What the Road Costs

Intro

Everything that is worth having has a cost. Typically the more something costs the more valuable it is. I remember when I went shopping for Alysa’s engagement ring. I didn’t trust myself so I took her best friend and my sister. and I went in with a price range I was comfortable paying. We went into the first store and right away I found the one it was exactly the style that I knew she would like. my sister and Alysa’s best friend agreed and so we asked the scariest question you can ask in a jewlery store. How much does it cost. The woman looked at me I braced for the worst and then she said $150.

I did not deem that a high enough cost. for the love of my life. I knew there was no way it was a high quality ring at that price so I looked at her and I for the only time in my life I asked Do you have anything more expensive that looks like that. and they did and thats the ring that Alysa has on today.

When it comes to our relationship with Jesus. we all need to consider and find the answer to a very important question. the same question I asked that jewler. How much does it cost? We are going to see a man who asked Jesus the same question? and he deemed the cost too high. Today I want to show you in scripture what the cost is. and assure you that it’s worth it.

Mark 10:17–22 CSB

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

A couple of things to point out about this man. He was from a wordly perspective the perfect disciple canidate. He was young, he had influence, and he had money. With this guy helping the cause Jesus’ movement could grow faster, reach more people.

He came to the right person Jesus, he came in the right way Humbly. But he asked the wrong question. He asked what must I do?

All religions fall into two categories. Do or done? am I saved by what I do or by what another has done? Christianity is a done religion. We can have salvation because of what Jesus has done.

1. Eternal Life is not Achieved it is Received.

It’s a gift. You cant do anything to get a gift because then it isnt a gift, its a payment.

Eternal life is recieved as a gift based of what Jesus has done for us.

The young man’s starting point was wrong because it was himself. what must I do?

And as we see even though he asks the wrong question he gets the right answer.

Exalting Jesus in Mark Get the Right Answers (Mark 10:18–21)

I’ll tell you what you must do: obey the will of God, which is revealed in His perfect, holy, and moral law. Obey this in the good sense (perfect)—in the same way God is good—and eternal life is yours.”

The young man responds I have done that. and outwardly he probably had. He had checked off all the boxes that he though was supposed to. He though he achieved enough to receive eternal life.

And then we see one of the most touching and tender verses in Bible. “Jesus looked at him and loved him”. Even though he thought he had it right but he had it all wrong because he was focused on himself and what he could do and what what could Jesus had done. Jesus still looked at him and loved him.

Even when we miss the mark. we are selfish and us focused, we misunderstand what jesus wants of us, we have bad theology like this guy. Jesus still looks at you and he loves you.

Because Jesus loved him he didn’t say close enough welcome to the team. He didn’t lower his standard to meet where this guy was at. clearly told him what he was missing. Jesus is saying you want to do something, boy do i have something for you to do. Sell everything.

I want to be clear about this. Jesus command for this man to sell everything is not a universal command for all of us though it could be for some of us.

Because this command was never about this man’s money it was about his heart.

2. The Real Cost Is Surrender

Jesus wasn’t after the contents of his bank account he was after the place in his heart that his bank account was keeping.

His His wealth occupied the place that only God should have in his life. It was his idol, his god. He may have obeyed, relatively speaking, those commands that address human relationships, but he lived in perpetual disobedience, sin, and idolatry when it came to the first and foundational commandment: “Do not have other gods besides Me.

Jesus was not going to accept partial obedience. He wasn’t going to accept half his heart. Jesus was not going to share his heart with his money. It was all or nothing. Jesus is not going accept a surrender of your heart with conditions attached. The only acceptable response to who Jesus is, and what he has done is full unconditional surrender.

That means whatever it is that holds that spot that should only belong to God it cannot go with you on the road to the cross.

Pull out gold coins

You can’t walk Jesus’ road if there is something that you deem more valuable than him.

You might look at that and say thats kinda harsh isn’t it. He just met Jesus maybe as he gets to know him better eventually Jesus will take that place as the most valuable thing and he would lay down his money if Jesus asked him. If he just kept being around Jesus then he would be able to do it.

But what did I just say it would be something he worked up to doing, and then he would receive eternal life. That’s not the Gospel, thats not Christianity. that is a do religion not a done religion.

When Jesus told that may to keep the commandments and give away all he had. it was to show him what his heart was surrendered to.

and they still do the same with us.

the commandments are not how you attain salvation but they do reveal what your heart is surrendered to.

and like this guy we look at the list and we think we are doing pretty good. we haven’t killed people, we are generally honest, we aren’t sleeping around. and we hold that up like God should be impressed, when in reality what you really struggle with may not be lying or murder. The real struggle is that you haven’t got past the first commandment. you haven’t surrendered your idols.

You say ok Jesus I wont lie, I wont cheat, on my wife, I wont steal because if we are being honest it benefits us to not do those things. Because It is good for our reputation to not do those things.

Jesus asked the man to do something that didnt make sense for how he thought his life should look and his reputation. He looked at the cost and looked at Jesus and said it’s too expensive. when he made that choice be broke the first and fundemental commandment and he showed that God was not his God. His gold would remain his god.

Jesus’ command was met with a no He got the right answer but he didn’t give the right response. The only response you and I are allowed to give if we are going to call ourselves Christians. Yes Lord.

The saddest of this story is verse 22 Mark 10:22

Mark 10:22 CSB

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

He went away grieving because he had many possessions the cost was too high. his stuff outweighed his desire for salvation.

Keller puts it like this

Exalting Jesus in Mark It Is Harder than You Think (Mark 10:23–27)

When Jesus called this young man to give up his money, the man started to grieve, because money was for him what the Father was for Jesus. It was the center of his identity. To lose his money would have been to lose himself.

This man’s identity was made up entirely of his status and his money. Look at what we call him. The rich young ruler. that is how he is still defined 2000 years later. to say yes to Jesus would have been to give up that identity and embrace a new identity. He probably feared what we all fear. If I am not this than what if I am nothing.

If lose this thing thats at the center of who I am, am I anything?

3. When You Lose Yourself, You Find Your True Identity

He thought if I lose this money I have nothing so I am nothing.

For you it may be different, but still strikingly similar. If I don’t have this position than I am nothing. If I am not seen online than I am nothing. If I don’t have my health I am nothing. If I cant get that education I am nothing. If a parent doesn’t love me I am nothing.

We have things we think are essential to who we are. that without them we will lose ourselves.

Jesus was trying to get the young man to realize that losing yourself is point. The only way to follow Jesus is to lose yourself. But when you lose yourself and gain Jesus you are not left with nothing.

Everything minus Jesus equals nothing.

But nothing plus Jesus equals everything.

Those who say yes to Jesus they find all they need and more. If he had said yes to Jesus that day we wouldn’t be calling him the rich young ruler today. His identity wouldn’t be tied to what he did and what he had it would be tied to what Jesus had done in his life.

To have no other God’s before me means that there is nothing that Jesus could ask you to do that you say no the cost is too high. Because when you know the cost that Jesus paid. When you fully understand the price that he paid on the cross that paved the way for you to receive eternal life.

You begin to look at what He is asking of you

and what He has given you

and you are going to ask him the same question I asked that jewler. Is there anything more expensive? You start to think, This can’t be that valuable if all you want is me.

I’m broken. I’m sinful. I’m not worth that.

And Jesus looks at you and says there is a much higher cost for eternal life I already paid it, it is finished. aAnd from that moment forward, no one — not the world, not your past, not even yourself — gets to assign your value as zero ever again. You are a son or daughter of the king. and nothing the king owns is worth nothing.

Jesus plus nothing equals everything.

Conclusion

And for some of you, the decision today isn’t between Jesus and some obvious idol.

It’s between trusting Jesus and trying to impress Him.

Some of you have been living like the rich young ruler without even realizing it.

You’ve been checking the boxes. Going to church. Trying to be a good person. Avoiding the big sins.

And somewhere along the way you started believing that your relationship with God depends on how well you perform.

But that’s the same mistake this man made.

Salvation isn’t something you work for. It’s something you receive.

And following Jesus isn’t about making Him one priority among many in your life.

Jesus is not asking to be at the top of your priority list.

He is asking to be the center of your life — the thing every priority revolves around.

Your family revolves around Him. Your career revolves around Him. Your money revolves around Him. Your future revolves around Him.

He’s not one part of your life.

He is the center that everything else orbits around.

He isn’t just something else you throw in the bag for the journey.

He is the journey. He is the motivation. And He is the destination.

So the question you need to consider today is this:

What will your response to Jesus be?

In many ways, you are not that different from the rich young ruler.

Even if you aren’t rich, or young, or a ruler.

Because if you are here today, you’ve done some of the same things he did.

You’ve come to the right place looking for answers. You’re here in Jesus’ church. Many of you have even come the right way — humbly and sincerely wanting to know the truth.

And today you’ve heard the right answer straight from Jesus to the question we are all asking:

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The answer is this:

Trust Jesus by giving Him yourself completely — holding nothing back.

And just like the rich young ruler, you now have a choice.

Will you give the right response?

Or will you look at the cost… cling tightly to the thing that has taken the place in your heart that only God should have… and walk away?

He walked away holding everything the world said was valuable.

But he walked away with nothing in the kingdom of God.

And today, every person in this room will walk away making the same decision.

The only question is:

Will you walk away from Jesus… or will you surrender everything and follow Him?

Because the truth is, the cost of following Jesus may feel high. But it will never be higher than the cost Jesus paid to save you.”