The Man Who Had Everything But The Main Thing

THE MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING BUT THE MAIN THING

Mark 10:17-22

INTRO: If we could have walked down the pathway of life with Jesus, we would have had many thrilling experiences and would have seen many wonderful things. Let’s walk with Him on a certain day. As we walk along, we see a young man dressed in very rich apparel running up to Jesus. He kneels down before the Savior and says, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Now Jesus looked deep down into the soul of that young man and saw what the world couldn’t see. The world saw him as rich and young and powerful. But Jesus saw a great hunger in his heart. The young man had so much but he was not satisfied. He longed for joy and peace that the world could not give him.

The world is full of such people, some are rich and some are not. They are running all over the world, seeking some new thrill. They indulge in all that the world has to offer them, but they are never satisfied. Deep down on the inside there is an aching void and the pleasures of sin and the world soon lose their enthusiasm for them, leaving them empty and hungry. All because they are looking for satisfaction in the wrong place.

I. WHAT DID THE YOUNG MAN HAVE?

1. He Had Wealth. Many people think that money is everything. They say, “If I only had money, I would be truly happy.” But some people who have money have been absolutely miserable.

ILLUS: Some years ago a preacher told of working alongside another young man for a dollar a day. The other man became a millionaire. The preacher remained poor. Twenty-five years later they met again. The millionaire said that the responsibilities and burdens of his great wealth far outweighed the joy and happiness it brought.

The Bible does not condemn money, just the love of it. Money can do many wonderful things for God and man, if it is made honestly and used rightly.

2. He Had Morality. He could say, “I have lived a clean life all of my days.” It is fine if you can say that, but your morality, your personal goodness, will not save you.

This young man would have made a good neighbor and a fine citizen. The good people would say, “Let’s elect him as our mayor.” If a woman had a marriageable daughter, she would have said, “I hope she can marry a man like that.” If he had been a member of one of our churches we would have said, “He would serve well as the chairman of our deacons.” But human goodness without Christ is not true goodness.

So how can we say that any man is a good man who lives a good life and is good to everybody, if that man rejects and tramples under foot the Savior? He is guilty of committing the greatest sin. A man who rejects Christ is not a good man.

3. He Had Youth. Oh, what a premium we put on youth today! A church doesn’t want to call a man over forty, and the world of business demands men who are young and vigorous.

The time to come to Christ is when you are young. Statistics say that of all the unsaved people in America between 25 and 35, we are told that only 1 in 5,000 will ever be saved. Of all the unsaved people in America between 35 and 45, only 1 in 25,000 will ever be saved. Of all the unsaved people in America between 45 and 55, only 1 in 80,000 will ever be saved. Above 55 only 1 in 150,000.

4. He Had Social Rank. Oh, what some of our people do to rise up in the social world! They’ll give up their service for the Lord, they’ll turn their backs upon the church, they’ll neglect their families, they’ll spend money they don’t have, just to gain some social recognition. The height of their ambition is to get their pictures in the paper or to be elected to some office.

5. He Had a Form of Religion. He fasted and tithed and went through all the forms of religion, but this did not satisfy his inner hunger. These things will leave you cold unless Christ is in your heart.

6. He Had a Right Spirit. He had the spirit of humility. He came and knelt before Jesus. That’s the manner in which a sinner must come to Jesus, not in his pride or self-righteousness.

7. He Came Seeking the Right Thing. Eternal life. You may search for wealth, for health, for an education or for many other things. But the most important search in life is the search for God and eternal life.