Luke 18:18-30 - The Rich Ruler

This this morning we continue on and our sermon series through the Book of Luke. I will give you the heads-up that as we have done the past couple of Summers. We will stop after this Sunday and we will return to the Psalms and will preach through the Psalms this summer as we have done 20 20 seems like a Psalms sort of year and I think it will be good for our minds and our hearts and our souls to get back to the songs and I'm looking forward to a bumper this morning will continue on looking at Luke chapter 18 verses 18 through 30 a sermon entitled simply the rich ruler. I want to give you the heads-up in regards to this sermon that this passage is teaching is not primarily about money. It is about money, but it's not primarily about money. We see what it is primarily about in the very first line and a ruler a ruler asked him. That is Jesus good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and that's what this sermon is about inheriting eternal life. That's what the main idea. I have phrase like this God's gracious salvation. Has rigid requirements. Requisite responses and remarkable rewards and say that again God's gracious salvation has rigid requirements requisite responses and remarkable rewards with that in mind. Let's go to God's word looking at Luke chapter 18 and encourage you to open your Bibles or turn in your devices and read along with me or read verses 18 through 30. And the ruler asked him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus said to him. Why do you call me? Good? No one is good. Except God alone, you know the Commandments do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness honor your father and mother and he said all these I have kept from my youth when Jesus heard this he said to him one thing you still lack sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But when he heard these things he became very sad for he was extremely rich Jesus seen that had become sad said how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God those who heard it said then who can be saved but he said what is impossible with man is Possible with God and Peter said see we have left our homes and follow you and he said that I'm truly I say to you there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time. And in the age to come eternal life. Let's pray. Father God we thank you for your words. And we come to you as your needy people looking for your help this morning. Would you father God by your spirit help us to understand your word with their minds to embrace your word with our hearts knowing that as we do so your spirit will a as you have promised conform us into the image of Christ and cause us to grow and godliness and walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel of the kingdom of God. I pray father God you would help us to see Jesus more clear this morning. Help us to see the glory in his gospel. I pray this in his name. Amen. By way of introduction. Let me clarify something that people get tripped up on orrock you preoccupied with return in terms of this passage that is in regards to Jesus initial response to the question. A rich man comes and says good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus replies. Why do you call me? Good? No one is good. Except God and I think what's important to understand here is that Jesus is contending with this man. I want you to think and remember what we've looked at through the Book of Luke in the last couple chapters. Jesus is continually confronting those who consider themselves to be a people with great status those who are wealthy those who are people with control arm with power. Jesus is continually contending with them. And I'd be content with them recall that he is receiving those who are oppressed. He's receiving those who are poor and blind and lame. He's receiving the children to come to him, but he is in an adversarial relationship with people who think much of themselves. And so I think we need to assume that this Rich ruler thinks so much of himself, and I think we'll see that he does and that initial response response from Jesus is to demonstrate that contention. Jesus is good. and he is God then so that's a fair thing to say of Jesus and yet the man who asking the question he is contending with It's so after saying that then Jesus answers the man by laying out a few things. The first thing he lays out is are the requirements for salvation. What I've called rigid requirements. We see these in verse 20 through 22.

Jesus gives too rigid requirements for salvation obedience and sacrifice. We see The Obedience of 20, you know, the Commandments. Jesus says do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness honor your father and mother. Jesus indicates that obedience to God is required for salvation and he goes on to list commandment number 7 the number 6 number 8 number 9 and number 5 now that doesn't mean he excludes all of the other Commandments of God's law but he has chosen to focus in on these Commandments for some reason. There's some speculation why it would be these Commandments. Why wouldn't you start with the first for the deal directly with our relationship with God? Why did he go to the Commandments the deal with how we relate with her neighbor? One of the reasons? I think he would go this way with this particular ruler is because these Commandments more so than the other ones are much more measurable. They're much more quantifiable. They're much more readily scrutinized. someone could love the Lord their god with their whole heart and it would be really hard to tell in some circumstances, but we can see with our eyes and judge people on how they treat their neighbors how they respond to other people and so perhaps this is why Jesus picked those The Richie rulers answer is interesting. All these I have kept from my youth. I sincerely doubt that Jesus believed him. But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Jesus did even if Jesus recognize this man as righteous in regards to these particular things. Jesus would know as what this Rich ruler that perfect obedience is the requirement for salvation.

Perfect obedience is required for Salvation. Let's do a quick biblical theology in regards to that. I won't spend much time on it, but I want you to think back to Genesis. Think back to what happened with Adam and Eve in the garden and understand that one sinful Act. a single sinful Act was enough to plunge Adam and Eve and every human being who has been born since under God's Wrath under God's judgement which ultimately will be death in eternal torment once in Was all it took for God to respond in that way. We move from there to the Mosaic Covenant and we need to understand as we think about the Israelites as we think about men and women who may have wholeheartedly attempted to obey the law. That significant and substantial obedience was not enough to put one in good standing with God. How do we know this? We know this because every single person for every single person sacrifices had to be made it didn't matter how good they were. It didn't matter how obedient to the Commandments they were it didn't matter how Faithfully they fulfilled all that God had asked them to it wasn't enough because perfect obedience was required and therefore sacrifices had to be made we move from there into the New Covenant where the writers in the New Testament make it clear that this is what was required James chapter 2 verses 10 and 11. James Wright writes for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point. Has been become guilty of all of it for he you said do not commit adultery also said do not murder if you do not commit adultery, but do murder you have been become a transgressor of the law.

Paul takes a similar stance in Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 for all who are lying works of the law are under a curse for is were written cursive B everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them all of them. If you do not abide by all of them of all the Commandments Yorker according to Paul when Jesus wants to help this Rich ruler understand that he is in a desperate condition before God that is he asked this question about salvation. And is he seems to indicate that he's doing? Okay. Jesus would have him know that he's not.

I hate Jesus moves on from this issue this requirement of obedience to the requirement of sacrifice. He says to this man when Jesus heard this he said to him one thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Jesus makes a radical command for this man to sacrifice everything in order to follow him. Now this radical command that Jesus gives I do not believe is to be taken up by every disciple as for them. I think this was a command that was given to an individual the rich ruler and where to apply the principle is he Jesus shocks this man with this rigid requirement in order to show him his shortcomings before God and his own inability to earn his salvation God you see will have priority. in every disciples life nothing that sets itself up as ruler in a disciples life will be tolerated by God he and he alone will have first place. The rich ruler was likely finding his security and his assurance and his identity in his well and in his status and his mistaken views of what does temporal blessings he had meant and perhaps even his charitable assessment of his own righteousness. And so Jesus drops a bomb on this house of cards that the rich ruler had built.

sell all that you have cell and give away a walk away from that which is most important to you and follow me.

question for us this morning is what are we using to build our house of cards? It won't be well for everyone to those who try to put wealth in the pursuit of money on the throne of her life. I Think. Jesus would say to them sell it all and follow me. But there are many things that we can be tempted to build that house of cards with. Some people might build that house of cards with their own physical attractiveness. Finding their security and their significance in how they appear to other people. Others might build that house of cards with their online popularity.

Finding significance in security and Assurance Insurance of how many likes or retweets or friends? They have online some might find those things in their education some might find it in their family relationships.

And to each of us and then Christ would address that particular issue in our lives for the rich ruler. It was as well. What is it for you? What are you tempted to build your life around in opposition to Christ? It's interesting that though. Jesus didn't mention the first couple Commandments. He shows the rich ruler that he was disobedient in the first. Jesus being good like God because he was God told this man to follow him and the man refused.

Is a big sacrifice that Jesus asked from this man? But Jesus calls all to make a sacrifice sacrifice is required for salvation.

First of all, there's the atoning sacrifice that's required for salvation. We read and Hebrews 9:22 indeed under the law almost everything is purified with blood and without the shedding of blood. There is no forgiveness of sins. Salvation which comes to the Forgiveness of our sins. It requires sacrifice one that owns for the sins of those who are guilty. We also reading Hebrews chapter 7 verse 26 and 27 for it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest talking about Jesus. Holy innocent unstained separated from Sinners and exalted above the heavens. He has known me like those high priest to offer sacrifices daily first for his own sins then for those of the people since he did this once for all when he offered up himself understand something about salvation Salvation requires sacrifice. And first of all, it requires a sacrifice that will atone for sin.

Only Christ could do that. We were incapable of making a sacrifice that could atone for sins ours or anyone else's for that matter. It's so salvation requires sacrifice, but even Beyond salvation when we come to saving faith and knowledge of the Lord. Sacrifice Remains the way of those were Disciples of Jesus. Listen to Paul in Romans 12 verse 1. I appeal to you therefore Brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Salvation requires sacrifice it requires an a toning sacrifice. Which Jesus has already done for his people but it also requires a Living Sacrifice from those who are safe.

Commentary Douglas moo commenting on Romans 12:1 says this through the mercies of God underscores the connection between what Paul now ask his readers to do and what he has told him earlier in the light of the God has done for them. All that Paul has written in water. That's far may be summed up under the heading of the mercy of God In Action Paula just summarize that Universal mercy of God in chapter 11, and now he calls Christians to respond to respond as those who are living sacrifices to God. And so we must recognize this morning that whether we are talking about the once for all perfect atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, or if we're talking about the response of whole person sacrifice of Believers, both are by the mercies of God. I think we can see how it was God's grace and mercy which led to the sacrifice of Christ to atone for our sins. But did you catch and Romans 12 that Paul said I appeal to you therefore Brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. It's only by God's grace. It's only by God's mercy. It's only by God's love for us. But after having been saved we can walk in that Living Sacrifice. It's a gracious salvation Salvation is all of Grace Grace and the substitutionary sacrifice of the sun Grace and the corresponding sacrificial life live as worship to God. Salvation is all of God, and it requires sacrifice. These are rigid requirements. Humanly speaking. In fact, they are impossibly difficult. But it's because of the grace of God that were saved. It's because he was merciful and showed us Mercy.

Wasn't only rigid requirements that came in his teaching. There was also requisite responses. We see it in verse 23 through 27. How we respond to the gospel? And that's how we respond to Salvation. And that's how we respond to Jesus Christ speaks to the reality of these things in our life. We need to understand that there are responses which are necessary in a part from which there is no salvation.

I want to look at this passage and in terms of our response by considering it and light a really the responses of Salvation faith and repentance. We're eating verse 23, but when he the rich ruler heard these things he became very sad for you is extremely rich Jesus seen that he had become sad said how difficult it is for those well to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. The rich rule is refusal to forsake all and follow Jesus indicates a refusal to repent Which is a requisite response for salvation. No truck with me here. Generally when we speak about repentance. We talked about it in a very narrow sense. It's an accurate incorrect sense, but it's narrow. We talked about turning from sin and turning to Jesus and that is what repentance is. It's accurate and appropriate to talk about repentance that weights, but there is also a broad aspect to repentance. understand that you repent is to not just forsake the sins that you commit but to forsake and repudiate a life governed by sin and sinful ways to repentance to abandon a life lived for the self. It's to abandon a life lived selfishly to repentance to turn from serving idols. To serve the Living God to repentance to follow Jesus at the exclusion of everything else to repentance to remove anyone and anything from the Throne of our hearts because that is reserved for God Alone. I think we see this broad aspect of repentance in Ephesians chapter to look at verses 1 and 3 with me. Paul writes and you speaking of Believers before they had come to faith in Christ before they had inherited salvation and eternal life. You were dead in the trespasses and sins. So he's talking about their the the sins does the sins we commit and to repentance is about that. But then he says in what in which she wants what it's more than just the individual sins that you're actually walking in that way. That's the path. You're following. That's the destination. You're headed to your following the course of this world. He says it's not just about those individual sins. It's about the the course you're on the path. You're on you're going in the wrong direction. You're following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is not work in the sons of Disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passion or Flash carrying out the desires of the body in the mind and we're by Nature children of Wrath like the rest of mankind. There is a broad aspect to repentance which says I am no longer going to walk in the way of the world. I am no longer going to follow the the prince of the air. I am no longer going to live a sinful life. I'm going to turn from that and I am going to follow Christ. I'm going to change what my life is about. I'm going to change the destination to which my course is taking me.

The rich ruler failed to repent because his riches were more important to him than God his wealth had a hold on his heart. And that Pursuit was on the throne of his affections and he chose not to remove.

He wouldn't repair and you wouldn't turn from that life.

Now Jesus draws the crowds attention in this case to the difficulties. That wealthy people will have to repent and believe in there by enter the kingdom of God when I think is North American Christians, we need to stop and think about well for a moment because certainly this speaks too. Well.

We need to ask ourselves as people who most of the world would consider. extremely rich because we live here. We don't feel that way because we know there's people wealthier than we are. What the rest of the world would look at North Americans and say you are extremely rich until we need to ask does wealth have a hold on our heart like it did for this Rich ruler.

Do we follow the course as Paul would say to follow the course that money and wealth sets for us. Are the desires of our body and our mind around getting more money more Earthly possessions more wealth. These are legitimate questions for North American Christians. We need to ask ourselves them. We need to remind ourselves that it's dangerous. Jesus said it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Then it is for someone. Who cares about wealth and money like that to inherit eternal life?

But I'll remind you again. It's not just people who think about wealth that way who are in trouble. Is there something else that captivates you the way wealth captivates the rich ruler there. Is there something else that has a hold of your heart the way money has a hold of the Rich Young Ruler start.

These are questions we need to ask ourselves.

and if we arrive at an answer that there is something that holds our heart that way we need to repent of it. We need to turn from it. And put our faith in God of Faith now. Requisite response number to Faith verse 26 those who heard it said who can be safe. But he said what is impossible with man is possible with God?

Come to the door o boxes is Jesus answers the Dilemma of who can be saved. The human situation is not hopeless because of God's power. Who goes on to say a little later. I can break the spell that wealth. Hold on some people and when my dad he can break any other spell that grips a person's heart. We need to have faith in God it is God who saves and what seems impossible to us is possible for God. Let me speak to you believers who has I've been talking about this person who has something in their life has a grip on their heart whether it's money wealth education of family. Whatever it is.

And you've been praying for them. And it hurts you that they're not serving God and you look at their life. And in your mind you say there's no way that that person. Will give all that up to follow Christ. Let me say to you have faith. God can do it. God can reach down into their life and save that person. What might be a possible for us? It's not impossible for God and so I have faith and continue to pray for that loved one who's lost continue to pray for that loved one whose life is in the grip of something that they can't seem to get away from the lights in the grip of something that keeps them from following Christ. God can save them. So keep praying and keep trusting him. Let me also speak to the unbeliever here.

If you are here and you are not a Believer, you've never entrusted yourself to Christ. You never turn from your sins. You've never considered yourself a Christian understand that God can reach down into your life and save you.

And if you think that it's far-fetched, if you think you have done something that prevents you from coming to him if you think there's something about your life that you can't leave behind to follow Christ. Then let me say put your faith in God cradle and ask for me to help you to believe. And turn from your sin and trust in God. Faith and repentance are requisite responses for salvation. And so close and we get to our rewards we read a verse 28 and Peterson see we have left our homes and follow you and he said to them truly I say to you there is no one who is left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time. And in the age to come eternal life. I just want to draw your attention quickly. Does some rewards that come with salvation we need to understand this. There are rewards those rewards in this life. And in the life to come it would take me a month of sermon to begin to exhaust all of the rewards that come to us through salvation. And so I picked a a little Paradigm and which I could draw your attention to just a few this morning. I want to talk to you about what's the Illusions called the order of salvation? The order of Salvation it is a concept that theologians put together that lays Out The Logical steps in the application of salvation. I just want to introduce you to and I want you to look at these as the rewards of Salvation that they are. So here's the order of Salvation. This is how salvation is applied to someone who comes to Christ. It starts with election. followed by effectual calling Then comes regeneration and faith and repentance then justification and adoption and sanctification. And perseverance and glorification don't want you to think about these as rewards first of all the terms of right now. We say election. We're talkin about God's choosing of his children before the creation of anyting. God The Sovereign ruler the universe shows you if you're one of his disciples chose you before anything was created. The knowledge of God is a reward for us today. Think I'm not just for a moment. There was nothing in you that attracted a only that he loves you and he will choose you. Then we have effectual calling God calls. His chosen ones to belong to him in Christ Jesus and it's ineffectual call. Think of that no matter what wrote your road was taking and some of you were on a bad Road. I've talked to some of you Some of you were on a roll that if any one saw you they said they're going to end up nowhere no good. And of no value, but God called you. He called you out of that life or following the course of the world the following the prince of the air. And called you to himself. What a reward that is. And then regeneration God's sovereignty and parts spiritual life to those he is called we were all dead spiritually dead. Which would result in our physical death in our eternal torment, but God brought us back to life in part of spiritual life was what a reward that is a reward that we experience even right now.

Faith and repentance, even those are responses that we give are a gift of God apart from his grace and mercy, none of us would turn. None of us would believe how about justification an instantaneous legal act and Declaration of God in which he says are sins are forgiven and Christ's righteousness is hours. That's a reward for right now brothers and sisters that's are standing before the creator of the universe Justified. And then there's adoption. We live and breathe Moment by moment day by day week by week as children of the Living God. We call him father. That's a reward of salvation. We were late to him now. as intimate children to our Heavenly Father and it goes on sanctification the progressive lifelong work of God and when she conforms us to the image of Christ.

I'm not all I want to be in Christ, but I'm not like I once was because he has graciously conforming me to the image of Christ. What a reward that is. And then perseverance being kept by God's power to persevere in our Salvation. I won't speak from you for you, but I can tell you this for me if it wasn't for God. I have no question. I would fall away. Apart from his Sovereign and gracious work in my life keeping me in my salvation. I would fall away. What a reward that is for me right now in regards to my salvation.

Modell's rewards just aren't Right now he said he will not receive many more in this time. But in the age to come eternal life and that's our glorification brothers and sisters. We have coming to the complete and Final Redemption of our whole person to the very fullness of Salvation body and soul and this will be realized that the resurrection when Jesus comes back to restore all things. God is gracious and salvation.

At Salvation has Richard requirements, which he himself has graciously fulfilled. But it has requisite responses faith and repentance which are also gift from him. And it ends with these remarkable rewards that in this life and in the life to come we receive the benefits of Salvation, praise. God let spray

Lord we thank you for your word and we thank you for what it describes in regards to Salvation that it is a gracious Act of God. We thank you for your mercy. And I pray father God that you would. Cementing our minds and our hearts this morning.

The true that the rigid requirements for salvation where complish by you through Jesus Christ.

That he was perfectly obedient and his sacrifice was perfect.

And through that gracious work of God. We are saved. And I swear I saved you continue to Pour Your Grace on us helping us to be living sacrifices and to be obedient ourselves. We thank you for the gift of repentance and faith. Repentance and faith we had when we first came to a true knowledge of you but the faith independent you give us day in and day out as we continue to walk as Disciples of Christ. And I pray you would burn in our minds and our hearts the remarkable rewards which are found in the Salvation that you have given us rewards for a life now and for the life to come I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.