Study the Word

Guest (Male): How can we tell if God is most important to us? To help us answer that, here's Pastor Tom Keller.

Thom Keller: If you have possessions, they either possess you or you possess them. And really the defining point in that is would you be willing to give them up? Would you walk away from them? That's true for goals and ambition. Is there anything you would not be willing to give up? If not, then there's an idol. Then there's an idol someplace inside. And what's an idol? Something that you put ahead of God. Something that is more important to you than God. Because if we're not willing to give it up to God, isn't it more important than God?

Guest (Male): The tragedy of idolatry is the idol can't save you or help you. They don't have life and so they can't give life. The good news is Jesus offers the life we so desperately need. Welcome again to Study the Word with Tom Keller of Calvary Chapel Lebanon. We plan on covering Mark chapter 10. It's there we'll encounter a man who had difficulty seeing his idolatry. It's a problem that persists to this day. Before we get into the chapter, Pastor Tom reminds us of the power of God's word to change your life.

Thom Keller: Mark 10. Remember when I first really started getting excited about my faith, I remember saying that every Sunday, every Sunday school teacher, every minister should stand up in the pulpit, hold their Bible and say this book has changed my life, it'll change yours. And you know, I've been reading this and like so many of you for so long, you have a tendency to forget the impact that this book had, especially in the beginning days. But if this is just the beginning of your journey, do not minimize what this book can do. How this book can will will change your life.

Spend time in it. God will speak to you. There are a lot of great devotionals. There are a lot of great books, but don't ever sacrifice your personal Bible study for the sake of reading another book, another devotional. There's nothing wrong with those. They're great. But this the only book that God promises by his Holy Spirit to teach and instruct you through is this book. Do not minimize your time in this book. We're Mark 10 verse 17. Mark 10:17. As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running up to Jesus and knelt down and asked, good teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?

Why do you call me good? Jesus asked. Only God is truly good. So you get the picture as Jesus is starting out on a trip, a man comes running up to him, kneels down, falls down on his knees. We're going to discover that this man is very wealthy. He's very rich. And the gospel Luke adds to this he was also a ruler. So this is known as the story of the rich young ruler. And he says, good teacher, what must I do to get eternal life? Uh good teacher was a term that was never applied to rabbis, was never applied to any person because it was understood in Jewish culture that only God was good.

Only God was good. And he says, good teacher, what must the man do to be saved, to get to heaven? And Jesus says, no one is good but God. Now this is one of those paradoxical statements. A paradox is a statement that seems to be contradictory, but really there's truth in it. And so what Jesus is saying is, why do you call me good? Only God is good. Well, wasn't Jesus God? Yeah, he was. But he said, why do you call me good? Only God is good. And that's an important understanding because there are there are a number of places in the Bible where Jesus asks paradoxical questions that seem to say one thing, but he's but there's a different truth in it.

The truth is still in it. But in a question, you're not making a statement, are you? You're asking a question. He says, why you call me good? Only God is good. Another one that Jesus said was when two brothers came to Jesus and said, set our father's estate between the two of us. He said, man, who made me judge over things like that? Well, he's judge over everything, isn't he? He didn't say he wasn't. He just said, who made me? So here he doesn't say I'm not good. He says, why do you call me good?

Remember the woman who was uh suffering from the bleeding? He turned around and said, who touched me? Remember? Who touched me? Didn't he know? Of course he knew. At one point he says, why do your religious leaders claim that that the Messiah must be a descendant of David? He didn't say that he wasn't. He just asked the question. One one that I really like was on the road to Emmaus as they're walking along. This is after his resurrection. And uh after he came up out of the tomb and he's he's walking with these two on the road to Emmaus.

And they're telling him about everything that happened in Jerusalem and this Jesus who died on the cross, they don't realize it's Jesus walking with them. They're telling about this Jesus who died on the cross and they said they said we want to tell you about all the things that have been happening in in happening in Jerusalem lately. And he said what things? Then they said, man, you must be the only person that doesn't know about this Jesus and what's been going on in Jerusalem. So there are a number of places and the reason I this is worth mentioning is it can throw you.

You can look at these questions and say, why would he say that? Because he is good. He is God. Because he never makes a statement. He asks the question. Anyway, this young man goes on and says, what shall I do to receive eternal life? The focus of this man's question is what shall I do? He thought that eternal life came from earning and deserving, from working, from striving, from achieving a certain uh uh to do list every day. You have to have spend so much time in the Bible. You have to spend so much time in prayer.

You have to do you have to do this and you can't do that. And that's how you become saved. He came saying, what must I do? That's the key to understanding the story. If if if there's any piece of this that you want to remember for future reference to understand what's going on here, it's what must I do? He wasn't looking to Jesus to be his savior. He was asking Jesus, how can I be my own savior? Isn't that really what's going on? What must I do? Well, Jesus gives the young man this counsel. He says, but as for your question, you know the commandments.

And of course Jesus knew this young man. He knew that he knew the commandments. He said, you know the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, do not cheat, honor your father and mother. Just picture the scene this this rich young man ruler. And Jesus lays out these commandments. Teacher, the man replied, I've obeyed all these commandments since I was a child. Says Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. You lack only one thing, he told him. Go and sell all that you have and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come and follow me. What must I do? He says, you know the commandments. Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't testify falsely, honor your father and mother. The young man says, and I think really truthfully, not that he was perfect, but that why it says that Jesus felt genuine love for him. He knew that this really was a good young man. He really was a moral ethical man. He says, I've kept all these since I was a child. Then picture a delay. Just picture a pause. I've kept all these commandments since I was a child.

And Jesus looking at him and this big smile and this this love for this young man. And he said, go sell all that you have. Give the money to the poor and come follow me. Now picture another pause. This man's weighing all this. He's weighing this decision. To call Jesus good, this man knew that Jesus was more than just a rabbi teacher. He may not have had a clear understanding of who he was, but he knew he was someone very very special. And this man says, I've done all this and Jesus lays it on the line.

At the hearing of that at this the man's face fell and he went sadly away because he had many possessions. This is the only person in the gospels who ever went away from Jesus sorrowful. There were others who went away angry. There were others that went away healed, but this is the only person in the Bible who went away from Jesus sorrowful. So what's going on here? What really is going on here? Is Jesus saying that you must give up every material possession you have in order to get to heaven? Is he saying that you need to give up your 401k, your savings, uh any possessions you have, your house?

You need to sell it all and give it all to God and come follow him. Is that what he's after? You know, it's interesting in the book of Luke, this same chapter is told in chapter 18 in Luke 18. In Luke 19, the very next chapter, the story is told about Zacchaeus. And it's really neat that these two stories go together in Luke back to back. In the book of Zacchaeus, uh Zacchaeus is a tax collector, a short little guy, goes up in a tree to see Jesus walking by because he couldn't see. You know, he's kind of jumping between the you know the everyone's taller and he can't get a good look at him.

So he climbs a tree. This very wealthy influential tax collector up in a tree to see Jesus. Jesus goes by and says, Zacchaeus, come down. Today I'm going to be a guest in your house. So Zacchaeus comes down. Jesus goes to his house and it says that it was filled with notorious sinners. Isn't that really what we all are really, you know, compared to Jesus? We're all notorious sinners compared to the perfection that Jesus would demand if that's what saved us, which isn't. Zacchaeus came down from the tree and it says that he stood there and said to the Lord, I will give half of my wealth to the poor.

Lord, and if I have overcharged people in their taxes, I will give them back four times as much. Okay? So Zacchaeus says, I will give half of all my wealth to the poor. And if I've cheated anyone, I will pay them fourfold four times back. Now what would you think Jesus would say to this in light of what we just read in Mark? Oh no no no no no no Zacchaeus. Look, I set the rule back in the last chapter. The deal is everything. You give everything to the poor and come follow me. That's what you'd expect, won't you?

That's not what he says. Zacchaeus makes the offer. Jesus doesn't put the demand on Zacchaeus. Jesus puts the demand on the rich young ruler. But he doesn't put the demand on Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus makes the offer. I'll give half of my wealth to the poor. Jesus says, responding in verse nine, salvation has come to this home today. For this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. So what's going on? A double standard? To the rich young ruler he says, give all to Zacchaeus he gives half. Why how can this be? There seems to be a conflict here in what Jesus is saying.

No, this is something a very important point to keep locked stored in your mind. Every time in the gospels when someone came to Jesus with a list of what must I do, he sent them back with more law. Whenever someone came and said Jesus, what must I do? He said, well, what have you done? I've done this, I've done this. We need to do this. Okay? And they'll go back and do it and they'll work real hard and they'll come back and they'll say Jesus, I did that. Now what? Well, you need to do this and this and this.

Oh that too? Okay. And they go back and they do this and this this and they come back and say I did that. Oh but you need to do this too. Oh okay, you know. And that goes on until the person is is double bent under the weight of all this and says Jesus, I can't do this. I just can't do this. This is impossible. And he says, now you're ready. Now I can do it for you. See, you can't earn your salvation. And until you learn that, you're never really going to understand the beautiful work of grace that God has performed on your behalf.

You can't. And every time again, just lock this in your mind and when you read the gospel accounts, you'll find this. When they came to Jesus and what must we do? He'd send them back with more law, more demands. Same thing with us. Until we come to that point of understanding that, doesn't do us any good. In John 6, the crowds asked Jesus, what should we do to satisfy God? And Jesus replied, this is the will of God that you believe in the one he has sent. That's the one time where they came to Jesus and said, what must we do to have eternal life?

And he said, this is the will of God that you believe in the one he has sent. That's it. They came saying, what must we do? They're expecting a list. He doesn't give them a list. They wanted a list. He said, this is the will of God that you believe in the one he has sent. It's simply believing. It's simply believing. In Matthew 7, Jesus said this, not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone who comes to me saying Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. And we said this before, but it's significant in the Bible.

Many times Jesus talked about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. They are not the same thing. Uh the one is a part of the other. Kingdom of God starts the moment you're saved through eternity. The kingdom of heaven is heaven. So when Jesus says, when he talks about the kingdom of heaven, it's talking about the eternal, the life after this life. Kingdom of God starts from the moment you're saved until the end of all time. Okay? So here he's talking about heaven. He says, some will come to me Lord Lord and say, not everyone who comes to me saying Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

And it says then that they came and they said these people they came saying, but we prophesied in your name, we cast out demons in your name, we did miracles in your name. And he say and Jesus responds by saying, begone from me for I never knew you. You who practice lawlessness, begone from me for I never knew you. So in in in Matthew there's an account of Jesus. These people are coming before the judgment. And they're saying they are saying Lord Lord, you know, we cast out demons in your name. We did miracles in your name.

And he said, begone from me for I never knew you. You who practice lawlessness, you are you who are lawless. And the idea there is this, there are four kinds of houses that you can build. Really there are four kinds of houses. You can build a beautiful house on sand. You know the story, right? You can build a beautiful house on sand. You can build a beautiful house on a solid foundation. You can build a rotten house on a good foundation. You can build a rotten house on sand. Right? And what those represent are that somebody can can really do a lot of very wonderful things with your life.

You can do accomplish a lot of good. You can I mean really good things, noble things, honorable things. But if when you die you have you don't have the foundation. If you've not accepted Christ, that's a house built on sand. You may have a beautiful house, but when you die it isn't going to make any difference because you're going to say Lord Lord, look at all that I did. And he'll say, depart from me, I never knew you. You who practice lawlessness. And the reason he says lawlessness is this, you know, they come with this big list of good things he did and his response is you who practiced practiced lawlessness.

And the reason he says lawlessness is this, if if you're not going to come to Jesus, if you're not going to if you're trying to get to heaven without coming through Jesus, you can do that. You just need to be perfect. Absolutely perfect, never sin, not once ever. So these people come saying, look at all that I did. And Jesus said, you who practice lawlessness. Why he said, because of all the sins that they had committed, just like all the sins that I have committed and continue to commit. So he says, you who practice lawlessness, their sins weren't forgiven.

And and and that's what's that what's going on. The same is true for us. We all need to come to a point where we say, I can't do this anymore. You know, the Bible says that the reason for the Old Testament, probably the primary reason for the Old Testament law was to prove to us, show to us our inability to satisfy God's requirements. So that we look at we look at the law and and you know, in the beginning we try, don't we? We we get on that treadmill. You know, we we start doing the things and we try to keep it.

You know, and it gets old. Muscles get old, you get tired, you lose interest. And and but you get back in the treadmill. You you try to do all this stuff. And the point of the Old Testament was that the demands are so great that what God wants us to do is to come to him and say, God, I can't do this. I can't earn your favor. I can't do enough to satisfy you. I just keep blowing it so bad. And he says, you finally get it. I receive you by grace, not by the works that you do.

And that's where this young man was. There's an underlying truth here that we do need to be willing to surrender everything to God. You know, this is really a truth that goes beyond point that I just made, that God wants us to give everything we have, every possession we have to him, to give it to him, to put on the altar, to be willing to give it all for him, everything. If you have possessions, they either possess you or you possess them. And really the defining point in that is would you be willing to give them up?

Would you walk away from them? That's true for goals and ambitions. Is there anything you would not be willing to give up? If that's not true, then there's an idol. Then there's an idol someplace inside. And what's an idol? Something that you put ahead of God. Something that is more important to you than God. Because if we're not willing to give it up to God, isn't it more important than God? Well, as this young man drives away, I picture a a big Mercedes, you know, big black Mercedes flags in the back, the whole thing, you know, Middle Eastern kind of big car.

Car's going down the road, dust flying. Jesus verse 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of God. This amazed them. But Jesus said it again, dear children, it is very hard to get into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich person to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were astounded. Who then who in the world can be saved? They asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, humanly speaking, it's impossible, but not with God.

Everything is possible with God. When Jesus said how hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of God, what he's literally saying the rich people the rich issue there literally it says how hard it is for those who have things. Things is kind of the keyword there. There's another paradox here. Jesus says, how difficult is it? It's not just difficult, it's impossible. It's impossible. They say was if it's impossible, then it can't happen. And Jesus said, well, what's impossible for man is not impossible for God. The words of Jesus amazed the disciples because in the Jewish culture they believed that wealth was an evidence of God's blessing that came out of obedience.

So the thought that a rich person couldn't be saved meant that a person with integrity and honor and that had kept the law, that person couldn't be saved because one they were one in the same to to the Jews. And Jesus says, it's impossible. Now he refers here to the eye of a needle and there's a lot of conjecture on this and it's true. There was what was called the the needle's gate or the needle's eye gate in the wall around cities around Jerusalem in this in this instance. There was uh an opening in in the wall that was was kind of a man gate.

It was small enough for a person to get through. When the city gate was closed, people could come in and out of this gate and gain entrance into the city. It would keep a an advancing army from being able to rush because it was a very small door. And it's true it's been told that for someone with a camel to get through this needle's gate, they'd have to take all the possessions off the back of the camel. The camel would have to get on its knees and kind of crawl through the gate and then the man would walk through too.

And so it's been said through the years commentaries different commentaries say that that's what this is about. But really what most people say is that 's not really what it's about. What it's really about is a camel going through the eye of a needle. That's really what it's about. It's a cute story, but he's really saying cuz Jesus said it's impossible. Any you anybody here want to try again a camel through a needle's eye? How long do you think that would take? You have to really Well, never mind. We don't want to go there. Puree came to mind, but I'm not going to I'm not going there.

And he says it really is difficult and it is. It is. It's often been said you you've never seen uh hearse pulling a U-Haul to a cemetery. Someone said to Rockefeller one time someone asked someone about Rockefeller, J.D. Rockefeller, and they said, how much money did he leave? And the answer was all of it. He left it all. A wealthy man who owned a castle as he looked out over his property from the lookout of a high tower, he said, these are the things that make it difficult to die. You know, do we long for heaven or do we long for this earth?

Guest (Male): You're listening to Study the Word with Pastor Tom Keller. And we're studying the book of Mark right now. To hear this message again, simply go to ccleb.com and look under resources. We're at ccleb.com. If you'd rather have a CD copy, call 717 507 7862. That's 717 507 7862. And for those that give to the ministry this month, we'll say thanks by sending you Pastor Tom's entire study of Daniel. It's called Lions, Tigress, and Scares. Oh my. There are 22 messages in all. We put them onto a flash drive. Get the entire study of Daniel for a gift of any amount by calling 717 507 7862 or write Study the Word 740 Willow Street Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17046.

And if you live close by or will be visiting the area soon, drop on by. For service times and more information about Calvary Chapel Lebanon, turn to ccleb.com and download our free Android app. Search Calvary Chapel Lebanon in the Google Play Store. We'll get back into Mark next time on Study the Word with Pastor Tom Keller. And may God richly bless you as you study the word and apply it to your life.