Mark: You Lack One Thing

Preached on 7.6.08 by Dustin Neeley
Sermon Notes

MARK: You Lack One Thing

“17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will 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. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:17-31 ESV

“Good Teacher” Debated on exactly what he is saying here.
“what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Consistent with his culture’s view.
“commandments…” Reciting the second table of the Law.
“all these I have kept from my youth.” He was a ‘righteous’ man in the world’s eyes.
“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him” Shows the compassion of Jesus.

P: Inheriting eternal life is not about us doing anything. It is about receiving what Jesus has already done on our behalf.
Am I rightly accepting the gift that God has given me?

“sell all that you have…” Not a command for all Christians. His particular issue.
“for he had great possessions” Why he was disheartened. Wealth was his center.

P: The fact that the young man had money was not the problem. It was the fact that the money he had ‘had him.’

“How difficult it will be for those…” Why? Self-sufficiency. No need for God.

Hearing Jesus Clearly:
1. Jesus is not condemning money but, rather, the love of money.
2. Selling everything and giving it to the poor is not a command for every Christian everywhere in all of history.
3. We do, however, need to be very careful with wealth of any kind.
4. The deeper issue here is actually not even wealth at all—it is idolatry.

What am I clinging to as an idol in my life? (Even good things can become ‘god-things’.)

“amazed…children how difficult…” Strong word. Repeated for emphasis.
“exceedingly astonished… Then who can be saved?” Stronger language. Blown away.
“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

P: God can save us when no one else can.
Do I marvel at the grace of God that has been shown to me?

P: What is impossible with men is possible with God (Lk. 18:27b)
What impossible thing do I need God to do in my life? Am I bringing it before Him?

“See, we have left everything and followed you.” Peter saying “we’ve got it!”
“left house or brothers… for my sake… who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time…houses and brothers… with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”

P: The most realistic and biblically faithful picture of Christianity includes both blessings and difficulties.
Do I have a correct picture of Christianity?

P: Jesus promises to more than repay anything we sacrifice for Him and the Gospel.
Is there any evidence of this in my own life?

“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” The nature of Jesus’ kingdom.

P: Jesus’ Kingdom is ‘upside down.’

What is the ‘one thing’ that is keeping you from walking in the goodness of the Kingdom?

*How We Become Christians (By Grace Alone through Faith Alone):
1. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see that we are sinners and that the finished work of Jesus is our only hope to be made right with God (the whole Bible).
2. The Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus (no one comes…)
3. We place our faith in Jesus and are saved/converted etc. (justification).
4. We begin the life-long process of becoming like Jesus (sanctification).

Works Consulted : Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Life Application Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, Messages by Steve Hart, Hunter Beaumont, Tim Keller, Numerous Other Commentaries on Mark