The Tragedy of Saying No to Christ
Sunday September 10, 2000
(Mat 19:16-22) And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? –
17. And 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.
-18. He 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,
-19. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
-20. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
-21. Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
-22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. The subject that we are going to consider today is: The Tragedy of saying no to Christ.
In this scripture text we look at our first example of one that said no to Christ.
The result of which says that he went away sorrowful.
God has created you with a need for God.
This need is built within you and you will not be very happy and peaceful without God within you.
God knows that you need Him, sometimes it takes a little longer for us to realize it.
We know that we have a need for something more than we are getting out of life, but we don’t always know what it is that we are looking for.
Like the young man in our text, you can recognize that you lack something when Christ is absent from your life.
You may not understand it and you may try to substitute something else in its’ place, but you will not get the satisfaction that your mind needs with anything but God.
Now there are a number of reasons that people say no to Christ and we will consider some of them today and the fallacy of rejecting Christ.
The ultimate in peace, contentment, and satisfaction in this life is to have Christ living within you as your Lord, your friend, your protector, your guide, your counselor, and your rock
This is the reason that Jesus came into the world, spent his years in demonstrating the power of God, preaching the Gospel, and giving His life on the cross of Calvary.
His prayer for you was that you would say yes to Him and invite Him into your heart and life.
A lot of people never realize that Jesus Christ want the very best for all of us.
He wants us to have everything that heaven has to offer!
It seams to be a real hard thing for people to realize the love that our Father in Heaven has for us!
Now as we go on, let’s turn in our bibles to,
(John 17:20-24) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
-21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
-22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
-23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
-24. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Yes, Jesus prayed for you.
You see, Jesus was thinking about you and I before we were ever born.
He prayed for you to be one with Him and the Father.
What is required of you to be one with Him?
This was the question of the young man in our text - what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
When you are not satisfied with your experience, you will naturally question it in a similar manner.
When you are living with Christ as your Lord, you will have the peace and joy of a Christian and you will know that you have eternal life.
And when you don’t have it, you will know that also.
As the young man asked what he needed to do to have eternal life, you may also ask what is it that you must do to have eternal life.
We could agree that the Lord’s reply was standard. Keep the commandments.
And the young man’s next question is very much like the human that we are, Which?
Does it really make a difference which commandments we obey?
Doesn’t God expect us to keep all of them?
Well Jesus recited a few of the ten commandments ending with, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
And the young man spoke up saying that he had kept all of these commandments from his youth up and yet there was a problem.
What lack I yet?
I think that a lot of people today are much like this young man.
They live fairly good moral lives.
They keep the commandments.
At least they keep them in their own way and they are not criminals.
And yet they are missing something within themselves and they do not feel that settled satisfying peace of God flowing through them.
They recognize that they lack something and it is hard to figure out what for they are good people.
Well Jesus knew what the problem was with this young man and He knows what the problem is with you that also lack this inner assurance.
With this young man it was his possessions.
I guess he had quite a collection of stuff and his stuff was more important than the peace of God.
For when he was instructed to sell off some of it and share with the poor, we are told that he went away sorrowful.
What a sad ending to any story.
He went away sorrowful.
He had come to the giver of life, asked the requirements of life, said no to the instructions and went away sorrowful.
We know no more of this young man.
He is never mentioned again in the Bible.
We can only assume that he went on through his life sorrowful missing the peace and joy that he could of had.
You would think that by this time, he should have known that peace, contentment, and joy were not to be found in the possession of stuff.
After all he had lots of stuff and knew that he lacked something.
And yet he so loved his stuff that he clung to it rather that cling to Jesus Christ the Lord.
That is a sure fire way to be sorrowful.
We have thousands of cases down through the ages of time that remind us again and again that peace, contentment, and joy do not come to us through possessions.
Jesus went on after this young man left discussing with His disciples the great snare that riches (possessions, stuff, money) is for many.
You see that word stuff covers a lot of territory!
Habits, drinking, smoking, drugs, and the list gos on and on!
Now as we read on let’s turn to,
(Mat 19:23-26) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
It is clear from Jesus’ words that the desire to be rich is a great snare to many.
Insomuch that our Lord’s words are, a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Now you have to break this scripture down and digest it a little.
There is a difference in what Jesus is saying, and the way a lot of people are taking it.
You see there are a lot of real children of god that are rich, and there are a lot of people that call themselves children of god that are rich also, but they will never make it to heaven!
Explain!!! What you are trying to bring out!!!!
Remember that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
So you can understand that what Jesus is telling us is that those that love their wealth will not be able to enjoy the peace, contentment, and joy of a close relationship with the Lord.
This point is emphasized many places in the Bible and we will not take the time to go into it any more today.
But, you can study it out on your own by following the Bible references on riches, wealth, and money.
If you are snared by this desire to be rich, you will have a very difficult, almost impossible, time in entering into the kingdom of God.
How different our story would have ended if our young man would have gone away and followed the instructions that our Lord gave him.
No doubt we would have heard more form him in the future.
I can imagine that he would have returned rejoicing at the great peace and joy that he had found.
It is a wonderful sight to witness those that have given themselves over to the Lord’s direction in their lives.
The selfish nature fades away and they joy in being able to help others in their need.
If you are one that happens to have a lot of possessions, then you are one that has great opportunity to be blessed of God.
For when you sell your possessions and give to the poor, you will be blessed.
A lot of people get the blessings of God mixed up.
They think that because they are able to get things that they are being blessed when the truth of the matter is that getting things only gives you the opportunity to be blessed.
Once you get the things now you have a chance to use them to help those in need and that is when you get blessed.
I am very thankful for all of the things that my Lord has given to me.
I don’t consider these things mine.
I consider myself to be the steward over them.
They belong to my Lord and it is my responsibility to use them to help those in need.
When I encounter a person that has a need and I am able to give something toward satisfying that need, then I am blessed and I feel good through and through my being.
We happen to live in a world that is filled with needs.
People need the Lord.
There are those all around us every day that have great need.
Many do not need money, but they may need comfort, or encouragement, praise or a kind ear to listen to their troubles.
To have the health, time, and strength to give to the needy is to have the opportunity to be blessed.
Think back over this past week of the opportunities that you have had to give to the needy.
And what did you do?
If you are going to give a kind listening ear, then you may have to set aside the desires of your flesh to talk about your wants and pleasures.
The tragedy of saying no to Christ is to miss the righteousness, peace, and joy of life.
Today is the day to tune in to your Lord and listen to Him as He shows you the way to give to the poor and to the poor in spirit.
Let us look another example of one that said no to Christ.
(Acts 24:24-27) And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
26. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
27. But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
Here we see the Governor, Felix, so moved by Paul’s reasoning of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come that he trembled.
But, instead of accepting Christ as his Lord, Felix sent Paul away.
He kept Paul a prisoner and talked with him different times hoping to some way get money from Paul.
He had a great opportunity to receive Christ as his own personal Lord and Saviour and rejected the Lord.
Many today are like Felix.
They have had opportunity to hear about Righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come.
They have been stirred enough to tremble when they think of their need and yet instead of yielding to Christ, they go their way rejecting Christ.
Are you one of this group of people today?
You see as I have stood up here many times before and told you, no one knows how much longer they have to live!
No one know, when the second coming of Jesus Christ is going to come upon us!
Tell the story about Robin’s friend
Let us look at one more example of one that said no to Christ.
(Acts 26:1-29) Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2. I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3. Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5. Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13. At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17. Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20. But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23. That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
Agrippa said to Paul, almost persuaded, but, not moved enough to accept Christ.
He wanted to, but he thought that he would wait just a little longer.
The next time, the next time, people are always waiting for the next time.
But what if there never is a next time?
What if God says I’ve had enough, I am not going to take there life right now but I have had all of the game playing that I want to have with that person!
You know, that’s you second coming!
How sad.
How many will wake up in Hell, who had opportunity to accept Christ?
How many have been almost persuaded?
How about you that are listening today?
Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord?
Are you doing the things that He wants you to do?
Are you keeping the commandments from your heart?
Is there a lack within your life?
Do you have eternal life?
Are you enjoying the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Kingdom of God?
If not, why not take advantage of the opportunity today to yield to Jesus’ instructions so that you can have the peace that God has for you.
