Is Jesus Really Enough?
Mark • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsThe journey of discipleship is one of sacrifice and self-denial; a path few will travel, but for those who do they will find eternal reward.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I think it was around 1954-55 when J.R.R. Tolkien had his now, very well-known work, “The Lord of the Rings” published. From the very beginning of its publishing the series took off and was one of the most beloved writings of the 1960’s and even to this day.
Something in that story captivated millions of readers then and even still today and though the entire series contains almost 1200 pages, that hasn’t stoped people from reading and re-reading the story over and over and over again.
And I think it’s because Tolkien captured something that the human heart longs for. It’s a story of adventure, of mission, of purpose. It’s a story filled with difficulty, and suffering, and loss along the journey. There are epic battles to be fought and in the end it’s the story of an unlikely hero. A simple Hobbit who lives tucked away in the Shire, in a comfortable corner of the world where nothing exciting, nothing dangerous, nothing adventurous ever happens.
And yet, this unlikely hero embarks on this remarkable journey and as the story concludes this simple, nobody, that everyone in the world had forgotten about is the hero of the story.
Tolkien captured something that humanity resonates with. A sense of adventure. A desire to be a part of something bigger that oneself.
The Lord of the Rings story is one of self-sacrifice. Frodo Baggins leaves the comfort of his home, the safety of his home, the familiarity of his home, his family and friends to join in on a mission that is far-reaching and world-changing. It was a call to self-denial but in the end, the benefits and reward outweighed the risk and loss of temporary comfort and treasure.
I can’t help but think of that story when I read this passage from Mark 10. For the past couple of chapters especially, Jesus’ main thrust of teaching has been on the cost of discipleship and what it looks like to take up your cross and follow him.
Ever since Mark 8 when Peter rightly confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, Jesus’ tone has changed.
He immediately begins speaking of his impending death and resurrection. He tells all who would follow after him that they must deny themselves, lose their lives, meaning, let go of the things of this world, stop chasing after temporary comforts and instead find true, meaningful, lasting, joy-filled, eternal life in him.
And right after saying these things he’s transfigured in Mark 9. He’s seen in his glory. He’s the one who is worthy of our lives, of our devotion and submission to him as Lord.
So, because of this we are focused on living lives in glad submission to Him as Lord. We kill sin in our lives, we run from any temptation that would seek to rob us of a pursuit of Christ. We saw at the beginning of this chapter that our marriages are to reflect the glorious gospel of Christ as husband and wife come together in a one-fleshed pursuit of Jesus.
We receive this kingdom like a child. Simple, humble faith in Jesus who is sufficient.
And now, as we see today we renounce the treasures of this world and instead cling to a greater treasure, the greatest treasure, which is Christ as we join in on this mission of seeing God’s kingdom advance to the ends of the earth.
We need to let go of self-centered righteousness, man-centered theology, and earthly comforts to cling to the greatest good, the one worthy of our lives and devotion. And it’s there that we find what our hearts and souls yearn for. Adventure. Mission. Purpose. Eternal life.
Problem
Problem
But the problem that we’re going to face, especially in our culture is that the allure of comfort, things, and wealth is very strong and very appealing. The threat of losing it all or giving it up to pursue Jesus above all and with that, then facing persecution and oppression, walking truly by faith in a God who is a good provider but one we must depend on to provide runs in stark contrast to American or western individualism.
And not only that, but just as human beings, we’re prone to self-righteous acts. Meaning, we want to be our own savior. We want to be our own rescuer. We see that in this man’s question to Jesus in verse 17, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus is going to expose this faulty thinking; that humanity can save themselves through self-righteousness. This faulty thinking that humanity is basically good and just needs a little guidance to get over the hill so that their life is set and in order. Mankind is not inherently good, we cannot be both the problem and the solution so we need a sinless Savior. Jesus is going to redefine good. He’s going to warn of the dangers of resting in temporary earthly treasures. He’s once again going to call people to deny themselves, let go of the things of this world and come follow him.
There will be risk. The journey will be difficult, wrought with battles and pain and suffering. Persecution, oppression from the enemy. But as we’ll see, the reward of what we gain in Christ far outweighs anything we might lose this side of heaven.
Main Idea
Main Idea
This is what we see in this passage today:
The journey of discipleship is one of sacrifice and self-denial; a path few will travel, but for those who do they will find eternal reward.
Body
Body
And so, as we dig in this morning remember again what Mark’s focus is in his gospel as he writes down these interactions Jesus has with people.
The focus is the kingdom of God and revealing Jesus as the rightful King of kings; the servant King. The kingdom is received, as we saw last week, like a child with childlike faith and humility. Discipleship involves unflinching submission to this great King, a denial of self and earthly riches, the murder of sin that tempts us to wander away from the great servant King.
And so, this interaction Jesus has with this rich young man in Mark 10 is another moment for us to examine our lives, our hearts, our souls to make sure we are letting go of anything that would hinder us from following Christ the King.
I’ve got five points for us to consider from the text this morning. Five points that lay bare the state of the human heart, our need for redemption that comes from outside ourselves, and once again a call to follow Jesus, the supreme treasure of our lives.
So, take a look at verse 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?”
Point #1
The Question We All Ask
The Question We All Ask
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” What’s this question reveal about the state of humanity?
This is one of life’s “ultimate questions.” It’s a question about our importance, our destiny, our significance, our future. If you want to extrapolate it more, it’s a question regarding existence and purpose in life. What’s the meaning of life, what is the meaning in death? Is death final? What happens when I die? What matters most in life?
Have you ever asked those questions? Of course you have. These are life-changing, life-affecting questions.
As one author once put it, “Questions like these connect to one another. Your answer to one will influence how you answer all the others.”
These questions matter. They’ve been asked since the creation of humanity. This young man who approached Jesus was asking an “ultimate question.” It was a question about destiny, about life after death. “What do I need to do so that my future is secure?” It’s what he’s asking.
Yet, Jesus’ response as we’ll see in just a second seeks to expose what should have significance in his life now. Again, it’s an ultimate question; “What matters most in life?” “What takes priority above all other things?” This is where Jesus is going to take him. And his answer to that question will help answer his first question, on his eternal destiny. Again, all these questions connect to one another.
The problem, or what Jesus is going to expose in this man’s heart is that he’s not willing to have his life shaped by what should have first priority in his life which would then lead him to a peaceful solution to his question regarding his eternal destiny.
You see, this is the problem with the state of the human heart. We ask these ultimate questions, but we want the answer to them to be something that is easily attainable, something we can do, something we can manage so that our lives then don’t have to change much, or if change is needed, we can control it, manage it, or manipulate it.
But Jesus is all about turning our world upside down. He wants to shake us out of our self-reliant, self-dependent, self-centered mode of live and call us to something greater.
And that’s what he does here. Check out verse 18.
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Here’s point #2
Redefining Good
Redefining Good
Have you ever had someone answer a question you had by asking you a question? It’s kinda annoying sometimes isn’t it? Who though, loves to ask questions the most? Or, who likes to answer questions with a question the most? Teachers.
Why? Because teachers understand that the best way for your mind to deeply engage with something is to ask questions and think through the solution. We learn and grow when our mind engages with a subject, not just when we memorize facts.
How’s this young man address Jesus in verse 17? “Good Teacher.” Jesus is going to teach.
Jesus knows that this rich young man has a wrong view of moral goodness. We see that in the coming verses. And so, to get to where this man’s initial question can actually be answered, he has to first tear down his improper view of goodness and redirect his attention off of himself, which is where it is, “What must I do...” and onto God, which is where it should be. “No one is good except God alone.”
And so, it seems as though Jesus isn’t answering his question but he really is. This man thought it was his inherent goodness that would save him. He just wanted to make sure all the “i’s” were dotted and “t’s” crossed. He comes to Jesus saying, “Here’s all I’ve done…am I missing anything good teacher?”
In essence he’s saying, “I’m good.” “You seem to be good” “Anything else I need to do?” And Jesus just flips the script here. “Only God is truly good.” He’s saying, “You think you’re good. You’re not good.”
If we’re going to rightly answer and understand life’s ultimate questions, we have to begin here as well with a proper defining of what truly is good and what is not.
And we are not good.
Our hearts are intrinsically rebellious, cold, and dark. We are blasphemers, rebels, sinners.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:10
“None is righteous, no, not one;
Ephesians 2:1–3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
We are not good. Only God is truly good in the complete and perfect sense of the definition. This man was resting in his goodness thinking it was sufficient and so Jesus is going to use the very law that this man was hoping in to expose his heart.
Verse 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.’ ” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 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.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Point #3
The Law Exposes Us
The Law Exposes Us
Do you see what Jesus does here? This man was hoping in his moral goodness and in his perceived obedience to the law. So, where does Jesus take him? To the law. And he’s going to let the law of God actually do the work of exposing where we fall short.
So, he says, you know the commandments. Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal. And as he’s talking you can picture this young man nodding along, “Yep. I’ve obeyed them all. Check, check, check.”
At this point in the conversation this young man is probably sitting with a lot of confidence. I’ve done it all. I’m good. Now, externally, he probably wasn’t too far off. He probably had outwardly obeyed these commandments quite well.
And I think he was sincere in his conversation with Jesus here. I don’t think there was arrogance or pride necessarily in his voice. He was just tragically confused and misguided regarding the purpose of the law. It’s why I believe it says of Jesus in verse 21 that as he looked at this young man and heard his response, that his heart was moved with compassion. He genuinely loved this guy and the way in which he is going to show his love is by exposing his heart to where he falls short of the glory of God and where it needs to be redirected.
Jesus here is quoting from Exodus 20. The ten commandments. He’s referencing the last six or so commandments. Now, Jesus could have used these commandments to expose this man’s heart. If you read the sermon on the mount Jesus shows how we’re all guilty of violating the commands of God. Though we may not outwardly murder anyone, he says, if you’ve harbored anger in your heart towards a brother, then you’re guilty. Though you may not have committed adultery, if you have lust in your heart for someone who is not your spouse, then you’re guilty.
But Jesus went a different route to expose this man’s sinful heart and his need for a Savior.
He goes to the first commandment.
He says in verse 21. “Okay, I hear you. You lack one thing. Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor. Come follow me and you’ll find a greater treasure than anything you can experience in this world.”
You see, what’s the first commandment God gives? “Don’t have any other gods besides me.”
In fact, when someone comes to Jesus and asks him what the greatest commandment is, what’s Jesus say?
Matthew 22:37–39
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
What’s Jesus telling this man to do? “Love God more than earthly treasure and love your neighbor by giving everything you have away to serve them.”
Jesus isn’t saying the act of selling his possession would save him. Salvation is not by works. He’s letting law expose where he’s guilty of violating God’s law. He doesn’t love God more than anything. He has another god that he’s worshipping at the altar of. And that’s money and riches.
What’s discipleship? What’s Jesus after? How do we enter the Kingdom of God?
Mark 8:34–35 (ESV)
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
In the end, this man who approached Jesus so confidently now left with his head down because he was unwilling to let go of his possession to cling to a greater treasure. The law exposed his guilt before a holy God. He now saw he isn’t perfectly and morally good but was unwilling to deny himself, take up his cross and follow.
How about you? Has God’s Word exposed your guiltiness? Do you see your need for grace, for mercy, for forgiveness? Are you willing to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Jesus? Do the cares of this world, the things of this world, the treasures of this world have you so entangled that to let go of them would cause panic and fear? Do you see Jesus as the greatest treasure?
Now this interaction shocked the disciples. Check out verse 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!” 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.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Point #4
Humanity’s Inability To Fix Themselves
Humanity’s Inability To Fix Themselves
The disciples were shocked by this interaction and Jesus’ words here because to a Jewish person they believed that wealth and prosperity was a sign of God’s blessing upon that person.
And so, here was a man who by all accounts had everything going for him. He was both morally and materially wealthy and yet, even couldn’t fix himself.
Now, Jesus here wasn’t condemning wealth and saying only true followers of His are materially poor and destitute. But the problem with wealth, or the temptation that comes with wealth is that it breeds confidence in self rather than in Christ if it is not itself subjected to the Lordship of King Jesus.
The wealthier one becomes the greater the temptation to hold on to it rather than to live generously and the wealthier one becomes the greater the fear of losing it all.
What’s scary here is that something as simple as wealth, or materialism can keep someone from the kingdom of God.
Church, do we not live in a materialistic and wealthy society? Now, this man here in the text was extremely rich. But compared to the rest of the world, we here in America are wealthy. And if the love of money, possessions, status, comfort can keep us from the kingdom by not submitting it to the Lordship of Christ, then that should cause us to examine our lives and hearts right now.
What if the Spirit of God impressed on your heart to downsize to a smaller home so that you could give more money away to those in need? What would be your response to that? “I can’t do that. I can’t go live there, in that neighborhood, with that school system.” Now, again, doing so is not evidence of your salvation. I’m just giving an example.
But if our response to even thinking about this right now hypothetically causes fear, panic, or worry because you don’t want to give up what you have, then how are you different from the man who encountered Jesus in this story?
If this one thing can keep us from truly following Jesus then is salvation harder than we thought? I think so. And I think Scripture affirms this.
“It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 7:13–14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Now, I don’t say these things to scare us, but I do say these things to awaken us.
Many in the church today have settled for a moralistic, therapeutic, worldly version of Christianity that is not Christianity. And they think that because they go through the rituals of religion, resting in their moral goodness and performance but not actually following Christ with their lives and dying to themselves, unwilling to truly sacrifice and suffer for the kingdom and the sake of the gospel, I believe church, like Jesus said, there are far more people on the path that is leading to eternal destruction than those who are the path that is leading to life.
This is why the disciples said, well, then who can be saved? If this guy, who has seemingly everything going for him can’t be saved, then who can.
And that’s where he wanted the disciples’ hearts to be. Right there. We can’t do it, God help us. Be merciful to us. With man it’s impossible. But not with God.
Praise God that salvation is of God and not of us. Because we can’t do it. Apart from the grace of God we will never willingly give up the things of this world. Discipleship is too costly for mere mortal to attain on their own. And that’s what we see next.
Look at Peter’s statement and Jesus’ response. Verse 28.
Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 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. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
This here is why we need God’s power and presence.
Point #5
Discipleship Is Costly But The Reward Is Worth It
Discipleship Is Costly But The Reward Is Worth It
The rich young man wanted the reward but he didn’t want what discipleship would cost him. He wanted the benefit, but not the risk. He wanted a secure destiny but he didn’t want his life to change.
Peter was certainly closer to what Jesus was after but he still didn’t fully understand. We know this because when Jesus would speak of his suffering, Peter would rebuke him. Don’t talk about suffering Jesus! You’re the King. A King doesn’t suffer and those who follow you shouldn’t suffer either.
But Peter did understand following Jesus required sacrifice. And he and the disciples had left their livelihoods to follow Jesus. And so, they’re getting there and Jesus will continue to bring them along.
But Jesus shows that discipleship will be costly but it’ll be worth it. We may lose earthly treasures, earthly status, earthly fame, earthly family for the cause of Christ but what we receive in and through Jesus is not only enough but better.
We may lose our families who don’t understand why we would follow Jesus, but we gain family through the church. We may lose our homes and possession as early Christians certainly did and even today many Christians face harsh persecution but they gain a kingdom. We may lose our earthly wealth but we gain the greatest treasure in Christ himself.
Christ himself makes up for every loss.
Hudson Taylor after nearly 50 years of missionary labor in China said toward the end of his life, “I never made a sacrifice.”
Christ himself makes up for every loss.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God’s kingdom is countercultural. We live lives that are countercultural. Those who appear to be the greatest are actually least in the kingdom of God and those we deem insignificant are the ones who are elevated in the kingdom of God.
God just doesn’t value the same things the world does. And if we are citizens of the kingdom then we should live and think more like the King in this fallen and broken world.
Tim Keller says,
“The heart of the gospel is all about giving up power, pouring out resources and serving … the Center of Christianity is always migrating away from power and wealth”
Jesus asked this rich young man to imagine his life without wealth but only Christ and then asked him, “Am I enough?”
We must ask the same question. Is Jesus really enough?