Are you Committed

Are you Committed?

September 25, 2005

Introduction

A simple question, “Are you committed?” Does it matter? Will it make a difference? Is it a requirement?

Today, we are concerned about church growth. The Richland Hills Church of Christ is a huge church. They have three services on Sunday morning. They are planning to “plant” a church in Flower Mound. They have announced it already, and they have added this: it will have instrumental music. Why? I can only guess, because I wasn’t there to ask them when the announcement was made, but I believe that decision was made because they felt it would help attract larger crowds.

Where do we stand? But more importantly, where does the Lord stand, and what does He expect of us? This morning, I want to share to special events in the life of our Lord. The first on is recorded in John 6. (John 6:65-71 NKJV) And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." {66} From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. {67} Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" {68} But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. {69} "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Had I been there, what would I have done? Would I have begun to call out, “Ya’ll come back! What did I say? I didn’t mean to offend you!” But none of this happened, instead, heturn to the twelve and asks a question, "Do you also want to go away?" Jesus wanted everyone to be saved, but on His terms, not their’s! He was not concerned about keeping numbers at any price.

Now let’s look at another story. The story of a man who most likely was a Gentile, but let’s look at the story.

Body

I. The Centurion who understood authority.

The story of the centurion is short and simple. It would be easy to miss.

(Mat 8:5-13 NKJV) Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, {6} saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." {7} And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." {8} The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. {9} "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." {10} When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! {11} "And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. {12} "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." {13} Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.

There are four great thoughts in this story.

1. He was a special man to have such care for his servant, and such faith in Christ.

a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, {6} saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."

2. The key verse is his understanding of Christ power and authority.

{8} The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. {9} "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

3. Jesus makes a statement about this man, that He never made about another man:

{10} When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

What was so great about this man’s faith?

1. It was absolute faith: Whatever Jesus said would be accomplished!

2. He lived his faith! He turned down Jesus generous offer to come and heal his servant.

3. He walked away from Jesus, having complete confidence that it would happen exactly as Jesus said.

4. He was the very epitome of what Jesus was looking for.

II. What does Jesus want of us?

He wanted us to be examples.

(Mat 5:13-16 NKJV) "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. {14} "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. {15} "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. {16} "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

1. But many who claim to be Christians are not living any differently than those who are in the world. According to The Gallup Organization and The Barna Group:

· Divorce is more common among “born-again” Christians than in the general American population.

· Only 6% of evangelicals tithe.

· White evangelicals are the most likely people to object to neighbors of another race.

· Josh McDowell has pointed out that the sexual promiscuity of evangelical youth is only a little less outrageous than that of their non-evangelical peers.

· A program, “True Love Waits,” called for teens to wait until marriage for sexual relations. 2.4 million took the pledge that they would wait. Of those checked with research later, only 12% kept their pledge.

· One study found that husbands of conservative Protestant churches were no more or less likely to engage in domestic abuse than others.

2. We cannot be salt and light if we are no different from the world around us.

Grace and forgiveness have been over emphasized.

1. Obedience and commitment have been neglected.

2. Too many churches have tried to do whatever it takes to pack the building.

3. Jesus called for dedication.

(Mark 8:34-38 NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. {35} "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. {36} "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? {37} "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? {38} "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

III. Are you committed?

Elton Trueblood wrote a book called The Company of the Committed.

1. He started his book with the story of the centurion that we talked about as we began our lesson.

2. Jesus was impressed with the faith of the centurion.

Do we have the kind of faith and obedience that Jesus expects of us?

1. John said we are not to love the world.

(1 John 2:15-17 NKJV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. {17} And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

2. As Christians, we are not to go on sinning.

(1 John 3:9 NIV) No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Conclusion

I. Is your light shining, or is it under a basket?

II. Is your life right with God?

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