2819 Church - WISDOM & WONDER | What Do I Still Lack? | Matthew 19:16-30 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In the SZN8 finale of "WISDOM & WONDER," Philip Anthony Mitchell unpacks the greatest invitation anyone could ever receive from Matthew 19:16-30 Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

You could be seated. Amen. Before we jump into the proclamation of God's word, I want to just take a moment to just, on behalf of my wife and I. I just want to take a moment on behalf of my wife and I to thank all of you who have been praying for us and praying for our family. As many of you know that my wife lost her mother

during Thanksgiving week unexpectedly. And the last two weeks have been very difficult for our family and planning funerals and an out of state burial coming up this week during the holidays has been very difficult emotionally. And I think she and I are both tired. I think that we are a little wary. I just want to be transparent about that. And I do want to just publicly thank all of you for text messages, phone calls, DMs, all of your love, all of your prayers and your support. We are not machines. We are human beings and so we thank you for your prayers. We don't want to try to live a life before you where we never show weakness. That's not reality. And so, we love y'all.

Thank you. We are in the last three messages of a series called Wisdom and Wonder. I think it's been a great series in which together as a church, we've been walking through Matthews chapter 12 through 20. And if you are guests, we welcome you to 2819. If you're sitting in the overflow, we welcome you to 2819. If you're sitting in the overflow, we welcome you to 2819. If you are a digital disciple watching me right now live in cities across the country and pockets around the world, we welcome you to 2819. And if you're not a follower of Christ and you're watching right now, you're sitting in the room in the overflow, we are

thankful that you are here. We want you to know that you can be a part. You can belong before you believe. You can be amongst us as we are having these holy conversations about the Lord Jesus Christ and learning his word together. And we are coming down to the end of our Wisdom and Wonder series. Just three more messages in that series will come to an end, and a brand new series will begin in the new year. We're studying Matthew.

If you're not familiar with who that was, outcast Jew who lived in the first century A.D., converted to Christianity by Christ himself. He was an apostle, an eyewitness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote the gospel that bears his name. And he also became a martyr for what he saw and what he believed. And we are studying his book together. I don't have a title for today's message. Difficult study week for me. But I do know where we're going. We'll be studying today Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 through 30.

And we'll add a title to it later in the day or maybe the next gathering, whatever the Lord wants to do. But for all my note takers, Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 through 30 is where we'll be today as a family. Eternal God and our wise father. We are frail. We are weak. We are intimately equated with our mortality. Lord, even as I consider where my mother-in-law is right now, I just pray for everyone under the sound of my voice that we would learn to give people flowers while they are alive.

That you would teach us to love well and to forgive well and to do life well while we have breath in our lungs. I pray in my own weakness that you would give me strength to communicate this text to these, your sons and daughters. Father Lord, that the gospel would not be hindered by my weakness. Holy Spirit, bring revelation and insight to the children of God. And draw the unbeliever to yourself. In Christ's name we pray. Amen and amen and amen.

Amen. You know, family, as I've been just staring at this text, you know, I had this thought that probably one of the most difficult emotions that we feel in our human experience are the feelings of inadequacy. For some people, inadequacy is sourced by voids in affirmation. For other people, inadequacy is sourced by deep insecurities we have about ourselves, things we don't like about ourselves, our personal life. For others, feelings of inadequacy is sourced by life circumstances, loss of a job, loss of a marriage, a divorce,

things that we have gone through that make us feel inadequate, make us feel less than. And in all of those instances, I think there is some legitimacy and there are pathways that lead to healing when we're struggling with inadequacy as it relates to those things. But there is another place that inadequacy shows up in the life of human beings, and this area is mingled with deception. And this is when inadequacy is mingled with religion, in which there are people who all around the country and all around the world, untold numbers of people who are trying to earn things from God that they cannot. And inadequacy is driving them in exercises of futility, trying to get things from God or trying to perform for God or trying to earn things with God, then listen to me, they just absolutely cannot. That area of inadequacy, I think, is more crippling because there is no healing for that.

That is something that we must be delivered from through proper theology. But there are millions of people, both in America and all around the world who are battling inadequacies connected to religion. It is me dabbling with the nation of Islam before I was a Christian and trying to figure out how much do I have to do to please the false deity of the nation of Islam. Right, right. It is well-meaning unbelievers

who think that they have to clean up their lives for themselves before they can come to God in faith and trust him for what they cannot do on their own. It is religious men and women who think that through good behavior and performance, they can actually earn approval from God. As if anything they are doing can actually make them righteous in the sight of God. It is crippling. It is tiring. There is no bottom for that. That is a bottomless pit that human beings will always be in because we will never

know when we have done enough, quote unquote, to please God. This is the struggle of billions of people around the world. This is the struggle of millions of people in the U.S. This is the struggle of people in this room and in the overflow watching me across that camera. This is the struggle of the brother we find at the center of this particular text. An encounter that Christ had so important that three of the four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, thought that this one encounter was so important that all three of them needed to record this particular encounter. We know from last week's message that Christ had just taught about children, and we see him bringing children close to him, proximity. Now we will see another brother after children where there is distance when it comes to proximity.

Matthew tells us in Matthew chapter 19, and beginning in verse 16, Matthew writes, and behold, a very important word, a man came up to him saying, teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? Now, Matthew leaves out some details that Mark gives us. Matthew later tells us that this brother is young. Mark would tell us that this brother, when he ran upon Jesus, he knelt down before him in humility. Luke would tell us that this brother is wealthy and that he is a ruler. That is, he is a member, we believe, of a Jewish sect called the Sanhedrin. He's a type of political figure. He has clout. He has maybe a little bit of street fame. He has wealth. He is well positioned in society. He is not poor. He's in the middle to

upper class socioeconomic status. Matthew tells us, he says, behold. That's a strong word for look and pay attention to what I'm about to write. He tells us the man came up to him who was Christ's watch, and he asked him a question saying, teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? I want you to notice that he is seeking God or seeking Christ saying, what can I do to earn salvation? What can I do to be found right in the sight of God? What can I do? What can I perform? What deed can I do in order to make sure or assure myself that when I go to bed tonight, I have assurance that if I die, I will end up in heaven, i.e., what can I do to earn heaven? Jesus responds to him

in verse 17, and he said to him, why do you ask about what is good? Another translator says, or another writer says, why do you call me good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments. So now Jesus does two things here. He corrects him and he teaches him. First correction, the Lord says, why do you call me good? In another text, why do you call me good? In another text, why are you calling me good?

He's waiting to see if this brother has a response to which he has no response in the moment. Now, the Lord is correcting him here, saying there is no one good but God. This is very important because this is not like the word, you did a good job. You say to a child, the word here in Greek means moral perfection. It means moral excellence. And so what Christ is saying, there is no human being with moral excellence. There is no human being with moral perfection. Therefore, there is no human being who is good. I'll prove it to you. For Paul writes to the church in Rome, he says, for all have fallen short. All have sinned and what? Fallen short of God's glory. So therefore, as it relates to moral perfection, there are no good human beings.

So when people say, man, I'm a good person. I deserve to go to heaven. They have been deceived. Right? Because according to Christ, no one is good. No one is morally perfect. No one can earn salvation. In fact, he says no one is good except God alone. Speaking of himself. Speaking of the Father. Speaking of the Holy Spirit. And then he says to him, watch. But if, big word, you would enter life, keep the commandments. Now, family, I want

to draw your attention to the word if. Watch. You know what the word if here? The word if here is a clause. He attaches the word if to eternal life, which means there is a cost to enter heaven. See, I just performed, I just spoke at a funeral yesterday and did a eulogy for my mother-in-law. And in all my years of going to funerals, I've sat in the back of funerals and listened to preachers lie to give families false comfort that we say everybody who's in a box is in heaven. So they was not saved. They was reckless their whole life. They were walling out, but God took a flower and put it in his garden.

So every week, some speaker somewhere is lying to a family in a funeral, giving a family false assurance that a person who hated God is now in his presence? So we just talk with broad language that says, man, we just know that they are now in a better place. How do you know that? So at every funeral for every person who dies, all of them are in a better place because in America we make heaven automatic for death. More than 75% of Americans believe that when people die they automatically go to heaven. In America we automatically attribute death to heaven.

We don't want to deal with the fact that some people will not make it there. So to ease our conscience, no matter what they was doing, we automatically say, every person who died, oh, they are in a better place. Some people, you should be hoping they don't die while they are alive right now in the condition that they're in. And I know that makes you feel uncomfortable. I know you're thinking about some relatives who are not here, and I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. You better worry about you while you are alive right now. No, everybody is not in a good place. Jesus says, watch, if clause, you will enter eternal life. That means there is a price to be paid for eternity. There is something we must pass through or take on to enter eternity. Then Jesus looks at this man. He says to him, you're trying to earn salvation. He comes to him

with a good, legitimate question. Watch. What must I do to inherit eternal life? In the first century, people thought about eternity. I know that we have lost this in the West, where in the West, people don't think as much about eternity. We're worrying, what must I do to get on a stage? What must I do to be the lead singer on a song on a worship team? What must I do to be recognized by a pastor? Very few American believers are worried about what must we do to inherit eternal life. Very few Americans are thinking about eternal life. We're not thinking about eternal life. We're thinking about bags.

We're thinking about status. We're thinking about fame. We're thinking about following. We're thinking about what must I do to use my Christian walk to position myself for glory? Isn't this America? All around the country. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Let's be honest. Don't play with me. You talk to the average American Christian, we're trying to use Christ to position ourselves for personal glory. So our faith is a pathway to platforms in our mind, our heart, and physically.

We ain't trying to decrease. I'm tired and I don't care. Okay? We ain't thinking of, this brother's thinking about eternity. He asked a legitimate question. The Lord says to him, everybody pay attention. If you will have eternal life, if you would make it to heaven, watch. If you would make it, keep the commandments. If, that means everybody will not go.

Okay. You've never been to a funeral when they told the truth but your Lord says if that means everybody will not go that means there's only one other option. And he says to him, if you would have eternal life, keep the commandments. Verse 18. And the brother says to the Lord,

which ones? We do this all the time. We do this all the time. This is us. Lord, do you know about my church attendance? You know how faithful I've been? You know how much money I've given? What more I got to do? You know I've been in church my whole life?

You know I was born on the altar? You know my grandmama was a deacon? Like, you know I'm a good man. What more I gotta do? He says to the Lord, which ones? The Lord says back to him, these ones. You shall not murder, one. You shall not commit adultery, two.

You shall not steal, three. You shall not bear false witness, that is stop lying, four. Honor your father and your mother if they're good to you. No. Honor your father and mother if they never abandon you. No. Honor your father and mother. Period. I am the Lord.

But they wasn't good to me. Honor your father and your mother. Period. I am the Lord. But they wasn't good to me. Honor your father and your mother. But they abandoned me. They didn't love me. They didn't affirm me. Honor your father and your mother.

Four. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Five, six, pause. The young man asked, what commandments do I got to keep? I mean, what else I got to do? The Lord quotes to him six commandments. Now pay attention. This is powerful. Everybody watch. Notice what the Lord does not do. Because this is what we do. Somebody's asking about eternal life. Notice what the Lord does not do. He does not say God loves you.

Jesus. Jesus. Come on, Pastor. Come on. Come on. He does not talk about grace. He does not say let's ask Jesus into your heart. He doesn't start telling them how much God needs him. He doesn't use any of the American approaches to spreading the gospel. Instead, he tells a seeker the word of God from the moral

commandments of God. He gives a seeker the Ten Commandments. Let's stack you up against God's standard for righteousness. That's not seeker-sensitive. That is, man, I really want to know the Lord. He gives him the 10 commandments, but not all 10, five from the back half and one he adds, right? So he gives him six commandments. Now, family, pay attention to the master teaching of Christ. This is crazy to me. He gives him six commandments to watch this. And verse 20, and the young man said to him, all these I have kept. What do I still lack? Now watch this. Gosh, this is so powerful.

Watch. The Lord quotes to him six commandments. The back half of the Ten Commandments, the moral law of God, the moral laws that Paul said we use as a schoolmaster to point people to Christ, that in the moral law we have knowledge of sin. The purpose of the moral law is not for believers. It's for unbelievers. Let me repeat this again. The purpose of the moral law is not for believers. It's for unbelievers, because when you weigh people up against the moral law, it shows them that they cannot keep God's standard

for righteousness. It teaches them you need a Savior. Watch. Because no human being can keep all ten. See? And what the Lord is digging at right here is what we don't preach in the American gospel he's not trying to tell him God loves you and he's not trying to preach to him grace he's digging at this word called repentance he's he's he's trying to itch him in the area of sin

watch he's trying to let this see in the area of sin. Watch. He's trying to let this seeker know you got a problem before you can get into heaven. Now, watch the master teaching of Christ. Wisdom and wonder. He quotes to him six of the six laws, five from the Ten Commandments, one he adds. He quotes them. Now, pay attention to the ones he quotes. Do you see anything in them that we should be paying attention to?

You shall not murder, shall not steal, shall not commit adultery, shall not bear false witness, honor your mother and father, love others as you love yourself. You see any semblance in those? Let me help you. All of these commandments are the ones people can see

you keeping. These are all the ones if you was doing it people will say they're moral they're a real christian watch that's a real man of god that's a real woman of god these are all the commandments people can keep and not keep watch this in public these are all the ones that if we see people keeping them we just assume they are Christians. We assume they're saved. We assume they belong to God. These are the ones you can keep and fool people. I don't steal.

You see me? I honor my mother and my father. I've never committed adultery. Lying? No, I've never lied. I always tell the truth. Always tell the truth. Right?

No, I always tell the truth. No, that's not me at all. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Nah, no. Love your neighbor? Man, I love everybody even more than myself. She is a woman of God. She is a woman of God.

He is a man of God. Watch. We see that in their life. Watch. The man says back to the Lord, watch this. All of these I have kept since I was a youth. You know what he feels in this moment? Lord, I'm ready. He feels, watch this, assurance. He feels maybe a little bit of pride, maybe a little bit of, I've checked off all the boxes.

He's talking to Jesus like, what are you saying to me? I've done everything I need to do for eternal life. This is us too. This is people too. This is some human beings who think they've done everything to earn something from God. Church attendance. I pay my tithes and offerings. I serve on a team.

I'm in a squad. You see me loving others? This is people inside gatherings all around the country who think because of their outward piety, they are right in the sight of God. Right? So these commandments that the Lord quoted are the visible ones to which this brother's been doing good since he was a young man. But then, and I'm almost done, but then watch what the master teacher does next. He does this to what he does to all of us. Everybody look.

The Lord, in Mark's account, it says, but the Lord loved him. Now watch, because I'm about to ruin some of your American theology. Mark wrote, the Lord looked at him and loved him. Now watch, because I'm about to ruin some of your American theology. Mark wrote, the Lord looked at him and loved him. Watch, watch this. And in loving him, you know what Jesus does next, Danielle? He pulls out the knife. Because for some of you, you only equate love to good feelings. You never see conviction as love. You never see the Holy Spirit confronting you as love. We only think if we're blessed and if God has given me everything that I want, we only see that as love.

But Mark wrote, Jesus looked at him and loved him. And then what the Lord does next is pulls the knife out he says okay since you've done all these things that people can see the Lord pulls out the knife from his pocket and he puts it right in his heart then the Lord says but if you would be perfect verse 21 go sell what you possess. Give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me. Okay. Come on, sir. It's a heart attack.

Watch it. It's a heart attack. Watch. Now, everybody, I'm about to say something that might sound controversial. Okay. Yeah. The Lord tells him, if you would be perfect, go sell everything you have. He's talking to a rich brother. But I don't want you to skip by the word perfect. Watch. That is the criteria by the word perfect. Watch.

That is the criteria for heaven. I want that to sit on you for just a second. Because you're about to learn how to properly, you're learning how to properly, you know what the Lord's doing? Showing us how to properly share the gospel. The criteria for heaven, watch, is perfection. Perfection as if you are God himself, morally perfect is the criteria for heaven. This begs a question, who then can earn their way there? Who can earn their way to heaven? You should have the answer to that. No one.

Somebody give me that keeps sweat. Nobody. They ain't too young for that. And let me just put this out there. This is why those of us who are saved and headed there, you should not be prideful or arrogant about salvation. This is why I want to say to you as often as I can, you should stop boasting in your talent, stop boasting in gifts. Stop boasting in all these things you think is the reason the Lord saved you. You and I who are saved, look at me,

you have nothing to boast in except the cross and the work of Christ. This is why I keep preaching to you Christ, because I want you to love Christ. I want you to adore Christ. I want him to be the hero of your heart, your mind, and your house. I want you to love him with all of your heart, because if you are saved and you are heaven-bound, you are heaven-bound because of the work of Christ, because you're clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That's why you should love him. And we should stop boasting in all these things

other than the work of Christ. We should make our boast in Christ. We boast in all these other things to make people feel it's for that reason god saved me because you can communicate because you can sing because you can administrate because you know how to lead you are nothing and i am nothing apart from christ you have nothing to offer god apart from the righteousness of Christ. The standard, hear me, I'm almost done, for heaven, listen, is perfection.

Why is moral perfection the standard for heaven? Listen, that's why we have to read the scriptures. Because sin cannot dwell in the presence of God. And so since sin can't dwell in his presence, it takes moral perfection to be there. And since you are not morally perfect, you must be clothed in the moral perfection of somebody else. Gosh. Jesus. You must be clothed in the moral perfection of somebody else. Gosh! Woo, Jesus! This is why the Scripture says we should take off the old man.

And we should put on the new man. We need to put on Christ. That's why when the Devil comes accusing you, you need to remind him that you've been clothed in Christ. Yeah, I failed, but I'm clothed. Yeah, I fell down, but I'm clothed. Yeah, I got insecurities, but I'm clothed. Yeah, a brother got issues, but I'm clothed. In Christ. Somebody give him praise in this house.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah! Somebody shout Jesus! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! So, you think a suit makes you more holy? I can't be holy in Timbs and a chain? Our church clothes are not suits. Our church clothes is the righteousness of Christ. And I'm not anti-suit. Don't send me no DMs. I'm trying to make a point that we attach righteousness to temporal things, worldly things, legalistic things. Clothed in the perfection of another.

That is my ticket. Only faith in Christ. Watch this word. Alone. faith in Christ watch this word alone come on and what Jesus gives him is the greatest invitation any human being will ever get in this lifetime

come and follow me is the greatest invitation any human being will ever get in this lifetime. Come and follow me. There is no greater invitation a human being will get in this lifetime than an invitation from Christ to say, just come and follow me. I got insecurities. Come. I got brokenness. Come. I got issues from my past. Come. I don't know if you really… Just come. You're not getting a good pick. Come. Sometimes I still don't feel like a good pick, but he still said to me, come.

And I just want to remind some of you that he knew what he was getting when he told you come gosh man I gotta move on but but but I just I need to say that one more time he knew what he was getting when he said come he already knew what he was getting when he said, come. He already knew what he was getting. Sang. Sing. When we'd be giving him that laundry list of all of our insecurities, he already knew what he was getting when he told you, come. Ain't nothing in you surprised him.

Gosh. That's why I love scriptures that said, he who began a good work. Man, I feel the spirit of God. A good work in you shall… He's going to see it all the way through. When I be persecuting my own self, I got to remind my own self that he knew what he was getting when he said, come. Come.

Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Oh, word. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Verse 22.

The young man heard this, and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Man, this man walked away from an invitation to follow Jesus personally. Like, this is not like you and I who have not seen him. You're standing in front of Christ, God in the flesh, telling you, join my ministry, and you turn away from the greatest invitation he would ever receive because what the Lord was really trying to show him, that he was violating the first commandment, you shall love the Lord your God

and have no other gods before him. See, the commandment he did not keep was the one people could not see. It was his idolatry. See, he quoted to him those visible ones first. Oh, I got that. He's a man of God. We can see that.

But let's deal with the one nobody can't see. That idolatry in your heart. You know what the Lord was showing this young man? You are not perfect. Watch. You need a savior. You will be separated from God for all eternity with that idolatry in your heart. That's what he's telling him.

God. That's what he's telling him. He forfeits an opportunity to walk with Christ personally because his wealth was more important to him than the invitation. Now, this does not mean the Lord wants every person to sell everything they have and follow him. That's bad teaching. The Lord is talking to this brother, not every brother. Because for some of us, he'll just say, be a good steward, not sell everything you have. Teachings in the scriptures about that. But for this man who his money was his God, the Lord says, you're not perfect. Sell that God.

Then come and follow me. Okay. Verse 23. And Jesus said to his disciples, truly, that is pay attention. I'm telling you very seriously. I say to you only with difficulty will a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, I tell 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 heaven. So what the Lord said to him, man, people who have great possessions, they struggle to enter the kingdom because they put self-reliance in resources. That's why wealthy people think they don't need God because they think self-reliance in resources. That's why wealthy people think they don't need God because they think that their money will keep them comfortable for eternity. And then because we don't know how to preach the gospel, we try to walk up on a wealthy person and

say, Jesus will make your life better. That is poor gospel proclamation. You say that and they hear, I don't need the God that you're preaching to me. My life is already good. That's why the Lord never said to this rich brother, God loves you and grace. He didn't say that. He dealt with his sin because wealth can't pay for righteousness. And then he says, it's as hard for a rich man to enter heaven as it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. A camel was the largest animal in Palestine. Now, you will read in some books, some theologians would think they're talking about a gateway in the doors to the wall of Jerusalem, where it was so small, a camel would have to get down on its knees. You have to strip it of everything, and they have to push it through. They said that was called a needle. That makes for good preaching. If I was a bad theologian, and if I didn't understand

hermeneutics, I would use that to say, you have to take off everything to get into that narrow gate. That would make for good teaching, but that's not good exegesis, right? Because the word needle here in Greek is talking about a sewing needle. In Greek, a sewing needle, which has a tiny opening. An animal can't fit through there. Jesus, I don't understand. He's trying to tell them it is impossible for anyone to get into heaven on their own merit. That's what he's trying to tell them it is impossible for anyone to get into heaven on their own merit. That's what he's trying to say. And it cannot happen. The same way you can't get an animal through the eye of a sewing needle.

When the disciples heard this verse 25, they were greatly astonished, saying, who then can be saved? You know why they're asking that question? Because in the first century, they thought anyone who was wealthy, God blessed them. So they think, man, if a wealthy person can't get in, nobody can't get in. We got money. So if a wealthy person can't get in, nobody can't get in. But Jesus looked at them and said, with man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. That is, God can save anyone. No one can save themselves.

Peter then said to him, see, Lord, watch, watch. Then Peter said to him and replied, see, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have? Legitimate question. Well, Lord, this man walked away, but we did not. This is for everyone who felt like they've sacrificed for the Lord. I'm coming down. I've sacrificed for the Lord. I've moved. I've given up jobs. I've come out of bad relationships. You told me get rid of this boyfriend or girlfriend. You told me sell this house. You told me Philip Anthony Mitchell giveaway this car. Like, Lord, man, this is for those of us who are sacrificing, suffering, grinding for the Lord and feel like, dang, Lord, where is my reward?

Like, why are the wicked prospering, and I'm doing everything I know how to do, and I'm struggling to pay bills. I'm still single. Like, Lord, I don't have the house that I want. Like, this is for all the believers who think they've sacrificed everything for the Lord, and they don't see themselves flourishing like the wicked.

It's a legitimate question. Everybody pay attention to the text. And then Jesus says to him, watch, last verses. Then Jesus said to them, truly I say to you, in the new world, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my name's sake will, you see that word promise, receive promise a hundredfold promise, and will promise, inherit promise, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last... Look at me.

Everybody, watch here. Look, pay attention. I want you to notice what Jesus just did. Peter is asking the same question that we ask. Well, what am I going to get for my grind? You might get blessings here. You might. You might get married.

You might fulfill some of your aspirations. You might. But what if you do not? The Lord points the disciples' focus for reward not in front of them, but to eternity. How's that for Western preaching? What do we get for following Christ while we suffer? You get him. You get eternity. These thrones, these 12 men, that's what they got. The rest of us, we're going to get rewards. Then he says, watch, the last will be first. That is, those who are comfortable now, they will be last.

Some of them will not get in. Those who are last, those who suffer now, they will be first. There will be a great reversal at the judgment. Okay. All right. You know, this aggravates me in the West. Let me land with this because I can't let you walk out with that pride in your heart. Some of y'all thinking like, man, that ain't good enough for me. I want a husband. I want a wife. I want a bag. I want a house. I want a big ministry. I don't want eternal life. That's not enough for me. I want a husband. I want a wife. I want a bag. I want a house. I want a big ministry. I don't want eternal life. That's not enough for me. It's not enough? Let me help you show you why it's enough. Let me help you show you. I'll take that reward, and I'll be poor now, suffer now, have a damaged eardrum now. I'll grind now for eternity.

Let me show you why it's enough. I'm done, Frank. But no, no, let me, verse 11. This is what Jesus gave John, the last surviving disciple on the island of Patmos. Since eternity is not enough reward for you. Verse 11. John said this. I'm closing with this.

Then I saw a great white throne. I'm done, Frank. And him who was seated on it, from his presence, earth and sky, fled away. And no place was found in them. And I saw the dead. This is what's going to happen when everybody dies. Great and small.

Rich and poor. Famous and not famous. Great and small, rich and poor, famous and not famous, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Nobody gets away with nothing. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books. According to what they had done, and the seed, that is the world, gave up the dead that was in it, and death the world, gave up the dead that was in it. And death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.

That is hell, which is temporary. It's like a prison until judgment. Everybody that's in hell right now is in a prison until judgment. That's death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. And then they were judged, each one of them according to what they had done. Eternity is not good enough for you. Watch. You don't want Christ? Watch. You think salvation is not good enough? Watch. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life. He was thrown into the lake of fire. Rich now, burning for eternity. Prideful

now, burning for eternity. Arrogant now, burning for eternity. Prideful now, burning for eternity. Arrogant now, burning for eternity. No, salvation ain't good enough? That's not a reward to celebrate Jesus over? Okay. Shoot. Let's keep reading. Verse 1, verse 21. Then I saw the new heaven and the new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people.

And he, God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, no more funerals, no more aging, no more sickness, no more disease. Neither shall there be mourning or no crying, no more pain, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. Behold, I am making all things new. Also he said, write this this down for these words are trustworthy and true and he said to me it is done i am the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give him from the spring of water

of life without payment. To the one who conquers, he will have a heritage, and I will be his God and her God, and he or she will be my son or my daughter. Salvation ain't good enough. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers and diviners, the horoscopes, the idolaters, the liars, they're going to have their portion that burns in the lake of sulfur and fire, which is the second death. The greatest reward for our suffering and our labors come then it's eternity man it's that all of your sufferings all of your labor all of your heartache all of your frustration our hope should be for eternity not for these things that listen to me man they are fleeting fleeting you're gonna get the house

and still be empty you're gonna to get the house and still be empty. You're going to stand on the platform and still be empty. Man, the greatest reward the Lord is going to give to those of us who are really in Christ. We're going to live in that new world. Drinking new water, seeing new trees, seeing new animals, no sickness, no disease, no funerals, no death, no famine, no insecurities, no failures, no guilt, no strife, no issues, no problems, no tears. What in this life is greater than that? Nothing. It was my mother-in-law. In the last season of her life in a nursing home, my wife concerned about her salvation.

It's me, 4 a.m. every morning, crying out for her salvation, knowing, man, she came here with nothing from Philippines. Had houses, cars, money, retirement, all of that. But where was her soul? Where was the ultimate reward? Her daughter crying out for her. Her son-in-law crying out for her. We rush on the day we get the phone call. She's transitioning.

We rush to the house where she is only to get to the door. And they said, y'all made it too late. She's taking her last breath. But an hour into our time in that house, there was a young lady sitting in that house who said, I've been sitting with your mom for the last three months, every Tuesday for four hours. And when I met your mom,

I asked your mom about where she is spiritually. And your mom said to me that my son-in-law is a pastor named Philip. And the woman says back to him, is he Anthony Mitchell? And the mother-in-law says, yes. And my daughter's name is Lena and she's a first lady. Then the woman says, okay, I watch them on social. I watch them on YouTube. And then the woman says, Lena says, well, when you were sitting with my mom, did she say anything about me? And the mom tells the woman about their relationship. And then the woman starts talking to the mom about sin, about repentance, about God's standard for righteousness.

And without our knowledge, she leads my mother-in-law into a renewed, real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and then testifies that in the last couple weeks of her life, she's seen a radical transformation in my mother-in-law. Watch. She's reading the Bible. She's praying. She's loving.

She's confessing sin. And then the woman says to Lena and I, I'm a 2819 disciple. So where Philip could not get there, and where Leda could not get there. The Lord in his providence would raise up a disciple from this church because we are about spreading the gospel. And because that disciple saw her assignment as a volunteer in a nursing home, as I'm on assignment for Christ,

wherever we are, had enough sensitivity in the moment to lead this elderly woman near death to the Lord Jesus. School teacher, corporate America, like, no, we missionaries, wherever we are. And then when I stood up to do my mother-in-law's funeral,

now I ain't talking about pixie dust and roses. I'm speaking with confidence that I believe that she just made it in. And I just pray we would wake up and be agents on mission wherever we are, understanding that time is running out and that we must spread this gospel together and individually and understand for those of us who are living for Christ and sacrificing for Christ and have left all to follow Christ, our greatest reward will be the crown we lay down at his feet. Not all of this stuff we're chasing down here.

And so eternal God and ever wise Father I pray right now for someone who is far away from you some atheist, some brother some sister in this room I pray you would draw them to yourself right now somebody under the sound of my voice you feel God wooing you to yourself right now.

Just confess your sin right there where you are, right there across that camera. Just tell God you're sorry for all of your sin. Surrender your life to him. He's giving you an invitation right now. Come, my daughter. Come, my brother. Come, my sister. Come, my daughter.

Come, my son. Follow me right now. Surrender your life to me right now. Tell him, Lord, forgive me for my sin. I surrender my life to you right now. Lord, I pray you save sovereignly somebody listening to me right now. Rescue them from the domain of darkness and transfer them into the kingdom of light. And Father God, I pray for those of us who belong to you already, that you would open our eyes to see that we have not earned anything from you in our own merit,

but that you would deepen our love for Christ and the cross of Christ and the work of Christ, that Jesus would be the hero of our hearts. And I pray you would make us sensitive to the times that we're living in and that you would help us wherever we are to be on mission, being sensitive to those all around us who need the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, not lies and pixie dust.

They need to be confronted about sin. They need to be told where they're going. They need to be told about a Savior who died for them. Help us to be faithful proclaimers of the biblical gospel. And help us to be thankful for the rewards that are coming in eternity. For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed. I pray that over all of these. Salvation for some and fire for others.

In the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Somebody just by faith give God praise for those who gave their life to Christ.