Pastor Vincent’s sermon centred on the tenth chapter of the book of Mark, a passage which demonstrates how an authentic encounter with Jesus always bring about radical change.
From verses 17 to 31 of Mark 10, we see how Jesus encountered a rich young ruler of His day. Young, wealthy, and a spiritual leader of his community, the rich young ruler embodies a genuine seeker of truth, who on the surface seem to possess immense potential. Yet, as the story unfolds, we see how the mistaken religious assumptions the young man clung to, coupled with his preoccupation with his great wealth, ultimately prevented him from entering the kingdom of heaven.
Pastor Vincent went on to share that encounters with Jesus will always bring about radical change. When we encounter the Lord Jesus, we will find that:
1. His ways are far higher than our ways (Mark 10:17-20)
Jesus challenges the two assumptions that the rich young ruler had. One was that eternal life can be earned – see Mark 10:17. The other is that eternal life is an addition – see Matthew 19:20. Eternal life – a relationship with God – is not something that we can earned by our own strength or we can add on to our lives. It is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is something that we receive through God’s promise. Many of us just want a little upgrade or an add-on, without making a radical change, when we encounter Jesus. However, God’s ways are far higher than ours.
2. His demands are far more (Mark 10:17-27)
“When you are confronted by the real message of the Gospel, you always find that it offers more and demands more than you thought.”- Timothy Keller
God knows that the love and dependence on his great wealth was an idol in the rich young ruler’s heart. No one is good except God alone. Jesus was not being unreasonable, but He wants to remove this idol and for the ruler to let go of it. God wants us to grow from glory to glory so that the relationship with God will no longer be head knowledge. God wants us to enter more into the things of God and become more intimate with Him. God is going for our hearts. What is holding us back from a deeper relationship with God? What do we need to let go?
3. His rewards are far greater (Mark 10:28-31)
Pastor Vincent concluded with an exhortation for us to see the gains of following Christ as outweighing the cost- as He slowly strips away the idols in our hearts, may we view Christ as our treasure, our meaning, our significance and our everything!
Discussion Questions
1. Over the past few sermons in this sermon series, we have been following Jesus through the book of Mark. Through His various interactions with different people, we learn what it means to be His disciple and have a relationship with Him.
In this particular sermon, we are introduced to a new nameless character known as “The Rich Young Ruler”.
What are some characteristics we can glean about this young man, from this title given to him and from his interactions with Jesus recorded in verses 17 to 31? What would a modern-day “Rich Young Ruler” look like- where will we find him in society today e.g. strata of society, vocation?
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2. Pastor Vincent shared that from the questions posed to Jesus, we can infer that the rich young rule held two mistaken assumptions about his eternal life: 1) eternal life can be earned, and 2) eternal life is an addition.
What are some ways in which we may be guilty of operating out of these similar mistaken assumptions?
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3. Meditate on Mark 10:25 and Matthew 6:24. Why is it so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?
This encounter is not primarily about material wealth, but the power any kind of idol wields over the human heart. Like how it was with the rich young ruler, God sees into each of our hearts and knows “the one thing still lacking.” What personal idols do we serve knowingly or unknowingly? In which areas of our lives do we spend most of our resources (time, money and thoughts) on?
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4. Mark 10:30 concludes that the rewards of following Jesus are far greater (“shall receive 100 fold in this life and… eternal life in the age to come”).
As true disciples, we can hold fast to the promise that there is a great exchange to look forward to - we are trading treasures on earth for even greater treasure in heaven. With this promise firmly fixed before us, how can we better resolve to surrender what is dear to us for the sake of the gospel and kingdom? What are some practical steps we can take?
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