The Rich Young Ruler

Notes from a sermon on Sunday 2 September 2012

Mark 10 verse 17 - 22

The Rich Young Ruler

A person of distinction. You see just like today many had no time for Jesus’ ministry. They did not want to hear and believe that he was from God and was God’s own son. Many stood outside, against it, particularly the religious leaders and rulers of the country. They wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Very few would have listened to him but rather condemned him. This young man was different. There are 3 actual accounts given of this story. He was a rich young ruler who came running to Jesus Christ. He had no doubt heard about him and he heard Jesus was in the district and so he ran to the Lord Jesus. He really wanted a conversation with him. He wanted to hear it for himself. Nicodemus was like that. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. Jesus told him “except a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He met the woman at the well and he told her the water she was drinking wouldn’t satisfy her but the water he gave would. Here is a young man running catching up with Jesus Christ. This was a man of distinction. Somehow he wants to hear about eternal life. You are a person of distinction. Listening to the gospel means you are a person of distinction. This young man didn’t worry about the others. He came running, he was energetic, he meant business with Jesus. He showed respect when he said “Good Master what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?”

A person of desire. He wanted to know how he can obtain eternal life. Maybe he heard about this before and now wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus had changed the lives of many people, raised people from the dead. Now this young ruler wanted to get to Jesus and he asked a very direct question. Perhaps over the past number of weeks or days you have heard about eternal life, you are interested but still you are not saved. Have you a desire to learn more about the things of God, to find faith in Christ? This man had come to the right place and he had to take that step if he was going to do anything about it. He has come to the one who is the way, the truth and the life. What can I do in my own self that I will be absolutely sure of eternal life? As there is eternal life so there is eternal death. You have a living soul, when your heart stops death takes you but your soul will live on. In Genesis God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul. You have a soul, something that you can call your own but it is also something that you can lose. “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” You can lose it for ever, to be eternally cut off from God, all hope of salvation is dead. To be cut off from God for ever, to receive punishment for ever in hell. You are either heading for eternal life if saved by God’s grace or eternal death in the place called hell. He wants to find the right way, comes to the right place. We cannot go to the wrong person if we want to find the truth. This man had a desire, he wanted eternal life. He is facing the Lord. He is healthy and strong because he ran to find Jesus. He wants to find eternal life, he is not satisfied with the life he has. Perhaps many times thought of getting saved, those thoughts have gone through your mind before. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for you know not what a day will bring forth.” Do you want that assurance of having eternal life? It is only faith in Christ that can save you. Nothing else can do it. You are in a really privileged position, hearing the gospel message.

A person of discipline. The Lord knows how to deal with everyone differently. Everyone is watching him to see what Jesus will do. You know the commandments he tells him, the rules of the Old Testament. Jesus knew this man had been brought up well. “All these have I obeyed from my youth” the young man replied. Maybe you have been brought up in the things of God, you know the commandments too. Maybe you have tried to do all the good you can in your life. What a future this man had. He was speaking truthfully, he knew the religious system, a person brought through the ranks yet no assurance of eternal life. Perhaps you read the word of God, say your prayers every night but yet you are not saved. There are so many in our churches today who seek to do good deeds but who are outside of the blood of Christ. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind and with all thy soul.” Here is the crunch – you have to follow me and every blockage must be left aside.

A person with a decision to make. You may have tried to keep the commandments, do all the good you can but are outside of Christ. Perhaps there is something you are putting before God. This young man had a decision to make. There was a barrier and the Lord knew all about it. The Lord told him to give up everything and then come and follow him. Perhaps there is one thing that is keeping you out of heaven? There may be friends or a problem that is keeping you outside of heaven. It can be a stumbling block. The young man wanted eternal life yet his riches, his position had a grip on him.

A person who was deceived. When God deals with a person, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit takes place. You cannot leave a situation like that and be happy. The young man went away sad. There is a line drawn and if you step over it you will be lost for ever. We never learn of this young man getting saved. One thing kept him out, he remained lost.

Almost persuaded

Notes from a sermon on Sunday 4 November 2012

Acts 26 verses 19 – 32

“Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”

If you were to read some of the commentators and bible scholars about this passage you might take the attitude of King Agrippa being sarcastic when he comes to the apostle Paul. This lonely is before him, brings the claims of the gospel to him, they would say this is a sarcastic answer to what Paul had to say. He is thinking to himself “the intellect I have do you think for one moment I would lay claims to such a message as this? Almost thou persuades me to be a Christian.” This is a man who was shaken to his very boots. He maybe in all sincerity he was saying “Almost thou persuades me to be a Christian, to trust in Christ who came to seek and saved the lost.” What does it mean to be almost persuaded? I am sure there are many in a lost eternity tonight who sat in gospel meetings and missions and heard the claims of Christ. They sat in all earnestness the appeal being made at the end, didn’t want to make any enquiries yet – almost persuadest but in a lost appeal. The faculty of their minds is working well, they can look back to a time when they sat in a meeting like this – almost persuaded but went out never to hear the claims of the gospel again, never saved. What an awful thing to be almost persuaded and yet to be in a lost eternity.

We need to be confronted with the gospel. In order to be confronted with the gospel Paul had to attire the chains of a lonely prisoner. Imagine how God used such a man, such an occasion. Here was a king coming to preside over his position. He takes the judgement seat and all are seated around him then Paul is brought in and he brought the gospel message to him. We need to be confronted with the gospel message to be saved. We need to hear it upon our lives what God intended for me. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” The claims of the gospel on you. Cornelius was in his own home when an angel appears to him. “Your prayers have been heard in the realms of heaven, you must send for Peter in Joppa, he will come and tell you words whereby you must be saved.” It is wonderful what God would do to bring a man to Christ. The Ethiopian eunuch was travelling back to his own land pondering the scriptures. He was reading from Isaiah 53 about a “lamb being led to the slaughter so he opened not his mouth.” He couldn’t understand it, all of a sudden just at the side of his chariot was Philip. God was moving in the heart of Philip to bring this man to a saving knowledge of Christ. Romans 10 verse 13 “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How do you get to that place where you can call on the Lord? Romans 10 “how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed and how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard?” We need to be confronted with the gospel. Firstly King Agrippa was confronted with the claims of the gospel and he was almost persuaded. In verse 20 Paul spoke to Agrippa about repentance. When you were born into the world you were like all other men, you were a sinner, you needed a Saviour. God in his mercy and love sent a Saviour on the cross, he died to be your Saviour. Have you ever been persuaded like Agrippa was? You need to be confronted with the claims of the gospel. In Genesis 19 and the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah their sin reached the very heavens above. God said “we are going down to investigate to see if it is true.” The angels came down and they realised everything was exactly as they had heard. Judgement was about to fall. They decided to save Lot and his wife and his children. As they spoke to them it says “they lingered”. Are you still enjoying your sin even though the claims of the gospel have been set forth for you? Have you realised you don’t know your sins forgiven, don’t have eternal life? You are lingering, you haven’t stepped out for God. The angels took hold of Lot’s hand and took them out of the city. Lot’s wife looked back and the moment she did that she was turned into a pillar of salt. She was almost persuaded but lost.

To be almost persuaded means we need to be convicted in our minds. To give it some intellectual thought. Consider the claims of the gospel in the mind, to be convinced you are almost a Christian. Paul turns to the scriptures and asks “do you believe the prophets” verse 27. He asks King Agrippa but it is not really a persuasive argument. Now you can sit down and go through the scriptures to show you need to be saved and how you can be saved and when we can be saved. Paul takes him back to the word of God. No persuasive argument but all based on the evidence of the word of God which brings light to our soul. “King Agrippa do you believe the word of God?” Paul asked. Do you believe God’s word that you will never be in heaven unless you are born again of the Spirit of God. Jesus sat before a religious man and said “except a man be born again he can in no wise enter into the kingdom of God.” “King Agrippa do you believe the prophets, I think that thou believest.” To be confronted is part of it. To be convinced of it is another part of it. Acts 17 Paul preaching to the religious people takes them to the word of God reminds the people of the God they have to deal with, the God who created the heavens and earth, the one who you need a relationship with, he has watched the ignorance for so long he commands every man every where to repent of their sin. Paul tells them of how Jesus died, how one day he rose again and will one day judge the earth, how one day we must stand before him. When Paul preached this message what happened? Some believed in the Lord as their personal Saviour. Some left and mocked Paul but another section walked away and said “we will hear again of this matter.” They were almost persuaded. You can be almost and not saved, almost convinced of truth in your mind but not saved. Almost saved is to be completely lost and lost for all eternity.

To be almost persuaded means confused of what to do. Agrippa thought he was doing the safe thing, taking the middle ground. “Paul” he said “you have set forth the word of God so clearly, plainly and I am almost persuaded.” On the other hand Agrippa was trying to keep in with his own crowd. Chapter 25 verse 24 and chapter 26 verse 30. Agrippa was sitting on the judgement seat, beside his was his partner and governor along with a great crowd. The crowd will keep you back from stepping out for Christ. Elijah in the Old Testament climbed Mount Carmel to face 500 prophets of Baal. Elijah knew the Children of Israel were not sure, they were standing with a leg in each camp, they were in the valley of decision, almost saved but halting. Perhaps you would love to be saved but you don’t know what reaction that will get tomorrow from your family or friends. “How long will ye halt between two opinions?”

To be almost persuaded is to be cheated out of a decision. Out of God’s presence for ever by the god of this world, the devil himself. He blinds your mind to the claims of the gospel. In the parable of the sower some seed fell on hard ground. It doesn’t get covered up, left on the top of the ground and the birds of the air fly down and pick it up. It is likened to someone hearing the word of God, it falls on your heart and you are not willing to act and respond to it. Just like the birds of the air the devil comes right into the gospel meeting and he takes it away. Paul is standing in his chains, he has been faithful to the God of heaven and brought the word of God to Agrippa. Festus stands up and says “much learning doth make thee mad.” He was causing a disturbance in the meeting. The god of this world wants to keep this man Agrippa in the darkness of his sin and damn his soul for ever. Maybe you are like King Agrippa, you are almost persuaded. You have been there before and again you are brought to that place of almost being persuaded. Almost will not suffice when you are called from this scene of time.

Do you love me?

Sermon notes from Sunday 4 November 2012

John 21 verses 1 – 17

“Lovest thou me?”

Jesus takes Peter to one side, away from the disciples and asked him “do you love me Peter? Do you really love me?” He was not asking him what he thinks of him. It is a direct question, a soul searching question. Someone has pointed out the interesting fact that the last time Peter was challenged was standing at a fire. The Lord came to meet with his disciples on this third occasion. The disciples were fishing in their boat when the Lord came walking by the seashore. He prepared a fire and make breakfast for when the returned. On the last occasion when challenged Peter had denied Christ 3 times now Christ comes at it in 3 different angles. If Jesus was standing in our midst today and came with this direct question “do you love me” how would we answer? I could reply “I preach for you” but the Lord would say “yes but do you love me?” You could reply “I go out on the doors and give out tracts” but the question would still me “do you love me?” If everything was stripped away today would we still love Jesus?

It is a probing question. It goes to the very core of Peter’s feelings, his heart. Peter was following the Lord and then comes this question “do you love me?” There was no way to hide. Previously when Peter was standing outside the Judgement Hall someone had said to him “here’s one of them”. Then another said “we saw him with you.” A third person said “even your very speech betrays you.” Three times Peter denied the Lord. Three times the Lord challenges him – “do you love me?” It was a probing question. This is what the Lord expects of us. He is God and he doesn’t need our love but he expects us to give it to him. The question is not “do you fear me” nor is it “do you adore me” or “do you admire me” but “do you love me?” Imagine the Lord opening that wound again for Peter. Sometimes the wound has to be probed just in case there is an infection that will spread throughout the whole body. It was in the wake of Peter’s past experience. It goes back to the Old Testament, all the prophets looked forward to the Messiah coming, even predicted his death, predicted that he would have to die for the sins of the world. Peter knew this. The Lord took the disciples aside and told them he must go to Jerusalem, betrayed into the arms of evil men, rejected by the nation, put on the cross and then die. When the events unfolded however they neglected all these scriptures. It pointed back to Peter’s carelessness. Peter became careless about his prayer time. When Jesus took them into the Garden of Gethsemane and began to pray to his Father in heaven, he went back to his disciples and found them asleep. He asked them “could you not even give me one hour to shoulder the burden with me?” What a challenge to us today – one hour to seek the Lord’s face with others of a similar mind! Peter was taken into the wrong company. He began to walk afar off. He had neglected the place of prayer, of reading God’s word and then we find him in the wrong company, opting to sit with the ungodly and listen to the ridicule of God. If we get careless about God’s word, if we get careless about prayer, if we get careless about the things of God the company we then keep doesn’t matter. Many can profess salvation and faith in Christ yet can sit under a dead ministry. Peter’s carelessness led him into the wrong company. We also see Peter’s cowardice. When he was challenged about the Lord all he could say was “I don’t know him.” He couldn’t find the bottle to stand up. Once we get careless and into the wrong company we soon forget about the Lord. We wouldn’t stand up for him, we wouldn’t speak out. This probing question came into the work of confrontation. When the cock crowed the third time Jesus simply looked at Peter and Peter wept. It came in light of commendation. When Jesus had risen from the dead the disciples were told to go into Galilee – “tell the disciples and Peter”. Peter was not forgotten about. What mercy and grace the Lord has. How many times has the Lord spoken to us about certain issues and we have turned our backs on him each time yet he comes time and again and reminds us of his great salvation. He shows us Jesus on the middle cross shedding his blood and given his life an atonement for us. The Holy Spirit challenges us each time but we reject him and say no. Time and again the Lord comes and shows us mercy and grace. Peter was not to be forgotten about. The word “lovest” in verses 15 and 16 is a special word. It is used 4 times here and comes from the Greek word “agape”. That is a strong word and means a sacrificial love, unselfish, has no motives behind it. In other words “do you love me for who I am?” That is the love the Lord expects from us. John 17 verse 26. Imagine for a moment the love God had for his own son – that is the love that is shared with us today. It is like the little boy on the hillside one day who gave all that he had – 2 loaves and 5 fishes for use by Jesus. He must have loved the Lord so much, wanted to be where the Lord was, listening to him, in his presence, unselfish in his love for the Lord. It is like the widow woman who gave all she had – 2 mites – to the work of the Lord. Why? Because of her love for the Lord. She knew the Lord would provide for her. Her love was for the Lord alone. Do you love me without any selfishness? John said “we love him because he first loved us”. Imagine if he had waited for our love before he gave us his love.

It is a personal question. Jesus was talking directly to Peter. On one occasion in the past Jesus had stepped into Peter’s boat to teach the crowd that was gathered on the seashore. He asked Peter to launch out a little bit from the shore. Jesus turned and poke directly to Peter. Maybe he is doing the same to you today. In the wake of certain occasions in the past he is asking you “do you love me?” Maybe you are going through certain blessing at the moment and he asks – “do you love me?” Maybe you are going through trials and he wants to bring you close to himself – “do you love me?” Peter had been bombarded by his enemies but now the Lord is coming afresh to him. Maybe you have experienced a similar onslaught and the Lord is speaking directly to you. Jesus asked Peter “how deep is your love for me?” Only Peter could answer that question. Jesus wanted to know if Peter loved him more than the disciples, more that his boats and fishing and more than the other disciples who loved Jesus. Peter couldn’t judge the love the other disciples had for Jesus. Jesus was asking him however if he loved him more that John or more than the sons of Zebedee. Is it possible to let a relationship rule and get above Christ? Remember when Elisha was ploughing in the field and Elijah came to anoint him as the next prophet. Elisha asks Elijah “will you allow me to go to my father’s house first?” Sometimes a family devotion comes before our love for God. “Peter do you love me more than the boats and the fishing?” This was Peter’s livelihood. Do our jobs come before the Lord? Do our families come before the Lord? Do our homes come before the Lord? Remember what was said of Demas “he hath forsaken me because he loved this present world.” What about you and I? If this question was to really come to us, if Jesus was to stand before us right now what would our answer be to that question “do you love me?”

It is a practical question. With the challenge comes the commission – “feed my sheep.” He was not asking Peter to love him but to be used as well. If we have a love in our hearts for the Lord we have to see the ministry in our lives. These sheep have to be fed, looked after, they are straying on all roads and directions, got to bring them back into the fold. It is going to take a love in your heart to do that. There will be many a disappointment, a set back but if you love me you will be able to do it. Remember Mary and Martha. Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal but where was Mary? She was sitting at the master’s feet. She loved his presence and his word. She would not miss the opportunity. What a love she had. 1 John 3 verse 17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from I, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 4 verse 20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar,for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If you love God it manifests itself, shows itself, reveals itself in our feeding of God.