Graduates, Remember the Rich Young Man: To the Class of 2026

0:00 Fifty-five years ago, I was sitting in a seminary commencement service like this one, ready to get my degree, and one of my professors was speaking, giving the address, and the title of his message was Remember the Rich Young Man. And to help us remember, he gave each of us a one dollar bill, all the graduates. And I don't recall whether it was his suggestion or not, but when I went home, I said to Noel something like, I want to look at this for the rest of my life. So she decoupaged it.

0:53 That's the dollar bill that I received 55 years ago. And it says, remember the rich young man. And this has been in my study for 55 years. And I've seen it almost every day. That message, that dollar bill, and those words, remember the rich young man, have really served me well. They really have. And so that's what I want to do for you. I every day more or less would look up or I'd see it walking out because for the last 40 years it's been on the door mantle into my study at home and as I walked under it the Lord would say more or less John it is hard for a rich young man for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God. Don't want to be rich, John Piper.

2:19 Don't want to be rich. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Make your life count. Not that way. Give all your energy, every ounce of your energy, to spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things, for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. I'll meet every need that you have, John. I will meet every need you have.

2:54 I promise. I'll be with you, but not if you want to be rich. Remember the rich young man. So in the few minutes we have, I would like to try to do for you what he did for me. So... If you will, or your spouse will, I hope you'll frame it.

3:53 and if I live long enough, I come visit you in 10 years and see you on the wall. Remember the rich young man. Let's read the story. Matthew 19. Behold, a man came up to Jesus saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? and he said to him why do you ask me about what is good there is only one who is good if you would enter into life keep the commandments and he said to him which ones and Jesus said you shall not murder you shall not commit adultery you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to him, all these I have kept. What do I still lack? And Jesus said to him, if you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me.

5:15 When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful. He went away from Jesus. for he had great possessions.

5:35 And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. And when the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, who then can be saved? And Jesus looked at them and said, with man it is impossible. but with God all things are possible. So, when I say to the graduates, you graduates, remember the rich young man, what do I want you to remember?

6:34 And very honestly, I don't expect you to remember anything I say. I hope that in 50 years, I mean, it would be amazing and thrilling to me if in 50 years, I know I'll be thrilled in 50 years, no matter what, but it would be amazing to me if in 50 years, you would remember there was a speaker and he gave us a dollar and he said, remember the rich young man. That's all. That's all I remember. Changed my life. if you just remember, he said, whoever he was, I can't remember, he's old.

7:42 He said, remember the rich young man, maybe you'll read it again. And if you read that story, you are reading the very words of the Son of God who created the universe by the word of his mouth. If there is anybody who could protect you against the craving to be rich, it is he, not me. So I would be happy if that reminder would just send you to his word again. What makes the story so powerful is the way it ends.

8:21 With man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. So what is impossible? Getting a camel through the eye of a needle is impossible. Can't be done. That's how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. It can't be done. and he heard that they heard that and were astonished he walked away he just walked away for he had great possessions Yes, he had great possessions. That was not the root problem, but the root.

9:17 Jesus said, you get four things you need to change in your life. underneath that issue. Four things. Here they are. First, downsize. Simplify. You have surrounded yourself with so much stuff that you don't realize you are drowning in it. It is controlling you. It is choking you. it is you got to get rid of some of it they're killing you you have fallen in love with them you love the symbols of wealth why because they make you more comfortable and more notable money is just paper who cares about paper it's power is what we love power to get pleasures and power to look powerful that's why we like money and those are deadly desires so downsides. Let me help you cut some of these choking stuff that is in your life.

10:40 That's number one. Number two, live lavishly generously. Become a lavishly generous person. Switch your whole mindset from getting to giving. Switch your whole mindset. I want to live to give. I'm going to live to give, not get. They, he, we have bought into a thousand advertisements and what it assumes, namely, having is the key to happiness. It is not true. Possessing is not the path to pleasure. It is not.

11:38 It's not, young man. Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. You're believing a lie. the Dead Sea is dead because it only gets. But when Jesus says first simplify, downsize, cut the cords around your neck, whatever it takes, and secondly live generously to those who have less than you, when he says that He knows those behaviors, sell stuff and give to the poor. Underneath those, there are desires that are more fundamental that need to change. Those have to change, he says, but here's what is going to make them change, and these are key.

12:39 The rich young man turned away sorrowful because he did not want heaven more than earth, and he did not want Jesus as a companion more than riches. He didn't want Jesus. Jesus said, you'll have me. You'll follow me. Paul said, we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, with these, we will be content. It's just stuff.

13:34 It's just stuff. There are no U-Hauls behind hearses. It's just stuff. So, young man, it isn't true that he who has most toys when he does, wins.

13:57 Don't believe it. It's a lie. come follow me that's what he says come follow me I offer you my companionship as your Lord your Savior You're king, you're soul satisfier. Forever. Hey, you love hobnobbing with the rich. I made the universe. I own the universe. People who follow me inherit the world. Wake up, graduates. You know this. You know what the dear Jesus would say. My dear apostle Paul said to all those who follow Jesus, all things are yours.

15:03 All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come. all are yours and you are Christ and Christ is God's why would you want money? If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. Listen, my dear young friend, Jesus talking to the rich young man. You are rich, you think. You're not. You're not. If you walk away from me, you are going to miss the greatest investment opportunity in the history of the world.

16:02 And he walked away. So Bethlehem graduates, will you walk away? What will keep you from walking away? A warning. In that same service 55 years ago. There was a professor of mine, not the one speaking, who had a degree, a doctorate, from a prestigious European university. I had taken two of his classes. I had been in his home several times, a very nice home.

16:40 I liked him. He was a friend. And I left school and began to hear, he's investing heavily in the stock market. And it consumed him. He's about 85 today, and you can find his book on Amazon. I'm not going to send you to it, but I went to make sure. Why a former evangelical does not believe in God. That's his book. He's written one book in the last 55 years, and that's him. What's going to keep you from doing that? And the answer is God will keep you from doing that.

17:39 What is impossible with man is not impossible with God. So follow Jesus, stay on the Calvary road with the one who loved you and gave himself for you. Be joyful in your simplicity, lavish in your generosity, heavenly minded, wanting heaven more than earth, wanting Jesus more than riches. God will keep you. And one of the ways, I pray, that he'll keep you. is something as simple as a dollar bill that you will preserve with the words, remember the rich young man. God uses means.

18:33 If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't speak anywhere. But he does. And I pray that he will for you. Maybe the plaque hanging on your wall will be his means. Father, I pray now that these desires, the desire for heaven over earth, the desire for Jesus over riches, will be birthed, confirmed, sustained in these graduates, indeed in all of us, so that we would live simply and we would give generously because we have a great Redeemer. We need to sing about Him.

19:27 And we praise You for Him, Father.