Are You Committed or Involved?

* It’s an old story: The chicken and the pig were talking in the back lot one day. The chicken said, “We have a great life here.” The pig responded, “Yes, it’s nice.’ The C: “Our farmer takes great care of us. He feeds us & gives us a great place to live.” The P: “Yes, it is all really good.” The C: “I would like to do something good for him.” The P: “That sounds okay. Sure, why not?” The C: “Let’s give him a ham and egg breakfast in the morning.” The P: --silence---. The C: “What’s wrong with breakfast?” The P: “For you, that’s involvement. For me, that’s commitment!”

* Today I feel impressed to have a conversation about two concepts which seem to be confused in the 21st century Americanized church. I say Americanized because we shape all of our ideas based on the culture we grew up in. You may be thinking; but pastor, how is that my fault? Nobody can blame an individual for thinking the way they do based on their cultural experiences. That’s why it is so very important to be careful with baby Christians as they do not understand the vast differences in what they know and the culture of God’s Kingdom.

* It seems to be home team with the home field advantage. People are involved to the hilt today. Video games, sports, hunting, work, education and sometimes even church, all head the list of the overabundance of things which consume the time of people. To be involved is to stay with it as long as “YOU ARE GETTING” something out of it and are happy with what you are getting. We are a ‘getting’ society because by nature, we are a getting people (and we better like what we get or we’ll get somewhere else to get what we want!)

* In fact, when you are only involved, just let something go wrong and while you may not quit on the spot, you will begin to be less involved, you’ll develop a wandering eye for some other organization, activity, or group, who can give YOU that something else you like or want.

* When it comes to our relationship with God and serving in His church, we need to keep one thing in mind: JESUS NEVER CALLED ANYONE TO AN ‘INVOLVEMENT ONLY’ STATUS. Jesus does not ask for, He requires, “Commitment.” Commitment is entirely different. Your salvation was free, but your faithfulness to Him requires your absolute commitment! Anything less is unfaithfulness!

*How many of you would accept an 80% faithfulness from your spouse? 20% unfaithfulness to the relationship may not sound like much mathematically, but just try to rebuild trust in the heart of someone that has been broken by unfaithfulness and you will see how terrible unfaithfulness really is.

* Commitment is a promise, a vow, and an obligation. Commitment makes demands. Real commitment is the pig providing ham for breakfast; it requires us to give all that we have and are.

* In America, we have spent 25 years redefining commitment. In 1990, George Barna wrote an insightful book entitled, “The Frog in the Kettle” which was based on that 9th grade science lesson. Listen to some of his findings after surveying Americans:

1. The divorce rate is climbing: half of all new marriages end in divorce

2. Adults feel that they have fewer close friends than did adults in past decades

3. The proportion of people willing to join an organization is declining in relation to churches, labor unions, political parties, clubs and community associations.

4. Book clubs and record clubs are less likely to attract new members when multiple year or multi-product commitments were required.

5. The percentage of adults who sense a duty to fight for their country, regardless of the cause, has dropped.

6. The percentage of people who commit to attend events but fail to show is on the rise

7. Today’s parents are less likely to believe that it is important to remain in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children than they were 20 years ago.

* A last thought before we look at our text: The real tragedy of today is that we have raised one to two generations of children who define their worldview with these truths. They know nothing of the ‘till death do us part’ type of commitment.

* Make no mistake; our Lord God demonstrated authentic commitment to us and for us in the cross. Sending Jesus to the cross said, “I’ll see it through no matter how much pain I bear.”

* Commitment and involvement are great rivals. See how this plays out in the words of Jesus. Luke 9 is an interesting chapter because it records two occasions where Jesus was attempting to impress on His hearers (& His readers) about involvement versus commitment. He gives us 2 types.

1. Artificial Commitments

– First, let’s look at

Luke 9:57–62 ESV

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

You know what artificial is. It is something that looks real, but honestly it is a bad imitation. This is what we see in the words of Jesus. 3 types.

a. Showy Commitment – This is the person who is always first to volunteer and speak, “I’ll do it! Whatever you need! I’ll take care of it.” Involvement says, “I’m there” and Jesus responds, “This is really unreal because you haven’t counted the counted the cost.” It is this commitment which is made and last for a week or two and then fizzles out.

b. Shallow Commitment – This is the person who says, “I have to take care of my family first and then, if I have any time left, I’ll be there.” The man in the story said, “Let me bury my father.” Theologians agree that this man’s dad wasn’t dead.

* And if he had just died, there was a process that could take up to a year to complete. Several truths about this man; God expects us to care for our families. In fact, the scripture says, “A man who doesn’t provide for His family is worse than an infidel.” That said, it is a dangerous thing to give you family status over God. Think about it, the Bible describes God as a jealous God both desiring & demanding first place in your life. He may remove anything which we put in His place. The shallow commitment says, “I’ll go, but first” and Jesus says, “This is urgent. The news of the Kingdom is priority.” Already, I can hear people saying, “IS that preacher saying that we are not to love our family?” No, No, No, what Jesus (not the preacher says) is that we are to love God more. It’s shallow if it’s not in the right order.

c. Non Commitment – This is the one which will strike home. The non committal person says, “I’ll come – IF I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO.” The man said, “First, just let me go and say good-by.” I’ll postulate this meant, “I’ll go back and it I can’t find anything else to do, then this seems like a good and productive gig, so I’ll go.” Read what was in Jesus’ heart and what came out of His mouth, “This is unacceptable.” (READ VERSE 62). How tough it is! But how tough it was for Jesus.

2. Authentic Commitment

– While an artificial commitment will give a little, work a little, and cooperate a little, an authentic commitment is in it for the long haul. Jesus personifies and defines what a true, real, & authentic commitment entails. Look at the 3 elements of authentic commitment as described by Jesus in Luke 9:23.

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

* I submit that this verse needs to be embraced as a life-verse in the matter of our Christian life and our Church fellowship. See the 3 characteristics which Jesus speaks of, that is required to commit.

a. Forsaking Self – Jesus uses the word deny which means to ‘say no’ to self, turn from selfishness, or put aside one’s own personal desires. Ouch. This means we live in Philippians 2 where we do not think of ourselves more than others and we watch out for the interest of others. Let’s face it we have been raised in a culture which teaches us to look out for self. We need to get all we can and can all we get and every person for themselves. Jesus taught us how to by forsaking himself at the cross, He placed our welfare above His own. He was concerned about our eternal destination. Jesus even placed the welfare of those crucifying Him as well as those being crucified with Him above Himself. Hear His words, “Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.”

* He is talking about laying down our lives and honestly, we have trouble changing our schedules for others or for Him. Forsaking self is a sacrificial chore. He says that we “must” deny ourselves.

b. Focusing Spiritually – Jesus doesn’t let up because He then says that you must ‘take up your cross.’ What exactly does that mean?

If all the lukewarm folks would get fired up

If all the disgruntled folk would just sweeten up

If all the dry bones would come back to life

If all the gossipers would just shut up

If all the lazy slothful ones would pick up their cross, we would be on the way to revival

The cross is a commitment to Jesus Christ

* I don’t know all that it means, but I am sure it means that we have to focus our hearts, souls, and lives, on Him. Commitment is never easy! It tests you. When you sign that contract for financing your car, house, or even a credit card, you make a commitment. Some times that payment comes due when your bank account aches. In other words, you have too much month left at the end of your money. When this happens you focus on a way to get this payment to your creditor – at all cost. THIS IS A COMMITMENT! Taking up our cross is about focusing our life on the Savior and then doing everything we can to serve Him.

* Think about it in your life: First, do you know Jesus? Not is He a Savior, but is He YOUR Savior? If He is, then you’ve committed to serve HIM. How is that commitment going? I ask you if you are a member of this church, “Are you committed or simply involved?” (If you are a member of another church–the question follows you?)

* Some will say, “I support what I think is important” and I respond, “If we are doing something unworthy of the work of God’s kingdom, let’s trash it!

Others will say, “I support the part that I get something out of.” So, we are back to a ‘getting’ position – which by definition means we are merely involved and not really committed.

Commitment requires that we focus on the one committed to and fulfill His plan. Which brings us to the last characteristic;

c. Follow the Savior – Following Jesus, according to Jesus, is an all or nothing proposition. His steps do not lead to a rose garden of getting everything you want or your way. But following Him, leads to a work which brings great rewards both now (in time) and beyond the grave (in eternity). Following the Savior requires your complete loyalty and commitment. Here’s a danger: we try to give the Lord everything but one thing, and it turns out disastrous.

* A certain man wanted to sell his house in Haiti for two thousand dollars and another man wanted badly to purchase the house. The problem was that the man who wanted to purchase the house could not come up with enough money to buy the house. After a great deal of negotiating the owner of the house agree to sell the house for half of the original amount under one condition. He would still own one nail that hung over the home’s front door. The agreement was made, and the sale of the house was completed.

After a few years the original owner of the house wanted to buy the house back, but the new owner refused to sell. So, the first owner went out and found the carcass of a dead dog and hung it on the nail that he still owned in the house. Before long the house became so unlivable that the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

The sad reality is that the same is true of those who leave just one area of their life uncommitted to Christ, maybe it’s an area in which you are just involved. That one small nail, owned by the enemy, can have some rotting garbage hung on it and devastate our spiritual life. Our most desperate need as Christians is to have every area of our lives committed to walking with Christ.

* Are you sold out, totally committed to and his church? Or have you only been involved? Why not sell out today?

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