Surrender to God: Lessons from the Rich Young Ruler

A lot of us struggle with what other people think about us. We struggle with whether people will like us or not. Whether we fit it or not. Shortly after Cheryl and I got married, my job at ICI explosives had moved me to work out of the Branson area. We did not want to live too close to Branson and with the company truck that was provided, it wasn’t costing me anything to drive every day to work. I didn’t really have office hours or a time clock to punch, so I didn’t have to get up early, it didn’t matter how far I drove to work. It was all about finding the best place for us to live. We looked around the area and decided on Nixa. I small big town with everything you could want. We were about 15 minutes from Springfield and about 35 minutes from Branson.

We wanted to worship at a Church of God and there was 2 of them in Springfield. We figured that one of those would be a fit for us. The first Sunday that we were moved in and living in Nixa, we headed out to one of the Churches of God. I dressed probably a little more casual than I do now. Cheryl is always beautifully dressed for church. (You would think that she would rub off on me) Anyway, when we walked into church, they were friendly enough. We were welcomed in by the greeters and found a seat. Most of the guys were in suits and the ladies were in very nice dresses.

I am not afraid to talk to anyone. For some reason, people will just start talking to me, I don’t know why and at this church it wasn’t any different. The people were very nice, but something was just off. We both felt the same way about the situation and we decided that we would go to the other Church of God in Springfield.

From the moment that we walked in the door, we felt like we were home. Probably because there were several people our age and we already knew most of them from other church events. I believe that God led us to that church. In the year that we lived in Nixa and went to that church, we made some good friends. We had small groups in homes and really got to know some of the other people. It was nice to feel accepted. But whose acceptance were we looking for? Let’s read. Our main text from Matthew 19.

We don’t make it to heaven by being good. The scale we use for being good, is not the scale that God uses to measure what is good. Only God is good. Only God is perfect. We should strive for perfection. We should be giving 100% towards perfection and doing the will of God. We should be giving God all of what we have to offer. Point #1 asks…

1. Does God have control of your actions?

Matthew 19:16-19

Does God have control of your actions? Do you follow the commandments? Do you murder? Are you angry with a brother or sister? Are you intentionally insulting someone to be hurtful? Are you committing adultery? Are you being lustful? This goes for the ladies as well as the men. If men talked openly about women, like some of the ladies talk about guys, they would be probably get slapped by their wives. I have heard some of you and the way that you go on about some of the actors. Who is the guy that played Thor? Chris….???? Right is right.

We don’t have to physically do something wrong for it to be sin. We can think evil thoughts about someone and it is sin. Just to be clear. Having a bad thought in itself is not a sin. It is a temptation. If you allow that temptation to consume your thoughts. If your thoughts of how someone did you wrong, turn into being angry with that person and not working it out or you are nice to them face to face and talk bad about them behind their backs. The bible tells us that when it is up to us, we need to live at peace with everyone. Living at peace isn’t holding a grudge that maybe only you know about. You must have control of your thoughts.

There was a time when my best friend did me wrong. We were both living in sin at the time. After I became a Christian, God pointed out my sin of holding on to that wrong he did. I was nice to him. No one would have known that I was still bitter toward him. Does anyone watch NCIS? Do you know how Gibbs will slap someone in the back of the head? One day God gave me a big old Gibbs’ slap. He said, “How long to I have to put up with your stubbornness? Straighten up and get over it.” I called my friend and asked for forgiveness and I am telling you; it was like a ton of bricks was lifted off of me.

When I gave God control of my actions, I was a new man. But that is not the only question that I have for you. Point #2

2. Does God have control of your finances?

Matthew 19:21-22

It could be so easy to read this story and think about how comfortable the rich people are in their living situations. It could be so easy to hear this story and think this doesn’t apply to me because I am not rich. But I am reminded of another story in the bible about Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts and at one point He sat down at a place where He could see the people putting in their offering.

As He watched there were rich people that put in large amounts of money and there was a widow that put in two very small coins. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

I have made a point to not be included in the knowing of what people give. Because unlike Jesus, I would tend to judge people on their giving, if I knew what they gave. I don’t want to know what you make, I don’t want to know what you give. I want you to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. If you do that, giving to Lord won’t be something that we feel like we have to do, but rather something that we want to do.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. That is a lot to ask. Jesus wasn’t telling this guy to get rid of his stuff because he was rich. Jesus wanted him to get rid of the things that stand in the way of being the follower of God that the rich man said that he wanted to be.

There is a story in the old testament, and you might recall it, about Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was very old and didn’t have any children and God told Abraham that he would have a son and he did. God had a great relationship with Abraham and as Isaac started to grow, God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to God. God’s plan wasn’t for Abraham to lose Isaac. God wanted to see if anything was going to come between God and Abraham.

God might have blessed this rich man with more than he could have possibly imagined, but we will never know because the rich man couldn’t give God control of his money and possessions.

3. Does God have control of your future?

Matthew 19:23-26

You know a better question to ask, in my opinion, is, “Does God have control of your present?” Many, many, many people think that they have all the time in the world to get right with God. That they can continue to live for themselves for a while longer before they actually give up their own way and follow God.

Many others of us, believe God has control of our future but we only give God control of a few things in the present. We say that we are followers of Christ. That as long as we are comfortable, we will follow. We just read this last week, but this is something that we need to take to heart. Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

What could we possibly need to give God more control of? Maybe our social media time? Maybe our TV time? How about our finances? How about our jobs? What is so important to you that you say, “God you can have control of this, but don’t ask me to give up this other thing?” “You can be in control of my social media, just not my NCIS.” Or “You can have control of my time, just don’t ask me to give more to the church.” I don’t know what is holding you back, but you need to give it to God.

I am so excited about this new ministry that some of the ladies have started on Thursday night. When I think about where Tish has been and where she is now, WOW! Now Tish and her ministry partners are leading other ladies toward God, who brings healing. My prayer is not only will women get the help they need, but they will give God control of their future.

It is so easy to get caught up in this rich man’s money, that we forget that there are so many other things that Satan will make so important to us that we will hold on to it, no matter the cost. Money is not the only thing that we place value in. What might you be placing so much value in that you will not surrender it to God?

Am I Good Enough?