Don’t Waste Your Life, Don’t Turn from God

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

We have one life and one opportunity to accept the great blessing God has presented to us. Let us not waste this chance and opportunity.

Introduction

This week, I want to share a familiar passage of scripture with all of you from Luke 18:18-25.  This scripture shows another ruler who came to Jesus, as he, like Nicodemus, sought eternal life.  However, this ruler made a frightening choice in his life that many are making today that I must preach about because so many of us are choosing to waste an opportunity and waste our life.

One Life, One Opportunity

Every last one of us has only this life to live, and therefore, all of us have only one opportunity to make the best of it.  

However, there is a question that must be asked and answered:  How does one make the best of life?  What does one do to make the best of life?

Some would suggest that, to live one’s best life, one should set out to do all the things they dream of doing.  For some, this means traveling and partying their hearts out.

Others will suggest that, to live one’s best life, one has to become wealthy.  The idea is that when one becomes wealthy, they will lack nothing and not live in need of anything.  Now, what’s most interesting about these thoughts is that both life and scripture have repeatedly shown us that such a lifestyle aren’t the blessing that many of us make it out to be.

Let’s take, for example, the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable, who I do believe lived in the world (Luke 15:11-32).  Jesus said that there was a son who took his dad’s blessing, left home, and lived the kind of life where he partied hard.  However, the son’s life became a miserable life after he wasted the blessing that his dad gave to him by living prodigally (wickedly/sinfully).

There once again was Solomon, who had all the riches and women that any man could want, yet he cried out in misery how such a life was vanity, warning others not to live as he once did.

Then, there was the church filled with the kind of ‘believers’ whom the Lord said He would vomit out of His mouth (Rev. 3:14-18).  The church I speak of was the church of the Laodiceans.  

God rebuked the Laodiceans for living the “I’m rich and need nothing more” kind of life.  In His rebuke, the Lord said that the Laodiceans were wretched, miserable, spiritually poor, and blind.  Making matters worse is that God said the Laodiceans were so blinded by their wealth that they didn’t even recognize the condition of their soul.

Making the best of life is not about being rich, obtaining and having many possessions, as the devil would have you believe.  To live our best lives, the Lord presents us with the same opportunity that He presented to the Laodiceans:  “Come to Me, buy from Me”

Why Do You Seek the Kingdom

So, again, as I mentioned in my opening, we see where another ruler, like Nicodemus, came to Jesus.  Why did this ruler come to Jesus?  Scripture plainly gives us the answer:  He said to Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life (Luke 18:18)?”

I don’t know if it fascinates you as it does me, with these “rulers” coming to Jesus.  Now, Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a spiritual ruler of the Jews.  The scripture implies that this young man must have also been a kind of spiritual leader, as he was one who proudly stated that he kept the commandments, going all the way back to his youth.

The question that comes to my mind about both of these rulers coming to Jesus about the kingdom of heaven is this:  Why does one seek (or desire) to enter the kingdom of heaven?  Why do you seek to enter the kingdom of heaven?

Personally, I seek the kingdom of heaven because I desire to know and to dwell in that promise of eternal peace and joy, where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4).  I seek the kingdom today because I desire for my anxieties and worries to be taken away so that I may have peace of mind in a stressful world.  You see, I seek the kingdom because I know that the world cannot bless me with such; that blessing only comes from the Lord!  

I feel the question that all believers must answer is not about whether or not we want to go to heaven, but why we want to go to heaven and why we seek the kingdom.  

A Wasted Life

In his response to the rich young ruler about inheriting eternal life, Jesus brought up the commandments focused on loving one’s neighbor by not murdering, stealing, bearing false witness, and honoring one’s mother and father (Luke 18:20).

After the young ruler said He had kept such commandments from his youth, Jesus circled back to the first and great commandment to present the choice of life to the ruler.  Jesus instructed the young ruler to sell all he had and distribute to the poor.  Then Jesus told the young ruler to “Come, follow Me (Luke 18:22).”

Jesus presented the young ruler with the same opportunity that He presented to the apostles when He told them to follow Him.  Jesus presented the young ruler with the same opportunity He presented to Nicodemus when Jesus told him that one must be born again.  

Moreover, Jesus presented the young ruler with the same opportunity that He presented when He preached to the people, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).”  Again, Jesus presented the young ruler with the same opportunity that He presented to the scribes and Pharisees when He told them that He came to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous (Luke 5:31-32).

So, how does one live a wasted life?  Luke 18:23 tells us that the rich young ruler became very sorrowful (sad and distressed).  Matthew 19:22 adds that in his sorrow, the rich young ruler turned and went away from Christ because of his great possessions.  I want you to understand that this young ruler wanted eternal life, but he chose not to give up his earthly riches for eternal life in God’s kingdom!

This is how one wastes their life:  Turning down the opportunity that Christ presents.  When one turns away from Christ, one is turning away from the one who said that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  Understand, when Christ says that He is the life, He is not talking about this physical life, but the life that will go beyond this physical world!

When one turns away from Christ, one must understand that they are turning away from the one who promises to receive believers unto Him so that we may have life everlasting with Him in His kingdom!  Turning away from Christ leads to eternal death and condemnation.

What Is Greater Than Heaven?

You must take into consideration whether what you are choosing to live for and give your life to is worth more than the kingdom of heaven.  For the rich young ruler, his earthly treasures were greater than God’s kingdom!  In fact, his earthly riches had rule over him and kept him from the kingdom!  

So, yes, we must certainly take into consideration whether there is anything we’re putting more value into than the kingdom of heaven, because what is there that is greater than heaven?  Are earthly riches greater than the kingdom? Are our ways better than the kingdom?

Jesus often compared this world to the heavenly kingdom to help one to understand how much greater the kingdom is than this world.

Matthew 13 is filled with parables of Jesus repeatedly saying that the kingdom of  is like this and that.  Ultimately, Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is the kind of treasure that one ought to sacrifice everything for.  One ought to sacrifice their ways for the kingdom.  One ought to sacrifice the earthly treasures for the kingdom.

How great is the kingdom of heaven?  I want you to consider the fact that God gave His only begotten Son to be the atonement offering so that we can inherit His kingdom.  How great must the kingdom be for God to give His only begotten Son so that we can dwell there?

We find a truly great comparison between the kingdom of heaven and earth in Matthew 6:19.  Jesus pointed to earthly treasures, saying that they are destroyed by moths and rust.  The larvae of moths are what eat through the plants of our precious gardens, destroying them.  Rust is what corrodes iron and metals that contain iron.  

Even our most precious jewels, like sterling silver tarnishes over time.  Even our gold jews, because they aren’t totally pure, also tarnishes over time.  Jesus, when pointing to the earthly treasures, was pointing at the clock on the wall; time is always ticking in this world, and as we know, time is undefeated.

Earth is fading away, whereas the prepared place is eternal – there will be no death, sorrow, crying, or pain because sin won’t be there to affect the kingdom.

So, again, I ask, what is there that is greater than God’s kingdom?  Jesus asked, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul (Mark 8:36)?”  Truly, is gaining a temporary world, its riches and happiness, worth more than eternal joy?

I cannot waste my life for riches that are here today and gone tomorrow!  I cannot give up my soul for riches that won’t get me into the kingdom and that I cannot take into the kingdom!

The One Whom God Let’s Go

Whether you realize this or not, you are a ruler.  What I mean by this is that you have authority, rule over the choices that you make in life.  As we know, the choices that we make over our life matter, especially when it comes to God and His kingdom.  

The rich young ruler represents a large swath of people who have lived, live today, and will live tomorrow.  They are a people who I am truly concerned for, and I want to share why it is that I am concerned for them.  

As we saw earlier, the rich young ruler put material possessions over the kingdom of God.  As I said earlier, he was ruled by his possessions, and they led him from the Lord.  There are many today who are ruled by their possessions and by their hunger to crave more wealth and riches.  If you are one who values earthly riches over the treasures of heaven, I need you to pay close attention to what I share with you next.

There is something that is truly unique to the rich young ruler that you will not see happen to anyone else in Scripture.  In Scripture, you will never see where Christ turned anyone away from Him.  There are times when Jesus would be witty, drawing out one’s confession of faith.  However, Christ never outrightly turns anyone away from Him.

However, there is one man in Scripture whom Jesus permits to walk away from Him – the rich young ruler.  Again, I will reference Matthew 19:22, which tells us, “When the young man heard [Jesus telling him to sell all he had and follow Him], he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Neither in Matthew, Mark, nor Luke’s gospel will we see that Jesus called out for the young ruler to turn around and come back.  I want this thought to sit with you for a moment:  God desires for one to come to Him, but He let the young ruler walk away without even calling for him to come back.  In fact, Jesus turned to the apostles and said to them that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom (Luke 18:24).

Why is it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom?  Their trust is not in the Lord, but rather, it is in mammon (the world).  The rich have submitted themselves to their riches, and they believe their riches make them righteous.  

This is a scary thought to think of to me:  God letting one walk away from Him and not attempting to call one back to Him.  God is faithful, and if you choose to turn away from the opportunity He presents to you, God is faithful to let you go your way.

As Paul said in Romans 1:22-32, those who are wise in their own eyes and disregard His wisdom are those whom the Lord gives over to a debased mind.  When one is committed to turning from the Lord in their heart, the gospel will no longer reach them; they have stopped up their ears and turned from the truth.  Such a one cannot and will not be saved.

What’s truly sad about this is this thought: what does such a one live for?  The fruits of a temporary world?  The fruits that will only provide a temporary happiness?  Is that truly worth living for?

Make Your Life Count for Something

Jesus asked, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  Gaining temporary riches is not worth being eternally separated from the Lord.  

Again, I say to all of you today:  God did not make mankind so that we can live for a temporary world and a temporary happiness.  No, the Lord has a greater joy in mind for all of us, and I believe that joy is worth living for.  I believe that if you’re going to live this life, make it count for something greater than this world.

Do not turn from God.  Don’t turn from the opportunity of life that the Lord has presented to us through His only begotten Son.  If you choose to let go of this world, its riches, and follow Christ, the Lord will welcome you home.  

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, one who was once a religious leader of the Jews, is proof that the Lord welcomes a spiritual transformation.  Nicodemus took what Christ had taught him and was there to claim His body on the day He gave His life for the world.  Paul, a religious zealot who persecuted the church and called himself a chief sinner, is proof that the Lord welcomes your spiritual transformation and will transform you.  

Nicodemus made his life count by living to know the Lord.  Paul made his life count by living to glorify the Lord.  Make your life count by living to know and glorify the Lord, and He will life you up – He will exalt you.