The Goal is Christ – (12.01.24 – Mk. 10:17-31)

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Dear St. Paul family,
 

Sermon - The Goal is Christ

Cornerstone - Cornerstone - Freedom Through Confession

Kids Sermon - Attach To God

The gospel is from Mk. 10:17-31, about the rich young ruler who came to Jesus.

Isn’t it terrible if we miss the goal completely.

The goal is not studying and just getting degrees, but to work at the end. The goal is not just watching calories, but becoming healthy, the goal is not just to have behaved kids, but to train them.

The rich young ruler thought he was doing everything. His answer to what Jesus asked (‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud) was yes, he did all that.

Imagine going to your spouse and say, I didn’t commit adultery today or I didn’t hit you today or I didn’t steal from you today or I didn’t cheat on you. Is that really the goal?

The young man became arrogant through the observance of the law. He did not recognize that the consummation of the law is Christ. He assumed he could be justified by works. (Hilary of Poitiers – 4th C)

The goal is Christ, so if I achieve everything and miss that, I miss everything.

Let’s apply some of the bible reading methods:

Method #3: Put yourself in the story

• Do I have a checklist?

• Am I missing the goal?

In My Relationships

• Are they transactional?

• Are they superficial?

• Are they a burden?

• Are they robotic?

Or

• They have depth

• They have purpose

• They have spontaneity

In My Spiritual Life
Liturgy – come, sing, communion & then social? Or am I coming to encounter God, worship and praise Him, thank Him, abide in Him?
Prayer & Bible – appease my conscience, say “yes” when asked in confession? Or to get to know Him, His will, His ways of salvation and transforming me?
Fasting & Giving – use as a tool to deny myself and work on generosity or just a change of diet?

Method #4: Ask Why?

• Why do I do those practices? Dig deeper.

Method #5: Practical Application

• How can I change from checklist to goal?

Remember, God created human beings, not human doings. Let us focus on the right goal, which is Christ and see what we are becoming and less on doing.

Fr. James

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