I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Jesus was the Master Teacher.  No one ever taught the way that He did.

                                                             1.      The Lord’s teaching was so powerful that when the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him, they returned empty-handed, saying, “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks” (John 7:46).

                                                             2.      The people were drawn to Jesus, “for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:29).

B.      On one occasion, a certain rich, young ruler was drawn to the Lord to ask a question.

                                                             1.      The accounts of this event are found in these passages: Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23.  Let us focus on Mark’s account.

                                                             2.      What lessons can we learn from this young man and his reaction to the Lord’s answer to his question?

II.      CONSIDER THIS MAN

A.      Unlike many of the scribes and Pharisees who questioned Jesus in order to trap Him, this young man appears to have had a sincere character.

                                                             1.      His eagerness and excitement to see the Lord were evident when he ran up to Jesus (Mark 10:17).

                                                             2.      His reverence and humility were shown when he knelt before Jesus (Mark 10:17).

                                                             3.      By calling Jesus “Good Teacher,” he seemed to acknowledge the divine character of Jesus (Mark 10:17).

a.       Notice the response of Jesus: “Why do you call Me good?  No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18)

b.       Jesus did not deny His deity by asking this question, but rather He confirmed that the man was right to identify Him as the Good Teacher.

                                                             4.      The man showed that he was mindful of spiritual things when he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17).

                                                             5.      He had demonstrated his wisdom and righteousness by keeping the commandments of God that Jesus recited from his youth (Mark 10:19-20).

B.      Although the young man was sincere and had displayed a number of good characteristics, none of that was enough to save him.

                                                             1.      When Jesus told the young man to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor, the young man “went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property” (Mark 10:22).  None of the good characteristics of this man were enough to save him when he would not obey the Lord.

                                                             2.      This man would be identified by most of us as a good man, yet he did not qualify to inherit eternal life.  It is folly if we do not recognize that even good people can be lost and that they will be lost if they refuse to obey Jesus Christ.

                                                             3.      Notice that Jesus loved this man (Mark 10:21), but the man could still be lost.  God loves all people (John 3:16), but His love does not remove our responsibility to obey Him.

III.   CONSIDER WHAT HE WALKED AWAY FROM

A.      The young man walked away from the person of Jesus Christ.

                                                             1.      This man had been drawn to Jesus to ask this question, but ultimately He rejected the Almighty Son of God.

                                                             2.      Some people imagine that if Jesus came to earth today, He would be accepted.  Yet when He was on earth, he was rejected by men (John 1:10-11).

                                                             3.      People have not changed, for they are still rejecting the Lord and His word today.  God intended people to be drawn Christ through His word, not by His personal charm or appearance (Isa. 53:2-3; John 6:45).

B.      He also walked away from knowledge.

                                                             1.      The young man had the right question, and he came to the right source, but he walked away from the only answer that could give him eternal life.

                                                             2.      This man was like those who look to the Bible for answers and then fail to obey it (Jas. 1:22-25).  The truth of the Bible is ineffective and unprofitable for those who refuse to be doers of the word.

C.      He walked away from the love of Christ.

                                                             1.      Jesus showed love to the young man by telling him the truth, but the man walked away from the Lord’s love.

                                                             2.      The Lord has expressed immeasurable love toward all men by dying on the cross for us all (Rom. 5:8), yet many turn away from His love.

                                                             3.      If anyone is lost, it will not be for the lack of love by Jesus, but rather it will be for our lack of love for Him.  The Lord said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

D.      He walked away from the promise of eternal life.

                                                             1.      The Lord told this man what he must do to inherit eternal life, but the man loved his possessions more than the promise of eternal life.  His heart was foolishly attached to the perishable wealth of this world, and it would cost him his life for eternity.

                                                             2.      In Mark 8:36-37, Jesus gave the proper perspective for the value of life.  Nothing in this world is worth more than life, especially eternal life.  Yet this young man did not perceive this, and he was willing to throw away his eternal soul for his temporal possessions.

IV.    CONSIDER WHAT HE WALKED AWAY WITH

A.      When this young man left Jesus, he walked away with the ability to achieve his objective – eternal life.

                                                             1.      The Lord had not required this man to do something that was beyond his ability to do.  He simply was unwilling to do the Lord’s will.

                                                             2.      All people have the ability to achieve eternal life.  In His mercy and grace, God has given us a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light (Matt. 11:28-30).

B.      Because he was unwilling to make the sacrifice required to obtain eternal life, the man walked away from Jesus with sorrow.

                                                             1.      How foolish it was for this man to cling to his wealth and grieve.  Would he not have been happy if he had given his wealth away as Jesus told him to do?

                                                             2.      Many people make the same mistake as this man, believing that money can make happiness.  It has been proven many, many times that this is a false and foolish notion.

C.      Sadly, this man walked away with his sins.

                                                             1.      It did not have to be so.  He knew what to do, but he refused to do it.

                                                             2.      Why do so many choose as this man did?  The reason is that sin rules in the lives of sinners (Rom. 6:16).

                                                             3.      Only Jesus can turn one away from sin, but only when we willfully submit to his will.  “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” (Heb. 5:9)

V.      CONCLUSION

A.      Have you asked the Good Teacher, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

                                                             1.      The answer to this question is found in the gospel of Christ.

                                                             2.      “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

B.      Are you willing to accept and obey the answer to the question, or will you walk away from Jesus, knowing what to do, but refusing to give your heart to God?

                                                             1.      Obey the gospel and have the confidence of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

                                                             2.      Do not cling to the worthless values of this world, but embrace the eternal life that the Lord died to give you.