In modern-day ‘church lingo’, we might relay what could have happened in our Sunday service this way:

“We had a visitor today at church. There was quite the buzz of whispers spreading amongst many of the church members because nearly everyone knew who this ‘celebrity’ was. I mean, just the car he pulled up in alone, should have told you something if you were not clueless. You can only imagine the added pressure our pastor must have felt as his imagination had to have kicked into high-gear when he saw the guest take a seat on the back pew. Why was this ‘influential’ person visiting our church, of all places today.”

“I sure hope the choir does a good job...and Lord please don’t let ‘so-and-so’ sing a ‘special’ today...we really need to let ‘you-know-who’ sing; that will really impress our special visitor! I wonder if Pastor is changing up his prepared message for another one that will touch the heart of our guest. Lord...please minister to this young man. What an asset he would be to our church...and your kingdom. Lord...if he was to get ‘saved’ today... I can only imagine how our weekly offerings would really increase if he started coming to church here; we might even be able to finally build that gym we’ve been praying about.”

“Well....God really ‘showed out’ this morning because every song sung was perfect, nobody did anything crazy, and Pastor preached the best message I’ve heard him preach in months. Then, the closing song had nearly all of us in tears. And would you believe it...guess who rose from the back pew and made that long walk down the aisle? Yep...our special guest; and I’m certain I saw tears in his eyes. He actually ‘went forward’ and I saw him pray with, or at least talk to the pastor for several minutes. There were even a few deacons who gathered in behind to join in with the praying.”

The next thing you know, the well-known guest turns around after shaking the pastor’s hand and heads towards the back of the church. He still seemed to have tears in his eyes, but for some odd reason...he doesn’t really look thrilled, let alone happy. I wonder what is happening? Oh well, we all show our emotions in different ways. I wonder if I should hurry to the back of the church and shake his hand and welcome him to the ‘family’. And since I’m on the baptism committee, I need to get him signed up to be baptized. We are actually having our monthly baptisms next Sunday...and oh, how this news will spread through the town. I bet we get more visitors next week when everyone hears who came to ‘our church’ today.”

“Then, the next thing that happened, as the musicians finished up their last song, the pastor got behind the pulpit to address the congregation...just as our guest exited the door of the church. What was going on?”

“Saints”....Pastor began with...”We had a special guest today whom many of you, no doubt, recognized. And as was witnessed by all in attendance here today, after I gave the altar call, this young man actually stood up...and ‘came forward’, as we like to say. He ‘walked that aisle’ and nobody was more excited to see this than I was. And yes, he did indeed come down and talk to me, expressing an interest in receiving eternal life. He was respectful and surprisingly...well versed in scripture.”

“But I must inform you at this time...while our guest came forward, and even allowed me to pray for him, he did not...’get saved’. I can assure you his name was not ‘written down on the scroll way up yonder’. And all I can ask is that we pray for his soul.”

“I don’t know what compelled me to do this, but I stood up and asked aloud, the question everyone in that sanctuary was asking themselves and wanted to know as well:...’Pastor...what happened?”

Pastor then cleared his throat, looked down for a moment before looking back up, with tears in his eyes and responded with this:

“I told this young man that if he truly wanted eternal life, he would have to be willing to forsake all that he had. I told him that ‘coming to Jesus’ to receive ‘eternal life’ meant you come willing to lay down anything and everything that may have your heart, and God will be sure to point out exactly what those things are. But this young man ‘blinked’... and looked up at me and said he could not do that at this time. So, he turned and walked out of here as you all just witnessed.”.....

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Friends, can I just tell you today, this a story very similar to what happened in the Bible. It’s the story of the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus inquiring about the kingdom of God, expressing an interest in eternal life. You can read it yourself in Matt. 19; Mark 10, and Luke 18.

I am here to tell you today...that the gospel has not changed. The message of the kingdom is still the same today as it was over 2000 years ago. If you are unwilling to come to Christ and surrender your entire being, as in your ‘whole heart’, neither can you...be His disciple, let alone be ‘saved’. (Luke 14:33). And this you can be sure of: God WILL...test your heart. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4)

Consider this: "Grace may be free, but it ain't cheap!"

We know what that rich, young ruler was holding on to, unwilling to part with; but what is it that you have been unwilling to turn from, or seemingly unable to? Perhaps you were even told or assured... that you could never be ‘free’ of that 'sin', or even worse...told it didn’t matter and that you could ‘still go to heaven’ despite not coming to Jesus with ‘all your heart’.

Would you consider closing out today’s message by prayerfully reading the following passages: John 5:39-40, Jeremiah 24:7, Joel 2:12, Deut. 30, & Luke 10:25-28  And please make note how often you see that expression- "ALL...your heart".