Pursuing Your Treasure - Part 2 — K.P. Yohannan

As we look around, it's not hard to see what most Americans are pursuing. Many are choosing the same path as Lot, and we'll see what that leads to in a moment. But there's a better way to go, and it was modeled by Abraham and Jesus Christ.

Today, on The Road to Reality, we'll contrast these two very different paths and consider where we're headed in life. Join us in Genesis as we turn things over to our teacher, Dr. K .P. Yohannan. You know the story of Abraham.

Abraham Leaves His Comfort Zone

You read about this in Genesis chapter 12. And God said, Abraham, this is what I want you to do. Leave your comfort zone, everything that you are living with and you're happy about, leave this. And go to a place that I will show you.

And of course, you know what he did. He did exactly what God told him to do. But then his nephew Lot joined him. And the story continues. In the end, there came a time when Abraham's servants and Lot's servants had some squabbles because of riches.

Lot Chooses Worldly Prosperity

And then Abraham said, Lord, you know what? The best thing is you go that way and I go this way. You choose what you want. Although Abraham had all the rights to pick what he wanted. He wouldn't do that.

So Lot, it says, chose the best part of the real estate. Lush, green, attractive. I mean, absolutely. You talk about dream, American dream. There it is. So he moved his tent and began to live his life out.

But the story never ends there. You know what happened to Lot, his family. But then look at Abraham. After this incident, God said to Abraham, Abraham, I am your reward. In other words, let Lot or anyone else, they go after their dreams and get whatever they want.

But Abraham, you have me. And you know how Lot's story ends and Abraham's story ends. Two different worlds. You see, my brothers and sisters. What I'm trying to say to you. Please, somewhere we have to stop and get out of this illusion, this parallel world.

Christianity Beyond Comfortable Living

A Christianity that make us believe the Bible, the gospel and Christian faith is really to make our lives so beautiful and wonderful and happy here on earth. So we hear stuff like your great commitment is to be a great Christian, which means you care for your family, your children and your health and take care of yourself.

The Costly Devotion of the Woman Who Anointed Jesus

And, you know, recently I heard a sad thing about one of the well-known evangelical preacher who talked about the woman that came to Jesus who broke the jar and poured out the most precious ointment.

Everything she had and his application for that. Well, you see, Jesus received the most expensive treatment. And this is a lesson for us to know. You can buy anything you want and have the best of life.

And if you can afford to buy a ten million dollar home or two million dollar home and the best of cars, the best of clothes, don't think bad about it. And I'm not against, you know, people having nice homes and clothes.

That's not the issue here. You see, the issue is what is this Jesus and who is he about and what about his followers? We read in the New Testament when Christianity is reduced to the place of our comfortable life, either materialism or reputation or our well-being, we are missing the point.

Conformity to Christ Rather Than Material Well-Being

Why? Because the scripture says we are made, Romans 8, 29, that we may be conformed to the image of his dear son. And that's reason says in 1 John, again, we are in this world as he was. Let me ask you, this is not to condemn you, put you down, anything like that.

As a brother, as a sister, I'm just simply asking you, when was the last time that you lost your appetite? You simply didn't want to eat or drink. The reason your heart was so overcome by agony and pain and sorrow over the lost and dying millions or even people in your neighborhood that do not know Jesus.

If the scripture says, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, everything in it and lose his own soul? You know, just the other day, early morning, I had to hear this news about the cyclone in Bangladesh.

Compassion for the Lost and Dying

And the BBC began to talk about it, over a million people being displaced and they had evacuated. And then a few hours later, I will be on the telephone trying to find out what's happening in Burma and in Bangladesh, just to learn about tens of thousands of lives of people in such turmoil.

And tens of thousands of huts or shacks, the simple people lived in, completely wiped out. And the children who were going to school, they lost everything except the little clothes they were wearing and they had to run and walk away.

Now, I began to enter into the reality of this world and think to myself, what would Jesus do? How his heart must be breaking the people he created, what Satan is doing with their lives. But then, as I think about it, my question is, am I mustering up some emotions to feel sad and crying about it?

Or is there something natural about it that my heart is entering into the suffering of the Lord on the behalf of people that he loves so much? Because that's what I see him in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 9.

Jesus' Compassion for the Multitudes

When he saw the multitudes, he was broken hearted. And I'm convinced he was overcome by emotions. And then he says these words with such compassion. They are like sheep without a shepherd, abused, harassed, destroyed.

And then he says, pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send laborers. Well, that's a simple word, pray. But what does that mean? The question I must ask myself, is there space in my life that my alarm clock will be used?

Prayer for Laborers and a Life of Service

Not so it will wake me up to catch my flight or to get to my job so I will not sleep too long. Or is that alarm clock I have so it will wake me up early in the morning when everything is quiet. Nobody calls, nothing happens that I can be on my face before him.

Not just for my problems and my children or my difficulties but people in this generation. For Jesus lived not for himself. Son of man came not to be served but to serve. To seek and to save. Again, this is just one aspect of knowing Christ and pursuing him and having him as the passion of our life.

Serving God in Every Calling

And again, you can be a teacher, a lawyer, a taxi driver, a housewife, a banker, whatever you are doing. Remember, somebody who is so-called full-time missionary or a preacher or a pastor, their life is no different in the call God has for all of us to follow him.

Think about Jesus. You think Jesus serving his father was only three and a half years from the age of 30? You think the time he was making chairs and benches and furniture as a carpenter, he was not serving the father?

What he was doing basically was a reflection of basically who he was. His inner life was in tune, same as his outer life. So, wherever we may be, whatever we may be doing, may I encourage you, our one pursuit, our longing must be to live as Jesus lived and he is the reason we live.

Pursuing Christ Alone

And once we have that understanding, I tell you, no one needs to pester you saying, Oh, you need to pray for Bangladesh, you need to do something. You have to pray that at least one of your children will serve God.

Oh no, you have to give a tithes and offering and people are dying. You know what, you will be desperate to seek out and search and look for ways to live out that deep passion that you have on the inside because your entire life has nothing else other than Jesus and him alone.

And so, as we talk about these matters and I pray that somehow, really, this is funny, I really pray that Lord will save you from a lot of preachers, a lot of books and commentaries. I mean, you know, all we can hear about is how to make our life better and nice and abundance of books, Christian novels to make you relax and happy and all those things.

Persecution on the Road to Christ

Dear me, where in the Bible you read about our pursuing, our happiness and joy and our life here on earth. And if you follow Jesus, as a matter of fact, the closer we get to Jesus, the more misunderstood we become.

When you truly live for the Lord, I tell you what, people are attracted to you and they admire you. They say, wow, she's a woman of prayer or he's a man who can really explain the gospel or whatever. But as you continue your journey further and further in that intense longing for Christ, I'm telling you what, just as Jesus and Paul and others faced, you will face some problems and persecution, misunderstanding.

And please let me assure you, this journey is not that long. It soon be over. And we run into Jesus himself. And may the Lord continue to change us that we'll become like him and respond to the world around us as Jesus would.

Becoming Like Christ

And I speak the Lord's richest blessings on you as you continue this journey with Christ.

Pursuing Christ and living as he lived. Now that's the road to reality. You've been listening to The Road to Reality. Brother K .P. Ohannon's message today is called Pursuing Your Treasure. And before we close things out today, we'd like to tell you about a booklet K .P. has written, which will help you deal with life's failures.

And we all have them. It's framed around the question, when we have failed, what next? Our failures often cloud our vision, but this book will help you see God's redemptive power and the Lord's ability to work out his best plan for your life.

It's available through our website at RoadToReality .org. Look for When We Have Failed, What Next? at RoadToReality .org. Or call toll free 866-WIN-ASIA. God has a wonderful plan for your life, even after your failures.

We'll share another challenging message from K .P. Ohannon on the next Road to Reality. Be listening each day and be encouraged to pursue Christ and his kingdom and righteousness.