One Thing You Lack

Text: Mark 10:17-22

I.                   INTRODUCTION

A.      THE QUESTION OF LIFE

1.            Imagine, if you will, the young man in the crowd listening to Jesus’ discourse to the Pharisees about divorce.

a.     He’s hearing a voice speak, but, as I see it, he does not hear what the voice is saying.

(1)             His mind is preoccupied with a matter that is much more important than whether or not a man can divorce his wife.

2.            Then suddenly the atmosphere changes as mothers and fathers bring their little children to see the Master, this miracle-man, Jesus Christ.

a.     At first, His disciples do what they can to thwart the little children from disturbing the Master in the middle of such great imparted wisdom on such a weighty matter.

b.     Then, surprisingly, Jesus rebukes those men who were only trying to protect Him and save Him the trouble of being disturbed by noisy, nagging kids.

(1)             “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God,” Jesus commands his disciples.

(2)             Then, Jesus raises a little child into the air and declares, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”

(3)             Following such an important asseveration, Jesus “took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”

3.            All the while, there was a young man in the audience who was so preoccupied with his own personal salvation that he missed everything Jesus had just said.

a.     This is obvious, because immediately after Jesus had left that crowd pondering His words, this young man came running and kneeled to Him, asking, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

(1)             This is the question that must settle life and destiny.

(a)              This young man is eager in his quest for the one thing that makes life worthwhile.

(b)             This young man was seeking a Master and desired fullness of life and completeness of expression.

II.                 BODY

A.      EXEMPLARY IN CONDUCT

1.            One can’t help but be impressed with the richness of character revealed by this wealthy young man.

a.     His conduct was an exemplary one.

b.     His moral life was good and high in standard.

(1)             “All these things have I observed from my youth,” the young man told Jesus when Jesus quoted to him some of the Ten Commandments.

2.            This young man had led a decent, moral life – he had obeyed ALL of the Ten Commandments.

a.     It is true that the Ten Commandments, when obeyed, result in a clean life.

(1)             Here, they were kept in the social aspects, but the young man had failed in one particular.

3.            It is important that we all understand there is such a thing as Godless goodness.

a.     One may have a good life without being a Christian – without believing in God!

(1)             This is the danger in trying to box in what living for God is all about.

(a)              People want rules; they want standards – which is not at all a bad thing.

(b)             But they want to know what the “minimum requirements” are – and THAT is detrimental to salvation!

4.            You can be exemplary in your conduct, and still not be saved!

a.     Remember…

(1)             You don’t get good to get God;

(2)             You get God to get good!

B.       SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING

1.            He asked the question, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

a.     This question proves my earlier statement: people want to know what the minimum requirements are.

(1)             With far too many people, it is a mind-matter and not a heart-matter.

(2)             “Give me something I can analyze, scrutinize and anatomize, and I will then assess if it is worth the cost.”

(a)              My dear friend, serving Christ is not a HEAD-matter; it is a HEART-matter!

2.            But we must hand it to this young man…

a.     He was spiritually discerning enough to connect life with goodness.

(1)             He was religious enough to see this vital truth.

3.            After Jesus’ treatment of the children, the young man connected goodness with God.

a.     And, as Alexander MacLaren stated, “Either Jesus is ‘God manifest in the flesh,’ or He is not ‘good.’”

4.            This young man recognized who Jesus was, but he failed to see what Jesus was all about.

a.     It is a dangerous thing to recognize the WHO of Jesus, and overlook the WHAT and the WHY of Jesus.

C.       HIGH MORAL PURPOSE

1.            This whole meeting with the Master was the eager quest of this young man’s heart.

a.     It was the bent of his life.

2.            He asks Jesus, “What good thing shall I do?”

a.     In this young man we see no outward prodigal wasting his substance on riotous living.

b.     He is not a derelict!

3.            In this lawless and disrupted world that we live in today, we salute this kind of young man.

a.     He was the kind of young man most parents want their daughters to meet and possibly marry.

(1)             Morality is worthwhile, although not always Christian, though.

4.            In a day when we don’t find a “clean sinner” very often, it is refreshing to find one such as this young man.

a.     Clean.

b.     Moral.

c.      Upright.

d.     Well-thought-of in the community.

(1)             But just being good won’t save a sinner!

D.      COURAGEOUS

1.            This young man was very courageous.

a.     He “ran” to Jesus.

2.            In the East, this was unusual for a man of his position.

a.     Convention was defined, and social restrictions were cast aside.

(1)             He was in earnest!

3.            What a sight!

a.     This young man was daring much to come to Christ in this manner.

(1)             Would to God that we could have some young people who seem to have it all together, put everything down to come to Jesus!

4.            Chad Townsend, a young man from Haynesville, was just such a person.

a.     A young man who was perhaps the most popular young man in High School.

(1)             He was a starter on the football team.

(2)             He was a standout on the baseball field.

(3)             He was president of the student council, as well as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

(4)             And he was willing to risk his reputation to become all that God intended for him to become.

(a)              Perhaps there is one here today like Chad…

(b)             One who would be willing to give his or her life to Christ and take whatever anybody may have to dish out by way of ridicule and persecution.

E.        HONEST AND SINCERE

1.            The young man in our text today was honest and sincere enough to ask the Master, “What lack I yet?”

a.     It seemed that he had faced life’s demands and now knew what he desired most.

2.            He was ready to confess his need.

a.     There was no shirking here; and no hypocrisy.

(1)             Yet, when confronted by Jesus with the cost of his total commitment, he faltered – he failed.

3.            Listen: Sincerity and honesty are not enough to achieve the ideal.

a.     They are not enough when trying to “inherit the kingdom of heaven.”

4.            There is still something yet to be done…

III.              CLOSE

A.      THE LOVE, THE REALITY, THE MISTAKE

1.            It is obvious that Jesus loved him.

a.     Looking into the clear-cut face, Jesus saw the yearning of this young man’s heart.

(1)             He loved him for what he was and for what he might become.

2.            The Lord loved him for the noble characteristics of his life and the sincerity of his motives.

a.     He loved him as he sought the young man’s allegiance.

3.            There is not one among us who can compromise the call of Christ.

a.     Every one of us must face the same demands of conscience.

(1)             Go.

(2)             Sell.

(3)             Give.

(4)             Come.

(5)             Take.

(6)             Follow.

4.            These demands surprised this young man.

a.     They disturbed him.

(1)             He wanted eternal life; and Jesus told him the terms and conditions.

(2)             He wished to do something; and Jesus challenged him to do this.

(a)              You see, it is sometimes easier to do than to be; to work than to sacrifice.

5.            The young man found that his possessions possessed him.

a.     He was not really free after all!

(1)             Instead of keeping the Ten Commandments, he was unmasked as breaking their spirit and violating the First Commandment.

(2)             To love God supremely and wholly is the foundation of the moral law; and this he had failed to do.

(a)              He loved self more than he loved God.

6.            The climax of this story is tragic.

a.     We are warned as we read, “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

7.            He lacked one thing – just ONE THING.

a.     He lacked the self-control of Jesus Christ.

(1)             He had the letter of the Law, but he missed the spirit of the Law.

(2)             He lacked the one thing that would have given meaning, purpose, direction, and salvation to life.

(3)             He wanted Jesus, but on his own terms.

8.            He could have gone away rejoicing in the final satisfaction of life’s quest, instead he went away sorrowful.

B.       ALTAR CALL

1.            How will you leave here this morning?

a.     Will it be with great joy?

(1)             Or will it be with sadness in your heart because the price is too high to pay?

2.            Won’t you come?