DOORS, WALLS AND FENCES

DATE: 8^TH OF SEPTEMBER 2024

TOPIC: DOORS, WALLS AND FENCES

TEXT: MARK 10:17 – 27

Aim:

1. To teach inordinate clinging to material things can hinder us from having smooth relationship with God.
2. To teach that wrong attitudes are walls, doors and fences to spiritual growth.

Introduction:

Everyone lives with physical barriers—the doors, walls, and fences that keep valuables in and intruders out. These barriers have counterparts in the moral and spiritual arena—beliefs, attitudes, and actions that define and limit a person’s choices. Think, for example, of the fences put up by prejudice, the doors shut by negative self-worth, and the walls built with pride or rebellion.

The young man in today’s passage wasn’t even aware of the barrier that he had put around his heart. Jesus knocked on the barrier, but the young man was unwilling even to make an opening, much less tear it down. This caused a problem. From the text we can see that all of the young man’s good intentions and law-abiding behavior didn’t count as much with Jesus as did removing that barrier around his heart.

When Jesus told the rich young man to sell all he had, the man walked away sadly (Mark 10:17-23). Jesus’ challenge revealed the truth about the young man’s law-abiding record: he loved his money more than God, thus breaking the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). And as Jesus pointed out, until he let go of this false god, he could not have eternal life (Mark 10:17, 23).

Questions for discussion

1. With practical examples, explain how material things and wrong attitude can build a fence from enjoying God’s grace.
2. Read Mark 10:17 – 27, Matthew 16:24 – 26, Ezek. 14:1 – 5, and highlight how these walls, doors and fences can be dealt with.

Food For Thought: Boasting about goodness always presents a barrier to following Jesus.

Memory Verse: Ezek. 14:5