Is He sufficient?

By Pastor Kevin Barnhart

Spring Grove Evangelical Free

Who has had this happen…after spending an hour or more at the grocery store getting a million and one things you need and a few things you don’t piled into a cart all the while navigating one two or more kids who are helpfully adding unknown things into your cart, screaming about wanting to go and having a desperate need to fly wildly through the aisles, only to come to the check-out lane and find out that your funds were insufficient? Maybe you left your wallet at home, the credit card was denied, you were $20 short, your kid was chewing up your last $50 bill whatever… sweat is building, frustration is mounting and at the end of this emotionally wrought scene you must look at all you had done and walk away… the ice cream was near a puddle anyway you tell yourself… let’s just go…

Life can be filled with moments when we find out that our funds are insufficient.  Maybe after years of pouring our heart and soul into someone or something it falls apart, the relationship is fractured, the job is lost, the insurance won’t cover it, and at the end the savings are gone.  We must walk away empty handed.  The world will distract and delude us, telling us that our funds are sufficient.  After all we have lots of letters behind our name, we have lots of digits in our bank account, lots of friends on our Instagram, lots of nice cars, a beautiful yard and home, this world will shine up all kinds of insufficient funds and convince you that they are as good as gold.   

Jesus says, “Come to me I am the way the truth and the life,” but it is a two-way street.   Just like all of life is.   Perhaps we spend so much time focusing on ourselves that we can’t even begin to imagine that Jesus can be the one standing at the register and we will be the ones telling HIM His funds are insufficient.   And he didn’t just go shopping for food, he left heaven, left his glory, left his majesty and joy divine and came to earth to be born in a manger, walk in the hot sand, feel hunger, hurt, sorrow, and desertion.  He had to deal with some unruly kids too, but we weren’t just throwing things into the cart and running down the aisles, we were rude, arrogant, disbelieving and ultimately so jealous that we crucified Him how is that for family dysfunction…. STILL, He comes to the end of his road and stretches open wide his arms, offering us everything he is… His life, His love and His eternal salvation and we find Him insufficient.  Ok maybe we won’t say those exact words, but we will live them out.  We will flock after all the things the world has to offer.  We will pour ourselves into everything but HIM and when he brings us His grace, His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, His strength, His own blood we walk away like it is a bad bill like Jesus Christ not only has insufficient funds but that HE IS insufficient.  WOW, that sounds offensive to say, and to write, because it is offensive.  He is GOD.  He is not insufficient, and I can argue that until the end of time but ultimately what matters is not if I can argue that but if you will believe this with your heart your soul and with all that is in you…. let me ask you this… If everything went away would God be enough?   Press into that.  EVERYTHING, if EVERYTHING was taken away and only Christ remained if you were standing face to face with Jesus on a barren and broken land in a reality in which everything else was taken away, is Jesus enough?  Is he sufficient?   Are you?

Why is that hard to answer?   Maybe it shouldn’t be…. but it is.  For me too.  We love life we love each other… Jesus has given us his answer… You are sufficient.  Just as you are come to him, accept him, love him, don’t walk RUN to him…your funds are sufficient…the only thing left to answer, is HE?