Here are my sermon notes for the Parish Eucharist
at All Saints Birchington on
Sunday 8th July at 10 am:
Gospel : Matthew 19:16-26
THE RICH YOUNG RULER
1. SEE HOW FIRMLY HE BADE FOR HEAVEN 16-19
a. The Seeker's Serious Address. 16
No kidding - he really wanted to know. He was polite. He was not asking for
temporal things (healing, etc.) but for eternal things - everlasting life. He
acknowledged Christ's status as Teacher and His quality as Good.
b. The Saviour's Searching Answer. 17-19
Did he understand that Jesus is LORD (i.e. GOD)?
Did he understand himself to be a sinner?
2. SEE HOW FATALLY HE BAULKED FROM HEAVEN 20-22
a. He was Baulked by the Pride of his own Achievements. 20
He had no sense of sin; only of pride. Someone once told my friend Sidney May
that he had not consciously sinned for three months. Sidney told him, "Why,
you must be proud." "O yes I am!", he replied....
This rich young ruler had no sense of repentance; only of self-righteousness.
b. He was Baulked by the Power of his own Possessions. 21-22
He was rich in goods but not in grace. Jesus said "Follow Me". "For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake
He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9). The
youngster would not empty himself as Jesus emptied Himself (Phil 2:5-11).
3. SEE HOW FREELY CHRIST BOUGHT HIM FOR HEAVEN 23-26
a. Mission Impossible. 23-25
You can get animals to jump through paper hoops; but through the eye of a
needle? This is ridiculous! Who then can be saved?
b. Admission Now Possible. 26
With Christ all things are possible. "'Tis mystery all, the Immortal dies."
(compare Matthew 20:28).
So it's 'follow Me, for "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"' (John 14:6).
_______________________________________________________________________________
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
