The Word Nobody Wants to Hear, part 3

My sermon, The Word Nobody Want to Hear, Part 3

At a meeting a couple of weeks ago, and again yesterday, our new Bishop, Bishop Steiner Ball, said that behavior follows belief. Think about that for just a minute. Behavior follows belief. What we believe dictates what we do. A person may buy a lottery ticket, and say that the purchase is just for fun, but deep inside that person believes there is a chance – even if it is a small chance – of winning. Otherwise, buying the ticket isn’t at all logical, and probably not very fun. Our behavior follows our belief. Earlier in this service we read together a statement of our beliefs. Does our behavior follow our beliefs?

Jesus is lovingly telling this young man that his behavior needs to follow his belief. The man was holding onto his possessions so tightly that he couldn’t receive what God wanted to give him, so Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and find his freedom. I believe Jesus sees that the rich young man loves his possessions more than he loves God. The man has faith, but he needs to move beyond his faith.  

We need to hear those words because we are often in the position of the rich young ruler – we are rich, and it is often money and possessions that stand between us and God, or it may be something else – something beyond money – but there is something we need to let go of – something we need to give to God so that he can use it for God’s purposes.

 I entitled this sermon “The word nobody wants to talk about.” What is the word that nobody wants to talk about? What is it that you value more than you value God? What is it that you are afraid to trust to God’s purposes? What is it that you would rather not name, but that is keeping you from reaching out to God? Keeping you from following him?

Jesus was telling this young man, and he tells us, “You say you are a disciple? Great! You need to be more than a disciple.”

What? More than a disciple?