Series: One Thing
Last week I shared a movie scene from the movie “City Slickers” in this scene in the movie we have one old cowboy and a city slicker who are discussing what is the main focus of life. In other words “What is the meaning of life?” and the old cowboy holds his finger up and says, “Life is about one thing and one thing only and everything else means nothing when you discover the one thing!” (paraphrase by me) The city slicker impressed and awed by the old cowboy’s wisdom says “What is the One Thing?” the old cowboy looks at him and says, “That’s what you have to figure out!”
So today and this last week I challenged you to find and focus on that “One Thing!” For many of you, you have discovered the “One Thing.” You have realized from your discovery that “One Thing” put everything else in your life into proper perspective. Some of you are still searching for that “One Thing” and today you came to service looking for it.
Please indulge me this morning and hold up your one finger and then look at it – remember that finger represents to you and everyone one of us here that “One Thing.” It’s your divine purpose for life, or your mission for your life, or we could say that “One Thing” is what matters most in your life! Look to the person next to you and say “I want to know what that One Thing is!”
The Bible in the Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John help to guide us to the “One Thing.” I discovered over 34 years ago what that “One Thing was, is and will be for my life!’ This discovery radically changed and transformed my life, it gave me new direction for my life and realigned my perspective in life. It was the greatest discovery of my life.
So where and how did I find my “One Thing” you may be thinking?
I discovered the “One Thing” through the “One Bible” which is the oldest holy book in the world. It’s “One message” as I read it from cover to cover pointed to “One man.” This last “One Holy week” which is celebrated by millions all over the world also points to that “One Man!”
The Gospel account paints for us a picture of this last “One Holy Week” and reveals to us the “One Man” who is able to help us discover the “One Thing for our lives.”
The Gospel account of Passover week – or Holy week tells us that “One Man” was sent to this earth for “One Mission.” from “One God.”
I. One Man fulfilled the One Mission from God
a. John 3:16-17 – The One Mission: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
i. Jesus did this with His life and His death!
ii. He is the One person in all of History who meets the criteria and fulfills all these prophetic verses.
iii. Jesus goes through Passion Week fulfilling Scripture after Scripture doing the exact thing He was called to do by the Father but in the end all the fans are gone.
b. That “One Mission” could only be fulfilled by this “One Man” there has been no one else in history who has ever fulfilled any let alone all of the prophetic verses from the OT. That “One Man” fulfilled 425 verses and showed the world and us that He is the One. For that “One Man” to fulfill only 8 of the prophetic prophecies of the Bible would have been a 1 in 100 Trillion chance of probability. This “One Man” fulfilled not just 8 but all 425 verses of the OT predicting who this “One” would be. This in and of itself reveals that “He has to be the One!”
c. The One is spoken of in John 1:14:14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
d. John the Baptist testified to this One:
i. John 1: 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
e. The One man Jesus sent from One God for One Mission to save the people of this earth from perishing and giving then the one great gift of a restored relationship with God the Father. The Jewish nation called this One the Messiah. Jesus meet the criteria with His birth, life, death and it all revealed that he was the One and Only. He came as the One Man who could fulfill this One divine mission and He was driven by One love.
f. His One decision in the garden opened the door to fulfill the One Mission:
i. Mark 14: Gethsemane
32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36“Abba, £ Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
g. His one decision led to His One cry which fulfilled the One Mission for you and I.
T.S. – The One Man sent from One God fulfilled His One Mission because He made One decision in the Garden of Gethsemane and this set Him on the final path to the One cry which fulfilled the One Mission.
II. The One Cry fulfills the One Mission
a. This cry revealed the exact time on the cross that the One Mission from God was fulfilled by Jesus
b. When Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” I heard a desperate cry of loneliness. I believe this was the worst and the most horrible moment of the crucifixion for Jesus. His one cry reveals to us the depth of His love and His suffering for us!
c. When we read Mark 15:33-39 we discover that it records only one cry by Jesus at the crucifixion. Mark’s Gospel is written from Peter’s view point and it only emphasizes one agonizing lonely cry. Jesus one cry of loneliness reveals the loss of His intimate relationship with the Father. Remember Jesus had never been out of God’s presence before and now he has to face isolation from the Father. We know from the Garden account that Jesus received His strength to follow God’s will because He was not totally alone. God “Abba” was with Him! His strength to say “yes” to the Father was associated with their close intimate relationship but now He is all alone.
d. Jesus one cry of loneliness also reveals the consequences of sin- separation from the Father.
i. As I watched the Passion the other day and I noticed that the darkness has settled in at this point, the physical agony is ripping at Jesus’ life. Then it happens it’s a flash flood of something foreign to His very nature. Sin enters into His sinless life. Yes, sin invades like a Cancer into His being and the horror of sin rushes over Him. The darkness of the day is reflective of the darkness that invaded the light of the world. Light has been invaded by the darkness and the loneliness of sin is setting in and Jesus cries out. Can you hear His cry today? Peter gives us insight into this moment in time again in 1 Peter 2:21-25 and tells us at this point in time the sin of the world invades Jesus life and he becomes the sacrifice to atone for all of our sins.
e. Jesus’ one cry reveals His love for us.
i. I want you to think about this for a moment. Jesus the Son of God chose to take upon Himself the sin of the world so that you and I could be set free. He did this for you and for me! Jesus’ most important personal relationship - the thing that He valued the most- was His relationship with His Father. But love drove Him to this point in time. Love made the cross possible so that you and I could gain the privilege of a personal relationship with “Abba” Father.
1. Our passage of Scripture ends with an observation by the soldier at the cross. He stood there and heard His one agonizing cry of loneliness and then saw how He died. He witnessed the darkness roll in and experienced the earth quake. It shook him to his core.
a. Scripture tells us that he heard His cry! He saw how He died! And it changed this soldier’s life! How do I know listen to what he says, “Surely this man was the Son of God !”
2. Let me ask you this question with the Easter season upon us, “Can you say surely this man was the Son of God?” If you can then understand it should change your lifestyle and the way you live!
III. The One cry leads us to the One special Day in History – One supernatural day – One resurrection which changed the course of History.
a. That one special day is what we celebrate today about 2,000 years later!
i. Millions around the world are celebrating this day with us!
1. Easter is the pinnacle moment for the Christian church and it gives authenticity to Christianity as the one true religion. Without Easter Christianity would be just like the other religions in the world. All the other religions in the world have a grave with their teacher in it. Christianity has an empty tomb, and empty grave, and empty cross. No other religion can testify that their leader, their founder is still alive today.
b. This day of the One Resurrection verifies that Jesus was the One.
i. His offer of love, forgiveness and grace for all those who believe in Him is put forth with His resurrected life.
ii. Grace defined: Is the unearned favor of God – brought to you and I by Jesus Christ’s death on a cross.
1. Swindoll states, “To Show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver “(9 ).
2. The Bible never gives a clear, concise definition of grace it only gives us living demonstrations of it through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus never used the word he just lived it. Then he gave it to us at the resurrection and said here it is “Do as I did!”.
3. Jesus came and brought freedom. He taught “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:32). Swindoll notes, “ Rigid, barren religion was, at last replaced by grace-oriented, relationship-liberating grace. His followers loved it. His enemies hated it …and Him. Without doubt, the earliest grace killers were the Pharisees” (8).
4. And you know what they are still around today trying to kill grace.
iii. Grace explained:
1. Swindoll “Please understand, to be justified does not mean “just as if I’d never sinned.” I hear that often and it always troubles me. In fact, it weakens the full impact of justification. Justification really means this: Even though I still sin periodically and have found myself unable o stop sinning on a permanent basis, God declared me righteous when I believed. And because I will continue to sin from time to time, I find all the more reason to be grateful for grace. As a sinner I deserve vengeance. As a sinner I’m afraid of justice. And so, as a sinner, my only hope for survival is grace. In its purest form, it makes no earthly sense “(45)!
2. Grace is what we stand in it surrounds us and keeps us from the harshness of judgment from sin.
3. Quest sheds some light on the importance of reality of sins presence.
a. Does sin ever quit? Romans 7:14-25: Not as long as this fallen world exists and our physical bodies remain. No, not until the final coming of God’s Kingdom. Sin will keep knocking at our door as long as we live in this broken, rebellious, twisted world. Paul says we have died to sin (6:2), that sin’s claim upon our lives has been broken. We do not have to give in to it. Jesus Christ breathes his Spirit into us (8:14), giving us the power to resist sin’s advances and live a strong, new life. But we must choose to resist sin. Every day. Every moment of every day (1559).
b. But for some chance we fall then remember your standing in grace. It’s there it’s real it forgives and restores. It’s undeserving but it’s free and it’s from HIM!
c. Grace is easy to receive just grab a hold of Jesus and then you grab a hold of Grace.
c. He solidified in History of the world that Christianity is the One way
T.S. – Let’s take a few moments this morning and see that Jesus is the One we need to not just be a fan of but really a committed follower of. We need to embrace His One way so that we enter in to that “One Thing.”
IV. The One Man with One Cry fulfilled the One Mission and opened the door for One special day and this confirmed the One Way into Heaven.
a. The one way to Heaven is achieved by radically abandoning everything you have and by giving it all to Jesus. Just like He did for you on the cross and at His birth.
i. Does your pride need to be abandoned?– Jesus the Son of God – God in the flesh - gave up the glory of Heaven so that he could build a road with His blood, sweat and tears for you to Heaven. The Bible tells me he humbled himself so that he could make the way for us to regain our relationship with God the Father like Adam and Eve initially had in the Garden.
ii. Does your life or lifestyle need to be abandoned? – Jesus struggles through the decision to give his life up for you and I in the Garden of Gethsemane when he said, “Lord, not my will but your will be done!” Yes, he chose to die to give up his life so you could have eternal life. He did it for you and me!
iii. Does your job/career need to be abandoned? – I am sure most people have never thought about giving up their job for the Lord but Jesus did that. I am sure he was trained by His earthly dad Joseph as a carpenter but their came a time in his life at age 30 when he gave up the carpenters shop for the ministry of restoring us to God the Father. Is your job holding you back from being a committed follower of Jesus?
1. Note: It did not hold back the disciples of Jesus they left their jobs and careers when called by Jesus and followed Him on His One Mission!
iv. Does your family need to be abandoned? – Jesus not only gave up his earthly job but he gave up his family too – they wanted him to come home. They actually thought he lost his mind but he had to be about His Father’s business and the Father’s business was saving you and I from the pits of Hell. It was to release the Love of God into the world to deliver us from our sins. As a result many in his family became mad at him even thought he was insane.
v. Does your possessions need to be abandoned? – Jesus gave up all earthly possessions to go fulfill His One Mission. He chose to forsake the things of this world for the things of Heaven just for you. So that you and I could see that things –possession will not help us find that One Thing. Things will never satisfy your soul, your purpose for life only Jesus can do that! The One Man who fulfilled His One Mission!
vi. Does your dreams need to be abandoned? – Can I remind you that Jesus did not leave Heaven and its glory to come to earth to give you the American Dream. Jesus did not die on the cross for your good life. He died to give you eternal life through Him –through His path. Your dreams can never reach the dream he has for you! His dream for your life is bigger than you could ever imagine.
1. David Platt states, “Amid the many faces of the American dream that contradict the core of the gospel, one ideal Americans have embraced coincides subtly with the words of Christ. As James Adams was coining the phrase ‘American Dream.” Franklin Roosevelt was emphasizing how Americans will postpone immediate gratification and even endure hard sacrifices if they are convinced their future will be better than their past. Americans are willing to take great risks, he said, if they believe it will accomplish great reward. In similar words Jesus said to his followers, ‘Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’ Jesus clearly acknowledged that following him involves risking the safety, security, and satisfaction we have found in this world. But in the end, Jesus said, following him leads to a radical reward that this world can never offer” (page 161, Radical).
vii. Does your will need to be abandoned? – Jesus gave up His will for the Father’s will that you should be saved – He agreed and allowed His will to be put aside so that you and I could gain the priceless treasure of Heaven.
1. Platt states, “The question, therefore, is not ‘Can we find God’s will?’ The question is “Will we obey God’s will?” (page 160).
2. I guess the answer to this question is what separates the Fans from the Followers!
b. So how do you really know if you are a follower of Jesus or just a fan? How do you know if you are on the one way path to Heaven?
i. Well first you need to evaluate your relationship with Jesus.
1. Is it casual or committed?
2. Is it convenient or inconvenient?
3. Does it take effort or no effort?
4. Do you meet regularly or sporadically?
5. Do you know something about each other or nothing about each other?
6. Has it moved past infatuation to admiration?
7. Is it a 2 hour weekend date or is it a 7 day a week 24 hour a day exclusive relationship?
ii. Second what would you say to Jesus if you had a face to face encounter with Him over coffee at Starbuck’s?
1. Would you say, “I like your sandals!”
2. Would you say, “I love your hair. I heard long hair is coming back in style!”
3. Would you offer to buy Him a coffee or a latte –like a Turtle Mocha with skim milk - hot? Or the cheap cup of coffee?
4. Would you be able to look Him in the eye – as you talked?
5. Would you be able to listen to what He had to say – or would you tune Him out?
6. Would you approve of His plan for your life or even your church? Or would you disagree with Him?
7. Would you be willing to “Stop” the path you were on to take a new position within His Kingdom? Would you do it for no pay and for long hours with a promise of blessings in another life time?
8. Would you be willing to give everything up to walk out the door with Him from that Coffee shop and be willing to follow Him wherever He takes you?
a. The answer to these questions above determines if you’re a fan or a follower!
b. Two thoughts we need to keep in mind in our spiritual journey:
i. Matthew 7:13-14: The Narrow and Wide Gates
13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
1. The road to Heaven is not as large as you think!
ii. Matthew 7:21-23: 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
1. Not everyone who says “Jesus is Lord, and I am a big fan” is going to get into Heaven!
a. It’s all about doing His will – not your will!
c. Warning: One of the greatest hindrances to people coming to know the One Thing from God is when people read the Scriptures and read what they believe rather than believe what they read.
i. John Bevere states it this way, “We allow our experience to interpret the word of God rather than allowing the word of God to establish truth” (Page 102, Driven by Eternity).
ii. This is what Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for. This is why they could not recognize that Jesus was the Messiah!
1. Dr. Nichols states, “There must be a difference between the knowledge that comes from the gathering of information, and that which comes by revelation. The Pharisees and Sadducees had the best information anyone could have in their day. If you asked them, they would tell you they were in touch with revelation as well. But when revelation of the fullness of God stood in front of them with skin on, they called Him Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24)…How can this be? How can people who are trained in the Scriptures, some of whom are even anointed by God to perform their ministry, deny the revelation of the Son of God? There is a kind of zeal in the teaching gift when it is not submitted to apostolic and prophetic authority that is destructive. This zeal combines itself with pride in knowledge to oppose what cannot be controlled. And Jesus could not be controlled by the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Neither could the apostles in the book of Acts…In Acts chapter 1, Jesus handed off the task of advancing the Kingdom to His followers” (Page 17, 18- Who’s In Charge?).
a. Notice Jesus did not hand off the Kingdom to His fans! Jesus hands the Kingdom of Heaven off to His followers – His committed followers! Those who were disciples!
Scripture Texts of the Resurrection of Jesus:
Matthew 28
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Luke 24
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8Then they remembered his words.
9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Conclusion:
David Platt in his book Radical challenges us with what it means to be a committed follower of Jesus:
But we don’t want to believe it. We are afraid of what it might mean for our lives. So we rationalize these passages away. ‘Jesus wouldn’t really tell us not to bury our father or say good-bye to our family. Jesus didn’t literally mean to sell all we have and give it to the poor. What Jesus really meant was…’ And this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are comfortable with. A nice, middle class, America Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream. But do you realize what we are doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our image” (Platt, page 13).
You cannot mold Jesus into your image if you do then you don’t have the real Jesus just an idol you formed for yourself.
Quote: Kyle Idleman from “Not a Fan”: “Fans are happy to follow Jesus as long as that doesn’t require any significant changes or have negative implications…There is no way to follow Jesus without him interfering with your life. Following Jesus will cost you something. Following Jesus always costs something.” He also adds, “They ordered a gospel that cost them nothing and offered them everything.”
Summary;
One God “Abba” Father sent
One Man - Jesus
To fulfill One Mission – The restoration of our personal relationship with Abba
Which was fulfilled with One decision Jesus willingness to “Father not my will but your will be done” and then One cry from the cross “My God, Mt God, why have you forsaken me!” then his one proclamation “It is finished!’
This One cry and One proclamation led to One special day in History – Resurrection Sunday Easter the day we are celebrating.
This One special day confirmed the One Way which means entrance into Heaven, the gateway to a everlasting life and a personal relationship with God the Father comes through believing on Jesus. To believe means you surrender your one and only life to Him and ask Him to be the One and Only Savior of your life. Upon this commitment to Jesus you quickly discover the “”One Thing“ for your life.
Jesus – The One Man revealed to us the One Thing through His One Cry and fulfilled the One Mission to bless us with the One Thing. The One Thing which he treasured the most was His personal relationship with “Abba” Father. His willingness to give that up for you and offer it to you as free gift from Him cost Him everything!
