Sermon
#53 Series: Matthew
Title: A Foolish
Question Graciously Answered
Text: Matthew 19:27-30
Subject: Christ’s Recompense to His
Followers
Date: Tuesday Evening - August 8,1995
Tape # R-64
Introduction:
After
seeing and hearing our Lord’s conversation with the rich young ruler, who
refused to give up all and follow Christ, the disciples appear to have had
another discussion about rewards and prominence in the kingdom of heaven.
Though Peter was the spokesman, he was clearly speaking for the rest of the
disciples. We know this because when the Lord answered his question we are
told, “Jesus said unto them” (v. 28) When Peter said, “Behold, we have forsaken
all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” it was as though he
said, “Master, we have done what the rich young ruler refused to do. What shall
be our reward for forsaking all and following you?” Foolish as the question
was, our Lord graciously answered it; and by it gives us much needed
instruction in the way of life and faith.
Proposition: Though the cost of following Christ may appear to be
very high, the reward of following him is infinite beyond measure, both in this
world and in the world to come.
I. Those who follow Christ must forsake all and follow him.
Faith in Christ is such a trust in him, such
a confidence in him that those who are born of God, those who are true
believers are in the totality of their lives committed to him. Faith in Christ
surrenders all to Christ. He is that Pearl of Great Price for which a person
gladly sells all that he has (Matt. 13:44-45).
Faith in Christ is not believing facts about Christ,
but believing Christ. It is not trusting that he will save you, but trusting
him. It is the surrender of my life to the rule, dominion, and disposal of the
Son of God. Until we can truthfully say,
“We have
forsaken all and followed thee,” we are lost, without life, without faith,
without hope, under the wrath of God.
“No man has truly given
himself to Christ unless he has said, ‘My Lord, I give thee this day my body,
my soul, my powers, my talents, my goods, my house, my children, and all that I
have. Henceforth, I hold them at Thy will, as a steward under thee thine they
are. As for me, I have nothing. I have surrendered all to thee.” – C.H.
Spurgeon
Faith in
Christ involves three things:
A.
The
Knowledge of Christ, His Person and Work – Hence the Necessity of Gospel
Preaching (Rom. 10:13-17)
B.
Assent
to God’s Revelation Concerning His Son (I John 5:1).
C.
Surrender
or Commitment of Myself to Christ The Lord.
II. That which most effectually keeps people from this commitment of faith
to Christ is the love of the world (Matt. 19:23-24; James 4:4; I John 2:15).
“No
man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt.
6:24).
Nothing
on the earth is more dangerous to a man’s soul than riches – (Matt. 13:22) Read
the Savior’s words again (vv. 23-24).
“Few
of our Lord’s sayings sound more startling than this; few run more counter to
the opinions and prejudices of mankind; few are so little believed; yet, this
saying is true, and worthy of all acceptation. Riches, which all desire to
obtain, - riches, for which men labor and toil… riches are the most perilous
possession!” – (J.C. Ryle)
Beware of the love of money! It is possible to use it
well and do much good with it. But few people do! For every one
that uses wealth for the glory of God and the good of men’s souls there are
thousands who make a god of their gold and serve it. Make sure you have treasure in heave.”
Money does not make a man good. Only
grace can do that. God does not measure a man by the money he has in the bank,
but by the grace he has put into his heart.
NOTE: Wealthy
people are not to be envied, but pitied!
Illus: Whitefield – “Pray for the
young man. He has incurred a very great temptation.”
III. Yet, we must never presume that the rich cannot be saved (Matt. 19:25-26).
God’s
grace is sufficient for the rich as well as for the poor. God the Holy Spirit
can cause even the riches of men to seek treasure in heaven. He can cause kings
to cast down their crowns at the feet of Christ. He can compel even rich men to
count all things but loss for Christ. Abraham was rich. Yet, he was the
father of the faithful. Job was rich. But he loved God. Moses was
rich. Still he followed Christ. David, Soloman, Jehashphat, Jesiah, and Hezikiah, all stand as monuments of
sovereign grace. They forsook all and followed Christ. When God gave them riches, they did not sit their hearts upon their wealth, but
used what God put in their hands for his glory. When God called for sacrifices, they made
them willingly.
Illus: Abraham and Lot. When God
took their wealth away, they did not murmur against him.
We
must carry the gospel to the rich and to the poor. God has his elect
everywhere. And “with God all things are possible!”
IV. Those who forsake all and follow Christ shall lose nothing for doing
so.
God’s people do not serve him for gain. Those
who preach the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel of greed are false
prophets. Let that be stated emphatically.
And those who attempt to inspire holiness, devotion and sacrifice among
God’s saints by the promise of reward in heaven betray a base falseness to
their own religion. Yet, I affirm, without hesitation, to you who have forsaken
all and do forsake all to follow Christ, that you shall incur no lose by doing
so – Neither in this world, not in the world to come.
I do not pretend that God will make you wealthy, or healthy, or even comfortable in a
physical, material sense in this world. Such a condition probably would not be
best for you or me. But I do make you this
promise in
the name of God, as you forsake all and follow Christ – “My God shall supply
all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19).
A. Our Lord promised his Apostles that in the world to come (The Regeneration), they
would sit upon twelve thrones judging (ruling over) the twelve tribes of Israel
(v. 28).
Frankly,
I have no idea what that means. It is nowhere explained in the Bible. But, as
there are different positions of service in the kingdom of heaven now, there
shall be different positions of service when God makes all things new.
NOTE: We
will all possess the full reward of grace.
But we will still be individuals with personal services to render to
Christ (See Rev. 4:9-11; 5:8-10).
B. All who have forsaken family and property for Christ’s sake, shall
receive an hundredfold in this world.
If
your family abandons you for your devotion to Christ, do not forget that you
have a father and brother in every believing man, a mother and a sister in all
the women of Christ’s kingdom.
If
your faith costs you property and possessions, do not fret. To be at home
everywhere is to be the richest person imaginable! To have family everywhere is
to be rich indeed!
C. Moreover, in the world to come, you who forsake all and follow Christ
“shall inherit everlasting life” – All the glory, bless, and joy of heaven!
·
John
17:5, 22
·
Romans
8:17
“They who lose all for
Christ will find all in Christ, and receive all with Christ.” – (C.H.
Spurgeon).
V. God does not view things as we do (v. 30).
God
is no respecter of persons. Many of those who are counted first by men, (the
wealthy, the learned, the powerful) are counted last by God. And those whom men look upon as nothings and
nobodies shall be first.
·
I
Corinthians 1:26-30