappointment is guaranteed, my spouse as idol will disappoint me and I will end up demonizing them
Money
One of the surest ways to find idols is to follow my spending
My money - I have purchased Guns and ammo and permits recently...God is one of my idols SECURITY or even CONTROL over when I die and an uncertain future
I am rich my historical standards: compared to this rich young ruler, I am way richer, I have indoor plumbing, I have access to a fridge, I could buy a plane ticket and travel farther than this guys ever did, I have electricity and the internet, I AM RICH
I am even rich my the world's standard today
It is harder for me to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
Alexi de Toqueville said Americans every choice and lifestyle is based on the pursuit of money
The Bible says we should tithe (cheerful, regular, sacrificial), spend, save (times get hard), invest for the long term, Give generously (single moms, the hungry), don't worship money, don't put your hope in money, don't be enslaved to money (borrower is slave to the lender),
Brad Pitt: "the stuff we own ends up owning us"
The stats:
$58K a year household in Seattle
$80K a year household in Bellevue
$45K a year household in ABQ
The folks who earn under $10K give the most percentage wise
The more you make the less you will give
20% of professing US christians give nothing per year
12% of US protestants give 10% or more
$300 million are earned collectively by attenders to Mars HIll
50% of attenders gave nothing last year and will give nothing this year
Commedy
Marshall Mclure - how you say something is the thing folks remember
Jesus was witty, funny and clever
He says the camel line as being a sarchastic, he was inviting the ruler to take himself less seriously, "Lighten up"
Elton Truebolld - When we become liberated from the viewpoint that Jesus was serious all the time we can see his wit and humor
Find out what is not funny to you, that's where my idols are
There are two choices: Either I laugh at myself or God will laugh at me
No comments:
Post a Comment