INTRODUCTION:
Humor: Adapted from Our Daily Bread, January 30, 1994. Borneo in 1964. The Elite Troops of Nepal were known as Gurkhas. In combat, they had earned a reputation as tenacious and fearless soldiers. They are probably most famous for the long forward sweeping knife that bears their name. During hostilities with the Indonesians, these brave, elite troops were asked if they would be willing to jump from airplanes into combat. After discussing the plan with his leaders, the Ghurkan commander agreed to the airborne operation, with three requests.
1) They requested the planes fly slower than normal.
2) The Ghurkas requested a swampy area near their target as a drop zone.
3) Finally, with much hesitation the commander asked if it were possible for the planes to fly no higher than 100 feet.
Here’s the problem that posed the officers in charge of the Airborne Operation.
1) The planes already slow down to 90knots for jumps, if they go much slower they couldn’t stay in the air.
2) Water on drop zones are considered hazardous. A swamp would be definitely be a place to avoid.
3) Finally, the officer explained that the parachutes would not have time to open at 100 feet.
To that the Gurkhas replied, "Oh, you didn’t mention parachutes before!"
The Ghurkas got their reputation because of their undying dedication to duty. As God’s people do we show the world that kind of dedication, loyalty, and commitment?
Our topic today is commitment. We will use Gideon as our Scriptural guide. So I invite you to find and hold Judges 7.
NEED:
The one thing that shapes your life more than anything else is commitment. The commitments you make are what develop your character. Even the commitments you make, but don’t keep, have a profound impact on how your spiritual growth. Commitment is the road intersection where ideas and values become real as they are acted upon. Your life experiences will be either be negative or positive depending on the value and the object of your commitments.
1. If you are afraid to commit to something, you will fall for anything.
Candle in the wind, ship without a rudder
2. Christian Schizophrenics make commitments to competing values.
As your competing values vie for your time, those around you committed to the Kingdom become frustrated at your lack of consistency. Your church family wants to depend on you. Your participation is a blessing. And each time you bring your “A Game”, the rest of us develop a hunger for more from you. But if you have competing values, your mediocre commitments tend to spoil our appetite.
TESTIMONY
3. Fully committed … to the wrong things. If your life is surrounded by accomplishments and holdings that you can’t use in the millennial reign of Christ you are worldly. You are carnal. This is an area in which I have a great deal of expertise. When I was first identified as a potential Special Forces soldier, I bought into that vision with all my heart. I completely committed to becoming a Green Beret. After months of training and preparation I finally got my chance … and I made the most of it. Once earned my beret, it completely shaped my character. No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great. No matter how great the odds, we always found a way to get it done. I really believed that I could learn to do anything. And I was fully committed … to the wrong thing. I don’t think I was out of God’s will by being in Special Forces. I was out of my Lord’s will because I wasn’t committed to Him while I was in. My priorities stunk. I was so “sold out” that I thought everything and everybody were resources for me to use to accomplish the mission. Brothers, if your commitments are like mine were, you are neglecting your family. You are neglecting your church. You are neglecting your Lord. I will share with you later how the Lord pulled me out of that carnal world of false commitment.
4. God wants you to commit to Him. He has a plan to develop your character into the image of Christ. But you have to buy into it. I want to see the day when God’s people are as sold out for Him as I was for the Green Berets.
Turn with me to the story of Gideon in Judges 7. In this account, Gideon has brought his army to the well of Harod south of the camp of the Midianites.
1. Chapter 6 tells us the Midianites, who were related to the Israelites through one of Abraham’s concubines, had been oppressing them for 7 years. Along with others they were destroying Israel’s crops and stealing their livestock.
2. The people cry out to God who tells them, He brought them ought of bondage, delivered them from the Egyptians and drove the people of the promised land out before them. “But you have not obeyed My voice”, is the Lord’s reply. In short, this oppression from the Midianites is chastisement from God because of their lack of commitment.
3. In response to their cry, the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon with the message that he is to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Chapter 6 is the story of Gideon struggling to understand and know God’s plan for him. You see, Gideon considers himself the least in a family that is least among the Tribes of Israel. But through Gideon’s struggles with trusting himself, God created in him a level of commitment that we all need to attempt.
Would you stand as I read from the New King James translation.
READ: JUDGES 7:1-8
TEXTUAL IDEA: God’s committed three hundred proved to be Fearless, Selfless, Alert.
SERMON IDEA: Three Keys to Commitment to God.
DIVISION 1: God expects us to be Brave.
EXPLAIN: In verse three God sent 22k of 32k home because they were afraid. Fear, more than anything else, keeps God’s people from living a life committed to Him.
Quite frankly, that is the lamest excuse I hear. What are we afraid of? #1 - We are afraid that committing to God want get me what I want. You’re right, it won’t. But God has so much more for you than you are willing to accept.
Do Not Be Afraid, Do Not Fear: occurs over forty times in the Scriptures. All but a few of those occurrences refer to fear of things here on Earth. Here are but a few times God addresses this issue directly to His servants.
Gen 26:24 To Isaac “Do not fear, I for am with you.” {Well wars with the Philistines} Dealing with conflict in a Christian manner requires you to set aside fear.
Gen 46:3 To Jacob “Do not fear to go down to Egypt” {preparing to see Joseph}
Judges 6:23 To Gideon “Peace be with you, do not fear, you shall not die.” {preparing for war with the Midianites} The area between what you see you can do and what God has told you to do is faith.
Isaiah 7:4 To Ahaz through Isaiah “Do not fear these two stubs of smoking firebrands” {Nations plotting against Judah} God is in control, even when nothing has the appearance of good.
In the wilderness of your unbelief look to the future glory that will be unveiled in Zion.
READ ISA 35
Finally, on fear our Master says this “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to kill both soul and body in Hell.” Matt 10:28
If fear is preventing you from living a life fully committed to Christ, spend the rest of our service preparing for God to deliver you from this bondage.
DIVISION 2: God expects us to be Selfless.
EXPLAIN: Go back to the image of Gideon meeting 22k men at the river. Anyone here want to drink after someone has stuck his nasty hair in the water? Of course not. God is not pleased when His children muddy the waters for the lost world by the way we carry out our ministries. How can we expect anyone else to drink from a cup of salvation we have soiled?
I want you to consider the Christian walk as an act of selflessness for others as well as for yourself and for Jesus, who delivered you from bondage, prepared a place for you in this world.
ILLUSTRATION: Follow me on this tangent for a moment. Someone in this room does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you are that person, you are probably thinking like this: I live a decent life. I don’t do anything too bad. In fact, I’m a pretty good person. I’ve never hurt anybody on purpose. I believe I’m ok. You should not get comfortable. You can not live a life good enough to get into heaven. That isn’t the criteria. Even the least little bit of sin is enough to condemn you. That is why Jesus paid the price for us. Omelet illustration. 3 good eggs and one bad, anyone want to eat this omelet? Even if I put twenty more good eggs in the bowl you wouldn’t want it. You see even one sin makes you a sinner in need of a savior. If you are that person today, prepare for God to deliver you as we continue.
DIVISION 3: God expects us to be Alert.
EXPLAIN: We are back down by the river drinking with Gideon’s army. All those men who went down on both knees to drink set down their weapons, ignored everything else to get a drink water. Had an attack come they would not have been ready.
ANALOGY: Compare the ways of drinking in the context of Middle Eastern Culture. It has long been a tradition to kneel with your weapon at your side while eating. Remember the instructions given to the Israelites at the Passover. They were to stay alert and ready while God moved among them.
1. Some laid their weapons aside and stuck their heads under the water. Their commitment to themselves caused them to ignore the dangers of being so near the enemy camp.
2. Some kept their weapons and knelt down, keeping focused on the mission. Their commitment was to God despite the danger.
TESTIMONY: Let me finish the story of how God delivered me from my false commitments. In 1991 I was a Detachment Commander with 5th SFG(A) serving with the Egyptian Army in the 1st Gulf War. My Detachment had done well and I knew that my team and I would be duly awarded after the war. At the peak of my “self awareness”, I was standing over my bunk in KKMC when God spoke to me I an audible voice. All He said was “This is over.” But I knew He meant a life of doing things my way was coming to and end. I would learn to follow Him now. I should have committed my life to His service right there. But I didn’t. I spent the next 18 months making myself and everyone around me miserable by resisting God’s plan. It was September 92 before I committed to God plan. I was riding my bicycle into work as I often did, through the country north of Fort Campbell, KY. I had become so exhausted from fighting God, I physically couldn’t peddle anymore. At this point, I’m still not sure if I just fell over or if God knocked me off the bike. But I ended up on the road side, on top of the bike, wheels spinning and my crying. A grown man, a Green Beret at that, crying. I told God that day, Lord, just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it. I can’t run anymore. I’ve never changed that plan. My commitment is still doing whatever God wants me to do, right now. God called me to commit to Him. He didn’t tell me He would make me a missionary, preacher, teacher worship leader or pastor. He has done those things with my life to grow me and others into the image of Christ.
Like me, you probably can’t imagine all the things God can do with your life if you commit to His plan. But if you will set aside your fear and your selfish attempts to control your life you will be able to hear Him call.
