Let's turn to Luke chapter 18. What we're looking at this morning is the conclusion of what the disciples had just witnessed when our Lord was speaking to the rich young ruler who, we're told, went away sorrowful. He went away empty and sorrowful. And we read now in verse 24, When Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.

And we experience this truth every day. We see this truth worked out among us every day and in various forms and manners that there is a great abundance of riches in this world so that men do not consider God. Men don't fear the Lord. And when we're full with the riches of this world, when we're talking about wealth, when we're talking about confidence, when we're talking about life and various things, various riches that people attach to and count themselves wealthy in.

Because of these things, we do find that grace and riches seldom go together. They're just not seen together very often in the kingdom of God. Paul said it this way, not many wise men after the flesh. Are you rich in wisdom? Are you rich in education? Are you rich in intelligence?

Things like that, that doesn't often go with those that are called in the kingdom. Not many mighty, not many noble are called. These abundance of riches of this sort of influence and power and wealth and wisdom of this world are not often found with grace in the kingdom of God.

And so this world, what we see, especially when we're honest with ourselves, all we have to do is just look in the mirror. All we have to do is just look at this heart and we see how easy it is for this flesh to be consumed with this world and the treasures of this world, what men and women count as valuable treasure in this world.

And they're consumed with these things which are called worldly lusts. and are just the troubles of this world. And people love it. They get attached to it, the drama and the politics and various things going on. They're just consumed by these things, even though we're all corrupt and we're not improving it.

Every time we put our hand to it, we're just making it worse and worse. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding that any cry out to God and sigh and groan before him. The world doesn't do that. The Lord's people, when they're made tender to it and when they see just how impossible things are for us and with us, that's when we begin to groan and cry to the Lord.

And so this rich man, understand, this rich man desired eternal life. He's very sincere. I don't think that, I don't think what it's saying here is that he wasn't sincere enough. He was very, very, very sincere. He desired eternal life, but when he was faced with eternal life, choosing eternal life and holding on to the riches that he counted, his wealth and his value in this world, he went away sorrowful.

Left to himself. It's a picture. of us being left to ourselves, no matter how sincere, no matter how good, no matter what our desires are, it is impossible for us to change ourselves. We desperately need the grace of God. And the Spirit, very appropriately by the Apostle John, wrote in 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, he tells us, love not the world, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Oh, that sticks. That sticks in my heart, and it sticks in all our hearts, because we all have that attachment to this world by nature. In the old man, a flesh, it's attached to this world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world.

And what that's speaking thereof is those things which men in this world, of this world, call blessings. These are the blessings. I'm blessed. I have such a great life, I have a wonderful family, and I have a good job, and I have many things, and I've seen many, many places, and I've experienced many things. Those that men count as riches and blessings of this world, the Father says, that's not God's favor. That's pointing to a soul that's lost. That's lost.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And so apart from the grace of God, which strips us down and makes us naked before God, and to see ourselves as naked before God, except God do it, we cannot separate ourselves from this world and worship God in spirit and in truth. It just doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. This flesh will not do it.

It is a work of grace. It is the work of grace. It is the grace of God that gives us life, that has put away the sin of the love of this world, that has put that away and delivered us from it in and by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to see these things in us, to see how corrupt we are by nature, and that except the grace of God cover our sin and put it away and deliver us from it, we have no life in him. It's God that does it. And if he doesn't do it, we'll perish in our sin and die holding on to this world and perish right along with it. The world passeth away, and so will we, except God save us, except God deliver us.

And so he tells us these things. in order to teach us to be content with such things as you have. Even if you don't have a lot, even if you don't have much by what this world counts as riches, it's okay. It's okay for us. He gives that contentment in the heart to be satisfied with what he does rather than seek the riches of this world.

The scriptures give us this warning, saying, this is Paul writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6, 9, they that will be rich, those that desire it and focus on it and pursue it, fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. they get overwhelmed by it. The scriptures counsel us instead, be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. And the flesh doesn't choose it, but it is a good place to be dependent upon the Lord and waiting upon him. and being weak in self and in this flesh to feel your need of him because that's what bends the knee. That's what bows the heart and humbles us before the Lord to seek him because God is much more satisfying than the things of this world.

He just is. And nothing we can get from this world can compare to Him. He tells us, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, every nickel and dime of the world, every penny of it, and yet lose his soul? What does it profit? To get 80 years of the abundance of this world and lose your soul. There's no comparison.

And so our Lord is faithfully giving us a warning that if He did, will spare us from many foolish and hurtful lusts that do overwhelm the soul and drown it out. Just overwhelm the soul. This is why Christ came and He was overwhelmed by the wrath of God They covered his head, so to speak, is what I'm saying. And he had to conquer that. He had to extinguish that wrath for us and deliver us from it. That's why he came, that we would not serve the world and serve the pleasures of this world and this flesh, but that we might know the true and living God and serve him in spirit and in truth. And so he's turning us.

If you would chase the riches of this world, whether it's wealth or fame or power or influence, it lures you further into it. It just becomes a snare that hooks in and then drives you deeper in. And it hooks in and drives you in because it's never satisfying. The flesh is never satisfied. These eyes are never satisfied. It doesn't matter. There's always something more. There's always something that we see that just reveals covetousness in the heart. And it just wants more. It's just what we are by nature.

And so he's warning us. Hear what the Proverbs say in Proverbs 30 verses 8 and 9. He prays, the wise man prays, remove far from me vanity and lies, which is thinking that we're something in this world when we're nothing. That's all that it is. It's vanity and lies.

We haven't achieved or attained to anything. But no matter how wealthy and powerful we are, no matter what form it takes, we haven't achieved anything. And he asks, give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee and say, who is the Lord? And that's exactly what we see in the world. That's exactly what I see when I look in the mirror. When I have abundance, these knees don't bow. And if they do, it's just a form. It's just a weak form.

But when I need, when I do depend on the Lord, when he's made it so that I depend on him, and he provides, but he provides me my daily meat when he does it that way, I'm thinking of him very often, very, very often. And remembering him very often, it's when we have this great abundance, when everything's going well, that we, just like you say in there, we forget the Lord. Who's the Lord? We walk around like we don't know him or need him.

It's just what it is. If we're being honest, I'm being honest with you. It's just when there's great abundance, There's a greater attachment to this world. That's just how it is, sadly. Or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain. Deliver me from that, but keep me right there.

Stayed upon thee, Lord. Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed. Finding as he promised, perfect peace and rest. There's rest in the Lord. And he promises it, and he shall fulfill it just as he promises to do it. And we only find that right there, stayed upon him. And neither having too much nor too little, just stayed upon him.

And so it's not that we're being taught to pray for an extreme. We're not praying, but we pray for grace. And grace will keep you right there in the Lord. We're praying for his grace to be content with what the Lord gives us. And so we're called to submit to Christ in this. Not that we know how to add or undo or take away. It's not about us changing and fixing things. It's seeing our need of the Lord and his grace in it and praying to him in that light. Lord, put me there, because I don't know how to get myself there. I don't know how to add or take away. I ruin everything I touch. So Lord, please have mercy and grace upon me.

And so it can be a difficult exercise for our flesh, but remember, consider your brethren. We're all being afflicted in this way for our good. We're all being chastened in this way. We're all being taught. We're all being led of the spirit, all your brethren in the same manner.

We can consider Moses, who we saw or have been looking at recently, but in Hebrews 11, 24, when it describes him, tells us by faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. There's something where we may recognize that this is not good for me, and by the grace of God, refuse it, and don't partake of it. choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. And so that can come in many forms, in many forms. But having a heart willing to be partakers with the body, with the people of God who love God and are just like you and me, and cast our all upon our Lord who cares for us. and laboring that together and going forth in that blessing together as a body in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's what Moses did. And that's what he teaches us and does for us in a beautiful spiritual way, in a blessed way, or where we want him. It's not about radical things and moving out of your house and getting yourself a tent. That's not what it's saying. It's saying, trust the Lord. Trust the Lord and pray for your brethren and serve one another in this blessing here.

There were many rich men in the scriptures. There were many rich men. There's Abraham. He was wealthy. And so was Isaac. The scriptures tell us Abraham gave all to Isaac. All the riches that Abraham had, he gave it all to Isaac. None to Ishmael. To Isaac, had all. And then Jacob did pretty well. The Lord blessed Jacob as well.

And whatever he put his hand to was blessed of the Lord. And he had an abundance, and David accrued a lot, and Solomon was very wealthy in wisdom. And I doubt that he had as much gold as other people, but he had such wisdom to use it so wisely and so abundantly and so profitably. The Lord just blessed it. I mean, he had a wonderful, wonderful kingdom. And so there's many men and women today who are wealthy who do have a heart and give and support the gospel. The Lord has given them that gift. And they do that very much. But there's not many. There's not many. There's not a lot. But there are some that the Lord does give that abundance to to support the gospel.

But, and what I'm saying here, what I'm getting at here is that if you set your heart on those riches, saying that, well, I want to be wealthy and rich so that I can give abundantly. If you set your heart on the riches and wealth of this world, if you're setting your heart on that so you can be one of those people, you can be pretty well certain that you're not one of those people. Because your heart is all wrong. You're setting your heart on the riches. thinking, giving the excuse that that's what you'll use it for, and have that giving heart.

But if you are rich, if the Lord has made you rich, if you have a job, or you inherit, or whatever it is, great. Use that for the kingdom of God. You use it to support your people, to the Lord's people, and don't feel bad about it. It's what the Lord has done in blessing you, and he gave you the heart with it.

It's just how he does it. I'm just saying don't set your heart on it. Don't let that be your pursuit. Now, and the reason is because they are very subtly deceitful. They're subtle, and the way they just grip onto the heart, latch onto it, and just take it down.

It's like the seeds, which our Lord tells us about in the parable of the sower. They fell among thorns, right? The good word fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. And he goes on to say, for he that received seed, you that hear the gospel, and you hear that, and you received it, but it falls among the thorns, is he that heareth the word and the cares of this world, And the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. And that's what it's saying, that when our heart is set on these things, on the riches of this world, that word is made unprofitable. It becomes unprofitable to us, and we become unfruitful in it.

And so it is a snare. It's ensnaring to the flesh in that way. Set your heart on Christ, and he may bless you with riches. to use in the kingdom, but don't set your heart on the riches because it's a snare. Even us who don't have abundance of riches and comparative standards see how the cares of this world and how what we do have can suck us away and take our attention away.

It just happens. So give heed to these warnings. He doesn't say them in vain. They're not said in vain. He tells us instead, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things that you do need will be added unto you. Whatever you need, the Lord will provide them and trust him to provide them. He means for us to look to him to provide them and to seek him for his grace and mercy.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Therefore, set your heart on the Lord. Be content in his kingdom. Do what the Lord gives you to do. Whatever it is, it might be a very profitable job. If you love it, do it. If that's what you're good at, and it's a good business, and it earns you good money, do it. And don't be afraid if that's what you love and you can do it. But don't set your heart on the riches of it. Set your heart on the Lord. That's what he calls us to do. And that you may support the work, and always, always, no matter what you have of this world, pray for your brethren. Pray for one another. Pray, pray for one another. And depend upon the Lord for all you need. Now, the Lord gives us a comparison here in verse 25, Luke 18, 25, saying, for it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And what he's saying here is a familiar description. It's an expression that was familiar to the Jews there and to many parts of the world in that area. And what it's saying is, it's impossible. It's something that's so absurd and so impossible that it cannot be done. Other parts of the world would use, instead of a camel, would say an elephant. That an elephant would go through the eye of a needle. It's saying that it's impossible. It's an absurd thing.

And that's what he's saying here. It's impossible that a rich man enter into the kingdom of God. And that's exactly how the disciples understood our Lord to be speaking here. It never says that it was an abundance of money wealth. It just says that he was rich. Rich, he could have been rich in works. rich in wealth, rich in influence, rich in many different things.

But what it's saying here is it's impossible for man. And understand, they understood our Lord here, that they just saw a very eager man, a very sincere man, willing to do whatever he had to do to inherit eternal life, and yet, as excited as this man was, and as much of a man was that this guy was, that we would think, surely this guy is a fit citizen of the kingdom of God. Instead, he went away sorrowful and empty. He went away sorrowful and empty. And this man's coming and going away empty was followed by our Lord confirming it's impossible. it's impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

So that it says in verse 26, and they that heard our Lord say that asked, who then can be saved? If all men can be exposed the way this man was, for him to be dressed down and stripped down as having a covetous heart. And every one of us, by nature, has a covetous heart. At some point, at some time, we all have a covetous heart. Every one of us can be dressed down by the Lord the same way the Lord dressed this man down and showed him and exposed the heart. Every one of us, the Lord can do that.

I remember when I worked in the factory, and I think I've said this before, I worked in the factory, and I could be working super hard for hours on end. We had to sand parts. We had to do things, move all the time. I had things I had to do. And I'd be doing them constantly.

And without fail, as soon as I would stop and talk to somebody, my boss always came around the corner. Every time. Just every time without fail, he came around the corner. And it got to the point where I'd just look at him, and it was like, here it is again. And I said to him one time, I said, I'm telling you, I am working, working, working, working, and every time you come And every time I stopped, that's when you come around the corner. And he said, how do I know that? Because every time I come around the corner, you're not working. And so I was caught in it.

And it's so with the Lord. We could be doing what we're supposed to be doing all the time, and the Lord can come at that one moment. and when we're not doing it. And what I'm saying is, any one of us can be dressed down and exposed as a hypocrite and a sinner, just like this man was. Every one of us can be exposed in that same way. And so the psalmist asked this way. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand? If there's sin to be found, it can be found in my heart, just like every one of our hearts.

We all can be stripped down in this way. Well, who then can be saved? That's the question that they're asking. Who can be saved? And the Lord answers it for us in verse 27. He said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. That's what he's showing us here.

It's impossible for me to fix my heart. It's impossible for me to be perfect. for the Lord. It's impossible for me to work a righteousness for myself, because here's this man, as eager and willing, and he went away empty. He went away sorrowful. He did not have what he sought. And this man was a better man than me. He was a good man, as far as the flesh goes, and yet he went away sorrowful. And what the Lord is showing us here is that With you and me, it's impossible to save ourselves. If we're made honest, it's impossible to save myself. The best of the best cannot save themselves.

All Israel, coming out of of Egypt, going through the wilderness, having seen the power of the Lord displayed among them in their midst, and having plundered the Egyptians as they're going out into the wilderness, took their riches and everything, and have the Lord provided for them, every one of them died in the wilderness, save two. Save two men only that were of adult age. Those were only two adult men went into the promised land. All the rest perished in the way.

And then the Lord comes here and we see it again. Here he is doing miracles among them, testifying that the Father is with him, that God is with him, that he was sent of God, just like he said. And yet many, many rejected and refused him and did it. They turned away their only hope of righteousness. It's impossible, is what he's saying. It's impossible that you and I can save ourselves. But the Lord is telling us that because he's gracious. He's gracious in telling us that it's impossible for us to save ourselves.

It's for our good because It's to turn us away from self. It's to turn us away from trusting ourselves and thinking that we're good and that we're better than you, that we would see our need of the Lord to save me. That how desperate I am that the Lord save me, a sinner. The Lord, I cannot save myself.

That's what he's showing us. He's stripping us down, making us honest before him, not to find excuses and to hide behind them, but to say, yes, Lord, you're right, and I'm wrong. You're righteous, and I'm unrighteous. You're perfect and good, and I'm not.

Lord, save me. Have mercy upon me. Open my ear to hear your gospel, to hear the voice of Christ, to believe him. Save me, Lord. Deliver me, because I cannot save myself. He's telling us this that we would hear the voice of the gift of God, the unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the salvation of his people. These things are impossible with man, but all things are possible with God. He's able. He overcomes our sin.

Galatians 3.22, for the scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. It's to open your ear to the promise. It's to give you a heart and a hearing ear to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he's doing here. It's not just the riches and wealth of this world that keeps men in bondage and blind to all things.

It's even the riches of a self-righteous heart full of works and thinking that I am doing something to impress God, I'm doing something to earn God's favor, that I'm doing something to buy Him or indebt God to me, that because I did it, because I did these things that I thought was a board game or a list of things to do, that if I do them, then I can be saved. Well, I've indebted God. No, you didn't. We didn't do anything. All we've done is that which is our duty to do. We haven't earned or profited the Lord in anything. We only did what we were told to do.

And so the Lord is stripping us down of vain confidences in this flesh and turning our eyes to him. Because the gospel for the poor in spirit, those of you who mourn for your sin, who see your nakedness, just like this man was exposed, this rich young ruler. Just as he was exposed, so were exposed before our Lord. And it's a gracious thing. It's a merciful thing to see yourself naked before the Lord, that you may cry out to him, Lord, clothe me with the righteousness of your darling son, Jesus Christ, because I'm all wrong. I'm just wrong in everything.

And that's what he does for us. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we, even we Jews, Paul said, who had the oracles and the scriptures and the prophets and the law and sacrifices in the temple, even we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Even our faith looks to the faith of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ. It's what he gives us. He turns us to trust his faithfulness.

And so the scriptures are teaching us that salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people. It's not telling us to improve your lifestyle. It's not telling you to fix this and fix that. It's turning you to Christ and making you content in Him and to trust His grace. These things are impossible with men.

But all things are possible through Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent in the flesh, just like you and me, but without sin. And he faithfully fulfilled all the law of God in perfect righteousness to show himself the perfect sacrifice, the perfect high priest without sin and the perfect sacrifice. And he sacrificed himself unto the Father on the cross bearing the sins of his people, to put them away forever, and to make us righteous in him before God. And he's done that. And he's put away our sin and given us life in him. And he gives us a spirit that gives us a new birth in him and makes us alive to him.

And so he does that, brethren, to the praise, honor, and glory of his name. And so all who were chosen of the Father, they shall be saved. All who were redeemed by Christ, they shall be saved. All who are born again by the Holy Spirit, they shall be saved. They are saved. All who call upon Christ and come to Him in faith are saved.

It's what He works in us, and that's what He's doing. He's teaching us and turning us to Christ, to the praise, honor, and glory of His name. Don't be sad in yourself. When you're looking to yourself, you will be sad. But when you look to Christ, that's peace and salvation. Amen.