The sermon, based on Mark chapter 10, explores the question of who gets to inherit the kingdom of God. It examines the interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler, who asks how to gain eternal life. Jesus responds by listing commandments, which the young man claims to have kept. However, Jesus challenges him further to sell his possessions and follow Him, revealing the young man's spiritual blindness and attachment to wealth. The sermon contrasts this with the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who, unlike the rich young ruler, fully depends on Jesus and is healed. The preacher urges the congregation to recognize their own spiritual blindness and self-righteousness, and to follow Jesus with childlike faith and dependence. The sermon concludes by highlighting the importance of forsaking self-righteousness and trusting fully in Jesus for salvation.

Mark chapter 10 beginning in verse 17. As he, Jesus, was setting out on a journey, A man ran up to him and knelt before him and asked him, good teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him why do you call me good? 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." And he said to him, teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up. Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, one thing you lack, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me. But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property." May God bless the reading of His Word. Amen.

Let's pray together. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name this morning. I ask that you would now give us clear minds, make our hearts right, make us humble, Cause Your Word to pierce and to cut us to the quick that we might leave here with smaller thoughts of ourselves and greater thoughts of You. Lord, deliver me from any kind of error I ask. Keep me.

Make me preach this text rightly. I thank You for this body, For all of the ways they are a blessing to me and to one another, I pray that you would continue to build this precious and dear group of saints up for Jesus' sake and our joy. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Let me have a seat. The question before us this morning is a very simple question.

Who does the kingdom of God belong to? Who gets the kingdom? I want you to remember what Jesus has just said in Mark chapter 10 verses 14 and 15. Look there in verses 14 and 15. In verse 14, right before our passage this morning, here's what Jesus said.

Permit the children to come to me. Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. What did Jesus just say? Disciples, you're keeping the children from me.

And in doing so, disciples, in being a stumbling block, You're completely missing the nature of my kingdom. Jesus is telling them, you want to be in my kingdom? You have to come to me. You have to depend on me. You have to trust in me like these children here.

The kingdom belongs to children like these who come to me with empty hands. And so the question arises, Or it should arise in your minds and in your heart What does it mean to receive the kingdom like a child? Jesus just says the kingdom is for those who come to me as though. They are children Jesus amen What does that look like? Can you flesh that out for me, Mark?

And that's exactly the question that this rich young ruler had for Jesus. I want to know how to receive your kingdom. What shall I do to inherit eternal life? That phrase eternal life and the word kingdom is describing the same thing and as you read through chapter 10 you realize that verse 17 begins with the word eternal life. And all the way down at the end of the passage in verse 30, that phrase eternal life happens again.

And in between is the word kingdom a number of times. This is what we're talking about, the same thing. Eternal life in God's kingdom. So that's the question. How do you receive the kingdom?

And Mark, knowing the question that you should have is very kind to answer that question. You want to know what it's like to receive the kingdom as like a child? You want to know how to follow Jesus and get the kingdom? Well Mark gives you two examples. He answers your question.

He gives you two examples to answer it. Here's an example of what it doesn't look like to come to Jesus like a child. Here's an example of what it doesn't look like And then an example of what it does look like. And that's our task this morning. Really simple.

What does it look like to inherit the kingdom of Jesus Christ? Two examples. First, an example of not receiving the kingdom like a child. And then an example of someone who does receive the kingdom like a child. So the first example of someone who did not receive the kingdom, again we're talking about how do you receive the kingdom?

How do you get God's kingdom? Well the first example of someone who did not receive the kingdom, like a child, is the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler. You'll recall from our first sermon in Mark, That's been over a year ago now, by the way. We've been in Mark by God's grace for over a year, and we're two-thirds of the way done.

Praise the Lord for his loving kindness and faithfulness. So grateful. But if you remember, over a year ago, we started out in Mark and we discussed that some Bible scholars, not all, but some Bible scholars, and this is pretty much speculation, but they speculate that this rich young ruler might have been Mark, might have been the author of this gospel. Again, it's just speculation, but perhaps this rich young ruler is Mark himself. And others speculate that the man Mark was in fact the young man at the end of Mark's Gospel, you'll remember there's a young man who's following Jesus with just a linen sheet on, and he's seized, and he runs away naked because the linen sheet gets tore off him and he runs away.

Some people speculate that that was also Mark. And that would be kind of funny if in fact both this rich young ruler and the young man in the linen sheet were both in fact our beloved Mark because if that's true then here in the rich young ruler, we have a young man who won't give up all that he owns, but by the end of the gospel, he really has indeed given up everything that he owns, literally running away naked. I think that's funny. Okay? And so that, well, it's just speculation, but that's exactly the kind of story that God likes to write.

But enough of speculation. What we know for certain. Matthew and Luke both tell us in their Gospels that this man who came up to Jesus and knelt before him he was a ruler. We learned this in Matthew and Luke that he held some kind of high station in life. We also learned that he was young.

And then Mark tells us, of course, that he was also very rich. And so the Gospels put together, tell us about this man. He indeed is a rich young ruler. And notice what he does. He runs up to Jesus and then he kneels before Jesus this is not the behavior of some scribe or Pharisee This is a man who truly desires to become a citizen of Christ's kingdom or so he thinks at least.

To have eternal life in God's kingdom is this man's desire but is he willing to count the cost of following Jesus? Is he willing to follow Jesus no matter the cost? Well what do we see in this character in this wonderful narrative here? Well first we see in the rich young ruler we see spiritual blindness. It appears at first that this young man is headed in the right direction, right?

He's come to Jesus. He's in fact, he's ran up to Jesus. He's kneeling before him. And just think about what we've seen in the narrative so far. Just like the demon-possessed man ran up to Jesus and knelt before him just as the Syrophoenician woman ran up to Jesus and fell at his feet begging for just the bread crumbs that come from his kingdom.

Think about the leper who comes to Jesus and on his knees kneeling says if you're willing you can make me clean and Jesus says I am willing. Think about the woman with a discharge who comes to Jesus kneels at his feet after he's cured her of this discharge of this disease and now this young man approaches Jesus he kneels down and at first sight this man's case seems very very promising and even in his question there's promise he asked Jesus good teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So here's this young man who has wealth and a position of power, and yet he knows that he does not have salvation. He has all of this stuff, but he doesn't have the most important thing. He knows that he's not a member of God's kingdom.

And so, he comes to Jesus, asking, How can I get such a citizenship into the kingdom of God? How can I inherit eternal life in the kingdom? Now this is a question that Jesus' own disciples haven't been asking. Before we get all upset up with the rich young ruler, he is asking a question that the disciples should have been asking. But they haven't.

This is a question that the people all around him who have heard him talking about the seriousness of sin and the need for rightness with God. Those who have heard Him say things like, repent and believe the gospel because the kingdom is at hand. This is the question that they should be asking. And yet they're not. And this is the same question that you should be asking.

Right now, what does it take to get into the kingdom of God? What does it take to get into your kingdom, Jesus? Good teacher, you should ask right with this Richard Ruler, How may I have eternal life? And here's how Jesus responds. Well why do you call me good?

Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Do you call me good because you know that I have come from God and in fact that I am God? Is that why you call me good, rich young ruler? Why do you call me good?

Well, Jesus is saying to this young man, If you're going to address me with that kind of title, good, then you should understand that you're saying that I'm God. And if I'm God, that has significant implications for all that he's about to say. So Jesus tells him. 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. This is simply a condensed form of the second table of the law.

The fifth through the tenth of the Ten Commandments. And what does this young man say in response to Jesus relaying the second table of God's law, the fifth through the tenth commandments. Well, notice his response. Kneeling before the one that he just called good teacher, notice his response. Teacher, teacher, what's missing there?

Good. Teacher, I have kept all the things from my youth up." And we begin to see his spiritual blindness on full display. And it's on display in two particular ways. You can write this down. One, notice that no longer does he call Jesus a good teacher.

He simply responds now with the word teacher. Jesus asked him why do you call me good? Are you willing to accept that I am God? And the implications of that in following me, if you're gonna follow me you're following God. Are you willing to accept that I am divine, I am God?" And now it seems that the young man is backed off of that teacher.

I'm not sure that you are God. Second, notice that this young man believes that he has kept all of the commandments from his youth up. He believes like Paul, before his conversion, when Paul was Saul, that he is blameless when it comes to the law. Has this man kept all those things from his youth up. You got it.

He might think he has, but the answer according to Jesus is no. In fact, if you were to go to Matthew chapter 5, According to Jesus, those same commands that Jesus just articulated to this young man, they applied not just externally but also internally. This young man started out promising, but here now in his response we see a rich young man who is self-righteous, who is blind to the fact that he is a sinner within, and that he needs a Savior. He's blind to the fact that only God can save him and that Jesus is God. He's ignored the teachings of Jesus in Mark's Gospel that his heart is where the problem is that you can clean the outside of the cup as much as you want, but if within the cup is poison, The cup is dead.

You can pretty up the outside of the tomb as much as you want, but it doesn't change the fact that as pretty as it might look on the outside, the tomb is still a tomb. It is dead within. Jesus, the good teacher, Jesus who is God, has brought this young man up against his perfect law. Romans 3.20 tells us that through the law comes knowledge of sin. Galatians 3 tells us that The law is like a mirror that shows us our great need.

And then like a good teacher, the law takes us by the hand and leads us to Christ, who we need. The law leads us to the Savior that we desperately need. Here is that Savior holding up the mirror of God's law for this young man to see himself rightly. Well, see that you need me. You called me good teacher.

See that you need me. But this young man does not see himself rightly. Where he should see sin, where he should see unholiness, where he should see unrighteousness, this young man instead sees a facade of blamelessness. He's deceived. He is spiritually blind.

I want you to Listen to J.C. Ryle. This is what he writes. The spiritual blindness here exhibited is unhappily very common. Myriads of people who claim to be Christians today have not an idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God.

They flatter themselves that they have never done anything very wicked. They have never murdered. They have never stolen or committed adultery or given false testimony. They cannot surely be in much danger of missing heaven, so they suppose. But they forget the holy nature of God that they are dealing with.

They forget how often they break His law in temper or imagination. Even when their outward conduct is correct, they never study such parts of scripture as Matthew 5 where Jesus taught that these commands apply inwardly. Or at any rate, they study it with a thick veil over their hearts and do not apply it to themselves. The result is that they are wrapped up in self-righteousness. Like the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3, They are rich and have acquired wealth and do not need anything.

Self-satisfied they live and self-satisfied and self-righteous too often they die. Dear ones, you need to be aware of such a state of heart and mind as this young man. Beware of spiritual blindness. Beware of the ways in which you can think to yourself that if you are but simply good enough, righteous enough, that all will be well for you in the end. Dear ones and little children, you need to beware of that place called morality.

Beware of the dangerous city called morality where good boys and good girls like to go to show off their goodness. A place where people, adults too, love to live and they say peace peace when there is yet no fear of God in their eyes and there is no peace beware of such a place as a place called morality or the city of self-righteousness. There is no fear of God on account of sin and law breaking in such a place. Beware of that place in your heart that you can find yourself where the judgment of God has no place and the fear of God has no place because Everyone in that village called morality has assured themselves Just as this young man has assured himself that they've kept all of God's commandments from their youth So all will be well with them, because they're good enough. Beware of such a place.

Such a place is full of deceit. There is no peace in such a place if you begin to live there in your heart. There is no peace in your own righteousness. Because your righteousness is not righteousness. It is filthiness.

Children, there is no peace with God and peace within yourself to be had by being good enough. You need to throw off this notion like a cloak that you can smother your guilt and that you can cover your shame, and you can somehow cast off your condemnation with some kind of surplus of good deeds. Can't do it. Adam and Eve tried that in the garden, do you remember? Adam and Eve sinned, plunged humanity into death, and they ran away and they covered themselves in fig leaves.

Let me cover my shame. Let me hide my guilt. Let me cover up my iniquity." And God found them out. And they were sent out in judgment. In the wonderful work, the Pilgrim's Progress, the main character is a pilgrim on his journey to the celestial city.

On his way to find eternal life, once to find eternal life, Sounds a lot like the rich young ruler. And he entered such a village called Morality. You see, Morality was not on the path, but Morality was this way. And there was a man, a character in this story called worldly wise man and worldly wise men the wisdom of the world told him that if he would stray from the path and he would go to this village called morality then he would find rest from his great burden of sin that was on him. The worldly wise men took him around their shoulders and said, you don't need to go down this difficult path.

Come to the village morality. Lots of people have gone there. Lots of people have found rest from their burden of sin. You can find rest and peace just simply by reforming your own life. Children and adults, you cannot find peace.

You cannot find rest by reforming yourself. It cannot happen. This pilgrim was deceived into entering the village called morality. You could call it the village of self-righteousness. And as he entered that village, here's what happened.

As he entered that village called Morality, the same village that this rich young ruler finds himself in, a cliff rose up from that village called Legality and it rose up over him and threatened to crush him. And fire was coming down from that mountain called legality. Far from removing the burden, the burden was intensified. Far from freedom, craters crushing slavery. Never will morality gain you entrance into everlasting life in God's kingdom.

It will only crush you. It will only make your burden more burdensome. Far from relieving your burden called sin, trying to reform yourself, trying to be as this young man and say, I've kept enough of the lists, it will only make your burden greater. So what a dreadful place that Pilgrim found himself in. What a dreadful place Adam and Eve found themselves in.

What a dreadful place that this rich young man and you, friend, might even find yourself in, when you fool yourself into thinking that you are good enough, that you can hide your sin, you can cover it up, when in fact you are a sinner who stands before a thrice holy God. This young man will not confess that Jesus is God, and thus he will not confess nor see his sin for what it is. He doesn't see that he's a sinner, and he's in desperate need of a Savior, he is spiritually blind. And so Jesus, he's quoted the law to this man that this man might see his need, but this man does not see his need. And so what does Jesus do?

What does Jesus do? Well, in love, Jesus continues to use the law to reveal this man's idolatry. Jesus moves to the first table of the law. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. In love, Christ reveals this man's idolatry.

And that's what we see next. The love of Christ. We see the love of Christ. An invitation. In verse 21, looking at Him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, one thing you lack, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

And come, follow me. Well, John Bunyan's character, this pilgrim on his journey to inherit the kingdom of God, this character is said to have a massive burden on his back. It's his sin and the just condemnation of his sin. He knows it. It weighs him down terribly.

And that's why He listened to the deceiving advice from worldly wise men and entered into the village called morality. He wanted to be freed from this burden of sin. But there was no freedom to be found there from his burden. Rather, his burden only grew as he sought to be free from his own righteousness. As he sought to be free by making a case for his own righteousness.

And so what was he to do? What was this pilgrim to do? What's this rich young ruler to do? Here is a man, that is J.C. Ryle puts it, and I quote, here is a man who is sunk in darkness and blinded by the fall.

Jesus knows this and Jesus looks at this man. And just As we look with sorrow at some noble ruin, roofless and shattered and unfit for man's use, yet showing many a mark of the skill with which it was designed and reared at first, so we may suppose that Jesus looked with tender care and concern at this man's soul." End quote. Jesus loved this man. Jesus loved this man as he loved unbelieving Jerusalem. Right?

He wept over the people of Israel that would not come to him, though he desired to gather them in as a hen would gather in her chicks. So too Jesus loves this man who is lost and ruined by the fall. He's blind in his sin and as he's come to Jesus, burdened, clearly burdened, he's kneeling before Jesus. What do I do to get in? And so in love, Jesus says, there's only one thing you lack.

Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me. Beloved, the love of Christ is amazing. Do you see this invitation from Jesus? It's an invitation to this man and to you, friend, to let go of all of your self-righteousness and all of your pride, to let go of all of your idolatry.

That's what this verse, verse 21, revealed, you know. Idolatry, let it go, turn away, come and follow me and you will have me, Jesus says, you will have me forever. You will have an eternity with me in my kingdom that will make all of the trinkets that you give up now, all of the fleeting pleasures of sin that you give up now look like rubbish, like dung in comparison to what you'll have in me, Jesus says, in His presence forever. I mean, what an invitation to a man who absolutely does not deserve it. Dear ones, listen to me.

Salvation is ready for you. You may be the worst of the worst. You may be the worst kind of sinner. You may be involved in the greatest kinds of darkness that no one else knows but God. But there is a light and there is a power and there is a Savior whose love conquers such things.

You may come to Him sinner. You may come to Him and follow Him today. You need to hear this invitation from Jesus. Let go of your rebellion. Trust in Jesus Christ who died on the cross in the place of sinners, who fulfilled the law and the place of law breakers.

He sealed their pardon with his blood, the righteous for the unrighteous. And that is exactly what Christian Pilgrim did in the Pilgrim's Progress. Though he had strayed from the path into self-righteousness, he ran away from that village called Morality. And he set his face like flint to the hill called Calvary. He turned away from himself.

He looked away from within and he looked to the hill. He looked, he turned away from trying to figure out what he could do. And he looked to the one who has already done it. He looked to Jesus and what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. And as he ran to the hill, his burden was set free.

Come. Come to Jesus and you will be saved. You will be changed. And from that you will listen and obey Jesus Christ and His Word to follow Him as His disciple. The love of Christ is amazing.

So What will your response be this morning to such a wonderful invitation from such a loving Savior? Will you repent and believe and give up anything to have the treasure in the field called Jesus? Will you make everything that you gave up look like trinkets? Will that be you? Or will you go away sad and lose your soul?

Well, that's what this young man did. That's what this young man did. Verse 22. At these words, he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for He was one who owned much property." Earlier on in Mark chapter 8, Jesus had taught about the cost of discipleship. Do you remember what Jesus said in Mark chapter 8 verse 36?

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? Well, here is this rich young ruler who has shown that he very much is a lawbreaker. He is an idolater. He's believed himself to be righteous. But now all of that has been revealed to be a farce.

The first four commandments of the Ten Commandments regarded one's love for God. And the Last six commandments called the second table of the law, which Jesus had already mentioned to this young man, they regarded one's love for neighbor. They came as a result of the first four commandments as a love for God. This resulted in a love for man. And now it's shown that this man has idols.

If Jesus is good, then Jesus is God. And now God is telling him, follow me. With all your heart, soul, mind and strength, put Me first. You shall have no other gods before Me. So get rid of everything that separates you and Me.

Follow Me. Follow Me. And it's revealed that this young man will not. He goes away sad. Having everything in the world, gaining the world, but not having Jesus.

Which means that this young man leaving sad, left with nothing, truly but condemnation. There is a way to gain the whole world and lose your soul. And this man is an example of this very thing that Jesus warned you about today. The passage began with the simple question, how can you have eternal life? How do you receive the kingdom of God?

How do you get in? And here in this rich young ruler was an example of how you don't get in. Of how you reject the free offer of Jesus to come and follow Him. Children, children, will you follow Jesus? I want you to think about the most...

Children, I want you to think about the most children. I want you to think about the most important possession you own right now. Think hard. Your favorite thing that you possess. If There was a fire in your home, and you could go and grab one thing in that house before the house came tumbling down.

Think of that one thing. Your favorite thing in all the world that you possess. Think about what that might be. Something you would never want to let go of, never want to let to be parted with. Got that in your minds?

Can you give me a yes when you've got it? Children? I see one. I see two. What if Jesus came up to you and He said to you, I want you to give your favorite thing.

I want you to give that most treasured possession. I want you to give it to me. You can have me. If you give up your favorite possession Would you give it up? What if your favorite possession is a stuffed animal or the new toy you got or maybe a video game Favorite toy if Jesus said you you can be my disciple If you give that precious thing to me, you can be mine and I'll give you myself.

You'll have me. You'll be my disciple. What would you say? Would you give it up? Would you say, yes, Jesus, you can have all my video games.

You can have my toy. Because you are infinitely better than anything I can ever hold in my hand To be held in your hands Jesus is worth letting go of anything in mine Is that what you'd say? No, I hope you do. I hope you do. Or will you be like this rich young ruler who cannot let goods and kindreds go?

And you lose your soul while keeping your trinkets and you won't get into the kingdom or Will you be like Bartimaeus and will you save your life? Because you give it all up Bartimaeus we haven't read about him yet, but we're about to Bartimaeus is the second example that Mark gives you. What does it look like to enter the kingdom like a child? Show me Mark what Jesus meant when he said receiving the kingdom, receiving eternal life is as coming to Jesus like a child. Show me what that looks like.

Please, Mark. And so the rich young ruler, here's an example of what it doesn't look like. Here's a man who doesn't get in. And then poor Bartimaeus, the blind man, here is someone who does. I want you to see that lastly.

I want you to turn to the end of Mark, to verse 46. Look in your Bibles to verse 46. It's the end of the chapter. Don't worry. We're going to cover the verses in between in the coming weeks.

But let's look at this section as we conclude our time together today. Look in verse 46, Mark 10. Then they came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And many were sternly telling him to be quiet.

But he kept crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped and said, call him here. So they called the blind man saying to him, take courage, stand up, he's calling for you. Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and he came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, what do you want me to do for you?

And the blind man said to him, Rabbini, I want to regain my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go, your faith has made you well immediately. He regained his sight and then what? Began following him on the road. Do you see the parallels and also the contrast?

The rich young ruler comes to Jesus and calls him good teacher. This man who is blind cannot come to Jesus, but simply cries out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Have mercy on me, son of David. He calls him Rabbini, which translated my teacher, my teacher. Have mercy on me, son of David.

The rich young ruler is spiritually blind, and yet Bartimaeus is actually physically blind, and yet he sees in a way that the young man could not see. He knows who Jesus is, the promised Son of David, the Messiah, and he cries out for mercy. And what do the disciples do? They hinder him. Just think on that.

The rich young ruler, that boy's got class. He's got riches, respectability. He looks good. And there's no mention in the text of anyone trying to get that rich young ruler to shut up. No mention in the text of someone trying to Get that rich young ruler away from Jesus.

Stop bothering Jesus. No mention. And then Bartimaeus. Here is a man who has no class. He's the lowest of classes.

The lowest in society. Blind. No respectability. He's reduced to begging. Just like they did to the children, they try to keep him away.

Don't bother Jesus. They're more important people than you like this rich young ruler. And yet this man will have none of it. I love this man. He will have none of it.

Crying out like the publican in Luke 18, God be merciful to me a sinner. Just like Jacob wrestling with God, I won't let you go. God, Jesus, Son of David, Son of God, have mercy on me. I need you. I need you.

And Jesus hears his cry. And though many hinder, though many try to be a stumbling block to this blind man. Oh Saints let us never be stumbling blocks Dreadful Though they seek to make him stumble, Jesus calls this man, and notice in verse 50, what does this man do when Jesus calls him? Jesus calls him and he throws off his cloak. This is a blind man.

This is a poor man. This is a beggar. How many cloaks do you think that old, poor, blind beggar has? It's probably it. The only cloak he probably has, he just threw off.

And Jesus says to him, after he comes to Jesus, Jesus says to him, go, your faith has made you well. And the man's blindness was cured. And what did he do? And what happens immediately after that? And he began to what?

Followed Jesus on the road. No mention of this man going back for his cloak. Might seem small. That's not small! Throws off his cloak and goes with Jesus.

Here is a man who literally gives up all that he owns to have Jesus. Here is a man who truly sees though he could not physically see and here is a man in Bartimaeus who inherits the kingdom through faith. And he follows Jesus, not sadly, exulting, joyful. I see. Here is a poor man who gave up literally all that he had, as little as it was, and he ends up rich, because he's got Jesus.

While the rich young ruler will not let go of all that he holds in his hands, and he goes away sad, and he ends up poor, apart from Jesus. You see that? So dear ones, I want to invite you to run away from the village called morality, self-righteousness, and self-confidence. I want you, I urge you, I plead with you, please, to stop up your ears from all around you, from all around those who... I want you to stop up your ears so that you might not be influenced by the message from all around you that you aren't that bad off.

That your sin isn't that seriousness. That you can just paste some of your own self-righteousness over the ugliness of your sin. Plug up your ears and forsake such stupid advice. I invite you to stop up your ears with the truths of the Bible that you've sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that only the Savior can make you free. And like this blind man, to have none of the foolish talk of the world that suggests that you don't need a Savior, and instead, while plugging up your ears, to turn and run on the highway towards the wicked gate shouting as pilgrims shouted in the pilgrims' progress, life, life, everlasting life.

And to enter into the way called Jesus And that way that leads to a hill called Calvary, where you will see his cross, where burdens are cut from the backs of sinners and forever plunged into an empty tomb. That is the path of those like Bartimaeus. That is the path of those who receive the kingdom, like children. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Who gets the kingdom?

Bartimaeus is brought to Christ like a child, dependent and desperate for the Savior. Bartimaeus gets the kingdom by faith. So do likewise. Confess your need. Confess your sin.

Cry out to Jesus. Run to the one who kept the law perfectly in your stead. Run to Jesus, the fulfillment of the law. Follow Jesus. Trust in Jesus.

Look to His finished work at His cross and in His empty tomb, and you will not go away like this rich young ruler who ended up poor and sad. No you will be like this poor Bartimaeus who ended up eternally rich and glad. Not because of some physical possession, but because he had Jesus. Blessed, Jesus says, are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Let's pray together.

Our Father in heaven, thank you for this your word. I ask that for those in this room and this gathering that have not forsaken their own pitiful confused thoughts of self-righteousness that they would this day do that that they would recognize that trying to be good enough will only crush them further only condemn them further that that Lord this day they might look to the Savior and trust him the righteous crucified for the unrighteous That they might hear the words of Paul from Romans 4-5, to the one who does not work, but trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly. His faith is counted as righteousness. That Lord, those in this room that are believers, that they would not think for a moment that they have somehow outgrown their need for Christ. They would not be believers if that would be so.

Remind them. Cause them to bathe in this pool of gospel like Bartimaeus, that they have the greatest treasure in Christ Jesus. And that Christ Jesus died for them, and that there is righteousness and more righteousness in Him than there ever will be sin in them. We praise and thank you for this, your word, and ask that it would do its intended effect for your glory and our good. In Jesus' name, amen.