“Majestic” Series: A Majestic Commitment
1st Peter 2:9
Introduction:
By God’s grace we’re continuing with the “Majestic” series this morning. It’s a series that talks about the majestic life you have in Christ. And it focuses on the calling, the commitment, the consecration, and the completeness, of the life God has brought you into via the New Birth.
The series is based on 1st Peter 2:9…and prayerfully, it’ll help you understand more fully what you are saved to be.
Why don’t you stand with me, and let’s read that text aloud together now.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Let’s pray together now…that our hearts will be open to what we’re going to hear in the next few minutes.
Commitment. Commitment. Say it with me, “Commitment.” Now there’s a word…an idea…that’s loaded with both hope and frustration. There’s the hope that someone will fully engage, involve themselves, be reliable & responsible. And there’s the frustration that arises when the hoped for commitment fails to materialize.
A woman hopes her man will be “committed” to their relationship, then grows frustrated when he seems to drag his feet. A coach hopes a talented young athlete will “commit” herself to the team and grows frustrated when other interests take precedence.
A teacher hopes that an intelligent student will commit himself to learning, and grows frustrated when he seems more interested in gaming than study. An employer hopes that a capable employee will commit themselves to the company, and grows frustrated when that employee proves feckless and undependable.
A director hopes that a new volunteer will commit themselves to the purpose and work of the non-profit, and grows frustrated when the volunteer doesn’t seem to grasp the importance of the work…or of showing up to do it
.
We all recognize that commitment is good, and a lack of commitment is bad…and so we’ll moan and groan right along with all of those who lament the lack of commitment. And hey, I’ve got to confess that as a pastor I’ve done my share of the moaning & groaning & lamenting.
But there’s a reason why so many people won’t really commit themselves to anything…I mean, a reason beyond the sorts of things we typically grumble about. You know, “this generation doesn’t” blah blah blah. Or, “People nowadays just don’t” yada yada yada. There’s an underlying reason beneath all that.
And it’s that commitment can be hard. It may mean showing up when we don’t particularly want to. It may mean staying when there’s someplace else we’d rather be. It may mean effort when we don’t feel like it. Lack of commitment is easier…at least in the short term.
Since commitment can be hard, we tend to be…or at least should be…careful about what we commit ourselves to. Most of us know that when we make a commitment, we need to do our absolute best to honor it. None of us want the reputation that goes with being the sort of person who takes commitment lightly.
Commitment can be hard…so that’s sometimes why we’re slow to make commitments. And it’s why we make temporary commitments…commitments that we know have a certain shelf-life when we enter them.
And it’s why we change commitments; we commit to one thing for a while, then shift our attention elsewhere and commit to something else…for a while.
All of us recognize…at least on some level…that the Christian life is a life of commitment. And I think that’s why some of us hesitate to be baptized in Jesus’ name; we know that water baptism is crossing the Rubicon. It means we’re all in for Jesus, come what may.
None of us who’ve been around the Refuge for a while are under the illusion that water baptism means we’re pledging ourselves to a life of absolute perfection, but it does mean that we’re pledging our complete allegiance to Christ & His Kingdom above all others. It does mean that we’re promising Christ & His Church that we’ll walk in His ways and take up His cause.
And we know that’s not the sort of commitment you make, then abandon in favor of some other temporary interest. It’s a commitment that lasts a lifetime, and effects your eternity.
So, it’s good to count the cost…as Jesus said. Since the Christian life is a life of commitment…I mean, an entire life of commitment…it’s good to know what that means, what it entails.
And of course, to do that, we’ve got to turn to the Scripture. Understanding Christian commitment requires understanding what the Bible has to say about the Christian life.
The trouble is that there’s not one, single equivalent idea in the Scripture that we can study and say, “This is what Christian commitment means.”
To understand Christian commitment from the Scripture, we have to have a grasp of a few, different, overlapping Scriptural ideas that…taken together…help us understand what it means to be committed to Christ.
By God’s grace, that’s what we’re going to do for the next few minutes…examine three, different, overlapping ideas that help us understand the life of Christian commitment.
If you’ve not been baptized in Jesus’ name, all this should help you understand more of what following Jesus means. If you have been, it will remind you of what you pledged yourself to.
Let’s pray again right now…
I. Discipleship
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40)
First, we understand Christian commitment by understanding the Scriptural idea of discipleship; the Christian life is a commitment to being Jesus’ disciple. It’s a commitment to a life of learning…to a life lived in the discipline of the Master. You see, Jesus isn’t just your teacher, he’s your Master and Lord.
So, discipleship means that you follow him. It means that you build your life around the framework of His values. It means that you walk in obedience to His precepts. It means that you take up His work in the world as your own.
Discipleship involves discipline and structure…it’s not just a matter of being a “spiritual person”, as so many people like to say. Listen, we’re all “spiritual” (in that sense) by nature…we’re created with a spiritual interest. But being a disciple goes beyond that.
Being Jesus’ disciple isn’t a matter of you following your “spiritual” nature, it’s a matter of your heart hearing Jesus’ call…and you saying “yes” by beginning to follow Him. Jesus’ call is always a call to discipleship, and that always involves discipline and structure. There are things to learn. There are practices to take up. There is work to do.
So, at times discipleship will involve self-denial. And at other times it will involve suffering. But Jesus’ disciples are granted things that no one else is!
Jesus grants his disciples a level of understanding and enlightenment that the general crowd will never have. The Gospels show that Jesus taught the general crowds in parables, but he taught his disciples plainly. He explained the parables to them! Jesus shows his disciples the mysteries of the Kingdom of God!
Jesus opens to his disciples a revelation of his person that the general crowd will never have. The crowd may think of Jesus as a good teacher, an exemplary man, or even a great prophet. But to his disciples Jesus reveals himself as Lord and Christ; as God and King.
Jesus entrusts his disciples with his mission…they become active participants in Christ’s work in the world. The general crowd may try to cloak their goals in Jesus-talk, but disciples are commissioned; Jesus has passed his mission on to his disciples. They take up a role in God’s plan for the ages!
So, Christian commitment means discipleship.
II. Faithfulness
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:21, ESV)
Then, we understand Christian commitment by understanding the Scriptural idea of faithfulness. And in the Scripture, faithfulness is about three things: it’s about a life of faith, it’s about keeping faith, and it’s about keeping the Faith.
Remember that “faith” is persuasion…if you have faith, you’ve been persuaded. So, faithfulness is about living your life as if you are persuaded about the truth of Jesus and what he says. That’s what the “life of faith” is all about!
If you’re a man or woman of faith, then you live your life in light of that faith. If you’re someone who has faith in Jesus, then you live as if you believe what Jesus said & did is true.
Faithfulness is about keeping faith. In other words, others can place their faith in you. It means you’re trustworthy. It means that you do what you say you’ll do. It means that you’ll be where you say you’ll be.
It means that you are true to those you’re in relationship with; to your spouse, your kids, your family, your friends, your brothers & sisters in Christ. It means that you keep your word, that you keep your promises, and that others can place their confidence in you.
And faithfulness is about keeping the Faith. It’s about staying true to the teachings of the Word of God. It’s about staying true to our Oneness Pentecostal distinctives. It’s about staying true because those things matter to you! It’s about staying true because God has been true to you!
Listen; faith flows to faithfulness…one is necessary to the other. If you have faith, you’ll live faithfully. That means you live the Christian life because you believe, and not because you’re under some sort of obligation. Hey! It’s important that you get that; when you’re a Christian, you do what you do because you believe.
So, you’re faithful to the Hour of Prayer, to Sunday Worship, and to & Midweek Online because you believe; you’re persuaded of the significance and value of those gatherings…and faith flows to faithfulness.
You’re faithful in your financial support to The Refuge because you believe; you’re persuaded of the good that’s brought into your life…you’re persuaded that it’s important the Refuge carry its message forward…and faith flows into faithfulness.
You’re faithful in your Christian service because you believe; you’re persuaded that each member of the Body can and should do whatever they can for the Kingdom. So you’ll clean the church, mow the lawn, fix flower beds, teach kids, sing, play an instrument…whatever your hand finds to do, you’ll do.
You’ll serve here, there, and everywhere…and you’ll do it in faith…because faith flows into faithfulness.
And listen; the rewards of the Kingdom are given to those who are faithful! In Matthew 25 Jesus taught that rulers and leaders will be chosen from among the faithful. In Revelation 2, Jesus said that a crown of life awaits the faithful.
In Revelation 17, it says that Christ’s great victory over all the corrupt, immoral, and broken systems of this world will be accomplished…and who do you think is there with him when he triumphs? You guessed it! The faithful!
So, Christian commitment means faithfulness.
III. Endurance
…the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22b, ESV)
And finally, we understand Christian commitment by understanding the Scriptural idea of endurance. This simply means that over the course of your Christian walk, you’ve developed staying power.
It doesn’t mean that you’re stronger than everyone else. It doesn’t mean that you’re more gifted than anyone else. It doesn’t mean you’re more spiritual than anyone else. No…it simply means that somehow the work of God’s grace in you took the form of a dogged determination to stay.
The idea of “endurance” in the New Testament is just that; you stay committed when everyone else has gone, when everyone else has turned back. If your family forsakes their commitment, you stay. If your friends forsake their commitment, you stay. If your elders forsake their commitment, you stay.
If religious systems brand your commitment heretical, you stay. If influencers label your commitment hateful, you stay. If employers make your commitment untenable, you stay. If governments declare your commitment illegal, you stay.
That’s endurance; you stay, you last, you endure…in it all, through it all.
It’s those who endure who will be saved in the end! It’s those who don’t give up who reap the harvest! It’s those who hold their confidence to the end who will share in all that Christ’s return brings to the world and does in the world!
Christian commitment means endurance.
Closing:
Yes, the Christian life is a majestic life. It’s a life that makes you one of the chosen, the royal, the holy, and the precious in His sight.
And the majesty of that life calls for a majestic commitment to Christ & His Kingdom…a commitment that’s revealed in your discipleship, your faithfulness, and your endurance.
I close now with this reading from 2nd Timothy 4:1-8…
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
This is the Word of the Lord, and let all the people say, “Amen!”
