Commitment Brings About Effectiveness

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 22:37-38

OPENING:  Jesus is telling us that everything we do in our lives must be committed to loving and serving God … There are many references in scripture dealing with commitment in all aspects of our lives … Our families, neighbors, employers, the church, our health, and in everything we say and do … If we examine the lives of those who have impacted the world for Jesus, we will see that it wasn't by accident or coincidence … It was because of their commitment to God … Tonight we are going to look at how to be more effective Christians through commitment …

     What Do We Need To Do?:

          1.)  Read God’s Word Daily:  Joshua 1:8  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. … We need to make time for reading God’s Word and to meditate on it.

          2.)  Pray:  Psalm 55:17  Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. … With a thankful heart and open ear we should pray throughout the day and listen for Him.

          3.)  Obey:  Acts 5:29  Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! … We must obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the instructions of God’s word even when it seems uncomfortable, unreasonable or impossible.

          4.)  Worship:  Psalm 66:4  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah … We should worship God in public and in private, in our words and our actions, and individually and with others.

          5.)  Give:  2 Corinthians 9:7  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. … We should give generously, faithfully, and joyfully to God’s kingdom.

          6.)  Forgive:  Ephesians 4:32  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. … We must forgive others who have wronged us, we must extend the same grace to others as God extends to us.

          7.)  Fellowship:  Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. … We must fellowship, not just in church, but as often as possible.  We should surround ourselves with fellow Christians for mutual encouragement, edification, and accountability.

          8.)  Serve:  Mark 10:44-45  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." … If we serve others we are serving God.  Serve by giving time to the ministry with the eternal perceptive in mind.

          9.)  Value Others:  Galatians 5:14  The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself … Treat strangers as friends, friends as family, and family as valued treasures.  Make relationships a priority.

 

       10.)  Share:  Mark 16:15  He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. … We need to share with others what Jesus has done for us and what He has done for them.

          Ten simple rules to being a committed Christian …Why then, do so many Christians fail to meet the publics view of a “Good Christian”? … Because so many of us are not in the habit of being committed … We know what we should be doing but we don't always do it …

     Transforming Commitment Into Habit:

          A Habit is defined as: “An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary” … The making or changing of a habit can prove to be difficult at times … Here are some scriptural  suggestions that will help us to make or change our habits …

          1.)  We must want to do it:  Daniel 1:8  But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. … Make a strong decision to make change and follow through with it … Like Daniel, we need to resolve to do it.

          2.)  We need to find out how:  Psalm 27:4  One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. … If you are not good at doing something consistently, ask someone who is … By asking we can learn how.

          3.)  Surround ourselves with reminders:  Deuteronomy 6:8-9  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. … God instructed the children of Israel to “Tie them as symbols … write them on the doorframes and on your gates” … Post-it’s are a wonderful way of leaving ourselves these reminders … Leave them on your refrigerator, on the clock, or the dash board of your car … Messages that serve as reminders.

          4.)  Let others know your intentions:  Deuteronomy 6:7  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. … Having our goals out in the open holds us more accountable … Let others know what you are trying to achieve.

          5.)  Be repetitious:  Titus 3:8  This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. … Devotion, we are instructed to “be careful to devote ourselves” … Two or three times does not make a habit … Habits are slowly formed over long periods of time … Constant repetition and time form habits.

          6.)  Make no excuses:  Lamentations 3:23  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. … God’s mercy is new everyday … If we fall along the way we may be tempted to quit … Don’t give Satan that victory … Get back up, brush yourself off and begin again.

CLOSING:  If we follow the ten steps of commitment and make them a habit, we will become effective Christians … I pray that we all can become as committed as some of our great religious leaders that have made an impact on the world … One by one, if we all practice being committed, we can bring about a great revival for Jesus Christ … I wanted to leave you with this message as it is the last one here at the club house … Please continue to pray that God will reveal to us where He is taking us to next … We are committed to serving Him wherever He wants us to be …

Why Does God Allow Us To Go Through Trails And Tribulations?

Scripture Reading:  Romans 8:18-26

OPENING:  As Christians we are not free from life’s trials and tribulations … Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through bad things like the death of a child, disease, injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? … Come on, if He loves us, He would take all these things away from us right? … Doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? … No, it doesn’t … The Bible teaches that God loves those who are His children … Romans 8:28 tells us He “works all things together for good” … So, we can see that the trials and tribulations He allows are part of the working together of all things for good … So then, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose …

     God’s Ultimate Purpose:

          God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son: Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

          This should be the goal of every Christian … Everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal … It is part of the process of sanctification; being set apart for God’s purposes and fitted to live for His glory …

          How do trials accomplish this? … 1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

          Our faith will be made stronger by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever.

          Trials develop godly character … Romans 5:3-5 "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” … Through our trials we are being developed to have the characteristics of Christ Jesus … Jesus was the perfect example of how man should act and live …

          Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" … These verses point out aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus Christ's trials and tribulations and ours … Our persevering improves our faith … Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me"

     We Need To Recognize:

          We need to be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" …  Some are a result of our own wrongdoing … God forgives our sins because the eternal punishment for them has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross … However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices … God uses those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good … 

 

     The Purpose and Rewards Of Our Suffering:

          Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward … James 1:2-4 & 12 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him"

          Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have victory … "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." … Scripture encourages us to see that even though we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over believers in Christ … God has given us His Word to guide us …  His Holy Spirit to enable us … and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, in prayer about anything …

     God’s Protection:

          God has the ability to deliver us from every physical problem or trouble … He uses these trials to purify us … During these times, we should “consider it pure joy” because by allowing these trials, God tests our faith to develop more faith so that we persevere and grow to maturity and Christ-likeness … James 1:2-3 . Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. … Protecting us from our trials would not benefit us …

          Some people think if God really wanted to protect us, He would provide wealth and ease in this life …  God does not always protect us from the consequences of bad financial decisions or our lack of diligence in working … 1 Thessalonians 4:11 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you”

          God made Solomon extremely wealthy because his attitude toward wealth was much less than his desire for God’s wisdom and knowledge …When Solomon walked in sin and adultery, his wealth was destroyed …

CLOSING: The true essence of God’s protection is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit …We are protected in all things …We have the ability to depart from God’s will …When we do, we will experience the trials and tribulations that come from our sinful actions …We can't sit back and say, “God will protect me!” if we have done the things we should not be doing … Trials and tribulations will certainly follow … It is only through prayer and the study of God’s Word that we are assured of God’s protection in our lives … He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it:

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. …

Everything Happens For A Reason

Scripture Reading:  Galatians 6:6-10

OPENING:  Does everything happen for a reason? There are several known factors that help answer this question: the law of cause and effect, the law of grace, and the doctrine of the providence of God … These factors demonstrate that everything does happen for a reason, not just by coincidence by random chance …

     The Law of Cause and Effect:

          First, there is the natural law of cause and effect, better known as “reaping what we sow” … In Galatians 6:7-8 Paul said: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” … This means that in every action we take or word we speak, good or evil, results will follow …

          Colossians 3:23-25  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

          All that we do is geared toward one of two things: An investment in the flesh or an investment in the Spirit … We will reap whatever we have sown, and it will be in proportion to how we sow it … In 2 Corinthians 9:6 Paul warns us: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” … The believer who walks in the Spirit and “sows” in the Spirit is going to reap a spiritual harvest … If our sowing has been generous, the harvest will be bountiful, if not in this life, defiantly in the life to come … 

          Those who “sow” to the flesh are going to reap a life without the full love of God, both in this life and the life to come:

          Jeremiah 18:10  and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

          2 Peter 2:10-12  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

          Jesus in Matthew 5:45 makes it clear that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” … In other words, God reveals His love  to everyone by allowing the sun to rise and rain to fall on both the evil and the good, the righteous and the unrighteous … Romans 2:11  For God does not show favoritism.

     The Law of Common Grace:

          This next passage refers to physical blessings on earth, not spiritual, those blessings are given without respect to merit. If they were, no one would receive them … This is the law of “common grace” … meaning that God is indiscriminate in His benevolence … His divine love in some ways benefit everyone, even those who rebel against Him or deny His existence:

 

Psalm 145:13-16: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” … This is why we sometimes see good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people …

          However, the Psalmist continues in Vs. 18-20: “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy” … While God is indiscriminate in the common grace He bestows upon all, we have to realize that God will curse those who disobey His commands:

          Deuteronomy 11:26-28  See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse-- the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today … We reap God’s reward for obedience or His curses for disobedience, both now and hereafter …

     The Providence of God:

          The doctrine of providence is God quietly working through the law of cause and effect in the natural world to manage events … The miracles of God differ from His providence in that God’s miracles exceed the boundaries of known natural laws … some examples are instantaneous healings and the raising of the dead …
          Providence, is a term theologians use to express the conviction that God works out His purposes through natural processes in the physical and social universe … Every effect can be traced back to a natural cause …  Within this law of cause and effect there is no hint of miracles … The best that man can do to explain the reason why things happen in the course of natural events is to point to “coincidence.”

          However, believers proclaim that God not only intervened in, but arranged these “coincidences.” The unbeliever derides such ideas because he believes each event can be traced back to natural causes that “fully explain” what happened without reference to God … Followers of Christ are wholly assured of this one truth:

          Romans 8:28  “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

          The book of Esther illustrates the truth of divine providence by identifying “coincidences” which led to the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to exterminate them … Although this is a book about providence, God is not mentioned … The list of coincidences, leading to their deliverance, is so convincing that God’s work in the end is obvious …

          We also learn from the book of Esther that God is always at work in the lives … The “coincidences” that define our lives are not simply products of cause and effect or of random chance … The coincidences that mark our lives are ordained by God and are intended for our good … It was only when looking back that Esther and Mordecai could clearly see the hand of God in what had happened to them … We often fail to sense God’s hidden guidance or protection as events in our lives unfold … When we look back, we are able to see His hand more clearly, even in those times when such events or circumstances appeared as tragedies in our lives … I choose to call this providence “Godincidences” and not coincidence …

 

CLOSING:  When we look back and study those coincidences that changed our lives, we discover that God has been there all along … As believers, we must examine those incidents and realize that God was at work in each one … Even those incidences brought suffering or included what we thought were unanswered prayers …  The doctrine of providence tells us that God is at work in the life of His people … It may seem that His activity is hidden but it is very real …God is working for us right this very moment, right where we are … But, more importantly, we uncover the glorious confirmation of His unending love …

     Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Redeemed Through The Blood Of Christ

Scripture Reading:  Colossians 1:13-23

OPENING:  Everyone is in need of redemption … Our natural condition is characterized by guilt … Romans 3:23 explains this … “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” … Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, by being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” as seen in  Romans 3:24 … Tonight we are going to look at the benefits of our redemption through Christ Jesus and come to better understand what redemption is …

     The Benefits Of Redemption:

          1.)  Eternal life:  Revelation 5:9-10  And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

          2.)  Forgiveness of sins:  Ephesians 1:7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

          3.)  Righteousness:  Romans 5:17  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

          4.)  Freedom from the law’s curse:  Galatians 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

          5.)  Adoption into God’s family:  Galatians 4:5  to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

          6.)  Deliverance from sin’s bondage:  Titus 2:14  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.  And …  

          1 Peter 1:14-18  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

          7.)  Peace with God:  Colossians 1:18-20  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

          8.)  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit:  1 Corinthians 6:19-20  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

          So, to be redeemed is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled … What an awesome God we serve …

 

     What Does Redeemed Mean?:

          The word redeem means “to buy out.” …  The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom … The application of redeemed to Christ’s death on the cross is obvious … If we are “redeemed” then our prior condition was one of slavery … We were slaves to sin … God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law … It is a metaphorical use of “redemption” in the teaching of

          Galatians 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

          Galatians 4:5  to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

          Related to the Christian concept of redemption is the word ransom … Jesus paid the price for our release from sin and its consequences …

          Matthew 20:28  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

          1 Timothy 2:6  who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

          His death was in exchange for our life … Scripture is clear that redemption is only possible “through His blood,” … By His death … Colossians 1:14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

CLOSING:  We are redeemed, forgiven, and free … Once slaves to sin, now saints of the most high … We will sing a new song, a song of praise to the Redeemer, who was slain for us, as we see in: Revelation 5:9  And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  We were slaves to sin, condemned to eternal separation from God … Jesus paid the price to redeem us … The result is our freedom from slavery to sin … Jesus rescued us from the eternal consequences of sin … This new year, reflect on the price that Jesus paid for us, when tempted by sin, think of the ultimate price that was paid for our redemption …