Commitment: an important quality for all Christians
1.
Not long ago I was speaking with a mother who has two
children that are about 12 years of age.
2. She was telling me about
“her church” (a prominent denomination) and how it has “900 members.”
3. For a religious group in the
4.
As she continued to speak she clarified something.
5.
She said they have about 450 “active members.”
6.
I asked her how she defined “active” versus “inactive.”
7.
She said about 450 of the 900 members never come.
8.
Her religious group operates a private school that
costs parents just $700 per year per child.
9.
One requirement for being part of the school is
becoming a member of this religious group.
10.
If parents “join this church,” their children can
attend the school with no tuition charge.
11.
As we talked a little more, two more important facts
surfaced.
12.
This group has no Sunday night service, but they do
have a Monday evening service.
13.
I asked how many attend on Monday evenings and the
answer shocked me.
14.
She said that on Monday evening “about 100 people
come.”
15.
She said lots of things are being tried to increase the
commitment of those in the church roster.
16.
At this point, nothing seems to be encouraging the 450
inactive members to become active.
17.
Shortly after speaking with this lady there was an
article in USA Today.
18.
This article had this caption: “Redrawing the map of American religion.”
19.
Some of the quotes in this piece were interesting.
20.
Virtually every religious group in America is “losing
ground.”
21.
This article said “some are falling off the faith map.”
22.
Also, “For some, faith is more ‘fashion statement’ than
commitment.”
23.
There were also some interesting percentages in this
same article.
24.
40% say they received no religious initiation ceremony
in their early years.
25.
55% of those who are getting married do not have a
religious ceremony.
26.
60% of people do not expect to have a religious
funeral.
THE
FIRST POINT TO BE CONSIDERED TONIGHT IS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY GOOD
EVIDENCE TO CONCLUDE THAT IN A HIGH NUMBER OF CASES RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT DOES
NOT EXIST OR IT IS A STATE OF DECLINE. LITTLE
BY LITTLE GOD IS BEING PUSHED OUT OF THE WAY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.
a)
When a society makes this choice, it is also going to
have some effect on the church.
a)
It is certainly possible to look at the Lord’s church
and see a decline in commitment.
b)
We have seen people lose commitment when it comes to
living the Christian life.
c)
We have examples throughout this nation of people who
have simply walked away from God.
2)
Others have lessened their commitment in one way or
another.
3)
They do less “church work,” read the Bible less, give
less, teach less, or something else.
4)
A decreased commitment on the part of people exists,
but it is hardly new.
5)
Throughout the Bible we find that religious commitment
is not what the majority wants.
a)
Do we recall what Jesus said in Mt. 7:14?
b)
Jesus said the way to heaven is “narrow” (it is
difficult).
c)
When something is hard, a lot of people will not do it.
d)
When something takes a lot of commitment, many say it
is too much work.
e)
Jesus said going to heaven will require some work; it
is not effort-free.
6)
The Lord also said the majority are not going to have
the commitment that is required to be saved.
7)
In this same verse He said “few” will be saved.
8)
Most will not make the commitment to be a New Testament
Christian and be faithful through life.
9)
To go to heaven, Jesus said the “First must be willing
to come last” (Mt. 20:16).
10) This
is part of the commitment, but many in our world are selfish—they want to be
first.
11) Rather
than serve, most want to be served.
12) If
we are not willing to wait upon and help others rather than be served, we will
not make it.
13) In
Mt. 22:14 Jesus said “many are called” (this was a figurative way of saying the
door is wide open).
14) Anyone
who wants to go to heaven can if they are willing to commit to God’s plan.
15) In
this same verse Jesus said, “few are chosen.”
16) This
“choosing” is not done by God; deity does not preselect who is saved and who is
lost.
17) Man
does the choosing; we decide what we want for an eternal home.
18) Most
will say “no” to the type of commitment described in the scriptures.
19) They will make the very
commitment that is true for half of a 900 member church and what the USA is now
seeing.
20) A
little later in Matthew’s gospel (Mt. 25:1-12) we read about 10 virgins.
21) 5
of these ten ladies did not have enough oil to keep their lamps going.
22) They were like some people
who knew they would need some extra batteries and they did not go to the store.
a)
How big of a commitment was it for first century people
to get enough oil for a lamp?
b)
This was not something that required weeks of
preparation.
c)
This was a small commitment and it was preparation for
an important event (a wedding).
d)
In this parable Jesus said that 5 of the virgins were
“foolish.”
e)
They could have committed to doing what they knew was
right, but they did not.
f)
In this parable Jesus said the “door was shut.”
g)
These women finally got the oil and then tried to
commit themselves at a later time.
h)
After getting the oil they beat on the door; they
pleaded for the door to be opened.
i)
When it comes to God, we must make a commitment at the
right time.
j)
If we do not commit ourselves to Him in this life,
there will be no second chance.
WHEN
IT COMES TO COMMITMENT, WE FIND THAT ALL ARE COMMITTED TO SOMETHING.
a)
A few are committed to God and His ways as has already
been demonstrated.
b)
Everyone else is also committed to something, but the
object of that commitment is not God.
c)
For some, their commitment is to fun.
2)
I once spoke with a person who is fairly wealthy.
3)
This person spoke about their big house and foreign
destinations that had been visited.
4)
Their comment to me was, “We have had these kinds of
experiences.”
5)
This person was describing a commitment to pleasure.
6)
In their life they wanted to go, see, do, experience,
and live life to the fullest and they did.
7)
The things just mentioned are not inherently wrong.
8)
If they are what a person is committed to, and that
seemed to be the case in this instance, they are wrong.
9)
People often have as their priorities things that are
wrong.
10) Eph.
2:2 refers to walking “after the course of this world.”
11) Paul
recognized that we can take one of two paths.
a)
There is the course set by God; we can be committed to
this way of life.
b)
There is also the course set by Satan; we can be
committed to the devil’s way of life.
c)
Jesus said the course offered by the world is “evil”
(Jn. 7:7).
12) If
our commitment is not to God, we have committed ourselves to a way of life that
Jesus calls evil.
13) This
choice may not seem all that bad to us.
14) If
we are not hurting anyone and we live by the rules of society, we may think
that everything is fine.
15) God
says if our commitment is not to Him, we have chosen an evil path for our life.
16) This
is why in the Roman letter (12:2) Paul said, “Do not be fashioned according to
the world.”
a)
Our commitment can be to the things of this life, but
God says that is a bad choice.
b)
Paul said, “be transformed. Renew the mind. Have a commitment to spiritual things.”
c)
Sadly, there are many who will not make this choice.
d)
2 Tim. 4:10 says, “Demas has forsaken me.”
e)
This man had become a Christian. He had made the choice described in Rom.
12:2.
f)
According to Paul, this brother “loved the world” and
changed his choice.
g)
He wanted what the world offered so he committed
himself to the devil’s playground.
17) When
we commit to God, we say no to the world.
18) When
we commit to the world, we say no go God.
There is no middle ground.
19) This
is a clear point in the Bible, but many struggle with it.
20) James
wrote to some Christians who were slipping in their commitment to God.
21) In
Jas. 4:4 James referred to brethren and called them “adulteresses.”
a)
When two people get married they make a commitment to
each other.
b)
They say things like, “forsaking all others.”
c)
These words may also be applied in the spiritual realm.
d)
If a Christian decides to commit himself to the world,
that is spiritual adultery.
e)
Jesus once said the world “hates” His people.
f)
We cannot get along with the world unless we chose to
believe and live as it functions.
g)
If the world hated Jesus because of His commitment, it
will hate us as His followers.
GOD
REQUIRES THAT HIS PEOPLE COMMIT THEMSELVES TO HEAVEN’S WILL AND SPIRITUAL
THINGS AND PAUL IS A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF THIS POINT.
a)
In Phil. 3:7 Paul said several things had been “gain”
to him.
b)
Prior to becoming a Christian Paul had accomplished and
received many special things.
c)
We might say hHe had some “noteworthy achievements” in
his life.
d)
Paul said his commitment to Christ meant leaving behind
these things.
e)
He was willing to sacrifice things he had formerly
treasured for the sake of Christ and the gospel.
2)
At the end of Phil. 3 we read about a Christian who
once came to help Paul.
3)
This man got physically sick. He was also homesick. He even risked his life.
4)
Why would a man do these things? It was not for money or fame. It was not for adventure.
5)
This man did these things to help advance the cause of
Christ.
6)
Commitment often means some type of sacrifice.
7)
It means we give of our time, money, talent, energy,
and maybe even our life.
8)
Some of our commitment may come through in the area of
teaching.
9)
Committed Christians are often teachers.
10) What
causes teachers to teach class after class?
11) Why
do we find some teachers who have taught for 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or 50
years?
12) I
have seen preachers who have preached for 70 years or maybe a little more.
13) Why
do people continue to teach and live a faithful Christian life?
14) The
answer is commitment.
15) When
we hear about a decline in religious commitment, that is not good news.
16) We
must also realize that this is not “new news.”
This is an age-old problem.
17) In
the Lord’s church we want to be people who have commitment.
18) When
we have commitment, we cannot be bought compromised, detoured or lured away.
19) We
will not flinch in the face of adversity or hesitate in the presence of
adversaries.
20) We
will not be moved by popularity or negotiate with things that are contrary to
the gospel.
21) Jesus
calls people to be committed to Him 24/7 for all the days of our life.
22) Is
this the commitment we have made?
23) We
sometimes sing “We’ll work till Jesus comes.”
Is this true?
24) Are
we really committed to Jesus Christ?