379: Treasure: What Do You Love the Most? | Dave Sloop

Introduction

Thank you, Brian. Good morning, everybody. I want to start with an announcement today. Coming up in May, the men's retreat is happening, and it's going to be at Camp Easterseals in New Castle, Virginia. I just wanted to make a personal appeal for you to consider coming to this. You might be thinking, I'm not the kind of guy that likes to sleep in a bunk bed. Me neither. But I'm going to be there because it’s going to be worth it to be with like-minded men in fellowship and to learn about what it looks like to follow Christ more closely.

And I promise you, even if you don't like to fish and do stuff like that, I don't, but I'm excited to be together. I hope that if you don't have plans that weekend, you'll consider it. You can register by texting the word STORY to (540) 251-2200. I think there's an announcement in the bulletin, in case you didn't catch that. But that is that.

Now, our ladies were together this weekend for the women's weekend. Make some noise if you were here this weekend, ladies. I was in and out this weekend and got to see it was about 150 women gathered in this room to worship together, to fellowship together, and to grow together as they looked at God's word around the theme of treasure.

And Aaron Love, who is our women's coordinator, asked if I would consider preaching along the same theme, which I was excited to do because this is the first time I've ever been asked to keynote at a women's retreat. I'm pretty excited about it. In fact, you might not have known that you were at day three of the women's retreat here at CHS, but you are, and it's going to be great.

The Universal Search for Treasure

No. I was excited to speak about this idea of treasure because I think it is something that universally applies to all of us. If you're in this room today and you have a heart that is beating, you are someone who is looking, searching for treasure. Treasure is an object of immeasurable worth and value, something that we look to to make sense of this life that we all get to live.

The question is not whether or not we are searching for treasure, but what has our treasure become? There was a lady that wrote a book some years ago named Lisa Turkhurst. She wrote a book called Made to Crave. Anybody read that? I haven't, but I love the title. It's a great title because it's true. We are made to crave. You have a heart that cannot help but look for something to fill it.

We're all looking to satisfy or quench this thirst that we have inside. And my question for you today is, what is your treasure? And is it working?

The Thirst and Wrong Answers

I had a friend back when I was in college who decided he was going to run the Marine Corps Marathon, and he's a big guy, Italian guy, and he did not look like someone that would run a marathon, but he wanted to do it, and so we went to support him. This was back in 1997.

If you've never been to an event like this, pretty spectacular. I mean, there are thousands of people that show up to Washington DC to run this thing, and thousands more line the streets to cheer their friends on. Around every corner, there are people holding out different things that you can drink, like a powerbar, just to give you nutrients to stay in the race.

As my friend got to what was known as the loneliest part of the race, around mile 16, there's a stretch where it's impossible for fans to stand alongside and cheer. And he realized as he was going into that lonely part that he was dying of thirst. He was really thirsty.

So he reached out to the first thing he could see, and he grabbed it, and he drank it. And he thought to himself, that was not water. It was not Gatorade. It was beer. There were fraternity guys handing out beers, and every once in a while, somebody would take one.

After three or four, he wasn't really himself anymore. Now, he drank one beer, and it nearly took him out of the race. Here's the point: is it possible to be experiencing a thirst that is real? In fact, I would say that it was a common thirst. Every single person in that race was thirsty.

But what my friend Chris reached for to quench that thirst was the wrong thing. It is possible for you and I to be experiencing a thirst that every single human being on planet Earth experiences, but to inadvertently reach for the wrong treasure to satisfy it.

Is it working today as you sit here?

The Rich Young Ruler

I want to introduce you to somebody from Mark chapter 10 who is known as a rich, young ruler. Think about what this guy had. He had wealth, power. And if you had those two things back in that culture, you had fame too. Everybody knew who you were.

He had all of this. He'd amassed all of this at a very young age. He was rich, young, and powerful. You might say that this guy had arrived. He had everything that the world says, if you get this, it will satisfy. And yet, he was anything but satisfied.

Look at Mark 10 starting in verse 17:

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him, fell on his knees before him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Notice first of all this guy's posture. It says he ran up and he fell on his knees. He was desperate. Now, this is not an uncommon posture that people would take before Jesus, but usually, it was someone that had some legitimate grounds to be begging. Like the leper from Mark 2 who says, Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean, or the man whose daughter was dying.

It makes sense that they would be on their knees begging. But here is a man who is wealthy, famous, powerful, and young. In fact, I wonder if the crowd that day, who knew who he was, thought, what on earth is happening? What could this guy possibly need from Jesus?

This guy was desperate because he had reached the goal. He had obtained everything that the world says will work, and it didn't. He was disillusioned completely. He was desperate.

Secondly, notice what he calls Jesus. He says, good teacher. He wasn't wrong. Jesus was a good teacher, but this is a grossly limited view of who Jesus was.

He was a good teacher, but he was more. This would be like if you asked me, who is Tiger Woods? And I said, Tiger Woods is a property owner in Florida. It's not inaccurate, but it's incomplete. Or, ladies, this one's for you. What if you asked me, who is Taylor Swift? And I said, Taylor Swift is a young lady who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania. It's not untrue, but it's incomplete.

See, it doesn't capture the essence of who Taylor Swift is, the most important aspect of her existence. Taylor Swift is not just some woman that grew up on a Christmas tree farm. She is Travis Kelce's girlfriend. Okay? It's a big deal.

This guy says, good teacher. And he's not wrong. But what is missing is this: he is also the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of his being. By him and for him were all things made, and in him, all things hold together.

He's not only the creator of life, he's the sustainer of life. And this man, who, by the way, Jesus made, kneels before him and says, hey, teacher. See, this guy had a severely limited view of Jesus. And he came to the right place, but he ends up asking the wrong question.

Why? Because our view of Jesus will determine how and what we come to him for. He saw Jesus as a teacher, and he came to Jesus for some tips. He wanted some life hacks. This guy wanted a life coach. Tell me the secret so that I can go do it myself. I don't need you. I just want the secret that you have.

Notice this guy's question: what must I do to inherit eternal life? On its face, it's just a bad question. It doesn't make much sense. Let me ask you: what do you do to inherit something? Nothing. It's not something that you have to do. It's about whose you are.

In order to inherit, there's not a list of things you have to complete. You just simply have to be a child of the one who holds the fortune.

In fact, two verses before this guy comes and falls at Jesus' feet, you know what Jesus says?

Unless you come to me like one of these little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.

And here comes a rich young man saying, what must I do? He gets it wrong because he has the wrong view of Jesus. So he asks the wrong question, and we are capable of doing the same.

But listen to how Jesus responds to him. He says, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and your mother.

Jesus gives this guy six of the 10 commandments. He says, what must I do? And Jesus says, follow the law. Now, don't misunderstand Jesus. He's not suggesting that the way to full life, to eternal life, is by being good.

In fact, he's suggesting just the opposite. Did you notice what he says right away? It’s a little godly sarcasm. He says, why do you call me good? Only God is good. In other words, are you suggesting that I'm God?

But then he says this: only God is good. You know the commandments? In other words, you know this is true. You know you can't keep the law. He only gives them six of 10, just the six that deal with our interaction with fellow man. That's enough to condemn him.

Then there's four more that deal with our relationship with God. Jesus gives him the law, and the goal here is to expose this man's inability. Because when you and I are honest with ourselves, when we look at the law, it's not a prescription for us of how we're supposed to live. It is condemnation for how we can't.

But listen to how this man responds. Teacher, he declared, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Jesus shows this man the law, and this man says, nailed it. What else do you got?

In fact, in Matthew's gospel, it says, yeah, I'm doing all that. What do I still lack? What was the problem here? Not only did this man have an incomplete view of Jesus, he had an incredibly inflated view of himself.

He did not see how deep and how dark his sin was. It takes some humility to sit with the law and measure ourselves against it. But an honest person would realize that he or she is filled with greed, envy, lust. We are prideful. We are easily angered. We are filled with sin.

Thousands of times every day before lunch, we are condemned. Yet this man looks at Jesus and says, I'm good.

What did Jesus say? He said, I did not come for the righteous, but for the sinner. He was not suggesting that there's some people out there that are so righteous they don't need me. What he was suggesting is that there are some people so self-righteous they don't know they need me. They're blind to their sin.

This man was blind to how desperately he needed Jesus. He was blind to the fact that he needed more than a life coach. He needed a savior.

And at this point, Jesus looks back at him. Listen to what it says: Jesus looked at him and loved him. It's a strange verse, isn't it? It’s almost out of place. Here's this guy trying to figure out what life is all about. He's deluded by his own self-righteousness. He's arrogant in front of the creator of the universe.

And it says Jesus looked at him, and he loved him. It’s a language of affection. Do you know who I look at and love? My kids. I can't help it. I will never forget the day they put Sydney Jane Sloop in my hand. Her little head fit in my palm.

And I looked at her before she had done anything good or bad, and I loved her. And every day of her life, my love for her has expanded. I loved the way when she was a little toddler. I loved how she sounded. I loved the way she smelled. I know it's weird to say this stuff, but it's true. As a parent, you know what I'm talking about.

You just look at your kid and love them. She was really into Sofia the First when she was a toddler, and she used to walk around the house. I would ask her to do something, and she would say, yes, your majesty. I was like, honey, did you hear that? I like this. Let's stick with that title. It’s a good one.

And then sixteen months later, we got Libby. And Libby, it could not have been more different. I mean, Sydney, when she would sleep at night, her eyebrows were raised and her lips were pursed. She's a perfect little princess.

And Libby, here comes Libby, just covered in bruises. I mean, Libby was running into everything. That’s how she goes through life, like a bulldog. I remember when Libby started running, she only knew how to pump one arm. She’d sometimes look over her shoulder and just smack right into the wall.

I looked at Libby, and I loved her. Libby, when she would sleep at night, I called her Crime Scene because she was just sprawled out all over the place. And then we got Claire a few years after that. Actually, we needed like a five-year break, and then we got Claire.

And Claire, if you know her, I mean, lights up the room. She honestly, I'm not just saying this, and some of you that know her will attest to this, she's one of the funniest people I've ever met. Claire, from the time she was a baby, before she was talking, we would say to her, Claire, who's our crazy baby? And she would go. She was like, she just had perfect timing.

The other day, I forget the context of this, Melissa, you'll remember, but Claire, Melissa said something to Claire like, Claire, you are so precious. And Claire just responded, I'll tell you that for free. I didn't know what that means, but she's just so funny. And I look at every single one of my kids, and I love them. I can't help it.

Claire will be having a full-on meltdown. She'll be angry at me. She'll be screaming at me, and I will be looking at her thinking, she's so cute. You know what's funny? You know why I look at my kids and love them? Because they're mine.

When I'm looking at the face of my children, I'm looking at a human being that would not otherwise exist. Other children can do the same thing, and it doesn't evoke the same reaction. I don't love your kids. I'm just kidding. Don't know. It's something different.

And you know as a parent, do you know why Jesus looks at this man and loves him? Because when he looks in his eyes, he's looking at one of his kids. He's looking at someone that would not otherwise exist. And he sees him grasping for life, coming to the right place but asking the wrong question. He's arrogant, he's blind to his sin, and Jesus can't help but love this guy.

And it's good that that verse is there because what comes next is pretty harsh. Listen to what Jesus says to him. It says, Jesus looked at him and he loved him. And he says this:

One thing you lack. Go sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.

That's a tough assignment. Now, don't misunderstand Jesus. He's not saying that the only way to eternal life is to take a vow of poverty. That you have to empty your bank accounts and come follow me. Here's what we have to understand.

Every time Jesus has an encounter with someone in the scriptures, it is an encounter with someone that he knew before they even approached him. This is why when he got to that tree that Zacchaeus was in, he called him by name. He knew him.

This is why when he met the woman at the well, do you remember her testimony? She said, come meet a man that what? Told me everything I ever did. How? Because he knew her. He knew her whole life. He knew her story. And when Jesus looks at this man and he loves him, he knows everything about him.

And the reason he tells this man to walk away from his wealth is because what he knows about this man is what he loves the most. He knows that this man's treasure is his wealth, and it's keeping him from the ultimate treasure.

What Jesus exposes here is this man's idol. Do you know what idolatry is? Tim Keller gives a great definition. We'll throw this up on the screen:

What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, if I have that, then I'll feel my life has meaning. Then I'll know I have value. Then I'll feel significant and secure.

There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship. Jesus knew what this man was worshiping. He knew what had become his functional savior, and he knew it was keeping him trapped.

Visual Illustration of Idolatry

I want to give you a visual illustration of idolatry. This is a video I found, and it's how you catch a monkey in Africa. Take a look.

First, he laboriously drills a hole in a giant ant heap when he is sure a baboon is watching him because he knows baboons are incurably inquisitive. Next, he puts some wild melon seeds into the hole and works them in so that they drop into a hollow.

Then he saunters off, knowing the baboon is burning with curiosity. The baboon doesn't trust that human being at all, so he plays it cool. But he's dying to know what gives in that confounded hole. Finally, Mister inquisitive can't take it any longer. He's got to know what's in there.

He reaches in, grabs a fistful, and now his hand's too big to come out. If he had the sense to drop the seed, he could free his hand. Now he lets go when it's too late. Isn't that disturbing? Such a weird video. But I hope the illustration is not lost on you. It's so easy to look at that monkey and say, Dude, let go.

But I wonder how many of us are holding just as tightly to stuff. And Jesus would say to us, let go. And here's the deal: Jesus doesn't just say let go. It's not just be poor. He says, celebrate what you have and come follow me.

In other words, Jesus knows what this man ultimately wants. And what he knows is that he will not ever search for the ultimate treasure that he was made for until he lets go of the treasure he's already found here on earth.

Can I tell you what Jesus is offering here? Jesus is telling this man, I'm better. Do you believe me? He's saying, I'm better.

And it would be easy to read the story and think, you know what? I know that it's worth giving up joy and pleasure in this life because one day we'll be in paradise with him, but man, it's a lot to sacrifice. But that's not exactly right. There will be sacrifice.

But what Jesus is saying is whatever you sacrifice in this life, it will be worth it in this life because I'm better. I'm not just better off in some future distant land. I'm better now. Christ is better. In fact, he says as much. Starting in verse 29:

Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters, mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a 100 times as much. When? In this present age.

Now, I'm not talking about health, wealth, prosperity. I think what Jesus is saying here is, it will be worth it in this life to follow me. No matter what you experience. Because as Paul would say in Philippians three, nothing compares to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For whose sake I have lost all things. He is better.

The Example of William Booth

There is a guy named William Booth. Anybody heard of him? He started an organization called the Salvation Army, which, for you youngsters, did you know that that’s not just a thrift store? It was actually a mission to the poor of London, and he was an incredible man.

He accomplished so much. God accomplished so much through he and his wife and this ministry they started. So much so that at his funeral, 40,000 people showed up, including the Queen of England. When he was interviewed and asked about the secret to his success, I want you to hear what he said. Let me throw that up on the screen.

I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I. Men with greater opportunities. But from the day I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision for all Jesus Christ could do with them, on that day, I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was.

And if there's anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, all and the influence of my life.

You know, I've read that quote probably 100 times, and I still get choked up sometimes when I read it. Do you know why I think I get choked up? Because I so desperately want that to be true of me, of Dave Sloop. And I struggle because often it isn't. And I would suspect many of you feel that way too.

Can I promise you something? If that would be true of you, you would experience a joy that is far greater than any earthly treasure. Jesus is daring us to trust that that's true. He's better. Not just in the future, He's better today.

Will you take Him at His word?

Application and Reflection

As we close, I just want to ask a couple questions. I wonder where you might find yourself in this story. Maybe you listen today and you think, gosh, I think I had a small view of Jesus. And it has limited what I come to him for and what I ask him for.

Maybe you've recognized you had an inflated view of yourself, living as if you don't need him, blind to your sin, blind to your need. Or maybe today God has uncovered the reality of some idol in your life.

We were made to crave, and therefore your heart, my heart, they are idol factories. We have to be on guard at all times because your heart is constantly looking for something to worship. And if you aren't being satisfied by the God who created you, you will go find something else.

He is better.

And for those of you who have never known Christ, do you know the answer? The answer is not to follow a list of rules. It is to become his child. And you can do that today. Believe that he is the one that God sent. And Jesus says, come and follow me. Sell your stuff. Follow me.

And do you know where he would have followed him to? This man, unfortunately, walked away sad. But if he had chosen to follow him, he would have followed him to a cross. And he would have seen just how far his love was willing to go— to be crucified for his blindness and sin, and for mine and for yours.

We're going to have an opportunity here to sing together and to worship. During that time, if you are feeling God and sensing that he's moving in your heart, I would invite you to come down to these curved rails and pray. Just ask, what is God asking you to let go of?

God, forgive me for being a stupid monkey that won't let go. Or maybe God is stirring your heart to come and receive prayer. We have prayer ministers who live to pray with you. You come and let them minister to you.

Would you stand as we prepare for worship, and I’ll close us in prayer?

Lord, thank you for this time. Lord, we desperately long to be able to say with a clean conscience, God has had all of me that there was to have. All the affection of my heart, all the power of my will. God, make it so in my life. Amen.