And I want to speak this morning as we continue our series in the Gospel of Mark on chapter 10 and verses 23 to 31, although we'll mainly be speaking on verses 23 to 27. I'll read those few verses again. And Jesus looked round about, this is verse 23, Jesus looked round about and saith unto his disciples, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. They were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible. The last time we examined the story of the wealthy young man or the wealthy young ruler who approached Jesus to ask what he must do to enter into the kingdom of God. And Jesus, as I said last time, recognized many admirable qualities in that young man, and he loved him, the scripture says. But the problem with the man was that his heart was divided. He loved his law, he loved his religion, and yet he also loved his wealth. And Jesus said, one thing you lack, sell all you have, give to the poor, take up the cross, and follow me. too far for him. And the young man left sorrowful because he was very wealthy. And after he departed, as we've just read, Jesus looked around and saw his disciples. And I'm sure there were others. There must have been others there in the crowd. And Jesus, looking around, says, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. Our Lord is highlighting one major obstacle that hinders many people from hearing and accepting the gospel. It's not the only one, but it's a common one. Riches. A common mistake, of course, in this passage, and when we hear it, is to switch off because we think, well, this can't apply to me because I'm not wealthy. But let me assure you, compared to past centuries, most of us today are wealthy. During the Victorian era, for example, huge swathes of the population endured extreme hardship. There was poor sanitation, constant risk of imprisonment in debtors' prisons. And if you were fortunate, you would get a place in the workhouse. Starvation was a reality for many. And so we mustn't underestimate poverty today. But even, I would argue, amongst the relatively poor in our country, we possess possessions and comforts that would astonish, actually, previous generations. So I believe this applies to the vast majority of people anyway. Jesus repeats his warning in verse 24 and provides a bit more clarity about it. He says, children, how hard is it for them that trust enriches? to enter into the kingdom of God. There's a slight shift in his wording. First he says, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. His disciples were amazed at that. And then he qualifies his warning by saying, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God. And that additional statement or word explains why it is so hard for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. Because it's so difficult to possess wealth and riches without putting your trust in them. It's hard to have riches and not love them. It's hard not to find your security in them. And in our reading today, Jesus teaches that if we place our faith and trust in him and surrender all to him, we won't become poorer, we'll become richer. What do we read here? Of course, Peter is often the spokesman for the disciples. said in verse 28, words to the effect, well, Lord, this doesn't apply to us. We've left all and have followed Thee. And Jesus says, no man that's left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother and so on, verse 30, shall receive an hundredfold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life. You see, God's no man. God is no man's debtor. We give all to him, he will add to us. But Jesus adds with persecutions, we shouldn't forget that addition. But he does, he blesses us. Maybe most of the blessing may not be in this life, in terms of material things, but we're not going to be short of anything in heaven. The challenge of Christ to us through the Gospel is where are we going to put our hope and trust? Where are you today putting your hope and trust for life? The rich young man refused Jesus' call. He would not take up his cross and follow him because he loved his riches more than God. What about you? follow Christ, whatever he asks you to do. In most cases, he doesn't ask us to give up our wealth, but he asks us to give up our trust in wealth, our reliance on it. And like most people in our society today, and we have so much, as I've already said, that young man that walked away from Jesus, His life was filled with stuff, with possessions. His life was filled with money, tangible things with value in the here and now. He had money with purchasing power. It gave him easy access to goods and services. And the Lord Jesus asks him to give up all of that for something he could not see, the kingdom of God. which is more real, dear friends, actually, than any possessions or wealth. It's more everlasting than any possessions or wealth. See, behind all the clever adverts, and we're going to see all that now, aren't we? The John Lewis adverts and all the rest of it will come out, won't they? All the glossy PR and advertising as we come to Christmas, all the clever branding. What's behind it all? What's behind all the tinsel? Most of it's nothing, isn't it, really. It's not worth anything. And the kingdom of God is more real than any possessions or wealth. And the young man exchanged eternity for the present moment. He sacrificed his soul for earthly riches. You mustn't make the same mistake, dear friends. If you're not a believer here this morning, don't make that same mistake. What are you living for today? What are you relying on for your hope for the future? What are you trusting in? say to you, I don't know how people sleep if they're not a Christian. How do you get through a day? You're either in turmoil, inner turmoil about your life and the future, or you found some way of sleeping at night. But whatever way it is, whatever you found, it's false. It's not real. Because there is no security outside of Jesus Christ. And so our Lord looks around and observes the people. And as I say, his disciples were present and others. And I expect some of them were wealthy individuals. And Jesus makes a statement that in that culture and in that time would have been far more shocking than it is for us today. He says, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. That was totally counter-cultural to say that. And the disciples' reaction in verse 24 testifies to that fact. And the disciples were astonished at his words. You see, the disciples hadn't grasped yet the true meaning of the conversation between Jesus and the rich young ruler. And therefore, our Lord repeats his statement with more detail and delivers one of his most memorable sayings. Even many unbelievers will, well, they used to, I don't know whether they do now, but in times past, even unbelievers would know this saying of our Lord. Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. The question is why were the disciples so astonished at what Jesus said? Why were they so surprised by what the Lord had said to this young man? He'd been speaking to a model religious man whom God had blessed with much wealth. And their reading of scripture was that wealth was God's reward for obedience and something possessed particularly by righteous people. turn to Deuteronomy 28 verse 11, for example, it says, God will make the obedient Israelites plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground. Of course, there's some truth to it, but that was linked to the land and obedience to the covenant in the land. rabbis, the teachers of Jesus' time had extended that to everyone who put on the right pharisaical front, as it were, as a sign of personal righteousness. And the disciples were influenced by the prevailing theology. of the time, which held that rich people were wealthy because they were being blessed by God, and that poor people were poor because they were being punished by God. That was the prevailing view. And Jesus says, he puts a coach and horses right through that whole teaching. Of course, there's a revival of that teaching in the modern Word of Faith movement, isn't there, and it's false prosperity gospel. If you're poor, you're not a good Christian. If you're rolling in it, you're a good Christian. Well, I don't know if they've ever read the New Testament. The apostles seemed pretty poor to me, often. You see, the rich, it was thought, had the resources to give alms and to make the best animal sacrifices. In the apocryphal book of Tobit, one of the Jewish books, the angel Raphael says to Tobit and his son, for almsgiving delivers from death and purges away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fullness of life. Can you imagine? That was what was being believed. Almsgiving delivers from death and purges away every sin. Reminds me of the terrible practice of taking money in the pre-reformation times for the souls in purgatory to be released. And you see, most people in Jesus' time thought it was easier for the rich to spend time on religious learning and good works. And the disciples had a whole lifetime of being brought up and trained in legalism. And these things are not easy to shake off. And this saying of Jesus is a shock to their system. After hearing Jesus declare that it's hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples exclaimed, who then can be saved? The thinking was, if even the rich, who are really the righteous in their mind, can hardly be saved, then who can be saved? The association of riches as a sign of God's favor is not a common view in our society today, I don't think. But nonetheless, Christ's statement is true today. It is hard for those that have riches to enter into the kingdom of God. And what is it about possessing riches that makes this true? And as I say, this applies, I think, to most of us. What is it about the possession of wealth that makes it an obstacle to entering into the kingdom of God? I believe the possession of wealth often leads to a love of wealth. There is nothing sinful in riches themselves. Riches are neutral. They've got no moral value. This is about people's attitude to riches. But the possession of riches brings particular temptations. The things that wealth provide can be extremely appealing to the carnal mind, and we are carnal by nature. The wealthy individual can become an object of fascination and admiration and envy. If you don't believe me, find a decent restaurant. Try to think of one, the Ritz or somewhere, or Claridge's. Is that a restaurant or is that a supermarket? Shows that I don't go to posh restaurants, doesn't it? We'll say the Ritz, it's the only one I can think of. Just watch the waiters, how they would treat an obviously wealthy gentleman compared to someone who comes in looking rough and ready and poor. You'll see the difference. It's easy to love the fact that wealth can secure many comforts and luxuries that others cannot enjoy. And even those of us with more modest wealth find it easy for our hearts to become attached to riches. David states in Psalm 62, verse 10, if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. You see, there's that temptation. He recognises the temptations that come with many possessions. To be Christ's disciple we are not to set our affections on things below but on things above. The disciple, Jesus said, must deny himself, take up his cross and follow him with his eye and heart fixed on one aim. pleasing of Christ himself through an obedient life. Jesus said, you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon, which is an old word for money, for wealth. The love of money, the scripture says, not money, but the love of money is the root of all evil. Because you see, it's a heart issue, isn't it? It's not the wealth, really. is the heart that is covetous, that is carnal. And if our treasure is on earth, the Lord Jesus said, it's very likely that our heart will be there also. For most people, wherever their treasure is, whether it's in gold or money or shares or in a partnership in a business or wherever the money's coming from, their heart can be found there. All their time and attention and planning and desire and effort is put into that. And the Lord Jesus wants all that energy and time and attention on him, on his kingdom, on his business, not your business. You see, and this is the great issue of being a Christian. Because we work, we have to earn. We should, if we've got the gifts, start businesses and employ people. But our heart must never really be there. Our heart must be in heaven, mustn't it? Our first priority. And then God will bless your business. Because if we seek first the kingdom of God, then all these other things will be added unto you. It's difficult to amass riches, I think, without feeling proud. It's hard not to believe that you deserve them. And you start thinking of yourself as somebody, as somebody important. Because wealth often allows you to get your way. And over time you become accustomed to getting your way. I went to a relatively minor boarding school, but it was quite a few posh people there, posh boys from posh families. They were expected to get their way. And some of them from other countries. Some of them came from Arab countries where they were part of a royal family. Some of them They had no concept of queuing. There was always a queue for the tax shop, and you took your place at the back of the queue. It took some of them an education to learn that you can't just walk to the front. You see, wealth gives you... The tendency of wealth is to give you an attitude. The Apostle Paul recognized this tendency in 1 Timothy 6 verse 17. He says, charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. You see, it's not the proud, but the poor in spirit, Jesus taught, who were given the kingdom of heaven. Proverbs 16, 5 says, everyone that is proud is an abomination to the Lord. A high-minded pride is the original sin of Satan, and it really is the father of all sins. And wealth has this tendency to stimulate pride. It's not inevitable, but it's a temptation It's difficult to possess wealth without being led into sin through it. Because wealth can grant access to even more sinful pleasures. Abundance can lead to corruption. We see evidence of that all the time, don't we? Perhaps more relevant to many of us is that riches can distract the mind significantly. diverting the soul away from the Lord. The scriptures say, they who even desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. Jesus warned of the cares of this world. and the deceitfulness of riches, which choke the word that they hear and render it unfruitful. You see, it's hard not to put your faith and trust in riches. And riches deceive people into thinking that they can rely on them. I believe that was partly why the rich young man walked away. his wealth was his security. It gave him a level of independence that he didn't want to lose. Proverbs 10, 15 says, the rich man's wealth is his strong city. That's how we often feel about our wealth. That's our strength. That's going to make us something in the world. That's going to be our passport to success. the security, as it were, under our feet. It's our strong city. And we can easily start depending on wealth rather than on the Lord. Paul says, charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches. Think of that, of Job. Poor Job, who had these friends that knew it all, didn't they? And they kept coming to him with advice. And Job defends himself in chapter 31, verse 24, by stating, if I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, thou art my confidence, If I rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much, words to the effect he would accept any punishment from God. But he hadn't, you see, he was not putting his faith in gold. And our Lord here sums it all up. How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God. See what security do what Paul calls uncertain riches really offer? With life's greatest questions, perhaps the ultimate question is death. What security do riches offer in the face of death? Jesus tells us, we all know this, I know, but we'll repeat it. Jesus tells a story of a farmer whose lands produced more and more grain, leaving him with no space at all. And we can imagine, if it was in modern times, he would say something like, I must keep it all until winter, until the price of grain goes up, because there's a glut now. There's no point selling it now. Let's store it. What will I do? And he considered all the possibilities and then he decided to tear down these outhouses and barns and replace them with much larger barns to store all the grain and the goods. And I say to myself, you have plenty of goods laid out for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry. That was his plan for life. That's the plan of most people today. These were his self-made plans for a future over which he had no control. We go through life, people go through life thinking they're in control of the future. They have these things when you're young, and remember we were encouraged to do it at work, to have a life plan. You know, I'm going to do this by 13, by 40, as if we can guarantee anything. All his friends thought he was making a very wise decision. But God said to him, you fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? And Jesus applied this to all of his listeners. This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself, but is not rich toward God. You see, the problem is that many people are rich in this life, but they're absolutely poor in the life to come. They've got nothing in heaven. It's all down here. But what about after death? The riches that you have now will be of no use after death. because in death everything will be taken. Everything you've lived for will be gone and you'll meet the eternal God whom you've spent your life ignoring. And you're a fool to rely on uncertain riches. Now what provision have you made this morning for your soul? What provision have you made for your soul after death? People prepare for retirement. And we give huge chunks of our monthly salary all through our lives for this pension at the end. And when you're in your 20s, you think, is it really worth it? All this money every month. And as you get older, you think, well, I'm glad I did that. But we plan for the future. We plan for retirement. And most people have no plan for the life to come. Elon Musk this week has been given a settlement for his wage, or whatever it might be called, for being the CEO of Tesla. And the board have agreed to give him $1 trillion. which he has graciously accepted. But you know, if he doesn't come to the Lord, there'll come a day when he'd give a trillion dollars for a glass of water in hell. You see, we've got to prepare to meet God. In fact, Jesus spoke of this very issue. Rich man, he was dressed in the finest of clothes, living in luxury every day. And outside his house on the street lived a beggar named Lazarus. And he would have gladly eaten whatever fell from the rich man's table. And at night the dogs came and as he slept licked the beggar's sores. And both the rich man and the poor man died within a short time of each other. The beggar was a believer and he went to heaven, but the rich man went to hell. And there was this great barrier, this great chasm fixed between them. It was impossible for anyone to cross because no one could overturn the judgment of God that the men in hell were experiencing. And the rich man, Jesus said, had received his good things in his lifetime. And from then on in hell, all his riches couldn't buy him even a cup of cold water. Can you imagine that? He was in the place of torment. But the beggar, on the other hand, who had nothing in life, was vindicated by God. He was safe in Abraham's bosom, and he was living in paradise. He was living in glory. He had everything you could ever imagine. And this is the parable Jesus told. If you live for money in this life, if you trust in riches, if you make that your God, you're going to end up in hell. If you make Christ your life, you're going to end up in glory. And so Jesus teaches that there are numerous deceptions and traps that can prevent a wealthy man from entering the kingdom of God. And he draws an analogy in verse 25, one of his most memorable sayings, which emphasized the point he makes in verse 24 about how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. He says, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Many interpret this as an example of our Lord's sense of humor. I don't know. I don't have a problem with our saying that our Lord had a sense of humor. He was a man, a real man. And I guess the camel is a somewhat amusing animal to look at. It's been described as a horse made by a committee. But the point that Jesus makes is that it is a serious one. He takes the largest animal known in that society and compares it to the smallest opening you can imagine, the eye of a needle. And he says it's easier for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for this camel to go through this tiny eye of a needle. That's how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. He's basically saying it's impossible for a man, a rich man, to enter the kingdom of God. And without divine help, it's true, it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God. I would say it's not just for a rich person, it's impossible for any person to enter the kingdom of God. without God's help. Certainly no one can enter the kingdom of God while trusting in their riches. And the disciples' reaction was incredulous. They were astonished, out of measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved? They were astonished in verse 24, but now they're even more amazed. They are now astonished beyond measure. They were astonished because Jesus is saying it's impossible to enter the kingdom. If the rich can't enter the kingdom of God, then who can? And it is true. It's impossible. You must come as a child, as Jesus taught. You must come as you are, in a spirit of dependence rather than independence. And this is what makes it so difficult for a rich man. And Jesus looks at them and says, with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible. And you, dear friends this morning, any of you who do not know and love our Lord Jesus Christ, cannot save yourself. Just as you cannot stuff a camel through the eye of a needle, I guess something you're never actually going to attempt. But just as you cannot do that, Jesus says, humans can never enter the kingdom of God through their own effort. But what man cannot do, God can do. The sinner relying on his own power, will, money, religion and morality cannot save himself or herself, cannot enter the kingdom, cannot inherit eternal life or be saved, cannot enter the kingdom. But here's the good news. With man it's impossible, but with God all things are possible. We could say the Lord Jesus has achieved mission impossible. He's made impossible salvation possible. Which means you're not impossible. Your life's not impossible. Your salvation is not impossible. Because with God all things are possible. The issue Jesus addresses here in our text today, as we come to an end, is not really about having money. It's about trusting in money. He focuses on the heart of man. The love of money is a real trap, affecting both the rich and the poor, actually, because the poor often long for the riches they do not possess. It's impossible for a person to change their own heart. Jeremiah said that. It's as unlikely as an Ethiopian changing the colour of his skin, or a leopard changing its spots. It's just not going to happen. But God can change the heart. With God, all things are possible. He can even get a camel through the eye of a needle. Which is why even rich men are in the kingdom of God. Praise God. And God has used many great rich men in his church. The only way to enter the kingdom of God is to be given a new heart that is willing to surrender all to Christ and to trust in him alone. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus. except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. You've got to have a new heart. And today your heart, I wonder about your heart, it may be full of idolatry. You may be living for riches, you may be relying on riches, you may be in love with the things of this world. And the only way for you to enter the kingdom of God is to be is to become poor in your spirit. To realize that you are a spiritual beggar in God's sight. And for God to give you that new heart that he promised through his prophet Ezekiel. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh. And I will give you a heart of flesh and then to be born again, we then give our whole lives to Christ. Surrender all to Jesus. Give yourself totally to him and submit obediently to his reign over your life. And you will enter the kingdom of God. Praise God. And I pray that every single one of us today will have our hearts set not on riches, but on the pearl of great price, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Amen. Feel free to contact us at Sovereign Grace Church in Tiverton. Email us at grace2seekers at gmail.com. That's grace2seekers at gmail.com. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.sovereigngracereformedchurch.co.uk.