December 3rd, 2000, Sunday Morning
>> REVIVAL WEEK <<
"The Saving Power of Jesus Christ"
It doesn't come from riches, good works, or your self-righteousness
(Special REVIVAL Speaker: Pastor Jim Payne)
OPENING: Mark 10:17-27, KJV
- Mark 10:18: Before you make a prayer, know who you're talking to. In this
scripture, Jesus Christ is not denying he is not good, but He wants the rich man to make
sure he knows who he's calling "good"--Jesus who is virgin born, sinless, spotless,
and resurrected.
- Mark 10:19: Of the Ten Commandments, Jesus instructs the man
in only the last six because Jesus knew the man's heart.
- Commandments 1-4: Vertical Commandments--your relationship with GOD
- Commandments 5-10: Horizontal Commandments--your relationship with fellow man
- Mark 10:17-27: The story here is this rich man had great possessions
which he believed he acquired from his righteousness, he good works, morality, and goodness.
- Matthew 19:16-26: This is the companion story from the previous
book of the Bible. (It's good to compare scripture)
- Mark 10:20-22: Jesus gave this man the opportunity to prove his
claim he's followed the last six Commandments from his youth. But the man went away sad.
Thus, Jesus proved how much of a sinner this man really was. You can
never earn your salvation through wealth, prosperity, or reputation.
- Mark 10:21: When the man told Jesus he had followed the last
six Commandments from you, Jesus response in loving him means he pitied him because
he was lost and thought salvation came through good works.
- Today, we see the same attitude in people. People conclude their wealth,
righteousness, and strength of character is the result of GOD's blessing in their life.
- The Ten Commandments were given to us not to
save us by following them (the law) but to show
us how exceedingly sinful we are when we break the law.
- Mark 10:23: Why is it so difficult for the rich to enter heaven?
Because with all the riches and satisfaction from riches the rich have, why would they
get excited about a mansion being built for them in heaven when they live in one now?
Rich men trust in their own wealth, riches, and self-righteousness.
- Mark 10:24: The disciples "were astonished" by this
because they believed riches were a blessing.
- There is a distinction between owning riches and being possessed by riches.
It's hard to find someone who's rich with physical prosperity and not lean on it.
- When you buy a yacht, wide-screen TV, car, etc. you're more likely to stop
going to Sunday school and then church altogether because you need to play with all
your temporal toys!
- Money will be the last thing on your mind on Judgment Day.
The transparent gold streets of the New Jerusalem are asphalt to GOD!
- Invariably, GOD blesses people with wealth to the point people begin to not
be able to tithe with all the money they're making!
They slowly give up their place in church, then Sunday school, because they need to play
with all the new toys they've bought!
- When all your bills are paid and you still have spending money afterwards,
it's easy to become corrupted by trusting in that money.
- Michael Jackson used to be a handsome singer. Then he got money and became
weird and changed his looks over and over again.
- To rich people, trusting is in the stock market, in 401K's, and in presidential
election committees.
- Rich people need electric fences and cameras circling their property for
protection. It's like a jailhouse. But the poor man who trusts GOD stands outside his
trailer house, chewing on a weed, with not a care in the world. Even poor possessions
and property can bring joy to one's life if used for GOD's glory.
- Mark 10:25,27: This is Jesus' way of saying that rich people who
trust in their money will never enter Heaven. Why? Because a camel cannot pass through
the eye of a needle. Therefore, from verse 27, we can conclude there is not other way but
with GOD's help that we can enter Heaven.
- Remember Jesus didn't have a good life in earth, even from His beginning.
He was a carpenter who built things and had a master. Jesus paid his taxes by fishing.
- Jesus had three looks:
- Mark 10:21: Love - meaning you can be
saved.
- Mark 10:23: Sorrow - he didn't want the man to go away.
- Mark 10:27: Hope - even with (not possessed by) riches,
it is possible to enter Heaven.
CLOSER
- Two famous founders:
- John Calvin (Calvinism): founded the school of thought. He believed in
"divine election" where GOD chose who was saved
before the world even began. A form of limited atonement.
- Joe Armen (Armenism): Believed it was up to you to get right with GOD by
your free will.
- BOTH ARE WRONG because our salvation is dependent on Jesus Christ going
to the cross and dying for our sins.
- You have to make a choice today--like the rich man did. And like the rich
men of the world today, they will sadly turn and walk away from the church because they
trust in and don't want to part with their worldly riches.
- 1 Timothy 2:3-5: Jesus Christ is the provision to make our
saving (which GOD finds "good and acceptable")
possible. Therefore, if you die and go to hell, it's not because no one died for you but
rather you refused the saving grace.
- 1 Timothy 4:9-10: Read this scripture. "specially of those that
believe" means that for those to go to hell, Christ is still their Saviour! But those
who believe are the ones saved and going to heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: Jesus "died for all" because
we're all born spiritually dead.
- The rich man asked Jesus how to get eternal life because he knew he was
faced with eternal death.
- 2 Peter 3:9: Contrary to many, GOD does not want to
see any of us pay the price in an eternal hell.
- HOWEVER, as in the story of the rich man who sadly turned away from Jesus,
Jesus will not chase after you to plead that you follow Him
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