So, who’s the richest person you KNOW? Not someone you know ABOUT, but someone who’d take your call. Think of a name. I’ll wait.
While you’re thinking, let me say “Welcome to “Mornings with Bishop Robert” — thanks for joining me on the top spot on the internet for coffee with a cleric. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today speaks to your heart, then let me invite you to like, subscribe and share it with a friend!
Who is the richest person you know? When we think about rich people, names like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezoz come to mind. Now it may be that Jeff’s your neighbor and you guys hang out together, but it’s not very likely. There’s a BIG difference between knowing ABOUT someone and knowing them. And that leads us into not one – but TWO lessons.
Wow! TWO lessons for the price of one. (Such a deal !!!)
FIRST LESSON: Wealthy doesn’t equal rich.
Though it was a bit of a trick question, you probably began to think of people you know that have (or you THINK have) a great deal of money. Let’s face it, some people have amounts of cash at their disposal that simply boggle the mind. Yesterday’s big winner for the day was a billionaire you’ve probably never heard of. Bernard Arnault’s wealth INCREASED $1.6 billion … yesterday. Not a bad day, right? (The craziest part is that it didn’t even add one percent to his overall financial fortune.)
I say “trick question” because my point was to differentiate between money and riches. Having money doesn’t make you truly rich. The news is filled with people who have large sums of cash – but who have families that are breaking apart, or drug addictions ruining their lives, or whose mental state is undermining their ability to live out their lives.
If you think I’m just making a pointless point about the difference between money and riches, here’s the key that will drive it home. Would you trade every relationship in your life and agree to be forever utterly alone for all the money you could ever need? Take the deal and you’ll never hear another human voice, never receive another text, email or phone call. You’ll never see or hear about anyone else ever again. But any THING you want just magically appears at your doorstep on your utterly isolated house. You can have whatever THINGS you desire … utterly alone. For the next ten years — THEN YOU DIE. Sound like fun??? No, I didn’t think so.
Life isn’t about THINGS. It is about those people we experience them with and share them with. It’s about the ability to invest yourself in the life of someone else. It’s about enjoying the growth, increasing maturity and accomplishments of those whose lives we are impacting. It’s all about making an impact for Jesus. The best things in life AREN’T THINGS.
So, how rich is God? Well, He owns everything; so financial calculations pale in comparison. But let me tell you how rich He is ……
He is so rich IN KINDNESS AND GRACE that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son AND FORGAVE OUR SINS.
That, my friends, is REALLY RICH !!!!
SECOND LESSON: There’s a BIG difference between knowing ABOUT someone and KNOWING them.
If you have an internet connection on some device or other, you can learn anything you want to know about the world’s wealthiest people. You can pick from any of over 2700 billionaires — every continent and most countries are represented — and read to your heart’s content. You’ll learn all ABOUT them — but you won’t KNOW them.
Today’s verse says THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, THAT THEY KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM YOU HAVE SENT.
KNOWING someone requires that a relationship be established. It demands give and take, multiple conversations, the sharing of life’s events.
The answer to the question of whether or not you KNOW GOD is going to be very important to you someday. Perhaps someday soon. One day, knowing Jesus is going to be the ONLY thing that matters. It will be the relationship that defines your eternity.
It’s not what you know, but WHO you know.
There’s a BIG difference between knowing ABOUT Jesus and knowing Him.
Do you KNOW Him?
If not, isn’t it time to begin the relationship????
