Entering the Kingdom

When we come back from the Feast, I hope everyone is on a high. From the sermons that you've heard, and the Feast of Tabernacles should be one of those times that pumps us up each year. And we come back more determined to serve God, more determined to get closer to Him, more looking forward to the Kingdom when all the things that we picture at the Feast come about. And it's always a challenge to come up with what to speak about, because I know you've heard some very, very good sermons during the Feast. But I want to take you to a scripture we would normally read, and we'll read again next week for the child, the blessing of little children service. Let's go over to Mark 10 and verse 13. Mark 10 and verse 13. Jesus Christ has little children brought to Him. And we see His attitude when they're brought to Him. It says in chapter 10, verse 13 of Mark, they brought little children to Him that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. They thought He just wouldn't have the time. There's more important things in their mind for Jesus Christ to do than to be bothered with little children. Well, He corrected them and let them know there's time and it's important for all. There's time for all people. When Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the children come to Me, and don't forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And every year when we have the blessing of children, we talk about what it means to receive the kingdom of God as a little child. And you can spend some time, and next week we'll talk about it a little more, but what attitudes is God looking for when He says we must receive the kingdom as a little child? And as you think about that, and, you know, parents, as you teach your children, they learn from us, but we learn from them too, as we see the looks in their eyes, and as we see their attitudes and realize that's what God wants to see in us. We all grow older, we all have our ideas, but God says enter the kingdom as a little child. Well, one chapter back in Mark 9, there's another incident with a child that Jesus Christ uses in verse 36 of chapter 9, as He is speaking to the disciples because they're having this discussion about who's going to be greatest among them. Typical human type conversation. And in verse 35, it says, He sat down, He called the twelve and said to them, 36 is what I wanted, He took a little child, verse 36, and set him in the midst of them. Now when He had taken him in His arms, He said to the disciples, who were arguing and having this conversation, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives not Me, but Him who sent Me. So He uses a child as, you know, don't be worrying about the things that you're going to do or what position or title you have.

He received Me as this little child does. And again, next week we'll talk a little bit more about that. But as I was looking at these verses, it struck me that in chapter 9, He uses a child as an example for the disciples there to teach them a lesson. And then one chapter later, He uses a child or the laying, the blessing of children again, sort of reinforcing to them that what His principles are and what He wants of us. And as you look at Mark 9 and 10, the two chapters, they're interesting chapters. They're kind of inset in a period of time here for Jesus Christ. I wanted to talk through Mark 9 and 10 today. Go back with me to verse 1 of chapter 9. And let's see the setting here of how this period of time, however many days or weeks it was, between the beginning of Mark 9 and Mark 10. Of course, Mark recorded the gospel. Many commentaries say that he was taught by Peter and that he repeated or he recorded Peter's stories and memories of Jesus Christ. I'm sure he used other sources as well. But as you read through Mark, you find a very quick-moving account of the life of Jesus Christ. But in Mark 9, verse 1, we find the setting is one that we're kind of in right now. Verse 1, it says, He said to them, Assuredly I say to you, There are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.

And of course, he's talking about the transfiguration, perhaps where you were at the feast. You heard something about the transfiguration. And Christ says, some of you here are going to see that. And after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain, apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.

So in a vision, they were taken and they began, they got a glimpse of the kingdom of God. They got a feel for what it was like to see the activity in the kingdom of God. His clothes, when they saw Jesus Christ, and this vision became shining, exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

A beautiful atmosphere, and this is just a snippet of what they saw. But in Peter's comment here in verse 5, we get a feel of how good and how wonderful it was to be in that environment. Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it's good for us to be here. This is a wonderful place to be.

Now, just a few weeks ago, less than a couple weeks ago, we were all at the Feast of Tabernacles. I hope that sometime during that time that we were there, it dawned on us how good it is to be at the Feast, how good it is to be celebrating God's holy days, how good it is to be with people of like mind, how good it is to have His Holy Spirit in the congregation, in the people around us, and to feel the love, the joy, the peace, the unity that I hope that you experience there.

It was good.

Peter, in this vision, said it was good for them to be there. And Christ wanted them to feel that. He wanted them to have that vision because He knew it would motivate them and inspire them to keep going, the times that we're going to confront them, that they would keep marching toward the kingdom. And I hope that you've come back with your fires lit and your determination that you will follow God and that you will yield to Him and that you will be in the kingdom because you've gotten just a small taste of what it will be like when the whole world lives God's way.

And here they are in this setting, and they come out of this setting in chapter 9, where three of them were in the Transfiguration of God of Vision. And when we come to chapter 11, just a couple chapters away, we find Jesus Christ giving the instructions that would lead to that final Passover. In chapter 11, verse 1, it says, When they drew near Jerusalem to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives he sent two of his disciples, he said to them, Go into the village opposite you, and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has set. Loose it and bring it. And so began the countdown to that last Passover when Jesus Christ would spend with His disciples that He would set in motion the ordinances that we keep today, that He would be arrested, that He would be crucified, and then three days later be resurrected. But in the time here, between 9 and 10, behind the time that the people had a vision of what God's Kingdom would be like, and that Passover, it's kind of like the time that we're in right now. We're back from the feast, we're fresh with excitement of the feast, but now we look forward to the Passover, and we have this period of time between the feast of Tabernacles and the Passover that we do something, we focus on what God wants us to do. And here in these two chapters, we find Jesus Christ focusing His disciples as He heads them toward that last Passover that He would be alive. And it's interesting to watch the things that He exposes them to, the incidents that they come across, the words that He says, and the words that have meaning for us as we look toward the Passover and as we look toward walking with God. Let's pick it up here back in chapter 9.

And after in verse 9, it says, chapter 9, verse 9, As they came down from the mountain, Christ commanded the disciples that they should tell no one the things that they had seen till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

He makes that comment so they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. So they heard something that He said, but it's like, what does He mean until the resurrection? What does He mean until the Son of Man is risen from the dead? But He was giving them an idea, planting the thought in their mind, there was going to be a resurrection. There was going to be something that He that would be happening to Him. And they asked Him, saying, verse 11, Why did the scribes say that Elijah must come first? And He answered and told them, indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? So coming out of the vision, He reminds them, as we've talked about before, He told them several times that He would suffer, that He would die, that He would be resurrected. It kind of went over their head. They just didn't really understand what He was saying. They heard the words, but they didn't really sink into meaning of what He was saying. So here coming out of the vision, He reminds them, the Son of Man is going to suffer. The Son of Man is going to die. The Son of Man will be resurrected. This is the first time, the first of three times that we'll see in these two chapters that He reminds them of this event that is coming about. You know, we too, as we come out of the Feast of Tabernacles, as we look toward the Kingdom and we want it, we know when we read the passages in the Bible what a wonderful place it will be. But we know that the road between now and the Kingdom has some has some valleys in it, some tough times, just like the road between the time that they saw the vision and Jesus Christ fulfilling His mission was going to be filled with some trying times for them.

The disciples didn't really understand. We read the words and we hear the words, but how much do we really understand and how much do they sink in of what is going to happen between now and then? But this is just the first time that Christ reminds them of what is going to happen in just these two short chapters. We go down to verse 13. We find that after this there's a healing that takes place and Christ again uses the opportunity to teach them something that they need and something that we need if we're going to be in that Kingdom.

Verse 14, when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them and scribes disputing with them. Immediately when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed and running to Him greeted Him and He asked the scribes, what are you discussing? One of the crowd answered and said, teacher, I brought you my son who has a mute spirit and whenever it sees or wherever it sees Him, it throws Him down. He foams at the mouth, gnashes His teeth, and becomes rigid.

So I spoke to your disciples that they would cast it out. But they couldn't. He answered and said to them, and you kind of even get the sense that kind of Christ shaking His head a little bit when He hears this. Oh, faithless generation, how long will I be with you? He had talked about this before. They had seen Him heal. He had talked about they have to have faith. And if you ask in faith, believing in God, believing with the Greek word pistoio, remember that word? P-I-S-T-E-U-O?

That word that talks about a belief that just goes right down to our bones. Not just the belief that we use in the English language today, but it goes right down into our bones. So deep that it changes the way we think, changes the way that we act, results in a transformation of mind so that what we think after we believe it so deeply is no longer what we think before. We're different people as a result of the belief that Jesus Christ gives us when He opens our mind to see that.

And He reminds them, you know you have to have faith. Faithless generation. In Luke 18, Christ says, when the Son of Man returns to earth, will He find faith? Will He find faith on earth? He wanted His people then, He wants His people now, to develop that faith. And in a world where we have so much that's provided for us, we can still run to Walmart and get whatever we want, we can still run to the gas station and, wow, haven't gas prices done a nice thing in the two weeks we were away. I was very surprised and pleased when I went to the gas station yesterday, but we can still have these things at our fingertips. We have to develop faith in God. One day, when those things aren't there, our faith in God will be all that we have. And now is the time to be developing that, and as He prepared His people for the time that He would no longer be with them, that He would be resurrected and taken up to heaven, He wanted them to develop that faith that comes from a tremendous belief in God. He answered and He said, O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring Him to me. And they brought Him to Him, verse 20, and when He saw Him, immediately the Spirit convulsed Him, and He fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. Jesus Christ was able to immediately do God's will, which was healing. He had the faith. The disciples needed to learn that faith. They needed to know what to do when He was no longer with them, in a physical sense. Down in verse 29, He gave them an admonition. He gives us an admonition when they were talking about, why couldn't we do it? Christ, when the disciples asked that, He said, this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.

And so we learned that we must have and use the spiritual tools that God gives us.

It's not enough to just be at the status quo and to stay today, or stay a year from now where we were today. God expects growth, and He expects us to be committed to Him, to pray, to fast, to fast in the right way, as we heard on the Day of Atonement, that God would break the yoke off of us, and that He would deliver us from the things that hold us back. That we would study, that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, that we would grow in faith.

This kind, He says, doesn't come out except by prayer and fasting. And growth and progress toward the Kingdom of God, letting Him develop you, does not come without prayer, without fasting, without study, without being led by the Holy Spirit. And so He reminded them of that.

Down in verse 30, after that incident, it says, they departed from there, and they passed through Galilee, and He didn't want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day. The second time, in short order, that He reminds them, with a little more detail, He will be killed. He will, well, He's speaking of Himself, He would have said, well, I don't know if He said, the Son of Man will be killed, the Son of Man will rise the third day. They kept hearing this, but it says there, they didn't understand the saying.

And they were afraid to ask Him. You know how it is, after someone tells you something two or three times, you kind of think, do I really? Can I really ask them, what do you mean? I've been listening to what you have to say, but you just don't want to ask. And I think the disciples found themselves in that. He keeps saying this. He keeps saying, the Son of Man is going to die. The Son of Man is going to be resurrected the third day. But they didn't want to ask. But it was something that He wanted them to know. He wanted that in front of them. And He wanted to remind them, because it was imminent. And as we get to chapter 11, we see that the time was at hand. Verse 33 says, He came to Capernaum, and when He was in the house, He asked them, what was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?

And now all of us have been in this position. I mean, when you read this, what was it that you were talking about on the road? And it says, they kept silent.

Now, we've been there, right? Someone walks into our conversation, they go, what were you talking about? And everybody just clams up, like, we don't want to tell you what we were talking about. We know you're not going to be pleased. And that was what was happened to the disciples here. They kept silent, because on the road, they had disputed among themselves, who would be the greatest? Who would be the greatest? Isn't that a typical human thing? Twelve disciples there, walking with Christ, and as they're among themselves, it's like, well, who's the who's the chief among us? Who's got the position? Who's the favorite disciple? Who's the one that Jesus Christ would appoint head? A very human thing to do. We've all been there. We all work in companies, and everyone wants a position. And Christ knew that that was a very human thing. He knew what they were talking about, but He used the occasion to teach them that His way of life, and what you do in Christ's body, is different than the way of the world around us. It's not about position. It's not about who you are. It's not about what initials you can put on your name.

As He teaches them here, it's all about service. And He sat them down. It says in verse 35, He called the twelve, and He said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all, and he shall be servant of all. A new way of life, different than what they saw. Even in their religion, the Jews were very much about who had the chief seat, who was the one who had this title. Christ said, well, He says it in Mark, but let's put your finger there in Mark 9.

Let's go back to Matthew 20, because He talks about it here and explains it a little bit more. We'll see it in a few minutes in Mark 10 as well. But here in Matthew 20 and verse 25, another instance of the disciples talking about position and the pecking order that was among them, it says, Jesus called them to Himself, and He said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. That's what the world is about. That's what politics is all about.

That's what government is all about. Back in the time that Jesus Christ was on earth, it was the Roman Empire, and it was a very good time because the Romans allowed people to worship the way they wanted to, and the Jews had that latitude, certainly something that God provided so the gospel could be preached during that time, much like the time we live in now.

A blip on the history of humanity, where we live in a land where there is religious freedom, where we don't have someone breathing down our necks and saying, you will work here, you will live here, you will worship this, you will bow down to this idol. We live in a rare time in human history, as we've discussed, and it was a rare time here when Jesus Christ was on earth that the people could worship their God and the Romans weren't making them bow down to their gods. But you know, for most of humanity, the way of the gentiles has been, you will worship my God.

You will worship the way I tell you to worship, you will do what I tell you to do, and it's very much about position and power. And as we look at the world around us, as we've discussed, and I don't want to belabor the point, we see on the horizon a world that is headed in that direction again. You know, we look at we look at Isis and what Isis is very much about. Who they are and what they eventually will be able to accomplish, only God knows.

But what Isis does is they make people do what they want them to do. And if they don't, as you've seen the stories and as you've heard the newscasts, they make the people pay if they don't bow down to them. It's kind of a new a new thing on the earth, a new idea for us, and maybe we don't even fully understand what it is and how people can be that way.

But it's very real over there in the Middle East. And as you look at Russia and the president that's over there, the people in England will tell you and the people in Europe will tell you, Mr. Putin has a different idea of what government should be than what is today in Britain or today in America. He very much champions the Soviet Union. And they remember the time of the Cold War because they were right on the front there with Europe where we were still an ocean away.

And they know that if that government comes back in again, their face and the people, as you heard Mr. Kubik even mentioned in the feast film, the people in Ukraine who see them breathing down their neck, they know what life is going to be like if he comes back and if Russia dominates them. It won't be life that they've enjoyed for the last 20-some years. It'll be back to the way that most of the world has lived. And we see the world headed in that direction, back to a very autocratic and not democratic type society.

So Jesus Christ is telling his disciples here, that's not the way it's going to be among you. That's not the way my kingdom will be set up. That is not the way we do things. We don't have positions so that we can tell people what to do. We have opportunities to serve. And he says here, yet it shall not be, verse 26, it won't be so among you. Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And so that's what he did. He served us in the most unimaginable to us way, willing to give his life that we might have our sins forgiven and that we might have the opportunity at eternal life.

And he asks us, serve. Don't worry. Don't strive over things about what your position is. Simply serve and let God see his spirit alive in your heart as you do those things. Let's go back to Mark, Mark 9.

After he educates and really reminds the disciples again, as this time, between the time they had a vision of the kingdom and that final Passover, they go on and in verse 9, right at the conclusion of this, or as part of his instruction to them, where he says, if anyone desires to be first, you'll be last of all and servant of all. In verse 36, it says, then he took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And he showed them. This is the attitude. This little child isn't worried about what his position title is. He has the attributes that Jesus Christ is looking for in us. And down in verse 42, he says, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. Jesus Christ is concerned about the children. He wants the children taught about him, about God. He wants children to live his way. He wants them to grow up and to have all the blessings that he wants to give everyone. But it's incumbent upon us parents that they learn those ways and they learn them best at home.

They learn them best at home by the example that you set and the way you talk about God and the way you use the Bible as your instruction book at home. So the children grow up knowing those things. And when we don't do that, we are displeasing God. But you know there's a spiritual element, I think, to this as well. All of us are at different ages, if you will, in the church. Some of us are brand new. Some of us have been here just a few times. Others have been here for decades. And we learn, we grow. We aren't stagnant. God calls us to a life of growth, to understand his way. And so we work with each other. We're a family. We help each other. We teach each other. We're patient with each other. In Galatians 6, verse 2, it says, bear with one another.

All of us should always have the time for one another. All of us should always be encouraging one another. All of us should be ready to help, to answer, to do whatever it takes to help someone along the way. It's a very special calling that God has given us. It's a tremendous—there's not even an English word to describe what God has called us to. When you understand the Bible, when he opens our minds to understand the Bible, God says to all of us, don't let anyone be offended because of you. You take the time. You take the time. You show the kindness. You show the love. The same love, mercy, compassion that he has shown us. Show others. We're family, and we all want each other to be in the kingdom. And however we can help along that way and encourage people, we want to do that. And as he goes on here and talks about that in verse 32, he says he makes some dramatic comments to them about cutting off limbs, limbs of their body. And in verse 43 here, he says, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better for you to enter into life maimed rather than having two hands to go to hell into the fire that shall never be quenched. What he's saying is, don't count anything more important than what God has called you to. Nothing should be more important to you than the kingdom of God. And if it's your hand and the things that you do, that's in between, that you just have so hard a time giving up. He says it's better to just cut the hand off and leave it away. The disciples knew that he was talking, you know, not literally here, but figuratively. He was making a point. Don't hold on to anything and lose out on the kingdom. Don't hold on to the physical things. He goes on and he says in verse 45, if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better for you to enter into life maimed than to be cast into hell under the fire that will never be quenched. And in verse 47, he says the same thing about your eyes. If it's something you do, if it's someplace you go to, if it's something that you see, you have to be willing to give it up. And the disciples would have heard these things, these dramatic things. You can imagine if it's the first thing, it's the first time you heard it, and someone was telling you it's better. Better to just cut your hand off than to miss out on the kingdom. They had to learn, there is nothing in this life more important than the kingdom. There is nothing in this life that we should put between us and the kingdom of God. And that's the point he's making here.

Give up those things. Be willing to give yourself to God, holy. And that's something we learn over the course of time. You know, you've heard me say when we're baptized, we don't become perfect immediately. God washes our sins away, but we begin a life of growth. We begin a life of learning and yielding to His Holy Spirit and allowing that to grow in us. And over the course of time, as we live the rest of our lives out, we work toward that standard that Jesus Christ would have us work toward. And that is to become like Him. Down in chapter 10, as they proceed on, and He's given them the comments and the teaching that He's given them, another one comes up, that He wants them to be aware of the importance of as He heads toward the final days of His life. In chapter 10, verse 1, it says, He arose from there, and He came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan, and multitudes gathered to Him again. And as He was accustomed, He taught them again. The Pharisees came and asked Him, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?

Testing him, as the Pharisees often did. And He answered and said to them, well, what did Moses command you? And they said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her. Well, Moses said it was okay. And Jesus answered and said to them, because of the hardness of your heart, He wrote you this precept. It wasn't what God had designed.

There's a commitment involved in marriage. You know, when we talk about baptism, and when you were counseled for baptism, I hope you were told it's an eternal commitment that you make to God, the most important commitment you will ever make in your life is baptism. You are committing to God for all eternity. And we count the cost, we review in our minds, we commit to God that yes, no matter what happens, no matter how high the mountains, no matter how low the valleys, I will commit to you through thick and thin. I will not turn back, I will not go astray, I will stick with you right for the rest of eternity, which our minds can't even comprehend.

The most important commitment we make, and marriage, you're told, is the second most important commitment we make. We commit to someone for the rest of our lives, and that's what Jesus Christ, or God had intended, commits to someone the rest of your life. You remain loyal to them.

And of course, Moses, as one spouse wouldn't and another spouse would, if there had, you know, this, I often say I heard it long ago, and I still believe as long as the Holy Spirit is working in both people, there will be a happy marriage. But when the Holy Spirit is missing, there will be problems. But God intended that marriage was going to be lifelong for people, a commitment, a commitment that mirrors our commitment to God. Let's turn back just for a minute to Ephesians 5 and just just rehearse that while we're here. Back in Ephesians 5, we'll just read a few verses here, but I just want that to stay in your mind. As Paul writes here about marriage, again notice how many times he compares the role of wife and the role of husband.

To the role of Christ to us. Verse 22 of Ephesians 5, he says, wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church. See the comparisons that he has here, because marriage is a type. God looks at the commitment we make. As also Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, let wives be to their own husbands and everything. Husbands, verse 25, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. An important role. What we do as husbands mirrors what Jesus Christ did for us. He also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Improving, working, loving, wanting for that wife, your wife, what it is that God wants for us. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

And Paul wraps it up by saying, this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. So when we commit in marriage, God is watching and he teaches us through that. He's looking at that commitment, the second most important commitment we make. And Christ is highlighting to the disciples here, marriage is important. I have no idea what the divorce rate in ancient Judea was. I do know the divorce rate in America is extremely high. And I do know from the years that I worked out, worked in the various places I worked, many people would enter in the marriage just expecting that one day they would be divorced. And that was foreign as I would hear that. And, you know, I mean, they never said it to their spouse, I hope, but I would hear that. And it's like, oh yeah, it'll be good. But, you know, in many cases they had been divorced once before and just thought, well, this will be good for five or ten years. But they kind of just accepted that there will be a time when they will separate. And that just seems so different to me. And the world sees things differently than we do in that because along the line, the commitment part of marriage has disappeared. But God is telling us it's very important. It's a picture of the relationship. And as we have problems in marriages and every marriage has its ups and downs, we commit and remember what we're doing and who it is that we're serving. Commit and keep that marriage together and let God lead you. Let's go down to verse 10 here in Mark 10.

He said that to the Pharisees and in the house his disciples asked him again about the same matter. And he said to them, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

So he was making it clear marriage, God instituted and he instituted it. There was going to be a family relationship for life. In verse 13, then we see something we'll read again next week during the blessing of little children. But for the second time here, little children are brought and he teaches them a lesson. The attitudes of these little children you need to develop if you intend to be in the kingdom, the kingdom that they had gotten the vision of back here in chapter 9. Let's drop down to verse 17.

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? The question of the hour, right? What do I need to do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus Christ was instructive to him. You know this story? He said, well, first he says, why do you call me good? No one is good, but one, that's God. And he said, you know the commandments. Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't bear false witness, don't defraud, honor your father and your mother. So the first thing he says is, if you're going to inherit eternal life, you have to be living by God's way of life.

That's the bottom line. You have to be living by God's law. His law defines a way of life that we must live because if we don't live it, we won't be in the kingdom. Short and simple. The Ten Commandments that God laid out are a way of life. They weren't done away with. It was Jesus Christ who instituted them. It was Jesus Christ who lived by them. It was the disciples who lived by them. And throughout the Bible, you see you live that way of life. And in the kingdom of God, that way of life, that way of love that is displayed in those commandments is going to be lived. And if we don't live it, every single one of them, we don't have to worry about being there. We won't be.

And so he tells the young man, you've got to do this. The young man feels good about himself, and he says, I've done this. I've been living this way ever since I was young. But that wasn't enough. Christ looked at him and said, Christ looked at him and noticed and said, 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.

He knew there was something about that man. Yes, he had been living by God's way of life. Yes, he was doing those things, but he was also wealthy. He had a lot of money in the bank. He had a healthy stock portfolio, whatever it was. And Christ knew he was trusting in that. He was living, at least according to his mind, living by God's law. But he didn't have the faith, the total faith and reliance on God that Christ was looking for. Give it away. Give it away, said. Sell it, give it to the poor, and just follow me. It takes a lot of faith, doesn't it?

If we were asked today, give it all away, everything you have, give it away.

It would be a tough thing to do. Because like it is not, we have some of this young man in us. But as we grow, we get to the point where we have to rely more and more on God and have faith in Him. The young man couldn't do it. He couldn't do it. It was too hard. I hope, I don't know, but I hope that as he thought about his decision that day and he went away, that maybe later in his life, he realized, yes, I can rely on this Jesus Christ that he had encountered. Just as we, as we grow, realize more and more that we are dependent on Him and we trust in Him.

But at this point, he couldn't be. And it harkens back to the words that Christ said back in chapter 9, whatever it is that stands between you and the kingdom, if it's your arm, get rid of it. If it's your leg, get rid of it. If it's your eye, get rid of it. Don't let anything stand between you and the kingdom. Don't let money stand between you and the kingdom. Don't let your reliance on your job stand between you and obeying God. Don't let anything stand between you and God. He doesn't ask us today to do what he asked the young man to do, but we can be preparing our hearts. We can be allowing God to develop that trust in Him that we need and that we will certainly need between now and the time that Jesus Christ returns. Well, the young man went away and down in verse 23, the disciples, who were looking at this, this little incident and listening to what Christ had to say, said, well, Christ said, how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at His words. Jesus answered and said to them, children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. 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.

He was teaching them about trust. But you know, when you go back to Matthew 5 of the beatitudes, as Christ began His sermon on the Mount, the first beatitude is, blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will see the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit. And Christ knew that people who are rich, they develop just kind of a reliance on their bank accounts or whatever it is they have. The disciples looked at this and thought, man, how can you ask someone to give away everything? And it says they were astonished. And Christ makes the comment here that has been debated or analyzed, 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. And if we went around the room, I'm sure we would come up with three or four different things that that saying means. Someone would talk about one of the little passages in Jerusalem that are so narrow a camel can't go through it, called the eye of the needle. Some would say that there's a mistranslation here and the word for camel in Greek is so close to the word for a thick rope, rope that it really should be. It's easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And there being maybe another idea of what that means. The bottom line, though, is that we have to rely on God. You know, if it's a rope that's here, we know that as we peel away the various strands of a rope, we finally get down to one that's just a thread that will go through that needle. And God has to peel away the layers of us that He does over the course of our life. The layers of pride, the layers of dependence on riches, the layers of dependence or giving into family before you give into God. All those things that stand between us and God that we learn over time, we choose Him first. And all those things have to be peeled away over the course of a life until God knows we choose Him first. We do His will first. Now, whatever was here, that's what that means. If it's riches, enjoy them. But know that if God ever asks or asks God that if He ever asks or you're required to give Him up, that you would be. You would be willing to give Him up because you understand and you accept the Kingdom and look forward to the Kingdom and believe in Him and trust in Him enough that you would be willing to do that. Down in verse 26, then, it says, they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, who can be saved? And Christ looked at them and said the same thing. I don't think I mentioned it when we were talking about the young mute boy who Christ healed. With men it is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible. The second time He makes that comment to them. Trust in God. He's not limited by the physical. He is Spirit and whatever, whatever He wills to do, He will do. We must have that faith in God that Jesus talked about, and we must rely on Him and realize whatever His will is to be done, it will be done.

Verse 32.

They were on the road. After this, and after Christ gives them an assurance of what their role will be, but what they give up, He will reward them for. And verse 32 says, they were on the road going up to Jerusalem. Now they were on the way toward chapter 11 to the time of this final Passover of Christ. They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid. So you can kind of sense the attitude among the group here. And He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him. This is the third time now He's telling of that. Behold, we're going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and scourge Him and spit on Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.

Every time He reminds them, He adds a little bit more detail. This is what's going to happen.

Don't be dismayed. Know that this is going to happen. They couldn't accept it. You remember Peter saying, no, this will never happen to you. But Christ said, no, this is the will of God. This is how the plan must unfold, the plan of God. If you read the commentaries, it says that they were amazed, at least the commentators' idea of why they were amazed, is that as Jesus Christ kept repeating these things to Him about what was going to happen, that He would be willing to go to Jerusalem, that He would be willing to go there when He keeps saying, when I'm there, I'm going to be arrested, I'm going to be crucified, I'm going to be, all these things happen to me, I'm going to die. They were amazed that He would be going forth with that. Because the natural human reaction would be, if you know something's going to befall you in this city, you're going someplace else. You're going to avoid that. And they were afraid because they sensed what was going to happen. He was saying it enough. And as they were saying, being very explicit with them this time, this is what's going to happen when we get to Jerusalem. Be prepared. Get your heart ready.

Get closer to God. Be ready for what's going to happen. That they were afraid because now it was real to them. And you know, as we get closer to the time of Jesus Christ's return, as we watch world conditions continue to unfold, as we continue to see things happen that are different than before.

And again, God is in control and Christ will return when it's His will too.

We can become afraid. We can look at these things and say, ah, we've heard about these things for all these years, but now it really looks like it's imminent. Now I can see what it was talking about revelation. Now I see the world in the way that revelation pictures it. And like the disciples, we can be afraid. But Christ said in Matthew 24, as He was laying out all the prophecies, He said in, I think, around verse 25, as He was explaining what was going to happen, He said, see, I told you beforehand. I told you beforehand what would happen. He lets us know. And more and more as we get closer, He will let us know and remind us. But perfect love casts out fear, as it says in 1 John 4. We continue to grow close to God. We continue to allow His Holy Spirit. And we realize when we trust in Him, we don't have to be afraid because we know that God will see us through those things. And as disciples were facing Jerusalem, that was what was on their mind. Three times now, Christ has reminded them what was going to happen because it was going to be a monumental event in their lives, and most of them would fail the test because they didn't stand by Him.

Peter would deny Him three times. They weren't ready. They may have thought they were ready, but they weren't. But they learned their lesson. So later on in life, they could stand with God. Then in verse 35, we find kind of a surprising thing happening with the disciples again.

It says, James and John, the son of Zebedee, came to Christ, saying, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.

And he said, What do you want me to do for you? And they said, Grant us that we may sit, one on your right hand and the other on your left, in your glory. We want the position. We want to be the two greatest among all the disciples here. Typical humans. Christ says, I don't think you know what you're asking for. You don't know what I'm going to go through here. And they, of course, say they were. But in verse 41, he reminds them again. It's not about position. It's about service.

It's about service. It's about what's in your heart. It's about what God has called you to. Now, for the second time, he reminds them of that as they are approaching the time of that final Passover. And then in verse 46, they come to another man who needs healing. And as we read through this, think of it in the physical context, because this is a real physical incident that occurred. But I want you to think about it in the spiritual context as well. And I'll talk about that as we read through the next few verses here. They came to Jericho. And as he went out to Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And then he warned him to be quiet. But he cried out all the more, son of David, have mercy on me. So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called, commanded him to be called. They called to the blind man, saying to him, be of good cheer. Rise. He's calling you. Come here, Bartimaeus. The same thing that Jesus Christ would say to us when he's calling us, when he's opening our minds. Come here. Come here. Rise. He is calling you. And throwing aside his garment, he rose and he came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to him, what do you want me to do for you? What do you want, Bartimaeus? You know, there's another instance of the healing where Jesus is at the, believe the pool of Siloam or Bethesda. And he asked the man that he chooses who's also been blind from birth. He says, do you want to be made well?

Do you want to be well? And that has always fascinated me that he would ask that. Do you want to be well? Of course, who wouldn't want to be well that was blind or that was sick?

But some people we learn are comfortable in their own situation. They're comfortable with the hang-ups and those excuses that they have, and they don't want to be healed unless until, of course, they realize that healing comes from God and he intends that these things are going to be purged from us and these things he will heal. What do you want me to do for you, Bartimaeus? The blind man said to him, Rabonie, that I may receive my sight. I want to see. I want to see.

And Jesus said to him, Go your way. Your faith has made you well.

I want to see. I want my eyes opened. I want to see the world around, the same way that God opened our eyes. And one day we didn't know the truth of God. One way we didn't know the plan of God. We didn't understand what the word of God had to say. But then he opened our eyes. And then we saw and see the truth of the Bible. Just like Bartimaeus had his eyes open for the first time and he saw the world around him. And you can imagine his excitement at that. The same excitement we should have when God opens our eyes and we see things and we understand the things of the Bible.

And he said, Go your faith. Go your way. Your faith has made you well. Believe in him. Believe what God has opened your mind to see. Believe what the word of God says.

Go your way, he says. And immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and he did what he should have. He followed Jesus on the road. When our eyes are opened, when God calls us, we follow him and we follow him the rest of our lives. Not veering off the road, but keeping our eyes focused on him because that road leads to eternal life. That road that he leads us on leads to the kingdom of God. That's where all the answers are. That's where the future is. It's not in this world. It's not in anyone that tells you anything different but the truth that God leads you to see in the Bible. And then they come into Jerusalem and then the countdown begins for that final Passover. So between those two chapters, between the time of the transfiguration and the vision and the time of the Passover, Christ taught his disciples many things that would stand them well if they were to adhere to them. Let's just summarize what some of those things were. Got five of them listed here and I'll run through them quickly. First one is, we must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of God. You can write down Acts 14 verse 22. Jesus Christ suffered. He was made perfect in suffering. God says we will be made perfect in suffering between now and the kingdom. He says there will be times of trouble. We need to be prepared for that. We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of God three times. He reminded his disciples of that. Verse 2, we must believe, Greek word, pistoio, p-i-s-t-e-u-o, we must believe the way the Bible talks about believe, this life-altering, mind-changing belief, and have faith. Without it, it's impossible to please God. Without it, it's impossible to enter the kingdom of God. We're going to enter the kingdom of God. We must believe the way the Bible describes believing. Number three, we must be humble servants of each other. We must be humble. We must be dedicated to service. We must love as Jesus Christ loved. We must not be the position seekers that Christ says the Gentiles seek after, but we must serve one another and show the love that he showed. And, of course, I'll add here, we must live the way of life that God called us to, living by His law. Verse 4, we receive the kingdom as little children. We'll talk a little bit more about that next week. God will teach us. We have to be willing to teach. We have to be willing to be taught.

And then we must comply and allow Him to transform our lives to what He wants us to live as. And finally, number five, when Christ gives you sight, when He opens your eyes, don't look back, but stay on the road with Him, because that's the road that leads to the kingdom.

And we all want to enter that kingdom.