A Great Commitment

Sermon for 8/29/99

The Great Mount McKinely

Introduction:

A. Mount McKinley Recliner. Under the right armrest. Lift up the heavy pad and there it is, a sleek, black console equipped with telephone, answering maching, push-button controls for the recliner’s massaging vibrators and a place to plug in your modem, even a remote for the TV and VCR.

B. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Christian life was that easy?

C. Wouldn’t it be great if nothing was expected of us and we could just sit at home and relax. Or would it be great?

WBTU:

A. When Wallace and I went to go visit the Keel’s. What is expected? Nothing, oh really?!

B. KiWanis club, Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, all civic organizations expect certain things of their members, if they don’t do those things eventually they are no longer considered part of the organization.

C. The Rotary Club expects you to attend a meeting every week no matter where you are or what you are doing. They expect you to pay dues. From time to time, as a member you will be asked to serve on a committee to help the organization. If you do not do these things you are no longer considered a member.

D. The Lion’s Club expects you to attend the regular meetings. They expect you to pay dues. They even have a code of ethics. To show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation, to seek success through ethical means, to remember that in building up my buisness it is not necessary to tear down another’s, whenever doubt arises as to the ethics of a situation to be true to my convictions and beliefs, to hold friendship as an end and not a means, always bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state and my community, to aid my fellow men, to be careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise. This is what the Lion’s Club expects of their members.

E. When I was on the Children’s Home Board.

F. Campus Christian Fellowship

G. Chaplain of Rescue Squad.

H. ARC committee.

I. Little League games.

J. My ideas in Bible Bowl.

K. The things I have really sunk my teeth into are groups and organizations that expected certain things of me. If they did not want me to do anything or if they did not expect me to do anything, a lot of time I would not do anything and after a time I would no longer be involved.

L. Most of the time we get what we ask for and expect.

M. Not so when it comes to the church.

N. One church has written up a membership covenant.

1. I will protect the unity of my church by acting in love toward other members, by refusing to gossip, by following the leaders.

2. I will share the responsibility of my church by praying for its growth, by inviting the unchurched to attend, by warmly welcoming those who visit.

3. I will serve the ministry of my church by discovering my gifts and talents by discovering my gifts and talents, by being equipped to serve by my ministers, by developing a servant’s heart.

4. I will support the testimony of my church by attending faithfully, by living a godly life, by giving regularly.

O. Oh, that will never work. This is the fastest growing church in North America.

P. We can’t ask for these things. People have great time constraints today. The question isn’t whether or not people are going to be committed, but rather who is going to get their commitment. If our church doesn’t ask for and expect commitment from our people, people will conclude that what the church is doing is not as important as their other activities.

Q. A problem is that people are over-committed. Spread so thin cannot do good at anything. This is a problem for me as a preacher.

R. Must determine what is important and then do the things that are important. Major in the majors, don’t major in the minors.

S. People want to be committed to something that gives significance to their lives. They respond to responsibilities that give life meaning and are attracted by a challenging vision.

T. What is our vision?

U. This is all nice, Davon, but what would Jesus say about all of this. What does Jesus expect out of church members, out of Christians?

Thesis: What does Jesus expect of us as Christians?

For instances:

Luke 14:25-33

Vs. 25

Jesus was always followed by large crowds. Some of them were committed, some just wanted to see what was going on.

Vs. 26

A. What is Jesus saying? We should hate our family. Doesn’t this break the Commandment about Honoring Father and Mother?