Why You Must Follow Jesus – part 1
Matthew 19:16-26 (16-21)
April 1, 2012
As we study through the gospel of Matthew,
This morning we come to a very interesting story.
We have often talked about this man we call “The Rich Young Ruler”.
Indeed, he may be one of the most tragic
And yet relevant illustrations in all of Scripture.
It is a text that can easily be preached independent of its context,
Simply because there is so much to learn about true salvation
As well as true evangelism.
However, when studied in context
It only serves to strengthen the point
That Matthew has been driving home to u.
I told you when we studied it, but in Matthew 16
We really hit a turning point in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew moved away from stories that introduced Jesus as God’s Son
And began focusing in on what Jesus was teaching the twelve.
And if you will remember Jesus revealed three main things in that chapter
That Matthew has been reemphasizing ever sense.
1) THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH
It was there that we learned that Jesus is the Christ
The Son of the Living God and to that Jesus said:
Matthew 16:17-18 “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
2) THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH
In other words we learned how the church would rise to existence.
How the church would be formed.
And that would be through the sacrifice of the Savior.
Matthew 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”
3) THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCH
We have begun to learn what it means to be a part of Christ’s church.
Everything from how to enter to how to act once we do.
And the initial statement of entrance was very penetrating.
Matthew 16:24-27 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILLTHEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
And that was all very clear to us.
Since that time Matthew has carefully selected for us stories
That sort of solidify those truths into our minds.
JESUS AS HEAD
• First in Ch. 16 – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”
• Ch. 17 – we saw Him transfigured “This is My beloved Son…”
JESUS MUST SUFFER (formation of church)
• First in Ch. 16 – “must suffer”
• Ch. 17 – on the way down the mountain
• Ch. 17 – after the demon was cast out
• Ch. 19 – under attack by the Pharisees in regard to divorce
FOLLOWING AND FELLOWSHIPPING WITH JESUS
• First in Ch. 16 – “deny self, take up the cross, follow Me”
• Ch. 17 – Peter was rebuked to “Listen to Him”
• Ch. 18 – Teaching on humility, stumbling blocks, discipline, forgiveness
And so you can see that after revealing those pivotal truths in Ch. 16th
Jesus has been reemphasizing them ever since.
THAT IS TRUE AGAIN THIS MORNING.
This morning we are once again confronted with the truths of
Denying self, taking the cross, and following Jesus
It is true that in our world we have sort of developed
A much lighter version of Christianity.
It has been often taught and believed that there is some sort of salvation
That does not require denial of self, or cross bearing, or following Jesus.
• A little church attendance will surely suffice…
• A little church involvement will surely suffice…
• A general morality is certainly good enough…
It is basically salvation without the cost of discipleship.
And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that such a theology has emerged,
After all Jesus said it would. He even gave it a name.
He called “the wide gate”
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
And from there He warned us to watch out for the prophets
Who tell you wide gate will work.
But because we are so prone to such a way of thinking
Jesus not only introduced true salvation,
But here this morning focuses on it again.
You see, it is not just us who needed it.
Even the disciples needed to have this truth driven into their minds.
Somewhere in the back of their minds they were still clinging to a belief
That following Jesus would only result in fame, comfort and riches.
Jesus is systematically changing their thinking.
And this morning He takes a drastic step in changing their thinking
Through the entrance of a man we call “The Rich Young Ruler”.
And so if you want the point of the story
It is because the Holy Spirit is using him to reemphasize
The necessity of denying self and following Jesus.
So let’s look at our text.
#1 A FUTILE ATTEMPT
Matthew 19:16
Now I suppose we could call this entire story a futile attempt,
But that is not yet what I want you to notice.
I would first like you to notice all of the accolades
That this man has achieved.
Matthew’s gospel is very unspecific simply saying “And someone came”
But Luke’s gospel helps us out a little.
Luke 18:18 “A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
And so from Luke we find out that this man was “a ruler”,
It is highly possible that he was a synagogue ruler.
Definitely someone who was successful in his relation with people
And obviously a gifted leader.
We certainly find him to have been a very religious and moral man.
When Jesus lists the commandments here in a minute, his response is:
“All these things I have kept;”
Luke’s gospel says, “All these things I have kept from my youth”
And so this guy was not only a gifted leader, but a golden example.
He was a model of morality and success.
Not only that but we know he was wealthy.
(22) “he was one who owned much property.”
And so not only did he excel in the spiritual arena,
But he also excelled in the financial one.
And beyond all that, he had done it all at a relatively young age.
For in verse 22 it says, “But when the young man heard this statement”
Now take it all in.
A rich, young, ruler.
Not to say that he is like the rich young ruler,
But if you need a mental image, think of Tim Tebow.
We are talking about the model citizen here.
This guy had it all.
He had taken life on and conquered it.
OR HAD HE?
Because this young man, despite all his success only found futility.
DO YOU KNOW WHY?
Because he didn’t know what to do with death.
He had obtained much in this life but he had not obtained eternal life.
Thus far all that he had done was nothing but a futile attempt.
BUT IT ALSO SOLIDIFIES FOR US ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT SALVATION
• This is not a story about rededication
• This is not a story about being an “extreme” follower
• This is not a story about some “additional” calling
This man, despite all his credentials, wants to know how to be saved.
A Futile Attempt
#2 A FALSE ASSUMPTION
Matthew 19:16-20
Now back to the 16th verse we find out that
This young man also had some bad theology.
For he asks, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”
It is obvious he wants to go to heaven,
But it is also obvious that he doesn’t understand the first thing
About how to make it happen.
He thought that he could do something “good” to make it happen.
You see, this man was already living under a false assumption.
• He assumed that righteous living was within his grasp,
• He assumed that he was able to live good enough to please God.
THERE ARE MANY LIKE THAT IN OUR WORLD TODAY.
Our world is convinced that man at his core is good
(many in the church are as well)
Go to a funeral of a non-believer this week.
You’ll probably hear the preacher explain
how they were a good person and in heaven because of it.
I mean don’t we believe that man at his very center is pretty good?
Look at our nation today.
Even if someone does wrong, it is not because they are a sinner,
It is because they are a victim of circumstance.
John MacArthur gives some examples of this in, “The Vanishing Conscience.”
“In two separate cases in England, a barmaid who stabbed another woman to death in a barroom brawl, and a woman who angrily drove her car into her lover were both acquitted of murder after they claimed acute pre-menstrual syndrome addled their thinking and caused them to act in ways they could not control. Both received therapy rather than punishment.
A San Francisco city supervisor claimed he murdered a fellow supervisor and Mayor George Moscone because too much junk food – especially Hostess Twinkies – made him act irrationally. Thus the famous “Twinkie” defense was born. “A lenient jury bought the line and produced a verdict of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder.” They ruled that the junk food resulted in “diminished mental capacity,” which mitigated the killer’s guilt. He was out of prison before the mayor’s next term would have been complete.
Rioting gang members in Los Angeles beat truck driver Reginald Denny almost to death before live television cameras. A jury acquitted them of all but the most minor charges, deciding that they were caught up in the mayhem of the moment and therefore not responsible for their actions.
A drug dealer and cocaine addict from the Bronx was acquitted of murder after killing eight children and two women whom he shot in the head at point-blank range. His crime was the largest mass killing in the New York area since 1949. But jurors decided that drugs and stress “were a reasonable explanation for his actions.” They said the man “had acted under extreme emotional distress and the influence of drugs” – so they found him guilty on a lesser charge that brought only a light sentence.”
(MacArthur John, “The Vanishing Conscience” 1994; pg.22-23)
NO ONE IS BAD IN OUR SOCIETY
And all bad behavior is someone else’s fault.
We live in a society that believes we are basically good,
and deserving of eternal life.
But Scripture does not teach that.
Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”
Ephesians 2:3 “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
This concept is called, “Total Depravity”
It means that man at his very center is sinful, and in need of a savior.
It doesn’t mean he is as sinful as he could be,
Or that he doesn’t do moral things, or that he can’t appreciate good things,
But that his goodness can never measure up to that of Gods.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”
And I’m not talking about people who simply break the rules.
The Law came through Moses, until then, there weren’t any rules, but
Romans 5:14 “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”
Mankind is “totally depraved”.
We are not innocent until proven guilty, we are guilty until granted pardon.
That is where Scripture differs from the world.
The world says man is basically good.
You see the rich young ruler had this same theology.
He assumed that he, at his center of being,
Was capable of doing good enough things to get to heaven.
The rich ruler asked, “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Because he lived under the misconception
That he was capable of enough good to inherit eternal life.
We see he had a false assumption.
And Jesus calls him on it.
“Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good;”
Why are you even talking about what is good?
Good is beyond you.
There is only One who is good.
“good” is another word we throw out there pretty loose today,
But in reality nothing measures up.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THINGS WERE GOOD?
Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
After that the fall occurred and things were no longer good.
God even says:
Romans 3:10-12 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
And Jesus wants to know on what basis
This man would call himself good.
But it is as though Jesus decides to humor the man
So Jesus answers him and says,
“but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Notice Jesus did not say “If you want to be good…”
He said, “if you wish to enter into life”
Good was beyond this guys ability.
But if heaven is what you want, “keep the commandments”
And that is obvious.
The Law reveals the perfect righteousness of God.
All you have to do is keep it flawlessly and you will go to heaven.
But this man is looking for a loophole.
He said, “Which ones?”
DO I HAVE TO KEEP THEM ALL (impossible) OR ARE THERE SOME REAL IMPORANT ONES?
And we know all about that.
Without saying as much we know that if you want to go to heaven
• Then you need to not be a homosexual,
• And you need to not have an abortion,
• And you shouldn’t kill somebody,
• And you need to be patriotic,
• And you need to be hard working,
• And you need to remember the Alamo
And if you do all that, then you’ll probably go to heaven.
It reflects a belief that there is a standard
We can attain that is good enough.
It may not be all the commands, but surely it is good enough
WE THINK WE ARE GOOD ENOUGH
BECAUSE WE DON’T THINK GOD CARES THAT MUCH.
This man obviously didn’t think total obedience was required,
So he asked “which ones?”
And Jesus answered:
(18-19) “And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus lists commandments number 6,7,8,9 and the second greatest
Which by the way typifies the whole law.
And initially the man is thrilled.
(20) “All these things I have kept;”
Then he asks
“What am I still lacking?”
The question indicates that this man thought:
• Either there is part of the Law I have not heard about
• Or maybe there is something to do in addition to the Law
But either way, you can hear his admonition that he was good enough.
A Futile Attempt A False Assumption
#3 A FAIR ASSESSMENT
Matthew 19:21
And now comes the evaluation of Jesus.
You see, by his own evaluation he was a good person,
Just needing to double check everything.
But he needed the evaluation of Jesus.
And that is what he gets here.
“Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete…”
“complete” translates TELEIOS
“having reached its end, finished, complete, perfect”
Want to know where else it is used?
Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount
He didn’t just promote general obedience.
He didn’t just push for “goodness”.
He didn’t just want you to obey half of the Ten Commandments.
Jesus said that God demands perfection.
A form of that same word is used in John 19:30
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
There of course the word meant that Jesus did all that needed to be done.
There was nothing left to do.
That is the word
That is what He told this man.
“If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Now understand what Jesus just told this man.
We know perfection is required
And Jesus told this man that the way to get it
Was by selling everything and following Jesus.
“Timeout preacher! Are you saying that to go to heaven I have to sell everything and give it to the poor and then I can go to heaven?”
No, I’m not.
In reality that isn’t nearly enough.
Jesus is saying the same thing here
That He told the disciples back in chapter 16.
Matthew 16:24-27 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
Everyone must “deny self” in order to follow Jesus.
• For the Rich Young Ruler it was his money.
• For Matthew it was his tax booth
• For Peter and Andrew it was their fishing business
• For James and John it was their father
You could sell everything and give it to the poor,
But that isn’t near enough to get into heaven.
What Jesus requires is all of you.
The gospel message does not begin with the word “sell”
As though heaven could be purchased for a sum.
The gospel message begins with the word “repent”
Because you must remove every single heart idol
That would take the place of God in your life.
You cannot keep this life and follow Christ.
And I could literally take up the rest of your afternoon
Showing more Scriptures that support this.
Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
TURN TO: Luke 14:15-27
And I hope you see the point.
• Which of the disciples kept their old manner of life?
• Which of the disciples spent the rest of his days focused on the world?
• Which of the disciples returned to their former manner of life after Jesus left?
None did (I guess you could make a case for Judas)
Peter will even say later in verse 27, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You…”
And that is what Jesus is telling this man.
“If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Obviously we are not going to make it through the rest of this text this morning, but let me wrap it up and make sure you see what is going on.
What did this young man come asking about?
How to go to heaven.
What is the answer Jesus gave?
“follow Me”
And what was necessary if this man was to follow Jesus?
“sell your possessions and give to the poor”
Listen clearly to me here.
The invitations of Jesus were so different
From the invitations that are often given today.
Jesus didn’t go around asking people
If they wanted abundant life or if they wanted to go to heaven.
Jesus went around telling people they needed righteousness
And explaining how to get it.
And the answer with Jesus was always the same, “follow Me”
Folks, don’t count on your own goodness
To accomplish anything for you.
Don’t assume that God doesn’t care about perfection.
And don’t think that Jesus will let you keep your sin
And save you anyway.
“If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.”
This was the invitation of Jesus, and it is the same today.
