Luke 18:18-43 A Tale of two Hearts

Intro:Today we are going to Consider a TALE OF TWO HEARTS / A Story of TWO men who each had a personnel encounter w/ Jesus Christ

  1. We will see TODAY how One man went away SAD/ while the other

FOLLOWED rejoicing !

  1. HOW One MANS encounter was LIFE CHANGING & the others was LIFE THREATENING /
  1. at least from THE perspective of what he thought his life was about
  1. Now on the surface - these 2 men couldn’t have been more different / but their hearts were similar & their need was the same
  1. And these TWO men Characterize all of us who are sitting here in this SANCTUARY TODAY

 

The first man we want to look at is known as the rich young ruler!

READ V. 18-23

A) Luke says that a certain ruler asked…..

  1. Matthew and Mark tell us that this CERTAIN RULER was also

YOUNG and VERY RICH

  1. He was a man of POSITION & POWER - he was a RULER / he was a man of GREAT POSSESSION / HE WAS RICH & WEALTHY
  1. And He had accomplished at a very young age what most only dream of doing in their whole life time !!!
  1. And we also will see that he was a man of integrity / Here in America we might have described him as the All American Boy
  1. He was an all around good guy - the type of guy most parents would love for their daughters to bring home for them to meet !!!

Reminded me of the story of a young man in his early 20’s who was thinking about getting married

  1. Met a girl that he really liked - went out a few times & he decided to bring her home to meet his parents
  1. Dinner thing - but his mother didn’t like this girl - so he broke it off w/ her / after a few months met someone else - brought her home
    1. Same result - mother didn’t like her either
  1. Now this happened several more times until he finally met this girl who was a younger version of his mother
    1. Looked like his mother - Acted like his mother - Talked like his mother

D)So he brings this girl home & guess what - his father didn’t like her

  1. Now that would not have been the Case here – Both Parents would have Loved this Guy!!!!

E)In Fact we are told in Marks Gospel that Jesus looked at this guy &

Loved him / Neat Heart / Totally Sincere !!!!

 

Now although this guy had a lot of things going for him he still had a need

  1. There was something that was missing in his life/ that POWER / POSITION & POSSESSIONS couldn’t fill !!!!
  2. And he felt that Jesus had what He was lacking or could at least tell him what it was & how to get it !!!! So – He came inquiring

C) This guy had EVERYTHING that the world says you need to have to be

truly happy

  1. BUT - For all of his YOUTH and his WEALTH and his POWER, this young man was still LACKING !!!!

There are those who fall into that trap of thinking if I just could get to this point in life / if I could just climb to the latter to this place Bus.

  1. If I could only buy a house in that Area – then I would be Happy / Satisfied / Fulfilled

  2. Problem is that when they get there they find out that it didn’t bring the Lasting Satisfaction that they were hoping for

1) That is where this guy was Act – In fact he was DESPERATE

Listen to how Mark describes his coming to Jesus

  1. Now as He was going out on the road, one came RUNNING & KNELT before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

So He comes to Jesus & asks him what shall I do to receive eternal life

  1. It was a good question one that marked him as a man who was

Thinking ahead - thinking about eternity

    1. Every person here is going to spend eternity in one of 2 places either Heaven or Hell / Eternal dying / Eternal Living
  1. This guy wanted to be sure that He spent eternity in the right place / he

wanted to be prepared

    1. What about you are you prepared for eternity ?
  1. Are You interested in / or thinking about Eternal Life ?

1) Understand Eternal Life = Age Abiding Life

It is not just speaking of a quantity of life - LIVING FOREVER

D) It speaks of a QUALITY OF LIFE !!!!

1) A QUALITY of life that begins here and now and endures without ending

E) NOTE: This young man was seeking a QUALITY of life that he had observed in Jesus

D)OTHERS SAW IT TOO / Recall the time, when soldiers were sent out

to arrest Jesus, they returned empty handed.

1) They were asked why they didn’t lay hold of Jesus

John 7:46 The officers answered, Never has man spake like this man.

E) They too recognized that there was a quality of life that Jesus possessed that was above the ordinary ( Something Special – Different Quality )

 

Notice Jesus Response : v.19 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

A) There are those who believe that Jesus was changing subjects on this guy

I do NOT believe that is the case at all

B) I believe that Jesus is trying to move this young man beyond his felt needs to the root of his needs/ by asking this question – he was saying

"Have you really thought about whaT you have said..... you stopped to analyze WHY you would call ME good..... You see, there is only ONE who

is good.... That is God."

C) Jesus can only be saying 1 of 2 things here:

"I am NO good" – not the case

1) OR "You have recognized the truth about Me... I am God"

D)Jesus was trying to show this young man that he had recognized correctly

that Jesus possessed the CHARACTER& ATTRIBUTES of God

1)And This is born out in the story

 

20 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"

The commandments that God gave to Moses were written on

2 tablets of stone

A) On the first tablet were written those commands that had to do with man’s relationship to God

B) On the second table of the Law were written God’s rules that govern mans relationship with man

1) It is interesting that Jesus did NOT speak to him at all about the FIRST tablet of the Law

C) He only spoke about this young mans relationship to man

  1. Now this young man responds in v. 21 by saying "All these things I have kept from my youth."

D)Now I do not believe that this was an IDLE BOAST on the young man’s

part - he was SINCERE / it was true

    1. In fact it was at this point in the Story in Mark’s gospel that we are told that Jesus looked at this young man & Loved him

E)Jesus saw his heart / Sincere / he was Honest / - he was searching / in fact

Mark’s gospel also adds this point he asked What else am I lacking

  1. There must be something More
  1. So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

 

This Story is a great illustration of how being good & or religious is not what gets us into Heaven

  1. In fact the Bible says that our goodness is like filthy rags before the Lord -
  1. And although our outward appearance might seem squeaky clean that Lord sees our hearts - sees our motives
  1. This guy had it all together from an outward point of view but he realized that he was still lacking something

I find it sad today that there are many people who have good deeds / some go to church - they have religion

  1. Maybe never cheated on taxes - told a lie - and because they are good people but they don’t see their need - don’t see their lacking
  1. This man did / See he came to realize that the void in his heart -the emptiness in his life
    1. Couldn’t be filled by GOOD DEEDS & That religious affiliation

couldn’t take it away

  1. So He asks What am I still lacking - What is missing in my life ? Jesus gets right to the issue
  1. Tells him to go & sell all he had and give it to the poor follow me & he would have treasure in heaven !

 

Now Why did Jesus bring this money thing up anyway? The answer is simple This mans problem was a heart problem!!!!!

  1. See although this man had a good testimony in regards to the

commands which related to his dealings w/ other men

D) He was failing in regards to the first 2 commands - Love God w/ all your heart soul mind & strength & have no other gods before me

  1. This mans god was his wealth - but it wasn’t satisfying him
  1. And Jesus called him on it ! - Jesus showed him where his heart was really at ! Showed him what the ROOT problem was !
  1. There was something else that had his heart ! / What about yours

The story is told OF THE TIME when the tomb of the great conqueror Charlemagne was opened.

  1. The sight the workmen saw was startling. There was his body sitting on a THRONE like CHAIR clothed in the most elaborate of kingly garments

B) CLOTHES were MOTH EATEN / The CROWN on His Head was

  1. CROOKED On his knee laid a OPEN BIBLE

1) His cold, lifeless Bony finger was pointing to Mk 8:36"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and loose his own soul?"

 

Jesus looked at this rich young ruler the same way that he looks at each one of us here today w/ a heart of love !

  1. Not wanting that anybody here would lose their soul because they are holding on to something else –

So Jesus says to this young man Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

  1. Jesus called this man to come after Him & see what He was going to

do for Him !

  1. In just a short time from this meeting / Jesus was going to go to a cross where He would pay the price for this MANS SIN
    1. For YOUR SIN & MY SIN
  1. It was there on that cross that Jesus would take upon himself all the sin of the world past present & future
    1. Where He would pay a debt that this man could never pay despite all his wealth & good deeds
  1. Pay a debt that no man could pay ! / NO MATTER HOW RICH

But we are told in v. 23 when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

  1. LISTEN He had it all / but really had nothing – He was asked to give up what he did have in order to gain all that Christ had for him /

  1. But He wouldn’t let go !!!! – Consequently he went away Sad & still empty

  1. How are you going to leave here today ?

  2. Notice Jesus response :v24 And when Jesus saw that he became very

    3. sorrowful, ( Intensely SORROWFUL)

  3. Jesus feels that same kind of EMOTION when we don’t FOLLOW HIM where HE IS DESIRING TO LEAD US !!!

Now Most of you here are born again / You have already given your life to the Lord & You have been walking w/ Him for some time!!!

  1. And you have been about those things in your walk that are important for your spiritual growth & development
  2. You are in the Word/ you are in prayer / you are consistent in prayer / You attend the early Service - ( Count for something )
  3. And as you have read this story & are considering this scene – You realize that you don’t have this young man’s problem
  1. You don’t have another god in your life / before the Lord
  1. But at the same time you understand his yearning - How can I EXPERIENCE MORE – THAT AGE ABIDING LIFE
  1. Perhaps you are here this morning & you are going through a time where you feel as if you have kind of Plateau – Spiritually

 

  1. Perhaps you feel a little stagnate – But there is this Yearning in your Heart for MORE OF JESUS / Every find yourself saying

    2. 1) Jesus I just want more of you / Lord I want to go HIGHER / DEEPER /

    experience YOU more / my life & ministry
  2. You have all of the basics covered – yet at the same time you feel like something is lacking !!!!

 

Now you don’t have any other god’s in your life before HIM / but is there an area where Jesus has been saying: Lay that aside & follow me

  1. I want to do some other things in your life & this is holding you back from experiencing all that I have for you.
  2. OR PERHAPS the Lord has been calling you to some DEEPER form of commitment - & you have been RELUCTANT TO DO IT
  1. ½ HOUR earlier to pray
  1. Remember a time in my life / repeated many times sense then / a time when I was younger in the Lord /
  1. watching a Ball game / sensed the Lord say – Turn off – pick up Bible / back yard spend time w/ me
  1. At first I resisted – but that yearning was very STRONG / so I grabbed my bible & went out side & God opened the flood GATES

I learned something through that time / that if I was going to experience the INTIMACY w/ the Lord that I DESIRED / it would involve some sacrifice

 

Maybe Jesus is calling you to Sacrifice some sleep / to sit at His feet a little more / Maybe challenging you deeper study – Bible School

  1. Maybe the Lord is saying FOLLOW ME here into this area of ministry / Mission field / Children’s ministry
  2. Whatever it might be /Understand your next stage of DEVELOPMENT in Christ lies beyond that door / but you have been reluctant to walk through.
  3. Maybe the Lord has been showing you some areas where you are still a little too SELF RELIANT - and He has been saying let go –
  1. Surrender it to me / But you are still hanging on
  1. Maybe it is a relationship that needs Mending & Jesus is saying FOLLOW ME by DYING to yourself & Make it right
  1. But every time that the Lord says to walk this way & follow me / you are staying put
  1. And the RESULT OF THAT IS that Jesus is not able to do w/ you what He really DESIRES !!!!!

F) What is it that Jesus is saying to You – FOLLOW ME in this area -

  1. Understand that is the door way into the growth & intimacy that you so DESIRE !!!

 

 

Then Jesus said : "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."26 And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved

There are those who say that in the Middle East of Bible times there were some large city gates that had within them a smaller little gate

A) (like a doggy door)... The idea was that of security

a) They say that this smaller door is called the "eye of the needle" / not found in the writings of HISTORY !!!

  1. They say that the only way for the Camel to get through the eye of the needle is for it to take off it’s Load & get down on it’s knees – be pulled through

C) There are those who think that if you pull hard enough and push hard enough you can get into the Kingdom of God

1) You only have to work hard enough at it

D)But it is clear that Jesus is NOT talking about something that can be

accomplished by a lot of effort/ because of how the Disciples responded

1) They replied Who then can be saved? Lit. EYE OF A NEEDLE

27 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

  1. NOTE WELL: Salvation is IMPOSSIBLE to man/ As far as man is

concerned there is NOTHING that man can do to save his own soul

B) There is NO way that a man can SAVE HIMSELF !!!

c) bUT God IS ABLE and WILLING to save the person who will look to Him for salvation

Why is it hard for rich people to get saved – Because they are too self sufficient to trust in the Lord for anything

  1. They have worked hard for what they have & the idea of a free gift seems – foreign to them !!!!

B) So although it is hard / it is not impossible although often times / they

have to encounter some rough times first /

  1. need to see that their riches can’t satisfy them !!!!

28 Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."

29 So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,30 "who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

C) In other words: "God will NEVER be a debtor to you Peter"

D)When We moved to Oregon – Verse great Comfort !!!!

Now in Verses 31-34 Jesus takes the Disciples aside & fore tells of His coming death in Jerusalem / but they didn’t understand it

  1. For the Sake of time we are not going to discuss this / we have talked about it before

  2. But in v. 35 we are introduced to another man who had a encounter w/ Jesus / Marks gospel more detail so lets turn there / briefly look at this

1) Mark Chi. 10 v.46-52

 

Here we are introduced to a Blind man by the name off Bart. /

Blind Bart

  1. Beggar - everyday of his life was filled w/ a longing a searching a wondering how - needs be met - how needs filled
  1. Not really that different from many here - wake up each day wondering how are you going to satisfy your needs
  1. How are you going to satisfy the longing in your heart !
  1. New Job / New mate / new car / another hobby whatever

 

What is interesting about old blind Bart. Was although he was blind he saw more than most / interesting cried out SON OF DAVID / MESSIAH

  1. Bart. Had never seen Jesus - but he had heard of Jesus - He believed

    2. He Believed He was the Son of God - Messiah - Son of David

  2. Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God !
    1. You are hearing the word of god today & the H.S. is tugging on your hearts even now to Believe in Jesus

C) Others to take that step of faith in that area that God is calling you too

 

Another thing I want you to note is the urgency w/ which Bart. Cried out - he knew this might be his only chance !

  1. We read in v. 48 that the crowd told him to be quiet - don’t bother
  1. But Bart. Cried out all the more ! Cried out even louder Jesus have mercy on me !
  1. There are those around you who might say - don’t bother w/ this Jesus stuff - / Don’t get too RADICAL /
    1. Devil himself will whisper things in your ear like - you don’t need Jesus or He isn’t interested in you
  1. Don’t listen to it ! Lie ! Jesus said today is the day of salvation!
  1. Urgency - Bart. Cried out / next we read in v. 49 is Jesus stood still

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

A) BEGGARS COAT / why did he throw it aside ?

  1. He wasn’t going to need it any more !! That coat was who he was / but not who he was going to be after meeting w/ JESUS

Jesus Heard him - stopped and called him ! Said what can I do for you ? RABBONI/ I Want to see – ( RABBONI =

A) Is Jesus your RABBONI -

B) This is what Jesus wants to do for you -

  1. Paul the apostle said this is what Jesus came to do - turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of eternal life
  1. The Last I want us to see find interesting is in v. 52 Jesus says to Bart. Go your way & immediately he received his sight
    1. But it says he followed Jesus on the road - no doubt rejoicing
  1. Think about this folks / Bart. Had never seen anything / heard his whole life about the Beauty of the Sea of Galilee
  1. View from Mt. Carmel of the Valley of Meggido
  1. OF the Oasis at En Gedi – David hid from Saul / of the Dead Sea area

But None of those things are on his mind – he just wants to follow Jesus

Interesting : Jesus told the rich young ruler to follow him & he went away sad - because he wanted to hang on to his stuff

  1. Jesus tells Bart. To GO YOUR WAY- and he can’t keep his eyes off of Jesus - follows Him on the road
  2. Go your way Listen close : That is what He made His way !!! – I am going to follow Jesus !!!
  3. Jesus says to us / Follow Me – What will be Our Way

 

How are you going to leave this place TODAY ? Sad Or Rejoicing ?

all depends on how you respond to Christ call to follow ME !!!

  1. The Rich Young Ruler was Looking for Eternal Life / wanted to experience that Age ABIDING LIFE
  2. Jesus gave Him the answer when He said Come follow me !!!
  3. Are you hear today wondering about Eternal Life / Do what Bartimaeus Did – Go your way following Jesus
  4. If you are Already a Believer - / Desiring more of Jesus / Deeper Quality of Life ?

E) Where is He calling you to follow ?