Bound by Wealth

Going through the book of Mark on on the Sunday mornings and we are to Mark chapter 10 and verse 17 this morning. Mark 10 verse 17. And I'm going to read down through verse 27. So, and when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him, good master. What should I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one. That is God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not.

Honor thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, master all these, have I observed from my youth? Then Jesus said, beholding him, loved him. Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest. Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, give to the poor, thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come take up the cross, and follow me.

He was sad at that saying, went away grieved for he had great possessions Jesus looked round about and say it un and say it un his disciples how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God and the disciples were astonished at his words but Jesus answered again and said unto them, children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. They were astonished out of measure saying among themselves, who then can be saved? Jesus looking upon them say it, with men, it is impossible but with God, for this, or with God, all things are possible. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord again for your word today. I pray dear Lord that as we look into it, Lord, that you might strengthen our faith our zeal in serving you and we pray Lord most of all, anyone here today that's never trusted in you as Lord and savior that you would open their eyes and understanding the help of their need of you receive your offer of salvation. For it's in Jesus name we do pray. Amen. On Monday through Friday, when I take my son to school, I hang around for a bit and I'm a crossing guard down at his school as a Christian down in Saint Pete and I I enjoy that.

I I get to talk a little bit to the teenagers that go back and forth and it's it's kind of a neat time for me though it can be a little bit tax ing when it's 40 degrees outside or when it's 95. But but it's enjoyable and as I'm standing there as crossing guard, sometimes people drive by particularly in the afternoon and they they stop and they roll their window down and I I try to discourage them from doing that because they stop traffic when they do that but but in the afternoons, there's a sign at the front gate that says exit only and so they some people that are new or maybe they're coming to pick up their niece or their nephew or their grandchild. They they're going to turn in there because that's the main gate and they go to turn and uh-oh exit only. Can't go this way. And so they'll pull back out and they'll pull up by me and they'll roll their window down and say, how do I get into the school to pick up my kids?

This says it's an exit only. And so I tell em, well, you go down to the stop sign, you turn left, and you turn left in the back gate and the the traffic goes that direction to pick em up in the afternoons. And so most of the time, they say thank you and and off they go to pick up their kids and I guess hope most of the time they find them. But here is a young man with a similar question. But an infinitely more important question.

For Jesus. He had been seeking in to enter into God's favor and to find eternal life, peace, through the works of the law. Through the religion of his day in Israel and it wasn't working. He sensed that something was was missing. So, he comes to Christ.

He wants to know the way. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me and so he comes to Jesus wanting to know the way and and he asked him, how can I enter into eternal life? How how can I be saved? And this is the answer we receive here in in the text and we also see this young man's response this morning.

So, if you would stick with me for just a few minutes as we look at his request, Jesus reaction and his his response. So, first of all, we have his request, his request. He comes to Jesus verse 17 again. He kneels down to him in way of honoring honoring him maybe to the point of of worshiping him. He kneels down before him humbles himself and he calls Jesus good master.

And he asked him this question, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Here again, this young man recognized that he was lacking something the way he was trying just wasn't working. The Bible says in Proverbs, there's a way which seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Men have been trying and inventing dozens and dozens and hundreds of ways in order to reach God, to find peace with God, to inherit eternal life. All through the centuries and man has invented many different religions and many different formulas and many different laws and many different ways in order to try to climb their way up to God and into his favor.

The Judaism of Jesus' day was like unto them. They had added all kinds of laws to the Mosaic Law and they were trying to reach God through their own works of righteousness and not through the way that he had provided through faith by grace and this young man knew that there was a problem with his method. It wasn't working. So, he came to Jesus. He suspected that Jesus was the one who could answer his question just like the people who roll down their windows and stop and suspecting that hopefully the crossing guard can tell them how they can get into the school.

He saw Jesus. He probably heard his teaching. He probably even had heard word that he maybe was the Messiah, the promised one of Israel and so he he came before him. He knelt down in in humility before him and he and he asked his question. He made his request to to Jesus, to the one whom he had heard was very likely the Messiah.

Thus, he called him good master. He called him good master. A title apparently used sparingly in Jewish society. There are two words for good. One was much stronger than the other.

This is the much stronger of the two. It speaks to the intrinsic nature of someone. He wasn't just doing good things but he was altogether good, is what he's calling him here good master. And, the Jews evidently according to a commentary I read used this sort of sparingly, because of fear of blasphemy. The Old Testament taught that only there was one who was intrinsically good and that's who?

And that's God and so, Jesus repeats that to this young man as we will see in a moment but by calling him good master, he is at least indicating that he has a tacit understanding of maybe who Jesus is and that he is the Messiah and that he is different and that he is special and so he comes to him. He comes to him humbly. He comes to him and calls him good master and so how did Jesus respond? Well, look if you would in verse 18, Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one and that is God.

So, Jesus reminds him here that there is only one who is intrinsically, entirely holy, righteous, and good. And that is and that is God. Jesus in doing so is identifying himself as that person. Notice carefully, Jesus did not reject his how he spoke to him. He didn't say, well, I'm not good, did he?

Did he say that? Did he say, I'm not good? No, he didn't say that. He isn't rejecting this man's description of him or how he has referred to him here. He is only pointing him back to something that he already had been taught and that is true and that is one that is good and that is God and that Jesus is who?

That Jesus is the son of God. The son of God. Equal with the father. One, with the father. Jesus said, I and my father are what?

I and my father are are one. Jesus is not less than God. He is one of the trinity, the father, the son, and the holy spirit and he is God and so therefore, he is good and this is an important fact that Jesus wanted to draw this man's attention to because in order for him to be saved, he had to grasp who it was that he was speaking to and who it was that could save him because he was good and because he is God. He has the ability to save this man's soul, to give him eternal life. Second of all, Jesus knew this man did not yet understand the extent of his sinfulness.

By the manner, of his question. If you look back in verse 17, what was his question? Good master, what's the next four words? What shall I do? What shall I do?

What shall or what must I do was his question to Jesus that I may enter into eternal life. Watch the what's the short answer to that question? One word. Okay? No.

Short answer to that is nothing. Nothing. There's nothing you can do. To earn. Eternal life.

That that's the short answer here. There's nothing that we can do to earn or to acquire eternal life or God's favor. It is Jesus alone who can inquire eternal life for us. We have nothing to offer God, nothing to barter with since our righteousness, our good, our good works, our at best, filthy rags in God's sight. Romans three ten, for all have what?

Sinned and come short of the glory. Well, for there are none righteous, no, not one. Romans four three twenty three for all sin and come short of the glory of God. Isaiah sixty four six says, but we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness or good works are as filthy rags. We all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities or sin like the wind have taken us away.

Away from who? Away from God. We're separated from God by our sin. Everything we do in the eyes and sight of God is tainted by sin and it's like if you wanted to clean your window on your house and I had just changed the oil in my car and I used a rag to clean off my hands and clean off the bottom of the oil pan after I finished and I saw you wanted to clean your window so I walked over there and I offered you the rag so that you could clean off your window. What would you, what would you do?

Yeah, you would look at me and go, what? This ain't going to clean off my window. It's just going make it what? Worse. Say, I don't want that.

I don't want that. The Bible says, our righteousness, our good works are as filthy rags in his sight because it's it's tainted by sin. And our sin separates us from God. We have nothing to offer him of value. We say, here, I'll give you this and you give me eternal life.

Here, we'll trade. Here, I'll purchase eternity. We have nothing with which we can offer God to earn his favor. So, the short answer to what must I do or what shall I do is is nothing. There's nothing we can do But yet, almost every religion on this planet has that as the main tenant of how they're going.

To get in God's favor. Or to experience eternal life some measure. Just to try to earn it. And we can't. To bring this to the surface and attention of this young man, Christ, asked him some questions here.

Says in verse 19, thou knowest the commandments Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Defraud not or that's probably a reference to the tenth commandment.

Thou shalt not covet. And honor thy father and mother. These are the last six of the 10 commandments, the law in Exodus chapter 20. These commandments describe our responsibilities to our fellow men. Don't kill them.

Don't steal from them. Don't covet or defraud them of what they they own or envy them. Do not commit adultery. Be unfaithful to your spouse and honor your parents who bore you. These cover a lot of our interpersonal reactions with other people.

Are they important to God? Yes. Yes, they are. And so Jesus recites these these six here to see how the young man is going to respond as to his keeping of the law. How how has he done?

How has he done in in keeping the law? And we see this man's response if you would look. Again, in verse 20, he answered and said unto him, unto Jesus, master, all these have I observed from my youth. Young man looks at Jesus after Jesus recites us his commandments and he said, I believe sincerely, believes that he had done a pretty good job at keeping those and if he had been brought up in a strict home in Judaism in that day, he would have been taught. It would have been drilled into him from the time he was little to keep those commandments and to treat his fellow men with dignity and honor.

But had he kept them completely Honestly, I doubt. It. I doubt that he had kept them completely Honestly, because I think if we each examine our hearts here today, we would say, we haven't. Have you ever lied? Or false witness?

You ever stolen anything? Fact is, we may have sincerely tried. We may have done better than somebody else but like the Bible says in Romans chapter three, for all have sinned and come what? Short. We all fall short.

And though this man seems to be sincere in his answer, sincerity isn't enough. Sincerity isn't enough. There's a lot of people that are sincerely trying. During God's favor. There's many who are sincerely seeking his acceptance through whatever religion.

They belong to but sincerity isn't enough. And as Christ pointed out on the sermon on the mount, God's judgment is much deeper than ours and mere outward obedience isn't even enough to earn salvation and eternal life. In his heart, I think this young man knew that. That's why he came to who? That's why he came to Jesus.

In his heart, something was gnawing at him. What he was doing was not what? It was not enough. He knew that. Matthew chapter five verse 20 in the sermon on the mount, Jesus said to his disciples and those gathered around, he says, for I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Now, why did he use the Pharisees and the scribes as the the example there? Because in Jewish society, they were a pit of the epitome of keeping the letter of the law. More than anybody else, at least in the public eye, they kept the law. They followed it to the nth degree. And yet Jesus said to his disciples, it isn't what?

It isn't enough. It isn't sufficient. You will not enter into the kingdom of God unless your righteousness, not just your outward behavior, your public image, but what you are in your heart. Exceeds that. Of the righteousness.

Of those that you look up to. It's role models. The young man sadly does not seem to be willing. Be willing to recognize that this is truly the issue in his heart that he really hasn't kept it and that he is condemned before God and this is necessary if he is to be saved. If anyone is to be saved and Mark two seventeen, Jesus said, for I say unto you that except your righteousness shall it.

Let's see. That's not the right. That's the one I just read. Alright. Didn't copyright.

Well, you know what? I'll read it out of here. Mark two seventeen. Mark two seventeen. Then Jesus heard and he say it unto them.

He's speaking to the Pharisees and he says unto them, they that are whole have no need of a physician but they that are what? Sick. I came not to call the righteous, those who are righteous in their own eyes. But sinners to repentance. The Pharisees whom he was talking to there thought that they were okay with God because they follow the law.

But Jesus said to them, it isn't enough. It isn't enough. You don't go to the doctor unless you think you're what? Sick. That's why you go to the doctor for help because you're sick.

You're going to him for a solution. You're going to him for a remedy to your illness because you're sick. Well, people usually don't go to the doctor but people that are sick. Jesus is saying the same thing is true in relation to our spiritual condition and our spiritual need. People don't come to Jesus for salvation unless they realize that they are spiritually what?

That they're spiritually sick and they're of need of his help. This young man is at least starting to see this but it seems like he sort of hits a brick wall here. Unfortunately. And in order for one to be saved, you must first meant that you're a sinner. Who needs a savior.

In the book of Matthew, this this young man after he says to Jesus, well, I've I've kept these from from my youth. He then turns to Jesus and says, what yet do I lack? In other words, he he he still there's this I I I'm still there's something I'm missing here. There's something I'm I'm lacking. If you look in verse verse 21.

Look in verse 21. This Jesus then will respond to him. It says, beholding him loved him. You know, for God so loved the what? Did that include this this young man here?

Jesus loved him very much. For he took time to try to help him to see and to understand. His need and the only remedy to it. But he had to, he had to help open his eyes to his condition first before he could give him the remedy to his problem. In the Old Testament, there's a man named Naaman.

He is a general in the Syrian army. He has leprosy. Young captive tells him from Israel tells him, there is a prophet in Israel who can heal you of your leprosy and so he leaves. Syria and he goes down to Israel and he goes skip a few points in the story here to make it shorter but eventually, he comes to Elisha's house and he knocks on the door and Elisha sends his servant out and the servant tells Naaman, go dip in the in the river, in the muddy Jordan River seven times and you'll be healed of your leprosy and Naaman doesn't want to do it. Naaman gets ready to to to march back home and said, I ain't going to go dipping no muddy river.

That ain't going to do anything for me. And the servant stops him and says, if he would have asked you to do some mighty great feat, wouldn't you have done it? You'd have done anything. Why don't you try to? Why don't you just trust it?

And just go to the river. This young man is sort of like like Naaman. He knows he has a problem. He comes to Jesus but he's not quite quite grasping, grasping his need here. His need of a savior and that the ant, the question he is asking is not quite the right one.

Like Naaman was looking for something which he must do. When what he was seeking is found not in the question, what must I do? But in whom must I trust? That is the question that he needed to ask. Salvation isn't found in answering the question, what must I do?

Because there's nothing I can do. Jesus did it all. The question is, who must I trust to save me? For like that filthy rag, I I cannot save myself. Somebody has to cleanse me.

Somebody has to save me. And so Jesus still out of love continues on for he did love him just as he loves each and everyone of us. And he tells him, look if you would now down in see. Look if you would down in verse twenty twenty one. Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, one thing, thou lackest.

Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come take up thy cross. And follow me. In Matthew chapter six in the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moss and wrath doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is, there will your what? Heart be We're going to a a We're a essentially. But his treasure great was in the things of earth and if he wanted to gain heaven, he needed to seek a different treasure.

You see, this man didn't have a major issue with stealing from his neighbor or killing his neighbor, committing adultery, or coveting. But there are four other commandments in the 10 commandments before you get to the first one that Jesus mentioned. Here in the passage. The first commandment is thou shalt have no other what? Gods before me.

You see, this young man did have a problem there was a god that was before the God of heaven There was something that was of greater value to him than the answer to that question. See. There was an idol in his life and so maybe he had done pretty good with thou shalt not steal but he had a problem but thou shalt have no other gods. Before me. So, Jesus in order to bring this out, told the young man, okay, you want heaven?

Then, you need to relinquish the things of what? You need to relinquish the things of earth. Be willing to choose a different treasure. Be willing to let go of the things of earth in order to receive the things of what? Things of heaven.

Be willing to change what it is you're trusting in. From the things of earth to the God of heaven. Be willing to cast aside your idol. We will see apparently was his possessions. In order to embrace Jesus Christ Salvation, you can't earn salvation.

This isn't what Jesus is saying. By giving to the poor. You can't earn God's favor by getting rid of what you possess. But you must must turn from whatever it is that you're trusting in Good works, your religion your riches to bring you peace and favor with God and turn in faith to Jesus. For he is the only way.

You must be willing to acknowledge that you're a sinner and you must be willing to receive Jesus as savior and God's salvation by grace. You see, in Jewish culture, for someone to be rich, meant in their eyes that that person was blessed by who? That person was blessed by God. So, in their eyes, being rich was actually indication of having favor with God. But what Jesus is saying is counter to that.

It isn't riches of earth that demonstrate God's favor and they cannot buy you favor with God It is God's grace Are you willing He is saying to this young man To receive the grace of God. His free gift of salvation. Or are you determined to hang on to your beliefs? Are you determined to hang on to what you value too highly? We see the man's decision here in verse 22 and he was sad at the saying and went away grieved For he had great possessions Sadly, he hit that that brick wall and he wasn't willing at least not at this time.

We don't know. Maybe later on he did. You know, a lot of people don't do not get saved the first time you present the gospel to them. So, we don't know about this young. We may meet him in heaven one day.

Maybe later on, he got it. But right now, he couldn't let go of the things of earth for the things of heaven. He couldn't come to the understanding and the willingness to admit that he was a sinner that could not do anything to save himself. That Jesus was the only way. And so he walked away sorrowful.

For he was rich. The fact was that idol and security blanket of wealth was his God and the sin which he was unwilling to yield to God in faith that he might be saved. By his grace. So, it is with many who are powerful. So, it is with many who are wealthy and as Jesus points out to his disciples, it is very difficult for those who are powerful, for those who are wealthy, to come and humble themselves before Jesus.

And receive that which they cannot earn. To admit that they are on the same plateau as sinners as everybody else and that there is nothing that they can do. A matter of fact, Jesus says to his disciples, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is to a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now, there are several interpretations of that particular verse or explanations. Some people think that the eye of a needle was a small gate in the Jerusalem City wall that was big enough for a person to bend down and go through but wasn't big enough for a camel to go through.

And so that's that's one explanation and so, you know, therefore, it would be hard to jam the el through through that gate that was meant for a man. Some people believe that the word camel here is another word that's very close to it that actually means rope, a big cable and so that you know, it's impossible to stick this big cable through this little eye of a needle but the most obvious interpretation is the one that we read. And it really doesn't change the meaning of the passage. So, why just not? Why just not take it literally?

Camels were very common in Jesus' day and so were needles. Matter of fact, in Luke, the word that is used for needle is a medical term. It refers not to a couldn't refer to a gate but would have to refer to a needle and so, Jesus' disciples respond as you would expect them to respond. Well, that's impossible. You cannot fit a camel through a what?

I have a needle. And Jesus admitted, with man, this isn't what? That isn't possible but with God, all things are possible. Wealthy, powerful people come to Christ are saved? Yes.

It does happen. Happens by God's power It happens by God's grace We cannot talk them into it The fact is I can't talk anybody into getting saved If I do then they're not saved because I can't save them I can't talk anybody into getting saved but God can open their eyes and God can open up their understanding in their heart that they might receive God's offer of salvation as a free gift purchased for them on the cross of Calvary when Jesus died and took the punishment for their sin. And when rose again from the grave. With God, all things are what? Possible.

Praise the Lord When I was nine years old, he saved me and I thank the Lord that with God all things are possible because without him I would be without hope What was holding back this young man What holds back many their possessions? If your possessions are holding you back from Jesus, it isn't you that's holding on to your possessions. It's your possessions that are holding on to you. His attachment to it kept him from eternal life. As we read the verse in the bulletin to start with, you have to choose, you cannot serve God and mammon.

We need mammon. We need money to pay bills and to put food on the table. They cannot give us eternal life. They cannot bring us peace. They cannot purchase God's favor.

Only Jesus can do that So, what is holding you back? Possessions pleasures pride. That was Naaman's problem. Naaman didn't want to go dip in the muddy Jordan River. Song I listened to as a teenager.

It's entitled, what Will It Take to Keep You from Jesus? Sad to say, there are many that will stand before God in that day We'll think back What did I trade for eternal life? What was it that I treasure from Jesus. Possessions, pleasures, pride Mark eight thirty six, Jesus said, for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Why does it profit?

We all know this life is free, really. Bible says it's like a faithful spirit from home and gone and relation to eternity is We all know that it's going to end. Where are we going to go on this earth? Says it's appointed on the man wants to die but after this the judgment. We stand before God in that day What will we say?

Or rather what will we say? You won't say, here's my money. Don't have it. Don't have any of that. Only one thing that gets you.

Jesus. Not a thing. Bible says in first John, he that hath the son hath life. He that that hath not the son of God hath no life. So, as we close this morning, you've come here this morning.

I don't know why you're here but maybe you've come here this morning Seeking the answer to the same question this young man What must I do Would you consider today that it isn't something that you can do but it's something that Jesus will do for you. If you'll trust him today. If you'll come to him in faith and receive salvation by his grace. For what good is it going to do you to earn great bank accounts or or respect from your fellow men or power or pleasure If in the end you die separated from God for all eternity and then Christian as we close this morning I want to ask you a question too Maybe the question for you isn't, what is it that's holding you back from trusting Christ as your savior but the question maybe is this, what is it that's holding you back from serving him? Like you should.

What is it? That you value too much. That hinders your service for God. Is it possessions money is it pleasure is it pride? What is it?

Gets in our way What what is the weight that that we're carrying that that hinders us in our race for Jesus Christ? Let's lay aside aside those sins and those wage which so easily besets us. Run the race. That is set before us Maybe there's something that that you need to talk to God about today that is hindering your service to him and maybe we need to let that Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord We thank you that you are the God of heaven that you are good that you are a god of love who sent your son When we were yet sinners, to to to take our place, to take our punishment on the cross, to suffer our health. Humiliated suffering not for his sin but for mine We thank you that you are a risen savior that you are a good savior your hand is out to us today As you invite us to come to you by faith and receive by your grace salvation from sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ I pray if there's someone here today that's yet to receive you, Lord I pray that you would help them Be able to set aside their pride whatever it is they're trusting in you and come as we give this hymn of invitation We may share from God's word how they can be saved today and know it and Lord, I do pray We who know you, who have chose to embrace you as our Lord and savior to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves that we would also see the the wonderful privilege and the great responsibility we have as your children to live for you and serve you and Lord I pray today that if there is something that is hindering us, something that we're hanging on to, some sin, some desire, something will be able to let that go today.

We might be better servants of the king of king and Lord of lords. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.