Involved or Committed?
Romans 15:4-13 (New International Version)
4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”
10Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”
12And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
INTRODUCTION: How do you get in a pool?
Ever noticed that people enter a pool in different ways? Some will put their toe in the water, and slowly wade in while doing those abdominal exercises of sucking their stomach’s in because of the cool water.
The elegant will do a swan dive, leaving no splash upon their entry.
Then there are those who will do a cannon ball, figuring if I am going to get wet, everybody else should feel the splash.
So how do you enter a pool? And do you notice the difference in the level of commitment? Those who just put a toe in the water and feel its temperature are merely getting involved, if the water is too cold I can go sit in the sun. But if I jump in the water, once I jump, I am committed. There is no turning back, I am going to get wet.
When it comes to my role in the church, God doesn’t merely want me to put my toe in the water, but dive in with a cannon ball that touches everyone with the love of God. Such commitment is not based on my hard work, but on God’s incredible gift of Jesus. In the family of God, the heart of commitment follows in the footsteps of Jesus. Why is this so important?
A Gallup survey discovered a group of 12% of Americans that are happier, have stronger families, are more tolerant of people of different races and religions, and are more community minded than others. What was the common characteristic of this 12% group? They are highly spiritually committed. They don’t put their toe in the water, they cannon ball into the pool. Today let’s look at 3 building blocks in Building the Heart of Commitment to Christ and the Bride of Christ.
BUILDING BLOCK 1: Fill up on God’s Word received and applied to daily living. Paul shares the power of God’s Word in Romans 15:4, Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. -- (GOD’S WORD)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book Life Together, raises the question about what happens to a person after he has meditated upon the Bible in the morning, and then goes to work. Bonhoeffer asks, "Has it transported him for a moment into a spiritual ecstasy that vanishes when everyday life returns, or has it lodged the Word of God so securely and deeply in his heart that it holds and fortifies him, impelling him to active love, to obedience, to good works? Only the day can decide." That is the crucial test -- whether or not the Word of God remains lodged in our hearts when we go to our desk, or to the Internet, or sit around the negotiating table, or enter the classroom or explore a new personal relationship.
When I fill up on God’s Word, and I receive it and apply it to daily life then the result is hope. That’s why Paul offers this word of blessing in Romans 15:13, “… May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!” -- (The Message)
Johnny Appleseed, born in 1774, traveled through the frontier planting apple trees. What is not as well known is that he also was a great student of the Bible who shared his enthusiasm for the Bible with others. As he traveled he often would be welcomed to stay the night in the home of a kindly settler. During his stay, he would observe the personal needs of the host family. Many of these people living on the harsh, bleak frontier were lonely, frustrated and worried. Before Johnny left the home in the morning he would rip out a page in his Bible and leave it with the family. Not any old page would do but one that he thought would fit the condition of this particular family, a passage that would exude hope. He filled up on God’s Word, so that He could receive, give and apply God’s Word to fill up others.
BUILDING BLOCK 2: Unite together with other believers as one in Christ.Last Sunday, I did something for the first time in my life I hope to never do again. I pulled for the Oakland Raiders to win a football game. It was more pulling for Denver to lose, but it meant Oakland had to win. One of those “the enemy of my enemy has become my friend” kind of things. Let me assure you it was a one-time involvement, not a lifelong commitment. And I didn’t put on any silver or black stuff.
Have you noticed how committed people become to sports teams or hobby groups? Raider fans will dress like other Raider fans. Charger fans dress in the team jersey or team colors.
In the family of God, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ called the church, the heart of commitment follows the footsteps of Jesus and unites together with other believers as one. Paul describes it this way in Romans 15:5, “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.” -- (New Living Translation)
I like that phrase, “complete harmony”. God’s goal is not that we all sing the same note, but that we sing the same song. Such a commitment is developed through the attitude of Christ Jesus toward others. When Jesus came to this earth, He didn’t merely put his toe in the water. He jumped in with both arms extended committed to reaching out in love.
In a breakfast of eggs and bacon, the chicken was involved and the pig was committed. When Jesus came, He was committed to make us one, not on the same note but with the same song and the same choir. Paul says in Romans 15:6, “Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!” -- (The Message)
BUILDING BLOCK 3: Welcome others with the heart and hands of Christ. Paul says in Romans 15:7, So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified. -- (The Living Bible)
About 20 years ago, my cousin, Lonnie, needed a kidney transplant, and so his sister Diane, gave one of her kidneys. People who do kidney transplants will tell you that God gave us 2 kidneys so that we have one to keep and one to share. That makes sense, a sister giving a kidney for her brother.
A year or so ago, one of our members gave one of her kidneys to a co-worker. They weren’t especially close. He wasn’t especially nice, but she did more than get involved, she committed one of her kidneys for this man. That in my mind makes sense only in the light of one responding to God’s incredible love. Welcoming at that point goes beyond heart and hands to include kidneys as well.
My favorite definition of commitment is by Marshall Shelley who says, “Commitment is not simply a mental attitude; it’s developing an ability to further the cause you’re committed to.”
Paul explains the commitment of Christ and what it means for you and me in Romans 15:8-9a, “8I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to show that God’s promises to the Jewish ancestors are true. 9aAnd he also did this so that those who are not Jews could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them.” -- (New Century Version)
We welcome others because Christ so warmly and so deeply welcomed us. What does that mean for us as a church? As the body of Christ, the family of God, the bride of Christ, not merely involved but committed, we commit to welcoming by such simple acts as smiling and saying “Hi!” to others around us. Why? Jesus welcomes me, and I welcome others. It means that if you went to a game at Petco Park or can shop at Fashion Valley, in all likelihood, you can park at VONS and walk to worship. Why? We welcome others with the heart and hands and feet of Christ. Some have stopped coming to worship here because they couldn’t park at VONS, and they couldn’t find a parking place here. Others just weren’t able to find a spot in the first place. Parking at VONS is part of welcoming others.
CONCLUSION: Who comes to mind?
In the family of God, the heart of commitment follows the footsteps of Jesus. We build the heart of commitment as we fill up on God’s Word received and applied. We unite together with other believers as one in Christ. We welcome others with the heart, hands, kidneys, and feet of Jesus.
So who comes to mind when you think of someone who has moved beyond involvement to commitment? Who have you seen do a swan dive into God’s family and touched you with their elegance, or cannon balled in and splashed you with God’s love?
When I think of filling up on God’s Word received and applied in daily life, I think of Don Geisinger who places such a high value on the Word of God and its power in life and has taught me to do the same.
When I think of uniting together with other believers as one in Christ, I think of Mr. Kathy Miller also known as Jeff Miller, who when we went through the process of identifying our core values made unity one of them. He continues to makes sure that unity defines our life together as the family of God.
When I think of welcoming others with the heart and hands of Christ. I think of Donna Bush who gave her kidney to a coworker, and reminded me of how Christ’s love is evident in such practical and powerful ways.
I could go on. So many of you make the list. In the family of God, the heart of commitment follows the footsteps of Jesus. Let’s walk with Him and cannon ball into the pool. Amen.
