Each week, Pastor Bob does a deep dive into WHAT DID JESUS SAY ?

In this episode of The Red-Letter Crusade, Pastor Bob Thibodeau shares a powerful message that focuses on ONE THING..."What Did Jesus Say about... MONEY? - pt 1” He reminds us that Jesus’ words aren’t just history—they’re alive, filled with life and power to change us today.

Pastor Bob challenges us to go beyond just hearing Scripture and to let it take root in our hearts so our lives reflect Jesus. With his down-to-earth style and a touch of humor, he shows why feeding on God’s Word is just as essential as daily bread. This message will encourage you to make the Word a priority and live it out every day.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: https://JesusSaid.tv

Hey Affiliate Marketers! If you would like to share the Words of Jesus and earn additional income - visit this link for more information: https://wdjsbookproject.com/ffp

Takeaways:

• I insisted we keep returning to the red letters—Jesus' own words—because only his instructions settle money matters, not flashy preachers or church culture.
• We explained that money itself is a neutral tool, not evil; the real danger is when money becomes your master and idol, quietly running your life.
• I shared the rich young ruler story to show Jesus didn't condemn wealth per se, but exposed when possessions actually rule a person's heart and decisions.
• We said stewardship equals discipleship — practical financial habits like paying off debt, setting priorities, and disciplined giving are acts of spiritual obedience, not just math.
• I pointed out the modern extremes: the prosperity circus on one side and glamorizing poverty on the other, and reminded listeners Jesus taught neither extreme.
• We warned that appearances, big buildings, and church image can hide heart problems, so we must tune our ears to Jesus' voice, not denominational noise or celebrity culture.
• I admitted my own failures (yep, I blew it sometimes) and offered this as correction and mercy — a call to change habits, not a sermon of shame.

Links referenced in this episode:

• thewdjsbookproject.com
• wdjsbookproject.com
• shellcast.com

Welcome to Freedom Through Faith and the Red Letter Crusade, where the words of Jesus take center stage.

Join us as we bring healing, unity and clarity to your walk with God by focusing on one thing.

What did Jesus say?

Now let's join Pastor Robert Thibodeau for the Red Letter Crusade.

Because when it comes to understanding the entire Bible, his words matter.

Hello, everyone, everywhere.

Pastor Bob Thibodeau here.

Welcome to Freedom Through Faith and the Red Letter Crusade.

It is such a blessing to be with you today.

I'm.

I'm so excited about today's topic.

Oh, praise you, Jesus.

We're going to be talking again.

I know we did this a few weeks back, but some things happened that I just have to talk about this again.

We're going to talk about what did Jesus say about money?

Amen.

Now let's go to Lord with a word of prayer.

We'll jump right into this.

Father, in Jesus name, we thank you and praise you.

We praise you, Father, for the Word, the Word that became flesh, dwelt among men, the Word that sacrificed himself so that we could have access to you, Father.

We pray for this broadcast today as it goes throughout the world through the technology you have made available to us today, touching people's hearts and changing their lives all across this planet.

Father Lee, guide, direct this conversation as you see fit.

May your holy Spirit speak through me this day, touching people's lives all over this planet.

And we give you honor, glory and praise, all in Jesus name.

Amen and Amen.

Praise you, Jesus.

Hallelujah.

Join me in our profession of faith, commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer.

We do this each and every week.

I like calling it laying the solid foundation upon which we're gonna build.

Amen.

And it is so important again that your own two ears hear your own voice say these words out loud.

Because faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word.

And Jesus taught that this prayer, he gave us this prayer, so it is the Word.

Amen.

Just repeat after me.

Our Father who art in heaven, Holy be thy name.

May your kingdom come.

May your will be done in this earth, just as it's always accomplished in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us at all times from all evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

In Jesus name, Amen and amen.

Praise you, Jesus.

Hallelujah.

All right, are you ready?

I know I am.

I've been chomping at the bit on this one, all week long.

Praise the Lord.

Now, there's few topics in church that can make people uncomfortable faster than when you talk about money.

All right?

When you mention prayer, everybody nods.

Yashay, man, when you mention faith, people shout, yes.

Amen.

You mention heaven, folks smile.

Oh, yes.

Amen.

But the moment a preacher starts talking about money, half the room tightens up like somebody just announced an IRS audit's taking place that day in church.

Amen.

And honestly, some of that suspicion is completely understandable because for decades, for decades now, there have been people standing behind pulpits, television cameras and turning the gospel into a financial circus.

Okay, Send me your seed faith today.

Send me your seed faith offering.

God told me if you gave $100 today, he'd have $10,000 on the way to you overnight.

Your breakthrough is attached to this offering we're taking right now.

So this special seed into God's work, and God will multiply it back to you a hundredfold.

Folks, that is not the gospel Jesus preached, okay?

And today's teaching is gonna make a lot of preachers out there absolutely furious.

Why?

Because on this sensitive topic, I'm not going to preach my ideas.

Okay?

We're going to zero in on what did Jesus say about your money?

Not what preacher so and so has to say.

Not what your pastor has to say, not even what Pastor Bob has to say about it.

We're only gonna focus on what Jesus has to say about it, period.

Alright?

Because when you cut through all the noise, it's only his words that matter.

Amen.

Are you with me?

Hallelujah.

Now, can God bless your generosity?

Yes, absolutely.

100% So.

And does God honor obedience?

Absolutely.

Does the Bible teach about giving?

Yes, it does.

Hallelujah.

But I want you to notice something.

Jesus never manipulated desperate people financially.

Jesus never turned his ministry into a spiritual lottery ticket.

Jesus never auctioned miracles to help hurting people.

Right?

And some of the loudest.

I'll just.

The common phrase is name it and claim it, blab it and grab it.

People spiritually, I mean, those voices have damaged people spiritually because they taught believers to chase the money instead of chasing Jesus.

Jesus never said, seek ye first those riches, then come and follow me.

No, he never said that.

What did he say?

Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

Right?

That is a major difference.

Now, before somebody misunderstands me and what I'm doing today, let me just say this plainly.

Money is necessary.

You need money to live today.

Amen.

I mean, you know, ministries require money to function.

The bigger the Ministry, the more money they need to function.

Missionaries need money to function.

They need to buy airplane tickets to go where they need to go.

Churches need electricity turned on.

You know, streaming platforms cost money.

Radio stations cost money.

Feeding people, feeding the homeless, all that costs money.

Cameras cost money.

Reaching the world with the gospel cost money.

Okay?

So the mission never changed, only the reach did.

Okay, so I want you to, right off the bat, let me just back up and pause a minute here.

This sermon is not all about money is so evil, or being blessed is sinful, or Christians need to live in poverty and just give it all away.

No, no, no, no, no.

That's not biblical either.

Okay, Amen.

Praise God.

But we have to be careful here because there's another ditch on the other side of the road that nobody wants to talk about either.

At least not have an honest discussion like we're doing today.

There are entire religious systems that preach simplicity and humility to their followers while their leadership structures are wrapped in luxury.

Symbolism, extravagance, and all about the outward appearances.

And yes, I'm going to name some names because we're talking about reality, not theory here.

All right, and what got me started on this, let's look at portions of Catholicism, Episcopalian traditions and some branches of Orthodoxy.

All right?

The gaudy get ups these people wear, is that to represent.

Is that supposed to represent holiness before God?

I don't think so.

And all of this came about when I was flipping through the channels and watched the Easter services from the Catholic Church.

I mean, think about it.

Some of these systems out there emphasize humility and sacrifice and simplicity and even forms and vows of poverty for the common believer and lower ranking priests.

But all the while, the high ranking religious leaders wear those garments and jewelry and robes and ceremonial clothing and displays of religious prestige that, to be honest, look closer to royal courts and kings rather than the dusty roads that Jesus walked.

I mean, have you seen some of their churches talk about gaudy?

Just saying amen.

I'm just putting it out there.

You take it or leave it.

Like I said, I saw the Easter mass on television where the Pope was decked out.

He's decked out in an outfit that looked downright blasphemous to what they preach.

It was so gaudy.

I mean, I was offended for him and I'm not even Catholic.

Amen.

You know, are you still there?

Or did that offend some people and they couldn't take the truth, so they've already vacated the building, so to speak.

Well, now, Pastor Bob, you're Preaching hard stuff today.

My God.

Well, all I can say is, listen to what I'm saying and you'll find out what Jesus had had to say about these things.

Not Pastor Bob.

Jesus.

Amen.

All right, so let's continue here.

And folks, I'm not attacking the Pope or anyone else personally, okay?

I'm just asking a serious red letter question.

Did Jesus ever present himself that way?

Think about it.

Did Jesus ever present himself that way?

Did you ever read about Jesus walking around in gold threaded ceremonial robes, demanding titles and elevated appearances?

No.

No.

Did Jesus ever get all gussied up and walk around town blessing people as they applauded him in his golden threads with his huge pious hat sitting on his head?

No.

Did he ever do that?

Did he ever do that?

The answer is no.

But there were some in Jesus day that did do that.

Do you know who did act like that?

Come on, take a guess.

The Pharisees.

They're the ones who dressed up like that.

And Jesus said Matthew 23:5, but all their works they do to be seen by men.

Yeah, folks, that's Jesus talking there, not Pastor Bob.

Amen.

You know, the elaborate religious garments, the public displays, the obsession with status, the love of titles, the outward appearance of holiness while the crowds cheer, that was all the Pharisees.

And they did all that while inwardly missing the heart of God.

How do we know that was the case?

Because that was exactly what Jesus confronted repeatedly.

Amen.

I mean, he would call the Catholic Church today a brood of Pharisees.

Amen.

Don't turn me off yet.

Praise God.

You need to hear what else is coming.

I need you to hear me carefully here, because balance matters.

All right?

There.

There is nothing wrong with honoring God.

Nothing wrong.

Nothing wrong with having beautiful churches, okay?

There's nothing wrong with order and structure or even ceremonial traditions themselves.

The issue is when appearance becomes more important than obedience.

The issue is when religion creates a visual image of holiness while ignoring the actual words of Jesus.

Because Jesus did not come to build a religion that's obsessed with appearances.

He came preaching repentance and obedience and humility, truth, stewardship, and most of all, the kingdom of God.

And folks, this is where money becomes dangerous.

Because money itself is not evil.

Money is a tool.

A tool.

But the love of money, the worship of money, the pursuit of status through money, that's where corruption comes into play.

And can I make this personal right now?

From the beginning, I'm going to be 100% completely honest with you right here.

I have failed this test myself multiple times.

Not once, not twice, multiple times in my life.

And every single time, every single time, I knew why I failed.

Every single time, my prayers were asking God for one thing while my personal decisions were building the exact opposite.

And when I look back on those times, it happened every single time.

I prayed for breakthrough while ignoring discipline.

I prayed for provision while making emotional financial decisions.

I prayed for increase while violating the very principles Jesus already taught.

And the painful part was this.

I knew it was my fault.

It wasn't God's fault.

It wasn't even the devil's fault.

It was mine.

Amen.

And I'm sure if you're honest with yourself, you will have to admit that too.

Right?

And that's why this message today matters so much to me.

Because Jesus was never trying to take something from me.

With his teachings, I bought money.

He was trying to protect me.

He was trying to teach me.

He was trying to keep.

He was trying to keep money from becoming my master.

Because, folks, that's the real issue.

Money is simply a tool.

Jesus must remain Lord or over the tools that we use.

In a world where some preachers preach wealth while others glorify poverty, we need to come back to one simple question.

What did Jesus actually say about money?

And that's what we're going to be talking about today.

Amen.

Praise God, folks, that was just the introduction.

Amen.

Hallelujah.

Turn with me to Matthew, chapter 6.

Matthew, chapter 6, verse 21.

Hallelujah.

For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.

Amen.

Now, after laying all that groundwork, we need to establish something clearly before we go any further.

Money is not some evil substance floating around the earth, corrupting people all by itself.

Again, I've said money is a tool.

It is a necessary, required tool for us to use to live in this earth.

You need money to survive in this world.

You need money to feed your children, to keep a roof over your head, to put fuel in your car, to buy medicine when your family gets sick, to pay the electric bill so your refrigerator keeps the food cold you already paid too much for in the first place.

Life requires money.

And ministry requires money, too.

Now, some people get uncomfortable when you say that openly, but it's still true.

Missionaries, they cannot fly overseas for free, right?

Cameras, they're not free.

Internet streaming is not free.

Radio stations are not free.

Printing Bibles, printing books is not free.

Feeding hungry people, that's not free.

Helping widows is not free.

Supporting churches and poor nations, that's not free.

So the mission did not change, only the way we do.

The outreach has changed.

In Jesus Day, the Gospel spread primarily by walking dusty roads, gathering crowds together and speaking publicly in the villages and synagogues or in homes, or on the sides of mountains and along the shorelines.

Okay, today we have microphones, Hallelujah.

Live streams, podcasts, television networks, websites, satellites and streaming platforms like Jesuss said tv that can carry the words of Jesus around the world in seconds, like, like we're doing right now.

This is a live broadcast going out to the world.

And the message folks is still the same.

The methods of reaching the most people have just expanded.

And every one of these methods that I just talked about requires financial resources.

Every single one of them.

So this sermon is not anti money.

Okay, let me say that clearly again, because some folks hear one sentence and shut down mentally before the preacher ever finishes their paragraph.

Amen.

This sermon is not anti money and Jesus was not anti money.

I think about it.

Jesus handled money.

His ministry had serious financial supporters.

Jesus has so much money coming into his ministry, he had to have Judas become the treasurer and carry the money bag for the ministry.

Because they didn't have bank account back then, right?

Judas had to carry that money bag around.

Now that is just an example how offerings supported ministry activity even while Jesus walked the earth.

Amen.

The issue was never the money itself.

The issue was what money was doing inside of people's hearts.

That's why Jesus talked about money constantly.

Because nothing exposes trust issues faster than discussing your finances.

Amen.

A man can say, well, I trust God.

Hallelujah.

But his financial decisions reveal he trusts fear.

Instead, a church can say Jesus is Lord, but their priorities may reveal that appearances are actually their Lord.

A preacher can say, we're all about ministry.

That's all we focus on.

But the structure of that ministry may reveal the real focus is about raising money or their prestige or how much influence they have, or celebrity status and other things, not others.

And folks, Jesus never, never ignored those contradictions.

What did he do?

He confronted them directly.

Amen.

That's one reason I believe the modern church has become so confused about finances.

I mean, we have entire movements preaching opposite extremes from each other when it concerns finances.

On one side you have the personality driven obsession, right?

Luxury gospel, celebrity preachers, manipulation on the offerings, emotional fundraising.

You see all these little poor kids sitting on the desert ground with these little dishes and promises of success that Jesus never made.

And on the other side, you have religious systems glorifying poverty as if struggling financially somehow makes a person spiritually superior to everyone else.

But Jesus Never preached either extreme.

Neither one.

Jesus didn't preach greed.

And Jesus did not glorify poverty.

Now that's important for you to understand because some Christians almost act embarrassed when talking about money responsibly.

But Jesus never acted embarrassed when he discussed stewardship, did he?

He openly, openly talked about treasure and debt and stewardship and wages and giving and generosity and greed and covetousness, faithfulness and accountability.

He talked about all those things.

Amen.

Why?

Because how you handle money reveals your true spiritual condition.

Now let me make this painfully personal again, because I never want this sermon to sound like I'm standing up here pretending I've mastered all of this perfectly, because I have not.

I failed financially in my life many times, multiple times, and again, every single time I failed, I knew deep down the issue was not that God had abandoned me.

The issue was not that prayer stopped working.

The issue was not that Jesus had failed me in some way.

No.

The issue was my own decisions violated my own prayers.

Just saying that's a hard sentence to admit publicly.

This thing's going live to the world.

I prayed for financial peace while making emotional financial decisions.

I prayed for increase while refusing for financial discipline.

I prayed for God to bless me while ignoring principles Jesus already taught clearly.

And eventually the Lord began dealing with me honestly.

One day I heard him in response to a prayer.

And while I was praying, this is what I heard.

Bob, you keep asking me to fix what you refuse to change, folks.

That'll humble you real quick right there.

Amen.

Real quick.

Because sometimes we want supernatural breakthrough while still operating in natural foolishness.

And please hear my heart today.

I'm not saying this to condemn anyone.

This is not a condemnation sermon, okay?

This is correction.

Correction is mercy when it comes from Jesus.

Because Jesus was never trying to keep us from provision.

He was trying to keep provision from becoming our God.

Money itself is not the danger.

The worship of money is the danger.

And that danger exists in every income bracket, from poorest of the poor to the ultra rich businessman and tycoon.

Amen.

So don't look at me at that tone of voice.

Praise God.

Look, poor people can worship money.

Wealthy people can worship money.

Churches and denominations can worship money.

Ministries can worship money.

I said different denominations worship money.

Entire religious systems can quietly become driven by finances while still talking spiritually.

You get me?

Amen.

Huh?

That's why Jesus dealt with the heart so aggressively and honestly.

One of the biggest lies modern Christianity is the idea that having more money automatically solves your financial problems.

And I can tell you it doesn't.

No more.

Money amplifies bad habits.

Usually the bad habits.

It could be good habits, but usually the bad habits.

Because if a person lacks discipline, with little more money usually creates discipline, bigger chaos.

That's why you see some of these famous athletes go broke and celebrities go broke.

Lottery winners, they win multiple millions of dollars, and five years later, they're broke.

Businesses collapse after massive growth.

Why?

Because money itself does not.

Hear me now.

Does not create wisdom.

Money does not create wisdom.

Not at all.

Only stewardship creates wisdom.

And that's where so many believers miss the lessons Jesus was teaching us right here.

I mean, we pray for a harvest while ignoring the stewardship aspect.

We pray for blessings while avoiding the discipline aspect.

We pray for provision while refusing any accountability.

And then we wonder why our lives are so unstable.

Jesus said, where your treasure is, what there will be your heart also.

Let me get a sip of coffee on that while you meditate on that.

Where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be.

Also.

That statement alone will cut through every single excuse, because treasure always reveals your devotion.

Let me put it like this.

What we protect reveals what we worship.

What we prioritize reveals what we put our trust in.

What controls our decisions reveals what.

Not who.

What sits on the throne of our hearts.

And that's why this message is so important today, okay?

Because we are living.

We are living in a generation drowning.

Drowning under financial pressure, aren't we?

Think about it.

Credit card debt, consumerism, status competition, emotional spending, comparison culture.

We see on social media, all the influencer lifestyles and constant advertising that's designed to make people feel dissatisfied with what they have now and feel they need more of that.

More now, not later, more now.

And here is how you can get it.

And then they sell you something.

Praise God.

Amen, folks.

Straight up, that is of the devil.

He is trying to get you to trust in yourself rather than trust God.

And in today's society, his plan is working.

We're in lockstep.

We're with the devil.

Everywhere you look, somebody is trying to convince you that your identity is connected to what you own.

Huh?

Think about it.

Jesus taught what?

The exact opposite.

Jesus never taught people to build identity through their possessions.

Never.

He never did that.

He taught people to build their identity through obedience to God.

Amen.

And honestly, some believers today are financially exhausted because they're trying to maintain appearances instead of maintaining their stewardship.

People are buying things they cannot afford, really, just to impress people they don't even like, oh, that's good.

That's Good Lord.

Amen.

Let me say that one again.

People are buying things today which they cannot really afford, so they use credit and go into debt even further, all for the purpose of impressing people they don't even like.

Amen, folks.

That.

That's not Kingdom wisdom there, huh?

And guess what?

Churches are falling into the same exact trap.

Some ministries, they start measuring their success by bigger buildings, bigger auditoriums, bigger stages, bigger personalities, bigger offerings, a bigger image, bigger branding.

Meanwhile, Jesus is measuring hearts.

And that is why we must constantly, constantly come back to the red letters.

Not traditions, not the trends, not celebrity culture, not denominational pressure.

We need to focus on one thing, and that is what did Jesus actually say?

Amen.

Because Jesus never taught us to worship poverty.

Never.

He never called that holy.

And he never taught us to worship prosperity either.

Never.

Never did.

Think about it.

What did he do?

He taught us to worship God.

Period.

Everything else, including money, must stay submitted under God.

And folks, that is easier said than lived.

I know.

I know firsthand because I've tried.

I've had to repent of this myself, as I said.

I mean, there were seasons in my prayer where my prayer sounded spiritual, while my daily habits were completely undisciplined.

I wanted God to do miracles in my life while I ignored the wisdom he was teaching me right here in the book, in the Bible, in the red letters.

I wanted a breakthrough while refusing to admit to his corrections.

And eventually the Holy Spirit began pressing this into my heart.

Stewardship is.

Is discipleship.

Think about that.

Stewardship is discipleship.

That phrase changed the way I looked at money completely.

Stewardship is discipleship.

Because now money was no longer just a math equation, okay?

It became obedience.

It became submission.

It became another area where Jesus was either truly Lord or He wasn't.

That is when I focused on paying off debt rather than incurring more debt.

Amen.

Doing this, you may not have the things you want now, but you also will not own worn out things while the bills are still coming in every month on what you bought before.

Amen.

Praise God.

This is stepping on toes.

I know it is.

But folks, that's the real battle we're going to deal with throughout the rest of this message.

Not how much money do you have?

But who rules your heart when money enters the conversation.

Amen.

Praise God.

Turn with me to Matthew, chapter 10.

I'm sorry, Matthew 19, Matthew 19.

And we'll look at verses 16 to 22.

Okay?

Behold, one came, said to him, good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life.

This is one of the most revealing conversations Jesus ever had about money because it exposes something a lot deeper than that person's wealth.

It exposes the human heart trying to approach God through personal achievement while still holding on to the control.

Amen.

Amen.

So the rich young ruler comes running up to Jesus, right, with what sounds like a sincere spiritual question.

He says, what good thing shall I do so that I may have eternal life?

In other words, it was all about him.

Now, that question sounds noble on the surface, but hidden inside that question is a dangerous mindset.

What can I accomplish through my own effort that guarantees and secures my eternity?

And honestly, folks, that's how a lot of people approach God today.

What can I do?

Or what can I give, or what religious system can I follow that guarantees me heaven?

What title do I have to obtain?

What image do I need to project?

What achievements can I stack up in my favor?

But Jesus always goes beyond appearances and cuts straight to the heart, doesn't he?

At first, when you read it, Jesus answered him using the commandments, don't murder, don't steal, don't commit adultery.

Honor your father and your mother, love your neighbor as yourself.

Right?

That's what he said.

But what happened?

The young ruler responded confidently, oh, good.

I've been doing all these things since I was young, all the way up to now.

I'm good to go then.

Right?

Now let's just pause there for a minute because this is where.

This is where the story gets uncomfortable.

Because this young man was moral.

He was well disciplined.

He was respected in the community.

Obviously, he was religious and he was successful.

And apparently, according to the scripture, he was wealthy, very wealthy.

He had everything going for him.

Everything.

He thought he had it made, right?

From the outside, he looked like a model citizen.

And that's what he thought of himself.

And he was just seeking approval from Jesus.

Think about that.

Because if Jesus said, man, you're good to go, then he could go around saying, even Jesus said, I'm so off.

I am so awesome, not like the rest of you.

That's what he's thinking.

Amen.

But Jesus saw something nobody else could see.

Jesus saw the actual throne of his heart.

And that is why Jesus said, if you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor, then come and follow me.

Now notice carefully here what Jesus did not say.

Okay?

Jesus did not say, money is evil.

Get rid of it all.

No, Jesus did not say, every believer must take a vow of poverty.

No, he did not say, that, and that's one of those, you know, scriptures that those religions will use against you, right?

But Jesus never said that.

You see, Jesus did not condemn wealth by itself.

No, what Jesus exposed was this young man's attachment to his wealth.

Because money was no longer just a tool in his life.

Money had become his identity.

Think about that.

It had become his security, control, confidence.

It equated to his position in society.

To him it represented safety.

Amen.

Because when you have money, when you have money, everybody wants to be your friend.

Think about those young athletes who receive multi million dollar contracts.

I mean, they are the life of every party in town until they get injured and can't play anymore and the money runs out.

You end up hearing about them getting arrested for something dumb like shoplifting or something.

Amen.

Well, with this young rich man, Jesus touched the one thing that was truly controlling his heart and every decision he was making.

His money.

And what happened that caused that young man to turn around and walk away.

Sorrowful, why?

Because Jesus had identified the one thing this man could not and would not surrender.

His money.

And this is why the story matters so much to us today.

This young rich ruler, he wanted eternal life.

But he wanted it while maintaining ownership of the throne that was located inside his heart.

And folks, Jesus will not share that throne with anyone, not anyone or anything.

And there are some Bible scholars that may say, you know, Jesus was grooming this man to replace Judas.

Maybe he would have been in position to take that slot over.

Absolutely.

But we'll never know, will we?

Because he turned around and walked away.

Amen.

Folks, this is where most people, they often misunderstand the passage.

Some people read through this story include, see, God doesn't want anybody to be wealthy.

But that's not what Jesus was teaching here.

Think about his list.

Think about this list.

Abraham had wealth.

David had wealth.

Solomon, richest man in the world.

Joseph had wealth.

Job had wealth.

So the issue throughout scripture was never possession of resources.

The issue was always the possession of the heart.

Poor people.

Poor people can worship money too.

Not just the obnoxious rich folks.

Poor people can lie, cheat, steal and everything else, just on a smaller scale than what the rich people do.

Remember that TV show, some of you probably weren't even alive then called Dallas J.R. ewing.

Right.

Same thing, just on a smaller scale.

I mean, you hear about rich folks stealing multi million dollar investments, but you don't hear much about the homeless man stealing a wallet.

It's the same principle, just a different level.

Same devil, different level.

And folks, that's A huge difference.

There's a.

There's a huge difference between you having money and money having you.

Amen.

Huge difference.

And Jesus knew.

He knew this young ruler's wealth had become more than just a financial issue.

It had become a spiritual stronghold.

And that's why Jesus challenged him directly.

Because Jesus always, always puts his finger on the thing we trust more than him.

For some people, it's money.

For some people, it's status.

For some people, it's their religion.

For some people, it's their public image.

Right?

For some people, it's control.

But everybody has something they struggle to fully entrust to God.

Just release.

Might be your family.

You're always worried about your kids or grandkids or whatever, and they're 40 years old.

Don't get me wrong, okay?

We should pray for them constantly in this world.

Yes.

But we can't worry about them, and we cannot manage their lives.

At some point, we have to pray.

God, I did what I could.

I can't do anymore.

You take it from here.

You just have to give that up to God.

I guarantee he can handle it.

Amen.

And you know what?

God can do more with a prayer like that that he can with you constantly harping at them all the time and turn their hearts harder and harder and harder against hearing the truth.

Amen.

Amen.

That was for someone out there right now.

I don't know who it was, but that was for somebody.

Praise the Lord.

Now notice something about this story that often gets overlooked.

The young ruler came to Jesus asking what he could do.

That's important.

Okay?

That's important right here for what we're studying about, what good thing shall I do?

And that mindset is still active today.

People still think Christianity is about accumulating religious accomplishments or projecting spirituality, looking successful, appearing to be blessed, creating impressive public images.

I mean, you see it all around you today.

Beautiful, expensive cars that have a bumper sticker that says something like prayed for.

But if you did some checking, they're making expensive car payments because it is not paid for.

It may be prayed for, but it's not paid for.

Amen.

There is a difference.

But Jesus wasn't impressed with this young man's appearances or his accomplishments, for that matter.

He's not impressed with your.

My accomplishments either.

Every single private that ever enlisted in the United States army has a silent, what word can I use?

Subtle.

Dream of becoming a general or something and leading men into battle successfully.

If you want to be honest, I'll try to do this tactfully.

Probably can't but if you want to be honest, every single priest in the Catholic Church would love to be selected as Pope one day, even though they know the odds are stacked against them.

Just like, you know, at a local level, someone who's on the county governance board or whatever would love to be President of the United States, but they know that's probably not going to happen.

But as I said in the opening, this is equivalent to the Pharisees of Jesus's day.

Okay?

They are that bad.

The priests and the Pope and all them, they're on the same level as the Pharisees.

The Pharisees looked spiritual publicly, while their hearts were far from God privately.

And again, I just refer you back.

They might be great people, but I'm referring you back to the gaudy get ups, okay?

Just plain gaudy outfits.

Some religions have established as prestigious for their hierarchy.

And that's why Jesus repeatedly, repeatedly confronted religious showmanship.

Modern religion folks still struggles with the same exact issue today.

Some ministries build entire systems around image, appearances, prestige and outward success.

Some religious leaders wear these extravagant garments and flout their titles and their symbols of status while preaching humility to everyone else.

But when you study the life of Jesus, you don't find him obsessed with appearances at all.

I mean, he could walk through the crowds, not even be noticed.

He's teaching ordinary people.

He's eating with fishermen, he touches lepers, he washes people's feet.

He's serving others.

Amen.

And the contrast is striking.

Again, there's nothing wrong with organization.

Nothing.

There's nothing wrong with structure or even beautiful garments themselves.

No, the issue is when appearance becomes more important than obedience.

Do you see the crowds wanting to kiss the Pope's hands and stuff?

Folks, the rich young ruler had appearances of success, but Jesus only wants surrender.

That's it.

That's the difference.

And can I say something here that may sound blunt?

I'm gonna say it anyway.

Some people today are trying to use money to accomplish spiritually would only surrender can accomplish in the heart.

That's it.

That's it.

They think more money will create peace.

More success will create their purpose.

More possessions will create their identity.

More status will create security.

But Jesus showed us that eternal life is not built on what we achieve or build on our own effort.

It all begins was surrender.

And that's why this rich young ruler turned around and walked away grieved.

Because Jesus exposed the one thing he just did not want to release.

And honestly, this story destroys both modern extremes.

When we talked about earlier.

Amen.

Because it destroys the obsession with prosperity.

Because wealth clearly could not save this young man, it also destroys fake religious poverty because the issue was not the amount of money the young man had.

The only issue was the condition of his heart.

And Jesus was not glorifying poverty.

Jesus was exposing idolatry.

That's a massive difference.

Jesus told him, go sell what you have, Give to the poor.

He didn't say, sell everything you got, become poor like them.

No, he says, sell what you have.

In other words, do your business, but take care of the poor with the money.

And that's why money becomes such a spiritual issue, because money reveals where your trust lies faster than almost anything else in life.

People say Jesus is all I need until their finances get shaky.

Then people say, God is my provider, right?

Until fear starts whispering louder than faith.

Amen.

People say, I only trust the Lord.

Until Jesus challenges the one area, they refuse to surrender.

And the rich young ruler wanted Jesus as his savior, but he did not want Jesus as Lord over his possession.

He did not want.

He did not want Jesus to be his financial supervisor.

Jesus forced that issue.

Now, remember our theme here, right?

If Jesus said it, that settles it, right?

That's our theme.

Because if Jesus said it, we need to obey it.

That is the heart of discipleship.

Why?

Because his words matter.

Amen.

Praise God.

Not appearances, not religious images, not religious performance.

Strictly obedience.

And that's why this story still confronts us today.

Not because Jesus is trying to take something from us, but because Jesus refuses to let anything sit on the throne of our hearts except him.

That throne belongs to him alone.

Amen.

Praise God.

Oh, my goodness.

Look at this time.

Turn to Matthew 6:24 real quick.

No man can serve two masters.

Either he'll hate the one and love the other, or else hold the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God.

And mammon.

Mammon is just enough reference to money.

Jesus did not say serving both God and money would be difficult.

He said it was impossible.

Folks, that statement is pretty direct, right?

And honestly, this is where modern Christianity struggles because we keep trying to create a version of discipleship where Jesus remains as our savior while the money quietly becomes Lord over all of our decisions over here.

But Jesus forced the issue.

And like I said, folks, I'm guilty of this, just as guilty as you are.

Okay, I'm just sharing what I'm working on, too.

That's.

That's what we're doing here.

So someone who's experienced supernatural healing has no power in themselves to heal other people, but they could share the scriptures they stood on to receive their healing and allow the other person to experience directly from Jesus too.

And it's the same thing with finances.

Okay, you have to, you have to see something here.

And notice this carefully.

Jesus did not say money itself was evil.

Money is simply a tool.

You need it to live.

Ministry requires it to function.

The gospel costs money to spread around the world and churches require resources and missionaries require support.

Streaming ministries require infrastructure and books require printing.

Television requires equipment.

Outreach requires function.

And all of that needs money to do it.

So the mission never changed, only the method of accomplishing the mission change.

In fact, that's one reason we launched JesusSaid TV.

To help carry the red letter words of Jesus farther than ever before through the use of modern technology.

I became involved in online radio back when it was in its infancy.

Podcasting wasn't even 10 years old.

I think it was like six, seven years old.

When we started radio, we knew nothing, nothing about how to do it.

But through a lot of prayer, hours of hours and hours of trial and error and what at one time was a lot of money, we persevered.

And within 15 months, evangelism radio was the number one rated online Christian talk radio station in the World by shellcast.com Amen.

All praise to God and we ended up with daily listeners from 167 nations.

Amen.

Well, streaming online television is the same point online radio was when we started.

So Jesuss said TV has the same potential.

And honestly, we're living in a moment where technology can either spread confusion or spread truth.

It can spread compromise or it can spread the words of Jesus.

And that's why this matters right now.

Amen.

Money should serve ministry.

Ministry should never serve money.

And that's exactly where Jesus draws the line with mammon.

Mammon becomes dangerous because when money moves from tool status to master status, that's dangerous.

Once money controls the heart, people start making decisions based on fear of losing money or image or greed or appearances or control instead of obedience.

And that's why Jesus dealt with this so strongly.

Because honestly, one of the greatest dangers of mammon is always greed.

Sometimes it's distraction, okay?

The enemy keeps people so consumed with survival and comparison and debt status and financial pressure that they never slow down long enough to actually study for themselves what Jesus taught on this subject.

And that's one reason there's so much confusion in the body of Christ today.

People know church traditions better than they know the red letters.

Amen.

People know denominational systems better than the teachings of Jesus himself.

People can quote motivational speakers, but can't explain what Jesus actually said about stewardship or fear or greed or surrender, forgiveness or obedience or the kingdom of God.

And folks, that should concern us because someday, someday, not a single person who's ever lived or any of us today are going to stand before denominations.

We're going to stand before Jesus.

Amen.

That should be a wake up call.

And Jesus said his sheep, hear my voice.

That means believers must become familiar with his voice, not just the religious systems.

His voice.

I gotta say this carefully right now.

A lot of believers have spent, my goodness, look at that clock.

Lifetimes hearing sermons about Jesus without ever truly sitting down and studying the actual words Jesus himself spoke.

Think about that.

That's dangerous.

That's extremely dangerous, folks.

That's dangerous territory.

Because if we're not careful, our church culture can become louder than the truth.

Personal opinions can become louder than scripture.

And Jesus never told us to build our lives on church culture.

He told us to build it on his words alone.

Folks, I'm all out of time for today.

We'll just continue it here next time.

Praise the Lord.

Let's pray.

Father, in Jesus name I sow this sermon into the world that you may take it and do something with it.

Jesus, I thank you for your red letters.

And I pray right now that your word goes forth and accomplishes what you please in Jesus name.

Amen.

And amen as we close.

Go to.

What did Jesus say?

Let me rephrase that.

Go to thewdjsbookproject.com and download this great book right here.

What did Jesus say?

Seven Messages from the Master by Reverend Terry Allen Christian.

We give it to you free.

The E version of it.

Go right there and take care of that right now.

Wdjsbookproject.com Amen.

That's all the time we have for today.

Until next time, it's Pastor Bob reminding you to be blessed in all that you do.

Thank you for joining us for this session of the Red Letter Crusade.

Remember, in a world full of noise, only one voice still speaks with eternal truth.

That's the voice of Jesus through the red letter words in the Bible.

Please hit that like and subscribe button and share this episode with others until next time.

Remember, in a world where clarity, clarity is needed now more than ever.

His words matter.