Thers's Something Missing

There¡¦s Something Missing

Mark 10:17-22

17Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ¡§Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?¡¨

18So Jesus said to him, ¡§Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19You know the commandments: ¡¥Do not commit adultery,¡¦ ¡¥Do not murder,¡¦ ¡¥Do not steal,¡¦ ¡¥Do not bear false witness,¡¦ ¡¥Do not defraud,¡¦ ¡¥Honor your father and your mother.¡¦¡¨ 20And he answered and said to Him, ¡§Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.¡¨ 21Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ¡§One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.¡¨ 22But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Last Sunday we spent some time taking a ¡§Spiritual Examination.¡¨ (Copies are available) Following the exam thee were a number of people who felt they needed to do some reviewing through prayer. It¡¦s always good to see folks talking to God about their life. This morning I¡¦d like us to spend a little time looking at someone in scripture who also reviewed his life and the conclusions he came up with.

I. ¡§Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?¡¨

In the first part of Mark 10 we see Jesus being followed by a large crowd. Jesus began to teach them concerning life and the Kingdom of God.

This man obviously was listening and decided to ask The Lord about his personal situation.

a. What shall I do? (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,)

Jesus spoke to him saying ¡§19You know the commandments:¡¨ In other words, you know what you are supposed to do. And then The Lord reviewed the commandments, but not all of them.

We each know that we are to honor God, but it wasn¡¦t his relationship to God that was lacking. The commands Jesus spoke to him about all referred to his relationship with other people. This man, like many today, was living for himself.

When he responded that he was doing everything Jesus had mentioned The Lord made it clear that there was something missing: One thing you lack: What was it?

II. Stop Living for Self and Start Living for Jesus

a. Let¡¦s look at some important words in this verse: go, sell, give, have, take, come, follow

1. Go: If we are going to live for Jesus we must be actively involved

2. Sell: If we are going to Live for Jesus we must be willing to use our resources for Him and His kingdom

a. The New Testament church in Acts

2:44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 4:32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

When we become a part of the family of God we are no longer alone. We are grafted into the body of the church; we use the resources of the body (love, forgiveness, encouragement, hope, etc.); Since we use resources we must be willing to share what we have with the body.

This young man had much, but he was keeping it all to himself.

3. Give: When Jesus commissioned the 12 He said in Matthew 10:5-8

5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: ¡§Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as you go, preach, saying, ¡¥The kingdom of heaven is at hand.¡¦ 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, „Traise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

In this life material possessions are symbolic of accomplishment. If you have much then others look at you and believe that you are successful. With the Kingdom of God possessions are not ours; everything belongs to the Father, we are stewards for Him.

And yet we try to hold out, living for ourselves, unwilling to share with the body. What did God do, and what does He continue to do

Romans 8:32 not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

He continues to give to His children; God wants us to give to His children; don¡¦t live a selfish life