100:00:00,560 –> 00:00:04,880You need to understand that no one is200:00:04,880 –> 00:00:10,280good except God. Alone. So when you ask Jesus a saying and affect this question300:00:10,280 –> 00:00:14,700what must I do to inherit eternal life the answer’s fairly straight forward you400:00:14,700 –> 00:00:19,840must be good like God. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith from500:00:19,840 –> 00:00:23,500David Pick. Glad you could be with us today and Colin today we’re looking at600:00:23,500 –> 00:00:27,920quite a well-known story the one about the rich young ruler. And what an700:00:28,600 –> 00:00:34,919question he asked what must I do to inherit eternal life. And every person800:00:34,919 –> 00:00:37,560needs to know the answer to that question. What do I have to do to have900:00:37,560 –> 00:00:42,400eternal life? And Jesus is going to answer this question and this is one of1000:00:42,400 –> 00:00:46,860these stories that gives us in a snapshot what it means to become a1100:00:46,860 –> 00:00:51,840Christian. And I want us to get hold of that five very simple headings to get1200:00:51,840 –> 00:00:56,599hold of today to answer the question. What must I do to inherit eternal life?1300:00:56,840 –> 00:01:01,840Well, let’s get into this message in Mark chapter 10, where Jesus lays claim to all1400:01:01,840 –> 00:01:08,599our possessions. Here’s Colin. Mark’s gospel, chapter 10 and verse 17, we read1500:01:08,599 –> 00:01:13,620there that as Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees1600:01:13,620 –> 00:01:18,339before him. I want you to picture the scene, Jesus is moving out of this area1700:01:18,339 –> 00:01:22,040of Judea where he’s been for a while and he’s continuing his journey to1800:01:22,040 –> 00:01:25,660Jerusalem and as he and the disciples move out of town this man comes running1900:01:25,699 –> 00:01:32,839to catch him before he leaves the area. And this person who came to Jesus, we2000:01:32,839 –> 00:01:39,160know him as the rich young ruler, he had much that was going for him. He was2100:01:39,160 –> 00:01:45,000obviously very successful. Verse 22, he had great wealth so he’s financially2200:01:45,000 –> 00:01:49,379prosperous Luke tells us in his version of the story that the man was a ruler2300:01:49,379 –> 00:01:53,779and so he had a position of great responsibility and influence. Matthew2400:01:53,919 –> 00:01:58,379tells us in his version of the story, Matthew chapter 19, that he was young and2500:01:58,379 –> 00:02:01,900so all this has been achieved early in his life, and there must have been a2600:02:01,900 –> 00:02:05,879great deal of talent and discipline and sheer hard work that went into this2700:02:05,879 –> 00:02:10,679success for which he should be credited. Not only was he successful he was2800:02:10,679 –> 00:02:15,160clearly a very moral young person. When he speaks about keeping the2900:02:15,160 –> 00:02:20,759Commandments, I’ve no reason to doubt his sincerity in what he says. He has never3000:02:20,759 –> 00:02:24,979committed a murder, or committed adultery, or been involved in a robbery,3100:02:24,979 –> 00:02:31,520or been guilty of fraud. He took good care of his mother and father and so3200:02:31,520 –> 00:02:35,539again this is the kind of person that folks would look up to and mothers would3300:02:35,539 –> 00:02:39,339say to their children I hope that you’re going to grow up and be a nice young man3400:02:39,339 –> 00:02:43,899like that fellow there and look how well he’s doing in his life. And not only is3500:02:43,899 –> 00:02:48,580he successful and moral but he’s also spiritual. He has an intense desire to3600:02:49,399 –> 00:02:53,919so he comes running. There’s urgency he really wants to meet Jesus and he knows3700:02:53,919 –> 00:02:57,520that the opportunity might slip away, doesn’t want that to happen and he has3800:02:57,520 –> 00:03:02,820great respect for Jesus. He falls at his feet. You wouldn’t find any of the3900:03:02,820 –> 00:03:09,419Pharisees doing something like that and he’s concerned about eternal issues.4000:03:09,419 –> 00:03:15,460In verse 17 he says what must I do to inherit eternal life? Honestly if even4100:03:15,460 –> 00:03:20,160half the folks who are professionally and financially successful in our city4200:03:20,160 –> 00:03:28,000today, if even half of them were clearly committed to biblical morality, seriously4300:03:28,000 –> 00:03:33,380interested in spiritual things, concerned about a relationship with Jesus and4400:03:33,380 –> 00:03:37,320preparing for eternal life if half of all the people who are successful in our4500:03:37,320 –> 00:03:42,860city had these kind of values we would be very, very glad indeed. And not4600:03:43,119 –> 00:03:48,559that, this man is loved by Jesus Christ. Verse 21 Jesus looked at him and loved4700:03:48,559 –> 00:03:52,720Him. So it seems that this man has everything going for him successful,4800:03:52,720 –> 00:04:00,059moral, spiritual, loved by Jesus Christ what more is there? And yet this story4900:04:00,059 –> 00:04:08,039does not end well. Verse 22 the man went away from Jesus sad. He comes to Jesus5000:04:08,119 –> 00:04:13,100with great enthusiasm but he departs with great sadness and he does not5100:04:13,100 –> 00:04:18,760become a follower of Jesus Christ. And in verse 23 as you follow the story there5200:04:18,760 –> 00:04:22,839you’ll see that Jesus makes it clear that this successful, model, and5300:04:22,839 –> 00:04:26,760spiritually minded man who was loved by Jesus Christ was not part of God’s5400:04:26,760 –> 00:04:32,260kingdom. Jesus says it three times verse 23, how hard it is for the rich to enter5500:04:32,260 –> 00:04:37,959the kingdom of God. Verse 24 how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. And5600:04:38,040 –> 00:04:42,000verse 25 it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a5700:04:42,000 –> 00:04:47,359rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Now Jesus says that three times therefore5800:04:47,359 –> 00:04:52,899with such emphasis that the disciples respond verse 26 by being amazed they5900:04:52,899 –> 00:04:58,739say well if a successful moral spiritually minded man who wants to meet6000:04:58,739 –> 00:05:04,040Jesus and is serious about preparing for eternity, if he can’t be saved, who can be6100:05:04,040 –> 00:05:11,940saved? Good question. And it leads Jesus to some very important teaching which6200:05:11,940 –> 00:05:17,239the rich young ruler missed because he went away sad. But we’re here and so we6300:05:17,239 –> 00:05:20,459have the privilege of learning from Jesus what the disciples6400:05:20,459 –> 00:05:25,380learned, and there are five ways in which we learn from the teaching of Jesus that6500:05:25,380 –> 00:05:30,359are of great importance for us today. Here’s the first.6600:05:30,500 –> 00:05:38,980Jesus teaches us here that to enter heaven you must be good like God.6700:05:38,980 –> 00:05:45,440Now look at verse 17 with me please. The man comes up to Jesus and he says good6800:05:45,440 –> 00:05:50,720teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And straightaway, Jesus6900:05:50,720 –> 00:05:55,959interrupts the flow of his conversation. Wait a minute, hold on, hold on, you said7000:05:56,200 –> 00:06:01,100good. Now let’s just clarify exactly what we’re talking about here when we’re7100:06:01,100 –> 00:06:05,500talking about good. He says, verse 18, why do you call me good? Because no one is7200:06:05,500 –> 00:06:16,480good except God alone. Now how do you measure goodness? All measurements are7300:06:16,700 –> 00:06:26,380made against a particular standard. When we arrived in our new home nearly 127400:06:26,380 –> 00:06:31,980years ago, there were a number of things helpfully left in the garage for us. You7500:06:31,980 –> 00:06:35,380notice that becoming a citizen doesn’t automatically change a person’s accent.7600:06:35,380 –> 00:06:40,420I apologize for that. One of the things that was left there was this yardstick,7700:06:40,420 –> 00:06:46,299which I find very useful from time to time. How do you know that this yardstick7800:06:46,299 –> 00:06:53,220actually measures a yard, three feet? How do you know that? Kids are – this is a7900:06:53,220 –> 00:06:56,920kind of fifth grader question isn’t it? You know kids are at school with a ruler8000:06:56,920 –> 00:07:00,779on their desk. How do you know that your ruler is 12 inches? How’d you know that8100:07:00,779 –> 00:07:04,339twelve inches is twelve inches and that your ruler that you’re measuring things8200:07:04,339 –> 00:07:09,980by is actually accurate. Well there is an answer to that question. In the8300:07:10,299 –> 00:07:17,700the 12th century King Henry the first decreed that a lawful yard was the8400:07:17,700 –> 00:07:22,739distance between the tip of his tongue and the end of his thumb when his arm8500:07:22,739 –> 00:07:28,959was extended – 12th century. By the way for those of you who don’t know this8600:07:28,959 –> 00:07:37,100Henry was king of a country from which we gained independence in 1776 on the8700:07:37,100 –> 00:07:47,380fourth of July. Now unfortunately King Henry is not around for us to measure a8800:07:47,380 –> 00:07:52,380true imperial yard against his nose but if you’re particularly concerned about8900:07:52,380 –> 00:07:59,140accuracy help is at hand. If you go to Greenwich in London you can measure your9000:07:59,459 –> 00:08:07,019ruler against the ancient length of bronze which is marked off in feet and9100:08:07,019 –> 00:08:12,779inches and defines the imperial yards. Children go on school trips they’re9200:08:12,779 –> 00:08:16,420every day and they take their rulers and they measure their rulers against the9300:08:16,420 –> 00:08:20,700Imperial yard just to make sure that their rulers are actually accurate and9400:08:20,700 –> 00:08:25,660so forth. Now all measurements are made against some standard the question at9500:08:26,660 –> 00:08:33,919measure goodness? If we measure goodness say by Adolf Hitler then all of us here9600:08:33,919 –> 00:08:41,059come out looking pretty good. If we measure goodness by mother Teresa9700:08:41,059 –> 00:08:47,299probably all of us here come out not looking very good. So which one do you9800:08:47,299 –> 00:08:52,659choose or rather which one does God choose because that is clearly the issue9900:08:52,900 –> 00:08:56,919that really matters? How do you measure goodness? Well Jesus gives us the answer10000:08:56,919 –> 00:09:04,940right here. Good means good like God. He’s saying to this person that you’re10100:09:04,940 –> 00:09:10,119talking to me about goodness. Let’s be absolutely clear that there’s only one10200:09:10,119 –> 00:09:13,979definition of goodness one standard of goodness that is worth talking about10300:09:13,979 –> 00:09:17,719only one that really counts or that really matters good means good like God10400:09:17,859 –> 00:09:25,280and you need to understand that no one is good except God alone. So when you10500:09:25,280 –> 00:09:28,580ask Jesus is saying in effect this question, what must I do to inherit10600:09:28,580 –> 00:09:32,739eternal life? The answer is fairly straightforward. You must be good like10700:09:32,739 –> 00:09:37,700God. Another way that Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount Matthew chapter10800:09:37,700 –> 00:09:45,2995 in verse 48 was be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. That’s what10900:09:45,340 –> 00:09:51,320Jesus said. Another way to say the same thing is keep the commandments. The only11000:09:51,320 –> 00:09:56,280problem with saying it that way is that if you say keep the Commandments there11100:09:56,280 –> 00:10:00,280are a whole lot of people today as there were a whole lot of people then who11200:10:00,280 –> 00:10:07,599actually thought they’d done that, they didn’t get it. And this man is one of11300:10:07,599 –> 00:10:11,200them because in verse 20 he says well these Commandments I’ve kept them all11400:10:11,320 –> 00:10:15,640since I was a boy and he completely misses the point that Jesus is making11500:10:15,640 –> 00:10:20,179here which is that to be in heaven you must be good like God. That’s the real11600:10:20,179 –> 00:10:25,520standard by which we are all measured and it makes sense of course because if11700:10:25,520 –> 00:10:30,440your goodness were anything less than being good like God then that would make11800:10:30,440 –> 00:10:37,119heaven less good for you to be there. And God’s not going to allow that to happen.11900:10:38,039 –> 00:10:41,359So here’s the first thing that we learn from the teaching of Jesus as he12000:10:41,359 –> 00:10:47,000straightaway identifies the crucial issue with this man, to enter heaven you12100:10:47,000 –> 00:10:49,559must be good like God.12200:10:51,099 –> 00:10:53,059You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith12300:10:53,059 –> 00:10:57,840and a message called Jesus lays claim to all our possessions it’s part of our12400:10:57,840 –> 00:11:02,599series the Gospel according to Jesus based on the book of Mark and if you’ve12500:11:02,599 –> 00:11:06,119missed any of the series or you want to go back and listen again do that by12600:11:06,140 –> 00:11:11,739coming online to our website Open the Bible dot org dot UK or find us as a12700:11:11,739 –> 00:11:16,359podcast and that’s on all the major podcast sites search for Open the Bible12800:11:16,359 –> 00:11:20,080UK and subscribe to receive regular updates.12900:11:20,080 –> 00:11:25,219Open the Bible is brought to you by the generosity of our listeners and if13000:11:25,219 –> 00:11:28,679that’s something you’re considering doing and you’re able to set up a new13100:11:28,679 –> 00:11:32,219direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per13200:11:32,219 –> 00:11:37,320month or more or a one-off gift of 50 pounds we’d love to say thank you for13300:11:37,320 –> 00:11:42,799your support by sending you a copy of RC Sproul’s book The Advent of Glory 2413400:11:42,799 –> 00:11:47,739devotions for Christmas full details of this offer and terms and conditions on13500:11:47,739 –> 00:11:53,380our website Open the Bible dot Org dot UK. Back to the message now,13600:11:53,380 –> 00:11:57,659here’s Colin. Here’s the first thing that we learn from the teaching of Jesus as13700:11:57,739 –> 00:12:03,880he straightaway identifies the crucial issue with this man to enter heaven you13800:12:03,880 –> 00:12:08,859must be good like God. Here’s the second thing and each of these points build as13900:12:08,859 –> 00:12:16,919we learn the teaching of Jesus. Salvation involves a real change in which a14000:12:16,919 –> 00:12:23,840person becomes good like God. Now I want you to notice here that the Bible uses14100:12:23,880 –> 00:12:30,940different language to express the different dimensions of our salvation.14200:12:30,940 –> 00:12:36,859The man in verse 17 asks about inheriting eternal life.14300:12:36,859 –> 00:12:44,580Jesus speaks verse 23, 4, and 5 about entering the kingdom. Verse 26 the14400:12:44,580 –> 00:12:50,219disciples asked the question who then can be saved? Now these three are all14500:12:50,219 –> 00:12:56,039essentially different ways of speaking about the same reality. Being saved means14600:12:56,039 –> 00:12:59,900entering the kingdom, entering the kingdom God’s kingdom means14700:12:59,900 –> 00:13:04,859that you have eternal life, having eternal life involves coming under the14800:13:04,859 –> 00:13:11,320blessing of Christ’s rule and that is what happens when you are saved. Now a14900:13:11,320 –> 00:13:16,840major problem that we have in Evangelical churches today is that we15000:13:16,880 –> 00:13:22,880have separated what God has joined together. Too often salvation has been15100:13:22,880 –> 00:13:28,419reduced to a kind of formula or even a decision something that is believed15200:13:28,419 –> 00:13:33,559without making a difference in a person’s life. So that many people have15300:13:33,559 –> 00:13:37,099the idea that there can be a change in your destiny without there being any15400:13:37,099 –> 00:13:43,859corresponding change in your identity, your soul or your behavior and it needs15500:13:43,859 –> 00:13:48,419to be said clearly that you don’t find that anywhere in the Bible, though it is15600:13:48,419 –> 00:13:54,159common to hear it today. Conversation goes like this, I became a Christian, you15700:13:54,159 –> 00:14:01,659know, I was saved at a Bible conference ten years ago. Oh really, wonderful, so15800:14:01,659 –> 00:14:07,799you received the gift of eternal life ten years ago. Yeah marvellous!15900:14:08,200 –> 00:14:16,520So, your life came under the rule of King Jesus ten years ago. Oh no, no, no.16000:14:16,520 –> 00:14:22,559That happened much later. Now that is to separate what God has joined16100:14:22,559 –> 00:14:30,840together. By what authority do we think we can do that? One reason why the word16200:14:30,840 –> 00:14:40,760evangelical is held in such disrepute in our time is that to many people an16300:14:40,760 –> 00:14:44,559evangelical is someone who thinks that they’re saved by holding certain16400:14:44,559 –> 00:14:49,960beliefs even those these beliefs make no difference to their actual life, and you16500:14:49,960 –> 00:14:54,840won’t find that in the bible and that is not what we believe. We need both to say16600:14:54,840 –> 00:15:00,039that and to demonstrate it by lives that are genuinely good, reflecting the16700:15:00,039 –> 00:15:07,239character of God. So beware of distorting the gospel and taking16800:15:07,239 –> 00:15:13,419something beautiful and making it something ugly. To enter heaven you must16900:15:13,419 –> 00:15:19,380be good like God, and salvation involves a real change in which a person becomes17000:15:19,380 –> 00:15:27,059good like God. Third and we’re building, truth from the text of Scripture here17100:15:27,419 –> 00:15:35,799teaching of Jesus together, third, this change is impossible with man, look at17200:15:35,799 –> 00:15:40,840that very clearly in verse 26 the disciples say who can be saved? And Jesus17300:15:40,840 –> 00:15:49,280answers with man this is impossible. Verse 27. I want us to pause here, with17400:15:49,280 –> 00:15:58,119man this is impossible, it’s impossible. But here’s the nub of the issue between17500:15:58,119 –> 00:16:04,179Jesus and the rich young ruler, young fellow very successful and very moral17600:16:04,179 –> 00:16:09,559feels that he can produce the goodness that is needed for him to enter heaven17700:16:09,559 –> 00:16:17,919he feels he can do that and Jesus knows that he can’t. Let’s come at it this way17800:16:17,919 –> 00:16:26,239what is it, that the rich young ruler needs to be saved from in order to17900:16:26,239 –> 00:16:32,760become good? now you say well he needs to be saved from hell he needs to be saved18000:16:32,760 –> 00:16:36,280from guilt he needs to be saved from condemnation well all these things are18100:16:36,280 –> 00:16:41,640true but being saved from guilt condemnation and Hell won’t make him18200:16:41,640 –> 00:16:47,320good ,will it? That won’t make him good. What does he need to be saved from in18300:16:47,320 –> 00:16:56,919order to be good and the answer is Himself because this man’s life is all18400:16:56,919 –> 00:17:01,280about himself it’s all about his success and his morality and his desire for18500:17:01,280 –> 00:17:05,880relationship with Jesus and his concern about eternity he needs to be saved from18600:17:05,880 –> 00:17:16,599the power of a self-centered life and Jesus exposes this in verse 2118700:17:16,760 –> 00:17:23,239and one thing you lack he says, go sell everything that you have and give to the poor, and then18800:17:23,239 –> 00:17:30,040you will have treasure in heaven and then come and follow Me. You see what he’s18900:17:30,040 –> 00:17:40,260saying? My friend, if you want to be good like God, here’s a really god-like thing19000:17:40,280 –> 00:17:49,939that you could do. You could be like God by taking everything that you have and19100:17:49,939 –> 00:17:55,079selling it and giving it to the poor. You say, how is that like God? Well, God is the19200:17:55,079 –> 00:18:04,160Creator of all wealth. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. All the resources of19300:18:04,439 –> 00:18:11,439the world are God’s. And what does God do with all this wealth? Well, He gives it into19400:18:14,180 –> 00:18:20,920the hands of folks like you and me. So Jesus says to this man, you wanna be good19500:18:20,920 –> 00:18:27,920like God? Well, why don’t you go and do the same? You could easily sell all that you have19600:18:28,760 –> 00:18:35,459and give to the poor, and then you will be reflecting the kind of thing that God does.’19700:18:35,459 –> 00:18:39,719And the guy says, that’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to do, I’ll go and do it right19800:18:39,719 –> 00:18:46,719away. No, of course he doesn’t do that. His face falls a mile because suddenly he realizes19900:18:48,339 –> 00:18:55,339that this is beyond him. Because he is actually captivated by the power of self.20000:18:55,380 –> 00:19:02,380It’s a love for himself. Which is why he isn’t half as good as he thinks he is, and certainly20100:19:02,839 –> 00:19:08,319his goodness is nothing like the goodness of God.20200:19:08,319 –> 00:19:12,280He cannot do what Jesus has just asked him to do because his love for himself is way20300:19:12,280 –> 00:19:18,180too strong and his love for God and for others is way too weak. And he just doesn’t have20400:19:18,180 –> 00:19:25,180it in him to be good like God, and neither do you, and neither do I.20500:19:26,300 –> 00:19:33,300Now let’s be clear about what Jesus is not saying and then what he is saying. First,20600:19:33,859 –> 00:19:39,020what he’s not saying. Jesus is not saying that we all have to go and sell everything20700:19:39,020 –> 00:19:45,319that we have in order to enter Heaven. Someone has said, I think rather perceptively, that20800:19:45,319 –> 00:19:51,619if that were what Jesus was saying there would always be one person in the world who could20900:19:51,619 –> 00:19:58,420not be saved because he would be the guy who has all the stuff. Right? That is not what21000:19:58,420 –> 00:20:06,859Jesus is saying. What is he saying? What he is saying is simply this, and it is very powerful.21100:20:06,859 –> 00:20:16,260Selfishness will keep you out of heaven. That is what he is saying. Selfishness keeps thousands,21200:20:16,359 –> 00:20:26,280millions of people out of heaven. And the reason that it is so hard for a rich man to enter the21300:20:26,280 –> 00:20:32,119kingdom of God, notice how Jesus says that very clearly here, why is it so difficult for people21400:20:32,119 –> 00:20:38,099who have a lot to enter the kingdom of God? Simply because we have more to be selfish about. More to21500:20:38,099 –> 00:20:45,560be selfish with. But Jesus does not limit the difficulty of entering the kingdom of God to21600:20:45,680 –> 00:20:52,680those who have much. You notice that he broadens it out, he states that it is hard for anyone to21700:20:52,680 –> 00:21:01,920enter the kingdom of God, because selfishness is in all of us. When the disciples say well then21800:21:01,920 –> 00:21:07,560who can be saved? Notice that Jesus does not say, well of course it’s much easier for the poor,21900:21:07,640 –> 00:21:16,619because it’s not that selfishness is in the poor as well as in the rich. Nor does he say well22000:21:16,619 –> 00:21:24,160of course it’s much easier for those who have a stable Christian family background. We work22100:21:24,160 –> 00:21:28,640with that assumption that somehow that gets you this close, as opposed to this close, and that22200:21:29,040 –> 00:21:38,540it’s sort of easier. When the disciples say who then can be saved, Jesus says with man this is22300:21:38,540 –> 00:21:45,719impossible. However much money, you have however little money you have, however good a background22400:21:45,719 –> 00:21:50,699you have, however bad of background you have, really all these distinctions don’t make any22500:21:50,699 –> 00:21:58,859difference, because when you boil it down with man this is impossible is what he said.22600:21:58,859 –> 00:22:05,099We have to pause the message there. We’ll continue next time but so that we don’t have22700:22:05,099 –> 00:22:10,439to wait, Colin, those three points that we just heard that we need to be good like God,22800:22:10,439 –> 00:22:17,219that salvation involves real change and that change for us as humans is impossible,22900:22:18,000 –> 00:22:20,040we can’t stop there, can we?23000:22:20,040 –> 00:22:25,380So here’s points four and five. The change that is impossible for us is possible with23100:22:25,380 –> 00:22:31,079God. Jesus says, with man this is impossible, but all things are possible with God. God23200:22:31,079 –> 00:22:36,540is able to do what we cannot. And you know what Christian faith is? Christian faith is23300:22:36,540 –> 00:22:42,800counting on God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. That’s what faith is. That’s23400:22:42,819 –> 00:22:47,859Christ is given to us, that’s why we need him, because we can’t do what needs to be23500:22:47,859 –> 00:22:52,680done to inherit eternal life. He has done it, and he’s able to do what is impossible23600:22:52,680 –> 00:22:56,680for us. That’s where we’re going. It’s a very simple outline of what it means to become23700:22:56,680 –> 00:23:01,920a Christian. I found that really helpful. The biggest questions Jesus brings down to23800:23:01,920 –> 00:23:10,560them, very clear answers. And how important for us to say, Lord Jesus Christ, I recognize23900:23:10,640 –> 00:23:17,160that I can’t do what it takes to inherit eternal life. I need to cast myself on you, I need24000:23:17,160 –> 00:23:22,760you to do for me what I cannot do for myself. Make me a new person. Grant me your forgiveness.24100:23:22,760 –> 00:23:27,280Give me the gift that’s in your hand, not mine. That would be a great response to the24200:23:27,280 –> 00:23:31,339message today. I hope that’s your response. If it is, why24300:23:31,339 –> 00:23:37,199not let us know at Open the Bible. At Open the Bible, we welcome contact with our listeners.24400:23:37,239 –> 00:23:43,959You can email us by using the contact form on our websiteedia.org.uk24500:23:45,959 –> 00:23:55,560You can write to us at Open the Bible PO Box 1420 Cheltenham GL50 9PG24600:23:55,560 –> 00:24:05,959or you can phone us on 0330 335 8089 If you are not available when you call, leave24700:24:06,000 –> 00:24:11,079a message for us and we will return your call. All of these contact details are available24800:24:11,079 –> 00:24:14,719on our website openthebible.org.uk24900:24:14,719 –> 00:24:19,439You’ve been listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called25000:24:19,439 –> 00:24:26,160Jesus Lays Claim to All Our Possessions, part of the Series The Gospel According to Jesus25100:24:26,160 –> 00:24:28,020Based on the Book of Mark.25200:24:28,020 –> 00:24:32,680If you’ve missed any of the series, don’t forget you can always go to our website and25300:24:32,680 –> 00:24:36,939catch up or go back and listen again to any of the messages which have already gone out25400:24:36,939 –> 00:24:38,040on air.25500:24:38,040 –> 00:24:44,880The website address is openthebible.org.uk and you can also find Pastor Colin’s Teaching25600:24:44,880 –> 00:24:49,979as a podcast if that’s a better way for you to stay in touch with that.25700:24:49,979 –> 00:24:56,119Don’t forget also about Open The Bible Daily, those are our short two to three minute reflections25800:24:56,119 –> 00:25:01,400based on Pastor Colin’s Teaching and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish.25900:25:01,420 –> 00:25:06,800You’ll find those also at openthebible.org.uk.26000:25:06,800 –> 00:25:10,739For Pastor Colin Smith and Open The Bible I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able26100:25:10,739 –> 00:25:12,760to join us again next time.26200:25:19,500 –> 00:25:22,959You saved on everything God asked of you?26300:25:22,959 –> 00:25:27,300Find out the challenge that Jesus has for you next time on Open The Bible.