One thing is certain my life. If I am at home, work or at church there always seems to be just one more thing that needs to be done before it is complete. Do you live in the same world? I think we have all been there. Just one more thing before I can finish.

It reminds me of a story we find in Luke Chapter 18 of a certain young ruler who asked Jesus “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The young man asked a good question. What must I do? Are we just like the young ruler who wanted to know what to do? Many times we ask God questions thinking we know the answer before we ever ask the question. You see we think we already have it figured out. The young ruler was thinking the same thing. Jesus answered, “You know the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. As Jesus went down the list you could see the confidence of the young man growing and growing. I know he was thinking “I got this.” “This is a cake walk.” You can punch my ticket now.

However when you think you have got it all together, there is still just one more thing to do.

That one thing seems to always hit us right in the place where we were not prepared. Jesus said to the young man, “You still lack one more thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” You see that one more thing always seems to come down to what I have not done. We want to focus on and tell the world what we have done. I have been a church member for 20 years, I sing in the choir, I work in the nursery or perhaps you say I am a deacon. All these things are vary good, but there is always one more thing that has to be done for you to completely follow Christ and most of the time it comes down to what you have not done. Maybe you have not been as regular at church as you should. Maybe we just pay an entertainment fee instead of our tithe.

For the young ruler, he had to give up some things. He had to decide if he wanted his stuff now or his treasures in Heaven later. God never asks you to do something that you cannot do. When God asks you to give up something, it is because He has so much more in store for you. The young man decided that the one thing Jesus asked for was too big of a hurdle for him to make. What one thing is keeping you away from Jesus? God has a plan for your life and He wants us to walk with Him. He wants you to follow Him.

Jesus told the young man “Then come follow me.” God is a moving God. Either you are moving with Him, or you are moving against Him. Jesus’ plan is for us to move with Him. Remember it takes just one little thing to mess up a beautiful plan.

See you right here next month.
God Bless You
Pastor Jimmy Rust