Almost! - (The story of a man who almost had it all)
Mark 10:17-22
I read a story about a 62 year old man named William Hyatt. He was found in the Mojave Desert with his face and his hands buried in the sand seeking water. His car had broken down, and he had walked 22 miles through the Desert until he died. He crawled on his hands and feet the last 2 miles and he died in the sand. Just over the hill a ½ mile was the Saratoga Spring that could have saved him. He was almost there and yet he missed it. What a tragic situation!
The verses we have read here in Mark chapter 10 describe a situation that is even worse. We are told of a man who was on the verge of attaining eternal life and a home in Heaven but he made a choice that cost him eternally. His choice brought about some eternal consequences.
There are countless individuals throughout history and even today (possibly some here right now) who will make the same devastating choice. You have the opportunity for everlasting life and a home in Heaven... but are you willing to forsake the things of this world and trust Jesus as your Savior? If not, you will find yourself in the same situation as this young man. I want to look at his story and perhaps you can learn from his error.
As we examine this man's choice I would like to preach on the thought "Almost!". The first thing that I would like to consider is that:
I. This Man Lived A Remarkable Life - v17 ¶And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
This young man seemed to have a lot going for him. In fact, he possessed many of the things that others seek to attain in this life. Through the scriptures we are given some insight into the life and character of this man who is often referred to as "The Rich Young Ruler". The first thing that we are told about his remarkable life is that:
A. He Was Young - Matthew's account of this story tells us that this man was young. He had his whole life ahead of him.
Solomon encouraged men to turn to the Lord in their youth. - Ecclesiastes 12:1 1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”
I know many people who turned to the Lord late in life and would give anything if they could go back and live all of their days for their Savior. This young ruler had the opportunity to spend the rest of his days serving the Lord. Not only are we told that he was young, we also see that:
B. He Was Successful - In Luke 18:18 this man was described as a "ruler". It is believed that he was a leader in the synagogue. Being described as a ruler tells us that this man was one of influence and power. Scripture also tells us that:
C. He Was Wealthy - Here in Mark we see that this young man "had great possessions".
Some people have the mistaken idea that it is sinful to have lots of money and many possessions. That is not necessarily the case. The Bible does not say that "money is the root of all kinds of evil". It says that "the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil". (1 Timothy 6:10) You having money isn’t evil, but when the money has you... there is a problem!
This man didn't just have power, possessions and prestige.... it seems that he was a decent human being. Notice that:
D. He Lived A Moral Life - He boldly proclaimed to Jesus that he kept all of the commandments. This man looks Jesus in the eye and says "I honor my Father and Mother", "I do not commit adultery", "I do not kill", "I do not steal", "I do not bear false witness", "I do not defraud others". Jesus knew all there was to know about this man and if you will notice, Jesus did not rebuke him when he made these statements.
Here is a man who lived a moral life. He was what we would call a "good guy". But he is about to find out (and you will too) that our idea of good and God's is not the same! Not only was this man a good moral individual, he was a religious man.
E. He Was A Religious Person - As mentioned earlier he was likely a ruler of a synagogue. This would mean that he had the respect of his peers. Though he was rich, he was not like the publicans. He did not earn his money in an immoral way or cheat people to get it. By his own testimony he was motivated to observe the Law and God's commands.
From the outside looking in it seemed that this man had it all, but deep inside he knew that something was missing. It seems that God revealed to this man that did not possess what he needed. With all he had, he lacked salvation, eternal life, the hope of heaven. People thought he had it all, yet he still longed for more.
You may be in a similar situation. You may not be rich with many possessions but you have what we would call a good life. You have a home, a car, clothes on your back and food on the table. Not only do you possess the necessities of this life, you are one who lives a good moral life. You don't lie, cheat, steal or kill. You treat your neighbor as you want to be treated. Maybe you spend your time doing good deeds and helping others. By all accounts you are what most would call a "good person". The problem is the fact that being good according to man's standards is not good enough.
God declares that none is good. In fact Jesus told this rich young ruler that "there is none good but one, that is, God." - According to God, at best, our righteousness is as a filthy rag apart from Christ.
Let's take it a step further, perhaps you describe yourself a "religious" person. You attend church. You spend time in prayer. Perhaps you have even been baptized and joined a church. Even with all of this, there is something missing in your life. Deep inside there is a longing for something more. This is because religion is not enough, you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Your works, religious rituals and good deeds are not enough to guarantee you eternal life. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This young ruler had to address this problem in his own life. Notice how he approached Jesus in - v17 (he went to Jesus) "running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
When he bowed before Jesus, He did not turn this man away. He began a discourse with Him and told him exactly how he could receive eternal life. So not only did This Man Live A Remarkable Life, we also see that:
II. This Man Had A Wonderful Opportunity - v21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Picture this if you will... This dignified, respected ruler runs to Jesus. The fact that he is running shows that he sensed the urgency of the situation. There were many poor beggars who bowed before Jesus in the Gospels. No one thought anything about a poor person in tattered, dirty clothes bowing before the Savior. But imagine the crowd as they saw a man who was clean, perfectly groomed and clothed in a fine robe, bows in the dirt on this roadside to seek eternal life.
Now we arrive at the most important and beautiful portion of this passage. As this man humbly bows before Jesus, Mark says "Jesus beholding him, loved him". How much did Jesus love this man? He loved Him enough to offer him an opportunity to receive eternal life. Dear friend, That is exactly how much He loves you!
Jesus began to give this man the information that he needed to be saved .Do you realize that is what He is doing for you right now? It is no accident that you are here. Like this young ruler, you too have a wonderful opportunity to receive Salvation! That is the very reason that Jesus left the glories of Heaven and came to this Earth. He knew that there was no way for you to be "good enough". Without Him we had no hope of Salvation and eternal life.
The Bible tells us that "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" - (Romans 3:23) - Scripture also says that "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
We were guilty and condemned... and there was nothing we could do to change that fact. But God in His mercy made a way for us to escape the due punishment and through His Grace He has supplied us with the wonderful opportunity of eternal life. - Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What a wonderful opportunity we have been given. This young ruler had the opportunity to attain salvation and eternal life... and so do you. This passage tells us of a man who lived a remarkable life, he was a man who had a wonderful opportunity. He almost had it all but in the end he lost, and he lost eternally. This brings us to last thing I would like to see about this man. Notice:
III. This Man Made A Devastating Choice - v22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
After this man inquired as to how to attain eternal life, Jesus told him exactly how it was possible. He told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, take up his cross and follow Him. Jesus was not saying that this man could earn salvation. He was not implying that he could purchase eternal life. Jesus is simply addressing the heart of this man’s problem. He loved his money more that he wanted God in his life.
If you aren’t willing to turn your back on everything for Jesus, then you cannot be saved. Matthew 16:24 ¶Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
After hearing what Jesus had to say, this rich young ruler had a choice to make. He could let go of the temporal and gain the eternal. He could turn to the Savior and reserve treasures in Heaven. Or hold on to the things of this world and reject the wonderful opportunity to receive eternal life. I must report to you that he made a devastating choice.
Filled with sorrow this man walked away from Jesus. He ALMOST had a personal relationship with Jesus. He ALMOST had riches that would last for eternity. He ALMOST attained peace, joy and fulfillment that this world could not provide. He was ALMOST saved! He ALMOST received that eternal life that he desired. He was ALMOST delivered from his sins. He was ALMOST rescued from Hell. He ALMOST gained a home in Heaven.
Sadly, this man chose to keep his material goods and reject the Savior. Jesus did not turn this man away, this man turned away from Jesus! He Lived A Remarkable Life, he Had A Wonderful Opportunity but He Made A Devastating Choice. And the choice he made will impact him throughout eternity.
Many others have made the same devastating choice. Will you learn from this man's error, will you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus? Or will you allow the things of this life to hinder your from attaining salvation through Christ? You may live a remarkable life. You have a wonderful opportunity to receive salvation through Christ. Will you make the choice to surrender to Him, or will you make a devastating choice that will impact you through eternity.
You may be a good moral person. You may even be religious but if you are not born again you will stand before Him and just as you turn away from Him now, He will turn away from you then!
Jesus says in - Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
What a tragic situation, but the good news is... it can be avoided if you will turn to Jesus while there is time. Let me urge you... do not delay! This could be your last opportunity to be saved!
D.L. Moody, by his own admission, made a mistake on Oct. 8, 1871.It was a mistake he determined never to repeat. He had been preaching in the city of Chicago. That particular night drew his largest audience yet. His message was 'What will you do then with Jesus who is called the Christ?'. By the end of the service, he was tired. He concluded his message, and once again presented the true Gospel with a concluding statement; 'NOW I GIVE YOU A WEEK TO THINK THAT OVER … AND WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AGAIN, YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.' A soloist began to sing. But before the final note, the music was drowned out by clanging bells and wailing sirens screaming through the streets. The Great Chicago fire was blazing. In the ashen aftermath, hun-dreds were dead and over a hundred thousand were homeless. Without a doubt, some who heard Moody's message had died in the fire. He reflected remorsefully that he would have given his right arm before he would ever give an audience another week to think over the message of the Gospel.
There is no guarantee that you will have another chance to respond to the wonderful opportunity that Jesus is offering you right now. If you die without Jesus you will find yourself in Hell. You will suffer unending torments. You will forever be separated from God. There will be no relief and no escape. One of the worst things you will have to deal with is the fact that you had a wonderful opportunity to be rescued form that fate and you rejected Jesus. Almost does not have to be a reality for you. You can be saved and live this life with full assurance of your salvation. If you will simply surrender your all to Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins and trust Him as your Savior.
God's Word tells us how we can receive the greatest victory of all. This is found in - Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If you will do that... you will not have to spend eternity saying ...ALMOST!
