What Do You Want?
What Do You Want?
What Do You Want?
What Do You Want?
What do you want? What do you want for your work? What do you want for the people you lead?What do you want for your life both now and in the future? These are incredibly important questions. Answering these questions will help you reveal the deepest parts of your heart, especially if you keep asking yourself, “why do I want this?”
What do you want?
What do you want for your work?
What do you want for the people you lead?
What do you want for your life both now and in the future?
These are incredibly important questions. Answering these questions will help you reveal the deepest parts of your heart, especially if you keep asking yourself, “why do I want this?”
Leaders who know what they want are more likely to achieve their goals. People who name and claim what they want, learn faster — even when they want the wrong thing — because they fully experience their mistakes.
Jesus asked His first followers, “What do you want?” - [.no-reftag]John 1:38[.no-reftag]
He continued to ask his followers that question explicitly (Mark 10:36 and Mark 10:51) and implicitly throughout His earthly ministry. Jesus knew how to get at the heart of a person by asking them questions. Jesus, the great healer, was a master surgeon of getting to someone’s deepest wants and then showing them what they really needed.
Elliot Cherry, a pastor in Nashville, gave a remarkable sermon on the Rich Young Ruler by pointing to a series of important questions that Jesus and the other people in the story asked. In this article, we have included a quick case study based on the full sermon which you can find here.
What must I do to get?
A man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:16[.no-reftag]
This is the way many of us work. We want to know what we need to do to get what we want. This way of performance is deeply ingrained in every part of our society, school, family, work, and even religion. But this is not the way that faith in Jesus works.
Elliott Cherry paraphrases the Rich Young Ruler:
“What must I do to get? I perform something, I achieve something, and if you knew my life, Jesus, you know I'm pretty daggum good at that. When I set my mind to something, I get what I set out to go and get.”
The young man is sure if there is a way to obtain something — even eternal life — he can figure it out and earn it on his own. This is the way we often work too. Just give me a goal and I will get it done. “If it's to be, it's up to me.” This is a sad lie we tell ourselves.
Jesus exposes the man as delusional. The young man goes on to claim he has kept every commandment of God since he was a boy.
“All these I have kept. Jesus, I'm perfect. I'm crushing it, dude!”
No one, but Jesus, have ever done this!
What do I still lack?
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”- [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:20[.no-reftag]
The young rich man has everything, wealth, health, power, and influence. He got everything most people in the world want, but he is concerned about the one thing he is not sure about, and it appears he may not understand how eternal life works.
“Because the Rich Young Ruler was not only wealthy, he not only had power and authority, he not only had youth and vibrancy, he was a devoutly and faithfully religious man. Like he was doing all the boxes that we want to check socially and culturally, he was checking all of them and doing them better than you.
“He's doing everything right. He was crushing it and he was miserable…“That should terrify you!”- Elliott Cherry
This should terrify us if we are relying on our abilities and record of performance to get what we want the most. The greatest things at work and the greatest things in life are not based on our abilities.
Money and Power Cannot Save
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” - [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:21[.no-reftag]
When the young man heard this he walked away sad because he had great wealth.- [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:22[.no-reftag] Jesus, the great heart surgeon, revealed what the man lacked. The man lacked the ability to do without his current wealth. His self image and satisfaction were tied up in his wealth and power to earn everything he wanted. He lacked the ability to surrender something temporary for something eternal.
He doesn’t understand who he’s talking to! He’s talking to the living God in human form. The One who made him and knows him better than himself. Jesus is offering him everything and the young leader chooses the status quo.
We have the same opportunity with Jesus right now – to talk to the living God who made us and knows us better than we know ourselves — to let Him do some heart surgery on us.
What temporary thing can you not let go of?
Who can be saved?
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” - [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:25[.no-reftag]
The disciples are shocked that this man has not lived a good enough life based on his testimony. They are now wondering how salvation works too. Everyone is getting to the heart of the matter!
“It's like a turtle on a fence post. You didn't get there yourself. Like you had to be taken there. The Lord had to turn your godly sorrow into obedience. You wouldn't have done it on your own. With man, it's impossible. With God, it's possible, that's all of our stories.” - Elliott Cherry
No one can earn salvation.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:26[.no-reftag]
Jesus is offering Himself.
If we leave everything, what does the kingdom give us?
Peter's saying, “Okay, Jesus, if we leave all these things, if we leave the career our family thought we would have, if we leave it all and follow you, if we give it all up, what will we have in your kingdom?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:28-30[.no-reftag]
Those who surrender their temporary wants and needs to Jesus receive everything. They will lack absolutely nothing.
If you have left anything to follow Jesus, the gain to loss comparison will be incomprehensible. Everything you've ever wanted will be yours and you will have inherited it, not earned it. That's what's so sad about the Rich Young Ruler walking away. - Elliott Cherry
Only One Solution
What if the key to getting everything you want and everything you need is the same thing?
This is what Jesus teaches in the beatitudes. He is offering us all of earth and heaven! In addition to heaven and earth, He is offering real lasting comfort, complete fulfillment, guiltless mercy, perfect clarity and vision, an inheritance that never runs out, and meaningful work for the rest of eternity.
What more could you want?
Join us this week to discuss and grow!
Resources:
Sermon: The Rich Young Ruler | Elliot Cherry
Video: Receive Your Blessing – Accept Your Call | Howard Graham
What do you want?
What do you want for your work?
What do you want for the people you lead?
What do you want for your life both now and in the future?
These are incredibly important questions. Answering these questions will help you reveal the deepest parts of your heart, especially if you keep asking yourself, “why do I want this?”
Leaders who know what they want are more likely to achieve their goals. People who name and claim what they want, learn faster — even when they want the wrong thing — because they fully experience their mistakes.
Jesus asked His first followers, “What do you want?” - [.no-reftag]John 1:38[.no-reftag]
He continued to ask his followers that question explicitly (Mark 10:36 and Mark 10:51) and implicitly throughout His earthly ministry. Jesus knew how to get at the heart of a person by asking them questions. Jesus, the great healer, was a master surgeon of getting to someone’s deepest wants and then showing them what they really needed.
Elliot Cherry, a pastor in Nashville, gave a remarkable sermon on the Rich Young Ruler by pointing to a series of important questions that Jesus and the other people in the story asked. In this article, we have included a quick case study based on the full sermon which you can find here.
What must I do to get?
A man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:16[.no-reftag]
This is the way many of us work. We want to know what we need to do to get what we want. This way of performance is deeply ingrained in every part of our society, school, family, work, and even religion. But this is not the way that faith in Jesus works.
Elliott Cherry paraphrases the Rich Young Ruler:
“What must I do to get? I perform something, I achieve something, and if you knew my life, Jesus, you know I'm pretty daggum good at that. When I set my mind to something, I get what I set out to go and get.”
The young man is sure if there is a way to obtain something — even eternal life — he can figure it out and earn it on his own. This is the way we often work too. Just give me a goal and I will get it done. “If it's to be, it's up to me.” This is a sad lie we tell ourselves.
Jesus exposes the man as delusional. The young man goes on to claim he has kept every commandment of God since he was a boy.
“All these I have kept. Jesus, I'm perfect. I'm crushing it, dude!”
No one, but Jesus, have ever done this!
What do I still lack?
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”- [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:20[.no-reftag]
The young rich man has everything, wealth, health, power, and influence. He got everything most people in the world want, but he is concerned about the one thing he is not sure about, and it appears he may not understand how eternal life works.
“Because the Rich Young Ruler was not only wealthy, he not only had power and authority, he not only had youth and vibrancy, he was a devoutly and faithfully religious man. Like he was doing all the boxes that we want to check socially and culturally, he was checking all of them and doing them better than you.
“He's doing everything right. He was crushing it and he was miserable…“That should terrify you!”- Elliott Cherry
This should terrify us if we are relying on our abilities and record of performance to get what we want the most. The greatest things at work and the greatest things in life are not based on our abilities.
Money and Power Cannot Save
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” - [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:21[.no-reftag]
When the young man heard this he walked away sad because he had great wealth.- [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:22[.no-reftag] Jesus, the great heart surgeon, revealed what the man lacked. The man lacked the ability to do without his current wealth. His self image and satisfaction were tied up in his wealth and power to earn everything he wanted. He lacked the ability to surrender something temporary for something eternal.
He doesn’t understand who he’s talking to! He’s talking to the living God in human form. The One who made him and knows him better than himself. Jesus is offering him everything and the young leader chooses the status quo.
We have the same opportunity with Jesus right now – to talk to the living God who made us and knows us better than we know ourselves — to let Him do some heart surgery on us.
What temporary thing can you not let go of?
Who can be saved?
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” - [.no-reftag] Matthew 19:25[.no-reftag]
The disciples are shocked that this man has not lived a good enough life based on his testimony. They are now wondering how salvation works too. Everyone is getting to the heart of the matter!
“It's like a turtle on a fence post. You didn't get there yourself. Like you had to be taken there. The Lord had to turn your godly sorrow into obedience. You wouldn't have done it on your own. With man, it's impossible. With God, it's possible, that's all of our stories.” - Elliott Cherry
No one can earn salvation.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:26[.no-reftag]
Jesus is offering Himself.
If we leave everything, what does the kingdom give us?
Peter's saying, “Okay, Jesus, if we leave all these things, if we leave the career our family thought we would have, if we leave it all and follow you, if we give it all up, what will we have in your kingdom?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. - [.no-reftag]Matthew 19:28-30[.no-reftag]
Those who surrender their temporary wants and needs to Jesus receive everything. They will lack absolutely nothing.
If you have left anything to follow Jesus, the gain to loss comparison will be incomprehensible. Everything you've ever wanted will be yours and you will have inherited it, not earned it. That's what's so sad about the Rich Young Ruler walking away. - Elliott Cherry
Only One Solution
What if the key to getting everything you want and everything you need is the same thing?
This is what Jesus teaches in the beatitudes. He is offering us all of earth and heaven! In addition to heaven and earth, He is offering real lasting comfort, complete fulfillment, guiltless mercy, perfect clarity and vision, an inheritance that never runs out, and meaningful work for the rest of eternity.
What more could you want?
Join us this week to discuss and grow!
Resources:
Sermon: The Rich Young Ruler | Elliot Cherry
Video: Receive Your Blessing – Accept Your Call | Howard Graham