PART IIPART II

Faithful Dependence or Self-Reliance?March 1, 2015

Jesus’ Rebuke to His Disciples

1) Let the children come.2) Do not hinder the children from

coming to me.

Reasons For the Rebuke

1) The kingdom of God belongs to those who come to Jesus as children.

2) Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child – shall never enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus Does NOT Mean Innocence or righteousness Childish immaturity

Jesus Does Mean

1) Utter dependence on the Lord.2) Constant and total trust.3) Contentment in our dependence

on the Lord.

The Rich Young Ruler Asks Jesus A Question

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus Responds

Why do you call me good?No one is good except God

alone.

The Rich Young Ruler Responds

Teacher, from my time as a youth, I have kept all these

laws.

Jesus’ Five Commands1) Go.2) Sell all that you have.3) Give the proceeds to the poor.4) Come back to me.5) Follow me where I lead you.

The One Thing He Lacked

He lacked trust in Jesus

Biblical Principles on Wealth

1) It is difficult for those with wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

2) 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.

3) With man salvation is impossible, but with God all things are possible – including the salvation of the wealthy and the poor.

Peter’s Response We have left everything to

follow you!

Promises of Faithful Devotion to Christ

1) You will be blessed a hundredfold now in this time.

2) You will be persecuted.3) You will be blessed in the age to

come – eternal life.4) Those who live to be first in the

temporal will be last in the eternal; those who live to be last in the temporal will be first in the eternal.

Biblical Truths to Consider1) You must remember that God is the

author of salvation – not You!2) Wealth that is not completely

submitted to God can be a curse but wealth that is submitted to God is a blessing.

3) You can be poor in the worlds eyes and still be ensnared in materialism.

4) The fear of losing what is temporal blinds you to the joy of gaining of what is eternal.