Who Can be Saved?, Part 2

If you have your Bible, turn with me to Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18, talk about a rich man. A man who was rich, who left in rags. A man who was lost, yet truly was loved. For Mark's account tells us that Jesus loved him. A man, a man that was sad, but he was not saved. Because amidst all of his remorse, he was not repentant. We meet a man who is very influential. We meet a man who's young, probably in his mid-30s. A man who is well respected. He's a ruler of a synagogue. He's a leader. He has everything that some young entrepreneur would love to have today.

He's got money, wisdom, leadership, influence, impact. He has everything that you think would make someone happy. He has it all. And yet he knows he's missing that one thing, eternal life. The life that connects him to God. The life that speaks of peace, joy, comfort. The joy that guarantees him eternity with the living God of the universe. The life that truly makes him one with the God of the universe. He does not have that. Amidst all the things that he does have, none of them can fill the void of his heart.

He is completely empty, completely restless. Because eternity has been set in the heart of man, man knows that that eternal hole must be filled. And yet this man would come to the one who is the source of eternal life. He would come to the one, according to 1 John chapter 5, is eternal life. And he would leave without it. How sad. Let me read to you the story once again, to set it in your minds that you might understand it.

Then we'll make some comments about it. The certain ruler questioned him saying, good teacher, verse 18, what shall 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 things I have kept from my youth. And when Jesus heard this, he said to him, one thing, you still lie, sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor.

You shall have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But when he had heard these things, he became very sad for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, how hard it is for those who are wealthy 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 man to enter the kingdom of God. And they heard it and they heard it said, then who can be saved? And he said, the things impossible with men are possible with God. Peter said, behold, we have left our homes and followed you.

And he said to them, 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 shall not receive many times as much at this time in the to come eternal life. This story begins with a request, a request from this ruler. He comes to Jesus because he has probably seen many of the miracles that Jesus has performed. He has heard about the miracles that Jesus has performed. He's even probably heard some of the teaching that Jesus has given over the last two and a half plus years.

And he's heard about that teaching and how it's impacted people's lives. And so he comes to Jesus and he makes this request, a request about eternal life. This is a man who is well-versed in the old Testament. He believes in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He believes in heaven. He believes in hell. He believes in the judgment of God. He's very orthodox. He believes most of what we believe. So he goes to the source, Jesus, and asks him, what must I do to obtain eternal life? Now, if someone came to us and asked us that question, we would not be able to discern things as Jesus does because Jesus knows the heart of man.

We told you last week, Simeon said in Luke chapter two, that this one, Jesus, whom he held in his arms would reveal the hearts of many. In John two, it was said of Christ that he did not commit himself to many of those people because he knew what was in their hearts. He knew what was there. And so Jesus would do all he could to diffuse the superficiality in the lives of people. We by nature are superficial people. We're shallow people. We have all these facades on when we come to church. And so by nature, we are superficial.

And this individual was a superficial seeker. And the story reveals to us how we know one is superficial versus one who is truly a seeker because God has sought him first and he responds to God's initiative.

This man was not a true seeker. He came to God because he had a felt need, not because he had a fallen need. That's very obvious in the story. And that's why most people come to Jesus today. That's why most people come to church. They have a felt need. Their marriage is in shambles. Jesus must fix their marriage. Their financial troubles are overwhelming. Jesus must somehow fix up my financial issues. Physically, I am incapable of handling life. Somehow Jesus must handle my physical issues. Psychologically, I need a boost.

My self-esteem is lacking and maybe Jesus can somehow lift it up. So we go to Jesus because we had this felt need. Jesus never saved anybody because they had a felt need and none of those felt needs will ever save you. You must go to Christ because you have a fallen need, that you know that you're a sinner, that you're separated from a holy God. And this man would come and he would come to Jesus and you think that Jesus would welcome this kind of guy and Jesus would say, man, this is so good to see you.

I'm glad you're here. You know, and if you come to Jesus, if you come to me, can you imagine the impact you're going to have on Judaism? I mean, you're young, you're rich, you're influential, you're a ruler of a synagogue and you're a leader. And wow, what kind of testimony. You could be on the Jesus circuit and we can put you on TBN and we can give you a microphone and we can give you some kind of testimonial that will draw thousands of people to hear your testimony. But Jesus doesn't do that. Jesus is so, he's just so God because he is God and how he responds.

And, and, and as usual, he always makes it so very hard for someone to be saved. We don't do that. We make it easy for people to get saved. We make it easy for our kids to get saved. We make it easy for our church members to get saved. And Jesus just made it so incredibly hard hard to be saved. And that goes against everything we've been taught. That goes against everything we've heard. Why would Jesus do that? Because he knows the heart of man. He knows the superficiality of man's heart. He knows your heart today.

He knows how superficial you are today. I don't know that, but he does. And by the end of our story today, you'll know whether or not your heart is superficial or whether it's truly genuine. You'll know that because of how the scenario goes with Jesus in this story with this rich man. Earlier, it says, it was said in Luke chapter 13, these words, and he was passing through from one city and village to another teaching and proceeding on his way to Jerusalem. And someone said to him, Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?

Why would someone ask that question? Why would someone ask that question? Because there were only a few being saved. That's why they would ask the question. In spite of all the thousands of people who followed him, the question comes, are there only a few being saved? And he said to them, strive to enter, agonize to enter by the narrow door. For many, I tell you will seek to enter and not be able. This is the rich guy. Strive to enter, agonize to enter. In Luke 16, he says, those who enter the kingdom, they enter the kingdom violently.

They don't enter the kingdom in any other way other than with violence. Wow. And so Jesus says, strive to enter.

We already know that Matthew tells us that the way is narrow and straight as the gate and few there be that find it. And it's so hard to find because there's so few preachers preaching the truth about the kingdom. And if you happen to find one who does, when you get there, even fewer of the few who find it get into it. Wow. It just doesn't seem like the kind of gospel we've heard preached. So Christ says, strive to enter.

For once you finally find it, of the few that find it, even fewer get into it. You say, how do you build a church that way? How do you grow a church that way? Well, Jesus said that he would build his church. The gates of hell would not prevail against it. He says, I tell you, many will seek to enter and they won't be able to. This rich guy is seeking to enter the kingdom of God, but he won't be able to. It will help you understand why he won't be able to as we progress through the story. Jesus says, once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door saying, Lord, open to us.

Then he will answer and say to you, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. And he will say, I tell you, I do not know where you are from. He says, you better strive and enter. You better agonize to get in because once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, you can't get in any longer. Well, how do you know the door is shut? Well, if you die, the door is shut, right? If you die, the door is shut. That's obvious.

If you die without Christ, the door is shut. You never enter the kingdom of God. When Jesus returns, the door is shut. When he comes again. But there's also a time when Jesus just shuts the door because of your unbelief and your stubborn, hard heart. Where God says, it's impossible to renew you to repentance.

And you can't get in. So he says, you better get in while the opportunity is there, because there are going to be many people in hell who never thought they'd end up there. Do you think hell is filled with people who knew they were going there? On the contrary, hell is filled with people who thought they were going to heaven and they can't figure out why they're there. Lord, did we not, you ate in our presence. We fellowshiped with you. You taught in our streets. We were all about Jesus. And Jesus says, hmm, I don't know.

I don't know you. You see, that's what the rich young ruler is looking for. He's looking for eternal life. It's the life that's connected to God. So much so that you know God and God knows you. You know God intimately. There's a relationship between you and the living God of the universe. Your sins have been forgiven. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ is in you. You are in Christ. There is this relationship you have with deity. And these people were around Jesus. They were in his presence.

It's like people in the church today. They're around the people of God. They're around the presence of God, but they don't possess God. And Christ says, I don't know you guys.

Sorry. I don't know you. How can you not know us when we did everything for you and with you? Because Satan so easily deceives. And Christ is once again erecting all kinds of barriers when he presents the gospel. That's what Jesus does. Let me give you another illustration.

Turn to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. You know the story in John chapter 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000 men, which is really about 25,000 people. It's quite a miracle. It's recorded in all four gospels because it becomes absolutely pivotal to understanding Christ as the bread of life. And this is his first I am in John's gospel.

But he feeds all these people. And in the text it tells us that Jesus has to get away from them because they want to take him by force to set him up to be their king. They're thinking, wow, did you see what he just did? This is amazing. We can make this guy our king and we'll have no food worries. Everything will be good. But Jesus has to escape into a boat and leave. And then there's this miracle thing about Jesus walking on the water. You've heard that story, right? Well, the next day they end up at the shore and there is another group of people, the same group of people.

Pick up the narrative in verse number 22. The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one and that Jesus had not entered with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, rabbi, when did you get here? Now this is so good because they come seeking Jesus, but are they genuine seekers or are they superficial seekers? They're looking for Jesus. Have you seen Jesus? No, I haven't seen Jesus. Have you seen Jesus? No. Has anybody seen Jesus? Pray tell where is Jesus? They finally find him.

Rabbi, rabbi, when did you get here? How come you didn't tell us you were coming? We would have been here when you arrived. Listen to what Jesus says.

Truly, truly I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. You want to know why you seek me? You seek me because you're hungry. You were fed yesterday. This is a new day. You're hungry. You want something to eat. That's why you're here. You're not here because you want to give yourself to me. You're not here because you want to repent of your sins. You're not here because you want to embrace me as your Lord and Savior. You're here because you're hungry.

You want to be fed again. You're seeking me because of a superficial need. Verse 27, do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the son of man shall give to you for on him the father, even God has set his seal. They said therefore to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answers into them, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent. They said therefore to him, what then do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you?

What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the man in the wilderness as it is written. He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. You see yesterday's sign of feeding 25,000 people with a few fishes and a few loaves of bread was not enough. I would even venture to say that they're still picking the bones out of their teeth as they speak to Jesus, saying you know Jesus maybe you should give us another sign and feed us again because evidently that wasn't big enough and they're still picking the bones of the fish out of their teeth because they were blinded to the fact as to the identity of the one before them.

And here was Jesus listening to them having overwhelmed them with the miracles yet they did not believe and so he goes this long dissertation about he is the bread of life. Yeah you know what fetus like our fathers were fed in the wilderness. I mean they were fed for 40 years. You can at least that's a sign. Show us that one. Feed us for the next 40 years then maybe we'll believe that you're the Messiah. And Jesus wants to redirect their superficial thinking to help them understand that he is the bread that's come down out of heaven.

Their fathers ate of that temporary food. He is the eternal food. He talks to them about being the bread of life. And then it says down in verse number 48, I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the man in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread which comes out of heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. Can you imagine that? Your fathers ate and died. You eat this bread you don't die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.

The Jews therefore began to argue with one another saying how can this man give us flesh to eat? Jesus therefore said to them truly truly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up in the last day. I mean he's talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Now is that literal? No. It's metaphorical because it speaks of embracing everything about the messiah including his sacrificial death and the blood that he would shed.

Some people say well that refers to the communion table eating the flesh of Christ and and drinking his blood. Well it can't be that because communion was not yet a part of what the church was going to do. That's not till later. So he can't be talking about communion. You must understand that Jesus is talking to him about embracing everything he is and all he's going to do and as he goes on and talks about this eating my flesh and drinking my blood because he is the the the eternal life it says in verse number 59 these things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum and many therefore of his disciples when they heard this said this is a difficult statement who can listen to it but Jesus conscious that his disciples grumbled at this said to them does this cause you to stumble what then if you should behold the son of man is sitting where he was before it is the spirit who gives life the spirit the flesh profits nothing the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and our life but there are some of you who do not believe for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who it was that would betray him and he was saying for this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the father as a result of this many of his disciples are true and we're not walking with him anymore now again Jesus erects all kinds of barriers to those who are superficial seekers he is going to weed out those who are genuine versus those who are superficial that's what Jesus does he does it simply because he doesn't want people thinking they have eternal life when in reality they don't and so this man in Luke chapter 18 comes to Jesus and he comes to the right person he comes to the right source he comes to the one who is eternal life and asks how do I obtain eternal life now you can't condemn him for that because his whole life is about achievement it's about obtaining something that's what Judaism is it's all about the works-based system and the ironic thing is is that he has done everything that he knows to do and yet is still completely empty because no matter what you do you can't do enough to fill the void of emptiness in your soul and this man knows it what must I do to obtain eternal life I have spent my whole life doing and there must be one thing I've missed there's got to be one thing out there I've missed and Jesus you can tell me what that one thing is because I've seen your miracles I've heard your sermons you must be able to tell me that one thing I must do to inherit eternal life because eternal life is based on what you do according to Judaism that's why you ask the question he calls him good teacher and in Mark's account he runs up to him and he falls down the man has no qualms about embarrassing it he just runs up to him and falls down this well-respected leader of a synagogue this rich man who was young he comes running up to Jesus not worrying about what anybody else might say about him falls down and says pray tell good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and from the request of the ruler you come to the reasoning of the redeemer why do you call me good for no one is good except God you're gonna call me good if you call me good you must think at least I'm from God because only God is good and no rabbi was ever called good he couldn't be because only God himself is good good so he comes and Jesus capitalizes on his words using his words to take him where he needs to see where he stands with the living God now if you go back to Matthew 19 verse number 17 this is what Jesus says Matthew 19 verse number 17 why are you asking me about what is good there was only one good one who was good but if you wish to enter into life keep the commandments why would Jesus say that why would Jesus tell him if you want to have eternal life you must keep the commandments because we know that keeping the commandments doesn't get you to heaven so why does Jesus do that simply because Jesus knows all about Judaism and Jesus in essence says to him you know if you want eternal life you got to keep the commandments in other words you know what Judaism says you know what it says if you want to enter into life you got to keep the commandments so Jesus takes the Judaistic religion and says this is what you got to do based on what you believe based on what you believe you to enter into eternal life you must keep the commandments and then Jesus lists the second half of the Decalogue the ones that deal with your relationship with other people and what is the man's response he said verse 21 all these things I have kept from my youth really now think for a moment with me there is something about this that he believed was true I could probably agree that he probably did not commit adultery he probably didn't commit murder maybe he never stole anything maybe he did try to honor his mother and father the best he could but you see in Judaism they had to treat the law lightly they couldn't take it at face value because nobody could do that so they would have all kinds of of innuendos and addendums to the law to to prove that they were able to keep the law that God had given to them he had refused to see the law for what it is you see he believed that the law was a means of salvation the law was never meant to save you the law was meant to slay you to show you you can't keep it to show you that you are a sinner but in his system he believed that if he kept the law it would get him to heaven it was the means of salvation the law was never meant to be a means of salvation if you offend at one point you offend the whole law the law was designed to show you how inept in and how inadequate you are to even talk to God let alone get to God he failed to see the essence of the law and what it was designed for that he might come to a place of of repentance and he comes and says you know i haven't committed adultery i i have honored my mother and father i've done the best i could at that and i i've never stole anything and lord i never murdered anybody that's what the whole sermon of the mount is about with Christ he says you have heard that it was said you should not commit adultery and but i say to you that if you look at a woman and lust after you've already committed adultery in your heart you've heard that i've said don't murder but i say to you if you hate your brother you already are a murderer and so Christ would tell them about the hard attitude it's the it's the heart attitude that condemns you it's the heart that proceed from the heart murders adultery thefts mark chapter 7 so Christ says to him one thing you lack you can imagine the man really just one yep just one this one thing i'm looking for to change her life he's gonna give me the answer this one thing i gotta do to get eternal life he's gonna give me the answer and Christ says one thing you still lack Jesus gives him the benefit of the doubt he says okay you haven't murdered anybody you haven't stolen anything you've honored your mother and father and you haven't committed adultery okay i'll give you the benefit of that there's one thing you lack you might not see or sense your iniquity but you must see your idolatry you might not sense that you're iniquitous but you must see that you are idolatrous you gotta see that so he says one thing you still lack you can see the guy one thing one thing one thing what is it what is it what is it one thing one thing what do i get i'm gonna get it here it comes here it comes here it comes sell all that you possess distribute it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven come and follow me you could have said one thing you lack one thing salvation is not a work it's of grace it's a free gift just receive it okay i can do that i can do that i embrace it jesus didn't say that didn't say that one thing you lack you gotta believe that i'm the messiah you gotta believe that i'm god in the flesh doesn't do that either he doesn't do anything that we would do but what he does is always right he says one thing you lack you go you sell all your possessions you give it all away you distribute it to the poor and you follow me eternal life is yours now does selling all that you have save you no it doesn't does giving to the poor does giving to the poor save you ask mother teresa no it doesn't what saves you what saves you is doing everything that jesus says no matter what he says here's the essence and i'll close right here as to how you know he was a superficial seeker and not a true seeker because all true seekers have a conviction of sin a contrition of soul a confession of the lordship of christ and a capitulation to his sovereign control over their lives that's how you know this man was not convicted that he was a sinner but i've done all that there was no broken and contrite soul because the bible says that broken and contrite heart god will not despise there was no contrition in his life there was because there was no conviction in his life because there was no conviction there was no contrition because there was no contrition there was no confession that jesus is lord because if there's a confession that jesus is lord there is a capitulation a submission to everything he says no matter what he says and no matter when he says it that is salvation and that is a true genuine seeker because they would say whatever you say lord whatever you say that's what you want me to do that's what i'll do it's not that selling your possession saves you it's that whatever jesus says you're willing to do because you recognize him as lord you recognize him as king and you submit to his sovereign lordship and you say yes lord whatever you say i will do you see this man was on what he he did not see himself as iniquitous filled with iniquity he could not see himself as an idolater you see because he had another god what was his god money possessions you see you you can't come to christ and have another god you can't come to christ and have something more important to you than god you can't do that because you have erected in your heart someone or something higher than god and god is preeminent he must be the high and holy one of your life you've given your life to christ whatever you say lord that will i do because you are my god you're my lord you're my you're my king you're my master lord you're my savior you've saved me from my sin lord whatever you say that well that's what i will do this man wasn't even close to being there with him close he would leave empty-hearted because he would not submit himself to the lordship of christ as king of his life there was another god you see when christ said you know what your religion says keep the commandments so keep them don't commit adultery don't murder don't steal honor your father and mother i've done that he gave them the ones that were necessary not necessarily but a little easier to keep than the first four commandments you shall have no other gods before me hidden of the god that stood heads and tails above the one true god and that was his money his riches his possessions they reigned supreme in his life and he wasn't about that's why what should a prophet a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul for what will a man give in exchange for his soul will you exchange your god for me the true god will exchange will you exchange that relationship for me the eternal god is there something that you will not exchange for me if there is you cannot follow me you will not be saved you see jesus just made it so hard that's why people how hard it is to be saved it is because you got to fight sin you got to fight your own self you got to fight satan and everything society says about eternal life got to fight it all and when you do listen if you've been called by god if you've been called by god for the bible says no one seeks after god but god says all those that come to me come because the father draws them so if you've been drawn by god conviction of sin is not an issue contrition of soul not an issue confession christ as lord and savior not an issue and capitulation to the sovereignty of almighty god is never an issue it's not that's a genuine seeker versus a false superficial seeker where are you have you sought the lord and come to him broken over your sin recognizing that you're a sinner knowing that he is the only savior of the world and you come to him and say lord whatever you say that will i do for you are king and i follow you or you're one of those that just kick and scream every time god says i want you you're like i'm not doing that you're superficial you're not genuine one because genuine believers submit to the sovereign lordship of christ let me pray with you father god we thank you for today and the chance to spend in your word looking at this man who for all practical purposes looks on the outside like a true genuine seeker but in all reality was superficial for a push came to shove he was not about to give up that one thing that was his god his possessions they took up preeminence in his life and therefore he would leave completely empty as far as we know he would go off into a crisis eternity because he would never come to you on your terms our prayer lord is that there would be none like that today in this assembly as we gather together we would come based on all that you have said we pray in jesus name amen