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!
Friends a watch may lack a spring, a motor may lack an engine a computer may lack a processor a human may lack a heart. But what use is a watch without a spring, a motor without an engine a computer without a processor a human without a heart?
Friends if we lack one thing we fall short of Gods standard.
V19- 21 Jesus opens up with the law, the very law he professes to keep v20. Jesus hear will expose the mans real problem. He has broken the 1st commandment. Ex:20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.
Ever took the commandment test. The requirement is 100%. Thats why Psalm 19:7 the law of the law is perfect reviving the soul:
b) Law before Grace Romans 3:19,20 Jesus used the law
You see before you can receive the grace of God, you must receive the law of God it’s the law of God, which reveals sin in our lives, it’s the law of God which brings about repentance and faith.
Application: If you have a Faith today in God even in Jesus and its never been held accountable before the law of God and your faith is without repentance over sin, then it’s a completely inadequate faith, its no faith at all.
Inadequate faith
That’s what this man had he was religious from childhood he became a synagogue ruler a prestigious position within the community, he kept certain commands, he was eager and sincere and even had a high opinion of Jesus. But he was’nt prepared to let go of his god he wanted grace but he did’nt want the law of God.
c) V21 Money was his god
Jesus reveals to us that this man had another god it was money. Jesus says we cannot serve God and money. The Bible also says, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It’s either one or the other.
Jesus is saying, what’s it going to be? Riches before regeneration, Gold before God, silver before salvation? You must make your choice.
His wealth prevented him from following Jesus and receiving eternal life. He was’nt prepared to simply trust Jesus and count the cost and serve God with his money v21.
The Dead Sea is so salty that it contains no fish or plant life. What accounts for this unusual condition? The are absolutely no outlets! Great volumes of water pours into this area, but nothing flows out. Many inlets plus no outlets equal a Dead Sea.
This law of nature may also be applied to some of us here today are we always receiving but unable to give out. Do you have any outlets?
d) Are we counting the cost with our finances?
If were honest that’s one of the last places to be truly sanctified in our own lives our wallets consider your own finances what percentage do you give of your total income back to God remember God has given us so much.
It cost Jesus a life of service and sacrifice.
Thwew majority of Wesleys wealth was given away to God so was CT Studd’s mass of wealth, these men truely brought the whole tithe into the store house. Their very lives were given consecrated to God.
3) Are we prepared to count the cost and forsake our love.
Lets face it out of the abundance we receive, we have become a nation which is totally self sufficient having no need for God, because we have our own centred on money. He keeps us occupied, he controls and dictates our lives, he gets us what we want, but actually out of the abundance of our wealth, it can actually become our deficiency and prevent us from living to our full potential.
Who/what is your first love?
There is a story of a south American Indian who was being shown around New York by a friend: Amongst the hustle and bustle of the commuters, the Taxi and car engines screeching and blowing horns the street vendors shouting out their wares, the noise of all the people can become a cacophony of noise. Yet amongst it all the Indian stopped. And said, so do you hear that?What? The singing of bird in the tree. His friend said, "how can you hear anything in all this noise?¨ He said, it’s a question of where your heart is? Watch this, he throwedt a quarter onto the sidewalk, half a dozen people turned around as they heard the quiet drop of the coin amongst all the noise. One even tried to grab it but it rolled into the gutter. You see its dependant upon what our hearts are fixated upon.
Don’t get me wrong riches are not wrong and rich people will enter the kingdom of God v23 its just that much harder for them Jesus says v25. But if money or anything else to that matter becomes a higher priority than God, it will be a hindrance.
Jesus looks at all of us today and he loves us all. But He will measure us all in the light of his commandments: Is there something preventing you from receiving eternal life. V19 You know the commandments: He said to the young man and he says it to us:
4) Responding appropriately will not lose its reward v28 - 31
V21 Notice Jesus sees into the young mans very soul.
Jesus knew his dilemma, right from the beginning. He never condemned him he loved him. He gave the man the opportunity to respond. The man made the choice in so doing it was he who condemned Himself
V22 The mans failed in responding appropriately
He went away sad. He wasn’t prepared to let go. He had another god he loved his riches more than he loved the redeemer,he failed to experience true riches in Christ and receive eternal life. Although He knew there was more he could’nt part with the present to gain the future.
What about you will you turn away sad, is your hearts affection somewhere else?
Rudyard Kipling once gave a public address at McGill University in Montreal. He warned them about making money, position or glory their life ambition. Someday, he said, you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are.
V23 People fail to understand that condemnation is brought about through our own refusal towards Gods mercy, God is not some vindictive Being who enjoys to see individuals suffer. This young man had the opportunity!
The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish, and that all should come to repentance: It also says: Jesus never came into the world to condemn the world but to save it. We all get a choice, to receive eternal life or reject it.
Responding appropriately,there is a cost V28,31.
All those people who believe the gospel and follow Jesus and commit 100% will not lose there reward, they appear to have nothing they have given up much and also suffer but in this present age they will receive more and in the age to come eternal life!
"Are your prepared to count the cost? Then respond appropiatly in repentance and faith and recieve Jesus Christ today as Saviour and Lord."
