Betting on the Wrong World - Part 1

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Please make your donation to vision on today we send out all day. As a Christian you living in two different rooms one that operates in man's economy never go to: you know the difference in point of the jury more towards a closer look at the branches of stored treasures on earth, and the benefits of building treasures in heaven, in search of Savior placement meeting on the wrong world in search of the Savior is the title we have given to me third section of the book of Mark, which we are completing now during this time. Today were going to be in the 10th chapter versus 23 through 31 were talking about betting on the wrong world. Tomorrow will finish up this discussion from Mark chapter 10 and on Thursday were going to celebrate Thanksgiving together in a very special one day message program right now. Let's get back to our Bibles and back to the discussion. This is called betting on the wrong world to remember when we met.

The last time we were introduced to a man whose only name was the rich young ruler, a man who had everything money could buy.

Along with it. Prominence and prestige and position, but he came to Jesus, longing for an answer to the ache that was still left in his heart, and the Lord Jesus heard him and conversed with him and then gave him some very troubling instruction. He told him to go and sell everything that he had and give it to the poor, and take up his cross and follow Jesus and as we left the story we were told that when the man heard that he went away sad and as far as we know, became the only person in the Bible who left Jesus in worse condition than when he found and now we read the rest of the story beginning at the 23rd verse then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples. How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God and the disciples were astonished at his words.

But Jesus answered again and said to them, children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. 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 and they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, who then can be saved and Jesus looked at them and said with men it is impossible, but not with God, but with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say to him see we have left all and followed you and Jesus answered and said assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who was left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my sake and the gospel, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. Many who are first will be last. The last will be first the great challenges of being a follower of Jesus Christ in the world in which we live is the very fact that we are citizens of two different worlds all at the same time we live in this world with all of its issues and were citizens of heaven were were going to be for eternity and on about the rest of you, but many many times during given week.

Those two worlds collide in my life and I have to stop and take note of what's going on and I discovered that it takes a proactive approach to the Christian life to make sure that you keep the right world and focus because we are constantly being garage with messages from this world through television, the radio, the Internet through Facebook, Twitter, all of the various means of communication today the message in those is almost never about the real world it's always about this world that we live in. And as you know these two worlds are totally different the world in which you and I live is a world which is all about prospects and pleasures and possessions and perspectives in power and the other world. The world which is ours because of our relationship with Christ has a fairly different set of values so that all the time I'm living for the Lord all the time I'm walking with the Lord.

Unfortunately, the background music is sometimes the message of this world vision on subtleness about that for all of us. If we are honest, sometimes we wish we could just shut this world often let the other world be our focus, but we cannot be so heavenly minded were no earthly good. So here we are followers of Christ, we have to live out our faith in a world that's antagonistic to what we believe and we have to believe in a world that we have yet to see and everyone of us every day makes decisions about which world will dominate and dictate our priorities. The Lord Jesus in this passage that we have in front of us, helps us understand the uniqueness of each world in the first part of the text that we have read we get a little look at the wealth of this world and we began with Jesus, looking around and saying to his disciples after the rich young ruler had walked away with his head down. How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God and the disciples were astonished at his words and Jesus answered again and said to them children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. 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.

Jesus message is simple and it's clear. In fact he repeats the same idea three different times.

How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. How hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God and then the blockbuster of all three. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

A more literal translation of verse 23 would read like this. How hard is it for those who have things to end the kingdom of God. How hard is it for those who have stuff to enter the kingdom of God. The wealth of this world are things if were not careful can be a barrier to following Christ. Why is that so why is it difficult for the rich. For those who have a lot of money or possessions, and by the way, don't be thinking if somebody you know like that because you are the person everybody in this room is rich compared to the average person in the world, and it may take a little imagination on your part to think about that but you are rich, what you say it out loud I am rich I am British you are already and the things that you have of the things that I have. While they are a blessing from God. If we are not careful they can get in our way and for those of you who do not know Christ. If your heart is set upon achieving a certain lifestyle or a certain monetary number in your life. If you're not careful you put your trust in that and you will miss the most important thing in life to give some reasons why the wealth of this world doesn't work in the long run. First of all the wealth of this world is inadequate to all outward appearances, the rich young ruler lack for anything Amini had money. He was a rumor he had prestige.

He was young he was in the bright glow of his youth. We believe in his early 30s. He was respected.

He was looked up to, but he was empty, and as you know one day he came running after Jesus saying, good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life. In other words, how can I fix this hole in my heart he had everything, but he had nothing and he didn't have what he needed because he couldn't afford it. You say wait a minute I thought you told me he was rich as he was, but he had no idea what he needed how much it cost.

You see, the reason he couldn't afford it. And the reason it was inadequate was because God is so rich and if you stood before heavens door and said I want to know what I can do to have eternal life. Almighty God would've said you can afford it because what you want in order to have eternal life is the most expensive commodity that's ever been in existence in the history of the world. My own son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you can afford. He's too expensive. None of us can afford him. He is way too expensive for any of us will all of us put together all that you can imagine the son of God, is worth more than all of the world and its riches put together.

So if you think you can go to heaven based upon your wealth. Let me just tell you you don't have enough it's inadequate Almighty God is to rich in your way to poor. Let's consider once more the example of the rich young ruler he had it all, but he didn't have enough the wealth of this world is not only inadequate, but the wealth of this world is insecure. The problem with the wealth that you have in this world. As you might not have it tomorrow.

Can I get a witness for all of you who used to have a 401(k) and now have a 101K you know what I'm talking about.

We been through some rather interesting times where what we thought we had. We don't have for not careful, we can look up one day and our treasure isn't there anymore. Jesus put it this way in a passage that we find in Matthew chapter 6, he said, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on this earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. You know that Jesus is just speaking the truth using the vernacular of his day on. We have mobs today, but we pretty much got a handle on that. We have rust.

That's probably not a major problem, but how many of you know if you have stuff. It's always broken or it's always been updated by something better and that and if you're not careful you look around. Everything's cool. All of a sudden something breaks or somebody.

Here's what happened to me this happens all the time, whatever stuff you have your someone is wrong with it being a full-time person just to take care your stuff.

Amen.

So my wife tells me that the pool guy came by and we have a pool behind her house and checked out her pool and he says your heater won't work anymore and she says why she said the rats have eaten the wires. I was surprised I didn't know the rats ate wires, but they did the ate up all the wires on my heating system I gotta tear it all out and put it all back in the moths got my treasure is it interesting that that's pretty much the standard figure. Houses were cars are out of service. Computers no longer are good enough. Every year they come out with a new model. You gotta keep upgrading in order to state you guys got it. You know what I'm talking about. Jesus is the problem with the wealth of this world is you can't count on it. It's not secure it's here today and gone tomorrow. The wealth of this world is inadequate. It's insecure and here's the most difficult one. It's intoxicating. The wealth of this world is intoxicating.

Here's what John Calvin said about that old John Calvin long time ago listen to his words because of the depravity of the human mind.

It is almost impossible for those who have great abundance to avoid being intoxicated by money is intoxicating money is always promising more that it can deliver money. As always, if you just have a little bit more. You'll be happy. And then when you get a little bit more you find out that you're not happy so you need a little bit more, so it's almost like being addicted isn't addicted to more and the question is how much is enough will.

How much is enough is a little bit more than I have sold the intoxication of wealth continually is a struggle not only for people who are following Jesus, but for all of us who are we face situations in our lives as followers of Christ do not work. We have to sit down sometimes and say okay this is going to be something that will have to do with the work to come the salvation of souls. The life of missions. A new building to help people know more about Jesus and this is something I could use for myself, to build my stuff and then we have to weigh it and we have to decide always doing that always living in between these two worlds. Everybody with me on that is natural as believers were constantly moving with the tension of two worlds in the wealth of this world will promise us.

What it cannot deliver to us the story of Jesus that he told about sowing the seed and he said some of falls on different kinds of ground that he said sometimes the seed falls on ground were thorns grow up and choke it so that the word of God is choked out and in the Gospels we are given some of those thorns. In fact, in Mark chapter 4 verse 19 here are some of the forms listen to these thorns that the Bible says if you're a follower of Christ can choke the word out in your life. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things.

Enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. All three of those things fit into the realm of materialism done today, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, that's the intoxication of riches and the desires for other things. One of the disadvantages of being wealthy, primarily, that it can ruin your soul, it's easy for an earnest manner. Women to become so attached to material riches that he forgets what is infinitely more important wealth naturally works at perverting your values so that soon you know the price of everything and you know the value thing.

That's why it's so important for us as believers to keep our head on straight when it comes to this matter and has the greatest possibility of getting its clutches around us and drawing us away from what really matters. See this all the time. I remember when I first started here in our family was young and I was trying to do my best to see the church grow and some things were happening outside and I had to come to grips with the values of life. I hear guys tell me all the time but I couldn't get to his game because I had a planning meeting. I had to be in this meeting for two minute.

What you been watching me for years I come all games.

I don't miss anything hardly ever what surprises me is so often how many kids never have their parents there have to work.

What I'm going to go to work and I realize I have a little more freedom with my schedule and some but that's really learning us is that we have to weigh our values is worth claiming another step in the latter. If you miss out on your kids mother growing up because you never get to live that out again. It's all about values and price and what we do with our lives, and God wants us to make good decisions because he sees the end of it all. And as you know you've heard this he knows that nobody stands at the end of life, and says I wish I'd spent more time at the office. Nobody ever says that so it's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God because he has to give so much up and here's the irony of it all. We all have to give it all up anyway and then so you can give it up now for eternity. Or you can hang onto it now and you'll end up with everybody else. We all given up never seen a hearse with U-Haul and never have the wealth of this world is inadequate. It's insecure. It's intoxicating and it's insufficient.

The Bible says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God know what could that mean well that's caused a great deal of imagination on the part of expositors over the years. Everybody wants to find a way to explain that away so it doesn't mean what it sounds like it means. For instance, some people say that it means it's easier for a camel and they say the word for Canterbury is the word for rope. So let's read it that way. It's easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle of the problem with that is you can't put a rope through the Avenue leader select differences and make right.

Some people say that the word needle. There is a reference to a gate in Jerusalem and you can't take a camel through the needle gate because it's too small so the king was going to get down on its knees and burn itself before it can come through, but there's no evidence for that anywhere in the Scriptures next to somebody's fertile imagination only tell you what it means what it means is it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God what is Jesus saying he's saying it's impossible. It's like putting an elephant foot buttonhole. You can't do it. Jesus uses this as a way of saying to his disciples, don't try. It's foolish. It's useless. It can't work. It'll never happen. You cannot go to heaven if you're trusting in your riches to get you there. It would be like trying to put a camel through the eye of a needle. It's impossible. In fact, he goes on to prove that he uses the word impossible here uses the word of possibility. Almighty God is saying is that if you want to go to heaven and you think you can get there because you got a lot of stuff. It's as easy for you to think that is to think that a camel could somehow be processed through the eye of a needle right in the middle of Jesus interchange with his disciples. He gives us a clue as to how we can enter the kingdom of God.

The answer is wrapped up in one word, it's the word children notice verse 24 children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.

If the wealthy are at a disadvantage when it comes to salvation. The childlike are at an advantage. In fact, in the Bible, the opposite of disadvantage is not advantage the opposite of disadvantage is childlike. This Jesus is the way you get to heaven is not because of all the stuff you have but to the humility that you have to realize you haven't got anything that God needs or wants that all you have his open hands to receive the blessing that he wants to give you do know that it takes a great deal of grace for somebody to receive a gift if you ever notice that a lot of people are so proud that they don't want receive the gift they don't receive a gift from you or from God. They want to make sure that they earned it in the Bible says if you want to go to heaven.

That way, it is impossible to do that is to put a camel through the eye of the needle in a good happen. It can happen.

It's impossible.

So the wealth of this world one has some advantages and none of us wants to make a case for being as poor as we can be the wealth of this world's gonna leave you right left the rich young ruler, realizing there something more that you need to don't have all you have is trust in riches go. This is the series we have called in search of the Savior, and is the exposition of the gospel of Mark had so much fun teaching you these lessons from Mark's gospel which I believe is the most exciting of the four Gospels, which testify of Jesus Christ.

Certain topics that inspire an ongoing interest. For many people there almost all of the bookmark in the book of Mark is that book that uses the word immediately. Over and over again, which means good moves fast you have to hang on with both hands and keep up with the story of Jesus in the book of Mark, while we are moving toward the end of the month.

It won't be long before will be starting a new month. As I mentioned to you earlier. We have a special Thanksgiving day on message coming up after tomorrow and then I will finish up our discussion of the book of Mark, and in a few days will be right back here tomorrow.

I hope you'll join us, right here on this very good station. David Jeremiah for more information on Dr. Jeremiah's current teaching series in search of Savior. Please visit our website. We also find two ways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points and add daily email device. Sign up today and I Jeremiah.org/radio that's David Jeremiah.org/radio sure to ask you a copy of Ali's Hogan's the Bible because finding Jesus in every book in the Bible is yours gift of any amount you can also purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard version. The new international version and you can James version filled with helpful notes and articles for the Jeremiah Jeremiah old/radio Gary hopefully join us tomorrow as we continue the series in search of the Savior is here on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah taking time to listen to all