:: By Andrew Moore
1. (A good question?)
Here are some of the FAQs to Jesus in the gospel of Mark:
FAQs…. (PPT)
Why do John’s disciples fast, and yours do not?
Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?
Why do your disciples eat with unclean hands?
How can we feed all these people in this desolate place?
Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (come later)
In Mark 10:17, there’s another question to Jesus.
It’s simple.
It’s honest…
And it goes to the real centre of what Jesus came to do.
The man comes to Jesus… – the man asks politely. – he inquires personally…
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (ppt -> question on board)
I think it’s a brilliant question!
I am glad he asked it!… I want to know the answer
… how to inherit eternal life?
And I want Jesus to tell me!.
One day, we will all die.
We have 70- 80 years if we’re lucky, and then we’re gone.
I can’t think of a more important question to have answered than this one.
(pause)
Let’s see how Jesus answers it….
Read v 18
It’s a pretty abrupt answer isn’t it?
A polite, important question- a good question…and yet there is a problem with this question.
A problem in this man.
See sometimes a question can reveal what someone really thinks… it can reveal what they think the answer to the question should be.
And so Jesus needs to straighten some of these things out with this man.
And in doing so he answers the question.
(pause)
(2. Problems)
Firstly…
i. his definition of good.
Jesus definition of good is up there (point up). This man’s definition of good is down here ( the human level).
He calls Jesus “Good teacher”
And Jesus says- Read v 18.
Jesus is not saying that he is not good like God is. He is …Ch 9:37 (read). Jesus is not arguing that point.
-> he is challenging this man about his definition of “good”.He is saying that if you want the gold standard of “goodness”, it is not with us.
It’s with God.
(pause)
ii. Secondly,…
He says “what must “I do” ?” (PPT)
(pause)
Now in some ways, there’s nothing wrong with saying that.
The Old Testament puts salvation that way.
If you obey the commandments and walk in his ways, if you keep his statutes and rules, then you shall live!.
Deut 30:15ff.
Ezek 33:15.
(PPT)
And the opposite is true too- if you don’t obey you shall die.
That is justice.
If you want justice,… if you want God to treat you justly, that is it!.
Romans 2:6-8 (read and ppt)
That is justice.
So what’s the problem…?
Well let’s read on…
Read vv 19-20
So far so good!!!.
Let’s read on…
(pause)
It’s one of the saddest verses in the Bible.
For he is a real person who came so close,… but missed out on eternal life.
The disciples are amazed though. The thing that disturbs them, is what this means for their chances of inheriting eternal life.
Read vv 23- 24.
They are astonished.
They are amazed.
Here was a man before them, who was the quintessential example of human goodness. He is a better human being than they are.
In their view he has kept all the commandments.
And money,,… he has money, but that’s a sign of blessing. Having wealth was a sign of God’s favour. Of God’s approval.
Job in the Old Testament, who had a great land and many possessions- he was blessed by God.
God had said that those who obeyed him would have their harvest sacks filled with choicest fruit.
They would have the greenest pastures.
Their store houses and vats would be overflowing with wine and honey.
And so the disciples are amazed for here is a man who will miss out on eternal life, … a very good man!.
(pause)
In verse 25, Jesus underlines in thick bold texta his conclusion…. Read v 25.
Read v 26.
That is the question isn’t it… “Who then can be saved?” -> If this man cannot be saved,… what hope have I got?
Gordon and I went for a walk to the Coast golf club.
But you can’t get in unless you meet the dress standard…
Now just imagine, we turn up… and we’re waiting to go into the dining room
In front of me is a man with shorts.
And he doesn’t get in.
I have football shorts on, and a singlet.
I know (because the man of the man in front of me not being allowed in) that there’s not a chance of me getting into that restaurant.
This is the situation for the disciples.
And they say, if this rich man can’t get in,…. Then what hope do I have.
I may as well give up now.
Pack my bags and go home.
It’s all been a waste of time…
(pause)
And the reason is because
One- God’s standard is perfect.
And two- if it’s about what “I DO” (for that is what he asks)… we will never make it.
It is impossible.
The point is,….
If you want try to get into heaven by trying to be good… you’ve got buckleys and none.
Here is a man who has asked “what must I DO, to inherit eternal life?”, and Jesus shows,… in the response of this very good human being, that noone can do it.
Romans 3: “No human being will be made right in God’s sight by works of the law” -PPt
See the problem with the question?
It is a great question, in that it he is polite, he is sincere, and it’s what we need to know in this world…
But the problem is,…his question reveals,… a fundamental flaw.
He believes that it is possible for man to attain the goodness God requires.
(pause)
3. (A Possible impossibility.)
But have a look at verse 27.
For Jesus isn’t negative.
This is why he’s come.
Jesus is not there to shame him in verse 21, we read that Jesus “loved him”. He loved this man…
And he loves his disciples…
And it is for this reason that he came,… and so…
(read v 27)
God has the power and the means to get us eternal life.
This impossible situation for us, is possible for God!
It will take Jesus to the cross where he will be killed and after 3 days rise from the dead.
Where he will destroy the power of death and pay the debt to God we can never pay back!.
(pause)
(4. Let go and let God)
BUT,,… and it’s a big BUT….!!!… this means we need to let him.
We need to let go and let God…
We need to let him take the reins.
Let him take the steering wheel of our life.
Here is a man who cannot let go.
His wealth is big. His possessions are many.
And he cannot let them go. – he is devoted to his possessions/ he is ‘in love’ with his accumulated assets… his heart is in his treasure…
-> Jesus said anyone who wants to follow me, must take up his CROSS… must LOSE his life…. must DENY himself.(pause)
The application here is not that we all need to sell our houses, and give away all our money.
That is not Jesus’ point… Jesus didn’t tell everyone to give away all their possessions.
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with money.
1 Timothy 4:4- “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving…”
This man is idolatrous.
He has broken the first commandment- to have no other gods but me.
And God is a jealous God!
God will not settle for anything less than EVERYTHING.
Money is at the centre of his life.
It is what he dreams about.
It is what makes him get up 2 hours earlier in the morning…. So he can make more.
It is his primary aim in going to work.
In fact he even uses God to get more money… the extent of his prayers are – “Dear God, please help me in this take-over meeting today with my competitors, that I might
Diagram- (PPT)
(concentric circles- money at centre. P Brain’s book)
(pause)
Wealth of course is a big trap. For in prosperity, there is a very tangible and immediate satisfaction and security.
There is power and influence- people are nice to us…
(remember the old Lotto add, where the man walks into the car showroom, and all the staff raise their nose at him…. He comes back after winning Lotto with a suitcase of cash and they’re on their knees groveling)
The love of money is greed.
And greed is idolatry…. – very quickly we can be seduced into thinking that life consists in what we eat and what we wear, where we live, and what we live in. – sometimes it’s a gradual pull away from God and from church.
The busyness of work, the acceptance of a promotion, – it all starts to go to our head, and before we know it we’ve drifted miles away from God.
If you want to follow Jesus you’ve got to let all that go!
(pause)
The disciples of course had left everything to follow Jesus.
And Peter therefore has his own question.
Read v 28.
Peter is either genuinely curious, or secretly selfish….
He’s wonders what’s in it for him.
And you might too wonder at times, is it all worth it?
They’ve left their families to go and preach the gospel…
They’ve left their jobs.
They’ve left the security and home comforts of their own village.
-> To go and preach the gospel.If you become a Christian, there is a cost.
And Peter is up front as usual… He says that he’s left everything. And given what we’ve read about the rich man, Peter’s done the right thing.
He hasn’t had to give up as much as the other man. He wasn’t anywhere as rich as him…But the issue is not how much you give up, but what you keep.
And he hasn’t kept anything.
He’s let go of it all.
(pause)
Hsiang and I went to Pakistan for a student option term.
At the hospital we stayed at there was a nurse who became a Christian from a Muslim background.
The whole hospital had to be closed down, for her family and village threatened to kill her and set the hospital on fire.
She was moved to another city.
The hospital did close down and wasn’t reopened for 6 months.
She lost everything for following Jesus.
(pause)
People say to me… you’ve sacrificed so much.
Full-time ministry. Used to be a doctor.
I used to think that. And sometimes, in my sinful moments I still do…
Am I missing out? – there’s holidays that I probably can’t go on because of what I’ve done. – When I die, I’m not going to leave a house and lots of money in the bank for each child. – there are nights out/ weekends away… and …. I could go on… – there has been marital disharmony at times, partly because of our decision… – there is what Paul talks about- “the daily pressure of my anxiety of all the churches”.
(pause)
Am I missing out..?
Not at all.
How selfish to even think so…
How selfish of me to complain ever about the cost!!!.
I’ve given up nothing compared to what Jesus gave for me.
And… -> read vv 29-31.
- I’ve got friends in every country of the world. – relationships at a depth and meaning that my non-Christian friends are jealous. – I have met the most remarkable people…
And God has never NOT provided for our family. – our kids go to a great school. – we are amply provided for- a big house. -> It’s not the reason I went into ministry… you’ll never find satisfaction in God if you go that way.
But there is material reward here as well as in eternity.
(pause)
Talking about Synod.
We’re in a mission.
The same mission that Jesus began…. And God has placed in the Eastern Suburbs.
He’s given us so much.
As a nation we’ve never been richer.
We’ve got to get out there…. sharing the gospel with people.
We’ve got to open our purses and wallets to mission here and around Australia, and overseas.
We need to consider going full time ourselves.
Here’s a question for you….
Jesus has a question for you ->
We’ve got 70 or 80 years….
How can I live for Jesus in that time… to maximize my energies, and gifts and resources for his kingdom.
Let’s pray. (5. Missing out?)