Counting The Cost

Mark 10:17 V 31. Called to count the cost.

"Are we counting the cost?

Are you like me when it comes to swimming,I appear to have an aversion to water...Some people just dive right in, without blinking an eye, but I can’t help just dipping in with my toes. I’m not prepared to dive right in and count the cost of the extreme cold."

Well in becoming a Christian and in the Christian life there is always a cost.

For instance: It cost Mary and Joseph the comforts of home during a long period in exile in Egypt to protect their little baby.

It cost the parents, in and around Bethlehem, the massacre of their babies by the cruel order of Herod.

It cost the shepherds the complacency of their shepherds life, with the call to the manger and to tell the good news.

It cost the wise men a long journey and expensive gifts and changed lives.

It cost John the Baptist his head on a platter

It cost the early apostles and the early Church persecution and sometimes death.

It cost missioniares of Christ untold suffering and privation to spread the good news.

It cost Christian martyrs in all ages their lives for Christ’s sake.

More than all this, it cost God the Father, His own Son, He sent Him to earth to save us!

It cost Jesus a life of sacrifice and service, a death cruel and unmatched in history. I wonder what has it cost you? What has it cost me?

Introduction:

We are all called to count the cost.Here we must have one of the saddest accounts in all of Scripture, of a rich young man who is desirous for eternal life, but is called to the count the cost, but he’s not prepared to count the cost it’s to much for him, he goes away sad, because he’s not prepared to count the cost and so loses out on eternal life.

1) The Rich young ruler appears to be counting the cost v18-20

This account is also highlighted in two other gospels Matthew and Luke, as we look at the other accounts we see that this was a young man, who was rich but also very religious Luke tells us also he was a synagogue ruler a person placed in charge of the synagogue. Involved in the administration and all things pertaining to the matters of the synagogue. He also had kept (the commandments from childhood). From a young age he had a religious upbringing.

Maybe he was searching for something more? Most religous people are searching?

He was unlike the Pharisees who simply came to test Jesus to undermine him, he comes as a religious young man with the desire to ask a sincere question which appears to be laying heavy on his mind. In his eagerness as he runs to Jesus and falls upon his knees and utters a profound question.

V17. Good teacher,he asked, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Is’nt this a question which lays heavy on all our minds if were honest, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Here is the million Dollar question? On the quiz show

"Who wants to be a millionaire?" "How do we recieve eternal life?"

Wasn’t he doing enough? He appears to have great credentials?

1. He was devout from childhood keeping the commands. V20 (Have you been?)

2. Holding a prominent position within the synagogue as ruler. Luke 18:18 (Do you?)

3. He was eager and humble to know the truth. V17 (Are you?)

4. He uttered a profound complimentary statement before Jesus v17. (have you?)

All these things seem to make him a prime candidate for eternal life wouldn’t yout say? What if you were to see him wouldn’t he be guaranteed eternal life?

If he was giving 95% but he is 5% short? Of course the answer is found in Jesus’s reply.

2) But Jesus in love, exposes the superficiality of it all v21

Here we see the love of God in the face of Jesus notice what Mark picks out here

v21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. We see here that Jesus has genuine love for this man even though he knew that this man would not follow Him.

No matter who you are,God loves you.. But the love of God is not superficial love, where he gives us only approval and ignores the truth, that’s what this man really desires. Jesus isnt prepared to just gloss over our lives, instead in love he is able to give tough advice. Jesus is prepared to be straight with the man. To offer life changing possibilities!

Are you prepareed to facethetruth about your spiritual condition starting today?

a) V21 He lacked one thing, yes but what a thing!