A Bad Decision

Matthew 19:16-22 A BAD DECISION 1-15-11

Today for a few minutes I want us to think about this young man that we read about in our text, he obviously was an intelligent person, I mean he was rich according to the other gospel accounts of this same young man, unless of coarse he became rich by being crooked, and that happens some time, but we’re told that he had great possessions, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with a person having possessions as long as the possessions don’t have the person, we’ll see that he makes a bad decision.

Listen as I read today’s text found in Matt.19:16-22

16And, behold, one came and said unto him, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

17And He said unto him, “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18He saith unto Him, “Which?” Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”—Jesus did not mention, ’THOU SHALT NOT COVET”

Let me point out right here that these 5 of the 10 commandments are to do with our fellow man.

Let me point out too “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Is not among the 10 commandments in Exod.20:

Ø James calls this the (royal law)

James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: a good way to understand this “royal law” is, if we would actually “love thy neighbour as thyself” we could keep the other laws to do with our fellow man.

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20The young man saith untoHim, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?:”

Jesus said unto him, “If thou wilt be perfect, (complete) go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”

22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

The first 4 of the Ten Commandments have to do with man’s relationship to God. But Jesus did not use those because He was leading this young man along in his thinking.

Jesus used the commandments that have to do with a man’s relationship to his fellowman.

Jesus had shown him that he had not kept the commandments at all. He loved himself more than his neighbor (the poor) and he loved his possessions more than God (follow me).

Jesus don’t mean that people of wealth should give their possessions away in order to have eternal life, He was showing this individual where his priorities lay.

For this young man his stumbling block was his riches, most of us don’t have this riches problem as our stumbling block, but just about all us do have some thing that hinders our walk as a Christian in some way or another, every bodies stumbling block is not the same.

I remember a man many years ago that was bad about drinking and gambling, he was retired out of the military, I heard him say one time “I have seen the gates of hell and still do the way I do” I don’t know what ever become of him, I hope he got saved, he knew that the way he was living was not right but the pull of his habits was just too strong. It is so easy to create old worldly habits that often hard to break, many times it takes the Lord to break them, and He knows how.

This man who came to Jesus reminds us of many people today, he was ready to sign a card, raise his hand, walk the aisle, all of this is to do with the outward appearance without and inward change.

He was unashamed. He was eager. It appeared that there was no way he would go away without receiving eternal life . . . but he did. -- Why?

This man who sadly left the presence of Jesus without receiving eternal life is often called the rich young ruler. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each tell us about him:

• All three say he was RICH; --• Matthew adds that he was YOUNG;

• Luke says he was a RULER.

>>First of all lets look at WHAT THE YOUNG MAN DID RIGHT<< (v. 16)

A. He came to the Right Person (v. 16a)."And, behold, one came. . . ."

The words "and, behold" are indicating wonder and amazement. Matthew must have been astonished that this man would seek out Jesus and admit that he needed eternal life.