Good morning. I'd ask you to
open your Bibles to Psalm chapter 27. Psalm chapter 27. I bring greetings
from mom and dad. And as I went about thinking
about this message and preparing, The message for this week, Isaac
and I, we've been down here probably two times in the past couple
of months to listen to Kevin preach. And both times we were
here, Mark, you said to me, is there anything more important
than the preaching of the gospel? What we're here to do this morning,
is there anything more important than that? This is what God has
commanded us to do. He said, He said, preach the
word. As he told this to Peter, when
the Lord had risen from the dead and he was getting ready to depart
and go be with his father, he said, Peter, do you love me?
And Peter said, Lord, you know I love you. He said, feed my
sheep. He told him that three times, three times. That's why
we're here this morning. To hear a word from God, we're
commanded to be here. Not because this is what we do
on Sundays, not because this is just a habit of what we do.
God has commanded us to be here this morning. That's why we're
here. That's why we're here. And in terms of messages, I enjoy
listening to messages that talk about things that I know. I don't
have any assurance in what man's got to say about things. My assurance
comes from what God's Word says. The things that we know that
are found in God's Word. And look here at Psalm 27 verse
4. David here says, one thing. have I desired of the Lord, that
will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to
inquire in his temple." David said, one thing, just one thing,
Have I desired of the Lord? And I thought about David a lot
this week. David, who was a shepherd for
his father, out there caring for his father's sheep. David,
who when he was about my age, he was anointed by Samuel, king
of Israel. David, who would eventually go
on to be the king of Israel. God raised him up a great king.
David, who God said, he's a man after my own heart. David's the
one saying this. David would have experienced
everything that this world had to offer. Anything that he would
have wanted, David could have had that. He was the king. One
of the greatest men that we read of in the Old Testament. And
yet, David's the one who says this. He says of all those things,
he says one thing. One thing have I desired of the
Lord. I don't know when David wrote
this. I don't know if he was a young man. I don't know, maybe
he was a middle-aged man. Some of the old writers think
David was an old man when he wrote this, after he'd ruled
over Israel for many years. I have no idea when he wrote
this, but when he did, boy, he was a wise man. One thing have
I desired, that will I seek after. Somebody said this once, no one
will succeed at anything until they've given themselves to just
one thing. One thing. And spiritually, that's
true. We won't know what's in this
book until we've committed ourselves to just one thing. One thing. And that's what I pray the Lord
will let us enter into this morning. One thing, and I've got four
scriptures I'd like for us to look at to illustrate this. The first scripture I'd have
you turn to is Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18, starting in
verse 18. Here we have a familiar passage
of Scripture. The rich young ruler. Luke chapter
18 verse 18, it starts with this and it says, 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. The Lord said, thou knowest the
commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do
not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother. And
this man said, all these things have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things,
he said unto him, yet lackest thou one thing, one thing, sell
all that you have, and distribute it unto the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me." Here we
read of this rich young ruler. And earthly speaking, he's got
everything you could want. He's a young man. He's a healthy
man. Evidently, he's a moral man.
Says he's kept the commandments from his youth up. He's a wealthy
man. He's got earthly riches, earthly
possessions. Everything that, naturally speaking,
we desire in this world. Things that we get so caught
up in and going and getting and wanting those things. And our
Lord tells him that all those things, they just don't matter. Sell all that you have and come
and follow me." Somebody said this, they said, tell me what
you have, and I reply, if you do not have Christ, it is all
in vain, for the fashion of this world fadeth away. Tell me what
you know, and I reply, if you do not know Christ, your wisdom
will prove to be foolishness. Tell me what you've done. Tell
me about those things that you're so proud of that you've done.
And I will say that if you do not have Christ, it is all wood,
hay and stubble. And someday you'll see it burn.
Tell me of your righteousness. And I reply that if you do not
have Christ, they are all filthy rags in the sight of God. Isaiah
64 verse 6 says this, but we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do
fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away. One thing, one thing thou lackest. Our Lord, you looked on this
rich young man, a moral man, an educated man, a powerful man,
And he says, you've got a whole lot, but you lack one thing. And lacking that one thing makes
all that you have useless. Useless. He said, sell all that
you have and come and follow me. Moses knew something about
this. Turn over with me to Hebrews.
Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. starting in verse 24. says, by faith Moses, when he
was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. That's all
this world has to offer. The pleasures of sin for a season. Everything we could get in this
life. If it's not Christ, it's going to fade away. It don't
mean nothing. Solomon, the wisest man to ever
live on this earth, this is what he said in Ecclesiastes. He said,
I, the preacher, was king over Israel and Jerusalem, and I gave
my heart to seek and search out wisdom concerning all things
that are done under the heaven. This sore travail hath God given
to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the
works that are done under the sun, and what he'd see. Behold, all is vanity and vexation
of spirit. Here's another scripture. Mark
chapter 8 verse 36 says this, For what shall it profit a man
if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What profit
a man? Our days on this earth, they're
numbered, they're fading away. And what profit a man if he gains
everything that this world has to offer but lose his own soul
for the eternity to come. And that's what this rich young
ruler was doing here. He was gaining all that the world
had to offer, but he lacked one thing, just one thing. And that one thing is everything,
is everything. The fashion of this world fadeth
away. Our family, I don't know if there's
anything on this earth I consider as dear to me as my family. And one day, It's all going to
fade away. Our home in Simpson Valley, here
in just a few years, might not be anymore. Our communities that
we live in, this nation that we live in, it's all going to
be gone. Every bit of it. And in that
day, just one thing, one thing we're going to need, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Follow Christ, know Christ, to
love Christ, to believe Him. It's the only thing. Only thing. The next scripture I'd have you
turn to is Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. We just heard
our Lord tell the man, one thing thou lackest. One thing thou
lackest. Here in Luke 10, starting in
verse 38, we read of a woman who had that thing. She did not
lack that one thing. We read over and over again in
the Scriptures that Martha loved Christ. Martha was loved of Christ. But let's read this portion of
Scripture here. Luke 10, starting in verse 38,
another familiar portion of Scripture. It says, Now it came to pass
As they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a
certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had
a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard
his word. But Martha was cumbered about."
That word, cumbered about, it means she was drawn away. Martha was drawn away with much
serving, and came to him and said, Lord, does thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore
that she help me. Verse 41. And Jesus answered
and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled
about many things, but one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen
that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." One
thing. Here we read again. One thing. One thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good
part. Sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning of Him. Martha here is a picture of this
religious world that we live in. It's organized. It's careful about many things. It's up and doing, and they've
got ball games and church leagues and basketball teams. They've
got all these things going on. Isaac and I, we work in the public
school system. And I don't know if there's any
occupation where you see as much religious nonsense as you do
sometimes in schools. We've got all these clubs at
our middle school. We've got the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes. We've got the Good News Club.
And one day after school, this Good News Club, they meet on
Fridays. And I was a little late getting out of school, and I
walked down past the gym, and I just looked in to see what they were
doing, what was going on. And the closer I got to it, I
started to hear music. And I poked my head in, and they
had kids with balloons and streamers, and they were running up and
down. And they had this scripture up on the wall. They said, this
is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad. Balloons and music. Where does
God's word command that we do that? Does God's word say those
things are needful? No. No, he says one thing. One thing is needful. Mary hath
chosen that good part. She was sitting at His feet,
listening to His Word. One thing is needful. And I found
this this week. Henry wrote these four things.
He said, what do I really need? Four things. The first one, I
need His righteousness to cover me in the presence of a pure
and holy God. Second thing, I need His blood
to cleanse me. My sins are so many and great
and dreadful. I need His blood to cleanse me.
We read in Scriptures, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanseth
us from all sins. Third thing, I need His word
to comfort me and give me confidence and assurance. Scripture says,
in Thy word do I hope. And the fourth thing, I need
His grace to carry me all the way His grace carried me all
the way. And there are many things that
we feel like we need in this world, and many things we pray
for. Oftentimes, I pray, Lord, give
me good health. And I'd like to have good health,
but I don't need it. I pray that the Lord would give
me a successful career and watch over me through the week. And
I'd like to have that, but I don't need it. I pray for this and
that and the other thing, and all those things. They'd be great
if they were to come to pass. But I don't need them. Scripture
says one thing. One thing is needful. One thing to be desired above
all other things. We read there in the Old Testament,
when the children of Israel were pursued by that Egyptian army,
and there they came to the Red Sea, and they were worried and
they were frantic about so many things. What was needful to them? Moses said this, he said, stand
still and see the salvation of the Lord. Noah, in the days of
Noah, when God sent that flood to destroy the earth, what was
needful in Noah's day? One thing, to be found in that
ark, that ark which is a picture of Christ. To Naaman, the Syrian,
we all know that account of Naaman. Naaman, who was a great man,
a warrior, a mighty man, an honorable man. But Naaman was a leper. And Naaman needed one thing,
to wash and be clean. Over and over again, we read
this in the scriptures to the children of Israel. When they
were bitten by those fiery serpents, and they were dying, many of
them were already dead. There was one thing needful to
them, to look and live. That's a simple commandment to
Zacchaeus when he was found up in that tree. One thing. Zacchaeus, come down, for today
I must abide at thy house. Martha, one thing is needful. One thing is needful. Everything
else that we get so worried about, that we're so concerned about,
God will provide those things for us. John Newton wrote this,
the birds without barn or storehouse are fed. From them let us learn
to trust from our bread. His saints, what is fitting,
shall ne'er be denied, so long as it is written, the Lord will
provide. Turn with me over to Luke chapter
12, just over one page, starting in verse 24. Starting in verse 24, it says,
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither
have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more
are ye better than the fowls? And which of you, with taking
thought, can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not
able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for
the rest? Consider the lilies, how they
grow, they toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like unto one of
these. If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the
field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will
he clothe you, O ye of little faith, and seek not What you
shall eat or what you shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after. And
your father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather,
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall
be added unto you. Martha, you are cumbered about
with many things. you're worried about them, you're
stressing about them, you're troubled, you're drawn away because
of them, but one thing, one thing is needful, and that one thing,
it'll never be taken away. The third scripture I'd have
you turn to, John chapter 9. John chapter 9. One thing thou lackest, one thing
is needful. And here in John chapter 9, we
read about a man who says, one thing I know, one thing I know,
oh, to be able to say this. Look here in John chapter 9,
starting in verse 1. It says, and as Jesus passed
by, He saw man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples
asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath
this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should
be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him
that sent me while his day. The night cometh when no man
can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of
the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made
clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with
the clay, and said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam,
which is by interpretation sent. He went his way therefore and
washed. and came seeing." Notice just
a couple things here on God's sovereign grace. The Savior saw
this man. This man didn't see God. He couldn't
see God. He was blind. The Savior sought
the man. This man didn't seek after the
Lord. There are blind men in the Scriptures who we read that
sought the Lord and called upon Him. Blind Bartimaeus. He sat
outside the gates of Jericho and cried after the Lord. We
don't read this about this man. He's just a blind man. And thirdly,
the Lord called this man. This sinful man, he didn't call
upon God. called Him. And that's how it
always is with God's sovereign grace. Not of anything of us,
it's all of Him. Look down here a little bit further
at John 9 verse 15 and 16. After the Lord had healed this
man, the people of the town, the Pharisees, they got all worked
up. and they start questioning him. Verse 15 says this, Then
again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay
upon my eyes, and I washed, and I do see. Therefore said some
of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth
not the Sabbath. Others said, How can a man that
is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a great division
among them. Here the Pharisees come to aggravate
this man. And they say, this man can't
be of God. He did this on the Sabbath day. You can't do any
work on the Sabbath day. And they keep questioning him.
And they brought in his parents and said, is this your son who's
been blind from birth? And they said, yeah. And they
said, well, how did he get his sight back? And they said, well,
he's of age, you ask him. And they go back and forth with
this man, and they just keep badgering him about how did he
get his sight. Look down here now at verse 24.
It says, Then again called they the man that was blind and said
unto him, Give God the praise. We know that this man, talking
of Jesus, is a sinner. Verse 25, if we can get a hold
of this. He answered and said, whether
he be a sinner or no, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas
I was blind, now I see. He says one thing, one thing
I know, I was blind and now I see. Do we know that one thing that
this man knew? Here's a wealth of knowledge
in just one thing. I was blind. Not, I needed glasses. Not, I couldn't see real well
out of my left eye. Not, I was partially blind. Not,
I was completely and totally blind. I was dead in trespasses
and sins. He raised me. I was without God,
without hope, without help, and He lifted me. I was without strength,
and He saved me. I was hopelessly lost. I was
blind, dead in darkness, and by His grace, He made me whole. This man looked at these Pharisees,
and he said, I can't argue with you. I don't know the Scriptures
as well as you all do. I can't tell you much about the
man who did it. But one thing I know, I was blind. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
me, and now I see. Now I see. It didn't find a little
light in me to bring to the surface of the day. I was blind, and
now I see. Can we say that? Can we say that? You can keep
all your religion to this one thing. One thing. One thing have
I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. One thing.
Just one thing. Is there any doubt in our minds
that Christ is that one thing? Christ is all. One thing I know. Listen to a couple of these scriptures
with me. 1 Corinthians 2 verses 1 and
2 says this, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not
with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you
the testimony of God. For I determined not to know,
Anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 2 Timothy 1 verse 12 says this,
For the witch cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I
am not ashamed, for I know, I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed
unto Him against that day." I'd like you to see this next one.
Turn with me to Job chapter 19. Job chapter 19. And as you're turning, just consider
Job for a minute. Job who had at one point in his
life, everything. He had a big family, he had land,
he had earthly possessions. We read that Job was an upright
man in the sight of God. Job had everything. And God took
it all from him. And he took his family, he took
his possessions, he took all the earthly things that he had. And he sent those three worthless
friends to him, and he covered them from the top of his head
to the sole of his foot in those putrefying sores. And his wife
came to Job. Job's own wife said, why don't
you just curse God and die? What an awful thing to say. Job,
what's your response to this? What's your answer to all these
things, Job? Look here at Job chapter 19, verses 25. It says, For I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth,
and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God. For I know that my Redeemer liveth. Romans 8, 28, another familiar
passage. It says, And we know that all
things work together for good. to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose." Things we know
in the Scripture. The last one I give you here,
turn with me to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, look here at verse
2. John says, Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like
him, for we shall see him as he is. One thing every child
of God knows, I was blind, oh, but God who is rich in mercy,
and now I see. Now I see. You want to get into
the heavy doctrines of the Scriptures and the weightier things of this
book? I'm a young man, I don't know
it. I couldn't argue with you about it. But this one thing
I know, I was blind. Now I see. Now I see. The last Scripture I'd have you
turn to, the fourth illustration of this, is Philippians 3. Philippians chapter 3. We've heard our Lord speak to
a worldly man. He said, one thing thou lackest.
We heard Him speak to one of His own, a believer. He said,
one thing is needful. We've heard a man's testimony
who was healed of God. He said, one thing I know. And
now we'll hear from the Apostle Paul, a man that God chose, a
man that God personally revealed himself to, taught him the scriptures.
Philippians 3, starting in verse 13, he says, I count not myself to have apprehended."
That word apprehended, it means to understand or perceive. Paul says, I haven't understood
everything. I haven't learned everything. But read on here, he says, but
this one thing I do. Forgetting those things which
are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus. This one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and pressing unto that which
is before. What does that mean, forgetting
those things which are behind? Paul often used the illustration
of running a race. In high school, I ran cross country. Isaac, Lucy, Rex, big biker,
a race. Forgetting those things which
are behind. As they run, as a runner runs, he's got one thing on his
mind, the finish line. And he's trying to get there.
Forgetting those things which are behind. Forgetting the runners
he's passed. They don't matter, they're behind
us. Forgetting the different mile markers I've passed. Forgetting
the time I've made up during the race. Forgetting those things
which are behind. Forgetting previous victories
and previous races I've run. Forgetting those things that
are behind. Forgetting the distances I've covered. Forgetting how
far I've come. And reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I forget
those things which are behind me, and I press forward to that
which is before." Look up just a couple of verses here to Philippians
chapter 3 verse 8. says, "'Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings
being made conformable unto His death. That is the one thing,
that's the one thing we press towards, the one thing we ought
to care about. I don't care about how far I've come. I don't care
who's running the race with me. I don't care who's behind me.
I don't care if they're gaining on me. I forget those things. I press towards the mark of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. By His grace, we can expect
to finish the race, to cross that line, to attain the prize. We reach forth to His people.
We reach forth to His Word, to His promises found in the Scriptures. I am pressing toward the mark
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. In closing, I'd
have you turn back to Psalm 27. Psalm 27 verse 4. David says,
"...One thing have I desired of the Lord, That will I seek after, that
I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
and to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. I pray the Lord would make that
our one desire. I pray He'd show that to us,
to not lead us astray from that, to keep us right there. One thing. I hope that's been a help.