Sermon #53[1] Mark Sermons

Title: “So Near Home, Yet Lost!”

Text: Mark 12:28-34

Reading:

Subject: The necessity of faith in Christ

Date: Sunday Morning - June 21, 1998

Tape # U-73b

Introduction:

More than a hundred years ago a Welch ship called, The Royal Charter, safely sailed around the world, navigating treacherous waters in every part of the globe. When the ship docked briefly at Queenstown, one of the sailors telegraphed his wife, telling her that he would be home in a few hours. You can imagine her excitement. She has not seen or heard from her husband in months, and months, and months. With joy and anticipation, she hurriedly prepared supper, set the table, and got all spruced up. Excitedly, she sat in the parlor, waiting for her husband to walk through the door. Instead, a messenger appeared at the door who told her that as the ship approached its home port it was smashed to pieces in Maelfra Bay, on the coast of Wales, and her husband was drowned!

As soon as her pastor heard what had happened, he hurried over to minister to this shocked and grieving widow. He said later, “Never can I forget the grief, so stricken, and tearless, with which she wrung my hand.” As that lady held her pastor’s hands, these are the words with which she expressed her grief - “So near home, and yet lost! So near home, and yet lost! So near home, and yet lost!”

I take those words for the title of my message today. I am certain that they describe some, perhaps many of you - “So near home, and yet lost!”

Some of you are, as it were, in the suburbs of the City of Refuge. You are in a very dangerous place. I warn you, if you stay there, you will perish forever. What a pity that some of you will perish at the gates of salvation for want of one step! You have come to the Door. Perhaps you admire the Door. But you have not entered into life by Christ the Door; and you are lost. “So near home, and yet lost!” I can think of nothing more pitiful. Today, I want to talk especially to you who are near, so very near to the kingdom of God, and yet altogether lost. We meet with a man just like you in Mark 12:28-34.

(Mark 12:28-34) And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? (29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (32) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (33) And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (34) And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Proposition: It is possible for a person to be very near the kingdom of God and not be in it. It is possible for a sinner to perish upon the doorsteps of mercy. Our Lord Jesus Christ says to you who are here without faith, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”

The kingdom of God is that kingdom of grace in which all are voluntary, loyal subjects under the rule of Christ. It is a spiritual kingdom, governed by Christ through the power of his Spirit and the Word of his grace. The kingdom of God is the church and family of God in this world.

1. Some of you are in the kingdom of God.

· You have been quickened, regenerated, and made alive by the Spirit of God (v. 27; Eph. 2:1; Rev. 20:6).

· You have been brought to the obedience of faith by the Spirit of God (Rom. 16:25-26).

· You have been adopted into the family of God (Eph. 1:4-6; 1 John 1:9).

· You are led, ruled, governed, and directed in your life by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9, 14).

(Romans 8:9) If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

(Romans 8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

If you are in the kingdom of God, you are in it because God, by a work of his almighty grace, has put you in it. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).

2. Some of you are far off from the kingdom of God.

Though you are here, in the house of God, you have no interest in the things of God. You are here only because you have to be, or because you have been pressured to come. But you have no interest in your soul, or in Christ, or in the gospel of his grace. Like a brute beast, you live only for time and only for the physical, sensual pleasures of life. Though you are far off from God, I pray that God may come to you today. Though you have no interest in Christ, I pray that he has an interest in you. If he will, he can even bring you into his kingdom today.

3. But some of you, like the man in our text, are “not far from the kingdom of God.”

You are “so near home, and yet lost!” If God the Holy Spirit will enable me, I want to reason with you from the Scriptures. May he be pleased today to graciously bring you into the kingdom.

Divisions: I want to do three things in this message:

1. Describe those who are not far from the kingdom of God.

2. Warn you who are not far from the kingdom of God.

3. Reason with you who are not far from the kingdom of God.

I. First, I WILL DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT PERSON WHO IS NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

One of the scribes listened carefully as the Lord Jesus baffled the Pharisees, the Herodians and the Saducees in their attempts to discredit him. Then he asked the Savior, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

A. The Lord Jesus answered his question according to the Scriptures (vv. 29-31).

(Mark 12:29-31) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

In his answer our Savior shows us four things:

1. The Tri-Unity Of The Eternal Trinity. (See John 1:1-3; 1 John 5:7).

(John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

(1 John 5:7) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

2. The Requirements Of God’s Holy Law Upon All Men.

3. The Depravity Of All Men. No Man Can Keep This Law! (Rom. 3:19).

(Romans 3:19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

4. The Necessity Of A Righteous, Sin-Atoning Substitute.

B. When this Scribe heard the Savior’s words, he answered him discreetly, with reverence and wisdom (vv. 32-34).

(Mark 12:32-34) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (33) And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (34) And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

1. He recognized Christ as a Master in Israel, a Teacher come from God.

2. He acknowledged the truth of the Lord’s doctrine.

C. And the Lord Jesus said to him, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”

Why? What did the Savior see in this man that he did not see in the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees who had come before him? Why did he say he was not far from the kingdom of God? Let me show you.

1. He saw in this man what he did not see in the rest of the others. Christ saw standing before him a man of sincerity and truthfulness.

This scribe was something more than a religionist. He was no hypocrite. He sincerely studied the law of God, saw something of the supremacy of God, and tried to order his life by the law of God. Like the Jews Paul spoke of, he had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:1-4).

2. This man understood something of the spiritual nature of the law.

He saw that the law had more to do with the glory of God and of inward principle of love for God and man than it did with mere outward deeds. He saw that the worship of God was inward, not outward, spiritual, not ceremonial.

a. He saw more than the papist, who makes worship nothing but ceremonies.

b. He saw more than the doctrinalist, who puts head knowledge above heart experience.

c. He saw more than the legalist, who puts outward morality above love and kindness.

3. The Lord Jesus saw in this scribe a teachable spirit. What a rare thing that is!

Here was a man who was willing to learn. He was willing to have his doctrine, his religion and his opinions examined and corrected by the Scriptures.

4. This man appeared to be in a very hopeful condition.

a. He saw the unity, the breadth and the spirituality of the law.

b. And he appears to have realized something of his inability to keep the law. He knew what God required. And he knew that he could not meet God’s requirements. There is reason to have hope for a man who knows that much!

D. Some of you here are, like this Scribe, “Not far from the kingdom of God.”

Like the five foolish virgins, you have the lamp of religion, but you do not have the oil of grace.

1. You have some fear of God, which in great measure regulates your life and keeps you from the evil deeds of other people.

2. You have a high regard for the things of God.

· His Word.

· His Worship.

· Prayer.

· His Ordinances.

1. You know something of your need of Christ.

Sometimes, the Word of God touches your heart. You go home, after hearing a gospel sermon, resolved to trust Christ and confess him. Like the prodigal, you say, “I will arise and go to my Savior.” But that is as far as you have gone. You have come to the Door, but never entered in. You have come to the gates of the city of Refuge, but never entered the city. Listen to me, my friend, you are in a very dangerous place.

II. Secondly, I MUST WARN YOU WHO ARE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

In this world, you may be happier and more respected than the base, profligate, openly ungodly. But, before God, you are no better off than those who are far off. In Christ, in the kingdom of God, there is life, eternal life. Out of Christ, out of the kingdom of God, no matter how close you may come, there is nothing but death, eternal death.

Though this man was not far from the kingdom of God, we never read that he entered into it. Like the rich young ruler, he was indecisive. Halting between two opinions, he could not make up his mind to forsake all and follow Christ. Perhaps, like his friends, he “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” He had much, but he lacked the one thing needful, he lacked faith in Christ. How many there are like this scribe! You see much, know much, feel much, and do much, and yet live and die undecided, without Christ!

No man is safe who is not in the kingdom of God. The border land is a place of danger. If you are satisfied with being “not far from the kingdom of God,” you will in the end be shut out forever.

A. If you do not enter in by Christ into the kingdom of God, I know exactly what will become of you.

· Either you will go back into hopeless apostasy (Heb. 10:25-31; 2 Pet. 2:1-2, 20-22; 1 John 2:19).

· Or, you will become content without Christ, indifferent, and gospel hardened.

C.H. Spurgeon once said, “That which is set in the sun, if it be not softened, will be hardened.”

B. In the end, you will be shut out of the kingdom altogether, and cast into outer darkness! (See Luke 13:23-30!)

(Luke 13:23-30) Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, (24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: (26) Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. (27) But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. (28) There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (29) And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. (30) And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Religion without Christ is the most damning thing in all the world!

III. Thirdly, I WANT, BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, TO PERSUADE YOU WHO ARE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND YOU WHO ARE FAR OFF TO ENTER TODAY AND BE SAVED.

If you die where you are, without Christ, you will be forever lost. “So near home, and yet lost!” Will you hear me? Will you hear what God says to you? “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16).

A. The only Door by which you may enter into the kingdom of God is Christ (John 10:9).

· His Blood.

· His Righteousness.

B. God has opened the door of entrance for sinners (Heb. 10:19-23).

(Hebrews 10:19-23) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Salvation is accomplished! Redemption is done! Christ has purchased eternal life for sinners! There is nothing you can do or must do to win God’s favor, satisfy God’s justice, or merit eternal life.

C. But God has sent me here to tell you that there is something you must do, without which you will not be saved - You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

You can sit and speculate about God’s sovereignty and man’s depravity if you want to. But it is your responsibility to…

· Repent of your sin (Lk. 13:3).

· Trust Christ (Acts 16:31).

· Confess Christ (Rom. 10:9-10).

If you were dying of thirst and someone brought you a pitcher of fresh spring water, would you try to get it straight in your mind whether God had predestinated it, or you were responsible to drink it, or you had the ability to drink it? Why that is nonsense! Men never act so foolishly until they start trying to become theologians. A thirsty man will drink the water, and ask his questions later!

If there is a thirsty sinner here today, I set before you Christ, the Fountain of Life. Drink of this Fountain and live forever.

Application:

Will you enter into the kingdom of God; or will you die “not far from the kingdom of God”? God help you now to enter in. “How long halt ye between two opinions?” “Choose you this day whom you will serve.”

Illustration: Barnard, “For Christ’s sake, leave me alone!”