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MATTHEW 19:16

"THE RICH YOUNG RULER"

I. WHAT HE HAD.
        A. A fine temperament.
                1. His whole dealing with Christ revealed it. 
        B. Keen discernment.
                1. He called Jesus "good Master."
                2. He recognized in Jesus something far above the ordinary.
        C. He had courage.
                1. He was a ruler of the Jews.
                2. At this time, the rulers had taken stand against Jesus.
                3. For him to come and kneel took courage.
        D. He was humble.
                1. He knelt before Jesus.
                2. Rulers did not kneel before peasants, and Jesus was considered a peasant.
        E. He had a good record.
                1. When Jesus repeated the commandments in the second table of the law.
                        a. These deal with my relationship to man.
                        b. The first four deal with relationship to God.
                2. He could answer "all these have I kept."
        F. He was a great moralist.
                1. He treated his fellow man right.
                2. He asked, "What good thing must I do."
                3. So typical of those who look to good works to gain eternal life.
        G. He had good aspirations - he desired eternal life.
                1. Eternal life is not just a continuity of life.
                2. Age abiding life quality as well as continuity.
                        a. He recognized it in Jesus.
                        b. He was drawn to it.

II. WHAT HE DIDN'T HAVE.
        A. Eternal life.
                1. He was not "born again."
                2. You can be a very good person and not be saved.
                3. Good people often find it harder to be saved than bad people.
        B. Completeness, the word perfect from Greek.
                1. There was still a conscious void in his life
                2. All his wealth and moral goodness could not fill it.
                3. With all these things he asked, "What lack I yet?"

III. THE WORD OF JESUS TO SUCH A MAN.
        A. "If you will be perfect, come follow Me."
                1. You say, "Wait a minute. I thought he told him to go and sell what he had."
                2. Yes He did, but that was incidental to the real command, "Come follow Me."
                        a. Many times before we can come follow Him, there is a go.
                        b. Significant that Jesus did not quote first four commandments. 
                        c. He could not have said, "All of these have..."
                                1. His money was his god.
                                2. Go remove the false god from the throne of your life, come
                                   follow Me.
        B. The question of Jesus, "Why callest thou Me good?"
                1. Jesus is not denying deity.
                2. He is seeking to point out to the young ruler what the Spirit of God had
                   revealed to him.
                3. Jesus was either saying, "I am not good" or He was saying, "I am God."
        C. If you desire eternal life, if you want to be complete, you must follow God, allow
           Him to rule over you... "Come follow Me"

IV. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?