What Must I Do?

If you’re like me, you may have experienced a time in your life where you stopped and took in a moment of silence or reflection, and you asked yourself— “Is this really it?” You may have even asked God this very question. “Is this really all that there is? Lord?” Like we can actually feel that when we are really down— like the people we learned about last week— Hope is knowing and believing that there is indeed something coming— something more. That this — even the suffering— is not “it”. There is more.

But we can also come to that questioning moment in times of great success and comfort as well.

Listen to the words of the great King Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 NIV

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Hopelessness is not reserved just for the poor, or sick or down-trodden. Hopelessness can infect all of us, no matter our circumstances.

Today I want to introduce you to a man who the bible never names— we don’t actually know his name—We are going to see here an interaction with Jesus where this man is questioning— What must I do? The question itself implies that he is feeling something is missing— he seems successful— and maybe he comes to try to confirm that he’s got it all together---

That may be where some of you are today too:

Going through the motions of your faith is pretty easy. But is this really it? Is this all there is for me, God? Are and I good with each other? Maybe you know someone in this condition— they are restless, they aren’t quite settled.

I want you to leave here today with some answers to the same question that this man is going to ask-

“What must I do?”

What must I do? To settle this churning in my soul. What must I do? To know that I know that I know, that Jesus is real, that He cares, and He is trustworthy for me to go “All-IN” and follow Him with my whole being. I’ll give you a hint: (As usual with Jesus, he’s going to answer our questions with some other questions)

It may start with that question: What must I do? But it quickly leads to a set of more specific questions:

Three key questions to ask yourself today:

Do you know that you need Jesus?

Do you love the world more than Jesus?

Do you understand the future hope we have in Jesus?

We know just three little adjectives about him. And even those don’t help us get to know him very much.

He was wealthy/rich (whatever that means?), he was young (compared to who?) and he was a ruler (ruler of what? Some kind of leader?).

The story picks up in Mark 10, it’s verses 17-22. It’s also found in Matthew 19, and Luke 18. So it’s a pretty notable story to be found in all three of these Gospel narratives.

Mark 10:17 NIV

17 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?”

A wealthy young man approaches Jesus with a critical question. (v. 17)

He’s asking a very important question— What about heaven? Am I in, am I out? What must I do to make sure that this is taken care of? It’s a very good question— it’s interesting how he asks it though:

-He bows on his knees

This shows that he respects and does indeed see Jesus as a powerful authority.

-He addresses Jesus as “Good Teacher”

The word used here is interesting, it’s agathos, which doesn’t mean like you’re good at what you do— it means an “intrinsic” good, you are good at your nature. Not his ability— but who He is.

-He specifically assumes that it’s something HE must do himself. (What must I do?) He’s tipping his hand, that he believes that it must be up to him. Now this is very normal for us in our flesh— in our physical world, in the Western culture, in our independent nation— It’s all up to us

So Jesus responds to him:

Mark 10:18 NIV

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Jesus responds in a very interesting way. (v. 18)

To us this seems like a puzzling rebuke— but Jesus is saying to him, and to everyone listening: “Hey, if you are calling me “agathos” because you know me to be GOD— that’s great. But if you are calling me agathos, because you think anyone can attain agathos by their own efforts— then we will have to talk about that.

If you’re calling me God— you got it. But if you’re thinking that man can be agathos— you’re wrong. Oh- you think people can be good? Let me explain it to you a little bit deeper:

Mark 10:19 NIV

19 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.’”

For a long time in my life, when studying this, I thought Jesus might be just fooling around with this kid. But He’s not. He’s basically answering his question— You want to be in heaven— be perfect.

The only thing YOU can do to get eternal life— is be perfect. You know, follow the rules— all the rules. On your own.

Like anyone with any integrity, honestly, would probably respond by admitting that I’m not perfect. I have probably broken nearly all the commandments at some point. Especially if I followed the “spirit” of the laws— like Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

But that’s not what our young man says:

Mark 10:20 NIV

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

You want heaven? Be Good— agathos.

“I am good”. Really? Yeah— that’s your problem. You just think you’re good.

“Self-reliance” is the enemies attempt to inoculate us to true faith in Jesus.

A vaccination is usually a process by which we receive a little small, hopefully harmless amount of a disease or virus, and that allows our body to acclimate and build up a resistance to the sickness.

The enemy, that devil— and poor church leadership in my opinion— can work together to give you just a little small weak dose of faith in Jesus— incomplete —harmless--- and guess what happens? It isn’t strong enough to infect us— so we build our immunity to real deep faith — We begin to think that we need to do this thing on our own.

Listen to the deception that it causes:

Can you get to heaven by keeping all the commandments?

Sure. I suppose you can.

Have you or I any chance to do that? Not. a. chance.

Jesus can see through any pride we may have in ourselves. (v. 21)

So Jesus answers our young friend again, It’s as if he sees right into this person’s heart and mind—and loves him, and puts his finger RIGHT on the spot we need to pay attention to:

Mark 10:21 NIV

21 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.”

Ouch—Jesus tells this young man to go have a yard sale with everything he holds so dear. And some think that we’re just talking about money here… I don’t think that allows the passage to do all it’s work in us. He’s talking about anything we have placed in the spot in our souls that GOD alone should occupy— Yeah— even our own abilities, our own stuff, our own Goodness.

Do you remember what the first of the 10 commandments is?

Exodus 20:3 NIV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

To place anything in our lives, and treat it as we would God, is idolatry, and it breaks this very first commandment.

So many people today are deceived. Some of us right here right now today may be deceived into thinking that at the end of our lives we will face Jesus and He might ask us why we should enter into eternal life with Him?

So many people live their lives— their 80 or 90 years or whatever believing they were good enough. I’m better than the average. I did some pretty nice things in my life. I didn’t kill anybody. I went to church, I tried to do and give good things---”because I”— WRONG It’s not “because you” anything...

That’s the wrong Gospel. That’s the Gospel of Good enough. That’s not a gospel— that’s not “good news” at all. And I’m here to tell you today that this is the problem for this young man— and that is the problem for you and me if we think we can work our way into heaven.

Truth to Live by:

We must realize our need for Jesus.

People who think they are just good, just good enough, just better than the next guy— those people go to hell. I know this sounds so harsh— but that’s the truth.

But those who realize and admit that they are not good—and believe that Jesus made a way for us— we receive God’s grace and forgiveness—

When we who understand our need--- we will come before Jesus— in this little hypothetical conversation at the end of your life— we will basically say, “I only can enter your presence because of what YOU did Lord. Nothing that I did could get me in. I’m lost without your grace and your work on the cross.

The poor kid seems to be really down, and we read that he walks away:

Mark 10:22 NIV

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Mark 10:22 CSB

22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

The young man walks away dejected and sad. (v.22)

Some people have never believed that Jesus is enough. They can’t believe that His sacrifice or His shepherding guidance in our life is enough. So they never believe, and they go all in on the world.

Some of us though, are not quite there— we believe that Jesus is the savior of the world. But because of the world’s temptation, the world’s systems, the reward that the world promises— we have one foot planted in the world— and our other foot planted with Jesus. But that’s not going to work. We cannot serve two masters— he told us that back in Matthew 6:24

Matthew 6:24 NIV

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

No one can serve two masters. (Matt 6:24)

It’s like a bet on a roulette wheel— you’re going to put 5 dollars on red, and 5 dollars on black— you think you’ve got this thing figured out. You think you know how to win both sides— but in the end you’re going to lose both!

You know this is true— you’ve got too much Jesus to enjoy the world— and too much of the world to enjoy Jesus! That’s a horrible way to live your life. It’s luke-warm, and Jesus himself had some really harsh things to say about that.

Truth to Live By:

We must reject loving the world.

When I encourage and counsel some folks sometimes, they just respond to me with “I’m trying, Pastor Charlie”.

I’m trying. Look at this verse— it’s a powerhouse— and we’re looking forward to unpacking it even more in our upcoming sermon series on Ephesians, starting next week:

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

A gift of God- that’s it. What Must you do? You must receive the gift. There’s no trying— you either receive it or you don’t. And if you receive it— you’re going to live differently than the world, and you’ll stop loving the world. You will be changed. You will take whatever it is that you’ve been putting in God’s place in your life— and you’ll get rid of it. That’s all Jesus is saying here.

This young ruler wasn’t that different from you— He’s the kid that did everything “right”. He’s a Sunday School kid. In fact, he’s probably one that hasn’t done that much wrong in his life at all. Maybe a lot like you and me. I don’t have this tragic testimony—I haven’t suffered really that much. I’ve overcome a few things, but nothing compared to what we taught last week-- I’m a small-town, home grown, hard working, church going, worship leading, squeaky clean kind of guy.

I had too, have come face to face with our saviour Jesus— and he forced me take a really deep look into my soul— and I had to face all the areas where I thought that I was good enough. Just like this young man. Where in your life do you think that you’re good enough. Its time to Go have a yard sale.

Realize your need.

Stop loving the world.

and there is just one more truth that I want to share with you---

Quickly jump down to verses 29-30.

The disciples ask “how can anyone be saved?” (v.26)

The disciples have a follow up conversation— and they have some questions. How can anyone be saved then?

Jesus says that with God— all things are possible. Even a camel can go through the eye of a needle— and a rich person can enter the kingdom of God.

But I want you to see what Jesus says as a follow up to their questions:

Mark 10:29 NIV

29 “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

Mark 10:30 NIV

30 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.

Following Jesus will cost you something, but not following Him will cost you everything.

Truth to Live By:

We must remember our future hope.

This fellow comes to Jesus with a great question. Jesus basically answers him in a really spectacular way by saying “be good”. The man answers Jesus in a pretty ridiculous way, stating that “i am good”. So Jesus levels the crushing blow that He only lacks one thing— he shows him that he actually isn’t good. Take that which is MOST valuable to you— and give it all away, and come follow Him.

The passage ends with this young man walking away— because we assume he feels he has so much that he could never give all of it up. What was he giving up— in comparison to what he would have gained in the end?

Jesus compares what we will receive in the end as 10x whatever we gave up.

Don’t get too caught up in the details here… We have understood that sure, Money and possessions can become blocks to our understanding of our need for a saviour, and that they can distract our affections --

Can you name what it is that you are tempted to put into that God place in your life? What is it? It might be money— but it might be a whole bunch of other things too.

Let me give you a little hint— from my own life. A lot of people have appreciated that I’m an encourager. Do you know where that comes from?

Because all I’ve ever desired— all I’ve ever really obsessed over—all that I’ve idolized--- all that I’ve placed in that God spot in my heart— is to be encouraged. TO be told that I’m wanted, and loved, to be told that I’m enough.

And so I took this passage to heart some 35 or so years ago, and I began my yard sale. I’m taking all that I love so dearly— and I’m giving it away.

I’ve also lived out verse 30. I’ve received back 10x or more of the love and encouragement that I’ve given away--- from Jesus. You see, I don’t need your encouragement anymore— I live for His encouragement in and through my life.

Don’t miss the best by settling for the good.

Recognize your need for Jesus.

Reject loving the world.

Remember the future hope we have.