When Trying Jesus Doesn't Work 12/4/22

When “Trying” Jesus Doesn’t Work     12/4/22         Killen     Mark 10:17-22   nkjv17 Now 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?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, 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.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

 ❓  What do you do when you feel like God doesn’t answer your prayer?  

➤   Something I’ve heard said over the years, “I tried God and it didn’t work.”     Some have put it that bluntly while others say it subtly like, “ What am I doing wrong?” or “Why do bad things keep happening”?    “This God thing isn’t working!” 

➤   During the disaffiliation, I’ve heard people from “one side” say things like, “It’s time for a change”.  “The Scripture is outdated.”   “What God taught in the earlier days is no longer relevant for today's world.” “The word is evolving”.      

⭐   It seems like the good guys are giving up on fighting the good fight of faith. It’s hard when people you’ve looked up to and taught you about God and faith turn away and go to the other side!!!  If you can’t lick them, join them! Musicians.  Teen idols.  Sports heroes.  Friends.  ! It can be hard, confusing and discouraging to say the least! 

⭐   One of the latest and hardest ones of all is when the people we love and care about start living in sin, and we want to justify it by theoretical science and worldly logic. 💥  Christmas is the time when most of the world focuses on the coming of Christ.  The redemption, hope, power and new life He brings to us; the salvation and change that can happen in the life of anyone that would accept and believe in Him as their Lord.    So why does it seem like Christ works for some?  Why does it seem like Christ doesn’t work for some?  How can people come to Jesus and walk away feeling worse off than before? Our story is about someone that would probably say, “I tried Jesus” and it didn’t work!    Someone that walked away from the very thing he needed to continue a course and lifestyle that Jesus said, “ would cause him to miss eternal life”. 

💥  What were some of the dynamics that he was using to justify his choices, lifestyle, and behaviors? 

A.  Worldly success.v22b),,,,, for he had great possessions.   He was rich!  Some suppose gain is godliness… that success means we are doing things right.   1 Timothy 6:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

B. Doing good. v19-20)19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” How many times do I hear people say, “BUT they are “good” people.”  If they aren’t Christian then no one else is!!   

👉 ****)  Good enough isn’t good enough!!!  

C.   Coming to Jesus.v17) 17 Now 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?”  Seeking God.  They go to church!  Luke 6:46“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?Matthew 15:8‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  

So why don’t we get what we want?  To do things our way?  How can we do a lot of good and still LACK?    

I.  We don’t do what He says! v17) 17 Now 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 main problem is when we don’t want to hear what God has to say!!!! The Word is what God tells us to do.  Many attempts have been made to change it, replace it, reinterpret it.  But heaven and earth will pass away but His word will NOT. 

II.  We won’t give up what drags us down! v21 ) 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, 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.”  QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. IT’S NOT JUST MONEY!!!!  In this case it was, but not in all cases. We need to give up what drags us down!  Money, relationships, habits, behavior, attitudes,  hobbies.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-22  16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,  18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Grumbling about what God’s will is! 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. Wanting to embrace evil instead of reject it or work to remove it. Ephesians 4: 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

III.  We don’t follow Him! v21) 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, 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.” Ezekiel 18    When a person has followed righteousness and then decides to turn away, all the good they have done is not counted.   NOT FAIR? People say.  It's not fair that people can’t live the way they want to.  

 ➤We can’t sit at the table of evil and God at the same time!  1 Corinthians 10:21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 

⭐   Only when we change our way to His way, in whatever it is we do.  When we YIELD OURSELVES TO FOLLOW HIM!Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  Some sort of daily devotion, reading, prayer, obeying indicates our following Him. Take up your cross daily. 

⭐⭐⭐ He has come to make the way AND to show us the way!  Prepare your hearts to receive Him. ⭐⭐⭐When “Trying” Jesus Doesn’t Work     12/4/22  Killen    Mark 10:17-22   nkjv17 Now 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?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, 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.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

❓  What do you do when you feel like God doesn’t answer your prayer?  

➤   Something I’ve heard said over the years, “I tried God and it didn’t work.”     Some have put it that bluntly while others say it subtly like, “ What am I doing wrong?” or “Why do bad things keep happening”?    “This God thing isn’t working!” 

➤   During the disaffiliation, I’ve heard people from “one side” say things like, “It’s time for a change”.  “The Scripture is outdated.”   “What God taught in the earlier days is no longer relevant for today's world.” “The word is evolving”.     

⭐   It seems like the good guys are giving up on fighting the good fight of faith. It’s hard when people you’ve looked up to and taught you about God and faith turn away and go to the other side!!!  If you can’t lick them, join them! Musicians.  Teen idols.  Sports heroes.  Friends.  ! It can be hard, confusing and discouraging to say the least! 

⭐   One of the latest and hardest ones of all is when the people we love and care about start living in sin, and we want to justify it by theoretical science and worldly logic. 💥  Christmas is the time when most of the world focuses on the coming of Christ.  The redemption, hope, power and new life He brings to us; the salvation and change that can happen in the life of anyone that would accept and believe in Him as their Lord.    So why does it seem like Christ works for some?  Why does it seem like Christ doesn’t work for some?  How can people come to Jesus and walk away feeling worse off than before? Our story is about someone that would probably say, “I tried Jesus” and it didn’t work!    Someone that walked away from the very thing he needed to continue a course and lifestyle that Jesus said, “ would cause him to miss eternal life”. 

💥  What were some of the dynamics that he was using to justify his choices, lifestyle, and behaviors?

A. Worldly success.v22b),,,,, for he had great possessions.   He was rich!  Some suppose gain is godliness… that success means we are doing things right.1 Timothy 6:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

B. Doing good. v19-20)19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” How many times do I hear people say, “BUT they are “good” people.”  If they aren’t Christian then no one else is!!    

👉 ****)  Good enough isn’t good enough!!! 

C. Coming to Jesus.v17) 17 Now 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?”  Seeking God.  They go to church!  Luke 6:46“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?Matthew 15:8‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

 So why don’t we get what we want?  To do things our way?  

How can we do a lot of good and still LACK?   

I.We don’t do what He says! v17) 17 Now 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 main problem is when we don’t want to hear what God has to say!!!! The Word is what God tells us to do.  Many attempts have been made to change it, replace it, reinterpret it.  But heaven and earth will pass away but His word will NOT.

 II.We won’t give up what drags us down! v21 ) 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, 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.”  QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. Bro BryanEdit