July 1, 2025
Faith on the Go: Ep:7: The Trap of Comfortable Religion: A Rich Young Ruler's Dilemma"
The player is loading ...
Welcome back to "Faith on the Go" with your host, Connie Morris. In this episode, we delve into the story of the rich young ruler and the pitfalls of comfortable religion. Delving into the theme, "Too Familiar with Wealth, Too Far from Surrender," we discuss how even those who seem to have everything can still miss what truly matters. Tune in as we unpack the challenges of trusting God's plan over a comfortable lifestyle and examine the dangers of prioritizing wealth over genuine surrender to faith.
Discover four surrender checks to avoid the pitfall of almost obedience and find inspiration in the teachings of Jesus about true treasure and commitment. Join us for a genuine conversation about faith, letting go of earthly comforts, and embarking on a deeper spiritual journey.
🎧 Stay connected:
🔗 Website: www.diaryofawomanllc.com
📧 Email: diaryofablackwomanpodcast@gmail.com
📺 Twitch: twitch.tv/DOBWTV / July 2025
📹 YouTube: youtube.com/@DiaryofaBlackWomanTV
00:04 - Welcome to Faith on the Go
02:46 - The Rich Young Ruler’s Dilemma
05:28 - The Trap of Comfort
09:47 - Almost Obedient
12:50 - Four Surrender Checks
14:00 - The Cost of Following Jesus
15:48 - Letting Go for Closer Connection
19:09 - The Danger of Familiarity
WEBVTT
00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:04.517
Hello, and welcome back to Diary of a Black Woman podcast.
00:00:04.717 --> 00:00:09.617
We are continuing our Faith on the Go series with episode six,
00:00:09.897 --> 00:00:13.557
Too Familiar with Wealth, Too Far from Surrender.
00:00:13.977 --> 00:00:20.097
The story is about the rich young ruler and the trap of comfortable religion.
00:00:20.417 --> 00:00:25.277
We're still on our series of The Curse of Familiarity, and I'm your host,
00:00:25.517 --> 00:00:29.897
Connie Morris. Once again, welcome to Faith on the Go with your host,
00:00:29.977 --> 00:00:35.137
Connie Morris, where we keep it real, raw, and rooted in the Word.
00:00:35.477 --> 00:00:43.677
In today's episode of The Curse of Familiarity, we're going to have a conversation.
00:00:43.677 --> 00:00:48.197
We're going to listen in on a conversation that Jesus had with someone who had
00:00:48.197 --> 00:00:54.177
everything but was still missing what mattered.
00:00:54.177 --> 00:01:00.637
You know, someone like that, someone who has everything, but still missing what matters.
00:01:00.877 --> 00:01:04.117
They got all the designer purses and nice fancy cars.
00:01:04.617 --> 00:01:10.357
They're just looking very suave, but they are missing what matters.
00:01:10.637 --> 00:01:17.177
So we're talking here about the rich young ruler. He kept the commandments. He honored the law.
00:01:17.337 --> 00:01:26.157
He looked holy on paper. But when Jesus told him to let go and follow him, he walked away.
00:01:26.957 --> 00:01:32.937
Today's episode is titled, Too Familiar with Wealth, Too Far from Surrender.
00:01:33.397 --> 00:01:40.237
Because some of us have gotten too comfortable with comfort and too casual about surrender.
00:01:40.837 --> 00:01:45.337
What does that mean? Let's unpack it. This is Faith on the Goal,
00:01:45.417 --> 00:01:49.117
Real Talk, Real Growth, wherever you go.
00:01:49.997 --> 00:01:54.717
So let's go to Mark chapter 10, verses 17 through 22.
00:01:55.377 --> 00:02:01.597
I'll be reading from the NIV translation. And it reads, As Jesus started on
00:02:01.597 --> 00:02:07.237
his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.
00:02:07.862 --> 00:02:13.142
Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
00:02:13.882 --> 00:02:18.922
Jesus tells him, you know the commandments. And the man replies,
00:02:19.302 --> 00:02:23.462
teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.
00:02:23.962 --> 00:02:28.382
Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lacked, he said,
00:02:28.782 --> 00:02:36.022
go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
00:02:36.802 --> 00:02:41.642
Then come and follow me. At this, the man's face fell.
00:02:41.862 --> 00:02:45.822
He went away sad because he had great wealth.
00:02:46.402 --> 00:02:48.042
Let's take a pause here.
00:02:49.162 --> 00:02:53.282
This man saw Jesus. He ran up to him.
00:02:53.582 --> 00:02:59.282
Remember, Jesus didn't call him out. Jesus was doing what he normally do.
00:02:59.502 --> 00:03:06.682
And this man ran up to him. He said, good teacher. Here, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
00:03:06.962 --> 00:03:10.542
What must I do to be saved, he asked, right?
00:03:10.782 --> 00:03:15.082
What must I do to be saved? And he tells them, I know the commandments.
00:03:15.682 --> 00:03:20.342
And he says, there's one thing you're lacking. And he says this,
00:03:20.762 --> 00:03:27.162
go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven.
00:03:27.874 --> 00:03:34.074
Then come and follow me. Jesus said, you do this one thing, you can actually be my disciple.
00:03:34.494 --> 00:03:37.914
And this man looked at him and he said his face fell.
00:03:38.214 --> 00:03:42.634
So at first he's smiling and he's like, man, I got everything together.
00:03:42.914 --> 00:03:46.234
He probably planned it all. You know how we have a plan. When I see Jesus,
00:03:46.454 --> 00:03:48.254
I'm ready. I'm prepared.
00:03:48.994 --> 00:03:58.774
But Jesus asked him a hard thing. and his face fell and he went away sad because he had great wealth.
00:03:59.054 --> 00:04:04.354
He had the stuff, right? But he did not have Jesus.
00:04:04.854 --> 00:04:08.374
How many people do you know that has the stuff?
00:04:08.534 --> 00:04:14.474
They look good on the outside, but they do not have the Jesus on the inside.
00:04:14.814 --> 00:04:20.014
This man knew the rules, but he did not understand the relationship.
00:04:20.414 --> 00:04:24.594
He followed the commandments, but refused to follow Jesus.
00:04:24.914 --> 00:04:29.594
It reminds me of people who can quote all the scriptures, but they still live in sin.
00:04:29.834 --> 00:04:31.594
The scriptures, they have it
00:04:31.594 --> 00:04:35.434
in their head, but they don't really have the scriptures in their heart.
00:04:35.634 --> 00:04:42.134
Or the people too, who can still quote the scriptures, but can use Jesus' name as a curse word.
00:04:43.434 --> 00:04:50.234
They have it, but then they don't. Because this familiarity with wealth made
00:04:50.234 --> 00:04:52.594
surrender too uncomfortable.
00:04:53.774 --> 00:04:58.154
God would ask you, Jesus would ask you to do the hard thing.
00:04:58.334 --> 00:05:04.274
He saw that one thing that was keeping him from intimacy with him, and that was his wealth.
00:05:04.554 --> 00:05:07.934
And he said, you know what? I'll give you treasure in heaven.
00:05:08.717 --> 00:05:14.037
Right? Treasure in heaven if you would just do that one thing.
00:05:14.317 --> 00:05:19.077
So what's the story about the curse of familiarity? Let's go.
00:05:19.497 --> 00:05:23.657
Sometimes it's not our sin that blocks us. It's our comfort.
00:05:24.257 --> 00:05:28.057
The rich young ruler wasn't evil. He was disciplined.
00:05:28.417 --> 00:05:37.177
He was polite and probably respected, but he loved his lifestyle more than he trusted God's plan.
00:05:37.437 --> 00:05:43.697
I'm going to say that again. He loved his lifestyle more than he trusted God's plan.
00:05:44.157 --> 00:05:49.917
He knew how to look religious, but not how to live surrender.
00:05:50.277 --> 00:05:56.097
We have, you know, we have the people that look all holy. You can see their halo, right?
00:05:56.357 --> 00:06:02.877
But then you don't know their heart. You don't know, are they giving up everything for Jesus?
00:06:03.437 --> 00:06:07.937
He did not want to give up that one thing. And that was his will.
00:06:08.497 --> 00:06:13.477
But here's a deeper part. He said Jesus looked at him and loved him.
00:06:13.897 --> 00:06:17.397
Jesus wasn't being harsh. He wasn't being mean.
00:06:17.677 --> 00:06:23.697
He wasn't asking for nothing that he knew he wasn't going to return in the end.
00:06:23.937 --> 00:06:28.557
You know, Jesus doesn't ask you for something that he's not going to give back to you.
00:06:29.729 --> 00:06:35.189
It might not come back tomorrow, right? But in the end, you will be rewarded
00:06:35.189 --> 00:06:38.269
for your faithfulness, for your surrender.
00:06:38.649 --> 00:06:42.609
But he was being real. Jesus wasn't being harsh, but he was being real.
00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:47.589
Because Jesus' love tells you the truth that your money can't buy.
00:06:48.509 --> 00:06:50.589
Money can't get you to heaven.
00:06:51.629 --> 00:06:59.249
He says, put your treasure in heaven. So his true heart wasn't really surrendered
00:06:59.249 --> 00:07:01.689
to the love of Jesus, right?
00:07:01.769 --> 00:07:09.449
His true heart was focused on his money, right? So how do we do this in the natural?
00:07:09.669 --> 00:07:14.489
So we can frown up on the rich young ruler, but what are some things that we
00:07:14.489 --> 00:07:20.789
do in the natural that may be similar to this rich young ruler?
00:07:21.289 --> 00:07:27.349
We say we want to follow Jesus, but only if it doesn't touch our bank account.
00:07:28.009 --> 00:07:34.489
You know, we can do a tally of the people who actually give to their church.
00:07:34.589 --> 00:07:38.729
They might be a member of their church, but are you a regular tither?
00:07:39.009 --> 00:07:40.649
Are you a regular offering?
00:07:40.989 --> 00:07:44.689
Do you give, you know, when they're a special guest, they ask,
00:07:44.929 --> 00:07:50.549
do you, they say, hey, can you bless the guests? Are you the first one out of
00:07:50.549 --> 00:07:53.949
there before they give the offering? Is that you?
00:07:55.289 --> 00:07:59.569
That's similar to the rich young ruler. When you start asking for money,
00:07:59.569 --> 00:08:04.189
are you the first one to kind of skirt out the back doors of the church?
00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:08.509
Maybe not even the back doors because you can't have access to the back doors
00:08:08.509 --> 00:08:11.189
if you're a congregant. How about the front doors?
00:08:12.069 --> 00:08:17.149
We say, use me, Lord, but not if it costs us status, control, or comfort.
00:08:18.109 --> 00:08:22.909
How about that? Lord, I want to be used, and then he asks you to do something,
00:08:23.109 --> 00:08:25.769
and you go like, ooh, that's going to embarrass me.
00:08:25.889 --> 00:08:28.529
Ooh, I won't look right in that picture.
00:08:28.929 --> 00:08:30.649
Ooh, I'm going to be a little uncomfortable.
00:08:31.916 --> 00:08:38.316
Hmm, that's similar to the rich young ruler, right? Just don't make me uncomfortable, Lord.
00:08:38.656 --> 00:08:43.296
I would do what you asked me to do, but just don't make me uncomfortable.
00:08:45.156 --> 00:08:50.536
We'll fast and pray, but we won't forgive, release, or let go of our idols.
00:08:51.576 --> 00:08:56.736
Remember, the rich young ruler idol was money. What's yours?
00:08:57.556 --> 00:09:02.536
Is your idol still trying to say, I'm going to just be mad at this girl or this guy until?
00:09:03.136 --> 00:09:07.036
Until what? When God is telling you to let it go.
00:09:07.556 --> 00:09:11.316
If you're a prayer, if you're a person that spent a lot of time in prayer,
00:09:11.976 --> 00:09:15.976
God will not have you hold on to any unforgiveness.
00:09:17.136 --> 00:09:20.096
He won't let you hold on to a lot of things in his presence.
00:09:20.396 --> 00:09:22.476
He's going to ask you to let it go.
00:09:22.836 --> 00:09:26.156
Same thing here. Remember the wrist-hearing rule that ran to Jesus?
00:09:27.176 --> 00:09:31.976
Jesus didn't run to him. He ran to Jesus. And Jesus said, I said,
00:09:32.156 --> 00:09:36.856
one thing I want you to do, sell everything and give it to the poor.
00:09:37.596 --> 00:09:41.576
And he said, I don't think so. And he walked away.
00:09:41.936 --> 00:09:47.216
But just like the rich young ruler, many of us are almost obedient.
00:09:47.596 --> 00:09:53.656
We'll follow Jesus until he asks for what we don't want to give.
00:09:54.881 --> 00:10:01.541
I'm going to say that again. Like the rich young ruler, many of us are almost obedient.
00:10:02.121 --> 00:10:09.301
We'll follow Jesus until he asks us, ask us what we don't want to give.
00:10:10.001 --> 00:10:14.961
Let's do this. Four surrender checks to avoid this trap.
00:10:15.621 --> 00:10:19.561
So let's not, how many of you raised your hand, right? I want Jesus.
00:10:19.881 --> 00:10:23.961
I don't want anything to come between me and Jesus. Not even my money.
00:10:24.641 --> 00:10:28.981
Right? So what's my true, number one, what's my true treasure?
00:10:29.381 --> 00:10:35.441
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Matthew 21.
00:10:35.881 --> 00:10:41.581
Where your treasure is, is where your heart will be also. So check where your
00:10:41.581 --> 00:10:43.801
heart is. Where is your treasure?
00:10:44.461 --> 00:10:49.081
That's where your heart is. Number two, is my obedience conditional?
00:10:50.081 --> 00:10:53.941
Do I say yes, Lord, with some strings attached?
00:10:55.821 --> 00:10:59.641
When you're a new Christian, we got all kinds of strings attached because we
00:10:59.641 --> 00:11:03.221
want to be safe. We don't want to be getting into nothing.
00:11:04.161 --> 00:11:06.881
We're still learning Jesus. We're still getting to know him,
00:11:06.941 --> 00:11:11.161
so we don't want to get out there too far.
00:11:11.861 --> 00:11:15.161
But as you get older, you begin to set up a relationship with him.
00:11:15.341 --> 00:11:20.281
And you know, the further you go, you know, he's still got that strap on you.
00:11:20.341 --> 00:11:22.101
He's not going to let you drown.
00:11:22.281 --> 00:11:26.201
He's not going to let you get too far. He's right there with you.
00:11:26.481 --> 00:11:32.581
So how do you know, how do you say these are surrender checks and how to avoid these traps?
00:11:32.801 --> 00:11:35.101
So what is my true treasure?
00:11:35.401 --> 00:11:40.821
Is my obedience conditional? Number three, can I follow without knowing what's next?
00:11:41.521 --> 00:11:47.621
He says to the rich young ruler, sell all you have, then come follow me.
00:11:48.001 --> 00:11:52.361
Jesus didn't promise comfort. He offered to call.
00:11:52.741 --> 00:11:57.081
He offered him a call. He said, follow me.
00:11:57.841 --> 00:12:01.621
How many know that sometimes ministry, you don't know what's next.
00:12:01.881 --> 00:12:06.101
Sometimes just follow him, just a regular Christian. You don't know what's next.
00:12:06.281 --> 00:12:11.121
But can you follow him without asking what's next? What's next,
00:12:11.301 --> 00:12:13.381
Lord? And just go with the flow.
00:12:14.121 --> 00:12:17.781
Number four, have I confused performance with surrender?
00:12:18.161 --> 00:12:23.101
You lack one thing. It's not about how much you do.
00:12:23.141 --> 00:12:27.321
It's about what are you willing to give up.
00:12:27.901 --> 00:12:33.061
Let's do this one more time. Number one, what is my true treasure?
00:12:33.381 --> 00:12:35.961
Where your treasure is where your heart will be also.
00:12:37.021 --> 00:12:45.101
Two, is my obedience conditional? And can I follow without knowing what's next?
00:12:45.341 --> 00:12:49.541
And have I confused performance with surrender?
00:12:50.669 --> 00:12:56.149
Final, it says the Christian ruler walked away from Jesus with his money,
00:12:56.349 --> 00:12:58.489
but without the Messiah.
00:12:58.809 --> 00:13:03.249
He had everything in his hand, but nothing in his heart.
00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:10.769
In 2025, God is still asking the same question. Will you let go and follow me?
00:13:11.509 --> 00:13:16.349
Will you let go and follow me? It might not be money for you.
00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:22.389
Sometimes it can be friends. It could be whatever he's asking you to let go,
00:13:22.469 --> 00:13:29.729
and then you decide that that's not, that's more important than, it could be friends,
00:13:30.229 --> 00:13:37.669
it could be letting that anger go from a foe, it can be moving away from your
00:13:37.669 --> 00:13:40.529
friends, it could be whatever he's asking you to do.
00:13:40.529 --> 00:13:47.069
But this question I'm posing to the audience, will you let go and follow me?
00:13:47.449 --> 00:13:55.069
Don't let wealth, comfort, or religious routine block you from real surrender.
00:13:55.389 --> 00:14:00.309
The invitation is still on the table, but it's going to cost you.
00:14:00.509 --> 00:14:02.289
It's going to cost you something.
00:14:02.609 --> 00:14:04.809
It's going to cost you something.
00:14:05.489 --> 00:14:15.469
Let's pray. Lord, I don't want to walk away from you holding what you told me to release.
00:14:17.009 --> 00:14:18.789
Break every idol. Search my
00:14:18.789 --> 00:14:23.809
heart. Show me what I have clung to that's keeping me from full surrender.
00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:29.009
Let me trust you more than I trust comfort. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:37.249
Like, let me let go. Let me let go of what's keeping me from you.
00:14:38.289 --> 00:14:45.769
I know. Isn't that good? Let me let go of what's keeping me from getting closer to you.
00:14:46.489 --> 00:14:52.509
It could be food. A lot of times we know, like, I think I always notice people
00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:57.229
who may have, like, I know I have a fetish for potato chips and Doritos.
00:14:57.749 --> 00:15:01.289
I don't eat them a lot, but when I get them, I just don't know how to stop.
00:15:01.609 --> 00:15:05.169
So I don't buy them in the house. I don't keep them like in a,
00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:07.789
you know how we buy snacks and we keep them in a cabinet?
00:15:08.109 --> 00:15:12.069
That's not going to work for me. I just don't buy them because I'm going to
00:15:12.069 --> 00:15:15.169
think about them and I want to go eat them.
00:15:15.489 --> 00:15:18.389
And so I like, okay, I'm going to let those go.
00:15:19.069 --> 00:15:22.409
Simple thing, right? How about fasting and prayer?
00:15:23.029 --> 00:15:27.509
As soon as you start to fast, you get thinking about crazy foods that you haven't had in a while.
00:15:28.169 --> 00:15:34.989
So what can you let go that's keeping you from getting real close to the Lord,
00:15:35.449 --> 00:15:37.549
separating you? What's that barrier?
00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:43.289
We just prayed. I hope that works for you. We know it works. Prayer does work.
00:15:43.589 --> 00:15:47.249
So he's going to ask you to do something. Go ahead and do it. See what happens.
00:15:48.013 --> 00:15:54.153
See what happens. So this has been Faith on the Go with your host, Connie Morris.
00:15:54.413 --> 00:15:58.053
Don't be a fan of Jesus. Be a follower.
00:15:58.513 --> 00:16:05.793
Don't settle for being almost obedient when he's asking for everything.
00:16:06.233 --> 00:16:10.853
I like that. Almost obedient is disobedience.
00:16:11.853 --> 00:16:15.673
Right? What's your plan? We're talking about that familiarity.
00:16:16.533 --> 00:16:20.853
Whenever we can just run, this is so familiar, you run up to Jesus and then
00:16:20.853 --> 00:16:24.493
you walk away like he was a nothing.
00:16:24.833 --> 00:16:29.853
Come on out, you get a chance to be in the presence of Jesus and he asks you,
00:16:29.933 --> 00:16:33.113
you're in his presence and he asks you something.
00:16:33.533 --> 00:16:37.253
And you turn away and walk away and don't do it.
00:16:37.473 --> 00:16:41.793
In the natural, you saw this guy, he saw Jesus in the flesh.
00:16:42.433 --> 00:16:48.793
We experience Jesus in the spirit, and we know when Jesus is talking to us.
00:16:48.993 --> 00:16:53.813
And so we get so familiar with his presence that we'll walk away and say,
00:16:54.293 --> 00:16:56.653
I don't have, because we don't have him in the flesh, come on.
00:16:56.873 --> 00:17:01.613
But yet we'll walk away from him and say, I don't have to do that.
00:17:01.953 --> 00:17:03.933
I'm not, please, I'm out.
00:17:04.833 --> 00:17:09.293
And then the Holy Spirit will come back and remind you, because Jesus is not
00:17:09.293 --> 00:17:11.413
going to let that go like that. Come on.
00:17:12.533 --> 00:17:15.653
And so you're going to come back and you're going to still say no.
00:17:15.833 --> 00:17:23.193
That's that familiarity kicking in, that you are so familiar with that presence that you do not,
00:17:23.393 --> 00:17:28.453
you're so familiar with more of the natural, let's talk about it,
00:17:28.593 --> 00:17:37.873
and not so familiar with his presence that you just disregard him speaking to you as nothing,
00:17:38.193 --> 00:17:41.373
as not divine, as not holy.
00:17:41.793 --> 00:17:44.513
As like, I have an option here.
00:17:45.457 --> 00:17:51.437
I know something to think about. Take when Jesus says, it reminds me of the
00:17:51.437 --> 00:17:57.957
story when he was at the wedding and his mother, Jesus hasn't did any miracles yet, nothing.
00:17:58.337 --> 00:18:01.017
And his mother said, we need some wine.
00:18:02.617 --> 00:18:06.797
And she didn't say it twice. She said, Jesus, we need, we out of wine.
00:18:07.917 --> 00:18:15.757
And then his mother said, whatever he says, do it. And Jesus went on and made wine out of water.
00:18:16.317 --> 00:18:22.937
Think about that. His mother wasn't familiar with, didn't get to eat.
00:18:23.137 --> 00:18:27.857
She gave birth to this baby, birth to Jesus, but yet she never,
00:18:28.097 --> 00:18:33.677
ever got so familiar that she never expected him to do what he was gifted to do.
00:18:34.437 --> 00:18:39.397
And so when we get so familiar with Jesus that we just kind of ignore his voice,
00:18:39.617 --> 00:18:43.757
that we decide that we have an option, like it's multiple choice,
00:18:43.957 --> 00:18:47.997
that we don't get to, we get, oh, I'm going to do B. I'm not going to go A.
00:18:48.577 --> 00:18:53.357
I'm going to pick no on this one and not do it. Think what that does.
00:18:54.217 --> 00:18:59.117
Once you say no, it becomes so easy, and then you get so familiar,
00:18:59.177 --> 00:19:05.457
and then you don't do it. And then it becomes really not almost obedient, it's disobedient.
00:19:06.017 --> 00:19:08.997
So I'm going to let you go on that one. Something to think about, right?
00:19:09.757 --> 00:19:15.157
You run, I need Jesus to do this. I'm crying out for him and he asks you to do one thing.
00:19:15.757 --> 00:19:21.397
And you go like, I can't do that one thing. Every time Jesus talks to us, it's holy.
00:19:22.017 --> 00:19:26.377
Everything he tells us to do is holy. And when we get so familiar that we can
00:19:26.377 --> 00:19:31.137
say no and walk away, then we're too familiar with him.
00:19:32.197 --> 00:19:38.417
And so this is, I was going to say officer, but this is your host Connie Morris
00:19:38.417 --> 00:19:44.697
with Faith on the Go and the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.
00:19:45.237 --> 00:19:48.917
So nice to have you here. So nice for your support.
00:19:49.317 --> 00:19:55.397
We are now rocking at 1.3 thousand downloads because of you.
00:19:55.397 --> 00:19:59.397
So until next time, see ya.
00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:04.517
Hello, and welcome back to Diary of a Black Woman podcast.
00:00:04.717 --> 00:00:09.617
We are continuing our Faith on the Go series with episode six,
00:00:09.897 --> 00:00:13.557
Too Familiar with Wealth, Too Far from Surrender.
00:00:13.977 --> 00:00:20.097
The story is about the rich young ruler and the trap of comfortable religion.
00:00:20.417 --> 00:00:25.277
We're still on our series of The Curse of Familiarity, and I'm your host,
00:00:25.517 --> 00:00:29.897
Connie Morris. Once again, welcome to Faith on the Go with your host,
00:00:29.977 --> 00:00:35.137
Connie Morris, where we keep it real, raw, and rooted in the Word.
00:00:35.477 --> 00:00:43.677
In today's episode of The Curse of Familiarity, we're going to have a conversation.
00:00:43.677 --> 00:00:48.197
We're going to listen in on a conversation that Jesus had with someone who had
00:00:48.197 --> 00:00:54.177
everything but was still missing what mattered.
00:00:54.177 --> 00:01:00.637
You know, someone like that, someone who has everything, but still missing what matters.
00:01:00.877 --> 00:01:04.117
They got all the designer purses and nice fancy cars.
00:01:04.617 --> 00:01:10.357
They're just looking very suave, but they are missing what matters.
00:01:10.637 --> 00:01:17.177
So we're talking here about the rich young ruler. He kept the commandments. He honored the law.
00:01:17.337 --> 00:01:26.157
He looked holy on paper. But when Jesus told him to let go and follow him, he walked away.
00:01:26.957 --> 00:01:32.937
Today's episode is titled, Too Familiar with Wealth, Too Far from Surrender.
00:01:33.397 --> 00:01:40.237
Because some of us have gotten too comfortable with comfort and too casual about surrender.
00:01:40.837 --> 00:01:45.337
What does that mean? Let's unpack it. This is Faith on the Goal,
00:01:45.417 --> 00:01:49.117
Real Talk, Real Growth, wherever you go.
00:01:49.997 --> 00:01:54.717
So let's go to Mark chapter 10, verses 17 through 22.
00:01:55.377 --> 00:02:01.597
I'll be reading from the NIV translation. And it reads, As Jesus started on
00:02:01.597 --> 00:02:07.237
his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.
00:02:07.862 --> 00:02:13.142
Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
00:02:13.882 --> 00:02:18.922
Jesus tells him, you know the commandments. And the man replies,
00:02:19.302 --> 00:02:23.462
teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.
00:02:23.962 --> 00:02:28.382
Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lacked, he said,
00:02:28.782 --> 00:02:36.022
go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
00:02:36.802 --> 00:02:41.642
Then come and follow me. At this, the man's face fell.
00:02:41.862 --> 00:02:45.822
He went away sad because he had great wealth.
00:02:46.402 --> 00:02:48.042
Let's take a pause here.
00:02:49.162 --> 00:02:53.282
This man saw Jesus. He ran up to him.
00:02:53.582 --> 00:02:59.282
Remember, Jesus didn't call him out. Jesus was doing what he normally do.
00:02:59.502 --> 00:03:06.682
And this man ran up to him. He said, good teacher. Here, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
00:03:06.962 --> 00:03:10.542
What must I do to be saved, he asked, right?
00:03:10.782 --> 00:03:15.082
What must I do to be saved? And he tells them, I know the commandments.
00:03:15.682 --> 00:03:20.342
And he says, there's one thing you're lacking. And he says this,
00:03:20.762 --> 00:03:27.162
go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven.
00:03:27.874 --> 00:03:34.074
Then come and follow me. Jesus said, you do this one thing, you can actually be my disciple.
00:03:34.494 --> 00:03:37.914
And this man looked at him and he said his face fell.
00:03:38.214 --> 00:03:42.634
So at first he's smiling and he's like, man, I got everything together.
00:03:42.914 --> 00:03:46.234
He probably planned it all. You know how we have a plan. When I see Jesus,
00:03:46.454 --> 00:03:48.254
I'm ready. I'm prepared.
00:03:48.994 --> 00:03:58.774
But Jesus asked him a hard thing. and his face fell and he went away sad because he had great wealth.
00:03:59.054 --> 00:04:04.354
He had the stuff, right? But he did not have Jesus.
00:04:04.854 --> 00:04:08.374
How many people do you know that has the stuff?
00:04:08.534 --> 00:04:14.474
They look good on the outside, but they do not have the Jesus on the inside.
00:04:14.814 --> 00:04:20.014
This man knew the rules, but he did not understand the relationship.
00:04:20.414 --> 00:04:24.594
He followed the commandments, but refused to follow Jesus.
00:04:24.914 --> 00:04:29.594
It reminds me of people who can quote all the scriptures, but they still live in sin.
00:04:29.834 --> 00:04:31.594
The scriptures, they have it
00:04:31.594 --> 00:04:35.434
in their head, but they don't really have the scriptures in their heart.
00:04:35.634 --> 00:04:42.134
Or the people too, who can still quote the scriptures, but can use Jesus' name as a curse word.
00:04:43.434 --> 00:04:50.234
They have it, but then they don't. Because this familiarity with wealth made
00:04:50.234 --> 00:04:52.594
surrender too uncomfortable.
00:04:53.774 --> 00:04:58.154
God would ask you, Jesus would ask you to do the hard thing.
00:04:58.334 --> 00:05:04.274
He saw that one thing that was keeping him from intimacy with him, and that was his wealth.
00:05:04.554 --> 00:05:07.934
And he said, you know what? I'll give you treasure in heaven.
00:05:08.717 --> 00:05:14.037
Right? Treasure in heaven if you would just do that one thing.
00:05:14.317 --> 00:05:19.077
So what's the story about the curse of familiarity? Let's go.
00:05:19.497 --> 00:05:23.657
Sometimes it's not our sin that blocks us. It's our comfort.
00:05:24.257 --> 00:05:28.057
The rich young ruler wasn't evil. He was disciplined.
00:05:28.417 --> 00:05:37.177
He was polite and probably respected, but he loved his lifestyle more than he trusted God's plan.
00:05:37.437 --> 00:05:43.697
I'm going to say that again. He loved his lifestyle more than he trusted God's plan.
00:05:44.157 --> 00:05:49.917
He knew how to look religious, but not how to live surrender.
00:05:50.277 --> 00:05:56.097
We have, you know, we have the people that look all holy. You can see their halo, right?
00:05:56.357 --> 00:06:02.877
But then you don't know their heart. You don't know, are they giving up everything for Jesus?
00:06:03.437 --> 00:06:07.937
He did not want to give up that one thing. And that was his will.
00:06:08.497 --> 00:06:13.477
But here's a deeper part. He said Jesus looked at him and loved him.
00:06:13.897 --> 00:06:17.397
Jesus wasn't being harsh. He wasn't being mean.
00:06:17.677 --> 00:06:23.697
He wasn't asking for nothing that he knew he wasn't going to return in the end.
00:06:23.937 --> 00:06:28.557
You know, Jesus doesn't ask you for something that he's not going to give back to you.
00:06:29.729 --> 00:06:35.189
It might not come back tomorrow, right? But in the end, you will be rewarded
00:06:35.189 --> 00:06:38.269
for your faithfulness, for your surrender.
00:06:38.649 --> 00:06:42.609
But he was being real. Jesus wasn't being harsh, but he was being real.
00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:47.589
Because Jesus' love tells you the truth that your money can't buy.
00:06:48.509 --> 00:06:50.589
Money can't get you to heaven.
00:06:51.629 --> 00:06:59.249
He says, put your treasure in heaven. So his true heart wasn't really surrendered
00:06:59.249 --> 00:07:01.689
to the love of Jesus, right?
00:07:01.769 --> 00:07:09.449
His true heart was focused on his money, right? So how do we do this in the natural?
00:07:09.669 --> 00:07:14.489
So we can frown up on the rich young ruler, but what are some things that we
00:07:14.489 --> 00:07:20.789
do in the natural that may be similar to this rich young ruler?
00:07:21.289 --> 00:07:27.349
We say we want to follow Jesus, but only if it doesn't touch our bank account.
00:07:28.009 --> 00:07:34.489
You know, we can do a tally of the people who actually give to their church.
00:07:34.589 --> 00:07:38.729
They might be a member of their church, but are you a regular tither?
00:07:39.009 --> 00:07:40.649
Are you a regular offering?
00:07:40.989 --> 00:07:44.689
Do you give, you know, when they're a special guest, they ask,
00:07:44.929 --> 00:07:50.549
do you, they say, hey, can you bless the guests? Are you the first one out of
00:07:50.549 --> 00:07:53.949
there before they give the offering? Is that you?
00:07:55.289 --> 00:07:59.569
That's similar to the rich young ruler. When you start asking for money,
00:07:59.569 --> 00:08:04.189
are you the first one to kind of skirt out the back doors of the church?
00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:08.509
Maybe not even the back doors because you can't have access to the back doors
00:08:08.509 --> 00:08:11.189
if you're a congregant. How about the front doors?
00:08:12.069 --> 00:08:17.149
We say, use me, Lord, but not if it costs us status, control, or comfort.
00:08:18.109 --> 00:08:22.909
How about that? Lord, I want to be used, and then he asks you to do something,
00:08:23.109 --> 00:08:25.769
and you go like, ooh, that's going to embarrass me.
00:08:25.889 --> 00:08:28.529
Ooh, I won't look right in that picture.
00:08:28.929 --> 00:08:30.649
Ooh, I'm going to be a little uncomfortable.
00:08:31.916 --> 00:08:38.316
Hmm, that's similar to the rich young ruler, right? Just don't make me uncomfortable, Lord.
00:08:38.656 --> 00:08:43.296
I would do what you asked me to do, but just don't make me uncomfortable.
00:08:45.156 --> 00:08:50.536
We'll fast and pray, but we won't forgive, release, or let go of our idols.
00:08:51.576 --> 00:08:56.736
Remember, the rich young ruler idol was money. What's yours?
00:08:57.556 --> 00:09:02.536
Is your idol still trying to say, I'm going to just be mad at this girl or this guy until?
00:09:03.136 --> 00:09:07.036
Until what? When God is telling you to let it go.
00:09:07.556 --> 00:09:11.316
If you're a prayer, if you're a person that spent a lot of time in prayer,
00:09:11.976 --> 00:09:15.976
God will not have you hold on to any unforgiveness.
00:09:17.136 --> 00:09:20.096
He won't let you hold on to a lot of things in his presence.
00:09:20.396 --> 00:09:22.476
He's going to ask you to let it go.
00:09:22.836 --> 00:09:26.156
Same thing here. Remember the wrist-hearing rule that ran to Jesus?
00:09:27.176 --> 00:09:31.976
Jesus didn't run to him. He ran to Jesus. And Jesus said, I said,
00:09:32.156 --> 00:09:36.856
one thing I want you to do, sell everything and give it to the poor.
00:09:37.596 --> 00:09:41.576
And he said, I don't think so. And he walked away.
00:09:41.936 --> 00:09:47.216
But just like the rich young ruler, many of us are almost obedient.
00:09:47.596 --> 00:09:53.656
We'll follow Jesus until he asks for what we don't want to give.
00:09:54.881 --> 00:10:01.541
I'm going to say that again. Like the rich young ruler, many of us are almost obedient.
00:10:02.121 --> 00:10:09.301
We'll follow Jesus until he asks us, ask us what we don't want to give.
00:10:10.001 --> 00:10:14.961
Let's do this. Four surrender checks to avoid this trap.
00:10:15.621 --> 00:10:19.561
So let's not, how many of you raised your hand, right? I want Jesus.
00:10:19.881 --> 00:10:23.961
I don't want anything to come between me and Jesus. Not even my money.
00:10:24.641 --> 00:10:28.981
Right? So what's my true, number one, what's my true treasure?
00:10:29.381 --> 00:10:35.441
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Matthew 21.
00:10:35.881 --> 00:10:41.581
Where your treasure is, is where your heart will be also. So check where your
00:10:41.581 --> 00:10:43.801
heart is. Where is your treasure?
00:10:44.461 --> 00:10:49.081
That's where your heart is. Number two, is my obedience conditional?
00:10:50.081 --> 00:10:53.941
Do I say yes, Lord, with some strings attached?
00:10:55.821 --> 00:10:59.641
When you're a new Christian, we got all kinds of strings attached because we
00:10:59.641 --> 00:11:03.221
want to be safe. We don't want to be getting into nothing.
00:11:04.161 --> 00:11:06.881
We're still learning Jesus. We're still getting to know him,
00:11:06.941 --> 00:11:11.161
so we don't want to get out there too far.
00:11:11.861 --> 00:11:15.161
But as you get older, you begin to set up a relationship with him.
00:11:15.341 --> 00:11:20.281
And you know, the further you go, you know, he's still got that strap on you.
00:11:20.341 --> 00:11:22.101
He's not going to let you drown.
00:11:22.281 --> 00:11:26.201
He's not going to let you get too far. He's right there with you.
00:11:26.481 --> 00:11:32.581
So how do you know, how do you say these are surrender checks and how to avoid these traps?
00:11:32.801 --> 00:11:35.101
So what is my true treasure?
00:11:35.401 --> 00:11:40.821
Is my obedience conditional? Number three, can I follow without knowing what's next?
00:11:41.521 --> 00:11:47.621
He says to the rich young ruler, sell all you have, then come follow me.
00:11:48.001 --> 00:11:52.361
Jesus didn't promise comfort. He offered to call.
00:11:52.741 --> 00:11:57.081
He offered him a call. He said, follow me.
00:11:57.841 --> 00:12:01.621
How many know that sometimes ministry, you don't know what's next.
00:12:01.881 --> 00:12:06.101
Sometimes just follow him, just a regular Christian. You don't know what's next.
00:12:06.281 --> 00:12:11.121
But can you follow him without asking what's next? What's next,
00:12:11.301 --> 00:12:13.381
Lord? And just go with the flow.
00:12:14.121 --> 00:12:17.781
Number four, have I confused performance with surrender?
00:12:18.161 --> 00:12:23.101
You lack one thing. It's not about how much you do.
00:12:23.141 --> 00:12:27.321
It's about what are you willing to give up.
00:12:27.901 --> 00:12:33.061
Let's do this one more time. Number one, what is my true treasure?
00:12:33.381 --> 00:12:35.961
Where your treasure is where your heart will be also.
00:12:37.021 --> 00:12:45.101
Two, is my obedience conditional? And can I follow without knowing what's next?
00:12:45.341 --> 00:12:49.541
And have I confused performance with surrender?
00:12:50.669 --> 00:12:56.149
Final, it says the Christian ruler walked away from Jesus with his money,
00:12:56.349 --> 00:12:58.489
but without the Messiah.
00:12:58.809 --> 00:13:03.249
He had everything in his hand, but nothing in his heart.
00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:10.769
In 2025, God is still asking the same question. Will you let go and follow me?
00:13:11.509 --> 00:13:16.349
Will you let go and follow me? It might not be money for you.
00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:22.389
Sometimes it can be friends. It could be whatever he's asking you to let go,
00:13:22.469 --> 00:13:29.729
and then you decide that that's not, that's more important than, it could be friends,
00:13:30.229 --> 00:13:37.669
it could be letting that anger go from a foe, it can be moving away from your
00:13:37.669 --> 00:13:40.529
friends, it could be whatever he's asking you to do.
00:13:40.529 --> 00:13:47.069
But this question I'm posing to the audience, will you let go and follow me?
00:13:47.449 --> 00:13:55.069
Don't let wealth, comfort, or religious routine block you from real surrender.
00:13:55.389 --> 00:14:00.309
The invitation is still on the table, but it's going to cost you.
00:14:00.509 --> 00:14:02.289
It's going to cost you something.
00:14:02.609 --> 00:14:04.809
It's going to cost you something.
00:14:05.489 --> 00:14:15.469
Let's pray. Lord, I don't want to walk away from you holding what you told me to release.
00:14:17.009 --> 00:14:18.789
Break every idol. Search my
00:14:18.789 --> 00:14:23.809
heart. Show me what I have clung to that's keeping me from full surrender.
00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:29.009
Let me trust you more than I trust comfort. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:37.249
Like, let me let go. Let me let go of what's keeping me from you.
00:14:38.289 --> 00:14:45.769
I know. Isn't that good? Let me let go of what's keeping me from getting closer to you.
00:14:46.489 --> 00:14:52.509
It could be food. A lot of times we know, like, I think I always notice people
00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:57.229
who may have, like, I know I have a fetish for potato chips and Doritos.
00:14:57.749 --> 00:15:01.289
I don't eat them a lot, but when I get them, I just don't know how to stop.
00:15:01.609 --> 00:15:05.169
So I don't buy them in the house. I don't keep them like in a,
00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:07.789
you know how we buy snacks and we keep them in a cabinet?
00:15:08.109 --> 00:15:12.069
That's not going to work for me. I just don't buy them because I'm going to
00:15:12.069 --> 00:15:15.169
think about them and I want to go eat them.
00:15:15.489 --> 00:15:18.389
And so I like, okay, I'm going to let those go.
00:15:19.069 --> 00:15:22.409
Simple thing, right? How about fasting and prayer?
00:15:23.029 --> 00:15:27.509
As soon as you start to fast, you get thinking about crazy foods that you haven't had in a while.
00:15:28.169 --> 00:15:34.989
So what can you let go that's keeping you from getting real close to the Lord,
00:15:35.449 --> 00:15:37.549
separating you? What's that barrier?
00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:43.289
We just prayed. I hope that works for you. We know it works. Prayer does work.
00:15:43.589 --> 00:15:47.249
So he's going to ask you to do something. Go ahead and do it. See what happens.
00:15:48.013 --> 00:15:54.153
See what happens. So this has been Faith on the Go with your host, Connie Morris.
00:15:54.413 --> 00:15:58.053
Don't be a fan of Jesus. Be a follower.
00:15:58.513 --> 00:16:05.793
Don't settle for being almost obedient when he's asking for everything.
00:16:06.233 --> 00:16:10.853
I like that. Almost obedient is disobedience.
00:16:11.853 --> 00:16:15.673
Right? What's your plan? We're talking about that familiarity.
00:16:16.533 --> 00:16:20.853
Whenever we can just run, this is so familiar, you run up to Jesus and then
00:16:20.853 --> 00:16:24.493
you walk away like he was a nothing.
00:16:24.833 --> 00:16:29.853
Come on out, you get a chance to be in the presence of Jesus and he asks you,
00:16:29.933 --> 00:16:33.113
you're in his presence and he asks you something.
00:16:33.533 --> 00:16:37.253
And you turn away and walk away and don't do it.
00:16:37.473 --> 00:16:41.793
In the natural, you saw this guy, he saw Jesus in the flesh.
00:16:42.433 --> 00:16:48.793
We experience Jesus in the spirit, and we know when Jesus is talking to us.
00:16:48.993 --> 00:16:53.813
And so we get so familiar with his presence that we'll walk away and say,
00:16:54.293 --> 00:16:56.653
I don't have, because we don't have him in the flesh, come on.
00:16:56.873 --> 00:17:01.613
But yet we'll walk away from him and say, I don't have to do that.
00:17:01.953 --> 00:17:03.933
I'm not, please, I'm out.
00:17:04.833 --> 00:17:09.293
And then the Holy Spirit will come back and remind you, because Jesus is not
00:17:09.293 --> 00:17:11.413
going to let that go like that. Come on.
00:17:12.533 --> 00:17:15.653
And so you're going to come back and you're going to still say no.
00:17:15.833 --> 00:17:23.193
That's that familiarity kicking in, that you are so familiar with that presence that you do not,
00:17:23.393 --> 00:17:28.453
you're so familiar with more of the natural, let's talk about it,
00:17:28.593 --> 00:17:37.873
and not so familiar with his presence that you just disregard him speaking to you as nothing,
00:17:38.193 --> 00:17:41.373
as not divine, as not holy.
00:17:41.793 --> 00:17:44.513
As like, I have an option here.
00:17:45.457 --> 00:17:51.437
I know something to think about. Take when Jesus says, it reminds me of the
00:17:51.437 --> 00:17:57.957
story when he was at the wedding and his mother, Jesus hasn't did any miracles yet, nothing.
00:17:58.337 --> 00:18:01.017
And his mother said, we need some wine.
00:18:02.617 --> 00:18:06.797
And she didn't say it twice. She said, Jesus, we need, we out of wine.
00:18:07.917 --> 00:18:15.757
And then his mother said, whatever he says, do it. And Jesus went on and made wine out of water.
00:18:16.317 --> 00:18:22.937
Think about that. His mother wasn't familiar with, didn't get to eat.
00:18:23.137 --> 00:18:27.857
She gave birth to this baby, birth to Jesus, but yet she never,
00:18:28.097 --> 00:18:33.677
ever got so familiar that she never expected him to do what he was gifted to do.
00:18:34.437 --> 00:18:39.397
And so when we get so familiar with Jesus that we just kind of ignore his voice,
00:18:39.617 --> 00:18:43.757
that we decide that we have an option, like it's multiple choice,
00:18:43.957 --> 00:18:47.997
that we don't get to, we get, oh, I'm going to do B. I'm not going to go A.
00:18:48.577 --> 00:18:53.357
I'm going to pick no on this one and not do it. Think what that does.
00:18:54.217 --> 00:18:59.117
Once you say no, it becomes so easy, and then you get so familiar,
00:18:59.177 --> 00:19:05.457
and then you don't do it. And then it becomes really not almost obedient, it's disobedient.
00:19:06.017 --> 00:19:08.997
So I'm going to let you go on that one. Something to think about, right?
00:19:09.757 --> 00:19:15.157
You run, I need Jesus to do this. I'm crying out for him and he asks you to do one thing.
00:19:15.757 --> 00:19:21.397
And you go like, I can't do that one thing. Every time Jesus talks to us, it's holy.
00:19:22.017 --> 00:19:26.377
Everything he tells us to do is holy. And when we get so familiar that we can
00:19:26.377 --> 00:19:31.137
say no and walk away, then we're too familiar with him.
00:19:32.197 --> 00:19:38.417
And so this is, I was going to say officer, but this is your host Connie Morris
00:19:38.417 --> 00:19:44.697
with Faith on the Go and the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.
00:19:45.237 --> 00:19:48.917
So nice to have you here. So nice for your support.
00:19:49.317 --> 00:19:55.397
We are now rocking at 1.3 thousand downloads because of you.
00:19:55.397 --> 00:19:59.397
So until next time, see ya.