October 14, 2012 · Mark 10:21

Give It Up

“It's as easy as saying a prayer once too. The point is, is that prayer self-deception or Christ's reception? True Christianity comes when it's willing to give it up. Now this seems hard when we're hearing this. The call of Jesus says you have to be willing to give it all up. That sounds hard. It's difficult. It sounds impossible. But with God all things are possible. Jesus looks around and he says to the disciples, how hard it is for the rich man to enter the kingdom of God? The disciples were amazed at his words. They don't get, like, that. There's not — what? The rich man not going to heaven? We'll explain that in a second. But Jesus says 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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed when they said to each other, who could be saved? And Jesus looked at them and he said, with man this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God. This is a message. This is possible. We can do this. But notice what he says. It's so hard to enter the kingdom of God. It's a great sort of — mouth of Jesus. It's hard to enter the kingdom of God. Don't tease yourself. You can't play at this Jesus life. The kingdom of heaven is a difficult thing.”