We had Young Adult Day at our church Sunday and the Lord gave me a burning one, I mean I really felt this one. I would like to think that my congregation; especially my young adults felt my passion and conviction on the subject. The title for my sermon was The World Is Not Yours, I came from Luke 12.13-15 and 1 John 2.15-17. The title is a variation
on the theme and subject of a rap song by NAS entitled "The World is Yours." I argue that while the message of this song may be ostensibly positive, it definitely does not reflect a Christian worldview or value system. It reflects more specifically the spirit of the world that puts tremendous value on material success. I think the operative question for Christians is why do I want the world? Jesus correctly frames this whole discussion when he poses the rhetorical questions >"what good will it be For a man if he gains the whole world, yet-forfeits his soul? Orr what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" This was the premise for my message, not to what some say is lower our expectations, but to change them.
I primarily exegeted the Luke passage for the body of my message. I used three points gleaned from the text of Luke 12. 13-15, I drew my first point from verse 13, where the young man addresses his initial question to Jesus. This young man's question is not appropriate I argued; such self-interested, material concerns are not the domain or concern of Jesus. We must come correct (1st point) When coming
to. Jesus or the church; naked self-interest has no place in the lives of disciples of Christ. The second point is related to verse 14. In this verse, Jesus' response to the young man reveals that Jesus has his own agenda (2nd point). Many contemporary televangelist would have us to believe that Jesus shares our concern for our very personal and particular material welfare, but Jesus' response to the young man suggests different, and I believe that is because God has an ultimate plan that seldom takes into account our particular material comfort. Finally, I made the point that we need to get right (3rd point). Instead of trying to get a job, get paid, get laid, get over, get down, get comfortable, get rich quick, we need to get right, or in other words establish a saving relationship with Christ. When I put the idea Jesus expresses about covetousness in verse 15 against the back drop of
1 John 2.17, I am convinced that getting a relationship with Christ is the critical thing, because everything material is passing away. Why play for little mortal chips, why not bet the farm on eternal life?
If you can't already tell, this is one of the sermons where even if no one else got anything out of it I definately did.
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