 Two verses prior to His interaction with the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” So, how would a little child receive the kingdom of God?
Have you ever watched a little child playing with their favorite toy when someone brings a gift far more wonderful than what they have? The child looks at the toy in their hands, then tosses it aside to receive what’s been given, saying, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” This is quite the contrast to how the rich young ruler responded. He wanted to serve something other than God and was unwilling to repent and renounce his old ‘toy’ in favor of something far better. It was never about the money; it was about repenting of idolatry and making God number one on a list of one. The rich young ruler was unwilling to do this. What about you? You can’t do anything to inherit eternal life. The only thing you can do is throw down your sin, run to Jesus, and receive the free gift of salvation He wants to give you.  When the Holy Spirit puts His finger on the sin He is dealing with in your life, you have a choice. You can say ‘Yes’ and yield to Him and repent. Or you can say ‘No’ and walk away, unwilling to let go of whatever you loved more than the Lord.
Make no mistake, whatever you love more than the Lord is your god. But no one can serve two masters. That’s why repenting is so important—it is renouncing all other masters. Watch our study of Matthew 19:16-22 as we observed a rich young ruler who was willing to come to Jesus, but unwilling to follow Him.  Throughout the Scriptures, God uses human relationships to convey His emotions and provide an analogy for reconciliation. The book of Hosea contains one of the most powerful examples of the Lord’s love for His people, even when they didn’t love Him back. It explores a human relationship to illustrate His pain and anguish over Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness.
This book has many gut-wrenching verses concerning the sin and impending captivity of Israel. It also contains many verses of the Lord’s love for His people, even when Israel was bent on sin, rebellion, and rejection. Maybe your sin is destroying you. If so, consider the amazing grace and love of the Lord who calls out to us even in the midst of our mess and while we are at our worst: “Israel, return to the Lord your God. Your sins have destroyed you! Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins. Return to him. Say to him, ‘Forgive us for all our sins. Please be kind to us. Welcome us back to you. Then our lips will offer you our praise.’” (Hosea 14:1-2) Last week, we worked our way through the first half of Matthew 19, where we saw the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question about divorce. They were hoping to get Jesus to state His position so that He would offend those who followed Him.
Of course, Jesus’ position on marriage was consistent from the very beginning. When God’s original intention is broken by sin (specifically by the sin of adultery), divorce is permitted, but not commanded. When you consider that Jesus taught that whoever looks at another lustfully has committed adultery, most marriages would be in jeopardy. And yet, none of us has been faithful in our relationship with God (see Romans 3:23). God has every right and reason to leave us. Though He is permitted to divorce us, He does not. In fact, He continues to pursue us and has made Himself the means of restoring our broken relationship with Him. Watch our study from last Sunday as we turned to the small book of Hosea to see an illustration of God’s faithfulness.  We often underestimate the destructiveness of sin. Because of it, God has every right and reason to leave us and separate Himself from us—to divorce us and send us away.
Yet in His mercy, God promises to always be with us—never leaving, never forsaking. He draws us closer to Himself and gives us grace upon grace. The Apostle Paul (who claimed to be the chief of sinners) reflected on God’s love for us, and drew this conclusion: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?… For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39) Matthew 19 initially appears to address marriage, divorce, singleness, and parenthood. However, its message reaches beyond these topics. When we read the Bible, we often seek solutions for others' sins. Yet, God's word is meant to work within us and draw us into a deeper, unhindered relationship with Him.
 After 25 years of waiting, Abraham was finally blessed with the son God had promised him. But years later, the Lord commanded him to take his only son and offer him as a sacrifice. At the last minute, the Lord stopped Abraham. Isaac was spared. And God provided them with a sacrifice.
This account in Genesis 22 wasn’t just about Abraham or Isaac. It points to another Father and another Son. And the two of them went to the same mountain. But this time, the knife didn’t stop. And that changed everything. Listen to our study from Genesis 22 as we considered the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope that this new reality offers to whosoever would believe.  Join us for a special Good Friday worship service on April 3rd at 7pm as we remember the importance of the death of Jesus. Then join us at 10am on Sunday, April 5th as we celebrate His resurrection.
 As Jesus approached Jerusalem the week leading up to His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, He wept. Not for the horrors that He would encounter that week. No, the Prince of Peace saw the city of peace and was overwhelmed with sorrow because they did not have peace with God. Though the multitude cried “Hosanna!” that day, a few days later they would cry “Crucify!” and fail to recognize that God had come to them to give them peace.
Have you recognized Jesus coming to you to seek and to save that which was lost? One day, we will all have to stand before God alone. He will inspect your heart to see if you have peace with God. If you don’t know the things that make for your peace and haven’t received Jesus, the coming destruction will be eternal—eternal separation from God. But it doesn’t have to be that way! This is why Jesus came—to save you from destruction. You can ask Jesus today—right now—to forgive you of your sins, to fill you with His Spirit, and to make you a brand new creation in Christ. Cry out to Him and He will save you! Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life. |
From Pastor Dom...When I first gave my life to Jesus, there were friends in my life who helped me to grow in my understanding of God, through His word, and for those friends Archives
July 2026
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