Sermon Snippet – The Holy Calling of God – Part V
INTRODUCTION – As we have been considering from II Timothy 1:8-12, God has “called us with [a] holy calling” (verse 9). We have seen that this calling for all Christians extends to our homes and to our work, requires both patience and faithfulness, delivers us from fear, confirms the value of human life, and adds purpose to our lives. What happens, though, if we will not heed this “holy calling”? We find out in Matthew 19:16-26.
1. UNHOLY CALLINGS ARE LOUD AND CAN BE PERSUASIVE
This wealthy young man (verse 22) had a personal, face-to-face calling from the Savior, Jesus Christ. He was externally religious (verses 17-20), but his possessions had a powerful stranglehold on his spiritual life. From an Old Testament perspective, this man was violating at least two of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20;17), and “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). He wrongly thought that his riches were a sign of God’s pleasure with his religiosity; the prevailing theology of that day incorrectly taught that a man’s financial standing and social status were indications of spiritual strength. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). However, Jesus isolated this man’s core problem: he was listening to the evil voice of money. The pull of “lucre” (I Samuel 8:1-3) is powerful, and it is “filthy” (I Timothy 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7, 11; I Peter 5:2), inflaming greed. This truth is sobering, for each one of us is wealthier by far than this man was. He actually saw Jesus, heard His voice, and “went away sorrowful” (verse 22). We are likewise susceptible to the blaring voices of money, power, popularity, hedonism, and other worldly ideas. The absolute statement of Matthew 6:24b baldly and boldly confronts each one of us: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money].”
2. THE HOLY CALLING OF JESUS PERFORMS THE IMPOSSIBLE
We must not weaken the words of Jesus. For example, there is no historical or archaeological support for a special gate for camels to crawl through when the main city gate was closed. Not only is there no evidence for this speculative interpretation, it also completely misses Jesus’ point, as clarified in verse 26b: “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Salvation for any person, rich or poor, is an impossibility without the intervention of God. Only the holy work of a holy Savior could provide the “holy calling” that each one of us must respond to.
CONCLUSION – Do not walk away “sorrowful” today. “With God all things are possible” – all things! – including life eternal and a life that makes a positive difference now.