The Call to Commitment - Part 1

Club MTV intensified With Charles Stanley for Monday, September 19 be honest to follow Jesus regardless of the consequences. Let's begin by answering yes to the call to commitment. Most of you have order trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior. No doubt in your mind about that. You're sure of it. But let me ask you one question. Has there ever been a time in your life where you evaluated your life and you made a personal commitment of your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ whereby you said.

I deliberately and willfully surrender and yield, and acknowledge and make available my life to him for his purpose. What ever God may require of me leaving the consequences of that decision for him that is what we are talking about when we talk about true genuine commitment.

Well, there are about 10 records in the New Testament that relate to commitment. Most of them relate to a commit center commit this act and so forth. But about four of them relate to the whole idea of committing oneself, and in essence here's what it means. It is a deliberate willful laying down of oneself before someone all for something that is it is the surrender is the yielding of oneself or and one of the other words it is entrusting oneself, depositing oneself at someone else's disposal. That is, as Paul says in Romans chapter 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body. It was a technical term used for sacrifice that you present yourself a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God that when a man present the sacrifice he took his hands off of it. He surrendered it to the Lord entrusted to someone else and from that point on it belong to someone else. To whom do you belong today has never been a time when you surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life, there are levels of commitment that all of us grow into. For example, you can be totally committed to Jesus Christ right now and a week later God challenge you to a high-level. That is, he may challenge you to a task like you've never seen before, like you've never been challenged before. All of a sudden your commitment level will have to rise and either you will be committed to him on that level are you will not so you can be totally committed today, but not committed tomorrow so that many many people who save are not committed to Jesus Christ.

They have their names written in the Lamb's book of life of their doing their own thing and I want to tell you that isn't even a scriptural term. There's no such thing scriptures do your own thing. The only thing Scripture there is, is to do his thing. Jesus said he came to do the will of the father. Let me ask you this. What is a governing your life today. What pleases you. What brings you pleasure doing your own thing. Or is the guiding principle of your life to do his thing. That is the walk in obedience to him. So if you turn to Exodus chapter 3, and with this when we will deal with the life of Moses because God challenged him to what seemingly was an impossible commitment in his life. God called Moses. That is, he had his hand upon Moses.

Moses was around 40 years of age when he saw one of the Israelites being mistreated and so he killed an Egyptian soldier so for 40 years now as the King James Bible puts it, he's been on the backside of the west side of the desk. The backside of the desert is a good example.

A good illustration of a good phraseology program. Moses was because he came from the affluence and the and the prominence in the position of power and influence in Pharaoh's household to become a sheepherder.

One day it's just a normal natural daylight Monday morning you get up when you do what you normally do on Monday, only this place he's walking along with the sheep.

All of a sudden he sees something, was the first time he'd ever seen it but it never seen it like this.

The Scripture says that Moses saw a bush that was burning and he looked at a resort, but the bush was not consumed. It just kept on burning and kept on burning, but it somehow wasn't consumed and notice what God says in this fourth verse of Exodus 3 when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look God called to him from the midst of the burning bush that is the maker that many times God speaks to you and me.

One of the reasons we don't hear them is own airway, as we say, doing our thing we don't take time to listen to God when he comes so clearly so appointed to us to speak to us in some unusual situation we are in such a hurry doing aerobic we just pass right on by.

The Bible says that when God saw that Moses turned aside to observe the burning bush, then God spoke to him and he said to Moses. Moses he said. Jeremiah Scripture says that God said to them, don't come there. Don't come in and theater to this burning bush, remove your sandals from your feet. The place in which you stand is holy ground.

And God began a conversation that would eventually lead Moses to make a life time commitment to Almighty God now want to listen to me very carefully, because there are four basic questions that are essential for all of us who intend to live obediently before God to honor his Lordship to live a life committed to Jesus Christ. If I don't answer these I will understand the foundation of what commitment is all about and all of these are found in this passage. The third chapter in the fourth chapter of Exodus as God deals and is he calls Moses numbers in this particular passage he is calling Moses to commit himself to be the leader.

These statesmen these Savior. The guide, the counselor, the judge he is giving him a tremendous responsibility under God's authority to rescue a people whom God will make into a nation through whom the Messiah who would bring about the possibility of all men salvation he would bring about through this nation. So he's choosing calling Moses for a commitment to go back to Egypt speak to the Pharaoh, from whom he ran out of fear and challenge him to release the nation of Israel. That was an absolutely impossible task. 3 million rebellious Israelites he's going to have to lead through a desert without food and water up to a promised land which God is already ordained how the worker got expect anybody to do but here I want you to see some why is it there are so many church members.

So many Christians so many churches, some of the resources so much wanted so many people all over America and for all practical purposes, we are making a very poor showing in our influence and impact on the society. One ultimate reason and that is we are not committed to the God of this book, nor are we committed to the great commission which the God of this book has given to each one of us personally now while we not committed and I breathe therefore questions simply to answer that. Bring all that in the focus.

If I'm going to be committed to Jesus Christ.

I mean truly committed lame ourselves down before him acknowledge his headship, his Lordship, his governorship, his control, his rightful place as authoritative supreme final authority in my life. I need to answer these four questions and the first question is this. Who is this God, who is this God who is challenging you and me to live in submission to his divine authority.

It's interesting when God began to speak to Moses what he said to there at the burning Bush when he said to them, don't come any further I want you notice what he said as he said to him you're standing on holy ground book in verse six he said also to I am the God of your father the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Then Moses hit his face, for he was afraid to look at God. God got his attention. And the first thing he did.

Having gotten his attention was to identify himself.

God knew listen. God knew that it was very important for Moses to know the God that is the person who was calling him one of the reason so many people so uncommitted is they don't know this God, who is this God who requires final authority in my life and your life. And so it's interesting in this passage that four times God identifies himself the same way to Moses listen verse six I am the God of your father the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Then Moses hit his face and he was afraid and so God is very very specific here four times. He identifies himself so he said to them.

Verse 14 Moses when they ask you the name of the God who sent you. You tell them I am who I am and he said thus you shall say to the sons of Israel. I am has sent you and God.

Furthermore, said the Moses that you should serve the sons of Israel, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name for ever and this is my memorial name to all generations. Go and get a veil was a visual together so that was.

He says the same thing the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has appeared to me saying I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. He says you make it clear who sent you the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. You tell him he's the one. And this is who you tell them I am you tell him I am that I am am who I am. That is the everlasting God, I want you notice something in your Bible in verse 15 in Genesis 11 when the Bible says in the beginning God created the heavens and their the word is Elohim infinite in power absolute in faithfulness. Notice in this 15 verse the two words in God Elohim furthermore said to Moses that you shall say to the sons of Israel. Notice how this word is spelled Lord is a big L, but it is also very little capital letters LORD that word in the Hebrew is a word which they wouldn't even pronounce. O, and the word of the Hebrew is Yahweh.

So he says is usual, said the sons of Israel. Yahweh that Elohim of your fathers that Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, the Elohim of Jacob. He's the one who is sent you. Let there be no mistake, the everlasting and eternal God, the self existent create tour of the ends of the earth, the maker of all things the sovereign of the universe, the one who is infinite in power absolute in faithfulness. He is the one who has sent you this is your authority, I who am the true God.

I'm your authority in my friend. It was very important to God that Moses explained to them who their God was why should they commit themselves to follow Moses 40 years a shepherd.

What kind of military experience that he had what was his strategy for rescuing 3 million Hebrews. Where were they going to get the food who said that ever be able to be released. Why would Pharaoh do it whenever they get water. What would they do in the middle of a desert that was nothing but pure sand whom shall I say sent to me. Do you know why God calls so many of us to do so much and so often we make reservations and we draw circles around their commitment and lands that are commit when we say God you can trust me. Up to this point. I will give you so much out you.

You can have my life just don't invade the inner circle of my right to do what I choose when I choose. After I have done what you have chosen me to do and I will tell you that is not committed and the reason my friend, listen that God does not use any more than he does is because we draw a circle around are commit when you committed yourself to Jesus Christ. When you trusted him as your Savior what you are instructed not you forfeited your rights when you became a child of God you were born into a new family. You became a part of the living God, Christ Jesus became your life. It was no longer your right to make choices about your life, except on the final authority of the person of Jesus Christ. It is the fact that we have forgotten who God is, he is in a grandfather sitting up in heaven just watching us do our thing and turning a deaf air to our language closing and we keep his eyes to our sinfulness.

God all mighty is the final authority in our life enemy. Ask your question. Do you believe that your God is the God of holy Scripture, the God of Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, the God who sent through that family, his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Do you believe that the God whom you worship is that God's amen there may ask another question. How could you ever reserve any portion of yourself, your possessions, your time. If this is the God of this universe and he is the God of your life, my friend.

What right do you have to exercise authority in your life that is in opposition to rebellion to the God of this world.

The truth is we have no right.

The second question you not need to ask is the very question that Moses asked Mr. what he said. Verse 11 after God said to him, come now, Moses said to God, but whoever who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt who am I listen to God's answer to Moses he said to him, he didn't say now Moses look you are one of them, and because he didn't say that.

Notice what he said. God said to Moses, certainly I will be with you and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain. Who am I God centered. First of all is who you are. You are in relationship to me.

I'm your God on the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Moses are am your God. Listen to me carefully, you will never understand your true identity. You will never understand nor grasp who you really are. You will never be able to feel the sum total of your true self until you are able to identify yourself with the person of Jesus Christ with the God who created you Izzy. God wants us to see that we are somebody listen if you have replaced your trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, let me tell you who you are, let me tell you who you are from God's point of view.

You are a redeemed child of the living God, having been redeemed by the blood of his son Jesus Christ. The caliber that so you are you are a sealed site.

The Holy Spirit sealed you unto the day of redemption and has indwelt you and Mark to as a child of the living God. You are a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ. Whether you follow a follow-up in sin or whether you follow close up. You are a servant of the living God, whether you serve well or poorly you are accepted in the beloved. You have been for given of your sin.

Listen, you have been redeemed by the grace of God you been justified declared righteous you been pardon from your sin by his blood, you've been reconciling the God through his son Jesus.

You've been sanctified, set apart unto God and for God. You have been glorified as a child of God.

The Bible says that God Almighty has set you apart for the future that in the ages the combat God Almighty will: to you and to me as his children, and say to the Angels look at the demonstration of my eternal grace and these are my beloved whom my sons blood born at Calvary and that's who you are. Thank you for listening to the call to commitment.

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