Satisfied In Christ Alone: Remove Your Idols
They rejected his regulations and the covenant which he made with their fathers and the testimony with which he warned them. They followed useless idols, and they became useless themselves. They followed the other nations around them, about whom the Lord had commanded them, “Do not do as they do.” (2 Ki 17:15)
“Nothing but vapor [הֶבֶל (hě·věl)],” Ecclesiastes said. “Totally vapor. Everything is just vapor that vanishes.” (Ec 1:2, EHV)
“Meaningless! [הֶבֶל (hě·věl)] Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ec 1:2, NIV84)
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You are _________ you _________.
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He [Jesus] did not want anyone to know this, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after he is killed, he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the statement and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mk 9:30–32)
Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35)
If your eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, (Mk 9:47)
But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of your hard hearts.” (Mk 10:5)
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk 10:17)
The young man said to him, “I have kept all these. What am I still lacking?” (Mt 19:20)
A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 18:18)
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said, “Let the little children come to me! Do not hinder them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Amen I tell you: Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mk 10:14–15)
18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 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.’” (Mk 10:18–19)
9 He continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside God’s commandment to keep your own tradition. 10 For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you might have received from me is corban” ’ (which means an offering), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 So you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. You do many things like that.” (Mk 7:9–13)
And if he takes a different woman, he will not diminish (ἀποστερέω) her needful things and clothing and conjugal rights. (Exodus 21:10, LXX)
My child do not cheat (ἀποστερέω) the poor of their living, and do not keep needy eyes waiting. (Sirach 4:1)
To take away a neighbor’s living is to murder him; to deprive (ἀποστερέω) an employee of his wages is to shed blood. (Sirach 34:22)
The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.” (Mk 10:20)
I have zealously and faithfully adhered externally to the requirements of the law since my Bar-mitzvah.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright, a man who feared God and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1)
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and righteous decrees of the Lord. (Lk 1:6)
4 even though I have grounds for confidence also in the flesh. If anyone else thinks that he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 in regard to zeal, persecuting the church; in regard to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. (Php 3:4–6)
Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’ (Mt 25:44)
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You might not _________ what you ___________.
Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mk 10:21)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Mt 22:37)
When he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. (Mk 10:22)
Because of this the king became very angry (στυγνός). He was enraged and gave orders to put the wise men of Babylon to death. (Da 2:12)
All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled (στυγνάζω) because of you. Their kings’ hair stands on end. Their faces show distress. (Eze 27:35)
Points to Ponder
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What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
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Do you ever feel disheartened by what Jesus asks you to do? What things might be holding you back from joyfully following Jesus?
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Describe to a new believer or an unbeliever what it means to joyfully follow Jesus.
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In what ways have you (intentionally or unintentionally) rejected Jesus’s love in your life?
- Be honest, do you have things in your life that stand or could get between you and Jesus? What will you do to keep that from happening?
Homework: Mark 10
