Sermon Tone Analysis

Right On!

(insert Right on picture here)

Have you ever thought you were right on only to discover you were dead wrong?

Or everything appeared to be right on but in the end you were left in the wrong?

Our passage today has some great rights, but also a sad truth.

In the passage today we see:

Rich young ruler coming to the RIGHT person (Mk10:17)

He came with the RIGHT questions (Mk10:17)

Jesus gives him the RIGHT answers (Mk10:19-21)

Jesus gives some RIGHT direction (Mt19:17-21)

But in the end the man makes the WRONG decision (Mk10:22)

Now that sounds right doesn’t it, but it needs to be backed up with scripture

The rich young ruler came to the right person

He came to Jesus, he knew Jesus knew the answer to his desire

He asked the right questions of Jesus who was the right man to ask

He asked what shall I do?

What do I lack to inherit eternal life?

He got answers, the right answers from the right person to answer them.

Mk10:19-20

Keep the commandments

Sell what you own and give to the poor (will expand on this shortly)

Let me add in some of the parallel passage

and then you can see if want perfection look at this

Mt19:21

In the time, in the time of Jesus it would be fitting to say sell off and follow Him in the physical sense, today we are asked in the spiritual sense to do this.

In the end the rich young ruler made the wrong decision

He left Jesus in worse shape than when he came to Him

He walked away saddened and grieving

Reason for it, was not willing to let go (sell) his possessions for he had many.

What a great set up for another great teaching moment for Jesus; a teaching moment about the problem with riches, the deceitful promise of riches , the foolish pride of riches and the selfishness of riches (Mk10:23-25); leading to another question and another right answer (Mkt10:26-27)

Mk10:

Mk10:2

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Here we have this rich young ruler who had lots of potential, had everything going for him, but yet even with all the right things the wrong decision was made.

He was respected by others, but not accepted by God; He had good morals and manners but the wrong method.

He had the right desire but still yet made the wrong decision.

He had superficial view of sin, the scripture, the Messiah and salvation.

So now lets look at the problem today and the solution too.

The problem with riches

Riches do not satisfy, they are vanity of vanities (Ecc1:8 Ecc5:10)

Riches can consume you, how get them, how to get more, how to maintain them and how to use them and how to store them up.

(Mt6:19-20; Lk12:16-21)

Riches can consume you, how get them, how to get more, how to maintain them and how to use them and how to store them up.

(Mt6:19-20; Lk12:16-21)

There is the store of the rich man who wanted to store up everything for himself found in (Lk12:16-21); he wanted to hoard for himself so could live lavishly, but that very night his life was demanded of him.

The accumulation ofriches can absorb what time and energy we have, and we have so little in the grand scheme of things.

The pursuit can take away from your relationship with God, with your family.

Deceitful promise of riches

Sometimes deceit can be hidden just below the surface and it can get you when you are not looking.

Riches can be good, but they can also be deceitful.

We need to know, we need to be careful of such.

Jesus previously warned about the deceitfulness of riches (Mk4:19)

In the middle of the parable of seeds Jesus speaks of the deceitfulness of riches

Riches can be stolen and can rust or easily disappear (Pro23:4-5; Mt6:19)

Riches can be stolen and can rust or easily disappear (Pro23:5; Mt6:19)

It comes it goes and it can decay or be stolen

Riches cannot buy your way into heaven, your salvation (Ps49:6-9)

Riches cannot buy your way into heaven, buy your salvation (Ps49:6-9)

Riches cannot protect you from God’s wrath (Zep1:18)

Ps

Ps49:8-9

Riches cannot protect you from God’s wrath (Zep1:18)

As you have heard, money can’t buy you love, it cannot buy you satisfaction, it cannot guy you salvation, money, riches can be deceitful and in the parable of the rich fool you can read more (Lk12:16-21) I challenge you to read that on your own.

Don’t get deceived by thinking you have it all going on if you have riches for they are deceitful for they can give you a false sense of security.

and bring about false pride.

Foolish pride of riches

Pride can slip in unnoticed at times too, can’t it.

Riches are good fertilizer to foolish pride.

Giving a false sense of security and bring about an attitude of arrogance.

Trusting in riches can promote arrogance and pride (Deu8:11-17)

In Deu8:11-17 there is God’s warnings and instructions about when things seem to be going good, don’t loose sight of God, you can read the passage but let me give you one verse of it.

Pride can blind you from God whereas you no longer seek Him (Ps10:4)

Pride can blind you from God whereas you no longer seek Him (Ps10:4)

If you trust and rely in you and your works then why even seek God?

You then can believe there is no God and have your heart hardened by the selfishness of riches

Selfishness of riches

Selfishness, is a serious stumbling block, for it is self-love; looking out for self-interest, with self-obsession and you become self-serving and self-seeking.

People are given riches not for themselves, but for the benefit of others (1Tim6:17-19); Don’t let riches close off your heart in helping others

Don’t get self-confident that you get self-absorbed which was one of Israels sins (Amo2:6: Amo5:11-12; Amo8:4-6)

The book of Amos speaks of judgment that was being handed down on Israel because of the harness of their heart in looking out only for themselves and bringing oppression on the poor and not helping them.

Don’t get self-confident that you get self-absorbed which was one of Israels sins (Amo2:6: Amo5:11-12; Amo8:4-6)

Amos and the

Abusing the poor, failing to respond to their cry for justice

Not everyone who is rich, has wealth, has money is guilty of these things.

There are plenty of biblical examples of rich people who lived and used their resources for the glory of God.

People like (Job, David, Solomon, Joseph Barnabas, Philemon and Lydia)

Don’t let mammon (money, riches) become your God (Mt6:24)

If mammon, money is what you have faith in, put your trust in then your reward is now and you have no reward in heaven since you don’t have your faith in God you would not be there.

Lessons to learn from problem of riches

From the problem of riches, seeking them, the deceitfulness of them, to the foolish pride in them to the selfishness there is much we can learn about them and from them, riches that is and the kingdom of God.

Some quick observations, thoughts before getting to the lessons learned from the passage.

Don’t let our faith be superficial

He had superficial view of sin.

Sin is rebellion of God and he thought he had it going on by his works.

One is not saved by works, but by faith.

Sin has a consequence and it must be paid, works cannot pay it.

He had a superficial view of Jesus Christ, he came with flattering words without concern with what he was saying.

Saying Jesus is good is saying Jesus is God, Jews only thought God was good and good was used in that context alone.

Jesus taught the youngman too, taught him through the Law of Moses that he is a sinner, and as a sinner he needs to bow down before him, not as a man thinking he is already righteous.

We cannot be saved by the Law, by keeping the law.