SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation

Give To SermonIndex
Text Sermons : R.A. Torrey : The Rich Young Ruler Mark 10:17–27

Open as PDF

(Compare Matt. 19:16–26; Luke 18:18–27)
DISCOVERY OF THE FACTS

1. Possessing Many Things, Yet Not Satisfied, vv. 17–20
What did the young man who came to Jesus have? Did all these things save him? Will they save anyone? What question did he put to Jesus? What did that question imply? Can any man get eternal life by doing? (Gal. 2:16; Ro. 6:23.) Did Jesus in His reply “Why callest thou me good?” mean to imply that He was not good? (John 8:46; 14:30; 8:29.) What was the purpose of this reply? If Jesus was good, what more also must He have been? To what did Jesus point the young man? Why did He send him to the Law? (v. 17; Ro. 3:20.) Whom does Jesus send to the Law? Whom does He send to the Gospel? (1 Tim. 1:15.) What does Matthew tell us Jesus added to His citations from the Ten Commandments? (Matt. 19:18, 19.) What did the young ruler reply? Was that true? Was he sincere? Was he satisfied? (Matt. 19:20.)
2. Lacking One Thing and Lost, vv. 21, 22
How did Jesus regard him? Was Jesus pleased with him? (Ro. 8:8.) Did Jesus love him any more than He did the woman who was a sinner who came to Him? Had he any less need than the woman? What appealed most strongly to the Saviour’s love? (Luke 15:4.) Why did He then love the young man? Did Jesus’ love for the young man keep Him from dealing very plainly with him? What did He tell him? Is it very important to lack one thing? What was the one thing that he lacked? What was Jesus’ purpose in telling him to sell all his goods and give to the poor? Does this command hold for all who would follow Jesus? (Luke 14:33.) Why did Jesus call upon him to give up his wealth? Does Jesus usually call upon those who would come after Him to give up something? What is it that Jesus always puts His finger upon, and says: “Will you give that up for me?” What is the only thing that will make it easy to give up all for Jesus? (2 Cor. 5:14, 15.) How is the only way to get that love that makes it easy to give up all for Him? (1 John 4:19.) Are we saved by loving, or is our loving the result of being saved? (Luke 7:47, 50.)
What did Jesus tell the young man would be the result of selling all? Which is the best place to have treasure? (Matt. 6:19, 20.) Was “Go sell, and give to the poor” all that Jesus bade the young man do? Would the mere selling, etc., amount to much in itself? (1 Cor. 13:3.) What was the effect of Christ’s answer on the young man? Did he really love his neighbor as himself? Did he have great possessions or did they have him? What did he get by coming to Jesus? What did he miss by turning away from Jesus rather than give up his treasures? Did he keep those treasures very long? Can men today keep very long the things that they are not very willing to give up for Christ? (1 John 2:17.) Did the young man want eternal life? What did he want more? Was that a wise choice? Is it a common one?
3. The Dangers of Wealth, vv. 23–27
What general lesson does Jesus draw from this incident? Is there any special peril in riches? (Prov. 30:8; Matt. 13:22; 1 Tim. 6:9, 10.) Is it only those who are rich who fall into a snare? Are there any persons nowadays who are willing to run the risk? What petition of the Lord’s prayer would they do well to bear in mind? (Matt. 6:13.) Are there many rich men saved? (1 Cor. 1:26; Jas. 2:5, 6.) What was the effect of Christ’s words upon the disciples? How does He explain them? (Mark 10:24.) Is a man who has riches likely to trust in them? Do any others trust in them?
What strong figure does Jesus use to illustrate the impossibility of a rich man entering into the kingdom of God? How did the disciples express their amazement? Why did they ask this question? What is God’s answer to their question? (Ro. 10:13.) How does Jesus meet their perplexity? Is it possible for God to save a rich man? Can anything but the special grace of God save a rich man? What does a rich man, then, need to do if he would be saved? In face of all the insurmountable barriers in the way to eternal life, what is the one all-comforting thought? (Gen. 18:14.)
CLASSIFICATION OF TEACHINGS

1. Jesus
His divinity, 18; humanity, 21; recognized as a good man and authoritative teacher by one who did not recognize His divinity, 17, 18; will not accept the ascription of goodness from one who does not recognize His divinity, 18; demands that men understand the real purport of the titles they ascribe to Him, 18; demands that those who would be with Him hereafter follow Him here, 21; loves men who are lost and don’t know it, 21; deals very plainly with those whom He loves, 21; sends the self-righteous to the Law that they may find that they are sinners, 19–22; exposes to men the imperfection of their professed observance of the Law, 21; points out to men their unrecognized but fatal lack, 21; knows just what our idols are and demands their surrender, 21.
2. The Rich Young Ruler
(1). What he had:
Great possessions, 22; position, Luke 18:18; culture, Luke 18:18; exemplary morality, 20; noteworthy amiability, 21; intense earnestness, 17; undoubted sincerity, 17, 21; great moral courage, 17; recognized piety, Luke 18:18; noble aspiration, 17; benevolence, Luke 18:18; was not satisfied, Matt. 19:20; lacked one thing and that lack of only one thing was a fatal lack, 21.
(2). What he lacked:
A supreme love for Jesus; he was willing to do much at His bidding (17) but not anything and everything (21, 22); loved one thing more than Christ and was not willing to give it up at Christ’s bidding, 21, 22.
(3). What he did:
Ran to meet Jesus, 17; kneeled to Jesus, 17; inquired the way of life from Jesus, 17; made his boast in the Law, 20.
(4). What he was:
Was mistaken in his professed observance of the Law, Matt. 19:19; compare vv. 21, 22; loved by Jesus, 21; shown the way of life, 21.
(5). What he was told to do:
Sell all he had, 21; give all to the poor, 21; “Follow me,” 21.
(6). What he was promised:
Treasure in heaven, 21.
(7). The result:
He went away sorrowful, 22.
(8). The reason:
He had great possessions or his great possessions had him, 22.
3. Riches
A source of great peril, 23, 25; must be held subject to Christ’s will and surrendered at His bidding, 21; trusted in, they exclude from the kingdom of God, 24; expended at Christ’s bidding, they bring heavenly treasure, 21; are oftentimes chosen at cost of eternal life and treasure in heaven, 21, 22.






©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy