Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago, somebody had told me about a man who had gotten a new job in a different town, and because of this, his family had rented a large moving truck. They were moving to the other side of the state, and needed to transport all of their possessions to their new home. The problem was, they weren’t used to driving such a big vehicle, and needed to travel through a large metropolitan area to get to their final destination. They became pretty nervous as they drove through six lanes of traffic, eventually approaching a large tunnel that they needed to pass through. They only got halfway through it, when the cargo box connected with the top of the tunnel, completely ripping the roof off and bringing the truck to a grinding halt. Their possessions were strewn all over the highway and driven over by the traffic that was behind them. The truck was wedged so tightly inside of the tunnel, that the only way that emergency crews could get it out, was to let all of the air out of the tires.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Some people are not going to be able to get all the way through the tunnel unto eternal life. It’s because they love the things of this world more than others. Rather than helping others with the abundance that God has given them, they will attempt to keep it all to themselves, filling up their garages, homes, and mini storage units with items they hardly ever use. The pathway to Heaven is extremely narrow and like a moving truck wedged in a tunnel, some people will find themselves like a camel, trying to pass through the eye of a needle.
Matthew 19 ¹⁶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ¹⁷ And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. ¹⁸ He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ²⁰ The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ²¹ Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. ²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. ²³ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁵ When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? ²⁶ But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
²⁷ Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? ²⁸ And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. ³⁰ But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and obviously if you truly love your neighbor, you are going to be concerned about their needs. Nothing happens without God’s intervention, especially when people are granted Earthly riches and wealth. But God is watching to see what you will do with the things that He has given you. This man had a lot of possessions, but rather than helping the poor with the things that God had already provided, he couldn’t part with them. This is because he loved the world more than his fellow man.
Luke 12 ¹³ And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
¹⁴ And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
¹⁵ And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. ¹⁶ And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? ¹⁸ And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
²⁰ But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ²¹ So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
When my children were very young, I used to bring home cardboard boxes from the hardware store. The children would tape them together, and make little playhouses, where they would sit inside, eat a snack, and play games with each other. But as an adult, you couldn’t get inside of their playhouse. The doors were incredibly small, and you couldn’t squeeze in no matter how much you tried. The door to heaven is extremely narrow, and in order to enter, we must be capable of letting go of Earthly possessions. A lot of people cannot understand how much Moses gave up to follow the Lord. He walked away from all of the treasures of Egypt, in order to serve Christ Jesus. The original Apostles of the Lord did the same thing, even turning away from their occupations. Genuine love for Christ is to spend your time winning souls, but many people will spend their time making money instead, causing unfruitfulness.
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
Riches are very deceitful. Many people believe that money will produce happiness in their life, but it is the poor people who are actually the richest people in the world.
“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5
People can spend millions of dollars on themselves, but it can never produce true joy that is found in Christ Jesus. It is like somebody who is hungry, but their stomach is never satisfied.
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Revelation 3:17
I have walked away from many high-paying jobs, along with all of my Earthly possessions in order to move out to a small cabin in the middle of the woods. Solitude and simplicity gives you more time to seek after the things of God. The more things that you have on your plate, the less time you have available to seek God. God doesn’t require our money to obtain his friendship, it requires our time. After all, what do you really need that God cannot provide? Spiritual possessions are the greatest possessions that you could ever attain in this world. The road to eternal life is very narrow, and its incredible the peace that you can find when you choose friendship with God over the world. In order to pass through the eye of the needle, it will require getting rid of a lot of things in your life. After all, you can’t take it with you, and it doesn’t do any good just by sitting there.
We can’t squeeze through a pet’s door. We can’t get inside of a cuckoo’s cage. Do something good with the possessions that you have, unless you find yourself unable to pass all the way through the tunnel to eternal life, completely restricted by its……
…Low Clearance
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 