Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC200910
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00:01 >Bill: An eminent psychologist was called to
00:02 testify in court. A severe no-nonsense professional, 00:05 she sat down in the witness chair unaware that 00:09 its rear legs were set precariously on the back 00:11 of the raised platform. 00:15 "Will you please state your name?" asked the 00:16 district attorney. 00:20 Tilting back in her chair, the psychologist opened 00:21 her mouth to answer, but instead catapulted 00:24 head-over-heels backward and landed in a stack of 00:28 exhibits and recording equipment. Everyone 00:29 watched in stunned silence as she extricated herself, 00:33 rearranged her disheveled dress and hair and was 00:39 reseated on the witness stand. The glare she 00:40 directed at onlookers dared anyone to so much 00:45 as smirk. "Well, doctor," continued the district 00:54 attorney without changing expression, "perhaps we 00:55 could start with an easier question." 01:00 (MUSIC) 01:08 >>ANNOUNCER: IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. 01:11 GOD'S BOOK THE BIBLE 01:15 STILL RELEVANT IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD. 01:19 IT IS WRITTEN . 01:21 SHARING MESSAGES OF HOPE AROUND THE WORLD. 01:27 (MUSIC) 01:46 A young man came to Jesus with what he thought was 01:48 a deep and challenging question: "Good Teacher," 01:51 he said, "what must I do to get to heaven?" Isn't 01:57 that what we all want to know, isn't it? "What must 01:58 we do to get to heaven?" 02:00 Some of you would prefer to be on the golf course 02:02 right now. Instead, you are watching me. I think 02:08 it has something to do with this question: "What 02:12 must I do to get to heaven?" 02:18 Well, the Lord Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms 02:19 just what it takes to be saved. I do not know where 02:24 you stand with the Lord today, but I do know that 02:29 if you are not saved, you need to be and you will 02:30 hear how you can be today. 02:35 If, for some reason, you have been mislead about 02:36 your salvation, then you will hear how you can come 02:42 to know Jesus today. All I ask is that you let the 02:49 Lord speak to your heart, and if He calls you to 02:51 come to Him, then I want you to come. Let's look 02:54 together at the passage - it is found in Mark 10:17 02:58 - 22 04:02 I would like for us to look into this encounter 04:03 today, because I fear that there are many people who 04:07 are in the same condition as this young man. They 04:10 want to be saved and they may even feel that they 04:11 are saved, but they have no understanding of 04:17 what genuine, biblical salvation is all about. 04:23 This particular encounter is mentioned by Matthew, 04:24 Luke and of course here, in our text, by Mark. 04:29 All three of the Gospel writers add additional 04:32 detail concerning this man who has come to be known 04:33 as The Rich Young Ruler. 04:39 Let's get to know him a little better. 04:44 All three evangelists tell us that he was a rich man. 04:45 Matthew tells us that he was young and Luke tells 04:49 us that he was a ruler. 04:50 This probably means that he was a ruler in the 04:55 synagogue. When all the facts concerning this man 04:59 are considered, it becomes clear that this young man 05:00 had many things going for him in his life. 1. 05:05 He has Youth - Youth is a wonderful thing! There is 05:11 no better time to give one's life to the Lord. If 05:12 you are young and unsaved, let me challenge you to 05:16 come to Jesus today! Don't waste your life! Don't 05:21 burn the candle for the devil and then blow the 05:22 smoke of a wasted life in the face of God someday. 05:27 Come to Jesus now, while He can use you for His 05:32 glory and make something special out of your life! 05:33 2. He has Wealth - This young man has plenty of 05:40 this world's goods. Now, there is nothing wrong 05:45 with having money! Having money isn't evil, it is 05:46 when money has you that problems begin. 3. He 05:52 has Morality and Religion - This man is living a 05:57 clean, moral life. Notice that Jesus did not rebuke 05:58 him when he claimed to have kept the 06:02 commandments. Outwardly, this man's life was clean 06:07 and pure. That is a wonderful thing! It ought 06:08 to be true about every person listening to 06:12 me right now. 4. He has Position - Luke says that 06:19 he is a ruler. As I said a moment ago, this probably 06:20 means that he is a leader in the synagogue. He is a 06:26 man of some influence in local religious circles. 06:32 That too is a good thing! From every outward 06:33 appearance, this man was the ideal young person. 06:38 He was everything a mother might want her son to be. 06:44 He was clean cut, religious, industrious and 06:45 morally clean. He was the envy of everyone! 06:54 In spite of all he has going for him, this 06:55 man had one mighty big skeleton in his closet! In 07:00 spite of all that he had, he still had an itch he 07:05 could not scratch! He had found that his youth left 07:06 him unsatisfied. His money had left him feeling 07:12 unfulfilled. His morality, his clean living and his 07:17 religious activity had not been able to satisfy 07:18 the deepest longing of his soul. His swift climb up 07:24 the rungs of the social ladder had failed to give 07:30 him what he wanted most: peace with God. So, he 07:31 comes with haste to Jesus. 07:38 He falls down before the Lord and he 07:39 cries out to Christ. 07:45 Maybe you are in the same shape as this young 07:46 man. From every outward appearance, you have it 07:53 made. Life has been good to you. You have a little 07:58 money. Maybe you have climbed up the social 07:59 ladder a little ways. 08:03 Maybe your name is well known and you are 08:04 well thought of in the community. Maybe you are a 08:08 good person, who has lived a clean, moral life. Maybe 08:13 you are a church member, a leader, a teacher, and 08:14 everyone thinks your life is complete. But, in spite 08:19 of all you have, there is still something missing in 08:26 your life. You know you have what it takes to 08:27 live, but you also know that you are unprepared to 08:32 die. You have everything you want and need 08:38 materially, but you do not have spiritual peace with 08:39 God. Everything looks good on the outside, but 08:46 the insides are all messed up. If that describes you, 08:51 then keep listening, because Jesus has a 08:52 word of hope for you! 09:00 As this young man comes to Jesus, he gets several 09:01 things right. Notice: 1. 09:08 He comes to the right Person - He had evidently 09:09 heard of Jesus and knows that if anyone can help 09:11 him, Jesus can. 2. He comes in the right way - 09:16 He comes running, because he knows the urgency 09:17 of the situation. He also came kneeling. This shows 09:23 that he recognized that fact that Jesus is worthy 09:28 and he is not. 3. 09:29 He comes for the right purpose - This young man 09:32 came to Jesus pondering the issues of eternity. 09:33 He had the most important things on his heart. We 09:39 live in the midst of one of the most sophisticated 09:44 and intellectually advanced cultures the 09:46 world has ever known, yet people still do not 09:51 know the answer to the most basic and important 09:55 question of all. People do not know how to be saved. 09:56 Man can split atoms, put men on the moon, harness 10:03 the power of the sun, wind and rain, but he does not 10:09 know how to get to Heaven! 10:10 Thankfully, Jesus had the answer for this young man 10:15 and He still has the answer you need today. 4. 10:16 He comes at the right time - He came when Jesus was 10:22 nearby! That is a mistake many make. They think they 10:30 can come to Jesus at anytime. They think they 10:31 can come whenever it fits into their schedule. The 10:35 truth of the matter is somewhat different. Man 10:39 doesn't come to the Lord whenever he wants, he 10:40 comes to Jesus when Jesus is passing close to him. 10:45 That is why the Bible says what it does in Isaiah. 10:55 55: 6 - 11:04 You never come to Him when you want. You come when He 11:05 is calling you. You come when He is passing 11:11 by! While this man gets several things right, he 11:17 gets the main thing terribly wrong. Notice 11:18 his question in verse 17. 11:35 Matthew's account puts it this way, Matthew 19: 16. 11:47 This man knows he has a lot of good things stacked 11:48 up in his corner. He seems to think that if he can 11:52 just add some other good thing, then he can have 11:57 salvation as a reward. 11:58 There are two basic problems with his 12:02 question: 1. He thinks salvation can be earned 12:03 - He wants to get his salvation like he has 12:08 gotten everything else in his life: he wants to earn 12:13 it for himself. 2. 12:14 He thinks salvation is a reward - He seems to think 12:20 that if he can just do enough good things, then 12:21 God will give him eternal life as a reward. John 12:26 10:28 ". I give eternal life to them ." When Jesus 12:39 hears what this man wants, He responds in an unusual 12:40 manner. He confronts this young man in two specific 12:49 areas. 1. He confronts him regarding the Person of 12:55 the Savior - When this young man called Jesus 12:56 Good. Jesus reminded this young man that no one 13:00 was good but God. This was designed to make this 13:06 young man consider how he viewed Jesus Christ. Jesus 13:07 is not just a good moral man, a teacher sent to 13:14 show us the way. No! He is far more than that! He is 13:20 God in the flesh! He is not a way-shower, He is 13:21 the Way. He is not a truth dispenser, He is the 13:28 Truth. He does not point out the path to life, but 13:34 He Himself is the Life! 13:35 2. He confronts him regarding the Problem of 13:40 Sin - When Jesus reminds this young man that only 13:41 God is good, he is trying to get this moral young 13:48 man to see that he is a sinner. Apparently, this 13:54 young man believed that salvation was just 13:55 something else he could add to his resume. But, 13:59 Jesus wants him to see that he is a sinner and as 14:05 a sinner he has no ground upon which to stand 14:06 before the face of God. 14:13 This is where most people are isn't it? They take 14:14 an external, superficial, inventory of their 14:20 lives and think they are alright. They say, "I 14:25 don't beat my wife. I don't abuse my children. I 14:27 don't run around. I don't drink. I provide for my 14:31 family. I am a pretty good person. And, after all, 14:36 compared to some people, why, I am almost a saint!" 14:37 Do you know what's wrong with that? The problem 14:44 with people and their relationship with God is 14:48 not what they are outwardly, it's what they 14:49 are inwardly! The heart of the problem is a problem 14:56 with the heart! Romans 3: 10 - 12 Jesus still 15:05 loved this young man regardless of his sins and 15:06 regardless of his improper 15:28 the problem is a problem with the heart! Romans 15:29 3: 10 - 12 Jesus still loved this young man 15:32 regardless of his sins and regardless of his improper 15:37 understanding of the things of God. As proof of 15:38 His love, Jesus tells this young man how to be saved. 15:42 Jesus tells him to do three things. 1. Sell his 15:49 possessions and give the money to the poor - 15:50 Jesus isn't implying that salvation is earned by 15:55 giving away our material possessions. He is merely 15:59 placing His finger on the root of this man's 16:00 problem. He loved his money more that he wanted 16:04 God in his life. Jesus is saying, "If you want Me, 16:10 you can place nothing else ahead of Me!" will save! 16:11 2. Take up the cross - The cross was symbolic of 16:21 death. To take up one's cross was to go to one's 16:27 death. Jesus is saying, "If you want me, then you 16:28 have to die to yourself!" 16:34 In other words, your loves, your goals, your 16:35 desires, your plans, everything you have, must 16:41 be given up if you want to come to Jesus! 3. Follow 16:50 Jesus - Here is the crux of the matter! This young 16:51 man has been following power, prestige, position 16:57 and possessions. Jesus says, "You turn your back 17:05 on all that and you follow me. That is how you 17:06 get eternal life!" This is still the call 17:12 of the Gospel. God says, Isaiah 45: 22 17:31 The demands of the Gospel are clear. You must 17:33 forsake your sins through genuine repentance and 17:35 embrace the Savior by faith. This, and this 17:41 alone, will save your soul. 18:01 Here is the saddest part of this entire encounter. 18:02 This young man makes his decision, notice 18:08 what he did. He chose his possessions over Jesus! He 18:13 loved his money more than he wanted to be saved. 18:15 Jesus will allow you to make the same choice. If 18:20 you want it, He will let you keep it! But, ponder 18:28 this question: Mark 8: 36 - 37 18:46 One day, this man's youth faded and was 18:47 gone. He retired from his prestigious position down 18:51 at the synagogue. Finally, age and disease overtook 18:57 him and even his vast wealth couldn't prolong 18:58 the inevitable, and he died. Friends, what 19:03 you do with Jesus in this life, has eternal 19:14 consequences. In verse 21, Jesus summed up this 19:15 young man's dilemma with these words, "One thing 19:21 you lack". This man had everything, but the most 19:28 important thing. He had everything but he lacked 19:29 Jesus! Does that describe you? Do you have money? 19:37 Position? Youth? Beauty? 19:38 Health? Education? Or anything else you 19:47 can name, but still lack Jesus? Friend, you don't 19:53 have to go another minute without Him. Today 19:54 is a time of personal encounters. Jesus is 19:58 speaking to hearts right now. Don't walk away from 20:03 Jesus, come to Him now! 20:12 Master let me be your disciple I pray. 20:22 Master let me be your disciple I pray. 20:33 I lift my voice to heaven, and pray that 20:34 you will guide me 20:39 You've watched me from a distance, and sent 20:40 your love to find me 20:45 My heart is willing now to heed your calling 20:50 I'm ready to be faithful to the path 20:51 you lay before me 20:57 Master let me be your disciple I pray. 21:08 Master let me be your disciple I pray. 21:18 Perform a change within my life 21:21 And hold me safely to you side. 21:27 Master let me be your disciple I pray. 21:40 >>Bill: Father in heaven, thank you for the 21:41 teachings of Your word. 21:44 Thank you for Jesus and I pray for those right 21:45 now who are choosing to surrender all they have 21:49 and receive Jesus. May You bless them, protect them, 21:59 watch over them and confirm them in their 22:00 decision we pray in Jesus name, amen. 22:07 (music) 22:25 (music) 22:41 Hi, everyone! Diabetes, heart disease, high 22:42 blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. 22:46 What do all of these diseases have in common? 22:49 Well, usually, poor eating habits and a lack of 22:50 physical activity. What is the one diet prescription 22:55 that will help to reverse all of these diseases? If 23:00 you're thinking a plant-based diet, you're 23:01 absolutely right! The exciting findings from 23:04 numerous research studies show us that including 23:08 more plant-based foods in our every day eating and 23:09 decreasing the amount of animal-based products 23:13 will start you on your way to better health. For 23:17 example, a recent study done by Dr. David Jenkins 23:18 of University of Toronto, Dr. Neal Barnard of 23:23 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and 23:27 others revealed that for people with diabetes a 23:28 total vegetarian diet was all it took for blood 23:32 glucose levels to decrease significantly. Another 23:37 study by Canvasback Missions and Loma Linda 23:38 University revealed that many residents of the 23:42 Republic of the Marshall Islands who adopted a 23:46 total vegetarian diet and engaged in daily physical 23:47 activity were able to stop not only their diabetes 23:52 medications but also medications for high blood 23:57 pressure and high cholesterol. And this 23:58 after only two weeks! It all boils down to two 24:04 things, well, three things really. Eating 24:07 healthfully, engaging in daily physical activity, 24:08 and faith that God wants you to have health, and He 24:12 wants you to have it how More abundantly, it tells 24:17 us in John 10:10. 24:21 Let's look at another study led by Dean Ornish. 24:22 He took people with severe heart disease and put 24:25 them on a low-fat, total vegetarian diet. He also 24:29 asked them to walk daily, stop smoking, and take 24:30 stress reduction courses. 24:35 After one year, the results were remarkable. 24:37 Participants on the low-fat, total vegetarian 24:41 diet experienced widening of their narrowed 24:45 arteries, a reversal of their heart disease 24:46 Participants in the control group 24:50 were provided a diet recommended by a national 24:53 health organization and, on this diet, they 24:54 experienced further blockage of their 24:58 arteries. A plant-based diet seems to work for a 25:04 number of diseases! 25:05 Here's why: You'll get an abundance of antioxidants 25:10 and phytonutrients, natural substances in 25:11 plants that contribute to your good health. Plus, 25:14 there's no cholesterol in plant foods. You'll get 25:17 lower saturated fat, lower sodium, less sugar, less 25:18 additives, and more fibre. 25:21 These all add up to decreased risk for all 25:22 diseases. And, wouldn't you know it, a plant-based 25:30 way of eating is God's ideal for us. In Genesis 25:35 1:29, He tells us "I give you every seed-bearing 25:36 plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree 25:40 that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours 25:45 for food." As Michael Pollan puts it in his book 25:46 "In Defense of Food", "eat food, not too much, mostly 25:52 plants." I like that - short and sweet! When you 25:58 start to include more plant-based foods in your 26:00 every day eating, you will reap the rewards of 26:03 better health. Cheers to your good health! 26:44 >Omar: What must I do to be saved? The question 26:45 behind all questions. 26:48 Nothing! Jesus has done it all. If you confess 26:49 with your mouth, "Jesus is lord" and believe in your 26:54 heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be 26:59 saved. We wand to send you a book, it is called 27:00 "getting to know Jesus" by Phillip Yancey. It is our 27:04 gift to you. Here is the information you need to 27:09 get your copy. 28:16 >>Bill: Thank you for being with us. 28:17 Remember our web site www.itiswrittencanada.ca. 28:19 Until next week remember, it is written, man shall 28:26 not live by bread alone, but by every word that 28:27 proceeds from the mouth of God. 28:35 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2014-12-17