Worship
This beautiful song reminds us of God’s great goodness & loving faithfulness in every circumstance of life.

I love You Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God.

And all my life You have been faithful ………….

Sermon on the Mat: The Story of the Rich Young Ruler

Reading

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?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 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.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”      Mark 10:17-27. NIV.

In a world steeped in falsehood & lies, the One thing we can always rely upon Jesus to do is to tell the truth. A fact which is sometimes as disturbing as it is comforting. Especially when it spotlights the one thing we most need to give up, in order to secure the one thing we most need to have. What is the one thing we most need to have? Freedom in Christ! The only true freedom to speak of. The kind of freedom no earthly power has the right or indeed the ability to bestow upon us, apart from God, Himself!

As Jesus states, in John 8:36 – ‘If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ Or as the Message helpfully paraphrases the same – ‘Free, through & through.’ Nb. Not free from pain or hardship or difficulty but free to be all that God intends you to be. I.e. The best of you, fully realised in the best of Him! For the remainder of this life as well as for the whole of the life that is to come!

A truth the rich young ruler was slow to pick up on, blinded as he was by his religious fervour. I.e. His rigorous & legalistic adherence to the law of Moses. Nb. The premise upon which he believed his place in God’s eternal Kingdom was an automatic given. Hence his eager willingness to list his ‘credentials,’ when asked by Jesus to do so. Sad to say his ‘good works’ & zealousness were never going to be enough to save him. Much as he’d hoped & imagined it would be. That’s because, as the apostle Peter is at pains to point out, referring of course to the glorious reality of Jesus’ rising again from the dead – ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12.

The truth sometimes hurts, doesn’t it? Especially the truth that is spoken in love. The very basis upon which Jesus confronted the

young man in today’s story. Nb. Not as it related to his religious fervour, which He was quick to commend but rather as it pertained to his apparent failure to grasp how, in practice, such fervour should be applied. With the needs of others, especially those of the poor, uppermost & continually in mind. (James 1:26-27). Something we cannot help but do, once we are Christ’s, in whom all true & lasting riches lie.

Prayer

Let nothing disturb
Or dismay us, O God,
For all things are passing
And You alone are unchanging.
All things are wrought in patience,
O God & those who possess You
Lack nothing.
Our sufficiency, O God, is in You alone,
Now & always.
Amen.

(Teresa of Avila [1515-1582])

Prayer pointers –

• Please give thanks for Tommy Walker’s safe return home, after a prolonged period of illness. That he might continue to go from strength to strength, as God so enables.

• Pray for Les Ellis, home after a minor stroke that has affected his speech.

• And for Kath Smith, at home with a broken wrist and bruising after tripping and falling.

• Please also pray for John’s youngest daughter Bethany, undergoing a significant number of hospital tests, in order to establish the underlying cause(s) of her recent health problems.