Welcome to South! We're glad you joined us today! Below you will find some sermon notes and Bible passages, to help you follow along with Pastor Scott's message. We are in a series called "Exalting Jesus", in which we are going through the Book of Luke. We hope you will be encouraged by what is taught today.

The main character who approaches Jesus is a rich ruler, and he was inquisitive. He had every type of physical wealth, but he knew he was missing assurance of eternal life. He wasn't necessarily asking Jesus about this because He knew his wealth couldn't satisfy, and only Jesus can....he just wants eternal life.

Jesus started out by helping the rich ruler know in his heart, if he was approaching Jesus as God - or just as a good teacher. Then He listed some of the Ten Commandments to reveal that the ruler wasn’t as perfect at keeping all of them, as he thought. And he asked the ruler to choose between his material wealth, and eternal life - demonstrating that we have to be willing to sacrifice our desires, for God's desires--and the rich ruler left disappointed.

Eternal life comes by way of sacrifice. Christ had to sacrifice so much in order that we might be able to have it. And we must follow his example of sacrifice, by denying ourselves and taking up our cross, in order that we might be able to receive eternal life.

We must be willing to suffer the loss of anything and everything for the sake of Christ, otherwise we will ultimately receive the dreaded loss of eternal separation from him.

Jesus shares with His listeners that it's easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The people in that time had thought that material wealth was a sign of God's blessing in their life - but this assertion blows that previous line of thinking, to bits. What did Jesus mean? Who, if anyone could enter the kingdom of God?

He wanted them to understand that obtaining eternal life is completely an act of God. He also wanted them to understand that no one, regardless of who they are and what they have done, are outside of the powerful saving work of God. Finally, He wanted them to understand that while obtaining eternal life is completely a powerful work of God in a person’s life, it does require a forsaking of this world for the gain of Christ in their lives.