One Thing Missing: From Riches To Following Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: The Missing Tomatoes in Our Obedience

A craving for completeness often reveals what’s absent. Like a dish missing its key ingredient, our spiritual lives can appear outwardly whole yet lack the one thing God requires. The rich young ruler kept commandments yet clung to wealth, exposing his divided heart. Jesus’ call to surrender everything wasn’t about poverty but about exposing misplaced trust. Eternal life demands full allegiance, not partial compliance. What looks complete to us may still lack the surrender God desires. [38:11]

“And when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
(Luke 18:22, KJV)

Reflection: What “tomatoes” might Jesus point out in your life—the one area you’ve withheld from full surrender? How does partial obedience keep your faith from being the complete offering God desires?

Day 2: Running to Christ with Urgency

The rich young ruler ran to Jesus, knelt, and asked the eternal question—but urgency alone cannot replace obedience. His posture of haste and humility masked a heart unwilling to act. True pursuit of Christ requires more than eager questions; it demands costly answers. Like a plane mid-flight adjusting for turbulence, our faith must course-correct when God reveals what’s missing. Eternal life is not a self-help project but a surrender to divine interruption. [44:59]

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
(Mark 10:17, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you rushed to Jesus with questions but resisted His answers? How might urgency without obedience leave your spiritual journey incomplete?

Day 3: The Cost of Holding Back

Sorrow follows when we value possessions over presence. The rich young ruler’s grief revealed his true treasure—wealth, not Christ. Like 99 cents missing a penny, his obedience was almost complete but eternally insufficient. Jesus’ challenge exposed how earthly security had become his idol. What we refuse to release doesn’t just limit our giving—it blocks our receiving of God’s greater promise. [35:12]

“And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”
(Luke 18:23–24, KJV)

Reflection: What sorrow do you feel when considering full surrender? What earthly “penny” have you prioritized over the complete dollar of God’s kingdom?

Day 4: The Danger of Almost Enough

Self-reliance disguises incompleteness as adequacy. The ruler’s claim—“All these have I kept”—masked his reliance on performance over grace. Like flooring missing one plank, almost-obedience cannot bear eternity’s weight. Jesus’ call to sell possessions wasn’t about poverty but about dismantling the illusion of self-sufficiency. True discipleship begins where our “enough” ends. [53:14]

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5–6, KJV)

Reflection: Where does your obedience still depend on personal effort rather than Christ’s sufficiency? How might “leaning on your own understanding” keep your faith incomplete?

Day 5: The Completeness Found in Christ

Eternal life isn’t a recipe we perfect—it’s a gift we receive. Where the rich young ruler saw loss, Jesus offered gain: heavenly treasure and His presence. The “finished” work of the cross means our spiritual dish lacks nothing when anchored in Him. Like a potter reshaping clay, Christ transforms partial obedience into whole devotion when we yield. [01:12:05]

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
(John 19:30, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you strived to “complete” your salvation through works? How does resting in Christ’s “it is finished” transform your understanding of true spiritual wholeness?

Sermon Summary

Luke 18 brings a certain ruler to Jesus with the greatest question a man can ask: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The man comes running, kneeling, and calling Jesus “good master,” and Jesus stops him right there because words matter when a soul is standing before God. Christ is not denying who He is. Christ is pressing the man to see whether he is only looking for a teacher with information, or whether he is standing before God Himself.

The missing ingredient becomes the picture for the whole matter. A plate can have the pasta, the spinach, and the salmon, but if the tomatoes are missing, the dish is incomplete. A person can have religion, morality, position, riches, and even urgency, but if the one thing Christ requires is missing, the soul is still not right. Ninety nine cents does not make a dollar. One missing piece of flooring leaves the job unfinished. One thing can matter very much to God.

Jesus leads the ruler to the commandments, not because commandment keeping can save a man, but because the law exposes the heart. The ruler says he has kept those commandments from his youth, but Jesus puts His finger on the hidden idol. “Yet lackest thou one thing.” His riches were not the problem by themselves. Abraham had riches, and God did not condemn Abraham for that. The love, trust, and grip of those riches were the problem. The man heard “sell all,” but he missed “treasure in heaven” and “come, follow me.”

The word of God is kind enough to expose what is missing on this side of eternity. God does not stay quiet when a soul is missing the mark. Christ knows where the tomatoes are missing, and Christ gives power for what He commands. Religion says, “Do this.” Christianity says, “It is finished.” Eternal life is not just a beautiful place. Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son whom He has sent.

Jesus’ call leaves the matter urgent. A man does not have forever to respond. The rich young ruler walked away sorrowful, but no soul has to walk away from Christ that way. The missing thing can be found in Christ. The Potter knows the shape, the form, and the model, and that model is Christ Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

1. One thing can leave life incomplete The missing tomatoes show how close something can look to right while still being unfinished. The rich young ruler had many visible pieces in place, but Jesus saw the one thing that ruled his heart. God’s kindness is shown when He names what is missing before eternity closes the door. [40:41]
2. Christ exposes hidden trust with mercy Jesus did not attack riches as evil in themselves, but He touched the place where the man’s trust had settled. The command to sell all was not cruelty, but surgery. The soul’s response to exposed truth reveals whether Christ is truly Lord or only a useful teacher. [68:19]
3. Head knowledge cannot inherit life The ruler came asking what to do, as though eternal life could become another achievement on the wall. Christ showed that salvation is not a self project and not a religious trophy. Knowledge must become life through surrender to the Savior who gives what He commands. [54:47]
4. Eternal life is knowing God Eternal life is not merely going to a better place after death. Jesus defines it as knowing the Father and knowing the Son whom the Father sent. That knowledge is fellowship, nearness, and firsthand life with God, not secondhand religion. [65:26]
5. Now is the time to respond God still speaks while breath remains in the body. The word can still search, reveal, and fix what is missing today. After death, there is no purgatory and no second repair, so the soul must seek the Lord while He may be found.

## [76:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:09] - Thanksgiving and Family Reunion Hope
[33:49] - Luke 18 and the Missing Ingredient
[37:06] - The Olive Garden Illustration
[40:17] - The Rich Young Ruler’s Missing Thing
[44:24] - Complete Obedience Before God
[44:40] - Running, Kneeling, and Asking Jesus
[49:46] - God Draws Souls to Christ
[53:42] - Head Knowledge Is Not Salvation
[56:34] - Calling Jesus Lord Must Mean Obedience
[60:11] - Jesus Leads Him to the Commandments
[62:44] - Jesus Sees the Hidden Idol
[67:24] - Riches Are Not the Issue
[71:26] - Religion Says Do, Christ Says Finished
[73:48] - Respond Before Eternity Comes

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 18:18-30
“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” [34:19]

Mark 10:17
“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” [45:11]

John 17:3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Exodus 20:3
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Observation questions

In Mark 10:17, what three actions show how seriously this man came to Jesus, and what question did he ask? [44:54]
In Luke 18:20-22, which commandments did Jesus mention first, and what one additional command did He give after the ruler claimed he had kept them all?
What details in Luke 18 show that the ruler had many things in place outwardly, yet was still missing something essential? [40:41]
In Jesus’ words to the ruler, what promises were attached to surrender: “treasure in heaven” and “come, follow me”? [01:08:33]

Interpretation questions

Why did Jesus respond to “Good Master” by saying that none is good except God? What was He drawing out of the man’s understanding of who stood before him? [57:23]
Jesus led the ruler to the commandments even though commandment-keeping cannot save. How does that show the law’s role in exposing confidence in self rather than trust in God? [01:00:41]
Exodus 20:3 says there must be no other gods before the Lord. How do Jesus’ words to the ruler show that riches had become more than possessions and had become a rival trust? [01:08:19]
John 17:3 says eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. How does that deepen the meaning of salvation beyond simply going to heaven after death? [01:05:26]

Application questions

A life can look very complete on the outside and still be missing one thing before God. What is most tempting to rely on for spiritual confidence right now: morality, church involvement, knowledge, money, reputation, or something else? [43:14]
The ruler came wanting to know what to do, as if eternal life could become one more achievement. Where is there a tendency to treat faith that way personally, as a project to manage instead of a Savior to trust? [54:47]
Jesus put His finger on the place where the ruler’s trust had settled. If the Lord were to expose one hidden rival in the heart today, what might it be, and what makes it hard to let go? [01:07:24]
The ruler heard “sell all,” but seemed to miss “treasure in heaven” and “come, follow me.” When obedience feels costly, how can the heart be trained to see what is gained in Christ rather than only what is surrendered? [01:08:36]
Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. What would it look like this week to pursue that kind of real fellowship with Christ rather than settling for secondhand religion or bare head knowledge? [01:06:17]
Christ does not only command; He gives power for what He commands. Where is help needed to obey something already made clear, and how can that need be brought honestly before Him? [01:12:43]
There is still time to respond while breath remains. Is there anything that has been delayed in obedience, repentance, or surrender that should not be put off any longer? [01:16:42]

Sermon Clips

65s

#FaithAlone

“``these men was so used to religion. Let me tell you. Every religion of the world has to do with a do deal. You have to do this. You have to do that. No. The only work you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ according to John six thirty three. That's the only work God expects us to do, that we believe in him whom God has sent. Hallelujah. That's the only work. Apart from that, you believe that what Jesus did on the cross is a done deal. Hallelujah. That's the difference between religion and Christianity. Religion says do this, Christianity says it is finished. Hallelujah! Because Jesus says it is finished and he gave up the ghost. There's nothing else you and I can do to be saved and be in the right standing with God but to believe in Christ Jesus.”

74s

#DontMissHeaven

“What is missing in your life? Is there an ingredient that is missing? Hallelujah. Only god knows. But let me tell you, you don't have to walk away from Christ sorrowful. And we don't even know if that man repented or not. I mean, some people believe that's the man that, you know, cry in hell. I don't know if that's true or not, but, you know, we don't know if he repented. We don't know if he changed his mind and turned to God before he die. But if he didn't turn to God before he die, you know, he didn't make it. Thank god that we're still on this side of eternity. And if something is missing, we can do something about it. I could have said something to that way today. Where's my tomatoes? But I didn't. When it comes to eternal life, if god is pointing out something to me when I'm lacking, I wanna do it. Because I don't wanna miss heaven over one thing. I do not.”

48s

#OneThingMissing

“Jesus knew what was holding these men back. Jesus knew the tomatoes. Jesus was able to see the pasta, the spinach, the salmon, but he knew he was missing the tomatoes. And Jesus says, you have everything, but you lack one thing. You lack one thing. Notice that the way we respond to the word of God, when the truth touches the hidden things of the heart will determine whether we inherit life in the presence of god or not. That will be our choice how we respond.”

50s

#HeartOverRules

“Notice how Jesus responded to the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Notice that Jesus did not say, you don't have to do anything. Notice that Jesus didn't say, eternal life is completely free. Just believe in me and receive god's gift. Notice that Jesus did not lead him in the sinner's prayer. Instead, he led him to the 10 commandments. He led him to the word. We all know that obeying the commands man manments won't get anyone into heaven, but the 10 commandments expose the prideful heart of man, taking away every confidence of self righteousness.”

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Crossroads Assembly of God Taylor Texas This sermon · AI assistant

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