Sermon Series: Getting To Know Jesus 

Keep it Simple 

Mark 10:13-27 

PSBC 7/7/02

In a nutshell: You enter the Kingdom of God like a child. And the thing that can hinder us most in that decision is wealth.

I. Introduction

A. Little League Football story

About two weeks before the season began, a rather large, rotund man, went into the office of the local YMCA, asking to see the person in charge. When he met the head of the YMCA, the man said he had just moved into town, and wanted to coach a Little League football team. "Are there any teams that need a coach?" asked the large man. The YMCA director said, "Yes." But the only kids that were left were the runts and misfits that no one else wanted on their team. They were called, the Lions.

The large man said, "I'd be happy to be their coach." So, he took the runts and misfits and began working with them. It was only a week until the first game, and the new coach knew he couldn't teach them much. The Lions only knew one play-that was running the ball straight up the middle. So, all week long, the coach worked with his team on blocking and tackling.

At their first game, it didn't take long for the other team to realize that the Lions only had one play. So if the Lions could be stopped from running that one play up the middle, then they couldn't score any points. And sure enough, that was true. But at the same time, the Lions had become so good at tackling, the other team couldn't score either, and the game wound up a 0 to 0 tie.

During the next week, the Lions worked on blocking and tackling again, and the new coach added just one new play-running to the left. Now they had two plays-running up the middle and running to the left. That second week, the Lions won 2 to 0, because they tackled the opposing team's quarterback in the end zone and scored a safety-two points. During the third week, the team learned how to run to the right. Now they had three plays, and they won their third game by actually scoring a touchdown, while keeping the other team from scoring at all.

During the fourth week, the new coach had to be gone for part of the Saturday, so he asked some of the fathers to fill in for him as coaches. When his meeting ended early, the coach made it to the park by the start of the third quarter. When he looked at his team, he saw disaster. The team was losing by a score was 21 to 0. Everyone was running helter-skelter. Seven kids were going out for a pass at the same time; no body was blocking; they weren't tackling very well; and all the kids were either angry, crying, or on the verge of tears.

So, before they took the field for that third quarter, the coach called the entire team together, and asked what was wrong. The kids answered, "We can't remember what the dads want us to do. We don't understand what a "Statue of Liberty" is. We don't know how to block an end sweep. We're confused with what it means to go down and out. And none of us knows what a screen pass is. We're confused!"

The coach said, "OK, then let's just keep it simple. We'll go back to the basic things we learned in our first three weeks. We'll run left, we'll run right, and we'll run up the middle. We'll block our very best and we'll tackle our very best. And that's all we'll do." So, for the rest of the game, they kept it simple. And although they didn't win, they did keep the other team from scoring any more times, and they themselves scored two touchdowns.

Now, when the fathers who had been left in charge heard the coach's instructions at the beginning of the third quarter, they started to protest. They had designed some really trick plays. Why wasn't the coach letting the kids run those plays.

But then, one of the dads caught a glisten in his eye, when the afternoon sun hit the ring on the big coach's finger. And he nudged another one of the fathers to look, and he nudged the other dad. And at once they stopped arguing with the new coach. You see, on the finger of this large man who had been teaching their boys just three plays, along with the basic fundamentals of how to block and tackle was a Super Bowl ring.

The fathers had just realized that this coach knew a whole lot more plays than running left and right and up the middle. But he also knew the limitations of his players. He knew you had to start with the basics and build from there.

Because without the basics in place, nothing much can be accomplished.

B. Entry into God's Kingdom

That's a true story. I know. Because one of the dads in my church in Upland, was one of the dads who was coaching that fourth game.

I like that story because it is very similar to the Christian faith. The beginning of the Christian faith, what Jesus calls "entry into the Kingdom of God", is not something complicated or difficult to understand. It's when we complicate it that we run into trouble.

II. Enter Like a Child

Mark 10:13 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

A. Coming to Jesus

Some parents brought their children to Jesus, with the request that Jesus "bless them". Now, this wasn't an unusual thing to do back then. It was a fairly common practice that when a rabbi came to a remote town, that parents brought their children-usually between the ages of 1 year old and 12 years old-to this rabbi, so he would pronounce some sort of blessing on them for protection and well-being.

But the crowds at this time were getting so big; and the issues of personal space, and privacy, and rest… were getting to the disciples so much, that they made a judgment call as to what was important and what wasn't important for Jesus to be doing. And one of the things they thought was not that important was the blessing of children. So they tried to "shoo" them and their parents away. But look at what happened.

Mark 10:14-16 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus used this as a teachable moment. In verse 15, He says that to gain the Kingdom of God is contingent on receiving it like a little child.

The interesting thing is that Jesus didn't tell us what it is that we have to do that is childlike. He left that up to us to figure out. But it isn't really all that difficult. All you have to do is observe a child, or live with a child, or work with children to know what "childlike" is all about.

Joke: It reminds me of a little girl who was the middle child in her family. One day she saw her daddy changing the diapers on her new little sister, and she made the comment, "Boy daddy, you sure know a lot about babies. Where did you get all that experience?"

So, let me give you just three common characteristics to children, that are very relevant to Jesus' point here on how we enter God's Kingdom…

B. Three Characteristics of Children

1. Dependency

The first characteristic is that they are dependent. From the time they are born, children need us. They need us to hold them; to feed them; to care for them; to change their diapers; to teach them everything from Bible stories, to telling time, to tying their shoes (unless the have Velcro), to getting along with others, and so on and so on. And as they grow up, they need us for lunch money, and clothes money and make-up money, and… and… and…. I think you get the picture.

Well, Jesus' point is that in order to receive salvation, we have to be dependent. We cannot depend on our selves. Only God can provide what we really need. That's one of the reasons why I say John 3:16 is my favorite Bible verse…

John 3:16 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That verse makes it pretty plain that not one of us sent someone to keep us from perishing because of our sin. It simply says God sent… The fact of the matter is that for anyone of us to have salvation from our sin, we are totally dependant upon God…just like a new born baby is totally dependant on his or her parents for survival.

2. Uncomplicated

A second characteristic of children is that they are uncomplicated. For the most part, their lives are simple and elementary. Kids go right to the heart of a matter. That's why when you pick up a child in your arms, he or she is liable to look at you and say, "How come you have such a big nose?" All of your adult friends have managed to evade that subject for years. But a child will come right out and ask the question. They go right to the point. There is no beating around the bush-no pretension-children are forthright.

If a baby is uncomfortable because his or her diaper is dirty-that baby will cry until someone changes it. If a child is hungry-he or she wants to eat NOW! If they are curious-they want to explore. If they are excited, their eyes will fill with wonder.

Illustration: I remember walking from my parked car at a Phoenix shopping center to a department store, a few years ago. Close to me was a mother dragging her three year old along with her, obviously in a hurry. The child saw a small rock in the parking lot with a vein of mica in it. The sun was hitting that mica so it glistened. The child started pulling in the opposite direction of where mom was walking, and reached down to pick it up. And I heard the child say, "O mommy, there are stars in this rock." And the mother took the stone out of her child's hand and threw it away and said, "Come on, we don't have time for that."

That reminds me that entry into the Kingdom of God is not something that is terribly complicated. But it is something that should fill us with awe and wonder.

The Plan of Salvation is so simple that a child can understand it. That's because we're all children in God's eyes.

1. Agree with God that you are a sinner who deserves judgment.

Romans 3:23 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

2. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that He rose again

Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

3. Ask Him to be the forgiver of your sins and start following Him as the leader of your life.

Romans 10:13 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Friends, that is the simple Gospel message. To add anything more to it by means of additional requirements or additional deeds, or additional rules, takes away its simplicity and destroys its effectiveness.

3. Teachable

But there is a third characteristic of a child is that a child is teachable. There is no time like childhood to learn things. The mind is on this steep growth curve during childhood. It is a time when children can take in a tremendous amount of information and process it and apply it. -That's why some of you have to rely on your children or grandchildren to program your VCR's. -While some of you are terrified of the beast we call a computer, a Kindergarten student has no problem going to a computer, accessing programs, and interacting with information. That's because kids are teachable and hungry to learn.

And Jesus is saying that this is the way we should be when it comes to entering the Kingdom of God. We need to be teachable. -When God's Word says confess your sins, don't let pride get in the way-just admit you did wrong. -When God's Word says "obey", don't question it-obey-you can find out why later on.

In the history of the world, whenever things have gotten better and the world was a much kinder and gentler place to live, was when people in a society became teachable and followed the Nike slogan when it comes to what the Bible says-Just Do It.

III. Don't Be Like the Rich Guy

Right after Jesus finishes with this teachable moment with the disciples, the children and their parents, a man comes up to Him…

Mark 10:17 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?"

Look at what Jesus said…

Mark 10:18-22 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 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." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Wealth can be a roadblock to entering God's Kingdom. Let me tell you why…

A. Independent

First of all, wealth can make us independent of God. Wealth can give us a false sense of security. But it's a false independence. If a person has a lot of things, and financial resources, that person can tend to think that they have the resources to handle any situation that might come up.

Illustration: The city of Laodecia was the richest city in Asia Minor. In A.D. 60, the town was demolished by an earthquake. The Roman government offered to send money and resources to help rebuild the city, but the people of the city refused the help. They said that they were sufficient to rebuild their city by themselves. The Roman historian, Tacitus said, "Laodecia rose from the ruins entirely by her own resources and no help from us." But 25 years later, Jesus said this about Laodecia…

Revelation 3:15-17 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

A problem with being wealthy is that you can tend to think that you can buy your way out of problems, or into happiness, or out of sorrow. A wealthy person can easily think, "I don't need God, I am quite able to handle life, death, sin, Hell, and heaven on my own terms." That's because great possessions encourage a false independence rather than a childlike dependence on God.

B. Complicated

Another thing riches do is they complicate life. Riches tie a person to this earth. I like Dr. Samuel Johnson's statement on the front of your copies of "This Week…"

Wealth is a human value with a voracious appetite, which binds a person to earth and makes it difficult to die.

If a person has too big a stake in this earth, then he is very apt to forget that there is a heaven. Wealth complicates things.

C. Proud

Finally, riches and wealth tend to make us proud. When you're proud, you cease to be teachable. Wealth is a false security that makes you think you are sufficient to get out of any dilemma by yourself-including your sin, which separates you from God.

Illustration: Jesus told a story one time about a rich farmer, who was getting richer and richer with each passing year. He focused his whole life on becoming wealthier, and he was doing it. But one day God visited him and said, "You foolish farmer. All you thought about, all you talked about was tearing down your small barns and building bigger ones. But now it's not going to matter. Tonight you're going to die, and none of the stuff you have on earth is going with you. You can't hook a U-haul trailer to a hearse. Now what do you have to let you into eternity? Nothing…absolutely nothing!"

That's the problem with wealth. It can make you so proud of what you do have that you think you don't need a Savior!

IV. Conclusion

A. Salvation is Impossible

Then Jesus gathers His disciples…

Mark 10:23-25 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

In other words, - if a person is so controlled by possessions that he or she thinks that God's rules don't apply to him or her; -or they think that salvation is more complicated than a simple belief and acceptance of Jesus as Savior; -or they are so proud that they can't admit their need for a Savior from their sin… …then it is impossible for them to enter God's Kingdom.

In fact, it is so impossible, that it would be more possible for a camel that stands over 7 feet tall and is almost 5 feet wide to walk through the eye of a needle, than it would be for anyone with a proud, complicated and independent attitude to enter into God's Kingdom.

So how does anyone ever get salvation? Let's face it, we all have the tendency to be proud, complicated and independent. That's why the disciples reacted like they did in the next verse…

Mark 10:26 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

B. With God…

Mark 10:27 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

God can take the most self-centered, proud, arrogant, unteachable, independent person and make them acutely aware of their need for a Savior, and make them open to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Accepting the good news from Jesus is not anything you or I can make a person do. All we can do is share the simple message. We can't persuade. We can't coerce. We can't cajole. All we can do is share. Then it's up to God-through whom all things are possible-to change a heart.