SERMON OUTLINE:
(A). The Mans qualities:
He was Enthusiastic (vs 17)
He was humble (vs.17)
He had courage (vs 17)
He showed discernment (vs 17)
He was spiritually aware (vs 17)
He was moral (vs 20)
He was religious (vs 19-20)
(B). The Mans failure:
He loved his possessions & riches (vs 21)
He was unwilling to renounce them (vs 22)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
(a).
• If I asked you who was the first man in space?
• Most of you know that it was the Russian Yuri Gagarin.
• But who was the second man in space? Most of us do not know! (American John Glenn)
(b).
• If I asked you who was the first man to walk on the moon?
• Most of you know that it was Neil Armstrong.
• But who was the second man on the moon? Most people don’t know! (Buzz Aldrin)
(c).
• If I asked you who was the first man to run the mile in under 4 minutes?
• Most of you know that it was Roger Bannister.
• But who was the second man to run the mile in under 4 minutes? (John Landy)
(d).
• If I asked you who were the first men to conquer Mount Everest?
• Most of you know that it was Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay,
• But who did it after them? Your guess is as good as mine!
Most of know who did ‘a thing’ first, because there is something about being first!
• ill: Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon;
• On the 26th July 1967.
• In total only 12 people have ever walked on the moon;
• The last person was on, Apollo 17, in December 1972.
• His name was Harrison Schmitt but most of us have never heard of him!
• We know the first bit, but most of us don’t know or have no interest in the last one;
• There is something about being first!
In our passage this morning:
• Jesus once again turns human understanding and insight around,
• In verse 31 he answers a remark that Peter the disciple fired at him,
• Peter tells Jesus that he and the other disciples have given up everything to follow Jesus;
• Jesus replies with the words: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
If I can paraphrase these words of Jesus:
“You have left everything Peter,
But remember you have not lost those things you have invested them!
Many who are the greatest now i.e. have the things of this world, money, houses, honour etc. will be least important in God’s kingdom,
and those who seem least important now will be the greatest in God’s kingdom.”
All this reaction from Peter comes out of an encounter Jesus had with a rich young ruler:
• We will look at this story in a moment;
• The rich young ruler was a man who appeared to have everything!
• Yet after his encounter with Jesus he walked away spiritually bankrupt;
• And not right with God.
Quote: Leon Morris:
“It was commonly held that riches were a sign of God’s blessing, so that the rich man had the best opportunity of the good things of the next world as of this…if the rich with all their advantages can scarcely be saved, what hope is therefore others?
Jesus makes it clear that there is none. But what man cannot do God can. Salvation, for rich or poor is always a miracle of divine grace. It is always a gift”.
• So Peter the disciple looks at this man and panics and he says out loud;
• “If this man with all his advantages in this life cannot be saved;
• What hope is there for the rest of us?”
Notice: it is out of this reaction Jesus is able to teach the disciples:
• That entrance into the kingdom of God (knowing God);
• Discovering ‘eternal life’ (life in all its fullness);
• Does not happen by human logic and understanding;
• But is a gift, a blessing God gives to those who trust him and put him first!
Now let’s look at the encounter:
• Let’s find out why Peter and the others were impressed by this individual;
• And why they felt he was a certainty for the kingdom of God.
• And why they were shocked when he walked away – still not right with God!
(A). The Mans qualities.
(1). He was Enthusiastic (vs 17)
“As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him.”
Ill:
• Friday night at the ‘Boomerang’ fun night on Friday;
• I was trying to make conversation with a man,
• He was one of the parents of kids who came each day to the holiday club.
• To be honest it was hard work, once we had said, “Hi”, we soon ran out of conversation!
• Then his other child, a little boy came along with a toy golf club in his hand.
• All of a sudden the conversation related to golf;
• And this man just came alive with enthusiasm.
• I asked him whereabouts he played,
• His reply was “Anywhere, anytime!”
• Transition: I had discovered the man’s passion for the sport of golf;
• And his enthusiasm in talking about it naturally overflowed!
Ill:
• Not a lot of people know this
• But our English word ‘Enthusiasm’ actually comes from two Greek words.
• ‘Eufousiasmz’ (EN +THEOS) meaning "inspired by or possessed by God".
Sadly too many people in the United Kingdom:
• Get inspired about anything and everything except God;
• Too often God is an optional extra that they have decided they do not need.
• Notice: This man came running to Jesus.
• He had apparently made up his mind as to who Jesus claimed to be;
• And he enthusiastic, inspired to find out more;
• For him Jesus was somebody he could not afford to be without!
(2). He was HUMBLE (vs.17).
“As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down,”
• He knelt before Jesus.
• This man knew that Jesus commanded respect.
• Note: Just think for a moment about the difference in social station and dress;
• Between him and Jesus.
• Here the rich and the powerful knelt before the poor and lowly.
• Note: Luke in his gospel (18:18) tells us that the man was a “Ruler”.
• Whatever that means, the man was influential and well respected in society!
• Here was a ‘ruler’ willing to fall at the feet of a carpenter’s son.
Ill:
• The Church of the Nativity;
• Maybe one of the most famous Church buildings in the world.
• It is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world today.
• When you visit the Church of the Nativity;
• To enter the cave where ‘they tell you’ Jesus was born.
• You have to through not just the main door but also through the ‘Door of Humility’;
• This door was actually built by the Turks.
• And they deliberately built the door very low (it only goes up to about my chest);
• This was done to prevent locals from rushing in on their horses.
• The low door forced them to dismount before entering.
• They may have originally done it unintentionally,
• But today it makes a great statement to all who enter.
• Only the humble are allowed to enter – everyone who comes must bow to enter.
This young rich ruler realised
• That he was in the presence of someone much greater than himself:
• And so he bowed, he humbled himself.
• There is a good lesson for us to learn from this (James chapter 4 verse 6):
• “God resists the proud, but shows favour/grace to the humble”.
(3). He had COURAGE (vs 17)
“As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down,”
• He ran when no one else ran.
• It is easy to run with the crowd, it is harder to run alone.
• Very few of us want to be seen as different, the odd-bod.
• He knelt when no one else knelt.
• Once again he is prepared to go against the flow of the crowd.
Notice he was a man alone.
• There appears to be nobody else in his social circle enquiring of Jesus.
• Here was a rich ruler wanting to join a group of poor fishermen.
• It took courage to come to Jesus that day;
• And it will take courage for you to come to Jesus today.
Quote:
“The easy roads are crowded
And the level roads are jammed;
The pleasant little rivers
With the drifting folk are crammed.
But off yonder where it’s rocky,
Where you get a better view,
You will find the ranks are thinning
And the travellers are few”.
• Quote:
• “Any old dead fish can float down stream, but it takes a live fish to float upstream”.
(4). He showed DISCERNMENT (vs 17).
“As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?"
• He called Jesus "Good Teacher".
• He saw qualities in Jesus what many failed to see.
Notice:
• Jesus threw the compliment back towards the man;
• “Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No-one is good - except God alone”.
• Of course Jesus was both ‘good’ and also a ‘teacher’.
• Question: So why does he pull the man up about the language he is using?
• Answer: I think Jesus is asking the man to think about the words he is saying:
• Jesus is establishing the infinite standard that this man must achieve;
• If he wants to discover the living God.
• Remember that compared to all those around him;
• This man was a very ‘good’ man himself;
• So by stopping him here at this point in the conversation;
• Jesus is able to remind the man of a higher standard needed for discovering God.
Ill:
God’s standards and our standards so often differ.
• I like the story of the infants school who had been studying the 10 commandments;
• The teacher then gave then the project to write down their own 10 laws.
• One little child wrote.
• Number one: no killing.
• Number 2: no stealing.
• Number 3: no running in the corridor!
• Our values and standards all vary;
• But God’s standards and values remain the same!
• So Jesus is able to remind this man;
• Of a higher standard needed for discovering God.
• He might be impressive before other men;
• But before God he was another human being who needed forgiveness!
(5). He had SPIRITUALITY (vs 17)
He asked, "Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?"
• "What can I do to have eternal life?"
• He came with a solemn, urgent, vital, spiritual question.
• He had a concern for spiritual things.
Note:
• That expression ‘eternal life’ has a double meaning:
• It means both quantity of years but also quality of years.
• Quantity: It refers to life everlasting;
• Life beyond the grave, life after death.
• Here is a man concerned about his eternal soul.
• Quality: it refers to getting the most out of life here and now.
• Quote: “Not just pie in the sky when you die, but steak on your plate while you wait!”
• He was rich but he wanted the things that money cannot buy!
(6). He was MORALLY CLEAN (vs 20)
“The man answered,
"Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."
• Here is a morally clean young man with power and authority.
• There are no bad habits to stain him.
• There is no shady past that will catch up with him and embarrass him;
• We might say; “No skeletons in this man’s cupboard!”
• ill: This young man would make a good citizen and fine neighbour.
• ill: He is the type of man a city council would want for their mayor.
• ill: Many a mother would like to see her daughter marry a man like this.
• ill: Many a church would put this man into church leadership.
• He was good in comparison with other men and women;
• But as Jesus has already pointed out to him - ‘only God is good!’
• And on God’s scale of ‘goodness’,
• This man is extremely flawed!
• He may be the best of men, but the best of men are still men at their best.
• And no-one is ‘good’ (perfect) except for God!
(7). He was RELIGIOUS (vs 19-20)
• You can bet that this man prayed and visited the synagogue on a regular basis;
• You can bet he fasted, tithed and was devoutly religious.
• But religion alone is never enough to save a man or a woman!
Ill:
Elizabeth Elliott:
• Elisabeth Elliot (maiden name Howard) was born December 21, 1926;
• She is a Christian author and speaker.
• Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956;
• While attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca Indians;
• (Now known as Huaorani) of eastern Ecuador.
• She later spent two years as a missionary to this very tribe;
• Working alongside those who had killed her husband.
• While living in the village she tells the story of how the tribe were so primitive;
• The lit their fires by rubbing two sticks together,
• They wore no clothes;
• Just a piece of string (not a G-string) around the waists.
• One day when alone with some of the women;
• Elizabeth Eliot asked the women; “Why do you wear that string around your waste?”
• She said they looked back at her shocked and said:
• “You don’t want us to go around naked do you!”
Transition:
• That string helped the natives to feel clothed;
• But you and I know that it did absolutely nothing to cover up their bodies.
• I think religion is very similar;
• It makes a person feel they are doing something ‘acceptable’ before God,
• It eases their conscience.
• But all the time it fails to cover up and is unable to forgive their sins
(B). The Mans failure.
(1). He loved his riches (vs 21).
“Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, he said. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me”.
• Question: How many commandments are there?
• Answer: Ten
• Question: How many commandments are quoted in verse 19:
• Answer: five
The ten commandments are divided into two parts:
• Commandments 1 to 4 are upward (vertical).
• Respect for God.
• Commandments 5 to 10 are across-wards (horizontal);
• They deal with respect for other people.
• Jesus did not start with commandments 1 to 4;
• Because the rich young man had broken it again and again and again!.
• There was an idol in his life that he loved more than God but he was unaware of it.
• So in verse 22-23 Jesus touched the gilded idol of his life: possessions!
Note: verse 22:
“At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth”.
• “The man’s face fell”.
• The man has been stirred out of his dreamy delusion of goodness;
• And awakened to the glaring reality of his sin.
(2). He was unwilling to renounce (vs 22).
“At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth”.
• Those words are tragic – “He went away sad!”
• I believe anyone who walks away from Jesus always walks away sad!
• And in my ministry I have seen it happen again and again and again!
• Question: Is there something holding you back this morning?
• Answer: Let it go – don’t walk away sad today!
• Question: Did you notice verse 22B:
• In that verse Jesus ran after the man and said;
• “Look if that’s too hard or too much – how about 50% or 25% or ?”
• Well verse 22B is not there; Jesus let him go;
• Notice that even though we read in verse 21: “Jesus looked at him and loved him”
• Remember he still let him go!
• Jesus will not force himself on anyone – we must choose!
Quote: William James
“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice”.
