Don't Let Anything Keep You Away from Jesus Christ!
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 19:16-26
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared November 7, 2022)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 19:16. Remember that by this time, Jesus was only about 3 months away from dying on the cross for our sins. Today's Scripture tells us about a rich, young ruler who made the worst decision anybody can ever make in life. He rejected our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He chose not to follow Jesus. And as we look into his story, God's Word will show us why everyone should put their trust in Jesus. Please think about your choice as we read Matthew 19:16-26.
MESSAGE:
*What matters most in life? A lot of people think it's money, but Callie Rogers proved that's not true. In 2003, Callie was only 16 years old when she won $3 million from a lottery in England. Callie felt like she was on top of the world, but 6 years later, Callie only had $32,000 left. And she said, "Winning the lottery has ruined my life."
*Callie had spent her money on things like designer clothes, cocaine, and plastic surgery. And she said, "In the past 6 years I've sunk into a black hole, a black hole that at one point I thought I could never crawl out of." (1)
*What matters most in life? It's not money or pleasure or work or fame. Life's greatest priority is choosing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! There isn't even a close second, so don't let anything keep you away from Jesus Christ.
1. CHOOSE JESUS, FIRST, BECAUSE HE HAS GOD'S PERFECT GOODNESS.
*The Lord points us to His perfection in vs. 16-17: "Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?'' So (Jesus) said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. . ."
*A lot of Christ-rejecting people are willing to call Jesus good. But here the Lord closed that door, because "no one is good but One, that is, God." So, the only proper way to call Jesus good is to also call Him God. Yes, Jesus is a man, but He is also fully God, one with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. And because Jesus is God, He is perfection personified. Jesus never sinned even once in thought, word, or deed. Amazing truth!
*Our world overflows with corruption. We can see it all around us, and much of it is too horrible to mention. We see it all around us, and if we are honest with ourselves, we can also see evil in our own hearts. That's why in Romans 7:18 the Apostle Paul said, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells. . ."
*Everybody but Jesus Christ was born with a sinful nature, and it's in us, even of we don't realize it. That's why in Psalm 19:12-14 David prayed, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
*There is corruption all around us, and in us too, but Jesus Christ is perfection personified. That's why Hebrews 4:15 says this to all Christians: "We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." And 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: "For He (i.e. God the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
*Yes, Jesus had a mortal, human body like us, but He is, and always has been the Lord God Almighty. That's why Paul made this mind-boggling statement in Colossians 2:8-9. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
*And God cannot sin. Listen to some evidence from His Word:
-2 Timothy 2:13 says: "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself."
-Titus 1:1-2 says: "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which is according to godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began."
-And James 1:13 says "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone."
*That's why in John 8:29, Jesus could say this about Himself and His Heavenly Father: "He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." The Lord Jesus is perfectly good, and because He is perfect, Jesus has the answers to life's greatest questions. At least the rich young ruler got that part right: He took his questions to Jesus. -- And so should we.
*When you are troubled by life's greatest questions, take them to the Lord. And choose Jesus, because He has God's perfect goodness.
2. ALSO CHOOSE JESUS, BECAUSE HE LOOKS AT US WITH LOVE.
*Because He is God, Jesus Christ can clearly see into the deepest parts of our hearts. He has the perfect picture of our flaws, but the Lord loves us anyway!
*Jesus can diagnose the sin sickness in every heart. And this is one of the things that the Lord did in vs. 17-21:
17. So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.''
18. He said to Him, "Which ones?'' Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'
19. 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'''
20. The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?''
21. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.''
*It's important to know that this was the only time Jesus told someone to give away all their possessions. Nicodemus was very rich, and Jesus did not tell him to give all of his money away. Joseph of Arimathea was also very rich, but again, Jesus did not tell him to give his money away.
*The problem with the rich young ruler was that he was making his money the ultimate priority in his life. He was trusting in his money more than he was willing to trust in God. Bill Bouknight explained, "Jesus was really saying to the rich young ruler: 'You are carrying a security blanket which you rely on more than God. You cannot serve both God and riches. God will not agree to be co-champion in your tournament of favorites. . ." Jesus was telling this rich young man to hand over his security blanket, and walk with the Lord by faith. (2)
*Now it would be easy for us to be hard on this young man. But in vs. 20, the young man asked, "What do I still lack?" And Mark 10:21 shows Jesus answering, "One thing you lack. . ."
*"One thing you lack." I read that, and I thought, "Wow. -- This young man was a better man than most." Could the Lord say that about us? -- "One thing you lack?" We need to be careful about judging the rich young ruler, or anybody else for that matter, because the fact is that all of us have some "lack".
*All of us have sinned many times and have fallen far short of the glory of God. But the wonderful good news of the Bible is that God loves us in spite of our lack. God loves us in spite of our faults and failures. Mark 10:21 makes this great truth clear, because it says, "Then Jesus, LOOKING AT HIM, LOVED HIM, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.'''
*Don't miss the beginning of that verse: "Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him." God loves the best Christian you have ever known. But He also loves the worst sinner you have ever known. We know this because in John 3:16 Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God so loved the world! That's why one of the most comforting truths in God's Word is found in Romans 5:6. There God tells us that "when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
*Christ died for the ungodly! Christ died for the worst of the worst: Murderers, thieves, drug addicts, and every other sin we could possibly think of. Christ died for the very people who are trying to lead our nation away from Him. Christ died for the people who are filled with hate for Christians like us.
*Christ died for the ungodly. He did that because "God so loved the world." And joy of joys, this means God loves you and me! That's great, because we needed God's merciful love as much as the worst sinner who has ever lived. We can only make it to Heaven because "God so loved the world." Aren't you glad today that God loves you?
*One preacher was talking to some children about the things that money can't buy. He said, "Money can't buy laughter, and it can't buy love." Then to drive his point home, the preacher asked, "What would you do if I offered you a thousand dollars to not love your mother and father?" Stunned silence followed, but finally a little voice asked, "How much would you give me to not love my big sister?" (3)
*Church: There is nothing anyone could ever do to take away God's love for you! So Joseph Wallis wisely said, "A sinner may go to hell unsaved. But he cannot go to hell unloved." (4)
*And in Romans 5:6-10, Paul said this to all Christians:
6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
*See how much God loves us! He loved us when we were without strength! He died for us when we were ungodly! He demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners! He reconciled us to God through the death of His Son when we were enemies!
*Whatever may happen in our lives, we've got a message from God that says, "I love you! And you can count on Me!" And because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead, He can love us forever. Choose Jesus, because He looks at us with love.
3. AND CHOOSE JESUS, BECAUSE FOLLOWING HIM IS WORTH ANY COST.
*Following Jesus Christ is worth any sacrifice that we might have to make in life. This is the crucial truth the rich young man missed in vs. 21-22:
21. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.''
22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
*Verse 22 is one of the saddest statements in Scripture. We can only hope that somehow, someday, this young man woke up, and turned his life over to the Lord. Nothing in this world could ever be more important than a relationship with Jesus Christ! Nothing else could ever take the Lord's place! And nothing should ever be more important in our lives than Jesus, but sadly, we do let other things get in the way.
*Cassie Bernall was one of the young Christians killed in the massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. In many ways Cassie was a typical teenager. Her favorite colors were yellow and blue. Her favorite animal: cats. Her hobbies were snowboarding, photography, rock climbing, backpacking, and camping. Her favorite foods were pizza, Chinese, and cheesecake. Her role models were her Dad, Jesus Christ, and her Pastor, Dave McPherson. Her goals and dreams were to become an Obstetrician and to attend Cambridge University in England.
*In many ways Cassie was a typical teenager, and she had gone through struggles with sin and rebellion. But God got hold of her life. Two days before her savage, unexpected death, Cassie wrote these words to signify her passion for God:
"Now I have given up on everything else. I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought Him back to life again. And to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. So, whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh Newness of life of those who are Alive from the dead." (5)
*Cassie Bernall had discovered the life-changing truth that following Jesus is worth any sacrifice we might have to make. Choose Jesus, because following Him is worth any cost.
4. AND CHOOSE JESUS BECAUSE ONLY HE CAN SAVE OUR SOULS.
*The Lord made this vital truth clear starting in vs. 23-24:
23. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24. And again I say to you, 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.''
*Right now we may be thinking, "Whew! Thank the Lord I'm not rich! But think about this: WorldData.info listed the average annual income in the United States at $70,430. But in Afghanistan it's only $500, and in Somalia it's only $450 per year. (6)
*Now listen to Jesus once more in vs. 24-26:
24. "And again I say to you, 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.''
25. When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, "Who then can be saved?''
26. But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.''
*We cannot save ourselves. That young man lacked one thing, and most people lack more. But all of us lack something. On top of that, this story reminds us that even the blessings of life can work against us. They can turn us away from God, as we cling to the gifts instead of the Giver.
*We cannot save ourselves! Can a camel go through the eye of a needle? Can a man turn back time? Can we undo the wrong things we have done? We cannot save ourselves, but Jesus Christ can, because all good things are possible with God. Jesus can save us because He died on the cross to take the full punishment for our sins, and 3 days later He rose again forever from the dead. Our Risen Savior can forgive all of our sins and give us His eternal life. Jesus can, and He will save anyone who will receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
*Think about what it means to be saved. Walter Wyatt knows. He normally flew from Nassau to Miami in 65 minutes. But one day a thief stole the navigation equipment from Walter's plane. And he tried to make the trip with nothing but a compass and a hand-held radio.
*That was a huge mistake, and Walter knew it after he flew into a storm. He put out a mayday call, and a Coast Guard search plane took off to lead him to an emergency landing strip. But Walter's plane ran out of gas before they could get to him.
*Walter survived the crash, but his plane quickly sank, leaving him floating in a leaky life vest. He floated on his back, with blood on his forehead, and suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. A shark had found him. Walter kicked the shark, and wondered if he would survive the night.
*By the grace of God, Walter managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours! In the morning, he saw no airplanes, but he did see a fin headed straight for him. He kept kicking as three sharks circled around him. Then Walter heard the hum of a plane. The pilot saw him and radioed a Coast Guard cutter that got there just in the nick of time. Walter kissed the deck when he got on board. He was saved!
*Think about it. Nothing else would do. Walter didn't need a lecture on his foolish mistake. He didn't need a new bathing suit. He didn't need swimming lessons. He needed to be saved! And he was saved! But how much more do people need to be saved from their sins. (7)
CONCLUSION:
*Can you imagine Walter waving the Coast Guard off, and facing the sharks alone? Never! But it is infinitely more dangerous for people to refuse the salvation we can have in Jesus.
*Don't reject your only hope of salvation. Don't let anything keep you away from Jesus Christ! Call on the Lord to save you now as we go back to God in prayer. And keep making Jesus the number one priority in your life.
(1) "World" - 9/26/2008 - page 18 - Source: "In Other Words" - September 2009 #3 - Produced by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
(2) Sermons.com sermon "Almost Is a Sad Word" by Bill Bouknight - Matt 19:16-30 - 2002
(3) Sources:
-SermonCentral sermon "Teach Your Children Well" by Jonathan Busch - Ephesians 6:1-4
-SermonCentral sermon "Psalm 107" by Dan Cormie - Psalm 107:1-32 - 05/07/2006
(4) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "John 3:16 - The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Joseph Wallis - John 3:16
(5) Sources:
-http://www.cassierenebernall.org/
-LifeWay Sermon "A Passion for God" by Alvin L. Reid - Acts 4:13
(6) WorldData.info - https://www.worlddata.info/average-income.php
(7) Sources:
-October 1987 Readers Digest - Source: David Holwick - TO US A SON IS GIVEN - Isaiah 9:1-7 - #1792
-SermonCentral illustration contributed by Mark Brunner
