Journey Through Matthew: "Being Perfect"
Journey Through Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsOur salvation is dependent on our heart's condition, not on how well we can follow all of the commandments without error. Following must first come from the heart.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
This morning if you will, turn in your Bibles to .
Now if you will remember, last Sunday night we left off with the end of chapter 18 and are starting into this new chapter, which is full of new teachings by Jesus.
And the interesting part is the majority of chapter 18 was about one main subject.
Forgiveness and how we should be forgiving of people, exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit in every single aspect of our lives.
And that is a very important concept for Jesus’ disciples as things move forward because we are going to see an increase in the number and intensity of the attacks of the Jews on Jesus and his disciples moving forward from here.
And in the beginning of chapter 19 we see the first of those more intense attacks, starting with an attack on Jesus regarding the issue of divorce.
And basically what they are trying to do here is to trap Jesus into a contradiction to the Law of Moses, which of course Jesus doesn’t fall for.
And immediately after that Jesus sets a prescient by again using children as an example.
Starting in verse 13, Matthew writes . . .
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-
So, we see that the disciples still yet did not fully understand or grasp everything Jesu was telling them.
In their mind, the little children were just “in the way” and hindering their ability to do what they were sent to do.
However, to Jesus this was not the case.
And again for the second time he uses this to teach the disciples a valuable lesson . . .
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:1
Which is a point that we also need to fully grasp.
The kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who have faith.
A true and lasting faith.
A faith like that of a child.
A faith that has not been destroyed by the sin and evil of the world.
And one thing that we all really need to learn is how to also have that same kind of faith.
Which leads us into where we are going this morning.
So, if you have found in your Bibles, I’d invite you to stand with me if you are able as we read about “Being Perfect.”
Starting in verse 16, Matthew writes . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man enquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:
Good Things (vs 16-17)
Good Things (vs 16-17)
So, we know that after Jesus had this encounter with the Jews and then used the little children as an example of the necessary faith we should have to his disciples, that . . .
15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
And as he is moving on from where they were at to the next place, he was approached by a man.
And Matthew writes that . . .
16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Which is probably the 10 million dollar question!
Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?
Which is entirely the wrong question, because this man had things all messed up and all confused.
If he would have came to Jesus and simply asked “Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” he would have been okay.
But he had to throw something in there, which only showed that he was way off base.
He asked Jesus “what good thing must I do to get eternal life.”
And the fact that he wanted to know how he could “earn his way” reveals to us that he did not get it at all.
He thought, like many of the Jews of the time, and many people today even, that good deeds are going to get you to heaven.
That being a “good person” or “helping others” or “giving a lot of money” or “doing this or that” are going to get you some points with God and gain entry into heaven.
And he was absolutely 100% dead wrong.
We, unlike this fellow have the benefit of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians that plainly tells us that . . .
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no-one can boast.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no-one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
That is absolutely it, the only way that it is only going to happen.
By the grace of God, through faith, which again is that true and lasting faith, not some fly by night faith in the good times/anger in the bad kind of faith.
It is the faith in knowing that whatever life throws at you that God has your back and that God is there with you, regardless.
And that God will continue to be with you and that one day God will deliver you from all of this.
It can’t be bought.
It can’t be earned.
It is a gift from God.
A FREE gift.
But people today do not understand that.
The only thing you have to do is repent of your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your savior, as your only hope.
That’s it.
Any “works” or “good deeds” come as a result of God’s sanctifying work in you.
Anything that does not come from that, may be nice, but it’s not going to “earn you” any points with God.
Which is exactly why Jesus responds in the way he does . . . .
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
Good deeds? Being a good person? After all I have taught? Is what Jesus is saying.
And he replies that there is only ONE who is good, or without sin , talking about God, talking about himself really.
Everyone else is sinful and hopeless.
And he puts this guy to the test. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.
In other words do what the Jews are trying to do.
Pull out the Law book and see if you can follow them perfectly.
Take the 10 commandments and see how you do with them.
See if that can get you there.
Which in turn gets the man thinking.... “Maybe there is a loophole! Maybe there is a way I can buy my way in. I’ve been a good person. Maybe I’ve got a shot here.”
So he asks Jesus . . .
Still Lacking (vs 18-20)
Still Lacking (vs 18-20)
18 “Which ones?” the man enquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
Hmmm....Not too bad a list.
Do not murder
Do not commit adultery
Do not steal
Do not lie
So, he thinks this is a sure thing.
Just think about it, how many of us have murdered? Committed adultery? Stolen?
And probably the hardest of them all…lied?
And even if we had done any of these things, from the conversation Jesus is telling him to go and don’t do these things from this point on.
So, if that is all it took to make it to heaven, how many people could do that?
But hold on, there is more . . .
19 honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’”
So, still not too bad, the hardest of all would probably be loving your neighbor as yourself.
Because truly loving your neighbor as yourself involves a change of heart.
Now, we can be nice to our neighbor, treat them well, but to actually love them is different.
Which this young man really does not grasp.
However, he thinks he has this in the bag.
He replies to Jesus . . .
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
And you can tell by his response that he is locked into obeying the letter of the law and not the heart of the law.
And what I mean is he was really good and checking things off lists and following rules that other people had laid out for him, but he really didn’t know the purpose behind the rules.
He did it because in his mind it was going to earn him something, mainly those extra points with God.
And the reality is that any law or commandment isn’t meant to be followed just because.
Rather it is designed to help our relationship with God.
And our following that commandment should come from a desire to do nothing more than demonstrate our love for God.
God’s commands to us are followed not because we have to but because we want to.
Not as a chore but as just part of who we are through the transformational and sanctifying work in the Holy Spirit in us and through us.
And we sometimes don’t get that point.
Which is precisely what is going on with our young man here.
Which is completely evident by the next part of this conversation with Jesus.
Remember, he thinks he has things all worked out, so Jesus tells him . . .
Treasures in Heaven (vs 21-23)
Treasures in Heaven (vs 21-23)
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
In theory, it sounds very simple doesn’t it?
Sell everything you have.
Give everything you can to the poor.
Store up some treasure in heaven.
And then, come and follow Jesus.
We all talk a good game when it comes to these things, but many times we do just as this young man does . . .
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
He wasn’t sad because it was too hard.
He was sad because he was unwilling to give it up for Jesus.
He was unwilling to let go of all the worldly possessions that had hold of him in order to follow Jesus.
He was very rich and he wanted to stay that way.
He didn’t want to sell anything.
He didn’t want to help out the poor.
He could have cared less about treasures in heaven that he couldn’t currently see.
And there was no way he could give up his lifestyle to go and follow Jesus.
How many of us are in this same position?
Altar Call
Altar Call
Sound familiar?
How many of us are in this same position?
Now, we may not be wealthy by worldly standards with a lot of money, but that’s not the point.
It has never been and will never be about money.
It is about what has a hold on our heart.
Money is just a tool, but we know that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
It is when getting that money or that “stuff” that money buys drives our every decision.
It defines everything about us and we will do anything to get more of it.
It is being so wrapped up in the world and the things of the world, that we can’t see the eternal truths found in God and God’s Word.
It is the failure to realize when we leave this world, that money and all that stuff we have accumulated over the years is not going with us.
We leave it all behind.
And the only thing we have left is what we have stored up in heaven.
How obedient to God have we been.
How have we shared the Gospel.
Fulfilled God’s commandments.
That is what will matter in the end.
Which is where we are at right now. Right here.
What if God called your number right now?
Would you be ready?
Have you been willing to give all of this up for God?
Have you committed your life to following Jesus?
Or, are you holding out because of the world and the hold it has on you?
Right now you have an opportunity to right the ship and get all things right with God.
Tomorrow you may not have that chance, so you need to make a decision today.
In fact, you have already made a decision.
And it’s a simple one, follow Jesus or follow the world.
It is your choice, which will you choose?
The altar is open, will you come?