EXCESS BAGGAGE – A BURDEN TO OBEDIENCE(Specific Subject: Wealth)

Introduction:- When you traveled somewhere by plane, have you experienced upon check-in that the airline staff told you, you

have an excess baggage? How was your experience?- Have you experienced a long travel by foot where you carry a backpack with you but full of heavy load? Was it

slowing you down? And later, it forced you to stop for a while because your back is aching?- When you carry things with weight more than your capacity, it will be a burden to you to move forward. It will

slow you down or it will make you stop.- When you follow Jesus but you carry heavy things which are also important to you, you will be forced to decide

either to let go of that heavy and important things you carry and follow Jesus or to secure those things and let go of Jesus

- Whenever there are things which are of equal importance or of more importance than Jesus, these things are the excess baggage which prevents you to follow forward towards Jesus. These things will cause you to disobey God.

The wealth of a rich ruler prevents him to follow JesusLuke 18:18-2518 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack ONE THING. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, FOLLOW ME." 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

- The true answer of Jesus how to inherit eternal life is this: “FOLLOW ME”- Jesus impliedly told this rich ruler that when he chose his wealth rather than to come and follow Jesus , he

disobeyed the first and second commandment in the Old Testament,o which is in Exodus 20:3-4 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an

idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. - This rich ruler disobeyed also the first and greatest commandment in the New Testament,

o which is in Matthew 22:37-38 37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

- This is the reason why Jesus said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” because this rich ruler loves his wealth more than Jesus.

After these instances is Luke 18:26-3026 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 28 Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" 29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

To prove that what is impossible with men is possible with God, Jesus transformed the life of Zacchaeus, the rich chief collector, who is considered by his fellow Israelites a traitor and a sinner:Luke 19:1-1019 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

- Wealth will be an excess baggage, a burden to obedience to God, if you don’t know how to handle it. But wealth can be a great tool in serving God if you know how to use it - using God’s principles.

By Rev. Roli S. Arangote, Copyright 2015, (Free to share, just acknowledge the author)

How wealth becomes an excess baggage which prevents you to obey God1. If wealth steals the service which is supposedly given only to God

- Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

- Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 2. If wealth steals the worship which is supposedly given only to God

- Satan used wealth to tempt Jesus in Matt 4:8-10 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'

- If you will not be careful, Satan will use wealth to worship him instead to worship God.3. If wealth steals the love which is supposedly given only to God

- 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

- Matthew 22:37-38 37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

How to use wealth for God’s glory1. Honor the Lord your God with your wealth

- Proverbs 3:9-10 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

- Malachi 3:10-11 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

- 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2. Recognize the Lord your God with your wealth- Deuteronomy 8:10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has

given you. - Deuteronomy 8:17-18 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this

wealth for me." 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant

3. Bless others with your wealth- 2 Corinthians 9:11-13 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and

through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

- Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. - Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. - Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,

ConclusionWealth may be an excess baggage, which is a burden to obedience to God. However, it can be a great tool for

God’s service if you will use it to honor and obey God. When you overcome disobedience caused by wealth and use wealth to honor and obey God, God will entrust

more wealth to you. Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…”

By Rev. Roli S. Arangote, Copyright 2015, (Free to share, just acknowledge the author)