He Changes Our Use of Money
He Changes Our Use of Money
- Greg Waybright
- Matthew 10:17-31:0
- Life Changer
- 44 mins 31 secs
- Views: 1237
Pastor's Letter
He Changes Our Use of Money - Week 6
In our series Jesus Christ—Life Changer, we come to the text in which we see how following Jesus changes the role that material things should play in our lives, Mark 10:17–32. This passage contains the well-known story popularly entitled “The Rich Young Ruler.” I’ve heard many sermons about it—and have preached quite a few too.
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n our series Jesus Christ—Life Changer, we come to the text in which we see how following Jesus changes the role that material things should play in our lives, Mark 10:17–32. This passage contains the well-known story popularly entitled “The Rich Young Ruler.” I’ve heard many sermons about it—and have preached quite a few too.
I remember a relatively successful businessman who once came up to me after I had preached on this text and said, “Pastor, when I saw the topic for the morning, I almost walked out of church. Every time I’ve heard a lesson on the rich young ruler, it’s scared me because it’s reminded me of the way Ernest Shackleton supposedly advertised for people to join his expedition to Antarctica:
People wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”
Maybe you agree with my businessman friend (who is still a businessman but is also a more fully committed follower of Jesus). If you have a chance before the service, read through the story and ask what God might ask you to do in response to it.
I have one tip: Ask which character you identify with in the story as you read. I’ve found that people often relate to different characters in it, usually depending on their own economic situations. For example, when I was a pastor in a mostly upper-middle-class, suburban church, most people seemed to identify with the wealthy man. The main question people asked after the sermon was, “Does Jesus ask everyone to do what the rich man was called to do?” The strong implication behind the question was, “I surely hope that you don’t think that we must, Pastor.” (Maybe you’re thinking the same thing now.)
The first time I preached about the rich young ruler was when I was assigned the text for a sermon in Mysore City, South India. In the 1970s, the people there were going through extreme economic difficulties. The pastor of the church and its denominational bishop (Furtado) met with me the day before I was to preach. They told me that at least 70% of those who would be in church would be people who did not have enough to eat. I asked, "How do you think the people will relate to this passage?" They said without hesitating, "They'll relate directly to Peter. They'll say, 'We have followed Jesus. Why are we still poor?' They still hope that following Jesus will result in their becoming like the rich man. It will make no sense to them that Jesus let the rich man leave."
I believe that this text has a message for us all. At its heart is the question of whether we are ready to follow Jesus—no matter what he asks us to do. My prayer is that we all will say yes.
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Study Guide
He Changes Our Use of Money - Week 6 - Study Guide
He Changes Our Use of Money
Mark 10:17-31
- Read the passage through and ask, "How would this man be welcomed and answered in our small group?"
- Put this man's request in v. 17 into your own words. Does he seem to think that something is missing in his life?
- Some say that Jesus is saying in v. 18, "Are you suggesting that I am God?" What do you think? Why does Jesus respond in a way that seems to ignore the question?
- After Jesus referred the man to the laws that most rabbis said would lead to eternal life in v. 19, the man's response is found in v. 20. How would you have responded?
- Read vv. 21–22. If Jesus had been speaking to you about one thing in the center of your heart that might be more important than obeying God, what would it be?
- Read vv. 24–26. Would people today be as astonished about Jesus' words as they were then? Why?
- Read vv. 27–30. What hope was Jesus offering his followers?
- The "moral of the story" is found in v. 31. Compare this story to vv. 13–16. What is the main lesson we all should learn from Jesus today?
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