As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, "We have left everything to follow you!" "Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
-Mark 10:17–31 (NIV)
I. Who are the Rich?
We in the USA are 6 percent of the world’s population but consume over 40% of the world’s resources.
God has blessed me with more than I need!
You will lose or consume more in one year than most people on this planet will accumulate in their entire lives.
Who are the rich? We are.
II. Why is it difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven?
Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
-Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
-1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV)
First: The Kingdom of God and eternal life are sown into our hearts.
Second: Those who spend their lives accumulating more and more of the things they don’t need, through debt or mismanagement, are plunged into ruin and destruction.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
-Mark 10:23-25 (NIV)
What is this passage truly about? The first commandment: Idol Worship
Idol: Anything a person gives ultimate worth, importance or devotion to instead of God.
The reason it is difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God is because we are idolaters—supported by the fact that we have not conformed our lives to the image of God’s son.
Sacrifice: To give up something you love for something you love even more.
What is the idol of our time? What are our Addictions?
You know you are rich when you can give to charities without hurting yourself.
Average Salary and Expendable Incomes
Glendora: 111,915: 24,641
La Verne: 104,565: 23,004
San Dimas: 105,833: 23,283
Claremont: 122,127: 26,867
Rancho: 109,511: 24,092
Average giving to Charity: 1.23%
Average Christian giving: 2.5%
The stats on tithing:
- Only 5 percent of Christians in America tithe.
- Those who do tithe—go far beyond into the 20% mark.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts…
Malachi 3:10A (NASB)
We do not give because we do not trust God to provide for us!
This suggests one of two things:
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
-Luke 14:25-33 (NIV)
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me…”
-Luke 9:23 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul
-Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)
Jesus looked at him and loved him...
-Mark 10:21A (NIV)
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
-Mark 10:26-27 (NIV)
Two action points:
1. Pray that God change your heart and give you new passions. Be sincere!
2. Grab your emotions by the scruff of the neck and lead them to the truth. Be courageous!
Make a Decision