December 3, 2000, SM: Saving Power of Jesus Christ

December 3rd, 2000, Sunday Morning

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"The Saving Power of Jesus Christ"

It doesn't come from riches, good works, or your self-righteousness

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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