NEARLY IS NEVER ENOUGH

1. NEARLY IS NEVER ENOUGH, for those who shall wear the crown of glory. There is a MARK, and the STANDARD is Jesus Christ; we must be like Him to reign with Him. We are as ATHLETES in a race, let us run in certainty of TRUTH, putting aside ignorance and extra luggage of LUST, “I therefore so RUN, NOT AS UNCERTAINLY; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I KEEP UNDER MY BODY, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” [1 Corinthians 9:26-27] Beloved, KEEP UNDER YOUR BODY and be not IGNORANT as to imagine LUST is DEAD. We must constantly contend with TEMPTATIONS in this BODY, and avoid setting personal STANDARDS of FAITH, which some do and Paul warned, “Brethren, I COUNT NOT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED: 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” [Philippians 3:13-14] 

2. Esau, was the first born and by law entitled to the BLESSING [Genesis 25:25] He NEARLY got it but when it mattered most, he slipped at the altar of LUST, as it is written: “Lest there be any FORNICATOR, or PROFANE person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the BLESSING, HE WAS REJECTED: for he found NO PLACE OF REPENTANCE, though he sought it carefully with tears” [Hebrews 12:16-17] For the records, Esau did some good and was approved by his father and NEARLY got the BLESSING; Isaac said: “...  make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that MY SOUL MAY BLESS THEE before I die”, [Genesis 27:4] Esau was approved of his Pastor, as many of us, for our mouth-watering offerings and regular attendance in Church, but God was not deceived. Where Isaac saw a doting son, God saw a SOUL overtaken with fleshly LUSTS, a man polluted with SEXUAL SINS and PROFANITIES, “How are the THINGS OF ESAU SEARCHED OUT! how are his HIDDEN THINGS SOUGHT UP!” [Obadiah 1:6] Beloved, the COMING of the Lord is at hand, every SECRET SIN shall be exposed and NEARLY SHALL NOT BE ENOUGH to compensate for INIQUITY, “… The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ DEPART FROM INIQUITY” [2 Timothy 2:19]

3. Jonathan was not ignorant of DIVINE AGENDA, when he said to David, “… THOU SHALT BE KING over Israel, and I SHALL BE NEXT UNTO THEE; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And THEY TWO MADE A COVENANT before the LORD: …” [1 Samuel 23:17-18] He knew God had chosen David to be king and made a COVENANT to establish his place in the PROMISE of God. He did many things right, but they were not ENOUGH to SAVE him [2 Samuel 1:23] Jonathan was a victim of EMOTIONAL DISSONANCE; he had one EYE on the PROMISE of David, and the other EYE on the fast-fading empire of Saul. Brethren, the error of Jonathan must not be found in us, who despised the PROMISE to please his father. Listen carefully, your effort to please God will never be ENOUGH if you fail to deal decisively with relationships outside of Christ, for “He that LOVETH FATHER or MOTHER MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” [Matthew 10:37] This is a hard saying, but TRUE. As long as we are in this world, we will live or work with family members and others outside the FAITH. We do well to love them, very much aware those without Christ are potential tools of satanic distraction and affliction. Let us, therefore, be careful at all times not to look or SEE through their eyes, but “WALK IN WISDOM TOWARD THEM THAT ARE WITHOUT, redeeming the time” [Colossians 4:5]

4. Friend, NEARLY IS NEVER ENOUGH; it is not ENOUGH to attend Church and listen to the best preachers in town. King Agrippa listened attentively to Paul, but it was not ENOUGH, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, ALMOST THOU PERSUADEST ME TO BE A CHRISTIAN” [Acts 26:27-28] It is good to change your mode of dressing, eschew adultery, pay tithes, etc., but not ENOUGH to SAVE your SOUL. The rich young man in Mark 10:17-21, did all these and more yet had not ETERNAL LIFE, as it is written: “… all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ONE THING THOU LACKEST: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, TAKE UP THE CROSS, and follow me“ [Mark 10:20-21] The ONE THING lacking was the CROSS, the emblem of our perfection through FELLOWSHIP of Christ’s SUFFERING, as it is written: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” [Philippians 3:10] The CROSS is the symbol of determination to put aside LUST, PERSECUTION, REJECTION, LACK and many more “NOT AS THOUGH I HAD ATTAINED, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 3:12] Now more than ever, as we look forward to the appearance of Christ, I charge you to take the CROSS and “… LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL” [1 Corinthians 10:12]

5. Accept Jesus Christ today, as your Lord and Saviour, amen