16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 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.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Opening Prayer: Father God, there are people all around us that have needs, but yet we often do not see them. Even if we see them we think we are too busy to do anything or we do not know what to do or how to help. May we have eyes to see the needs. My we have hearts that care and minds that show concern for others. May we have hands that help. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Message [used with permission from A Sermon for Every Sunday]: Sorry, I Didn’t See You – The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, by Kristin Adkins Whitesides, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Winchester, Virginia.
“My youngest son has the remarkable gift of laser-like focus. Whenever he is playing with legos or reading a book, the rest of the world falls away…” begins Rev. Dr. Kristin Adkins Whitesides. She continues, “In our scripture today, Jesus tells the story of a man who was also blind and deaf to those around him…” Whitesides paints a picture for us of the parable in Luke 16:19-31. In Act One, there is a poor man outside the gate, flies buzzing around his head, dogs licking the sores on his legs. In contrast, inside the gate, there is a rich man dressed in velvet and linen in a gorgeous dining room, eating from a spread on the table. In Act Two, we see the two men’s fortunes reversed in the afterlife. The rich man begs for relief, but it is too late. We often focus on Act Two in this parable, the afterlife. However, what can we learn from the rich man in Act One? What could he have done differently? How can we respond differently?
Closing Prayer: Father God, we often miss opportunities to express compassion for or to genuinely care for others. There are so many broken and hurting people in this world. May God NOT be the only one that knows and sees those who are in need. May we show mercy and extend grace to those God would have us reach out to and help. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray. Amen.
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul.I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.
Faithfully Yours Forever 