Latest / Teachings On This Day On FerventWord / On Jun 18, 2023: Mark 10:17-31 Your Personal Ongoing Plan For Eternal Life
Transcript
- Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:00:00]: When you came in here this morning, did you formulate some kind of exit strategy? I think a lot of you did, because usually people sit on this side closest to the exits. You're like, something starts going crazy, jerry starts going long or starts raining down fire and brimstone. I got a smooth exit one way or the other. You know, when you get on a plane, you board a plane. They do that spiel at the beginning every time to make sure you know where the closest emergency exit is for you. The plane has various emergency exits, right? But they want you to identify which one's the closest to me. If the smoke alarm started to go off right now, which way would you go? Do you have a plan? Did you figure out and strategize which way you might go? You might go this way, because you're closest to this door. Or you might go out the front because you're closest to the back. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:00:54]: Or maybe we could organize it and say, okay, everybody on this side go this way, and then everybody on this side go to the front so that way there's no confusion and we're able to streamline our exit as fast as possible. Of course, there would be some who would say, well, I don't care which side I'm on. My kids are in the trailer, so I'm going out that door, because that's how I'm going to get to them the fastest. If there's some kind of emergency, that's my plan. That's how I need to get there. Well, maybe you did formulate an exit strategy. You had a plan in case of emergency. Maybe you think you're Jason Bourne and you're being hunted, and so you have to always know where the exits are, right? Here's one thing I can guarantee. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:01:33]: No exit plan would ignore the law of gravity. None of you, as you're thinking about exit plans, thought, what I'm going to do is run across the ceiling, because that's going to be quite empty, and I won't have to fight the crowds and I'll get out that way. None of your exit strategies, exit plans ignored that law because, well, that's universal. It applies to everyone. It is not going to be negotiable. And it doesn't matter how urgent the emergency is. It still applies to the situation that we're in. I share that because, well, I've titled the message this morning, your Personal Ongoing Plan for Eternal Life. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:02:15]: Here in this passage of Mark, Chapter ten, we get to consider this account of the guy we call the rich young Ruler, and he comes to Jesus and he hears a very personal word. Just like you might have a personal exit strategy. We could generally say there's two exits, but each one of you, depending on where you're at, you're going to have a different route compared to others that are in the room. In a similar way, this rich young ruler comes to Jesus. He's looking for the way to obtain eternal life. And Jesus gives him a personal direction. He gives him exactly what he needs. It's not necessarily general for everybody, but it's for this guy, exactly what he needs. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:03:03]: He gets to the root of this man's heart and addresses and identifies what he needs to do to respond to what God is saying to him. When it comes to eternal life, of course, there are some things that are universal. Not everything is personal. And I'm not suggesting that you get to write up your own plan of salvation and whatever you come up with that will work. Now, we have the written word of God, like the law of gravity, that applies to everybody. And nothing personal in our relationship with the Lord is ever going to contradict or be different than what is prescribed for us in the Scriptures. And so we know that salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ. And he declared, I am the way, the truth and the life. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:03:53]: There is no path to the Father except through Jesus. That's universal, like the law of gravity, every one of us to have eternal life will go through Jesus. But there's a personal side to it as well because, well, that path to Jesus for each one of us might have slightly different routes, might have slightly different turns, depending on the condition of our heart and what it is that we are holding on to and what it is that we are seeking after and pursuing. And so it's your personal plan for eternal life that you need to hear and receive from the Lord. It's your personal plan that deals directly with your heart, the universal part of it, faith in Jesus Christ for his finished work upon the cross, that's non negotiable, that doesn't change from person to person. That is the only way to the Father. But at the same time, I would encourage you this morning, your heart is different than the heart of the person next to you. And there's some things that the Lord wants to lead you in that is going to be different than the person next to you or others in this room. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:05:07]: There's going to be some commands that the Lord wants you to do. There's going to be some things he wants you to let go of. There's going to be some issues he wants to help you overcome and work through, and it's going to be different for each one of us. It requires that personal connection to the Lord, that personal leading of the Lord for us to have this personal action plan for eternal life. But it's not just personal, it's also ongoing. And as we get started this morning, I'd like to remind you, especially those of you who've been around the things of the Lord for some time, you've been walking with the Lord perhaps, or involved in church for some time. Can I remind you this morning that the starting line is not the finish line. You get that the starting line is not the finish line. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:06:00]: It would be easy for us to look at the rich young ruler as mature believers and to say, well, yes, we're looking at this guy who was seeking to begin his journey of eternal life, but I've done that long ago. And so this kind of is way in the past for me. I'm well beyond this. And sometimes we can tend to think of the decision to follow Jesus as a one time thing in the past that we did sometime before. But it's not really an accurate picture of the way that we are called to follow Jesus. Think about what Jesus told us in Luke, chapter nine. He said, if you want to be my follower, you must give up your own way. Take up your cross daily and follow me. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:06:55]: If you want to follow Jesus, he says, here's the parameters, here's the requirements. Give up your own way. So again, that personal path or plan for eternal life, it's not us making up our own way, it's us receiving the way that is unique for us because of the condition of our heart, how we are to follow Jesus and trust in Him. So you must give up your own way, take up your cross and notice the daily part of it. You see, if it was a one time thing, it would be just take up your cross. But Jesus adds the word daily to indicate that when you begin to take up the cross and follow Jesus, that's not the end of the story, that's not the finish line, that's the starting line. And as you follow Jesus, there is going to be more ways for you to express the taking up of your cross. There's going to be more ways that you are going to be called by the Lord to step out in obedience to Him. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:07:56]: And it's going to require a daily decision, a daily commitment, a daily work in your life for you to continue on in your personal, ongoing plan for eternal life. It's ongoing. There is more that God wants to do. There is more that God wants to say. There is more repentance that needs to be provided by us. There is more direction that God wants to give us. There's more to turn from. There's more steps of faith to take. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:08:33]: Your personal, ongoing plan for eternal life, well, it's filled with many things that's going to require that ongoing daily, personal interaction with the Lord so that you can experience what he has for you. And so we're going to look at the rich young ruler this morning and consider these things in four points. Four points to help us walk in that personal, ongoing plan for eternal life. Point number one, found in verses 17 and 18, is, recognize that only God is good. Recognize that only God is good. Here's what it says in verse 17 and 18, as Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down and asked, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus asked. Only God is truly good. As we pick up this account, jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and he has been stationed for a few moments, but now he is moving on. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:09:45]: He's packing up, just as those who are going camping this week, you're going to be packing up right after service and moving on. You were camped out here for a little bit, and then you're going to go move on and camp out. And then on Tuesday you're going to pack up and then move on again. In a similar way, Jesus was camped out, but now he's moving on back on the path to Jerusalem. And as he begins to exit, as he begins to move out, a man came running up to him. Who is this man? Well, this passage is recorded for us. This account is recorded for us here in Mark, chapter ten, but it's also recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Luke chapter 18. And as you look at all three of these passages dealing with this account, we learn three things about this guy. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:10:40]: We learned that he was wealthy, we learned that he was youthful, and we learned that he had power. It's why we call him the rich young ruler. And perhaps the title in your Bible even indicates that it comes from all three different passages, understanding different aspects that are revealed in each one matthew 19, Luke 18. And then here in Mark, chapter ten. Now, I think if we were offered wealth and youthfulness and power, we could be easily convinced, having those three things, that we would be satisfied for life. We would be set for life. If we could be wealthy and young and have power, be a ruler and have authority, we would be set for life. If only we could have all of these three things, that would be amazing. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:11:38]: But here we see this man who has all of these things, which many aspire to and are reaching for, and what does he do? He comes running up to Jesus. It was not common or cultural for them to run as adults. Kids, of course, always run. You can't stop that. But adults, it wasn't dignified in their culture to be running. But here he comes running up to Jesus. He doesn't want to miss Him. Jesus is moving out and he doesn't want to miss this opportunity. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:12:09]: He runs, sets aside his dignity, sets aside the norms of the day, because he's recognizing, although I'm wealthy and youthful and powerful, I'm very religious, I have lots of status and position, but I'm not really fulfilled, I'm not really satisfied. And so he comes running to Jesus and he kneels down before the lord. Again, not the cultural norm. Many people came to Jesus, but most of them did not kneel down. It was a step too far in most minds. It was really giving honor to Jesus that most of the people in his position were not willing to do. And so we see a real urgency here in this man. We see a real thirst for something. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:13:09]: He's lacking something. And he's willing to lay aside some dignity. He's willing to kneel down before the Lord. And he asks an important question good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Good teacher or good master? Now, Greek scholar Kenneth West points out that these words in the Greek are reversed, emphasizing the word good, saying teacher, good one, mr. Good one. The one who is good also a teacher. That the emphasis there is on the good. As he addresses Jesus as good teacher, he's calling out the goodness of the Lord. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:14:12]: And so Jesus uses that as an occasion, as an opportunity to challenge this guy about where his mind is at and about where his heart is at. And so he says in verse 18, why do you call me good? Only God is truly good. Now, we can see clearly that Jesus here is not saying, don't call me good because I'm not good. That's not what Jesus is saying. He proclaimed himself to be good. He proclaimed himself to be sinless. He said, I am the good shepherd, right in the Gospel of John. So he's not saying that he isn't good. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:14:53]: He is questioning so that this guy, this rich, young ruler, can think about. Sometimes we say things that we haven't really thought through what it means. We haven't really thought through the consequences of it. Sometimes we are more wise than we know. We just haven't applied the truth to really understand it. Why do you call me good? Stop and think about this. And before Jesus answers the question about eternal life, he says, think about why you called me good, because only God is truly good. Now, if you would have asked this rich, young ruler if he was a good person, he probably would have said yes. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:15:39]: Except for, again, in their culture, they kind of understood only God is good. And so Jesus challenging him on this is making him stop and think, wait, did I mean that when I said, good teacher? What does it mean to be good? And yes, I know only God is good, and I'm not good. Like God is good, he would understand. If I was good, I wouldn't need to be asking this teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Thinking through this idea of who is good, what does it mean to be good? That was what Jesus was trying to get him to do. The same guy I mentioned earlier, Kenneth West, Greek scholar, says he wished no man to give him any title of honor till he knew what he was doing. He wished this man in particular to think carefully on what is good and who. Don't just say good teacher as a title and not really understand what it means, but let's stop and think about this what is good and who is good? Doing so would help this man to recognize that only God is good. You see, in reality, his question revealed an inconsistency in his heart because he called Jesus good. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:17:15]: Recognizing there's something different about you, Jesus, most rabbis would not allow themselves to be called good. But good teacher, I'm calling you good. There's something different about you. There's something distinct about you. You're not like the rest of us. You're a good teacher. Not just a good teacher in that you excel in teaching, but you are a good, sinless man of God. Only God is good. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:17:47]: And yet this guy is saying, what can I do to inherit eternal life? It's an inconsistency here. You're not like the rest of us. You're good. What good can I do to inherit eternity? There must be some thing, some particular pursuit that I can have, some particular action that I can take. But Jesus reminds him, only God is good. You're recognizing that I am unique. You're recognizing that I am good. At the same time, you're thinking doing one thing or taking some specific action can help you to earn eternity. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:47]: Jesus is helping this young man. See, you're not good. It doesn't make sense. It's not logical that doing one good thing could make you good. You need to recognize that only God is good. You need to acknowledge God as the only one who is good and the only one who can tell you how to inherit eternal life because he's the only one that is good. Again, this is something that we must do personally. It's part of that personal, ongoing plan for eternal life. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:19:26]: You yourself must come to the place where you recognize, where you can declare only God is good. Only God is perfect. Only God has all wisdom and all knowledge. Only God is sinless and completely apart from all defilements. Only God. Not me. I'm not good. And nobody else is good enough to have authority in my life to tell me about eternal life. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:19:58]: Only God can have that kind of authority because only God is good. And that's true coming from a place of unbelief, coming from a place of not knowing Jesus, not believing in Jesus, not being born again. You need to recognize that only God is good. For the rest of us. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are good. We all fall short of the standard of righteousness that is perfection. That is Jesus. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:20:38]: Every one of us must come to that recognition. But it doesn't just start at that moment of believing in Jesus for the first time. And I want to encourage you, those of you who are believers that you need to not just kind of brush past this because, hey, I'm in church. I'm already here. So good message for other people who aren't here. But no, this is for every one of us. The starting line is not the finish line. And there is more in our lives, more in our hearts that needs to be dealt with, where we recognize ourselves as good, whether we are fully conscious of it or not, that we can be convinced in ourselves that we're okay, that we're good, that we have the final word on things, that we have resolved and conquered and perfected things. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:21:42]: That there is places in our hearts, places in our minds where we are convinced that wouldn't even cross our mind, that we are not good or imperfect or flawed in that area. Although we would say, I know I'm not perfect. I'm just forgiven, right? But at the same time, there'd be those things that are left unresolved and undet with because we kind of just broad stroke it. And so this morning, first, we must come to this point where we recognize that only God is good. I'm not good enough. I'm not at a point where I've kind of just reached that level, and it's like, okay, that's good enough, and that's the end of it. But that there's that ongoing growth, an ongoing progress that the Lord desires and requires from each of us, which means I'm going to continue to put Him as the only one who is good, the only one who is complete, the only one who is perfect. Well, moving on to verses 19 through 21, we get point number two, and that is, invite the Lord to direct you as you recognize that only God is good. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:22:59]: Now, the next part is, okay, the good one, the one who is perfect and holy and knows right from wrong, I need Him to give me direction. Many times, the way that we approach the Lord, it's the other way around. Lord, let me give you some counsel here. Let me give you some direction. I have some ideas about how you can do things and resolve some things, but we need to invite the Lord to direct us. Check out what this guy does. In verse 19 through 21, it says, but to answer your question, you know the commandments, you must not murder. You must not commit adultery, you must not steal. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:23:46]: You must not testify falsely, you must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother teacher. The man replied, I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young. Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. There was still one thing you haven't done. He told him, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. This man asked the Lord, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Clearly, he's very religious. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:24:32]: Jesus highlights some of the commandments for him, quoting from the Ten Commandments back in Exodus chapter 20, deuteronomy, chapter five, he doesn't quote all the Ten Commandments. The Lord leaves out the ones that he knows. The guy is not really being faithful in walking in, but he lists some of the ones that the guy felt pretty good about himself in you shall not murder. Okay, yes, check. Haven't murdered anybody. That's why I'm good. Jesus lists some of these commandments, and this guy's response is, yeah, I've been obeying these commandments since I was young. At twelve years of age, they would enter into adulthood where they would be considered accountable to the law. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:25:27]: And so this young man is saying, since I was twelve, I've been obedient to these commandments. I've followed these commandments. Now, I would suggest, it's likely that he's not saying, and I'm perfect in everything that I do, but he is suggesting when I violate these commandments, I offer the prescribed sacrifice for them. I've been doing all of that since I was young. I've been following the law. I've been practicing what was laid out for us by Moses in the Levitical system. But the point here is that he was still feeling the lack. He knew he was missing something. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:14]: I've obeyed all these things. I've been incredibly religious. No reason why we shouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he was religious before God to the best of his ability in following all of those commandments and practicing all the sacrifices and rites and rituals that were prescribed in the law. No reason we should question that. But following all of that, he still recognized. But I don't have eternal life. I'm not fulfilled, I don't have life. And life more abundant. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:49]: I'm still lacking, I'm still missing. And so let me run to this teacher, good teacher, what must I do? I've done all of these other things, but I don't have life. In Matthew, chapter 19, as Matthew records this account in verse 20, he adds on a little extra question. He says, I've obeyed all these commandments. The young man replied, what else must I do? That can't be it. Those commands that you listed there, Lord, that can't be it. I've been doing those things. There has to be something more. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:27:29]: There has to be something lacking. What else must I do? And here you can see the rich young ruler inviting the Lord to direct him. I recognize your good. I'm recognizing a lack in me. There's an unfulfilled part of me. My heart is not whole. Lord, you direct me. What else must I do? Verse 21 is great. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:28:05]: Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. Looking at the man, the idea here is Jesus kind of paused for a moment, just making eye contact, just sitting there face to face. All this guy, he really has a heart for the things of god. He's really doing his best. He's trying his hardest to pursue God, to know God, and says, Jesus loved him. He loved him not because he was perfect or not because he had reached some kind of mature marker that made him capable of receiving the love of the Lord. Now, the Lord saw his inadequacies, his deficiencies, his failures, but he loved him. I like what Pastor Tony Evans said about it. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:29:05]: He says, the glorious good news is that Jesus loves sinners. He therefore sought to enlighten the man and expose his spiritual blindness. The issue here was the guy was blind to the reality of eternity, that it was not by keeping a system of laws and rules and regulations that it was not about his efforts, but it was about what God was going to do for him. And so Jesus, to challenge the root condition, the root issue in his heart in verse 21 says, there's still one thing you haven't done. You feel like you're lacking something. I can identify that for you. Go and sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Here's what you're lacking. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:30:04]: You're lacking a lack of possessions. You have a lot of stuff. Again, this man was wealthy. Now, Jesus here is not declaring that wealth is sinful or even that makes it impossible for someone to be saved. As we look at these kinds of things, we have to take in the whole counsel of God's word and understand what is happening here. And this is why I'm pointing out the personal aspect of this encounter, because this was a message for this guy addressing his heart. Just as a quick example, in one Timothy, Chapter six, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, teach those who are rich in this world to give everything away and have treasure in heaven and then follow no. Teach them not to be proud and not to trust their money, which is so unreliable. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:31:04]: Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. And so as you look at the Scriptures, you find the complete teaching on wealth is there. It's more than just give it all away and live in poverty. That's not the end of the story. But for this guy, there was something personal that needed to be shared. This isn't the law of gravity that applies to every believer. This is the personal strategy for this man addressing what was happening in his heart. Again, Jesus listed some of the commandments, and the guy said, yep, yep, yep, I've done all of that. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:31:51]: But the greatest commandment is to have no other gods before me. And what Jesus is going to identify in this man is that he did have some other priorities before the Lord. He had some other pursuits and passions that he would hold on to. Rather than grabbing hold of the Lord, Jesus says, then come, follow me. You can't follow me now because you would be dragging along this idolatry that's happening in your heart. You need to go deal with that. You need to let go of those things, and then you can come and follow me. Another version of this verse here in Mark, chapter ten, verse 21, pulling from a separate set of manuscripts, adds in the phrase take up the cross. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:32:49]: Don't just come and follow me, but come, take up the cross and follow me. Calling back to Jesus's commission, to all who would want to follow Him, that you can't just follow Him however you want to in any way or any method or any path, but you have to take up the cross. You have to die to yourself. You have to deny yourself to follow Jesus. And so this is the direction that the Lord gives this man. He invited the Lord to direct him. And guess what? The Lord gave him the direction, he gave him the instruction that he needed. And this is something that we can count on as well. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:33:37]: Listen, if you want to have a heart that is aligned with God and you want to know what you need for eternal life and what it is that is outstanding in your heart as far as it needs to be addressed and dealt with, invite the Lord to direct you. It's God's will for you to address those issues of your heart. Invite the Lord to direct you. He knows how to do it. He knows how to highlight and put his finger on those things, and he's willing to give you some insight and direction into what you personally need, what you might be wrestling with, what you might be dealing with. Invite the Lord to direct you. This is something that is ongoing for us. Again, the starting line is not the finish line. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:34:32]: So no matter where we are with the Lord today and how long we've been walking with the Lord, there is the real and legitimate need for us to invite the Lord to direct us. The apostle Paul in one Corinthians, chapter four, tells the Corinthians, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment. He says, my conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord Himself who examine me and decide. Paul held on to this understanding. Just because I feel like I'm right doesn't mean that I'm all right. My conscience is clear. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:35:19]: That doesn't make me right. It's the Lord who evaluates me. And we need the Lord to evaluate us, to continue to reveal to us the direction that we need to address our hearts, to continue to move us in the direction of a closer relationship with the Lord and a pursuit of Him in his ways. Moving on to verses 22 through 27. We get point number three this morning, and that is. Do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. If you invite the Lord to give you direction, he's going to respond. He's going to reveal to you things that need to be addressed. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:36:07]: So do it, whatever it takes, whatever it costs, no matter how hard it is, and no matter how sad it makes you do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. Let's read verses 22 through 27. At this, the man's face fell and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. This amazed them, but Jesus said again, Dear children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, 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. The disciples were astounded. Then who in the world can be saved? They asked. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:36:58]: Jesus looked at them intently and said, humanly speaking, it is impossible, but not with God. Everything is possible with God as Jesus gives the direction that this man needs. It tells us in verse 22 that his face fell, he ran, he was eager, he had excitement. There's got to be something I can do to inherit eternal life. And Jesus says, okay, I'll tell you. And he said, yeah, yeah. I want to hear give away everything and then come and follow me. And he just dropped his countenance fell and he went away. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:37:49]: Sad, for he had many possessions. Many possessions or great possessions. And I always like to think about that word, great. It can mean many. But I can also picture the guy saying, I can't get rid of this. This thing is great, and I can't get rid of that. That's great. And I can't empty my bank account because, boy, what a great amount that is in my bank account. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:38:23]: That's great. I can't get rid of that. I can't give that away. And he was immediately sad because he realized he was unwilling to do what the Lord called him to do. Did you know that's a possibility you can hear from the Lord and then be unwilling to do it? Going back a step, when you invite the Lord to direct you, you should also prepare yourself, because what the Lord might direct you in might not be in something that you would be excited about and a willingness to obey. The Lord needs to be without condition, without strings attached. Lord, direct me in what you want for me. As long as I like it and I enjoy it, and it's something that I can be excited about and happy about. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:39:29]: As long as it makes me happy, as long as I would agree with you on it, then I will obey you. That's not an approach to the Lord that is acceptable. We need to invite the Lord to direct us, but then we need to be willing, count the cost and do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. Pastor Thomas Constable says abandoning his physical security and trusting in Jesus was too great a risk to take. This man's wealth brought him sorrow instead of joy. It was too great of a risk. If I give everything away, how am I going to live? How am I going to have joy? How am I going to be able to retire if I give everything away? That's too big of a risk, too many unknowns in my life. I'm a young man, Jesus, I can't give everything away. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:40:33]: It was too great a risk. And so his countenance fell. He went away sad. When you invite the Lord to direct you, when you let Him identify what it is that's happening in your heart that needs to be addressed, I would encourage you brace yourself a little bit. I mean, there's really no way around it. You're going to be sad. When Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and take up the cross daily, what do you think that means? That means our heart's going to be longing for things, wanting things, pursuing things, chasing things. There's a battle that's happening. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:22]: Our heart does not want to be submitted to the Lord. There is going to be some sorrow involved. When you invite the Lord to direct you, you need to understand god's going to call you away from some things that you love. He's going to call you into some things that you don't want. And the real lordship of Christ in your life is going to be tested. Will you be submitted to the Lord when what he wants is different than what your heart wants? And this is a reality. There's no way around it. I'm sorry to be the bearer of tough news this morning. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:42:13]: You will be sad. Now, that's not the end of the story. We'll get to .4. There's more to come, but there's no escaping this part. And you can't get around this. You have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily. You have to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord, even if it involves great sacrifice. In verse 23, Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:42:51]: And this completely shocked the disciples. This was completely contrary to anything they had ever known. We talked about this a little bit on Wednesday as well. In their thinking, in their mindset, wealth in this life was evidence of righteousness. And so they saw a rich young ruler, they thought, wow, this guy's righteous. Look how wealthy he is. And so if the righteous person can't get saved, it's hard for them to be saved. The disciples are saying, well, who then can be saved? And Jesus doesn't fully address and deal with that misconception in their minds and hearts, but he acknowledges it is hard in fact, it's impossible. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:43:38]: Humanly speaking, it's impossible, but not with God. Everything is possible with God. Now, I'm not going to get into all of that just right now, but let's just focus on this guy, his personal situation here. It's not the riches themselves which make it hard to enter the kingdom of God. It is the love, the grasp, the hold of those riches in the heart of this man. And you can substitute other things in there for yourself. There are things for each of us that would compete and make it hard for us to enter the kingdom of God because our hearts would want to hold on to it. And when the Lord identifies it, it's hard. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:44:41]: We thirst for things. We crave things. We want things. Our heart is set on things. And are we willing to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord? Sometimes you see this happen in a person's life. You see some progress. A person will get interested in spiritual things. They'll start to get involved in spending time in the Bible. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:45:11]: They'll start to show up for Bible studies and prayer. They'll start to draw near. And then very often, there's a very clear point where, boom, they're gone. It's that point where there was the interest, there was the invitation. Lord, I want you to work in my life. And the Lord brought them to a decision point. You must choose. You're going to follow me, or you're going to follow that relationship? You're going to follow me, or are you going to pursue that career? You're going to follow me, or are you going to stay in that sin that you're engaged in? Are you going to follow me or not? And people come to that point. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:46:01]: It's a decision point, and it will reveal whether or not I'm willing to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. We need to hold on to this heart, this mindset. The Apostle Paul in Philippians, chapter three, expressed this as well. He says, I don't mean to say that I've already achieved these things. That's Paul's way of saying the starting line is not the finish line. I haven't achieved these things. I haven't reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:46:45]: No, dear brothers and sisters, I've not achieved it. But I focus on this one thing forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. He's expressing this desire to press on, this need to move forward, to continue to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. We sing a song, and I can never remember the name of the song or any other part of the song except for that just says over and over and over again, there's nothing I hold on to. And I actually don't kind of like the song that much because I'm such a literal guy. Like, my mind just works literally, and I just am trying to picture climbing a mountain, not holding on to anything, and I forget what it is I'm talking about as I'm singing that song to the Lord. But anyways, here's what it's talking about. I'm not holding on to anything. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:40]: I'm going to do whatever it takes to follow you, Lord. You want me to give up my wealth, I'll give it up. You want me to give up my power, my influence? I'll give it up. You want me to give up whatever you want me to give up whatever the Lord wants you to give up. Now, giving up wealth without the Lord's direction, you could feel good about it, might be honorable, might deserve some commendation from people around you. But if that's not what the Lord's directing you in, it's not doing whatever it takes to follow the Lord. What are you holding on to? What is your heart holding on to? Let the Lord identify that, and then as he does, you might be sad about it, but don't be sad and walk away. Be sad and follow the Lord. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:31]: And his promise is that it will be worth it. But you have to come to this place where you are willing to say, yes, Lord, whatever it takes, no matter how much it costs, it's going to be personal for some of you. That means right now, today, the Lord is directing you. You need to address that sin in your life. It's sin. You know it'sin, and you've been accommodating it, you've been allowing it, and you need to root it out. You need to let it go. You need to repent of it and confess it before the Lord. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:49:08]: You need to remove that from your life. For some people, it means you need to end that relationship. Now, I'm not talking about a marriage, okay? For married people, it means you need to stay in that marriage, right? But before that, there's an out. And sometimes we are willing to hold on to those relationships beyond what God has called us to. For some, maybe it is wealth and there is a change there that God wants to address. For some, it's a career. For some, perhaps it's your plan for your kids. If the Lord speaks to Kim and I and says, you need to move out of the country, go to China, sell everything, you'll never see your family again, you're never going to see that house again, you're never going to be able to spend time with the people you love like that again. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:02]: But you need to go to China. Then what are we going to do? Say, Lord, no, we want what we want and forget you, we're going to do it our way? No, it would be incredibly hard. We would be really sad. But what are we going to do? We have to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to follow the Lord? Some people god does call that to you. And we all wish and hope that it's somebody else and not us. Reading the account of the rich young ruler, I think we all get a little bit nervous. Like, reading the account of Job. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:47]: Great for that guy, but not for me, right? Don't want that for me. But it's going to be worth it. And so we can look forward to eternal rewards. That's point number four, verses 28 through 31. Then Peter began to speak up. We've given up everything to follow you, he said. Yes, Jesus replied. And I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the good news will receive now and return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and property, along with persecution. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:51:24]: And in the world to come, that person will have eternal life. But many who are greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Peter recognizes, hey, that's what we did. What you're asking that guy to do, that's what we did. We left our nets. We followed you. And Jesus said, yeah, and you know what? There's reward for that. The reality is, as much as it hurts for us to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Jesus, as much as it hurts for our hearts to let go of those things, there is no real sacrifice to respond to the Lord in that way. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:52:05]: There's a cost. There's a price to pay. But it's a temporary price. It's a temporary pain. And the reward is guaranteed to be far greater than whatever investment you put in, you'll receive now, in return, 100 times as many. And in eternal life, or in eternity, you will have eternal life. There is so much more, a far exceeding weight of glory. The apostle Paul describes it. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:52:32]: When you follow the Lord wholeheartedly, jesus promises blessings in this life. He promises persecutions in this life. Those will live side by side simultaneously, many times, but ultimately, he promises eternal life. It's going to be glorious. It's going to be great. It's going to be worth it, and you will have no regrets. And so this morning, I encourage you to consider your personal, ongoing plan for eternal life. It starts with you recognizing that only God is good, as you recognize Him and his position. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:53:11]: Invite Him to direct you or allow Him to show you what is going on in your heart, what you're holding on to and what you're desiring. And as he leads you, do whatever it takes sacrifice, any sacrifice he calls you to make, no matter how much it costs. If it costs you billions of dollars, it's worth it to lay it all aside to follow the Lord. Look forward to your eternal rewards. Look forward to those things that he has in store for you. You can hold on to those promises, they're guarantees. And so the sacrifices that he calls you to make will be different than those around you. Perhaps that's why it's personal, it's ongoing, because we never move past this need to hear from the Lord and allow Him to direct us the condition and status of our heart and the willingness to do whatever it takes to follow Him. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:07]: But it will always result in something far greater. The starting line is not the finish line. You're not there yet. And so this morning, I encourage you, invite the Lord to direct you and begin to decide, begin to determine. Even now, I understand there's going to be a price. It's going to cost, it's going to hurt. But I'm willing to do whatever it is that you want me to do to follow you. I want to draw near to you. Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:41]: I want to be close to you. I want to honor you. Lord. I pray that you would help us to recognize Your goodness, your position, your status. You alone, our God and Lord, our hearts are often not wanting to be submitted to you. Would you help us with that, Lord? Would you show us areas of our hearts that are out of sync, out of line, trying to get away with rebellion, trying to get away with a pursuit of things besides Your will for us? Or would you help us to have clear insight into those things, those matters of our own hearts which we're often blind to? And as you show us, Lord lord, we're going to need some help and strength. We're going to need some reminders of Your promises to understand that it's worth it to trust you and receive Your Word above our own. Lord, would you help us to lay aside anything that you highlight, anything that you identify? Or would you help us to jump in to any direction, any path that you set before us? Would you help us to be responsive and obedient as you speak to us? We pray this in Jesus name, amen.