You Cannot Win Them All
Introduction
In my many years of ministry, I have not lean how to overcome disappointment when I have preached with the knowledge that there was lost souls in the congregation yet no one came forward to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior.
Considering the fact that I know that it the desire of God that all be saved and none should parish. I am always concern we the people hear the word of God yet they leave the same way they came. Especially when I know:
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. KJV
After preaching the word of God, you would hope that least they would leave with a stronger faith in God and walk for God, but they leave the same way they came.
What is it that causes people to leave church the same way they came? I believe we can find an answer in:
Mark 10:17-22
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. KJV
Subject
“You Can’t Win Them All!”
In our scripture we have young man with great potential and who was well respected by others with manners and morals. He was also wealthy which but deep inside he knew there was something missing. After Jesus ministered to him, he left the same way he came.
Why is it that Jesus did not will win this young man heart?
First He Had a Shallow View of Salvation
The young man came to Jesus with a question:
Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? KJV
This young man like so many in our churches today think that salvation is something they can earn. They think that they are alright because they’ve been baptized. There are some who feel because they serve on the deacon board or in the choir, or on the Ushers they are saved.
There are some who think just because they come to church every Sunday and put their dollar on the table that they have earn a place in heaven and that dollar on the table get them a place in heaven and any place in heaven is alright with them.
Most unsaved people think that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works and if their good works exceed their bad works, they will get into heaven. There are many in the church that thinks the same way. Just ask them this simple question. If God should ask you, why should I let you into heaven and see what their answer would be.
Many will leave our churches the same way they came because they have a shallow view of salvation.
Third The Young Man had a Superficial View of Sin
Mark 10:18-20
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. KJV
Jesus pointed the young man to Law of Moses because He wanted him to see himself as a sinner bowed before the holy God.
There are so many times we are so busy looking at the sins in others that we cannot see the sin in ourselves. Jesus tells us:
Matthew 7:3-5
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. KJV
Or as a songwriter once said;
“Sweep around your own backdoor; before you come sweeping around mine.”
This young man could not see his sin because of his good works approach to salvation and his keeping of the law. What we must understand is that sin goes beyond our actions, it also our attitude.
I recall a story of a young girl who could not stay in her seat with her seat belt on. Each time the mother would look back the girl had taken off the seat belt and was standing in the seat. After several time making her sit down and put on her seat belt the girl finally set down and put on her seat belt. The mother commended her for sitting with her seat belt on. The girl responded I might be sitting with my seat belt on but I am stand in my heart.
Sin is not just a simple act to be avoided but an inward attitude as well.
When asked about the law the young man said:
Mark 10:20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. KJV
The young man could not see himself as a condemned sinner before the Holy God because he measured obedience only by external actions and not by inward attitudes. There are many in our churches today who may not do anything wrong but their attitudes stick. They don’t bother anyone. They mind their own business. But in their heart they are full of resentment and bitterness. They don’t care for the person that may be sitting near them. They’re rolling their eyes and turning up their noises. Now they are not physically doing all these things but like the little girl it’s in their heart.
What you and I must understand is we cannot be saved from sin by keeping the Law.
Galatians 2:16-17
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. KJV
This young man could not see his sin because he was focus on the external actions and not the inward attitude.
Like so many in our churches today, they have a shallow view of salvation, a superficial view of Jesus Christ and a superficial view of sin.
Jesus looked upon the young man with loved and revealed the sin within.
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. KJV
Jesus with love said, “One thing thou lackest.” Outwardly the young man was blameless but his inward attitude was not blameless, because he was covetous.
He may have kept some of the commandments, but the last commandment caught him: “Thou shalt not covet!”
Secondly The Young Man had a Superficial View of Jesus Christ
Mark 10:17-18
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. KJV
He called Him “Good Master” or Teacher. Jesus sought to clarify of whether the young man truly understood who He was. Jesus asked a question, “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.
Jesus was not denying that He was God; but was affirming that He was God; but did the young man see Him as God or just a good teacher.
There are many in our churches today who really don’t know who Jesus is. They see Him as a good teacher with a great philosopher some good advance or they see him as a good example to follow.
Just like this young man they don’t understand:
John 1:1-4
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. KJV
They don’t understand:
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. KJV
When you understand that Jesus is God then you understand it when He says:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. KJV
Many will walk away the same way they came because they have a shallow view of salvation and a superficial view of Jesus Christ.
Looking at this young man, you would conclude he has everything, but Jesus said the one thing lacking was a living faith in God. For many of us that the challenge we all face, a living faith in God.
For this young man his money was his god: he trusted it, worship it, and found fulfillment from it. The man was rich, so Jesus told him:
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. KJV
Jesus offered this young man the gift of eternal life; but he could not let go of his wealth and position to receive it.
This young man’s wealth robbed him of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life. There are many in our churches today who will be robbed by their shallow view of salvation. There are many in our churches today who will be robbed by their superficial view of Jesus Christ. There are many in our churches today who will be robbed by their superficial view of sin.
As Pastors our greatest desire is to see lose souls come to Christ and if there is anything we can learn from these scriptures is we can’t win them all.
Are you being robbed of the greatest gift of God because of your shallow view of salvation? Are you being robbed of the greatest gift of God by your superficial view of sin? Are you being robbed of the greatest gift of God because of your superficial view of Jesus Christ?
Mark 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. KJV
Will you leave the same way you came?