INTRODUCTION:

1. Our story this evening is about a man referred to as the rich young ruler. The story of the rich young ruler is found in all three of the synoptic Gospels.
2. Luke 18:23 says, "he was very rich." Matthew 19:22 says, "he had great possessions."
3. Matthew 19:20 and 22 tell us he was a "young man."
4. Luke 18:18 refers to him simply as "a certain ruler."
5. This young man had many advantages – he was young, and he had his whole life ahead of him.
6. Young people, do not waste time. It is a terrible thing to waste food or to waste money, but to waste time is very foolish. Make your life count for God.
7. Another advantage he enjoyed was his great wealth. This rich young man was obviously a man of power and influence because he is called a "ruler" in Luke 18:18.
8. Whether he was a religious ruler or a civil ruler, the Bible does not say. He probably was a ruler in the local synagogue because it is unlikely that a Roman ruler would address Jesus as “Good Master” (18:18).
9. But a Jewish religious ruler would speak that way. John 3:1, 2 says, "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews,” and he said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God."
10. But despite all of the great advantages that this rich young ruler enjoyed, he walked away “very sorrowful” (18:23, 24). Oftentimes rich people are very sorrowful, as we were reminded regularly by the news reports (failed marriages, broken homes, suicides, etc.).

1. ETERNAL LIFE SOUGHT
2. ETERNAL LIFE OFFERED
3. ETERNAL LIFE JEOPARDIZED

 

I. ETERNAL LIFE SOUGHT

1. The rich young ruler was evidently a sincere man, who asked a sincere question (Luke 18:18). W.H. Griffith Thomas says his question indicated true earnestness and self-dissatisfaction.
2. This young man had given serious thought to the great issues of life. Unlike most people, he wasn't wrapped up in trivialities but with life's greatest question -- "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (18:18).
3. He was earnest and enthusiastic. Mark 10:17 says he came running, and knelt down before Jesus.
4. He was respectful, and addressed Jesus as "Good Master" (18:18). He was obviously an upright moral man, with a life above reproach (18:20, 21).
5. It is very sad but very true that many sincere, moral people go to hell when they die. People think they will go to heaven because they are "good," but Jesus said, "Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God" (18:19).
6. It is God alone who is really good in the absolute sense. Our Lord did not intend here to disclaim His deity, or to say anything about his own character.
7. One preacher explained our Lord's answer this way, "Either I am God, or I am not good – for God alone is good" (E. Schuyler English).
8. Our Lord was teaching this rich young ruler an important lesson.
9. It is all right to describe people as “good.” The Bible says Barnabas “was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith” (Acts 11:24).
10. What our Lord means here is no one is good, as God is good, but men and women are good in so far as they reflect the goodness of God.
11. By God's standard no one is good. The Bible says, "there is none that doeth good, no, not one…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:12, 23).
12. This rich young ruler wanted to know "what good thing" could he do, that he could have eternal life (Matthew 19:16). Here we see that this rich young ruler was mistaken in several ways.
13. First, he had the erroneous idea that eternal life can be attained by doing good deeds. Secondly, he thought he would be able to do enough good deeds to please God.
14. He should have known the Scripture, which says, "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
15. We remember that the Syrian general Naaman was wroth, and went away, when Elisha the prophet sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean” (II Kings 5:10, 11).
16. Then Naaman’s servants came near, and spake to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” (II Kings 5:13).
17. Then Naaman humbled himself and went down, “and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (II Kings 5:14).
18. Sinners, whether they are important leaders like Naaman and the rich young ruler, or whether they are unimportant and poor, all have one thing in common. They all need to be saved God’s way, not their way.
19. W.H. Griffith Thomas said, "Young, rich, influential, intellectual, earnest, moral – here was a man to be admired and envied, man of splendid promise, a fine example of what culture, education, and social standing can do. And yet he had a serious problem. This man was not satisfied" (Outline Studies in Matthew).
20. And because he was not satisfied, he came to Jesus with this serious question, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (18:18).
21. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). This is the most important question man ever asked.
22. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31).

 

II. ETERNAL LIFE OFFERED

1. Our Lord's words in Luke 18:20 should be understood as a test. Our Lord used the law in order to bring conviction of sin.
2. Spurgeon said, "The rugged way of works was set before him; not that he might attempt to win eternal life thereby, but that he might perceive his own shortcomings, and so feel his weakness as to look for salvation by some other method."
3. Our Lord was not telling this young man he could be saved by keeping the law, "for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16).
4. The apostle Paul said, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2:21).
5. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
6. In testing this rich young ruler, our Lord wanted him to see himself as a lost sinner before God. Mark 10:21 says, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him."
7. Our Lord was testing him because He loved him.
8. The law is like a mirror that shows us our imperfections and shortcomings. But the law cannot cleanse us or save us.
9. A mirror can show us we are dirty, but a mirror cannot clean us up.
10. Paul said, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24).
11. Our Lord used the ten commandments in order to test the rich young ruler (18:20). It is wise for soulwinners to do the same. A man cannot get saved until he first admits he is a lost sinner.
12. Oftentimes soulwinners rush down "the Romans Road," without realizing the sinner is impenitent or confused. The soulwinner will quote Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," and then move on quickly to his next stop on the Romans Road.
13. Consequently, there are many shallow conversions; and churches are filled with lost sinners who have never seen themselves as wicked sinners deserving of eternal damnation!
14. The rich young ruler said, "All these have I kept from my youth up" (18:21). It looked like he was going to fail the test!
15. Our Lord answered him, “Yet lackest thou one thing…” (18:22).
16. This "one thing" had several parts – "sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."
17. Eternal life comes to the man who surrenders all and comes to Christ. Our Lord said, "Come and follow me" (18:22b).
18. Absolute surrender is difficult for most people, especially those that are rich (18:24, 25).
19. Regarding our Lord's words in Luke 18:22, this is not the usual thing we would say to those seeking eternal life. But our Lord was able to look into the rich young ruler's heart.
20. And when He looked into his heart, He saw that the man's wealth had become a huge obstacle to salvation. This was an unusual conversation, but our Lord’s invitation applies to all, to the rich and the poor, to the young and the old – "Come, follow me" (18:22b).
21. In Matthew 19:21, Jesus said to 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. The word “perfect” means complete, with nothing lacking.

 

III. ETERNAL LIFE JEOPARDIZED (18:23)

1. Matthew 19:22 says, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
2. This is one of the saddest verses in Scripture – "he went away sorrowful” (cf. Luke 18:23).
3. Many years ago, W.H. Griffith Thomas traveled around preaching in different churches and Bible conferences.
4. Oftentimes, Griffith Thomas would preach from this text on Sunday morning – "he went away sorrowful."
5. Then he would say to his audience, "Come back tonight. I'll be preaching from Acts 8:39, ‘he went on his way rejoicing.'"
6. Over the years, I have seen both responses to the Gospel. Unfortunately, some do go away sorrowful. But thank God, some go on their way rejoicing.
7. The rich young ruler was last seen walking away from our Lord. Eternal life was sought. Eternal life was offered. But now eternal life was jeopardized – Mark 10:22 says, he "went away grieved: for he had great possessions."
8. Matthew 19:22 says, "he went away sorrowful."
9. Luke 18:23 says, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.”
10. Note the connection -- very sorrowful and very rich! He "went away grieved: for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:22).
11. Riches can be a great blessing, but they can also be a great curse. Abraham Lincoln said, "The rich man has gold in his palm, silver on his tongue, brass in his face, and iron in his heart!"
12. The rich young ruler’s money was not the problem. It was his love of money that was his problem.
13. The Bible says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (I Tim. 6:10).
14. This rich young ruler walked away from the Lord. He walked away from salvation. He walked away from heaven.
15. He walked away. Where did he go? Into the world? Back to his unsaved friends? Soon he would leave this world and stand before God.
16. He asked about receiving eternal life, but now he was walking away from it, because there are only two options – eternal life or eternal damnation!
17. The rich young ruler would not humble himself and walk with the Lord. That would mean losing his status as a rich ruler.
18. This was his test, and he failed. Others have failed similar tests – they were afraid of losing their career, or social status, or worldly friends, etc.
19. They will not give up their goals and ambitions and worldly friends, etc.
20. We are all faced with the same choice -- the right choice leads to heaven. The wrong choice leads to hell.
21. Some say they will not make a choice, but that is in itself a choice – and it is the wrong choice.

 

CONCLUSION:

1. Regarding our Lord's words in Luke 18:25, there is an old story which is based on tradition, that there was a gate in Jerusalem that was known as "the needle gate."
2. According to this old story, the gate which was so small that when a camel came to it, loaded down with the baggage, it was necessary for those who owned the camel to take the baggage off of the camel, and put the baggage on the side in order for the camel to get through, and the camel was supposed to have had to kneel in order to get through this gate.
3. It's a nice story but unfortunately it doesn’t have any basis in history. No such gate existed in Jesus’ day, and no such gate exists today.
4. One preacher said the story is so ridiculous that camels all over the world laugh when they hear people tell the story.
5. I suspect some rich man started this story because he wanted to come up with a "loophole."
6. It is likely that the literal interpretation of this passage sent rich people looking for an alternate interpretation.
7. Our Lord did not say it was impossible for a rich man to get into heaven. He said it was hard (18:24).
8. Furthermore, He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (18:26, 27).
9. Whether you are rich or poor, or like most Americans -- "middle class" -- the key is surrender. Give up whatever is keeping you from getting right with God.