When I finally made the decision to head for the ministry I remember the CEO of our division taking me into his office and talking to me for an hour trying to convince me to stay, telling me about his 5 year plan for me, he had plans to make a wealthy man out of me. But it seemed like the longer I stayed the worse it got, and no amount of money can bring you happiness when you feel that way. I had to follow God and I did. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it. There is something about the satisfaction of following God that no amount of money can buy.
And there are some things in this life that money just can’t buy. Many people spend their lives chasing material things, some security for the future, something to make them feel successful. There is nothing wrong with providing for your family and living a life of prosperity, but when materialism begins to grip your life, you can find yourself in the position where you are hungering for things which can leave you feeling terribly empty. And as the financial markets tumble, and a great financial crisis looms, many people are being shaken. The things they have trusted in have let them down.
I believe all the kingdoms of this world will be shaken and there is only one Kingdom which is unshakable. I want to tell you today if you have been seeking first the Kingdom of God, and investing your time, treasure and your life in the Kingdom of God, you have made the right decision. You have stored up your treasure in heaven, where stock market crashes and failing financial systems cannot affect you. Everything else will be shaken but those who have sown their finances and even their lives in to the Kingdom of God will not be shaken. Everything else shakes but the Kingdom of God!
And Jesus challenged a rich young man to be his disciple to invest his life in the Kingdom, but for this young man the price was too high:
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “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.” “Which ones?” the man inquired.Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.'”All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 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.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:16-29).
In my humble opinion, many people have a heart for the poor, but those who are wealthy many times are overlooked by the church because they appear to be doing well. And many who have wealth and success do not see their need of God as much as those who are poor and destitute. I remember sharing the gospel to a colleague in London and he told me he thought the gospel was for the poor people in the third world, and those who needed it. He did not see his need of God, and Jesus said ‘it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven.’ They do not see their need of God!
In the US, Europe, Australasia, some parts of Asia, the more prosperous nations are now some of the most spiritually bankrupt nations in the world. They have all they need and they say they don’t need God. And Jesus addressed this is when he spoke to the Church in Laodecia, he was speaking to a group of people who thought they had it all and he said “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Revelation 3:17-18)
And that is how it is many times as we get wealthy. As human beings we can get into a bubble, we can have a false sense of security and we say ‘I don’t need that Christian gospel stuff’ that’s for the poor, the weak willed, and the weak minded.’ Friend I’m here to tell you if you are feeling that way today, you need a miracle. You need God need to show you your true need of Him. And God can do that for you, Jesus said it looks impossible, but with God all things are possible. God can get you into the Kingdom.
And then there are times we reach the point where we begin to wonder, ‘is the price too high for me to follow Jesus?’ The rich young ruler reached that point and he turned back. He reached his limit. I want to challenge you even dare you today to follow Jesus and pay the price in full and if you do and you sow everything into God’s Kingdom, God will take care of you. God is no man’s debtor.
Sometimes we follow God and reach the point where we say ‘God I feel like I have given you everything and now I have nothing’ and we look at others who are succeeding and say ‘where is my blessing?’ or we say ‘what’s in this thing for me?’ And this is where the disciples were as they pondered all Jesus had said to the rich young ruler.
They said Lord we have given up everything to follow you and Jesus said “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Jesus said there are rewards for paying the price and they encompass every facet of human existence. If you are feeling like God has forgotten you and you have given Him everything, I want to encourage you to hang in there, a miracle is on the way.
And God doesn’t just want our money, He wants our very lives! He wants us to die to self and live for His Kingdom. He said seek first the Kingdom, put the Kingdom before anything else and God will add everything you need and 100 fold more! You may be in business, you may be a teacher, a lawyer, a minister, whatever your calling in life is God is wanting you to put the Kingdom first.
In the Kingdom in order to keep your life, you must lose it. You must give everything to God and in return God will give you everything! Jesus said what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul. God wants to be first in your life. He is a jealous God. Your self, your possessions, your family, everything must come secondary to the Kingdom of God.
In my own life I have paid a price to follow God and I think of my family in New Zealand, my mother, brothers and sister and my extended family and I miss them terribly at times and they support what I am doing, but there is a price to pay to follow God. A few years ago two of my brothers weren’t following God and I said God I have given up everything to follow you, I can’t go back You have to bring my brothers up to speed!
Earlier this year I went home to New Zealand for my sisters wedding and my brother Matthew was in bad shape, he had been struggling with a drug addiction, had lost his job and was living in his car, he was basically homeless. And we had a family conference to determine what we could do to help him get his life back on track. (He knows I’m sharing this, he doesn’t mind) And as we deliberated and every shared their thoughts and I felt God speak to my heart and say “Tell your brother he is called to the ministry, to be a Pastor and that you are going to take him to bible college next week and get him enrolled!”
And I said to God, “that’s crazy I’m not saying that!” and God kept telling me and eventually I just told everyone and you have heard pin drop in the room! And everyone including my mother thought I was crazy and I asked my brother if he wanted to try and he did! Believe me that was a miracle! So we went down and had a meeting with the deputy principal and as we shared he said to my brother ” I see the call of God on your life to be a Pastor!’ And the Holy Spirit began to fall and the Founder of the school was walking past the room came into the the see what was happening, we were having a mini revival and he wanted to be part of it!
Now my brother has been in Bible School for six months, he is getting his life cleaned up and is on fire for God! I am sharing this because I believe it is part of the fulfillment of God’s promise that God will give us back more! God will give us a 100 fold return on anything we give up for his namesake. I want to encourage you and challenge you to give everything to God. Follow God irrespective of the cost and God will do more for you than you could ever dream of or imagine. God may require your everything, but in return He will give you His everything, and there are no limits on God!
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