Bible Study - All In (2) - Our Commitment to CHRIST- Mark 10:13-22 - October 25, 2020

 

Bible Study – All In (2) – Our Commitment to CHRIST – October 25, 2020

This is lesson two (2) in our series entitled “All In: A life of Commitment.”

Our focus scripture is Mark 10:13-22.

Commit your whole life in trust and obedience to CHRIST.

Let’s explore!

Let’ s read Mark 10:13-16:

Blessing the Children

¹³ People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive^[e] the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on them and blessed them.

People were bringing little children to JESUS. Why? What did the people see in JESUS that motivated them to bring their children for JESUS to touch them? Did they see JESUS as a prophet? Or the true Son of GOD, the Messiah? They saw something of value.

As a child and young adult, I recall an evangelist referred to as “The Goat Man.” He came through my home town in a wagon pulled by goats and camped as he traveled. It took him several days to make it from one side of town to the other. He preached the Gospel. But, were the people attracted to him for his message or for his uniqueness?

So, in our lesson, we have people bringing children to JESUS for HIM to touch them. The people saw something unique in JESUS. Were they using the children for them to have an excuse to hear what JESUS had to say? Did they see JESUS as a prophet or the true Son of GOD, The promised Messiah?

The question each person has to answer is, “How do we see JESUS and why do we come into HIS presence?”

When we attempt to come into the presence of JESUS, often there are those who attempt to prevent us. Satan’s job is to block those who seek truth from finding it. The busy things we do in life often are barriers to discovering truth in JESUS. Also, those with whom we associate can be a hinderance.  

The truth is that all people have to come to JESUS as little children seeking truth. Why? It is because JESUS is truth and the source of the living water that springs from the well of truth.

Have you experienced coming to JESUS and having HIM touch you with the truth of the Gospel? If not, why not now, while you can choose truth over error. Ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and ask HIM to come into your life and to teach you through the empowering and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

We all come to JESUS as children. Once we accept JESUS as our Savior is when Spiritual growth begins. Why do you think the scripture compares us to children?

Children are eager to learn. Their minds are like sponges and ready to soak up truth. They will test truth. This is where some of us get into trouble.

Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22:

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

What is the purpose of the refining (testing) process? It is to purify the substance to be refined.

An onlooker watched as a goldsmith refined gold. The goldsmith would turn up the heat on the melted gold and slag or dross would float to the top. The goldsmith would skim the dross off and continue to turn up the heat. After that process went on for a number of times, the onlooker, somewhat frustrated, asked the goldsmith, “How do you know when the gold is ready?”  The goldsmith responded with, “That is a good question and there is a simple answer. When I have the heat as high as I can get the heat and look over into the melting pot and see my reflection, it is ready.”

JESUS’ disciples meant well when they “rebuked them.” The disciples were still learning themselves and JESUS had to teach them to look beyond the immediate and not to look upon what they considered a nuisance as an opportunity for both them and those coming to JESUS.

Did the disciples later ask JESUS why HE told them to let the children come to HIM? They thought the adults were HIS main concern. Why do we present the Gospel to children today?  Why do we as adults come to JESUS as children?

The desired endpoint that GOD has in mind for HIS Children is to come to HIM with open hearts to receive a touch from JESUS. We must keep in mind that the circumstances we face in life, as GOD helps us through them, helps us to see the dross coming from our lives as we serve our LORD. We look at the dross as bad but GOD looks at it as good.

Do you recall the scripture, “iron sharpens iron?” The issues we face in life sharpens us as we place our trust in GOD as HE leads us through them. GOD is our FATHER through faith in JESUS. Salvation is the beginning of a lifelong process of molding us into the image of JESUS.

Yes, we come to JESUS as little children and desire for HIM to touch us and help us as we seek to know truth. When we accept JESUS as our Savior, the Holy Spirit joins our human spirit and we become Spirit born. Our human spirit is literally Spirit born into GOD’S Family, never to be unborn. YES, once saved always saved! Many may ask, “Saved from what?” Eternal death! The spirit-born person is not based upon intellectual knowledge or his or her efforts. The truth is salvation is based upon GOD’S provision through faith in our risen Savior, JESUS. This leads us to our next scripture -------

Let’s read Mark 10:17-20:

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁷ As he (JESUS) 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?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ 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.”^[f]

²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

JESUS was setting out to go on a journey and a man ran up to JESUS and knelt down before HIM. JESUS was leaving the area and this man had a burning question to ask HIM before HE left. This man desperately wanted JESUS to place HIS stamp of approval on him before HE left the area. There was a sense of urgency.

This man asked a very important and vital question, “good teacher, what must “I” do to inherit eternal life?” Notice the “I” do from a works view point. JESUS responded with a question, “why do you call me good?”

That is a question all of us must answer, “How do we look at JESUS?” Is HE a good man who lived and died or is HE the true SON OF GOD WHO lived as 100% sinless human, subject to sin, gave HIS sinless life upon the cross, shed HIS sinless blood to abolish the consequence of sin, which is eternal death? Did GOD raise HIM from physical death to eternal life as proof that HE conquered eternal death for all who place their faith in HIM? Of course, JESUS was on an earthly journey to HIS ultimate destination, the cross and physical death, to conquer sin for all mankind.

Here we have to be careful. Yes, JESUS conquered sin and opened the pathway between mankind and GOD but every person must choose whether or not he or she will accept what JESUS did for him or her. GOD did not make us robots but with the freedom of choice. The question is, “How do you choose?”

JESUS asked this young man about his practice of keeping the Ten Commandments to which the young man gave a positive sincere reply.

GOD knows our hearts and as we read in our next scripture ----

Let’s read Mark 10:21-22:

²¹ 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,^[g] follow me.” ²² But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

JESUS looked at him and HE knew his heart. JESUS knew that this young man was sincere in following the Commandments but there was one more thing that was vital to complete his relationship with GOD. What was it? What do we have in our lives that blocks our relationship with GOD? Stubbornness, greed, unbelief and the list goes on ----

Has the HOLY SPIRIT brought to your mind something that you are holding back that is blocking you from experiencing the joy of being in right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS? Is it Spiritual or relational? Do you need to forgive someone of a wrong done to you or you ask him or her to forgive you of a wrong you did to them? Ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and reveal to you any thing that blocks you from having the relationship GOD desires for you to have with HIM.

Will you walk away sad and grieving because HE told you to give HIM something that is more precious to you and you want to keep it?

Are you afraid that GOD may reveal to you something that you do not want to give up?

Do you desire to serve GOD through faith in JESUS? Then ask HIM to forgive you for the sin in your life and accept HIM as your Savior. Then you have become Spirit-born. If you sense a barrier, then ask HIM to reveal to you anything that blocks that relationship. Once HE does, then confess it and do whatever HE reveals that you need to do. This is for the sinner to become a Christian. But it also applies to Christians who have allowed things to come into their lives that hinder their relationship with JESUS, they too need to ask JESUS to reveal areas in their lives that they need to confess and turn from and restore that right relationship.

Blessings!!!