Good morning. Good morning to those on Zoom as well. My name is Bo, I'm one of the elders.
Happy New Year as well.
This morning, we are going to go to a story of a young man who is not that happy after all.
We will see why. Initially, the title of the sermon was The Failure of Success.
Then, as I prepared the sermon in detail, I realized that not many of us consider ourselves successful,
but the sermon is relevant to all of us.
And the bigger picture is we are looking at the idea, the concept of eternal life.
And so I changed the title to Eternal Life.
Let's pray first before we start.
Almighty God, we thank you for this new year and the hope that we have ahead of us because of you.
We want to see the Lord Jesus Christ as we go into your words this morning.
May you teach us your ways. Thank you, Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
So we will be reading from the book of Mark, chapter 10, verses 17 to 22.
So for this first part of the sermon, this one I will read from Mark 10, 17.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him,
Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
So in this reading, we come across a man who runs after Jesus and kneels before him in front of everybody else.
So we can see that Mark is trying to tell us, someone who is quite desperate and also genuine,
wanting to know something, to learn something.
And also the fact that he kneels before Jesus is showing his great respect for Jesus
and addresses Jesus as his teacher, and he wants to know what he can do to gain eternal life.
I think this man would have observed Jesus for quite some time, I mean, for him to do that,
to trust that Jesus would be able to tell him what to do to gain eternal life.
And also, Telstra says this man would have been searching for the answer for quite some time.
So he's desperate, because he couldn't find it elsewhere.
He might have asked many people, but he just couldn't see it from anyone.
But somehow, he knew that, he knows that Jesus knows the answer.
Unlike the religious leaders of his days, who thought Jesus was a deceiver,
because of the way Jesus handled Sabbath or other topics,
this man understands that Jesus has something he has been looking for.
This man also thinks that the secret of eternal life is closely guarded by Jesus and his followers.
He therefore kneels before Jesus publicly,
hoping that Jesus would see his sincerity and tell him the secret.
And who is this man?
From the help of the other Gospels, Matthew and Luke,
we can gather that this man is young, maybe in his 20s,
that he is younger than Jesus.
He is also wealthy and in a position of power.
And he's usually referred to as a rich young ruler.
So this man has everything everyone in the world would like to have.
Youth, power, wealth.
So we know that when we are young,
we usually do not have power or wealth to enjoy life.
And then as we get older,
we are too busy trying to gain wealth and power
and don't have time to enjoy life.
And when we get quite old,
even if we have gained enough power and wealth,
we become physically too weak to enjoy life.
So that is the problem of life.
And this man has everything.
He's got power, he's got wealth,
he's got youth on his side.
What more does he want?
Why is he not happy?
In the sense that he's quite desperate.
Desperate.
He wants to learn something important.
We can see that his soul is restless.
The same as our souls, we are restless.
We are always looking for something to satisfy our souls.
We think that strength, wealth,
or being in a position of power would satisfy our souls.
We envy someone who is more successful than us,
thinking that we will be happier if we are just as successful.
This rich young ruler is telling us that he has been there
and his soul remains restless.
His success brings him a sense of emptiness.
In the sense that you already have what everybody is looking for.
What next?
It doesn't satisfy.
What else can he do for his life?
It's also like a Christmas toy that a child has been looking forward to.
But finding it no longer enjoyable the day after Boxing Day.
You get what you look for every year after year,
and then you don't enjoy it anymore.
Even if you do enjoy it for a long time,
the thing will not last anyway.
Everything breaks down eventually.
So this young man also knows that he is going to die one day.
Then what?
He sees Jesus living a restful life,
despite having no wealth or position.
And he also knows that Jesus is not a fool.
I mean, if we don't think much about life,
we just go easy for everything.
But he knows that Jesus is the wisest man he has ever met.
Because when Jesus teaches,
he teaches as someone who knows what he is talking about.
And he teaches with authority.
And when Jesus faces opposition,
he remains calm and composed.
Jesus does not flatter or belittle someone in his interaction with people.
He does not need to flatter someone to gain respect,
or belittle someone to feel better on himself.
So Jesus just has a life that is very different.
A life that is superior to his life,
at least in quality,
and most likely in quantity as well.
So this young man seeking for life
is not only long-lasting,
but also meaningful.
This morning,
on the first day of a new year,
I wonder what we are seeking
for this year.
A better job?
A spouse?
A family?
I mean, these are all important things in life.
But this young man
wants more.
He wants eternal life.
Because he knows that without eternal life,
all other things in life are not meaningful
at the end.
And without eternal life,
it's just like going through Christmas
every day without your loved one.
And it's just,
there's no basis
for us to enjoy
anything in life.
If you do have eternal life,
will you seek,
if you do not have eternal life,
will you seek it today?
If you already have eternal life,
will you seek
something bigger than yourself
this year?
Yeah.
We continue with the story.
Mark 10,
verse 18a,
the first part of it.
And Jesus said to him,
Why do you call me good?
No one is good
except God alone.
It seems that
Jesus was not,
he's not answering
the young man's
question about how to
inherit eternal life.
But goodness is very important.
If the young man
does not understand
what goodness is,
he will not understand
what eternal life is.
And that's why Jesus
had to first of all
deal with this question
about goodness first.
How many times
we use the word good
every day?
We say good morning,
good girl,
good boy.
He's good at sports
or say I'm good.
What do we mean
by good?
It's just
there could be
many meanings.
And what does
this young man mean
when he calls Jesus
as a good teacher?
Does he mean
Jesus is a competent
teacher?
Does he mean
Jesus is a helpful
teacher?
Or does he mean
Jesus is a godly
teacher?
So there are many
meanings in the word
good.
But when we say
someone is a good
person,
we usually mean
that that person
gives us what we
want.
So for example,
a father may
tell a boy,
a good boy,
when the boy
obeys his
instruction to
take the rubbish
out,
then the father
feels happy
and so there's
a good boy.
Or a teenager
who went to
borrow the car
from the father
and the father
lent him the car
for whatever reason
and he said
this is a good
father.
And so that is
how we usually
use the word
good.
And we think
that a government
is a good government
if it fulfills
our wishes.
We also think
that someone is
good if it makes
other people happy,
like a sports
person,
a movie star
because they
entertain people
and they're
doing a good job
and so we can
see just recently
the last two days
the news about
so and so died
after how many
years.
They're all in
entertainment
or fashion design
and those are
considered good
people because
they contributed
to the society
and this is how
we use the word
good.
and the young
men would also
think that he
himself is a
good person
because he
had kept
God's laws.
But when he
sees Jesus
he sense that
Jesus' goodness
is different
to his.
Just like the
Pharisees,
to the Pharisees
Jesus did not
appear to be
a good person
because he
does the work
of healing
on Sabbath day
he breaks
the Sabbath law
to the Pharisees.
To this young
man Jesus'
goodness seemed
to be above
the law.
Do you see
that the laws
are there to
restrain and
to train
bad people?
If we are
inherently good
God does not
need to give
any law
for us to live
by.
Just like
if we are
all
considerate
drivers
we don't
need to
have all
those
root laws.
We would
be careful
and we would
not
drink and
dry all
those things.
So the laws
are there
just because
we are not
good.
God
and
we
usually do
good because
we want to
gain something.
We want to
be respected
or we want
to avoid
punishment.
We want to
get a reward.
Jesus does
good because
he is good.
Jesus does
not do
good to
exchange for
something.
He does
good simply
because he
is good.
and that
is the
goodness
of God.
And you
may think
that when
you spend
time with
someone who
is inherently
good,
you will
enjoy his
company.
The truth
is that
someone who
is inherently
good will
most likely
offend us
or threaten
us.
Jesus'
goodness
threatens so
many people
that they
rejected him
and killed
him.
When I
was a
teenager,
I joined,
I wasn't
a Christian
there.
I joined
Red Cross
Youth Cadet
Group.
The group
leader was
a Christian
and the
only Christian
that I
ever met.
And
he was
there's a
bunch of
us who
are quite
stupid
and young
under him.
and this
leader was
stern.
He would
not tolerate
unruly
behavior.
But he
was also
kind to
each of
us.
So he
treated us
with respect.
Some other
leaders label him
as a holy,
holy person,
jokingly behind
his back.
So that's
why, you
see, because
he's got that
goodness that we
didn't have.
There are
people who
would not
tolerate him.
but some
of us
were
attracted
and I
was
attracted
by his
goodness
that I
didn't
have.
And so
I asked
him
why.
Then he
explained
why he
had what
Jesus.
And he
told me
about Jesus
dying for
our sins
when we
were being
unkind
towards God.
And that's
how I
became a
Christian
eventually.
what is
eternal
life?
In
John 17
3,
Jesus
said,
and this
is eternal
life,
that they
know you,
the only
true God
and Jesus
Christ
only have
saints.
When we
know God
through Jesus
Christ and
become part
of his
goodness,
that is
eternal
life.
In the
presence of
goodness,
evil cannot
last forever
and evil
cannot be
enjoyable.
Jesus
wants this
young man
to realize
that he
is talking
to the
good God
and that
he cannot
inherit
eternal
life without
first being
part of
God's
goodness.
Because
God's
goodness
will not
tolerate
him in
his state
of badness
or evil.
And that's
why Jesus
first of all
mentioned
about goodness.
Hopefully we
can also
understand that.
we continue
with Mark
10,
18b
until 21.
So Jesus
said,
you know
the commandments.
Do not
murder,
do not
commit adultery,
do not
steal,
do not
bear false
weakness,
do not
defraud,
honour your
father and
mother.
And he
said to
him,
teacher,
all this
I have
kept from
my youth.
And Jesus
looking at
him,
loved him,
said to
him,
you lack
one thing,
go sell
all that
you have
and give
to the
poor,
and you
will have
treasure in
heaven,
and come
follow me.
one of the
expressions of
goodness is
love.
Keeping the
commandment does
not necessarily
mean that a
person has
love for
God or
for his
neighbours.
love.
In 1
Corinthians
chapter 13
verse 3
it says,
if I give
away all
I have
and if I
deliver up
my body
to be
burned
but have
not love,
I gain
nothing.
So
love
doing
all the
commandments
does not
mean that we
have this
love.
However,
for someone
who has
love,
he will
automatically
leave out
the
commandments.
Jesus is
love.
Jesus does
not keep
the
commandments.
He leaves
the
commandments.
That is
the difference.
Goodness is
exclusive.
It does
not tolerate
what is
not good.
Love,
likewise,
does not
tolerate
what is
not good.
Looking at
this young
man,
Jesus loves
him.
Jesus says
only God
is good.
But Jesus
also sees
some goodness
in this
young man.
What is
the goodness
that Jesus
sees in
this young
man?
One of the
things that
I think
Jesus loves
is this
young man's
curiosity.
This young
man wants
to know
more about
life.
All of us
are born
with
curiosity.
We want
to learn.
We want
to know.
A wise
parent or
teacher knows
how to
help a
child to
develop
his
curiosity.
Unfortunately,
in our
society,
most of
us grew
up in
a work
for
external
reward
system.
We
study hard
or work
hard mostly
because we
want to be
better than
other people
or to get
recognition
for our
hard work.
Not so
much because
we want
to know.
We want
to know
more about
this
situation.
world that
God created.
We want
to know
more about
life.
And that
is part
of the
thing that
God created
in us.
Curiosity
to know
to grow.
So besides
curiosity,
Jesus also
loved this
young man's
desire for
meaning in
life.
We may
not know
how to
define a
meaningful
life,
but the
Bible defines
it as a
life of
glory,
honor,
and
immortality.
That is in
Romans 2.7.
To those
who by
patience
in well
doing,
seek for
glory and
honor and
immortality,
he will
give eternal
life.
God created
us for
glory,
honor,
and
immortality.
And that
is also
eternal life.
Eternal
life is not
only everlasting,
but also a
life that is
glorious and
honorable.
We have
all sinned
and fallen
short of
the glory
of God.
We live
a life that
we are
ashamed of.
We would
if we
think about
it,
that our
life is
neither
glorious or
honorable
at the
end.
This young
man knows
that something
is missing
in his
life,
despite him
keeping
the
commandments,
despite his
wealth,
despite his
position.
glory and
honor in
Jesus'
life.
He decides
what Jesus
has,
and Jesus
loves him
for that.
But Jesus
does not
love this
young man's
love for
money.
Jesus
says that
we cannot
serve God
and money
at the
same time.
When we
love money,
it implies
that we
think with
our own
achievement,
we can
give ourselves
glory and
honor.
God loves
what he
has made
in us,
but God
does not
love what
we have
made for
ourselves.
Jesus
loved this
young man.
God's love
is not
sentimental.
It is a
love that
does not
tolerate what
is not good
in a person.
Jesus told
this young
man to
do a
difficult
thing,
to replace
the love
of money
with the
love of
God.
God
loves
God.
God
loves
love
to be
all
inclusive.
God's
love is
exclusive.
God
loves
exclusively
what is
good.
While God
does not
love what
is not
good,
God
does not
just sit
there
resenting
what is
not
good.
God
does
something
to change
what is
not
good
into
what is
good.
He
sent
Jesus
to the
world.
How do we
know Jesus
has eternal
life?
Because
Jesus
is good
and because
Jesus
has love
that
loves
what is
good.
We come
to Mark
10,
22,
possibly one
of the saddest
words in
the Bible.
Dishardened
by the
saying,
he went
away
sorrowful,
for he
had great
possessions.
this young
man has
seen
Jesus'
glory
and
honor.
He also
knows that
his own
achievements
do not
satisfy
and do
not last
long.
He knows
that there
is no
eternal
life in
money,
but money
can give
him
identity.
That is,
he is a
rich person,
he is a
successful
person.
Money can
give him
security,
where he
can live
for a
long time
in comfort
because of
money,
and money
can give
him pleasure.
He can
afford
many
entertainments.
If Jesus
lets him
keep his
money,
he would
have no
problem
following
Jesus
immediately,
I think.
Even if
Jesus
let him
keep half
of his
money,
I think
he would
still
consider
following
Jesus.
After all,
with his
money,
he can
support
Jesus'
mission as
well.
he just
could not
give up
all his
possessions.
It's too
much for
him to
give up.
He
didn't
understand
why Jesus
wants him
to give
up
everything.
So he
walks away
sorrowfully.
In a
way,
I'm glad
that he
walks away
in sorrow
and not
in anger.
If you
have run
after Jesus
and kneeled
before him
in front
of many
people,
and if
Jesus
implies
that
keeping
the
commandments
will
give
you
eternal
life,
and now
Jesus
says there
is still
one more
thing to
do,
and this
one more
thing is
for you
to give
all you
have to
the poor,
how will
you feel?
You have
worked hard
to get
your wealth.
Those people
have done
nothing to
deserve your
wealth.
Would you
not think
that this
is most
unfair?
When you
walk away
in anger
instead of
in sorrow,
but this
young man
walk away
in sorrow,
that shows
that he
believes
what Jesus
tells him
is true,
but the
cost of
eternal life
is too
high,
he cannot
give up
all that
he has.
Over the
years,
I have seen
many patients
with liver
disease because
of alcohol.
So,
no one
wants to
die of
liver
disease.
It's a
painful death.
I told
them if
they wanted
to live
longer,
they needed
to give
up alcohol
and start
to live
a healthier
lifestyle.
Not many
people could
give up
alcohol
easily.
A lot
of people
would say,
yeah,
I will do
it,
but they
never do
it.
After a
few months,
you do
their blood
test,
their liver
function is
still as
bad,
or it's
not worse.
And some
who try
to cut
down,
they will
cut
down,
I will
just
drink a
little
bit.
But they
couldn't
either,
because once
they start
drinking a
little bit,
they couldn't
stop.
They just
keep drinking.
And some
already knew
they couldn't
do it,
so they
could only
walk away
in sorrow,
because
there is
the dilemma.
I can't
give up
alcohol,
I must
drink it.
I know
that it's
going to
kill me,
but I
still
drink it.
I
know
you
cannot,
but do
you want
to?
If they
want to,
I can
help them.
They have
medication,
they can
help people
to extend
for
alcohol.
But
some people
just didn't
ask for
help,
and they
just
walk away.
The deadly
problem of
being successful
is that we
become self-sufficient
and self-reliant
in society
in general.
Because
successful people
are so used
to be admired
and followed,
they tend to
think that if
they cannot
solve a
problem,
no one
else can.
Many of
us,
when we
look back
to our
younger
days,
we might
have many
regrets,
because we
did not
seek advice
from people
who have
more experience
than us,
or we
did not
listen to
their advice,
the many
things that
we decide
in life.
When we
are young,
we thought
that we
knew
everything.
This young
man has
made his
first step
of seeking
advice from
someone who
he respected
as a good
teacher.
He cannot
make one
more step
to ask
for help.
He does
not need
to walk
away in
sorrow.
He just
needs to
admit that
he needs
help to
give up
all he
has.
If this
young man
seeks further
help from
Jesus and
sticks with
Jesus,
he will
soon find
out that
to be
with Jesus
is eternal
life.
He will
find out
that someone
who has
eternal
life will
overflow
with goodness
and love.
He will
find out
that someone
who has
eternal
life can
give all
he has
to help
people who
do not
deserve any
help.
He will
find out
that the
more he
gives away,
the more
he is
full and
he will
find rest.
Today,
Jesus'
answer to
anyone who
seeks eternal
life is
the same.
Give up
your dependence
on anything
that gives
you glory
and honour
in the
world and
follow me.
We are
more privileged
than this
young man
because we
live on
this side
of the
cross and
know that
God has
given us
his own
son to
die for
our sins.
And if
he has
given us
his own
son,
will he
not give
us all
things along
with him?
Let us
pray.
Oh,
Father God,
we are so
thankful for
this life
that we
have in
Christ.
Father,
we want
to live
this life
worthy of
calling in
this year
2023.
Help us
to do so.
In Jesus'
name we
pray.
Amen.