You are listening to Heat the Word with our pastor and teacher Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke verse by verse.

What does Jesus mean when he says, Assuredly, I say to you that there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom who shall not receive many times more in this present time? I don't think he means that they will receive the same thing multiple times over, because frankly, I don't want a lot of wives, brothers, sisters, or mothers. I'm fine with the number of them that I have right now. Thank you very much. So he's talking, in a sense, about receiving something of equal or greater value than those things, I believe.

The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. Christian, do you realize that everything you have, everything you possess is from God, your home, your job, your car, your family, even your friends are there because God has allowed them to be. So why are we so hesitant to set aside the things in our lives for our Lord when we know that He will supply our every need? Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Heed the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, please open your Bibles to the book of Galatians, chapter 3, verse 10. Again, we'll begin there and then continue our study in Luke 18. Now here's Pastor Ken.

We can't do it, because if we break any one part of it, we're guilty of the entire thing. And there is none of us who has kept all of it unto this day in our lives. And if you have, I guarantee you you won't for the rest of the time that you're here. Galatians 3 10 tells us this in the writings of Paul for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. That no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident. For the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Now, as Jesus has listed these commandments, do not commit adultery. Is it possible that this young man had been sexually pure and had never committed adultery, physically speaking? Yes, that's possible. Do not murder. Is it possible and even quite probable that this young man never took the life of another human being? Yes, it's possible and again quite probable. Do not steal. Is it possible that this young man had never stolen anything? It's very unlikely, but yes, it is possible. He might never have had a real opportunity to steal. It's possible. Do not bear false witness. This is getting a little less believable. Had this young man been so honest that he had never once told a lie. Very unlikely. Very unlikely. And yet we couldn't prove that he had, could we? And he says, honor your father and your mother. And he says, All these things I have kept from my youth. When we look at the law in a literal sense, in terms of, have I kept it in a physical way? There are some commandments that we might be tempted to say that yes, we have kept. I seriously doubt. In fact, I know for a fact that there's no one who could have kept all of them perfectly. And yet, even in a superficial way, could we say that we've kept some of them? Well, this young man felt convinced that he had kept them. That was because he had a cheap view of what it meant to keep the law. Jesus did not hold that cheap view. In Matthew 5, verses 21 and 22, and verses 27 through 28, Jesus says these words. You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the counsel. But whoever says, You fool, shall be in danger of hellfire. Now we've often talked about, you know, Jesus says, you know, to hate somebody is the same as murdering them, but here he's saying, even just calling them a fool is oh, you fool, you know, hey, you're in danger of hellfire from that, because that is, in essence, the attitude and spirit of murder in your heart as you're rebuking them in anger and frustration. Sometimes you just like to separate their breath from their body, right? You feel that way. We do, don't we? That's murder. Jesus goes on to say, You've heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Now, when we raise the bar to that level to say that if you have thought it in your heart that you have as good as done it, then how many of us stand guilty? Every single one of us, including this young man. And so when Jesus brings out these commandments, his intent is to point out to this man his own sinfulness, his own need for a savior. Because it's only by receiving that savior that we can inherit eternal life. And yet the man doesn't see it. All these things, he said, have I kept from my youth. Now Jesus knows this young man's heart. He knows where the missing part is. In fact, he left it out of the list. There is a horizontal commandment that would have gone in the same list of the ones that Jesus gave to this man, but Jesus left it out. I believe that the reason Jesus left it out was because he knew that this was the area where this young man was most likely to stumble. That this was, as it were, the chink in this young man's armor. And so he saves that shot, that arrow, that statement, for the proper time. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. Exodus twenty seventeen says this. Thou shalt not covet. You see, this young man was rich. He was attached, as it were, to his possessions, and the idea that in order to inherit eternal life, he would have to go out and sell all of these possessions that he had worked so long to acquire, perhaps, and to then just give them away to other people was incomprehensible to him. Because you see, it wasn't so much that these things were things that he possessed, but rather these were things that possessed him. He coveted them, he had more than enough. You see, someone who had truly kept all of the commandments as it relates to other people, when he sees the poor and the sick and the lame and has within his own resources the ability to minister to their needs, he'll be moved to do so. And yet this young man had not. Because it says in verse 23, but when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And we're told in the other gospels that he went away sad. He left, he walked away. Now, what happened down the road to this young man, we don't know. Maybe he was eventually one of those believers in the early church. I don't know. But I do know that at this moment he did not heed the calling of God in his life because he was too caught up in his own possessions and in his own covetousness. And so he had not kept that commandment. Even just in the horizontal, he was disqualified. But we are witnessing even now in the text another commandment that this young man is breaking. Exodus 20, verses 2 and 3 says, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You see, this young man valued his possessions more than he valued having a relationship with Jesus Christ. What an invitation had been extended to this young man. Jesus had said, Go sell everything you own, give it to the poor, you'll have treasure in heaven, and then come and follow me. The Gospels tell us that Jesus looked at this young man and he loved him. Had this young man obeyed, we very well might have a gospel written by him. And yet he didn't. He held on to that which he possessed, and thereby lost that which he might have been given. He held on to that which ultimately he would lose, and thereby lost that thing which had he received it could never have been taken from him, the inheritance of eternal life. He walked away from the very thing that he had come to seek. Verse 24. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. For 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. Now, there are pastors and there are sermons that have said over the years that what that is referring to when Jesus is saying that is a very small gate in the city wall called the eye of the needle. And that it was such a small gate that after the city gates had closed for the evening, if you came along and you had your camels and everything with you, in order to get inside through that gate, the camels particularly would have to be unpacked, and that they would have to get down on their knees, which camels do, and that it would have to actually be led crawling through that gate. And so they've taught, and it's a beautiful teaching, that for a rich man to come and enter into heaven, he must divest himself of his worldly goods, come to his knees before Jesus, and enter humbly through the gate. Great teaching, right? Love it. Makes a lot of sense. I don't think that's what Jesus is saying, though, not at all. You see, Jesus is saying something much more difficult than that. The word used for needle here literally is a surgical needle. And Dr. Luke, being a doctor, would know exactly what he meant when he said this word needle. And Jesus is saying literally that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven. And this confusticated and confused the disciples. And those who heard it said, Who then can be saved? You see, because in this day and age, they believed that great riches were a sign of divine favor. Sound familiar? That God would bless with material goods those whom he was pleased with. Job was richly blessed by God, wasn't he? He had to go through a lot, but yes, he was. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all the patriarchs were very wealthy men. And they were blessed by God. And yet these were men who, though they were wealthy, were not possessed by their wealth. Who, though they had great possession, they recognized that all that they had came from the Lord and was not their own. And so, in a sense, these very wealthy men were not wealthy at all. They were simply stewards who had been entrusted with great measures of the Lord's wealth. You see, to be a wealthy man or woman is to say that I possess many things, that I have a lot. And yet, if I view my possessions as being entrusted to me by God, that they belong to him and not to me, then who truly is the wealthy one? The Lord is the wealthy one, isn't he? The Bible says he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The Lord is the one who is rich. He has simply entrusted certain things to us. And when we hold the appropriate view of possessions and understand that they are not ours, but that they are his, and that we are to do with them as he directs us, then we find great liberty even in our wealth. Who then can be saved? They asked. But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Jesus literally is saying, it is easier for a camel, a big, hairy, smelly camel, to go through the eye of this needle than it is for a rich man to enter into heaven. What is Jesus saying? He's saying that for a rich man to enter into heaven is impossible. It's not difficult, it's not even really, really hard. It's impossible. It cannot be done. And the fact remains really that for any of us to enter into heaven by our own merit is utterly impossible. But I love what Jesus said here in verse 27 the things which are impossible with men, like keeping the commandments, are possible with God. Then Peter said, See, we have left all and followed you. So he said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom, who shall not receive many times more in this present time and in the age to come, eternal life. That very thing that this young man had come seeking to inherit, Jesus says, The those who forsake everything else and follow him, they will receive. Now when I read that verse, I begin to wonder, what does God mean by that? I'm tempted to wonder, is that really true? But it's in the Word of God, and I know that it's true. And so I then am left with the question, what does he mean by that? What does Jesus mean when he says, Assuredly I say to you that there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom who shall not receive many times more in this present time? I don't think he means that they will receive the same thing multiple times over, because frankly, I don't want a lot of wives, brothers, sisters, or mothers. I'm fine with the number of them that I have right now. Thank you very much. So he's talking, in a sense, about receiving something of equal or greater value than those things, I believe. Because if we look at those who served him, those who did forsake everything and leave everything to follow him, did they receive many times over of the same things in this life? And the answer is a resounding no, they did not. Paul is a perfect example. Paul counted everything in his past as dung, as rubbish, as garbage. He left it all behind for the glory of serving Jesus and following him. And did he in his life receive many of those things back again? No. In fact, he lost his head. So how does promise then apply to Paul? Let's find out. Turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 1. Starting in verse 3, Paul is writing to Timothy Timothy, and he says, Thank God, whom I serve with a pure, pure conscience, as my forefathers did. As without ceasing, I remember you in my prayers night and day. First of all, what has believed in God that is far more valuable than any of the things that He has left behind. A pure conscience. How precious, how priceless is a pure conscience to know that you stand right with God, to know that you stand before Him and are approved of Him. What is more precious than that? That's worth all the houses and all the money in The world, isn't it? A pure conscience. As my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. He's speaking to Timothy here, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Paul received a pure conscience from the Lord. Paul received from the Lord a spirit, not of fear, but a spirit of power, a spirit of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which he has given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. So what else has Paul received? He has received grace. But that grace has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. For I know whom I have believed. What did Paul receive? He received the knowledge of God and the confidence of knowing that he knows whom he has believed in. And he is convinced that God is able to keep what Paul had entrusted to him, his wife, his family, his riches, his homes, his homes, his homes, that he forsook to follow Jesus. He had entrusted all of those things, even his very life, to God. And he was convinced that God was able to keep what Paul had entrusted to God until that day. So many things that Paul received in this life. And in the age to come, eternal life. Peter said, Hey, we've left everything for you. Don't you just want to look at him and say, Trust me, Peter. It was worth it. You'll find out later. It's worth it. Can I tell you, you will find out later how worth it it really is, not just for Peter or for Paul, but for you. Paul knew the answer. He gave up everything and ended up losing his head. But what he gained was far more than he ever gave up. And you might say today, hey, you know, I would follow Jesus, but I don't want to have to give up all that other stuff. Can I tell you guys? What you give up to follow Jesus pales in comparison to what you receive from him.

Truly, these are some of the most difficult times that many of us have ever seen. The economy is bad, work is sparse, and there's no shortage of strife throughout the world. But as believers in Jesus, we've been given many great and precious promises. For instance, listen to this verse, taken from our current study. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. You see, it doesn't matter how bad things get, God has promised to take care of us. Today's teaching was only part of a full-length message taught by Pastor Ken Davis on a Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro, Burleson, Texas. To hear this message in its entirety, log on to heedheword.org. That's heedtheword.org. Once you're there, select the listen online page. Or if computers aren't your thing, that's okay, you can always call us. That number to call is 817-447-5675. That's 817-447-5675. Even if you're not ordering a copy of today's study, we'd love to hear from you. Knowing that God is using Heed, the Word for His glory, and to encourage His saints is one of our greatest joys. So call us today. This study through the Gospel of Luke has been a real eye-opener. Maybe you've been challenged in some areas in your walk with Jesus. Well, we want to exhort you not to just hear God's word, but to do it. Begin to walk in obedience to the things you're learning. From all of us here at Heather Word, we want to say thank you for tuning in, and may God richly bless you as you seek his face.