God's Focused Commitment

INTRO: God and Jesus Christ are committed to an eternal plan to build a family from eternity to eternity. It is without end and starts with us now and all mankind on this earth.  It is shown in the Bible as an eternal plan before this world was created as it is today with mankind and all the plants and animals on it, that God commits to his people, his church and all mankind that he will be our God and give us what we need to serve and obey Him; and He makes a way to come to him through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has committed himself to this end and gave his life for us to repentant, accept his sacrifice for our sins, to continually make intercession for us so that we can attain eternal life in the God Family in the Kingdom of God, through those promises. THAT’S COMMITMENT

BENEFIT STATEMENT:  Christians need to be committed not just involved.  It's easy to be involved and fool ourselves into thinking we are in better spiritual shape than we are.  In order to make it to the end, we need to be committed to making it no matter what.  It takes courage and discipline to do what needs to be done, yet that is what we are called to do--build character and be committed

SPS: Since we live in a commitment phobic society that teaches us how to not trust and have faith in other people. This can translate to God. So, we may mistrust HIM. God is Faithful and unchanging. He will guide us to learn His Way as we consider “God’s Focused Commitment”

BODY:

1. Our Father and Jesus Christ are committed to YOU and to US as His Spiritual Relatives. His Family, of which They are more “Family” than our human one.

A hugely important spiritual commitment question to ask yourself: “How can I be committed to God if I don’t know whether He’s committed to me?” Let’s look at God’s commitment to you and me.

Consider what He says through the prophet Jeremiah:

(Jeremiah 29:11). “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”

It gets even better! God is 100 percent committed to those He loves. Look at this exciting thought that God inspired Paul the apostle to write:

(Romans 8:38-39, New Living Translation).“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love … that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”

What actually happens so that humans lack commitment to God? They are not in a personal relationship with HIM in real time and obviously learning from this Holy interaction.

Numbers 14:20-22 (NKJV) 20  Then the LORD said: "I have pardoned, according to your word; 21  but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD-- 22  because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,

    Huh? They SAW it happen right before all of the nation of Israel and STILL could not bring themselves to have faith in God doing what He said and having their best interests at heart.

How CAN such a thing happen? It is because they were not OF God (involved, but not committed), only witnesses to God’s interactions with mankind. They were not yielded, but had the irrefutable knowledge about God.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NKJV) 10  I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

EVEN when God SHOWS us the miracles, without the commitment to let HIM lead us TOTALLY, we cannot understand what He is doing, and will not join with Him.

            God is committed to us even as we are sinners rebelling against Him. He is committed to us.

Does God keep His promises and commitments even when humans fail to abide by theirs? God’s character and values never change. Therefore He could never have abandoned His promises to ancient Israel.

God promised that Israel as a nation would continue to exist as long as the sun, moon and stars continued to shine

Jeremiah 31:35-36 (NKJV) 35  Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): 36  "If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."

By confirming God’s continual involvement in the past, present and future of the children of Israel, we validate His unwavering commitment to keep His word. Such confirmation gives us a solid basis for our faith that God will keep His promises to us.

By fulfilling His promises to all of the tribes of Israel, God will also, at the return of Christ, prove to scoffers and doubters that He is trustworthy. He will demonstrate to all nations that He stands behind every word He has ever spoken through His prophets. He will confirm that He has the power to direct history as He desires.

As Jesus said of God,

((((((John 17:17).“Your word is truth”

1. STAY focused on God and US ultimately and eternally being together

Let’s discuss God’s promises, deliverance, which is our hope and faith. GOD’S Priorities.

Romans 5:6 It says here, For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.V.7 It says, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man somebody would even dare to die.V.8 But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.V.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.V.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

So while we were enemies, while we were sinners, Christ made a commitment, His part, towards us. And it says that Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. So even well before we even existed in that - in that regard. In other words, God took the first step.

BUT …what about our interaction with these promises?

Will God cause us to become focused on His Priorities? Here’s a reminder of the duties that we have are intended to impart focus so  we don’t get distracted, that we don’t turn to the one side or turn to the other side

Matthew 6:22 The lamp of a body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is good – 

actually, from the Greek it can also mean “focused”  -

 your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad –( or if your eye is unfocused)  - your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! V.24 He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Israel tried often to serve more than one God. They had their focus split. They got sidetracked. They got derailed. God says you can’t do that.

Not My Will, or the human way of committing: THAT is Christ’s example of Commitment:

Matthew 6:25-26 (NKJV) 25  "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

V.27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? V.28 So why do you worry about clothing ? He says, “Consider the lilies of the field.” V.29 He says, “ Even Solomon wasn’t as arrayed as one of those.”V.30 He says, “ If God is going to take care of those things, how much will He take care of you? Oh, you of little faith? V.31 “ Therefore do not worry, ‘What we shall eat?’ ‘What we shall drink?’ ‘What shall we wear? ‘V.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all those things will fall into place.

He says keep your focus on the covenant agreement that you have made with God, that we have made with God.

None of this is accomplished on our own, nor without God’s Mind and Heart leading us actively.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.V.6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.V.9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. V.10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Through the Holy Spirit God promises to live His life in us, if we don’t quench the Spirit

But WHAT response are we to give God and HOW would that work? What happens in losing focus?

Matthew 14:28 Peter said to him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.V.29 And Christ said, “Come.” And Peter came out of the boat, and he walked on water to Jesus.V.30 When he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and he began to sink.

Now, what happened to Peter? He didn’t keep the single and simple‑minded focus on doing what he needed to do, of just walking towards God. Our covenant that we have made with God at baptism is to walk towards God. It’s as simple as that. Peter got distracted. He said there are waves.

V.30 He said, “Lord, save me!”V.31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

(((((Psalm 71:6 (NKJV) 6  By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.

The point here is that even in our times of weakness, even when we get distracted by the waves and the storms, we should still call out to God, and God’s hand will reach out and God’s hand will save us.

God IS Focused on YOU, so reciprocate and be FOCUSED FIRST on HIM and His Family Life Plan.

So …HOW does God do this, and HOW do we do it with Him? Commitment in God’s level of total involvement personally with Him? HOW?

1. God’s Spirit works to make His Commitment possible in you, and YOU must allow that.

We know that the power of God’s spirit is multifaceted…sometimes so multifaceted… we may overlook the work that God has designated for His spirit to accomplish…in us…

So …let’s be specific today…about what God’s Spirit can be doing…in each of us.

God’s Spirit Provides the Ability:

1. To change our weaknesses

Peter…was personally taught by Christ…about how to have conviction of belief and how to have faith in his convictions.

Peter watched Christ perform numerous miracles…in person

Peter was the only one of the disciples to know….absolutely know that Christ was the prophesied Messiah!

Mt. 16:13-17… You are the Son of the Living God

(Only the Holy Spirit could have done that for Peter)

(So with that declaration being said….) How could Peter deny Christ at all, much less three times?

(((((Mt. 26:69-75…Peter’s denial

What happened...God’s spirit was definitely working with Peter…but Peter’s… “faith”… was not OF God yet. He believed IN God and about God, not Faith OF God. God’s Faith.

Humility…what Peter left with was humility…at its basest level…

Peter did not learn to be humble or loyal…after watching Christ for 3 years...he needed to be able to apply what he had learned….from Christ…in his own life

Peter was given God’s Spirit  on the Day of Pentecost…did Peter change?

Did Peter take God’s Spirit and bury it… or learn when he was older.

Acts 11:2-3…Peter contended with them…he was not afraid

(((((11:15-18…he stood his ground…out of fervor of faith….he was passionate about what he was doing now!

Peter was using the power of God…to change

God’s Spirit provides the ability

1. To witness the truth & and HOLD ON to It

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) 8  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Note what this word tells us about God’s spirit   doo'-nam-is…force… specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): …ability, abundance, meaning, might (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

(What we gather then is this…when we receive the Holy Spirit…a certain force…multifaceted force/power…is bequeathed to us. God’s FAMILY Essence!

So one of the ways God’s Spirit works with us in a Committed Personal Relationship…it brings about Divine repentance toward real NEW Creation in us …if we submit to that Godly Power.

II Cor. 10:4-5…our weapons…aid us to cast down…all arguments that are against God’s knowledge

We become a powerful witness...by the lives we lead…that has more influence than the words we speak ….Quite often in our lives

Our example is reflected by our commitment to never let the light of truth...die out ...we reflect the mind of Christ…at work

We can sum up part of what we are to do...by reading what Paul instructed Timothy to remember

1 Timothy 4:12-16 (NKJV) 12  Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

(That is the power of God…at work…if we submit to that power!)

God’s Spirit provides the ability

1. To deepen our Committed beliefs:

After God outlined His covenant with ancient Israel…we can go to Ex...Lev… Num...Deut….and find at least 17 times that God directs…yes… almost pleads with Israel to obey Him!

Israel watched all the extraordinary miracles…   God was at one point ready to destroy all of Israel...but Moses pleaded on behalf of Israel

At the end…only Joshua and Caleb...were the only to cross into the Promised Land

(Why?)                       Num. 14:20-24…but Caleb had a different… spirit

What was different….Caleb believed God when HE spoke …his convictions ran deep

(Remember like….Peter…we need to be tested in our beliefs). What influences us positively?

Dt. 8:1-7…So that...you should know in your heart… (”inward parts, deepest being”)

(Yes we have to know too….along with our Father)   That we a have a very deep committed belief.

Deepened beliefs…yield deepened Commitment… deepened Commitment yield deepened fruit….the good fruit is what God’s Spirit should yield in us

God’s Spirit provides the ability

1.  To bear… Good fruit through being Committed Of God.

God’s Spirit is the driving force of requiring us to bear good fruit …

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Our fruit… should be manifested in our relationships…our work… and all we do

(In that sense ...we become teachers of the power of God’s Spirit bearing fruit in us!)

We have David’s request…about God’s spirit in himself

Ps. 51:10-12...uphold me with your generous Spirit

(Note…David is not asking to have his heart mended…that will not work…the old heart...is corrupted…a new heart is needed…(Paul called this the new creation…the old man is done away)

This Spirit is in Hebrew the (Ruach Nachon)…constant, steady, determined …Result?

Verse 13…then able to reach out…to others

CONCLUSION: Without  being OF God, do we really know “good”, since we do know good and evil?

Proverbs 2:1-9 (NKJV) 1  My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2  So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3  Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4  If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5  Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. 6  For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; 8  He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. 9  Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

So, apparently to know “good and evil” as Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity is to NOT know God’s “Good”. But you will imagine that you know “good” and “evil” WITHOUT being OF God. We MUST realize we are not capable of knowing God’s Righteousness OF ourselves, EVER.

• Our Father and Jesus Christ are committed to YOU and to US
• STAY focused on God and US ultimately and eternally being together
• God’s Spirit works to make His Commitment possible in you, … allow that

CLOSE:

John 7:37-39 (NKJV) 37  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Since WE are incapable of eternal Love or wisdom without God IN us, How could we commit?

Commitment to God is OF His Commitment to YOU. Let HIM be in charge of your LIFE.