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As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 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 mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Ever notice how Jesus is spoken of in popular culture? He is often referenced as a teacher, almost so, as not to ruffle any feathers. But the problem in solely identifying Jesus as a teacher is that one can miss the entire point of his ministry and conceal the fact that Jesus is God. This was a point Jesus wouldn’t let slip during his interaction with the Rich Man who addressed him as “good teacher.” With grace, Jesus reminded him that only God was good. Unbeknownst to the Rich Man, in calling Jesus good he equated Jesus to God. Unfortunately, throughout their entire conversation, that was the very idea the Rich Man missed. After hearing Jesus’ two instructions, to sell all his possessions and follow him, he walked away disappointed. It wasn’t that Jesus did not give the answer, Jesus was trying to shift his heart from what was earthly to heavenly, but because the Rich Man’s perspective was so clouded by what he owned he was not willing to accept what Jesus was offering. The Rich Man needed a paradigm shift to realize that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life, and that there was no eternal life apart from him. Today we must also know that Jesus came for more than just a moral lesson, he came to grant us eternal life. It is a gift that we can freely receive through faith in Jesus.
If you’re going to take hold of eternal life, you are going to have to let go of earthly things.
The Rich Man’s inherent lack caused him to seek out Jesus. While he certainly did not lack material possession, he lacked eternal direction. Jesus invited him to follow him. Jesus wasn’t trying to punish the man for being rich, he was trying to set him free, but it was on the Rich Man to let go of what held him back.
A paradigm shift, or changing one’s beliefs to fit new information, is not the default. Counter to our instincts, Jesus is calling us to be different. In order to be upright in the eyes of God, we are going to have to shift from what is familiar to what is righteous.
The Rich Man did not realize that he couldn’t buy his way into the kingdom of God. And while eternal life has no price, it does have a cost. The transaction was made through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we recognize our lack and humbly accept Jesus is the only one who can save us, we become children of God. It is about being and believing versus doing and achieving. The gospel is not exclusive but it is specific, the invitation to follow Jesus is open to us all. We can hear the instructions in his word, yet miss the great invitation of following him. Will we be like the Rich Man and leave disappointed or will we embrace the amazing gift of Jesus and eternal life?
Shift your paradigm. Identify what may be holding you back from following Jesus wholeheartedly and make the decision to let it go.
All of you that are already in our database will receive a text this upcoming Thursday from our new text platform. It isn’t spam, it’s really us! This will become a primary way for us to resource, equip, and update you. We encourage you to save this number and opt in for more updates.
VOUS High is youth community of VOUS and we are creating a space for middle schoolers to gather for service every Sunday.
Students will start with worship in the main auditorium and then be dismissed to their junior high space. This will be a moment to connect with other students, hear a message, and then discuss in small groups.
For more information and to RSVP your student, click here
Join us at the annual ILMC Thanksgiving Bash to distribute meal kits and turkeys. Also, bring a chair and cheer on your favorite team at our annual VOUS Bowl.
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 23rd
Time: 9:00AM - 12:30PM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
1350 NW 50th St
Miami, FL 33142
Ready to kick off Thanksgiving with a burst of energy and community? Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Whether you're a runner, a walker, or somewhere in between, this is a chance to start your day with some fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! See you at the starting line!
To sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 28th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
2820 McFarlane Rd.
Miami, FL 33133
On Sunday, December 1st we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to both our SoMi and Miami Gardens Locations! Sign up to serve and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Please note: There will not be a 6PM service at VOUS City. Instead, join us at VOUS Miami Gardens for the 6PM service, followed by the tree lighting celebration.
Date: December 1st
Time: 7:30PM
Location:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To serve, click here
VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
10:30AM / 12:30PM
VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
