A rich man makes a poor choice! mark 10 17-31 - oct 27, 2013

The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

Jeff Heiney

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

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Grace Church at Willow Valley

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Sunday, December 1st

(Thanksgiving Weekend)



A Very Rich Man Makes a Very

Poor Choice!

Mark 10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

- Matthew adds in his account that his man was young (19:20,22) - Luke adds that he was a ruler (18:18)

A Rich Man’s Poor Choice

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”


Mark 10:19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”


Mark 10:20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

This rich young ruler not alone . . . Even the Apostle Paul saw himself (prior to his

salvation) as being “blameless” concerning the Law (Philippians 3:6)


Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”


1 Timothy 6:17-18 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,


1 Timothy 6:19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them to sell all they have and give

it to the poor!”


Why does Jesus tell this rich young ruler to go and sell ALL his possessions and give the money to the poor?


Because Jesus, knowing his heart, knew that money was this man’s god!


So even though the man might have done pretty well in keeping most of the Ten

Commandments, he blew the very first one!

Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me. Mark 10:22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.


There he was standing in front of the Pearl of Great Price in the person of Jesus, and he chose to walk away!

All because he considered the earthly

riches he possessed to be more valuable than the riches of the Kingdom of God!


Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”


Mark 10:24-25 And the disciples were amazed at his words.


But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.”

There was an ancient gate in the walls of Jerusalem called “The eye of the needle.” This gate was so small that for a camel to

pass thru, the camel had to literally get down on its knees and crawl. And so man

must get down on his knees and crawl into the kingdom of God!


- There is NO evidence that such a gate existed.

- Camels don’t crawl on their knees.

- This was a proverbial saying in the middle east (“that’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack!”)

- The Bible is clear that NO EFFORT of man will gain him entrance into heaven!



Mark 10:25 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.

Mark 10:26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”


The Jews of Jesus day viewed the possession of wealth as a sign of God’s blessing. To be

rich was to be favored by God! To be poor was a sign of his displeasure!


1st Century Middle Eastern

Jew

“The disciples believed in an ancient version of ‘prosperity theology’

taught by the rabbis, who used Old Testament passages to equate God’s blessing with material prosperity, and taught that the rich could build up future

merit and reward for themselves by giving to the poor. To the Jewish mind it was

inconceivable that riches could be a barrier to the Kingdom.” (R. Kent Hughes)



Three pillars of a holy life:

Almsgiving, prayer, fasting

(Jesus addresses all three in Matthew

chapter 6)

Mark 10:26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”


Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” “By God’s power and grace, a camel can go through the eye of a needle, in a manner of speaking!” (R.C. Sproul)


Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”


Mark 10:29-30 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”


Mark 10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.


1. Material wealth can be a very dangerous snare in our spiritual journey!

Today’s Takeaways

Does the Bible teach that money is evil?

1 Timothy 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Today’s Takeaways

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Today’s Takeaways

Toward a healthy (biblical) view of wealth: Step #1 - We must DIVEST ourselves of dependence upon our wealth.

Today’s Takeaways

Today’s Takeaway

Toward a healthy (biblical) view of wealth: Step #1 - We must DIVEST ourselves of dependence upon our wealth!

Step #2 - We must INVEST our wealth in God’s kingdom work!

Today’s Takeaways

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Material wealth can be a very dangerous snare in our spiritual journey!

- We must DIVEST ourselves of dependence upon our wealth!

- We must INVEST our wealth in God’s kingdom work!

Today’s Takeaways

2. Do not do as this rich young ruler did and walk away from “The Pearl of Great Price.” Rather, embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord today!

Today’s Takeaways

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Today’s Takeaways

He loves He gave

We believe We live

A rich man makes a poor choice! mark 10 17-31 - oct 27, 2013

Spiritual

Transcript of A rich man makes a poor choice! mark 10 17-31 - oct 27, 2013