Friday, February 8, 2008
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We were waiting at a stoplight, just across the street from some railroad tracks. The gates by the track were up and no lights were flashing. There was no train coming. But just beyond the railroad crossing was one of those little rail inspection vehicles, fitted with the wheels that allow them to ride on the tracks. On the side it said, "Union Pacific." But believe me, this was no train. Suddenly, we heard this obnoxious and continuous honking on a horn that sounded like a train horn. The little vehicle wanted to proceed through the railroad crossing, and he was nowhere big enough to trigger the gates or the lights so the traffic would stop. So the operator just kept leaning on the horn as he passed through the intersection, hoping we would all stop for him as we would for a train. We did stop, but we weren't fooled. This was no train. This was a train wannabe!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "On the Right Track, but Missing Something."
That little guy wore the label a train carries, he sounded like a train, he traveled on the same track as a train, but he was no train. He made me think of a lot of people who are rolling along on the Jesus-track. They carry the label. They call themselves a Christian. They know all the words, so they sure sound like a Christian. And they're active in church and Christian activities, so they're on the same track as a Christian. But they're missing one thing - the only thing that really matters ultimately. They're missing Jesus. It could be someone who's listening right now is that person. It could be you.
How can I say that there are people who look and sound and act like a Christian but have somehow missed Jesus? Because that's what God says in the Bible. In our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 7, beginning with verse 21, there's a scene from the Final Judgment and it's pretty sobering for us religious folks. Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven." These are obviously people who know all the Christian words. Then it says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'" These are folks who are doing lots of Christian things. Surely they are going to heaven.
Jesus then makes this shocking statement: "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me...'" Those are words I pray you will never hear from the lips of Jesus on the day when it's too late to change it, "I never knew you." Why? Because they only knew about Jesus. There's one base they missed, giving themselves to the Jesus they knew so much about. Lots of Christianity, but missing Christ.
Jesus said that only those who "do the will of My Father" will go to heaven. John 6:40 tells us what that will is: "My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life." It's not looking to church, or Christianity, or Christian beliefs, or Christian activities that give you eternal life. It's abandoning any other hope of heaven and pinning all your hopes on the Man who died for your sin and rose again to give you life that never ends.
The life-or-death question for you is, "Has there ever been a time when I actually gave myself to Jesus in total faith?" If you don't know you did that, you probably didn't. And you probably shouldn't wait any longer to do it before your heart turns hard or your time runs out.
Just tell Him, "Jesus, I want to really belong to you. Your death for me is my only hope, and I am yours." When you do that, in God's own words, you "cross over from death to life" ( John 5:24). If you want that, I want to encourage you to visit our website. You'll find there some great help in this journey into the arms of Jesus Christ; how you can be sure you belong to Him. You can go to yoursforlife.net. And I urge you to go there as soon as you can.
Once you know you've begun your relationship with Jesus, you'll never have to fear hearing Him say, "I never knew you." He will wrap you in His arms and instead, He'll say, "Welcome home."