Comfort vs Commitment
August 11, 2013 Evening Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: The Christian is called to choose commitment over comfort and convenience every time.
Focus Passage: Luke 9:57-62
Introduction: The kids and I were watching a show on the Science Channel the other day. They showed a recent invention of a power saw that has some sort of sensor hooked up to it so that it will stop if it comes in contact with flesh. They demonstrated the function by first cutting through a 2x4. Then, they took a hot dog wiener and slowly brought it in contact with the blade. To our amazement, some do-hickey was employed and stopped the saw blade instantly. We considered it a success, after all, who would actually WANT to put their finger in a table saw blade? We were totally and completely amazed when the inventor of the saw then volunteered to put HIS finger in the blade. They had slo-motion close-up cameras all in position. The man slowly and gently moved his finger toward the spinning blade. At the very first touch of the blade, the do-hickey was employed, the blade stopped instantly, and the man did not suffer even a scrape on his finger! No blood! No loss of flesh! Nothing! If Christians employ that kind of commitment to our Lord, just imagine how different our world would be!
I. The Opportunist
a. The opportunist is interested in what they can get out of the relationship.
b. The first man expected, that if Jesus were to be King, he could get in on some of the good stuff.
c. Many Christians only come to church to see what they can get. They don’t even consider what they have to offer. To them, church is “about me.”
d. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29 NASB)
II. The Excuse Maker
a. The excuse maker does just that. Gives every excuse in the book to not be involved, to not share the Gospel, to not give offerings, even to not attend services. Excuses instead of commitment.
b. While this man’s “excuse” was legitimate, it was still an excuse. The call was urgent.
c. And however strange and odd such a phrase may sound in the ears of some, of one dead man's burying another, it was easily understood by a Jew; with whom it is common to say, החוטא חשוב כמת, "that a sinner is counted as dead, and that ungodly persons, even while they are alive", קרויין מתים, are "called dead" (John Gill)
III. The Procrastinator
a. The procrastinator has good intentions, but lets laziness or circumstances get in the way of commitment.
b. This man wanted to get things squared away at home. He wasn’t wholly committed to following the Lord. He was going to have trouble choosing between Jesus and “stuff.”
c. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:26 NASB)
Invitation: Are you REALLY committed to following Jesus? Or are you in it just to get something in this life? (or out of the church) Are you ready to give up EVERYTHING for Him?
[The audio of this sermon being preached can be downloaded here http://sermon.net/rboyne/sermonid/1200077672]
