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 …
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