COMMITMENT

OPENING HYMN: #249 I LOVE THY KINGDOM LORD

THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER:

Oh Lord God, who hast bidden the light to shine out of darkness, and who hast again wakened us to prasie thy goodness and ask for thy grace: accept now the sacrifice of our worship and thanksgiving. Make us to be children of light and of the day, and heirs of thine everlasting inheritance. Remember, O God, thy whole Church, our brethren in every land. Pour out the riches of thy mercy, so that we, being redeemed, and steadfast in faith, may ever praise thy wonderful and holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

RESPONSIVE READING: #623 THE LORD CREATED MAN

SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 2nd Chapter

HYMN: OF PREPARATION: #170 JESUS CALLS US, O'ER THE TUMULT

COMMITMENT

Websters says that commitment is an agreement or pledge to do something in the future, it is the state of being obliged or bound to do something. Webster also says commitment is a moral choice that involves a person in a definite course of action.

I think you will agree that our lives are bound by commitment. We are committed to a daily work schedule. If we are house wives we are committed to a schedule in order to maintain a peaceful, orderly clean home for the family. If we are a working person we are committed to a work schedule by an agreement. We who are married commit ourselves to a life long partnership in marriage. The success of that partnership is related to the degree to which we adhere to the vows we made together in marriage ritual. We each of us commit ourselves to many causes and many things in our daily lives, and we feel honor bound to uphold every commitment that we make, and this right and good.

But these are not the commitments i want to talk with you about this morning, however the commitments I'm going to talk about deserves the same or I should say a higher place of honor in our lives.

I want to talk to you this morning about commitment to God through Jesus Christ, about commitment to the Christian life as outlined in the Scriptures.

Let's approach this subject from three basic points, namely, the "Reasons" for commitment, (2) the outgrowth of commitment, and (3) the result or perhaps a better word than results would be the benefits of commitment.

What are the "Reasons" for commitment to God and the Christian Life?

In today's world it is hardly respectable to be good. We see this in the attitudes of many younger people and some that are not so young. As churchmen today in the twentieth century we are constantly seeking the comforts of life and are feverishly striving to build security for our old age. When we attain this in our material world, when we have a nice home, a good job and money in the bank for our old age, we suddenly discover that something is missing, that all this is not enough. We want to be sure also about security in the life to come. So as we search for the ways to obtain this assurance of security we are driven to the Bible and God's plan of salvation that is set forth in it's pages. The Bible is a window in this prison world, through which we may look into eternity.

Each of us has within ourself this need, this drive, to seek out God's way as he has set it forth in the life and teachings of his son Jesus Christ. Today more than ever we need to be committed to the "Jesus Way". And just what is the "Jesus Way"?

First of all it is total. He told the rich young man to go and sell all he had and then to come and follow him. I believe that commitment today must also be total, not that we must sell all tha we have, but rather we must commit all that we are and have. Our lives must be totally envolved in the "Jesus Way". And not after we have made our material world secure, but rather day by day as we live out our lives we must serve God. What did he say to the rich farmer. Jesus gave us marching orders when he said, "Thou shalt love thy Lord thy Gos with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Why? Because on these two commandments Jesus said hang all the laws of the prophets. Pattern your daily life to obey and be commited to these two commandments and then you shall surely "See the city of God".

Now this is not accomplished by coming to church Sunday morning, or by contributing regularly to the church budget, or by joining a Men's or Women's Society of the church, or by teaching a Sunday School class or by serving on a church commission or board.

Many people are running away from God today by being envolved in "Church work". We must make our commitment either to God or against him. We cannot remain forever poised on the spring board. Eventually we must either jump into the water or get off the board.

All these avenuse of service are necessary and good, but they are not all that was intended by Jesus when he said, "go and sell all that you have and come follow me."

It means that you will honor God in everything that you say and do. It means that you will be concerned about the problems of your neighbor both at home and away. It means that you will be so committed to this concern for others that your service to the local church will become a service of love instead of service duty. And your service to the community outside of the local church will be changed into service of action. Instead of giving lip service to the needs that are all around us we will place ourselves within the circle of need and work, work so that every man might live in dignity, and come to love the Lord God, and to live according to the "Jesus Way". We need to remember that God loves each one of us, as if there were only one of us. This is the total commitment that Jesus was talking about to the rich young man who had sought him out. It is the same today--Jesus is saying to us if you love me, jeep my commandments.

Notice he doesn't say give me lip service alone by saying, "I believe", he says, "keep my commandments". Be envolved, act. -

Harry Emerson Fosdick said something concerning commitment: "No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated disciplined." Yes we need to be committed to the Jesus Way to become great.

When then are the outgrowths of this commitment to the "jesus Way" if we make it and truly keep it?

First of all we will have a sure faith to live by, a faith that gives to us the promises of future life. It will make of us humble persons, obedient, loving and sacrificing persons. We will be able to carry on through hardship and suffering, because Jesus knew hardship and suffering, but he overcame, and because he overcame we have the promise that if we endure we will also overcome. The promise is good and true--there shall be no more sorrowing no more suffering, no more pain. " Jesus has overcame". So you see we are made enduring Christians because we are committed to the "Jesus Way". And we will be made loving Christians. Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me: shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

Now what are the results or benefits of commitment. The basic ingredient involved with commitment is "faith". The Bible says faith is the assurance of things hoped for the proving of things not seen. People who are committed to the "Jesus Way" have a firm belief and will remain true to the pilgrimage to the "City of God". This pilgrimage is what life is all about.

And then we will become witnesses to the "Jesus way". This is a blessing of commitment. And never say that you are not good enough to be witness, because you will be saying, "I am not a Christian." When we think of witnessing we naturally think of speaking words, but remember you make your greatest witness with your lives, the way you live and the way you act. Phillip brooks said, "It does not take great men to do great things, it only takes consecrated men." So each of us as we commit ourselves to Christ can do great things, he gives us this power.

Commitment then is handing God a blank sheet to fill in, with your name at the bottom.

Christ calls to us, "Follow Me." What will your answer be?

Let us pray--

PRAYER:

Have thine own way, Lord
Have thine own way
Thou art the Potter, We are the clay
Mold us and Make us
According to thy will
While we are waiting
Yielded and still. Amen

Noe add -
Instead of being work horses we turn into hobby horses

1962