Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Date: 10-18-98

Sermon Number: 124

Text: Luke 18:18-30

The Rich Young Ruler

In our last lesson we studied the second of two parables on the subject of prayer. With the first parable Jesus taught us to persist or be faithful in our praying and in the second He spoke to us about the proper approach to God when we pray. He did this my contrasting a proud Pharisee with a humble, broken, publican. One man declared his goodness before God as well as his superiority over other men. The other, the Publican, declared his sinfulness and simply begged God's forgiveness, grace, and mercy. The self declared sinner, went home a justified man. For God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

This parable is followed by still another lesson by our Savior that reemphasises the need of humility in one's approach to God. Luke 18:15-17 NASB.

"And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. {16} But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (to people with child like characteristics) {17} "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all." The point is found in this last statement. "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all." What does He mean? He means that one must receive the Gospel message as readily and trustfully as a child receives a gift. A child has no problem taking a gift he did not earn. He does not pretend to be worthy, he is just thankful that someone would give him something. The child doesn't second guess the giver he just takes the gift. This is the characteristic Jesus points to. The adult, to whom you take the Gospel, often has a thousand objections, questions, and arguments as to why the message cannot be true and the offered gift cannot be free. Contrast this with the little one at his fathers knee. The child asks the familiar question, "Daddy where did the world come from?" "God made the world son." "Where did I come from, daddy?" "God made you too." "What happens to people when they die?" "Those who trust in Jesus for salvation go to heaven to live with God." "Oh," says the little one and he races off to play. From that day onward you know what answer your going to get from this child when you ask him, "Where did the world come from?" He will tell you that God made the world, and him too? Then ask him what happens to people when they die? Then ask him why he believes this to be true and he will tell you, "Because my daddy told me so." Simple faith, complete trust, no reservations. This is Christ's point in Luke 18:15-17. If you do not go to God like a trustful, believing, child you will not enter the kingdom, you will not be saved.

This kind of faith, trust and humility, must remain part of the Christian's life. For if you fail to trust your Father like a child trusts his daddy and mommy you will not progress as you should and you will not enjoy the peace that you might of. So we all pray with the unnamed poet;

"Make me, O Lord, a child again,

So tender, frail, and small,

In self possessing nothing, and

In Thee possessing all.

O Savior, make me small once more,

That downward I may grow,

And in this heart of mine restore

The faith of long ago.

With Thee may I be crucified-

No longer I that lives-

O Savior, crush my sinful pride

By grace which pardon gives.

Make me, O Lord, a child again,

Obedient to Thy call,

In self possessing nothing, and

In Thee possessing all."

"Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

Now we come to the parable of "The Rich Young Ruler." Follow with me as I read Luke 18:18-30 NASB. And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" {19} And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. {20} "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" {21} And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." {22} And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." {23} But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich. {24} And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! {25} "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." {26} And they who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" {27} But He said, "The things impossible with men are possible with God." {28} And Peter said, "Behold, we have left our own homes, and followed You." {29} And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, {30} who shall not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."

By comparing Matthew, Mark, and Luke we find that this young man was one who owned much property and was, therefore, very rich. He was likely one of the officials in charge of the local synagogue. Luke begins with the man's question but Mark lets us know a little more. The man ran up to Jesus, he ran and fell at Christ's feet then he posed this great and all important question. "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Here is a man with a troubled conscience. He is a Jew, a leader of the Jews, and he knows the law. He is a member of the chosen nation of Israel but he has no assurance in his heart that he will have eternal life when he dies. He is anxious about his soul and he runs to Jesus. So far we would describe this man as very wise indeed. For he has come to the right place, to Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of all who come to Him by faith. However, as we are about to see, he will go away without the Christ, without eternal life. For he did not come to Christ by faith but with his hands full of works.

Jesus uses his very courteous address, "Good Master," to point out this man's sin. "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone." Of course Jesus does not speak of Himself but of men. There is no true goodness in anyone but God. Now He will prove that this young man had good reason to be alarmed and anxious about eternity. Jesus will show him that contrary to his present beliefs there is no true goodness in him at all. He takes the man to familiar territory, the Ten Commandments. Jesus does this because the law's purpose is to reveal sin in a person's life. Jesus speaks, {20} "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"

The young man is glad to hear Christ's reply. Oh yes, says he, "All these things I have kept from my youth." For just a moment I believe this man thought his anxiety might be for nothing? But Jesus is not going to leave it at this. The young man had not kept the law of God at all, even though he thought he had. Jesus will now apply the law to his heart.

{22} And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; (one thing keeps you from being perfect, acceptable to God and the possessor of eternal life) sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." This statement encompasses everything the law says about our treatment of other humans. It is the same reply He gave to another who asked the same question. Look with me at Luke 10:25-28 NASB. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" {26} And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" {27} And he answered and said, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." {28} And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS, AND YOU WILL LIVE." Or, as our present text puts it, ". . . sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Do this and you will have eternal life! Love your poor neighbors by selling your property for their relief and then come and love or follow Me." Then you shall have treasure in heaven, eternal life. This is all you're missing. Do this and you will be perfect which is what the law requires. Before this moment the young man's knowledge of the law had been academic head knowledge. He knew the law like one knows and can recite a favorite poem or song. But now the law is taken to his heart, to his soul, and it accomplishes its mission. It reveals his sinfulness. (Hebrews 4:12 NASB) "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The law, applied by Christ, reveals what this man did not want to see. He is not perfect, he is a sinner, he is condemned by the law of love. In a moment he knows that if gaining eternal life means he must let go of his wealth to love men and God more than himself he must die an eternal death. For money and self were his gods. Hear the words of verse twenty-three. {23} "But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich." The account in Matthew's gospel helps us better understand the scene. (Matthew 19:22 NASB) "But when the young man heard this statement, HE WENT AWAY GRIEVED; for he was one who owned much property." His sin of covetousness, idolatry, and selfishness, was exposed and he was sorry. But it was not a sorrow that would lead him to repentance and eternal life. It was not a sorrow that would cause him to turn from dependance on works to Christ for acceptance with God. No, the scripture declares that, he went away from Christ filled with sorrow. One kind of sorrow will lead to eternal death and one will lead to eternal life. Hear the word of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 NASB) "I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. {10} For the sorrow that is according to the will of God PRODUCES A REPENTANCE WITHOUT REGRET, LEADING TO SALVATION; but the sorrow of the world produces death." The young man in our text had the sorrow of the world that produced only death. He came to Christ looking for eternal life but went away grieved, still in bondage to his sins. For he would not repent, turn from, or let go of the world he loved so much. He would not give up his money and land. He was sorry to discover that he would not have eternal life but not sorry enough to repent and trust Jesus for salvation. Our Lord takes this opportunity to teach His disciples an important lesson. Luke 18:24

{24} And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! {25} 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." It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God because attachment to God requires detachment from the world. Riches, because of our fallen nature, tend make us proud, self-willed, self-indulgent, and independent of God. Our flesh craves the comforts they bring to such an extent we will even reject eternal life that we may be comfortable on this earth. There are many reasons why it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. For instance there are times when the rich are not told the truth about their sin because of their wealth and influence. The preacher in the poor church may be reluctant to speak honestly for fear of losing support. Friends, brothers, and sisters, may be intimidated by a persons wealth and power. Therefore, they will not deal with him in as honest a way as they should. There are many other things that make it difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. One thing is certain a man who sets his heart on gaining wealth lacks wisdom and is chasing after trouble and heartache. Most importantly he is putting his soul at risk. The love of riches, money, property this world can cause Christians untold miseries as well. You and I should head this warning and learn to pray with the Psalmist, ". . . {8} Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, {9} Lest I be full and deny Thee and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9 NASB) Let us all learn to labor with our hands and be content with what God provides lest we fall into temptation and dishonor our Lord.

Having heard Christ's statement that, "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," the disciples respond with a question. {26} And they who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" What they heard Jesus saying was that this man's or any man's salvation was impossible! For according to Jesus a sinner could not be saved unless he kept the whole law. He must love God and man as commanded. He severe all worldly attachments. He must be perfect if he hopes to be accepted by God. The problem is men cannot be perfect no more than a Camel can be shoved through the eye of a needle. So the disciples ask, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus had succeeded in teaching the truth about man's spiritual condition since the fall. He is totally depraved or sinful and there is nothing he can do to help himself. The sinner is a slave of sin, self, and the devil. Again the question, "Then who can be saved?" Let us hear Christ's answer. {27} But He said, "The things impossible with men are possible with God."

Mark's record of our Lord's reply reads like this, (Mark 10:27 NASB) Looking upon them, Jesus said, "With men it is impossible, (to be saved) but not with God; for all things are possible with God." Just as a leopard cannot change his spots sinners cannot change their hearts. Those accustomed to doing evil cannot by the exercise of their wills begin to do good. They are what they are by nature and a man cannot change his nature. But God can! God can and does change sinners from the inside out. When God chooses to save a sinner He does some spiritual heart surgery. He removes the old heart bent toward sin, the flesh, and the devil and replaces it with a new one that is inclined away from sin to God and His Christ. He redirects man's will and gives him true faith with which he lays hold of Christ and is saved. With men this is impossible but God brings it to pass in a moment. Had God chosen to do so He could have turned this rich man's affections from his riches to Christ. He could have set him free from his slavery but for reasons known only to God He did not do that. The man came to Christ on the wrong terms. He asked the question, "What must I DO to inherit eternal life." Christ's answer was that you must be perfect in every way if you hope to be saved by works. However no man has ever been justified by keeping the law. Therefore he went away disappointed and lost. But many rich have been saved. Many of the rich have been given the grace turn from their sin to Christ by faith. Further they have been moved to use their money for the Lord's work. By grace they have been enabled to own it and not it them. But this is only by grace. Such miracles are possible with God and He has preformed them many times for His elect ones to the praise of His glory, grace, and power. "With men it is impossible, (to be saved) n but not with God; for all things are possible with God." Remember the words of Romans 9:15-16 NASB. For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." {16} So then it (the whole process of salvation) does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." And when He chooses to exercise that mercy He removes all obstacles including the idolatrous love of money. The rich man was told to leave all to follow Jesus and was promised eternal life. He could not obey the command and so went away from Christ the same as when he came, an unregenerate sinner.

The disciples sort of change the subject now. Having heard Jesus promise the rich man eternal life for leaving all to follow Him they ask, "What's in it for us seeing that we have left all to follow you?" Let's read the text.

Luke 18:28 And Peter said, "Behold, we have left our own homes, and followed You. {29} And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, {30} who shall not receive many times as much at this time (right now in this life) and in the age to come, (such a one will have) eternal life."

The first thing to notice here is what it might cost you to follow Jesus. You may have to leave your property, your spouse, your relatives, and even your children behind to walk with Christ. Nothing can be allowed to get between us and Jesus. Nothing can be so important that it causes us to disobey our Lord. If there is something that has that kind of power over us we cannot be Christ's disciple. For He demands exclusive allegiance. No matter what the cost we must take up our cross and go after Christ without reservation or regret. And when grace has changed our hearts we will have no regrets. That which we have had to leave behind for Christ's sake will have lost its luster and attraction. The believer loves sin no longer and will do what is necessary to please his Lord and Savior. In the end we will have lost nothing even if we have left all behind. Remember the words of Jesus in these closing verses. "There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, {30} who shall not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life." The one who lets go of everything for Christ's sake has lost nothing and has gained much.

To the un-believer I ask. What stands between you and salvation? Is there some pet sin, person, or thing, that you love so much you will not give it up to follow after Jesus? What could possibly be worth the eternal death of your soul? You have come near to Christ today by coming to this place, will you go away without Him? When grace has done its work you will let go everything to embrace Christ by faith.

To the Christian I pose this question. Has something crept into your life that is robbing you of peace, joy, and spiritual growth? It may be pride, lust, bitterness, un-forgiveness, covetousness, discontent, or any number of other sins. What has come to stand between you and your Savior so that fellowship and joy is now lost? It is sin of some kind, that is sure. The solution is simple. Pray that God will show you clearly what that sin is. Then confess it to Him while begging His strength and grace to turn from it for good. He is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all such filthiness. Let go of the world dear Christian and find rest for your soul in His unchanging grace, love, and mercy.

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