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ONE THING
Many people think that having a lot of money would transform their lives
for the better.
The man who came to Jesus had everything – well, according to most
people’s ideas anyway. He was rich and he was young and he was a good
person.
But when he came to Jesus to ask for the secret of eternal life Jesus went
on to challenge the quality of his life.
1The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1984; Publsihed in electronic form by Logos Research
Systems, 1996 (electronic edition.) (Lk 18:18-30). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
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ONE THING YOU NEED He said…
“You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Sell everything
Give to the poor
Have treasure in heaven
Come, follow me…
Whatever it was the man wasn’t able to follow it – and he went away sad.
So…
Now that is obviously PART of the ONE THING – but it isn’t the one thing
that Jesus means.
It’s a measure of how much he was prepared to have the life. Not a
suggestion that he could somehow “buy” favour with God.
Obviously that is part of it too – but it’s not immediately clear how he is to
do that – except for giving away what he already has.
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11th November 2001 p.m.
So what really is the ONE THING?
Yes! There is only one way to God, one way to eternal life, one way to
heaven and forgiveness and lasting happiness – and the secret is in JESUS
Follow ME
Down through the years there’s been a witness in this building to this truth
that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who can forgive sins, change
lives, give real fulfilment here and in the life to come.
But as Jesus goes on to explain – in this man’s case it was hard for him to
enter the kingdom of heaven – because he was too attached to his
possessions. Like people today – he thought that held real happiness. He
could not turn his back on his way of life.
You have to forsake your own sense of self importance, any idea that you
can buy God’s approval with the way you live – you have to REPENT and
TURN and FOLLOW HIM.