God Vs Things – Obstacles to Pursuing God

When I was growing up, we received gifts for Christmas. The night before, I was very excited and could barely sleep. There was anticipation. I couldn’t wait.

What is the most memorable gift you ever received?

One year, I received a trampoline. Another time, a bike. Later I was excited to receive my first phone. It was one of those Motorolas. I was excited because it had a game on it. Snake. Remember those?

Let me ask a harder question.

What if someone offered you the greatest gift of all, eternal life? But there was one condition. You have to give up something that was very valuable to you.

Would you let it go?

In today’s passage, a man is offered eternal life and walks away because he wouldn’t let go.

We are continuing our series on Pursuing God. Today we are discussing several obstacles that keep us from pursuing God.

We will look at the obstacles of pride and possessions.

Matthew 19:16-22 – And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

I. Obstacle #1 – Pride

A. The Wrong Question

A man comes up to Jesus. That is a good first sign. On the surface, it looks like he pursuing the right things. He wants eternal life. But his question reveals a lot.

“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

This man assumes that he can somehow earn his way into heaven. He thinks that he is very good.

Jesus is going to show him clearly that this was the wrong way to look at it.

B. Wrong Understanding of Jesus

Jesus responds, “Why are you asking me about what is good? There is only ONE who is good.”

At first, it might appear that Jesus was denying the fact that He was good. But he’s not.

He’s correcting the man’s wrong understanding.

The man called Him, “Good Teacher.” He saw Jesus as a good man, but not God. That was the problem.

Either Jesus is not God and is therefore not good.
Or Jesus is good and is God.

A good person cannot save you but God can.

Simple proof:

• Jesus claims only God is good (Mark 10:18)
• Jesus claims to be good (John 8:46, John 10:11)
• Therefore, Jesus claims to be God.

We see that Jesus tries to lead him to two simple conclusions:

• #1 The young man is not good and cannot earn salvation
• #2 Jesus is good and worthy to be followed.

He had a wrong understanding of Jesus.

C. Wrong Understanding of Self

This rich man was very self-righteous. He thinks he is a good person.

It can be difficult and awkward to convince someone that they are not a good person.

The way Jesus tried to show him this is interesting and we can learn from His example. He did not tell him, “You are not good,” but instead tried to lead him to this conclusion.

Jesus listed out several commands and asked the man if he followed them.

Matthew 19:17 – If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 19:18-19 – You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

I believe Jesus’ hope was that this man would hear these commands and realize “I am a sinner.”

Instead, he pridefully claims that he has done all of these. He has never lied, stolen, cheated, or been disrespectful to his parents. He has always loved his neighbors. I doubt his mother or neighbors would agree!

He was blinded by pride.

People often defend their goodness. Sometimes they really believe it. Other times they are deceiving themselves and others.

Lance Armstrong – Was a professional biker. His home was only a short drive from my house in Austin, Texas. He survived life threatening cancer. Then he went on to win the Tour De France, the most prestigious biking race in the world, SEVEN consecutive times from 1999-2005. He became a global hero. But many believed he was cheating and using drugs to gain an advantage. He repeatedly aggressively denied these claims… up until it was proven that he had been doping the whole time. He claimed to be clean, good, pure. But he was stripped of all of his titles and humiliated.

Many people claim they are good and obey God’s commands. Everyone’s true self will be exposed on the day of judgment.

Luke 8:17 – For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

How many people look good in church and even think they are good because they go to church, but in private they are something different?

You cannot properly approach God until you understand that He is good and you are not.

D. The Wrong Attitude

Compare his statement, “All these I have kept” with:

• Isaiah – “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips… (Isaiah 6:5)
• David – I know my transgressions. My sin is ever before you. (Psalm 51:3-4)
• Peter – I am a sinful man. (Luke 5:8)
• Paul – Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)
• Ezra – I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads (Ezra 9:6)
• Daniel – We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled (Daniel 9:5)

These great men of God were not great because they were great. God used them because they realized they were not great and He is.

Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

To Pursue God, we need, the right question, the right understanding, and the right attitude.

The Right Question

“How can a sinner like me approach a holy God?”

The Right Understanding

Of Jesus –

He is not just a good man or a great teacher. He is perfect. He is divine. He can save.

Of Self –

I am lost. I am a sinner. I need help.

The Right Attitude

Pride is one of the biggest obstacles to keep us from fully pursuing God. We need humility.

This rich young ruler attempted to earn his way in by performing religion.

God is not impressed by your performance. Your standing with God is not secured by reading the Bible, praying, going to church, giving money, etc.

It can be very easy for us to fall into the trap of performance Christianity. Serving because its expected. Going to church because its Sunday. Saying the right things when we are around Christian friends. Pursuing God is not a performance. He sees our heart just as surely as Jesus saw through the rich man’s pride.

When Jesus was just about to die on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” His mission to bring salvation to you was accomplished. You are saved through His work on the cross. It is not 90% Jesus and 10% you. It is 100% Jesus.

When Christy gave birth to our children, she could have said, “It is finished.” They inherited our last name. Their passports said, “Dexter.” In the 17 years since we had our first child, I never once said, “Today you failed the test, you are not my child anymore.” Or, “To continue being my child, you need to earn it. Here is what you need to do today to retain the privilege of being my child.”

Some days they have done well. Other days they have done worse. In both cases, they are still my children.

You are loved by God. He doesn’t love you more and make you more of a child through performance.

But we need to realize that we come to God empty handed. Our attitude is not, “I am great! God is lucky to have me.” It should be, “God is great. His mercy never fails. Great is His faithfulness.” When we realize how empty we are without God and how great He is, that should motivate us to pursue a relationship with Him, not just ticking the boxes of religion.

Come to Jesus empty-handed.

II. Obstacle #2 – Possessions

Next Jesus tells him in verse 21, “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor…Then come, follow Me.”

Jesus was not teaching that giving away money would save him.

The man believed he was good so Jesus in effect says, “If you are perfect, then go all the way.”

He could either try to save himself by being perfect or he could ask for help.

Jesus gave him this challenge to reveal that he wasn’t good enough.

There are two possibilities outcomes from this challenge:

Possibility #1 – The man realizes, “I love money more than God. I am a sinner.” Then he repents and follows Jesus. Selling his possessions wouldn’t save him, but would evidence true, saving faith.
Possibility #2 – He says, “No thanks.” He makes a clear choice NOT to follow Jesus. With this choice, he could no longer deceive himself into thinking he was a good person. He would know where he stood, apart from God.

Either option would strip away the illusion that he was righteous.

That is what happened. He went away grieving. He felt guilty and convicted. He knew he should pursue God instead of money, but he could not do it.

“Before the Lord god made man upon the earth He first prepared for him by creating a world of useful and pleasant things for his sustenance and delight. In the Genesis account of the creation these are called simply ‘things.’ They were made for man’s uses, but they were meant always to be external to the man… In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. But sin has introduced complications and has made those very gifts of God a potential source of ruin to the soul.” – Tozer

His possessions had too strong a hold on him. Though he walked away, he was in a better position than before his talk with Jesus.

Dwight Moody, a famous evangelist in the 1800s, said that “you have to preach someone into hell before you can preach them into heaven.” Someone must know they are lost before they can be saved.

Jesus exposed his top two obstacles, pride and possessions.

Sadly, he chose money instead of Jesus.

Key Takeaway – Subtraction before addition

The problem was not that this man had money. The problem was that he refused to let it go. He wanted to hold on to his lifestyle and also get eternal life. Jesus told him that had to let go. Being His disciple, meant total surrender.

Most restaurants these days try to upsell you by getting you to add on something to your order. You order a burger and they ask,

“Would you like to add fries?” You add fries and they ask, “Would you like to add chicken wings?” You have the meal you want, but you can add on an extra to make it even better.

Some people approach God like that. They want to simply add God onto their life. They do business the same as the world around them, but try to add on God by praying for success or blessings. They pursue relationship the same as the world but try to add on God by saying, “It’s God’s will for us to be together.” They pursue entertainment, careers, travel, comfort, wealth, and achievement just like the world, but try to add on God by going to church.

Jesus made it clear that this man faced a choice. He could not simply add on God to his current life. He couldn’t have the world and eternal life both.
Scripture is clear that pursuing God is not just addition. It is subtraction first and then addition.

What will happen if you plant crops but don’t remove the rocks and trees first? What will happen if you have a dirty, muddy cup and keep trying to pour more water into it?

You have to remove the rocks first. You have to clean the cup first.

Subtract and then add.

2 Timothy 2:22 – Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
Ephesians 4:22-24 – Put off the old self and put on the new.
Hebrews 12:1-2 – Lay aside every weight and sin and run with endurance.
1 Peter 2:1-2 – Put away malice and long for pure spiritual milk.
Romans 13:12-14 – Cast off darkness and put on Jesus.

In John 15, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. It doesn’t say that we are the vine and he is the branch added on top of our vine. He is the base. We don’t just need to add Jesus on top of our life. We need Him to be the source and foundation.
Even so, the branch needs to be pruned.

John 15:2 – Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Pruning is necessary to cut away unproductive parts of the plant. In the same way, for us to be fruitful, God wants to prune you.

He wants to cut away unproductive activities, desires, and goals. Only then can you flourish and be truly fruitful.

Jesus wanted to prune this rich young ruler. But he wouldn’t allow it. He was attached to his riches instead of the vine. The stress and greed and time choked away his life.

To pursue God, you must cut something. Maybe not even a little snip here or there. Cutting away huge chunks might be necessary.

In our last apartment, we had a tree outside the window. Every year, gardeners came by and cut it almost down to the trunk. And every year, it kept growing bigger and more vibrant.

If Jesus were to talk with you today, what would He tell you that you need to cut to fully follow Him? Spend a moment to reflect. Ask God to bring to mind what is sucking up your time and attention and hindering you from fully pursuing God and bearing fruit for Him.

Desire for Possessions

Why do we need so many things?

Look around you. What will last forever? None of the things you see will last. Only your soul and the souls of the people beside you. Things are temporary but God is forever.

What are things that you need to prune?

• Social Media / Scrolling
• Reading/watching the news/sports
• Shopping time
• TV/Movie time

Matthew 16:26 – For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.

If you possess everything in this world, you possess nothing while if you give up everything and possess nothing then you possess everything.

Conclusion

I want to close with this story Jesus told.

Luke 11:9-13 – And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give….

Give what?

My boys often ask me questions. One question they have asked a few times is, “If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?”

If you could fill in the blank, what would you ask God to give you? Go ahead and ask your neighbor.

So what will He give us?

You might expect that it would say “give even better gifts” to those who ask Him. He does give good gifts. In another gospel it says that very thing. But that is not what it says

Jesus says He will give…

the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

He gives Himself. There is nothing greater. There is nothing more valuable. There is nothing more long-lasting. There is nothing that is more good.

“God’s gifts now take the place of God.” – Tozer

Do we want the gifts or God Himself?

If He asked you, what do you want, would you say, “You?” Solomon asked for wisdom. That was a great request. Elijah asked for rain. It was a powerful prayer. Hezekiah prayed for healing. That is good. Moses asked to know God, to see God, and to experience His presence. That is the very best thing we could ever ask for.

Reflection Questions

• What observations or takeaways did you have on chapter 2 of the Pursuit of God (The Blessedness of Possession Nothing)?
• What are some obstacles you need to overcome to fully pursue God? How can you?
• What may you need to subtract (cut out) to pursue God and bear fruit for Him?
• Do you remember your focus on Pursuing God from last month and how are you doing on it?