The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
2 Corinthians 1opened worship, all God's promises fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes, our amen ascends to God for his glory
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
7 Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort.
8 For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
11 you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.
12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
13 For we write no other things to you, than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end;
14 as also you acknowledged us in part, that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.
15 In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;
16 and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea.
17 When I therefore was thus determined, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?”
18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”
20 For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;
22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
23 But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.
24 Not that we control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.
Moses quoted before the offering: Lord you have begun to show your servant your greatness and strong hand, what God in heaven and earth can do such works
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message came from the series A Harmony of the Gospels. Pastor Gary walked through the account of the rich young ruler as told across Matthew, Mark, and Luke, showing how the three accounts together fill out a picture of one man's encounter with Jesus and what it cost him.
What was said
The passage sits right after Jesus told his disciples that anyone who enters the kingdom of God must receive it like a child. That context matters, because the very next moment a man arrives with the opposite instinct. He does not want to receive anything. He wants to do something, to earn it, to guarantee it.
All three gospels record Jesus pointing the man back to the commandments he already knew. Mark adds the detail that Jesus looked at him with love before delivering the hard word. That love is not incidental. Jesus was not scolding a hypocrite. He was looking at someone he cared about and telling him the truth about what was standing in the way.
When the man said he had kept all of these things since his youth, Jesus did not argue with him. He took him seriously, and then identified the one thing he still lacked. For this particular man, it was his possessions. The call was not primarily to sell everything as a universal rule, but to lay down whatever it is that keeps a person from actually following Jesus. For this man, it happened to be wealth.
He walked away grieving. That detail stayed with Pastor Gary. The invitation was "come follow me," and the man turned and went the other direction. He knew what Jesus was asking. He simply was not willing to pay it.
When the disciples asked who then could possibly be saved, Jesus said the things that are impossible with people are possible with God. The point is not that wealthy people are excluded, but that no one can change their own heart enough to enter the kingdom. God can do what people cannot. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are both described as wealthy men who followed Jesus, and Pastor Gary noted that the judgment of the heart belongs to God.
Peter jumped in to point out that the disciples had left everything, and Jesus affirmed it. Whoever leaves behind houses, family, or land for the sake of the gospel receives many times as much in this present age and eternal life in the age to come. Mark alone adds the phrase "along with persecutions," and Pastor Gary did not skip past it. Following Jesus brings real opposition, and Jesus said so plainly. The gain, though, is real too, including a family in the body of Christ that stretches across the whole world.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Pastor Mark pointed out that the rich young ruler came to Jesus right after Jesus said the kingdom must be received like a child, yet the man's first words were 'what must I do?' What is the difference between approaching God with that 'what do I do' mindset and approaching Him like a child, and which one do you find yourself defaulting to?
When Jesus looked at the rich young ruler, Mark tells us He loved him, and then He told him the one thing he lacked. What does it say about Jesus that love and a hard word came in the same moment? Have you ever experienced that from God or from someone who loved you well?
Speaker 3Good morning, everybody. How are doing? Good morning. Good to see you. What do you say we stand and we worship together?
I'd love I'd love to do that. From second Corinthians one, let's allow this to lead us into worship. For God's promises, all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes, and through Christ our amen ascends to God for his glory. Should we start by singing yes and amen? Father of kindness,
Speaker 2father of kindness, you have poured out grace. Promises And all your promises are yes and amen. And I will rest in your promises. My confidence is your faithfulness. I will rest in your promises.
My confidence
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements. Let me see. If there, if you'd like to get involved with a Bible study, there's a board in the back of the lobby that has a lot of Bible studies listed on it.
Contact information for the leader and you can get in touch with them and see how to sign up, where to show up, that sort of thing. There's so many of them that I just said, hey, they're back there. If you all want to know, you can ask us, but you can also just look back there. Tonight's the night. We've been advertising this since I think March or April, and they've been preparing for it for a couple of years.
The Look Up Tour with Will Graham and Dave Crowder and a bunch of other folks are going to be there this evening at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls. I think I did not go, but there was a youth night last night. I've heard from people it was wonderful. This is going to be a great event. So the Look Up Tour tonight, Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls.
It's an old fashioned Billy Graham style rally with his grandson, Will Graham, will be preaching. The crowd will be playing. Discovery class is happening today in between services down the hall in my office. We will move the scooter out of there. There's a scooter in there right now.
September 24, that's today. In between services, Gary Geek will be leading a discovery class. If you want to know more about the church or membership or just ask questions, hear from somebody who ought to know the answers. If you would, go down there. Gary will be down there.
Youth group has happened. And middle school happens on Sunday from three to five So this afternoon here in the church, Sunday from three to five High school happens wait a second now. Is Mike around? Mike might be at the event. Anyway, normally, middle school, Sunday, three to five High school is Thursday, 06:30 to eight High school is 06:30 to eight on Broadway across from Whole Grocer over at the Tribe Minor Ministry Center.
So 06:30 to eight at Tribe Ministry Center. High school is Thursday night. Connect hour. You wanna say anything, Carl? Awana is happening.
Yeah.
Speaker 3So Awana is also tomorrow at 05:45 to 07:30, we had over 50 kids registered on our our opening night. So it is big. And and can we just thank God for
Speaker 2for bringing this to the door?
Speaker 3I'm so thankful. So if you haven't registered yet, please come and see me. We'll get your kids enrolled in Awana.
Speaker 1Oh, fantastic. So that starts 05:45 tomorrow night, right out here in the vestibule and then coming on in. And then they spread out all over the whole church. If you'd like to sign up for a meal, we're feeding Awana volunteers beforehand. You can do that or if you want to sign up for a connect hour between services, you can do that.
Anything else you want to know about usually comes across on our Emails on Thursday, Friday, weekly church announcement Emails. You can get on those at firstspeedjackson.org. Is there anything else? Anybody have left out? Anybody want to testify?
No. Nobody wants to testify?
Speaker 2I stand amazed. Would you stand up? Sing with us and we will we'll testify together. Show you my failures and flaws. Lord, you've seen them all.
Do you still call me friend? Because the God of the mountain is the God of the valley.
Speaker 1We pray together?
Speaker 3God, truly, I think of the psalmist. Think of the psalmist in Psalm 34. He's saying, oh, the joys of those who take refuge in the in in you. And, God, may we take refuge in you, truly. You've seen all our failures and our flaws and our mistakes, yet you have loved us and you've covered us by your grace.
Really, you lived that perfect life we couldn't live. You died a sacrificial death in our place, And then you give us new life and you fill us with the Holy Spirit. Thank you, God. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. And and being in your presence today too, what a joy.
Jesus' name. Amen.
Speaker 2All throughout my history, all throughout my history. The faithful mist has walked beside me. The winter storms may
Speaker 3Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment.
Speaker 2It's
Speaker 3the worship through giving part of the the service. I'll invite the ushers to come forward, and we're gonna sing only a holy God. In Deuteronomy, Moses says, lord, you have begun to show your servant greatness and your strong hand for what God is there in heaven and earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours. Before we sing, Ray,
Speaker 2would you pray?
Speaker 1God, thank you. Thank you for this time to gather this morning where we all just get together corporately, lord, and proclaim your praises to you and to one another. Lord, I pray that we would see the evidence all over our lives. We'd see what it is that you're doing and how it is that you're doing it. Jesus walking it out daily.
Paying attention to how Jesus walked it out daily. Lord, would you transform our lives? We ask you that we would be willing, humble, obedient servants. We ask that you take everything that's placed in these plates, lord. Literally or metaphorically that you would take it and then you would bless it, that you would multiply the efforts, lord, and that you would reach a world that does not yet know you or recognize you or has flatly rejected you.
Lord God almighty, may we be a part of someone seeing the truth of the gospel. In Jesus name, we ask that you would advance your kingdom. Lord, your will done in your way this morning. In us, through us, may we be right in the center of your will. Amen.
Speaker 2Who else commands all the hosts of heaven? And who else can make every king bow down? Who else can whisper when darkness trembles? Only a holy God. And what other beauty demands such
Speaker 1Amen. It's time for children's church. How about, hey, kids. How many y'all were here with Etiwana the other night? Yes.
There are a few. Would you like to say something about it? Was it fun? Yeah. Okay.
That's good enough. It's happening again tomorrow night. I'm looking for testimony this morning. So, we are back into our study. We started back into the study last week of a harmony of the gospels.
This is what we're covering today and you look, usually, one of them shorter than the other, one of them is a little longer, one of them is more detailed or not. These are almost all saying almost exactly the same thing. It's really close, almost the same number of words, paragraphs, the whole deal. We'll get to that. I have something I want to share.
I read this in the news this week and whenever I'm preparing a sermon, a lot of times if I come to Tanya and say, hey, it's kind of wordy. This week, it's kind of wordy. And I'm a word nerd, and I know that's alright for some of you, but it's not for everybody. She said, did you add maps? I said, well, this is not really a map sermon.
This doesn't mention where he was or anything. She says, how about art? Because we were art majors and art people, you know. And so this one, I shared it with her and she goes, I wouldn't do that one. But to me, it hit me as funny and she didn't even know the text.
So this is a painting that hung from September to January in a Danish museum. It was by Jens Forgive me if you're Danish. Yeah. Something like that, right? Jens Hanning was a painter that way back when in like 2007 or so, he did a piece of art that involved real cash currency on a canvas.
And it said, this is the typical salary of an Austrian. And then a couple years later, did another one. It's money all over the canvas, typical salary of a Dane. You know? Alright.
That's pretty cool. You'll notice that this is a blank canvas. The name of it is take the money and run. The museum fronted him, how much? Let's see.
It's not clicking, Blake. 532,549 Danish kroner. Yeah, that didn't do anything for me either. But $76,000 does. He sent them two blank canvases and called it, take the money and run.
That cracks me up. Now the reason it was in the paper is because a judge awarded the museum in the contract that said he'd give the money back. He was gonna use it for the painting and then give it back. And then he didn't. He took the money and run.
That's what he did. He took the money and ran with it. So there's still a battle. They said it was probably worth $6,000 Yeah, the stunt was worth $6,000 But they're asking them to repay $70,000 So anyway, I like it. I think that it's great.
Conceptual art is sometimes just a little bit bizarre. But his argument was his argument he says, I will go so far as to say that the peace is that I have taken the money. That's the peace. Then the two empty frames is actually a representation of this concept. So more important than the absence of the money is the fact that I have taken the money.
With a bulletproof argument like that. The the text today is the rich, young ruler. It's interesting. We call him the rich, young ruler and everybody knows who that is if you study the New Testament at all. But none of the gospels say all of that.
Okay? So we get that because we study God's word against God's word and we pay attention to it. And the rich, young ruler. Here it is. Matthew start.
We'll start off with Matthew and someone came to him. Matthew just says, someone came to him and said, teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? What must I do? Do you catch that? Now, this, remember last week's was let the little children come to me and do not prohibit them.
Don't hold them back. Let the kids come. Anybody who comes into the kingdom of God, anybody that comes into the kingdom heaven has to do it like a little child. If you don't come like a little child, you're not going to get in. That's last week's message.
The very next line says, somebody came to him and says, what do I need to do? Well, you gotta receive it like a child. He just said that. You have to receive it like a child. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, no.
You don't understand. I want to do something. I want to know. What's my guarantee? If I did this, I would know that I had eternal life.
So, says to him, Jesus said to this man, why are you asking me about what is good? There's only one who's good but if you want to enter life, keep the commandments. You know this. You already know this, don't you? Why is it that you would come to me?
Well, I I think that the guy recognized in him goodness and authority and he saw that but Jesus was asking him, consider this question. If you want to know my answer, there's a reason. You want to know the answer from me. You know what the Pharisees say. You know what the sadducees say.
You know what the Romans say. You know what your local pastor probably says. Why is it that you're asking me about what's good? There's only one who is good but if you want to enter life, keep the commandments and he said to Jesus, which ones? There's 613 of em.
I can't keep up. I I promise you, when I put this jacket on this morning, I thought, is one of these wool and the other one cotton? I really did not think that. I wondered if they went together and Tanya was still asleep. If they don't, this ends on me, not on her.
But which ones? Mixing cotton wool is one of the 613 commandments, right? There are ways that you treat the animals. There are ways that you treat other people. Which ones?
It's confusing. I don't have time for all that. Which ones? The Pharisees seemed to emphasize this and the sadducees seemed to emphasize that and I recognize your goodness. Maybe even I recognize your authority.
And Jesus said, well, you know, thou shalt not commit murder. You should not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You should not give false testimony. Those are straight from the biggies, right?
The the Decalogue, the 10 commandments, whether you get them from Deuteronomy or from Exodus. All those are in there. Honor your father and mother. And he adds from Leviticus, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. He's already been questioned as to what are the greatest commandments.
He said, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself because these sum up the others. Honor your father and mother and you should love your neighbor as yourself. So Mark. Let's go to Mark. He was setting out on a journey.
A man ran up to him and knelt before him. Okay. So now he's a runner. He's not just someone. He runs up to him and kneels down before him.
That shows respect. That shows recognition of some authority probably, or at least he puts him on a plane that's higher than he is on. He feels necessary to kneel before him and take a posture of of pleading and he asked him, good teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life? What shall I do in all three gospels? It is what shall I do?
How can I merit entry into eternal life? But Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? There's no one good except for God alone. Now, some people say, why would Jesus say that he's God? Yeah, but this man standing in front of him though he recognizes his authority, that'd be a hard sell right there.
There's no one good but God alone but yet the man was still calling him good. He recognized the goodness that was in him. He recognized that and he's bending down on bended knee and asking him, why why is it you call me good? No one's good except for God alone. You know the commandments.
Don't murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Don't give false testimony. Honor your father, mother.
And he adds, do not defraud. Defraud, kind of a loose interpretation of do not covet in a way. Defraud can be do not lie. He's already said don't give false testimony. So that one's a little different in Mark.
But he said, don't be the don't be a cheater. So we've got that this man, someone, this man ran up, took a posture of pleading, and Jesus gives him the same answer from the decalogue. These are from the 10 commandments. Luke, a ruler, a ruler questioned him. This is where we get rich young ruler.
Saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? But Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one's good except for God alone. You know the commandments, don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't give false testimony, honor your father and mother. Those are the biggies, right?
And the young man, oh nice, for Matthew Young. The young man said to him, all these things I've kept, what am I still lacking? Now, for me, I don't know. Being brought up in the church my whole life, that immediately just sounds like, that's a lie. That's a lie.
You can't keep em all. You can't keep all those things. Have you really honored your father and mother? All the way along since your youth as the other gospel say. As all these I've kept, I I'm doing all of that.
I've got that covered and Jesus, I think recognizes his sincerity there. I'm doing the best I can with those all. These I've kept what? Am I still lacking. I want to know what else I need to do.
I'm doing these things out of duty. I'm doing these things. And Jesus said to him, if you want to be complete, you, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Now, Jesus has something going for him that we don't have. We don't know people's motives and we don't know their backstory and we don't know what's in their mind and what's in their heart.
And when Jesus is speaking to this guy, he gets right at the heart immediately. Jesus said, if you want to be complete, you're doing all the stuff that you know to do. You're asking what else you can do. Go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Come follow me is the call.
But when the young man heard this, young ruler, probably over a lot of people, even in his youth. But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving for he was one who owned much property. Wow. Mark, and he said to him, teacher, I've kept all these things from my youth. I'm a good little boy.
Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him. Oh, I like that Mark included that. Jesus wasn't wagging his finger or being mean to this guy. He knew his heart issue. He knew exactly what this guy's issue was.
Could have been self righteousness maybe but there's also that he was not willing to give up to go after. He's not willing to give up what was his to go after Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him. He said, listen, there's just one thing that you lack. Go and sell all you possess, give to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me.
That sounds like two different things. It's give away and come after but it's really one thing. In order for that guy to follow Christ, it meant giving up his possessions for that guy. But he was deeply dismayed or even grieved by these words and he went away still grieving for he was one who owned much property. And he said, this is Luke.
All these things I've kept since my youth. Now, when Jesus heard this, he said, one thing you still lack, sell all that you possess, distribute the money to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me. These stories are so close together. They're so right there, and the emphasis is on this man's heart. It shines a spotlight on this man's heart.
And when he had heard these things, he became very sad for he was extremely wealthy. Now, can we learn anything from this guy? He he was asking somebody that he believed to have authority. He was asking somebody that he believed to be good and declaring his own goodness in all the ways that he was comfortable being good. And yet when Jesus said, okay, for you, one thing you lack, he points it out several times.
I don't think it's a universal call for everyone to leave behind all that they possess and follow after. I think it's a universal call for everyone to leave behind whatever it is that's keeping us from following Jesus. For some of us, it may be money. For some of us, it may be I don't know what. Leaving family.
Maybe. Leaving behind some sinful pursuit perhaps. When he had heard these things, he became very sad for he was extremely wealthy and Jesus looked at him in Luke. He says, looked at him and said, how hard it is? It must be difficult.
He looked on him with love in Mark. He looked at him in Luke and says, how hard it is. It's so difficult for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. You're so used to trusting in what you have. You're so used to that.
It must be very difficult to let go of it. How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. For 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. Now, I know if y'all been in church a long time, you probably heard a pastor at some point say, well, we went to Jerusalem and the tour guide said, there's this little door in the wall of Jerusalem and if a camel gets down on his knees, he can go through it but it takes really humbling himself. I'm sorry.
There's no more inventive storyteller than someone with a whole group of tourists with them. And you all know that to be true because of where you live. Because tourists ask dumb questions and we give outlandish answers. What's that white stuff on the top of those mountains? At this time of year, well, we insulate them with blankets.
At what altitude did deer turn into elk? I think Jesus is using hyperbole here. He's gonna come back around in a minute, but just listen to this. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Have you ever tried to just use embroidery floss through a needle when it ought to be silk thread.
You can barely get that through there. If there's a knot in it, after you get it through the eye and you start to pull it and there's a knot in it and you just go, oh. Because you can't even pull a knot through it. He's saying it's easier for a camel to go through it than for someone who trust in their riches than for a rich person enter the kingdom of God. So, did we learn anything from the rich, young ruler?
I think that the hardest part for me in this that he went away grieving. He went away sad. He went away. The call was to come follow me and he turned and went away. So, I I think we can.
So, that in Luke, Jesus is speaking to him. In Luke, he goes on to say, and those who heard him say this said, and so who can be saved then? I mean, we're all pretty wealthy. We are better off than most. I think that we can say that as Americans even here today, we can say that.
And so who is it that can be saved? If that's the standard, who that's impossible, Jesus. Who's going to make it then? He just told them, you have to receive it like a child. You have to take it like a child.
Now, some people look at that and say, he was demanding of those children absolutely nothing but he demanded of that rich, young ruler everything he owned. Well, those kids were right there and trust in Jesus, receiving the blessing from him. And it would have been the same for that young, rich ruler had he not turned away from it but turned towards it and say, I'll take it just as you say it, Jesus. Those who heard him said, and so who who then can be saved? But he said, the things that are impossible with people are possible with God.
So, he just said it's impossible for camel to go through the eye of a needle. It's it's just as impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven but then he says, the things that are impossible are possible with God. Nicodemus seems to be a pretty rich guy, right? I think Joseph of Arimathea seems to be a pretty rich guy. He's listed as that.
Both of those are followers of Jesus. It's up to God to judge the heart but it's not about the money. It is about the heart. The things that are impossible with people are possible with God. Matthew says, almost exactly the same thing.
With God, all things are possible. He can change the heart. He can change your mindset from trusting in what you've always trusted or what you've built for yourself. The little kingdom, little k kingdom you built for yourself. He can change your mindset to where you begin to think about the capital k kingdom and about Jesus where you begin to seek first the kingdom of God and all the other things will be added to you.
Giving them up is what he asked of that man because he knew his heart. So, looking at them, Jesus said, with people, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible. Mark, same thing. With people, it is impossible but not with God. He spoke this whole world into existence.
All things are possible with God. He has the ability to change your life and your heart and to transform you. Now, Peter said, I love it. Peter speaks up first a lot of times. He speaks up and says, look, Jesus.
We left our homes. And we followed you. Yeah. You did. And he said to them, truly I say to you, there's not anybody who has left their house or their wife or their brothers or their parents or their children for the sake of the kingdom of God.
There's not anybody who has stepped into this life who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the ages to come, eternal life. The age to come, eternal life. He's saying, yes, you did, Peter. And know that you're walking this walk with me and it feels hard. I understand that.
But you have gained the church triumphant. You have gained all of the people who have put their trust in him. Your family just went from a very small family to an enormous family. There's not anyone who's left behind all these things for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the ages to come eternal life. What does Matthew say?
Matthew says, Peter respond, behold, we just left everything and we followed you. What then will there be for us? And this sounds like material thinking from Peter. What what's what's it going to be? I mean, all the way up to the night of the upper room discourse, the night that Jesus was betrayed, they're still arguing about who's going to be first in the kingdom.
Right? Behold, we've left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us? And Jesus said to him, truly I say to the that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the son of man will sit on the glorious throne, you also shall sit upon the 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Goodness.
And everyone, not just the original disciples, right? Everyone who has left houses of brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms on account of my name will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. There is abundant life in this life and eternal life in the next, but many who are first will be last and the last first. Jesus has said this about three or four times before this occasion, but he's reminding them of the great reversal. Now, I hear the great reversal and I think of, wow.
Maybe it's good to be in the middle of the pack if first is last and last is first. Middle of the pack won't change much, will it? Just to get in and not have to be noticed? He's reminding them of the great reversal. The kingdom of God has to be received like a child, not like a rich man.
This is a reversal. I know what you're thinking. I understand you're thinking. Just keep on remembering that we have to just humbly accept what it is that he asks of us. Mark, Peter began to say, behold, we've left everything to follow you.
Truly, I say to you, there's no one who's left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for my sake and for the good news sake, the gospel. God's message of love and forgiveness. To spread that message. There's not ever been anyone who left on a missionary endeavor and I can hear you thinking, there are a lot of people who get murdered on missionary endeavors including all of these guys that he's talking to. But he is saying that the gain from actually following after me, Jesus himself crucified, is the will of the father.
Abundant life, peace with God. Anybody who's left it for my sake and for the gospel's sake but that he will receive a 100 times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms. It is so cool to be able to go anywhere in the world and land and just know that you're surrounded by other believers, the body of Christ. I got the I got an email from a family one time. And they said, we're from England.
We are believers. We were at a conference here and we just got word that our son fell in Grand Teton National Park. And he we've been climbing and hiking with him before and he said, If I ever fall, if it ever comes to pass, I just want you to bear me wherever I fall. And that set of parents, those believers called and said, we don't know anybody in that area at all. But I looked up on the website and I saw that this was a church and so I'm asking that when we land, there'd be somebody there with us that would just surround us with the love of Christ.
And we were doing we were doing church at the fair that weekend. So it was literally a circus when they got here. It's the small until COVID, it's the smallest funeral I've ever done. But that guy had a house here. He had a family here.
Right? We still stay in touch. It was not easy. What Mark adds is along with persecutions. Matthew and Luke don't mention it, but Jesus in this thing acknowledges in this statement.
He says, they'll receive a 100 times as much now in the present age, houses of brothers, sisters, mothers, children, farms, along with persecutions. There's hard stuff. He says that at the outset. It's not easy. It's not easy because it's really, really hard to adjust your thinking to kingdom thinking along with persecutions.
Anyone who has ever set out to do good in the name of God has found opposition. Can I get an amen? Yeah. If you set out even teaching your own children the things of God, you will receive opposition. If you expand that to other people's kids, you'll receive opposition.
If you seek to be good and benevolent and helpful and hopeful, you will be blasted along with persecutions. That comes with it. If they've treated me this way, they're going to treat you this way, Jesus said multiple other places. And in the age to come, there is eternal life. He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which we cannot lose.
So, many who are first will be last and the last first. So did we learn anything from the rich young ruler? I I did. This week studying it, I just, I did. I was like, there are there are things that God is asking for me to give up because he knows my heart And if we take this seriously and we know that Jesus is a good teacher and that he has authority, even divine authority, we believe that.
Right? If we believe that and we come to him and say, Lord, show me what I'm not doing. Not that I can merit it. I know it's not by merit. But if we are serious with him and say, show me what it is, Lord, that you would have me to do or to lay down, to give up.
What is it that I need to do to be able to follow you? And then be silent in prayer and allow him to speak the answer to you. You have a choice at that point to do it, whatever it is that he puts before you, or to walk away sad. To walk away grieved because you know that's too high a price, Lord, And I'm not willing to pay that. Do we learn anything from the rich and can we recognize Jesus' goodness and authority and still not like his responses to our pleas?
Yes, we can. But What is it that Jesus is asking for you to leave behind in order to really follow after him? So do we learn anything from Jesus? If you go with the next paragraph down there in all three gospels, he said, there's not anybody who has taken me seriously and laid it down because I asked him to who has not received the reward but it does take faith on the front side to get there. Whatever it is that he's asking you to leave behind, it'll be worth it.
That's what that's what Jesus says. So, would you stand? We're going to sing King of Kings. Oh, we're going to sing the gospel. Yeah.
The altar is always open. If you want to speak to me during the altar call, you can. It'll be interesting for me tonight to see a Willie, a Willie, Will Graham, because an altar call is what those things are famous for. And out here, I've never seen anybody walk forward. Don't come because of pity for me.
But if you want to come forward and you want to pray, the altar is always open. Lord God, would you show us what you would have us to to to do. Amen. Amen. Can I pray for us one more time as a benediction?
Lord God almighty, glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. It. World without end. Amen.
Lord, would you show us the kingdom and would you allow us to show it to others? Amen.
