Listen To Him

Living an "almost" life versus an "all-in" life in Christ is a profound challenge that we face as we journey in faith. Today, we explored this through the encounter between Jesus and the rich young religious leader in Luke 18. This young man, despite his wealth, status, and moral standing, was not fully surrendered to God. He was seeking to earn eternal life through his achievements, asking Jesus, "What must I do?" rather than "Who must I follow?" This reflects a transactional relationship with God, rather than a transformative one. Jesus challenges him to sell all he has and follow Him, highlighting that true discipleship requires surrender, not just adherence to rules.

This story is not just about wealth; it's about what owns us. For the young man, it was his possessions, but for others, it might be control, fear, or comfort. Jesus calls us to identify and surrender that "one thing" that holds us back from being fully committed to Him. This is not about stripping away joy but about setting us free to experience true treasure and joy in Christ. The call to go "all-in" is a call to grace, where we trust in God's way rather than our own achievements.

The journey from "almost" to "all-in" is about moving from a divided heart to one fully surrendered to God. It's about living with a heart where godly love rules everything, not perfection of performance but perfection of love. Jesus assures us that those who give up for the sake of the kingdom will be repaid many times over, not in a prosperity gospel sense, but in the joy and freedom found in full surrender to God. As we partake in communion, we are reminded of this call to surrender, to open our hands and receive God's grace and love.

Key Takeaways:

- The rich young leader's encounter with Jesus challenges us to move from a transactional to a transformative relationship with God. It's not about what we do to earn eternal life but about who we follow and surrender to.

- True discipleship requires identifying and surrendering the "one thing" that holds us back from being fully committed to Christ. This is not about losing joy but about gaining true freedom and treasure in Him.

- Going "all-in" is a picture of grace, where we trust in God's way rather than our own achievements. It's about living with a heart where godly love rules everything, not perfection of performance but perfection of love.

- Jesus assures us that those who give up for the kingdom will be repaid many times over, not in material wealth but in the joy and freedom found in full surrender to God.

- The journey from "almost" to "all-in" involves a heart fully surrendered to God, where we are fully available to Him, experiencing the joy of following Jesus by letting go and giving our life away.