Do It! Do It Now! Do It Right!

DO IT! DO IT NOW! DO IT RIGHT!

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-6 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart"

Introduction: As I read our text, I observed that implied in this powerful statement by Moses as to who God is and of our relationship and commitment to Him three imperatives that can be summed up in three simple sentences. Do it. Do it now. Do it right.

I. Do It! ("thou shalt - you must)

A. If God is the Sovereign of the universe, the Word of God true, and Jesus Christ is the crucified, risen and coming Son of God then it is imperative that you to heed His call in your life.

B. I Kings 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

C. Luke 6:46 "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

D. E. STANLEY JONES, LEADERSHIP, VOL. 17, NO. 2. "IF YOU DON’T MAKE UP YOUR MIND, YOUR UNMADE MIND WILL UNMAKE YOU."

E. Indecision is debilitating and contagious; it not only results in loss to the individual but it transmits itself to others.

F. The Call to Surrender

1. To Christ as your personal Savior

a. A BOLD UNBELIEVER WAS LECTURING A GROUP ON THE FOLLY OF RELIGIOUS FAITH IN GENERAL AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN PARTICULAR. AT THE CLOSE OF THE PRESENTATION, THE SPEAKER INVITED PEOPLE TO PROPOUND ANY QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT HAVE. IN THE AUDIENCE WAS THE TOWN DRUNKARD, WHO HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO CHRIST. IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION THE CONVERTED ALCOHOLIC CAME UP FRONT, TOOK OUT AN ORANGE, PEELED IT, AND ATE IT WITHOUT COMMENT. THE SPEAKER ASKED IF HE HAD A QUESTION FOR HIM. AFTER DOWNING THE LAST SEGMENT OF ORANGE THE CONVERT TURNED TO THE INFIDEL AND ASKED, "WAS THE ORANGE I JUST ATE SWEET OR SOUR?" ANGRILY, THE SPEAKER REPLIED, "YOU IDIOT, HOW CAN I KNOW WHETHER IT WAS SWEET OR SOUR WHEN I NEVER TASTED IT?" TO THIS THE CONVERTED DRUNKARD RETORTED, " HOW CAN YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CHRIST IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED HIM?"

b. Psalms 34:8 "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him."

2. To Christ as Lord of every area of your life.

a. JOHN RUSKIN - ANYTHING WHICH MAKES RELIGION ITS SECOND OBJECT MAKES RELIGION NO OBJECT. GOD WILL PUT UP WITH A GREAT MANY THINGS IN THE HUMAN HEART, BUT THERE IS ONE THING HE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH IN IT - A SECOND PLACE. HE WHO OFFERS GOD A 2ND PLACE OFFERS HIM NO PLACE AT ALL.

b. Philippians 3:7-8 "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"

c. If God is kept out of any area of your life, then there is something wrong in that area of your life.

G. The Call to Obey

1. Many claim to be praying or seeking God’s direction in various aspects of their Christian experience which are clearly spelled out in Scripture - baptism, church membership, church attendance, giving, witnessing and serving. Obedience to God removes pretense from our prayers.

2. Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God.

3. ERWIN W. LUTZER - "OBEDIENCE TO REVEALED TRUTH GUARANTEES GUIDANCE IN MATTERS UNREVEALED."

4. D.L. MOODY - "OBEDIENCE MEANS MARCHING RIGHT ON WHETHER WE FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT. MANY TIMES, WE GO AGAINST OUR FEELINGS. FAITH IS ONE THING, FEELING IS ANOTHER."

5. I John 2:3 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

H. The Call to Serve

1. Mark 13:34 "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."

2. God didn’t call you into the vineyard to eat grapes but to get busy and hoe. He is not concerned about our ability or our inability, but about our availability.

3. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY GOD WOULD NOT WANT YOU, BUT DON’T WORRY. YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY! - MOSES STUTTERED. DAVID’S ARMOR DIDN’T FIT. JOHN MARK WAS REJECTED BY PAUL. HOSEA’S WIFE WAS A PROSTITUTE. AMOS’ ONLY TRAINING WAS IN THE SCHOOL OF FIG-TREE PRUNING. JACOB HAD A HISTORY OF LYING. DAVID HAD AN AFFAIR. SOLOMON WAS TOO RICH. ABRAHAM WAS TOO OLD. DAVID WAS TOO YOUNG. TIMOTHY HAD ULCERS. PETER WAS AFRAID OF DEATH. LAZARUS WAS DEAD. JOHN WAS SELF-RIGHTEOUS. NAOMI WAS A TOO POOR AND A WIDOW. PAUL WAS A MURDERER. SO WAS MOSES. JONAH RAN FROM GOD. MIRIAM WAS A GOSSIP. GIDEON AND THOMAS BOTH DOUBTED. JEREMIAH WAS DEPRESSED AND SUICIDAL. ELIJAH WAS BURNED OUT. JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS A LOUDMOUTH. MARTHA WAS A WORRYWART. MARY WAS LAZY. SAMSON HAD LONG HAIR. NOAH GOT DRUNK. DID I MENTION THAT MOSES HAD A SHORT FUSE? - SO DID PETER, PAUL. BUT GOD DOESN’T REQUIRE A JOB INTERVIEW. HE DOESN’T HIRE AND FIRE LIKE MOST BOSSES, BECAUSE HE’S MORE OUR DAD THAN OUR BOSS. HE DOESN’T LOOK AT FINANCIAL GAIN OR LOSS. HE’S NEITHER PREJUDICED NOR PARTIAL, JUDGING, GRUDGING, SASSY, NOR BRASSY, NOT DEAF TO OUR CRY, NOR BLIND TO OUR NEED. SATAN SAYS, "YOU’RE NOT WORTHY." JESUS SAYS, "SO WHAT? I AM." SATAN LOOKS BACK AND SEES OUR MISTAKES. GOD LOOKS BACK AND SEES THE CROSS. SURE--THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY GOD SHOULDN’T WANT US. BUT IF WE ARE IN LOVE WITH HIM, IF WE HUNGER FOR HIM MORE THAN OUR NEXT BREATH, HE’LL USE US IN SPITE OF WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE’VE BEEN, OR WHAT WE LOOK LIKE.