DOES IT REALLY PAY TO SERVE JESUS?
Jerry Vines
Matt. 19:23-20:16
11/17/96
This story which Jesus tells us here answers the
question - does it really pay to serve Jesus? When
Jesus told stories they were earthly stories with a
heavenly meaning and they were always tied to real
life. Jesus never was in the realm of the
theoretical. Jesus always dealt with the practical.
So, when He told a story He told it in the setting of
something that was going on at that time.
To get the setting of this particular story you
have to go back to the 19th chapter and the 22nd verse
and notice there the account of the rich young ruler
who had come to Jesus and had gone away sorrowful
because he had great possessions. That's one of the
most meaningful, one of the most moving accounts in
all of the Bible about a young man who came to Jesus
and said, "What must I do to be saved?" Jesus saw
that money had an improper place in his life and he
said to him basically that he had to turn away from
that in order to come to Him. The young man was
unwilling to do so. So, as the rich young ruler walks
away, there stands Jesus and the disciples and they
have very different reactions to what goes on here.
The Lord Jesus looks at this young man as he
walks away and He is saddened by it. Jesus saw the
potential of the young man. Jesus saw what that young
man could be by the saving grace of God. The tragedy
of the young man was not that he possessed wealth, but
rather that wealth possessed him. So, he makes a
decision on the basis of the material. He chooses
gold over God. He chooses luxury over the Lord. In
that is a tragedy. When Jesus sees this rich young
man walking away -
I. Jesus Makes An OBSERVATION.
You find His observation in verses 19:23 and
following. Jesus said, "Verily, I say unto you that a
rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven. (that is, with difficulty) And a ...
Jerry Vines
Matt. 19:23-20:16
11/17/96
This story which Jesus tells us here answers the
question - does it really pay to serve Jesus? When
Jesus told stories they were earthly stories with a
heavenly meaning and they were always tied to real
life. Jesus never was in the realm of the
theoretical. Jesus always dealt with the practical.
So, when He told a story He told it in the setting of
something that was going on at that time.
To get the setting of this particular story you
have to go back to the 19th chapter and the 22nd verse
and notice there the account of the rich young ruler
who had come to Jesus and had gone away sorrowful
because he had great possessions. That's one of the
most meaningful, one of the most moving accounts in
all of the Bible about a young man who came to Jesus
and said, "What must I do to be saved?" Jesus saw
that money had an improper place in his life and he
said to him basically that he had to turn away from
that in order to come to Him. The young man was
unwilling to do so. So, as the rich young ruler walks
away, there stands Jesus and the disciples and they
have very different reactions to what goes on here.
The Lord Jesus looks at this young man as he
walks away and He is saddened by it. Jesus saw the
potential of the young man. Jesus saw what that young
man could be by the saving grace of God. The tragedy
of the young man was not that he possessed wealth, but
rather that wealth possessed him. So, he makes a
decision on the basis of the material. He chooses
gold over God. He chooses luxury over the Lord. In
that is a tragedy. When Jesus sees this rich young
man walking away -
I. Jesus Makes An OBSERVATION.
You find His observation in verses 19:23 and
following. Jesus said, "Verily, I say unto you that a
rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven. (that is, with difficulty) And a ...
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