2025 11 23 Sunday Service Desire Is Not Enough

Think out of the box: that’s where transformation begins. Today I called us to honest self-reflection and to face a hard truth—desire is not enough. We all desire good things—breakthrough, peace, purpose, joy, a better life—but desire alone never changes anything. If desire changed lives, gyms would be full and Bibles would be worn out. Desire is a spark, not the fire. The fire is lit when desire meets decision, obedience, and surrender.

We walked with three stories. First, the rich young ruler wanted eternal life, but not enough to surrender what owned his heart. He desired Jesus and control at the same time—and left sorrowful. Some of us want peace but won’t release the habits that steal it; we want purpose but won’t lay down pride. You cannot receive what you refuse to release.

Second, the man at Bethesda desired healing for 38 years, yet his desire got buried under excuses. Jesus gave three commands—get up, pick up your mat, walk—action-language, not wish-language. When desire met obedience, healing came. Many stay stuck not because God is silent, but because we keep waiting at the pool instead of rising at His word.

Third, three would-be followers in Luke 9 desired Jesus but refused the cost. Comfort over calling won’t do. The “but first” gospel delays obedience into oblivion. Split desire—half Jesus, half the old life—produces neither disciples nor fruit. Following Jesus requires urgency, not “someday.”

We ended with a picture: Charles Blondin over Niagara, a wheelbarrow on the rope, and a cheering crowd that believed with their mouths but wouldn’t get in. Jesus is not asking for applause or admiration. He is asking, “Will you follow Me?” Today is a moment for desire to become decision: to surrender what owns your heart, to silence excuses with obedience, to trade “but first” for “now,” and to move from clapping to following. He is enough. He is better. He is worth it.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Desire starts; surrender changes everything. Desire points you toward God, but surrender actually hands Him the keys. The rich young ruler loved the idea of eternal life yet would not loosen his grip, and sorrow followed him out the door. You cannot take hold of Christ’s life while clinging to your own lordship. Release is the path to receiving. [07:53]
• 2. Obedience turns waiting into walking. The pool at Bethesda shows how excuses can paralyze even sincere longing. Jesus’ commands—get up, pick up your mat, and walk—call desire into motion. The miracle often meets us only after we move at His word, not before. Start with the step He already made clear. [14:14]
• 3. Kill the “but first” gospel. “Lord, but first…” sounds responsible, yet it disguises delay as wisdom. Obedience postponed becomes disobedience practiced, and our spiritual muscles atrophy while we plan to begin. Grace doesn’t wait for us to get good; it meets us and makes us new. Trade “later” for “yes.” [19:54]
• 4. Halfhearted faith bears no fruit. Split desire—half toward Jesus, half toward the old life—produces neither roots nor fruit. Divided hearts keep us busy but barren, religious but unchanged. God wants all of you, not because He’s a taker, but because only undivided devotion can carry His life into the world. [24:33]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:29] - Desire Is Not Enough
• [03:41] - Three Biblical Case Studies
• [04:23] - Prayer for Guidance and Trust
• [06:28] - The Rich Young Ruler
• [10:03] - The Man at Bethesda
• [13:33] - Get Up, Take Your Mat, Walk
• [17:43] - Three Would-Be Followers in Luke 9
• [19:54] - The “But First” Gospel
• [22:36] - Urgency at the Crossroads
• [24:33] - Split Desire Produces No Fruit
• [25:50] - Blondin and the Wheelbarrow
• [30:28] - Not Applause—Actual Following
• [32:27] - Today: Desire Becomes Decision

Bible reading (ESV)
- Matthew 19:16–22
16 And behold, a man came up to him, asking, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

- John 5:1–9
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

- Luke 9:57–62
57 As they were going along the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Observation questions (3–4)

1. Read Matthew 19:16–22. What exactly did the rich young ruler claim to have, and what did Jesus specifically ask him to do that exposed what truly owned his heart? [07:53]
2. Read John 5:1–9. What three commands does Jesus give, and how does the man’s earlier explanation (“I have no one…”) function as an excuse rather than an answer? [13:33]
3. Read Luke 9:57–62. What three different responses to Jesus are recorded, and what verbal clue shows that each person desired Jesus but stopped short of following? [19:54]
4. Consider the Charles Blondin story in the sermon. What did the crowd’s shouting “We believe” but refusing to get in the wheelbarrow illustrate about the gap between admiration and commitment? [29:05]

Interpretation questions (3–4) — phrased in third person

1. Why would Jesus require the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and follow, rather than simply affirming his moral record? What does this say about the relationship between possessions and allegiance? [07:53]
2. What does the pattern of Jesus’ commands at Bethesda (get up, take up your bed, walk) indicate about how divine initiative and human obedience interact in the process of healing or change? [14:14]
3. When Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom,” what kind of divided attention or delay is he condemning? How does that counsel sharpen the idea of urgency in discipleship? [22:36]
4. The sermon tied “desire” to a spark and “decision/obedience/surrender” to the ongoing fire. How should that metaphor shape a church’s expectations for visible fruit and commitment among its people? [25:50]

Application questions (5–7) — specific and personal

1. Identify one possession, habit, or priority that you sense is “owning your heart” (the thing you aren’t willing to release). What is one concrete step you will take this week to loosen your grip (e.g., sell, set boundaries, confess to an accountability partner)? [07:53]
2. Name one long-standing need or dream you’ve been “waiting at the pool” for. What is the single, practical first step Jesus is calling you to take right now (get up / pick up your mat / walk)? By what day will you do it, and who will hold you accountable? [13:33]
3. Write down a “but first” phrase you say to yourself (“But first let me…”) that delays obedience. Choose one specific action to replace that delay (for example: instead of “but first I’ll get my life together,” commit to attending a class, meeting with a mentor, or joining a small group this month). When will you do it? [19:54]
4. In what area is your desire split—half toward Jesus and half toward the old life (work, a relationship, or a practice)? What will you stop doing and what will you begin doing this week to move toward one undivided commitment? Be specific about the time and activity. [24:33]
5. Who are you currently applauding from a safe distance—people, ministries, or leaders you admire—but not willing to follow where they lead? Identify one small risk you can take in the next 30 days to move from applause to following (e.g., volunteer, step into a leadership area, meet with someone to learn). [29:05]
6. The sermon said “decision or action is the fire; obedience is the fuel; surrender keeps it burning.” Which spiritual habit will you adopt for the next 30 days to keep obedience and surrender active (for example: daily 10-minute Scripture & prayer, weekly confession with a friend, or an accountability check-in every Monday)? State the habit, the start date, and who will check with you. [25:50]

Use these readings and questions to be honest with one another. Encourage concrete next steps and name one person in the group who will follow up next week to ask how the commitments went.