INTRODUCTION
I think of being involved like dating, you like the person, your involved with them when you want to be and date others if you care too.
However, when you are in a committed relationship with someone, first of all you normally will only date that person because you are committed to them on a one on one relationship.
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People treat the Lord the same way, their involved in coming to church, they come when they feel like it, but they don’t feel that have to be in church every Sunday.
But those who have a relationship with the Lord are committed to Him and want to be in His presence, and want to fellowship with other saints who have the same commitment.
Being a disciple should be a mindset and commitment for every Christian.
However, there are costs to us at times; that cost should help us to have a constant walk with the Lord.
It’s also very important that we understand what it means to be a disciple.
It’s when we have continued in the word of God that we become disciples of His!
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I would describe being a disciple as the difference between being involved and being committed.
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The disciples of Jesus were committed; they gave up their
professions and eventually their lives to follow His!
Jesus was committed…it took all of His time and effort over a period of three and a half years to disciple these men, to teach and, to train them.
I have two words for you this morning: Are you just an involved disciple or are you a committed disciple!
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Involved people don’t sacrifice their money and their lives like the disciples did…there were thousands that were involved with Jesus, but only 120 made it to the upper room. These 120 were the committed!
Paul gave us an example of this in one of his writings that I want to share with you this morning in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12.
This story relates directly to us! And when I think about this story it really troubles me…..
THOUGHT 1 MOSES
Look at Moses, one of the greatest leaders in the bible, failed in his attempt to bring Israel into the Promised Land.
He was a hero to the people!
He led them out of slavery!
With the help of God he did great signs and wonders!
He called down plagues from Heaven
He held up a rod that parted the Red Sea
AT EVERY TURN, THERE WERE MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, GOD WAS WITH HIM, AND GOD WAS WITH THE PEOPLE!
YET, AS GREAT AS MOSES WAS, HE WAS NEVER ABLE TO LEAD ISRAEL INTO THE PROMISED LAND.
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MOSES STARTED OUT AS BEING INVOLVED, HE WAS RELUCTANT TO DO THE JOB GOD HAD HANDED HIM AT FIRST BUT HE LATER BECAME COMMITTED TO IT.
BUT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE HE LOST OUT OF THE JOB HE BECAME COMMITTED TO AND NEVER GOT TO ENTER INTO THE PROMISE LAND HIMSELF.
THOUGHT 2 WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
What happened to Israel in the wilderness, they all wanted the promises of God but without receiving the Word of God.
In I Timothy 4:15-16 the word says “Meditate upon these things: give thyself wholly to them; that they profiting may appear to all. TAKE HEED UNTO THYSELF, AND UNTO THE DOCTRINE; CONTINUE IN THEM: FOR IN DOING THIS THOU SHALT BOTH SAVE THYSELF, AND THEM THAT HEAR THEE.”
If we want to inherit our promise, we must do the same thing that Paul told Timothy.
WE CAN’T JUST BE INVOLVED WE MUST BE COMMITTED IF WE WANT TO SEE THE PROMISES OF GOD AND BE A GOOD DISCIPLE.
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Several things we must do to be committed disciples of the Lord, first study the word of God regularly, obey His word, pray without ceasing, and fellowship together.
Are you involved with the Lord, or are you committed to the Lord?
The children of Israel were involved with God, they followed God for the most part, they obeyed their God-called leaders most of the time, but deep down they really didn’t want to.
And when it came time to inherit their promise they were not committed to the cause, they didn’t want to put their lives on the line or their trust in God.
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It took 40 years for God to find people that would be committed. He had to let a generation die out. Those that remained meditated on His word day and night, they knew what it meant to obey the Word of God, and they did it out of love.
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THOUGHT 3
In I Corinthians 10:1-12 Paul wrote to the Corinthian church “I would not that ye should be ignorant,” he wanted them to know what happened to their ancestors who wanted to be involved in God’s blessings but had no desire to be committed to God unless it benefitted them.”
AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE COMMITTED TO GOD, REGARDLESS, IT IS OUR REASONABLE SERVICE.
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The bible goes on to say that “But with many of them God was not well pleased, and they were overthrown in the wilderness, now these things were our examples. To the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they lusted.”
These people prayed for centuries to be delivered from bondage, they were sick and tired of being sick and tired. Yet, when God finally answers their prayers the moment things didn’t go their way, they wanted to be returned to bondage, they wanted to return to Egypt.
People do the same thing today, they walk with the Lord for a while, but the moment things get tough they want to go back into the world to the familiar because they know how to survive in the world, but they also know the world will lead to destruction of their soul, but that doesn’t matter, they don’t want to be committed, because being committed becomes uncomfortable.
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IN VERSES 10 AND 11 OF I CORINTHIANS CHAPTER TEN, THE WORD SAYS “NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR ENSAMPLES: AND THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ARE COME. WHEREFORE LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL.”
All these words are written for an example to us also, for us to understand, that when we think that we stand, that we have it all together, that if we refuse to obey God’s commands we will find ourselves just like the people of Israel and Moses.
The Israelites had their prayers answered, they were committed to all that Moses told them God had said until it became uncomfortable for them, Moses was involved because he wanted to please God, but became committed once he accepted the task set before him.
One started out being committed but when faced with obstacles found themselves involved in just doing what was going to make them comfortable, the other started out involved but became committed once he realized that God was with him all the way.
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Isn’t ironic that Moses allowed the people to cause him to miss out on going into the Promised Land because he listened to the people and disobeyed God! The Israelites missed out on going into the Promised Land for the same reason they followed their own thinking.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding:”
There it is trust with our hearts and not on our understanding. God knows what best for us.
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Verse 10 says “NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR ENSAMPLES: Let’s not be like Moses and the Israelites because we see what can happen when we are involved and not committed to obeying the Word of God!
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We know through their example what can happen when we lose sight of the will of God.
If ever there was a time to be committed it is now, someone told me that looking back only gets something in your eye.
Let’s keep looking in Jesus direction and vow to become a more committed saint.
CONCLUSION
My final scripture is taken from Matt 16:26 which says “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Our will has to die to God’s ways, we have to be willing to pay the price and suffer, and to be like Jesus, transformed like He was.
INVITATION TO DISCIPLESHIP
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
BENEDICTION
Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now
