Commitment

PowerPoint transitions

+ New Slide

> In Transitions

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- To pledge to some thing or someone.

When you hear the word dog, what do you think of?

When you hear dog, you think of

>Something like

> 3x

+ What about when you hear the word cat? What do you see?

> Something like this?

>3x

+ What do you think about when you hear the word Christian? - Do you think something positive or something negative?

> On the street Interview

- Lady - I’m neutral. I’m pretty open minded to different

religions as long as you don’t hurt anybody

- [guy] First thing that comes to my mind is like church service, God.

- [girl] I just think of like, my religion and my spiritual beliefs.

second lady] Uh, I think just kind of neutral.

- [third lady] I’m not a Christian, so … I mean, I think something good

- [young man] Evil. I just think they are evil.

- [Interviewer] How so?

- [response] Trying to take over the world

- [young man] They’re always trying to get me to join them,

like they’re trying to convert me. I don’t understand that. I mean, why they think they are … why can’t I be right because I don’t go around trying to convert other people.

+ Term Christian

> Christ Ones

> Little Christs

+ George Barna has said,

> “Christianity has no cost in America. We’ve made it too easy to be ‘born again’ — perhaps much easier than Jesus intended. When do we get to the point at which we accept smaller numbers of intensely devoted people rather than feverishly investing in filling auditoriums ... with massive numbers of lukewarm ‘Christians’?”

- Lk 5 is not the first meeting with Christ

+ First Meeting

> (Mk. 1:29-36) Peter, and some of the disciples had met Jesus a year before, had followed Him a short time, and then had returned to their fishing. business

>

+ He had called again a 2nd time

> Mt. 4:18-22

- Lk 5:1-11

- This was now their third time

- v. 5 Peter answers with the word MASTER

- He had established a relationship with Jesus

+ Why fishermen?

- Why not another carpenter?

- Or some shepherd?

- Or one interested in religion?

> It takes courage and daring,

> Patience

> Determination to work on the seas;

> Also takes a great deal of faith.

- Fishermen must be willing to work

together (they used nets, not hooks)

and help one another

- They must develop the skills

necessary to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

- v. 5 fishing was done at night in

shallow water when they come in to feed on minnows

- You don’t fish in the day time in deep

water

- Peter knew how hopeless it might be

to let down his nets again

- Peter was a captive audience as he sat

washing his nets & listening to the Word

> Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by

hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Note the steps

v. 3 Thrust out a little

v. 4 Launch out into the deep

- Insignificant commands

- It was at Jesus word an act of faith

- Peter now truly ready to follow Christ

- 5:11. Fishermen made a better-than-

average income (even if they had a bad night—5:5), so leaving their job is an act of radical commitment that they would expect to adversely affect them economically

+ Ps 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Christ is the answer to every human need

- I need forgiveness for my sins,

- But I need also deliverance from the power of sin

- A Substitute on the Cross who secures my forgiveness

- A Substitute within who secures my victory

- Fourth call in Jn 21:6

- Jesus has called in the past we have followed awhile and then forgot the task of being committed to Him

- Give me your best

- Dry relationship with Christ will kill your joy

- Your life will have no impact if you’re not developing a more intimate relationship with Christ.

+ A little boy fell out of bed. His

mother came in and said, “What happened, Tommy?” He said, “I guess I stayed too near where I got in.”

- That’s the problem with a lot of us

- We get into the family of God, but we

stay too near where we got in.

> Don’t stay where we got in

- We don’t go any deeper. We haven’t

grown in knowing God more personally. That’s why our joy has faded.