COMMITTED TO CHRIST
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(S1) —
Every weekend, stadiums fill with thousands of them…
They know the chants and wear the jerseys. They know the players’ stats, celebrate the wins and mourn the losses.
They are passionate, loud and invested…the owners, media, the coaches and the players all need them—they make the game the game
FANS vs. PLAYERS
There is a difference between fans in the stands and players on the field.
Fans cheer and drink beer...players take the hits.
Fans admire from a distance...players sacrifice up close.
Fans wear the jersey for three hours...players wear the cost year-round.
Fans celebrate on game day...players train every day.
Fans love the victory...players endure the defeat.
Fans enjoy the benefits...players embrace the demands
Fans are ARM CHAIR quarterbacks...players depend on and defend their quarterbacks
The difference? ADMIRATION and COMMITMENT
(S2) —
Jesus has fans too…
They cheer for him on Sunday, wear faith on their sleeves, and say their a “Christian.
They know the songs, quote the verses, and can defend the truth
They celebrate Jesus on Christmas, Easter and when it fits their schedule
They come for what they can get...not what they can give..
John Wesley—“Almost” and a “altogether” Christian…His warning is simple but sharp: it is possible to look like a Christian without truly belonging to Christ. John Wesley
…the difference between being a fan in the stands and being a player on the field.
Jesus’ desire was not that people would admire him. When he called his disciples…it was always an INVITATION to follow
John (Baptist) with two of his disciples...“Come and see,”
Simon (Peter), Andrew, Phillip and Nathaniel...“Come, follow me,”
James and John “....repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.
Matthew (Levi)... “Follow me and be my disciple,”
Not fans but disciples—Not spectators, but participants—Not admirers, but commited team players. There is a great difference between cheering for the church and being committed to Christ.
Decline in church attendance in the church today is due to low expectations of commitment, when following Jesus is a high expectation relationaship...
“The level of expectation in the traditional church is, “Come a little bit, do a little bit, and say a whole lot” Renovate or Die, Bob Farr,
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHURCH MEMBER
Committing to Christ is an INVITATION into the generous life Jesus offered...
John 10:10 “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
(S4) — SERIES
A holistic approach to generosity, what that looks like in six areas
PRAYER - BIBLE - WORSHIP - WITNESS - FINANCIAL GIVING - SERVICE
Jesus had high expectations for his disciples, inviting them to not just WADE IN....but to GO DEEP. It all begins with the first step; hearing the invitation of the master’s voice!
Story (pg. 17)
The question before us is this—Are we merely fans of Jesus—admiring Him from a distance…or are we truly committed to following Christ; through discipline, and wholehearted devotion?
CONNECTION CARDS/STEP UP
The Church...a movement of God...‘Disciples of Jesus on Mission’
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
The goal of becoming a high expectation church means teaching people not what a Christian looks like, but what it means to belong to Christ—make disciples and go out to make more disciples.
Because, just like being on a winning team takes commitment—and so does following Jesus. He isn’t looking for fans in the stands—He is inviting players onto the field
(S5)
COMMITTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE MISSION OF JESUS
The reason the apostle Paul comes faces to face with King Agrippa..people had it out for Paul, because he was outspoken about Jesus and his resurrection.
(23:1) First brought before the high council (Pharisees/Sadducees)—where some would conspire to kill him
(24:1) Then brought before the high priest, and the governor. Where he makes an appeal to be brought to the King
(26:1) After given him permission to speak, Paul begins to lay the foundation of his testimony. We learn first that Paul grew up religious..
{26:2-5}
Paul knew better than anyone what it is to live a life committed to Christ— giving up his way of life as a pharisee with prestige in both Judea and Rome;
..going to church or being religious doesn't make you a Christian?
“NOT YOUR PARENTS FAITH”
…Paul did many things, he was not proud of...can anyone relate?
{26:9-11}
He was a bad guy who thought he was doing good in the name of religion…until encountering Christ. Jesus found him and brought him to his knees...
{26:12-14}
For Paul it took getting to his lowest…hitting rock bottom, so he would commit to higher things, not short term gain or gratification
(S6)
“An inmate named Cody’s powerful testimony of finding redemption through Jesus Christ after years of battling addiction and feeling lost. His childhood was painful. His real dad was addicted to heroin and methadone. When Cody was five, his parents divorced. His dad was never really part of his life or his little brother’s life. Without a father in his life, Cody always tried to prove himself. “I was always trying to get that affirmation that I never got from my father,” he says. He became the wild child in his family. He partied hard and did drugs. When his wife was six months pregnant, everything crashed down. He got “completely ripped away from everything” he knew and landed in county jail.
His family had to drag him to church. He hated going because the Holy Spirit convicted him every time. “Every time I sat where you sitting right now, the Holy Spirit would eat me alive because I knew what I was doing was wrong,” Cody explains.
Lying in his bed one night, going through painful detoxes, Cody had nowhere else to turn. Some guys below him were having prayer call. The Holy Spirit was calling him to join them, but he didn’t listen. That night, he opened his Bible while crying to Jonah 3:6. The verse said God saw how people turned from their evil ways and relented from the disaster He had promised.
He had serious time hanging over his head. The feds had up to 55 years. Mississippi had up to 99 years. “In that moment, I just felt this overwhelming sense of peace come over me, and everything was going to be all right,” Cody remembers. He started praying and studying his Bible. He got close to God again.
Then God showed up in miraculous ways. The federal court gave Cody the lowest sentence possible. Texas gave him probation instead of 99 years. He got out and turned his life around completely. He started his own business. He preached on social media. He led the men’s ministry at church. He did Bible studies with young adults…
Many people struggle with guilt and shame because they think they’ve made too many bad choices and there’s no way out—But we have a loving God who forgives us, redeems us from all our sins, and gives us eternal life
(S7)
Freedom is the whole premise of Paul’s words in {Galatians 5}
Galatians 5:16 “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”
Jesus intervened and Paul became a committed beleiver who devoted the rest of his life to following Him.
2 Timothy 2:9 “And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.”
Then, he is given a new purpose...
{26:16-18}
Paul’s intent then was not to rebuke the charges. He doesn’t get caught up in a petty argument with the king, but simply gives the testimony of his transformation; his new life since he met Jesus
{26:19-23}
His testimony elicits two different responses. First, Festus (Roman manager appointed by Nero to govern Judea)...
Acts 26:24 “Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!””
Paul’s response is both honoring yet truthful...
Acts 26:25 “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.”
(S8) — BIBLICAL TRUTH/CHRISTIAN LOVE
One who is committed to Christ can speak in love…while not compromising the truth.
Truth without love is harsh—Love without truth is hollow—But truth spoken in love is holy.
It is “to communicate what is true in a way that reflects the character of Christ—gracious, honest, and redemptive. You do not soften truth to avoid discomfort, and you do not weaponize truth to cause harm” (AI)
Pauls view of Christian maturity…
Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”
Jesus is the perfect example of truth and love together. He was: full of grace and truth (1:14)—tender with the broken—fierce with hypocrisy—patient with sinners—uncompromising with sin—merciful in correction—holy in love
Jesus never diluted truth to be accepted. And He never used truth to crush the repentant.
That is exactly Pauls testimony as he turns back to the King... who he knows is very aware of these things.
Acts 26:26-27 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—””
This is Paul wanting to connect with Him on a deeper level—eye to eye! Which elicits a response of the King..
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
Paul stays true to his callling in his response…
(S9)
29 “Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am…
I hope that you would become fully committed to the true master, the one we follow the one whose voice we hear first, Paul says this is my testimony, I once was proud of my accomplishments and my actions, then I met Jesus and he opened my eyes. And now these are the fruits in my life!
Paul was the harlot, the woman at the well, the one in prison, who grew up a Christian ( a Methodist, a catholic, Lutheran)… he took a step, committed his life to Christ; who changed him and everything!
That’s the challenge for us…its easier to be in the fan—We want the seats closest to the field…without having to commit to what it takes to be on the field—IN THE GAME
(S10)
STONES IN A STREAM
Today…is about taking that first step..That you will make the first step along this journey, and it begins with a true deepened commitment to Jesus!
A disciple is one who:
· first has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
· regularly seeks God in devotion and prayer
· reads and studies God’s word
· is faithful in attendance to opportunities for worship and praise
· routinely shares with others what the Lord has done in their lives
· cheerfully gives the biblical tithe of what God has given
· serves the poor, the hungry, the hurting and the lost as if that person were Christ himself
What does being a committed Christian look like?
(S11)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
What step will you take to a more generous life, the one Jesus offers? Will you choose to be a committed, or a more committed, follower of Jesus Christ?
Every weekend churches are filled with them…the difference? ADMIRATION and COMMITMENT—Being a DISCIPLE takes COMMITMENT.. it takes JESUS in our HEARTS and in our LIVES.
I invite you to commit to the journey? take a step up and commit to Christ
Commitment Cards
What would your life look fully immersed into the mission of God?
The question before us is this—Are we merely fans of Jesus—admiring Him from a distance…or are we truly committed to following Christ; through discipline, and wholehearted devotion?
This series is about committing to Christ, but its more about letting Jesus change your story…bearing the fruit of….and inviting others into a commited relationship with Jesus.
