Today’s message
Read and reflect
The rich young ruler was the kind of young man many churches would gladly put on the front row.
Young. Rich. Respectful. Morally disciplined. Spiritually interested.
He did not come to Jesus to argue theology. He ran to Him.
He did not stand there feeling important. He knelt.
He was not asking for another business connection, visa breakthrough, marriage prophecy, or seven keys to financial enlargement. He asked about eternal life.
And when Jesus mentioned the commandments, the young man could confidently say, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”
Ah! What a church member!
No scandal.
No notorious lifestyle.
No obvious moral disaster.
If he lived today, his Christian CV would be impressive:
Born again? ✓
Morally responsible? ✓
Respects spiritual authority? ✓
Interested in heaven? ✓
Financially comfortable? ✓
Knows the commandments? ✓
Even Jesus looked at him and loved him.
But then came the divine audit:
“ONE THING THOU LACKEST.”
That sentence should frighten comfortable Christianity.
Because apparently, you can have many things right and still have one thing dangerously wrong.
THE ONE ROOM JESUS CANNOT ENTER
Jesus touched the young man's possessions because his possessions had quietly taken possession of him.
The issue was deeper than money.
Jesus was exposing lordship.
The young man wanted Jesus as Saviour, but discovered that Jesus also came applying for the position of Lord.
And that vacancy was already occupied.
Money was sitting comfortably on the throne.
This is where Christianity becomes uncomfortable.
We happily sing:
“I surrender all!”
But heaven sometimes replies:
“Are you sure? Should we bring the file?”
Because some of us have surrendered everything except the thing God is actually asking for.
We surrender Sunday morning, but not Monday's business practices.
We surrender our voices to the choir, but not our tongues when gossip arrives.
We surrender our offering, but not our unforgiveness.
We surrender our Facebook profile to inspirational Bible quotations, but our private messages are another denomination entirely.
We shout “Jesus is Lord!” in church, while money, sex, ego, ambition, relationships, tribal prejudice, bitterness, secret addictions, and public reputation hold cabinet positions in our hearts.
Then Jesus whispers:
“One thing thou lackest.”
GOOD CHRISTIANITY CAN STILL HIDE AN IDOL
Notice something disturbing.
Jesus did not accuse this man of adultery, murder, stealing, or fraud.
His crisis was hidden beneath respectable morality.
That is why this passage speaks loudly to today's Christian.
Our greatest spiritual danger is not always the sin everybody can see.
Sometimes it is the idol wearing church clothes.
You can preach and still lack surrender.
You can prophesy and still lack character.
You can give generously and still lack forgiveness.
You can know Hebrew and Greek and still lack love.
You can carry Bishop, Apostle, Prophet, Reverend, Professor, Doctor and enough titles to make your complimentary card need an extra page and Jesus can still look beyond the titles and say:
“There is still one thing.”
Christian maturity is not measured merely by how much of the Bible you know, but by how much authority the Christ of the Bible has over you.
WHEN JESUS TOUCHES YOUR FAVOURITE THING
Everybody loves surrender until God points at something specific.
Abraham could surrender many things, but God said, “Take now thy son… Isaac.” — Genesis 22:2.
Peter had his fishing business, but Jesus said, “Follow me.” — Matthew 4:19.
The rich ruler had wealth, and Jesus touched wealth.
God often touches the area where our hearts have quietly written:
PRIVATE PROPERTY , GOD, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER.
Your “one thing” may not be money.
It may be that relationship you know dishonours God.
It may be pride that makes apology impossible.
It may be unforgiveness you have renamed “wisdom.”
It may be greed you call “being financially smart.”
It may be lust you have baptized as “just being friendly.”
It may be dishonesty you describe as “how business is done in Nigeria.”
It may even be ministry ambition disguised as “kingdom vision.”
Whatever we rename, God still recognises.
HE WENT AWAY SAD
Perhaps the saddest part of Mark 10 is not that the man was rich.
It is that he met Jesus, heard the truth, was loved by Jesus, and still walked away.
«“And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
— Mark 10:22»
Imagine possessing something so tightly that when Jesus says, “Choose Me,” you choose the thing.
He came running.
He knelt sincerely.
He asked intelligently.
He listened respectfully.
But when obedience became expensive, his enthusiasm developed network problems.
That is the tragedy of Christianity without surrender.
We can run to conferences, kneel at altars, cry during worship, fall under anointing, collect prophetic declarations, and still rise from the floor carrying the same idol home.
Beloved, the proof of encounter is not merely that you fell down before Jesus.
It is what you are willing to leave behind when you stand up.
WHAT IS YOUR “ONE THING”?
Jesus looked at the young man and loved him.
That matters.
His correction came from love, not rejection.
Likewise, when the Holy Spirit exposes something in us, He is not trying to destroy us. He is uncovering what may eventually destroy us.
So perhaps today's prayer should not merely be:
“Lord, give me what I lack.”
Perhaps it should also be:
“Lord, show me what I refuse to surrender.”
Because sometimes the greatest obstacle between us and spiritual maturity is not something we need to receive.
It is something we need to release.
You may have ninety-nine admirable qualities, but never allow the remaining “one thing” to become the door through which your spiritual life collapses.
Young. Rich. Respectful. Morally disciplined. Spiritually interested.
He did not come to Jesus to argue theology. He ran to Him.
He did not stand there feeling important. He knelt.
He was not asking for another business connection, visa breakthrough, marriage prophecy, or seven keys to financial enlargement. He asked about eternal life.
And when Jesus mentioned the commandments, the young man could confidently say, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”
Ah! What a church member!
No scandal.
No notorious lifestyle.
No obvious moral disaster.
If he lived today, his Christian CV would be impressive:
Born again? ✓
Morally responsible? ✓
Respects spiritual authority? ✓
Interested in heaven? ✓
Financially comfortable? ✓
Knows the commandments? ✓
Even Jesus looked at him and loved him.
But then came the divine audit:
“ONE THING THOU LACKEST.”
That sentence should frighten comfortable Christianity.
Because apparently, you can have many things right and still have one thing dangerously wrong.
THE ONE ROOM JESUS CANNOT ENTER
Jesus touched the young man's possessions because his possessions had quietly taken possession of him.
The issue was deeper than money.
Jesus was exposing lordship.
The young man wanted Jesus as Saviour, but discovered that Jesus also came applying for the position of Lord.
And that vacancy was already occupied.
Money was sitting comfortably on the throne.
This is where Christianity becomes uncomfortable.
We happily sing:
“I surrender all!”
But heaven sometimes replies:
“Are you sure? Should we bring the file?”
Because some of us have surrendered everything except the thing God is actually asking for.
We surrender Sunday morning, but not Monday's business practices.
We surrender our voices to the choir, but not our tongues when gossip arrives.
We surrender our offering, but not our unforgiveness.
We surrender our Facebook profile to inspirational Bible quotations, but our private messages are another denomination entirely.
We shout “Jesus is Lord!” in church, while money, sex, ego, ambition, relationships, tribal prejudice, bitterness, secret addictions, and public reputation hold cabinet positions in our hearts.
Then Jesus whispers:
“One thing thou lackest.”
GOOD CHRISTIANITY CAN STILL HIDE AN IDOL
Notice something disturbing.
Jesus did not accuse this man of adultery, murder, stealing, or fraud.
His crisis was hidden beneath respectable morality.
That is why this passage speaks loudly to today's Christian.
Our greatest spiritual danger is not always the sin everybody can see.
Sometimes it is the idol wearing church clothes.
You can preach and still lack surrender.
You can prophesy and still lack character.
You can give generously and still lack forgiveness.
You can know Hebrew and Greek and still lack love.
You can carry Bishop, Apostle, Prophet, Reverend, Professor, Doctor and enough titles to make your complimentary card need an extra page and Jesus can still look beyond the titles and say:
“There is still one thing.”
Christian maturity is not measured merely by how much of the Bible you know, but by how much authority the Christ of the Bible has over you.
WHEN JESUS TOUCHES YOUR FAVOURITE THING
Everybody loves surrender until God points at something specific.
Abraham could surrender many things, but God said, “Take now thy son… Isaac.” — Genesis 22:2.
Peter had his fishing business, but Jesus said, “Follow me.” — Matthew 4:19.
The rich ruler had wealth, and Jesus touched wealth.
God often touches the area where our hearts have quietly written:
PRIVATE PROPERTY , GOD, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER.
Your “one thing” may not be money.
It may be that relationship you know dishonours God.
It may be pride that makes apology impossible.
It may be unforgiveness you have renamed “wisdom.”
It may be greed you call “being financially smart.”
It may be lust you have baptized as “just being friendly.”
It may be dishonesty you describe as “how business is done in Nigeria.”
It may even be ministry ambition disguised as “kingdom vision.”
Whatever we rename, God still recognises.
HE WENT AWAY SAD
Perhaps the saddest part of Mark 10 is not that the man was rich.
It is that he met Jesus, heard the truth, was loved by Jesus, and still walked away.
«“And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
— Mark 10:22»
Imagine possessing something so tightly that when Jesus says, “Choose Me,” you choose the thing.
He came running.
He knelt sincerely.
He asked intelligently.
He listened respectfully.
But when obedience became expensive, his enthusiasm developed network problems.
That is the tragedy of Christianity without surrender.
We can run to conferences, kneel at altars, cry during worship, fall under anointing, collect prophetic declarations, and still rise from the floor carrying the same idol home.
Beloved, the proof of encounter is not merely that you fell down before Jesus.
It is what you are willing to leave behind when you stand up.
WHAT IS YOUR “ONE THING”?
Jesus looked at the young man and loved him.
That matters.
His correction came from love, not rejection.
Likewise, when the Holy Spirit exposes something in us, He is not trying to destroy us. He is uncovering what may eventually destroy us.
So perhaps today's prayer should not merely be:
“Lord, give me what I lack.”
Perhaps it should also be:
“Lord, show me what I refuse to surrender.”
Because sometimes the greatest obstacle between us and spiritual maturity is not something we need to receive.
It is something we need to release.
You may have ninety-nine admirable qualities, but never allow the remaining “one thing” to become the door through which your spiritual life collapses.
Reflection
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
What if the greatest danger to your walk with God is not what you don't have—but the one thing you have that you cannot surrender to Him?
What if the greatest danger to your walk with God is not what you don't have—but the one thing you have that you cannot surrender to Him?
Prayer
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, search me beyond my public Christianity. Expose every hidden throne in my heart. Show me the “one thing” I defend, excuse, rename, or refuse to surrender. Deliver me from a Christianity that follows You only when obedience is convenient. Give me grace to choose You above money, relationships, ambition, pleasure, reputation, bitterness, and self. May nothing You have given me ever become more precious than the Giver. I receive grace to take up my cross and follow You completely, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Your brother,
Woli Abiodun Adesida, PhD
CAC Ibudo Ona Abayọ.
Onaabayo.org.ng
Lord Jesus, search me beyond my public Christianity. Expose every hidden throne in my heart. Show me the “one thing” I defend, excuse, rename, or refuse to surrender. Deliver me from a Christianity that follows You only when obedience is convenient. Give me grace to choose You above money, relationships, ambition, pleasure, reputation, bitterness, and self. May nothing You have given me ever become more precious than the Giver. I receive grace to take up my cross and follow You completely, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Your brother,
Woli Abiodun Adesida, PhD
CAC Ibudo Ona Abayọ.
Onaabayo.org.ng