The Point of No Return

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

We are “on final approach” for getting our Day Care venture started here at Crest Bible Church. It has always been my goal to have a ministry to impact young families and children during the most critical time of their lives called the “formative years” of ages 2-5. It is a lot of work, but well worth the effort when you consider what can be accomplished in little lives.

Any business venture requires a start-up period where you are investing time and money but getting nothing in return. This is no different. We went into this with a budget and a plan that included a time period where we knew nothing would happen on the positive side of the ledger. Now that we are firmly into it, it is getting a little scary. As anyone who has done things like this knows, a construction project or a business plan always takes longer and costs more than you planned, even with the best projections and planning you can do. We are now sitting at the place we would call “the point of no return”. We are too far in to quit, but not yet in business. Pilots know what this point is like. As the airplane is taking off, there reaches a point on the runway where it is too late to hit the brakes. There is not enough runway to stop, but the plane is not yet off the ground. You just have to close your eyes, put the hammer down, and trust your equipment and the laws of aerodynamics to get you in the air.

The concept of “living by faith” includes hitting this point on a regular basis. God often wants us out on the end of the limb, while he is sitting back at the trunk with a saw in his hand and a grin on his face. In a life of faith, we are to trust our equipment (the Bible), and know that God’s laws will always work to get us off the ground. This is the life God designed man to live. Adam had it, but he blew it by eating of the forbidden fruit and plunging his children into a fallen state. But man can still walk with God even in his fallen state. Noah and Enoch both did. David was the man after God’s own heart. Abraham was called the friend of God. All of these men did this in their fallen state. What is even more significant is that they did it in the Old Testament, without a completed Bible, without the perfect sacrifice for their sins, and without an indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. Surely, if these men could do that, why can’t we?

We have a number of new Christians in our midst at Crest Bible Church. When you first start out on your new journey in Christ, there is an ideal in mind of what the Christian life might offer. No matter what you thought, the process always takes longer and costs more than you think. I have been at this non-stop for nearly 33 years – as long as Jesus lived on this earth. I am scratching the surface. The costs incurred for walking with Christ have been far more severe than I could have ever imagined at the outset. If I had known half of what I would go through it would have scared me off. But I can assuredly affirm with a full resounding certainty that it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. It has been worth it in this life. Despite the costs, and regardless of how much time and effort I have had to put in, the journey of the last 33 years has been awesome. I wouldn’t mind another 33, and it would not ruin any plans I have if Jesus returned to take us all home 33 minutes from now.

Regardless of the costs, keep the hammer down. God said he would never leave us or forsake us in Hebrews 13:5. You can walk with God, even in the flesh, and even though you will still sin. The old gospel hymn says, “His word will not fail you, he promised. Believe him, and all will be well. Then go to a world that is dying, his perfect salvation to tell.” That comes from the song, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” When you feel like you have reached the point of no return, just remember his promise of eternal life and rewards for service, and keep the hammer down.