God Made A Way

God Made a Way

Mark 10:23-34

Good morning.

I read on article on Christianity.com that spoke about God’s people in the Bible, accomplishing impossible tasks.

• Moses drew water from a stone.

• Barren women conceived.

• Esther saved her Jewish kin from slaughter.

• A virgin, (named) Mary, gave birth to the Son of God.

• Job was a man of God who lost everything, but the Almighty “was able to do in Job’s life what was impossible by human effort,”

“With God All Things Are Possible”. We must remember…

1. Power to accomplish the impossible comes from God.

2. The impossible is accomplished for God’s glory.

3. The impossible is accomplished for our good.

The Lord God is the Creator of all things, so He can do things that are impossible for mere humans, as He wills.

Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark 10 as we continue in a verse-by-verse study of that Gospel.

Last week in Mark, some people brought children to Jesus.

What a great lesson for all parents, bring your kids to Jesus.

Then a rich young ruler watched the scene unfold with the children being blessed and said, “I have all things I need, except the kingdom of heaven.”

Once this man recognized his real need he asked the question, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Jesus said to the rich, young ruler, “One thing you lack.” Instead of arguing, Jesus told the man his real need of finding fulfillment and salvation, which does not come from doing.

In Mark 10:22, we see this man went away sorrowful; Alan Cole said this is the only time someone went away sorrowful from Jesus; because he loved money more than he loved Jesus.

Today, Jesus will explain why it is impossible to be saved apart from Him, but with God; all things are possible.

I. Some trust in wealth.

Read Mark 10:23-26

David Guzik said, “We often excuse ourselves from what Jesus said here because we don’t consider ourselves rich.”

“Yet compared to this rich young ruler, each one of us enjoys more luxuries and comforts than he did.”

Why is it hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God?

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. NIV

Money is Amoral, it is neither right nor wrong; because it is an inanimate object, there is nothing evil or wrong with money.

But the Apostle Paul told Timothy the real issue with money…

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

During the last several weeks, while studying the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has taught about having child-like faith.

We have learned that a child is completely dependent on adults for safety, sustenance, and knowledge. Christians who have child-like faith, are absolutely, dependent upon the Lord.

Child-like faith is humble, teachable, and trusting, like a child.

When we put our trust and hope in money, we are not trusting the Lord like a child.

Usually, someone who has amassed a lot of money, has learned to be self-sufficient, but Jesus wants us to dependent upon Him and receive what we need from Him, not by our own works.

Mark 10:24 says the Disciples were astonished at His words, which means to be thunderstruck, surprised or frightened.

Warren Wiersbe said, “The disciples were shocked at the Lord’s declaration about wealth, because most Jews thought that the possession of great wealth was the evidence of God’s special blessing.

Many people today still cling to this error, in spite of the message of Job, the example of Christ and the apostles, and the clear teaching of the New Testament.

“In the case of this young man, his wealth robbed him of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life.” (Warren Wiersbe)

Were the Disciples frightened thinking no one could enter the kingdom, or were they surprised by something specific?

The Disciples were probably thinking that Jesus should have associated with influential people in order to grow the Kingdom of God, because influential people have all the connections.

The world looks for rich, good looking and influential people as the ones that should find favor and privilege.

At that time, rich people had all the advantages, and they would be chosen first for everything in the world, because of talents, intellect, and personality; but not so with the Kingdom of Christ.

Jesus looks for the surrendered, humble heart, who longs to serve the Lord, because the last shall be first in the kingdom.

Notice, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”