The rich young ruler was asking - What do I do? What a question! Others have asked this in the Scriptures:
• Pilate Matt 27:22, Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?
• Paul - Acts 9:6, And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
• Philippian Jailer, Acts 16:30, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
I. The Seeking Ruler vs. 17- Luke 18 says he was a ruler
A. He Came with an Eager Attitude
1. He came Running
2. He was Respectful
3. He was Rich - Vs. 22
B. He Came at the Expedient Time
1. Jesus was there!
2. Many believe this was a younger man - Ec 12:1
C. He came to the Essential Person - Ac 4:12
D. He asked an Erroneous Question - what must I do? - 1Jo 5:12
II. The Savior’s Response
A. His Declaration of His Deity vs. 18
B. He Distinguished His Depravity vs. 19
C. He Discerned the Deception vs. 20
1. His Confidence
2. His Condition
D. He Demonstrated His Desire, Jhn 3:16, 1 Jhn 4:19, Rom 3:23
III. The Sinner’s Remorse
A. Remorse instead of Repentance
1. John Bunyan once said -"Wilt thou have thy sins and go to hell
or leave thy sins and go to heaven"
2. Jesus did not say riches keep someone from being saved
3. He had to TURN to Christ.
B. The Sadness of His Departure – 2Co 7:10, Lu 19:5, Lu 19:8
Conclusion: The Door of Salvation – Camel through eye of needle –then who can be saved?
•The Eye of the Needle –small door next to gate
•At sunset or on the Sabbath, the gates would close, keeping travelers with camels out, though ordinary people could come and go by the smaller door.
•Some would try to get camels through the small door, difficult, but not impossible.
•The Entrance of the Camel - A picture of every man
- The animal had to be small - Pride removed, humility
- The load had to be taken from his back - Only Jesus can remove
our burden of sin
• The camel had to go on knees-a sign of submission, Rom 10: 9-10
• Jesus is the Door - vs. 26-27, Re 22:17, Re 22:17
Most will not have an opportunity at death. Countless stories are told about those that enter eternity suddenly, or those that have rejected Christ for so long that when death is knocking at their heart’s door, they have no desire to be saved.
God has brought you here today – Will you turn from what controls you and really trust Christ, or will you leave sorrowful in despair without Christ.
Pr 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day
may bring forth.
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away.
Child of God, have we taken for granted the redemption of our souls? Will we sit idly by while others are perishing? Do we care for the lost?
Disclaimer: A man once told me that if it is true, it is not new. If it is new, it is not true. We all know there is nothing new under the sun. With that said, I glean ideas for my sermons from God’s Word, my own thoughts and work, and many other sources. Any similarity to my sermons and others, where credit is not given, is either coincidental, or an unintentional mistake on my part. As none of us have a corner on the wisdom and teaching of God’s Word, it is my desire that any of my outlines be an encouragement, a help, and hopefully a motivation for others to preach God’s Word clearly. Please feel free to use any portion of my sermons if they can be of help to you and your ministry. I purposely include a skeleton outline, and not my full text, for this purpose. It is all for His Glory.
