Outline:
Commitment begins with a Decision
Commitment continues with Actions
Commitment is complete with Resolve
Introduction:
Funny Illustration
Robert Turner told a story about a hen and a pig who became very good friends. One seldom saw them apart. One day as they strolled about the barnyard lot, the hen suggested that since they had never eaten breakfast together, that they do that the next morning. Never being one to turn down a meal, the pig readily agreed and asked, “What will we eat?”
The hen stood in deep thought for a while, then said, “It appears to me that if each of us contributes something to the meal it will be more meaningful to each of us.” “Fine,” said the pig, “and what do you suggest?”
Again, the hen stood as if in deep thought for a while and then said, “I have an idea, let’s have ham and eggs. I’ll provide the eggs and you the ham.” “Hold on,” said the pig, “What you offer to contribute is the fruit of your labor, but what you’re asking of me requires total commitment!”
From sermon central
That pig knew the price of total commitment. It can be described as a living sacrifice, or a constant dying out of our desires in order to follow our Lord
Here in our Bible Story we see that type of commitment in a non Israelite named Ruth. As I read the text, see if anyone can tell me where they might have heard this scripture read before
Ruth 1:16-18 (New International Version)
16 But Ruth replied, "Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
ANSWER: a traditional marriage ceremony
Purpose
Today I want to look at Ruth’s commitment to go with her mother-in-law that can help us in learning how to better commit to God
Commitment begins with a Decision
Ruth tells her mother-in-law that I WILL go with you.
The days in which Ruth lived were called the time of the judges of Israel, and this was a time of good-ole-fashioned-Charlie-Brown-wishy-washy commitment. As you read through this Biblical history found in the book of Judges you will find a cycle of the people of God sinning, crying out to God, being saved by God, but then sinning again.
In constrast to this time of roller coaster commitment, when every one did what was right in their own eyes, this book is a breath of fresh air as we find one, who did not know God, desire to have Him as her God.
The days that Ruth lived in sound like today!
Illustration:
Recently, the media reported on a well known Christian pastor, Ted Haggard, who allegedy committed the sin of homosexuality. It was hurtful to read this. It was only a few short years before this that I read one of his books, How to keep your City from going to Hell. I was motivated by it, but now this. This calls to mind one to many Christians who got sidetracked BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO STEP ASIDE FROM THAT DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST
Your commitment today my friend to follow Christ though it be a matter of DECISION, must be birthed in your spirit, and honed through humility. You must let God have His way with you 100% or you too will be written up as another casualty of the Christian faith.
When others look at you, Christian, do they see one who is committed to maturing in Christ, or one who is just giving their offerings, their leftovers.?
Illustration
While driving back from my parents, I listened to a Christian Radio talk show. One of the guests described the relationship between faith and life. He told how the nominal Christians life was represented as a circle, with their faith being represented as a dot in the center of that circle. Then he told of another group, the terrorists, whose faith is seen as the circle, and their lives as that dot. Thus them giving up their lives is insignificant.
What is the purpose of your life, Christian? Is your commitment to Christ akin to that pig donating that ham or that hen giving up the egg.
Commitment continues with Actions
Illustration
When I was in elementary school, my friends and I loved to pretend to be super heroes. We dressed up in our customs, and pretended to fly around and beat up bad guys. But you know something, in all of my pretending, never once did I actually fly. Never once did I move faster than a speeding locomotive, or stop a bullet with my bare hands.
A Christian can have all the want to he can muster up, but until he does something with that DECISION to be committed, he will only be a virtual super Christian.
Look at our scripture: I will GO
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth
Ruth 1
Ruth not only determined to go with her mother-in-law, but she actually ACTED upon that, and left her family. It must have been difficult
Illustration
Charlie Brown and Linus.?Charlie brown asks Linus "What would you do if you felt that nobody liked you?"?Linus responds "Well Charlie Brown I guess I would take a real hard look at myself, ask if I am doing anything that turns people off, How can I improve myself? Do I need to change in some way? Yep thats my answer Charlie Brown."?Charlie Brown says, "I hate that answer."
Contributed by: Dan Cormie
When the tough questions are asked of you Christian, do you respond like Charlie Brown or do you DECIDE to ACT to take the next step in your commitment to mature in Christ?
The greatest commandment that Jesus gave us is to Love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Not until we ACT upon our commitment to DECIDE to follow Christ, can we begin to probe the depths of his love.
Illustration
This past Friday, the First Baptist Church had a True Love Waits Banquet followed by a Service. A large group of Teens made a DECISION about 6 weeks earlier that they wanted to say yes to NO SEX until marriage. That DECISION was then ACTED upon by these teens going through a course that culminated in this night’s activities.
To mature in Christ one needs to ACT
Transition to last section
Noah was a Drunk
Elijah was Suicidal
Peter was a Coward
Jacob was a Deceiver
Rahab was a Prostitute
Samson was a Womanizer
Moses had a Self-esteem problem
David was an Adulterer/Murderer
The Samaritan Woman was Divorced (a lot)and my siblings.
Each one of these people were flawed, but because they ACTED upon their DECISION to follow God, great things were done. The same will be said of you o flawed man or woman of God when you ACT upon your DECISION to follow Christ.
Commitment is complete with Resolve
As we read the story of Ruth, we see her RESOLVE, her follow through. She listened to her mother-in-law and followed her instructions. And we know the rest of that story because of her RESOLVE: Ruth became the great grandmother of King David from whom Christ came.
Listen to these words
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me, and even more, if anything but death separates you and me.
And again
22So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth
Ruth 1 NIV
Til death do us part. What a resolve?
Illustration
I have a confession: I am not always good at follow through. I can walk past a dish of sweets for 1 week, BUT if they are still there on that 8th day, I feel morally obligated to not see that food group wasted, and thus I do my duty and begin to nibble.
Sometimes one’s follow through, one’s resolve is weak. A Christian can start off well in the faith, but as the days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years, his original DECISION which he ACTED upon can weaken BECAUSE he forgets whats it all about.
Illustration
There was this Blondie Cartoon that I clipped out and showed Lorraine. It showed Dagwood, standing at the front door preparing to leave for work, telling Blondie: “Sometimes I woner what it’s all about…get up …go to work…go to work…get up. The next scene shows Blondie, scooping him up in her arms and giving him one big kiss. The last scene shows a very contented Dagwood telling us “so that’s what its all about”
What’s it all about Christian?
It about loving God. When you know that He loves you regardless, when you know that your sins have been forgiven because of that great love, you will be on firm ground to make that decision to follow Him, to make that commitment.
Conclusion
As we prepare to close, I want to give you an opportunity to apply this sermon today. As you know, in just a couple of weeks, we will be having a Harvest Dinner. Our seating capacity is only 35, but wouldn’t it be great if some of those invited decided to come back?
So this is what I would like us to do. I have asked Bernie to pass out blank index cards, and I would like you to write down names of people you know whom you think would be good prospects to invite to dinner and whom you think may want to come back to church. After this, we will pray for these people, you will be asked to pray for those whom you wrote down, and you will be given another person’s card of friends whom you will also be asked to pray for.
For this next week, pray for these good prospects for God to prepare their hearts when you go ask them to come.
Why do this?
Because we want to see our church grow
Because we love the Lord and want to share this incredibly great news
Because by making a DECISION that we can ACT upon, and then RESOLVE to follow through on we will see what God can do, and thus be given the incredible opportunity to mature in Christ
When you think of this sermon this week, think of D.A.R. and understand that when you DARe to commit yourselves wholely to God, great things will happen because of Him.
