Holy Ambition - Exercise Personal Commitment, Part 2

Rarely in my life have I experienced such pain is when I make the commitment. I know God wants me to make that I went don't follow through.

Today, three keys to keeping your commitment that matter most statements. Welcome to this Thursday edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram venture continues a series called holy ambition, turning God shaped dreams into reality is in the process of explaining six necessary conditions for that this program is in the middle of the fifth edition you missed any of the previous messages in the series can hear them online any time by visiting our website LivingontheEdge.org just click listen now from the book of Nehemiah chapter 3 Chip explains how we can keep our commitments even when everything in us wants to cut and run. So let's join them now for part two of his message, exercise, personal commitment, part of what we learned about motivation and sustaining commitments is that when you get isolated and feel like you gotta lose weight on your own break an addiction on your own.

Keep a commitment to God on your own. Take a new step of faith on your own.

Usually the last two days to two weeks, but if there's people if there's accountability if there's encouragement, if you know you're not alone. Then you hang in there next observations. Each group worked near their homes or lease was whenever possible.

In verse 10, verse 22 verse 26, 28, 29 and 30 and so they didn't have to travel and the other is the resort of the godly vested interest. Can you imagine saying okay Rinne rebuild this part of the wall right here and the walls were. I mean, don't think a little. All these were huge walls you could drive a cherry on top of the walls and then inside the walls that the housing would be built so my living room might be here and in the external wall be here. I'm thinking I'm going to do a pretty good job on this part of the wall. If you know the catapults and the stone start, and the arrows in the spirit. I think I'm gonna make it pretty thick and pretty good. I'm not can do on this. This is good enough for government work right and so he motivates them not only by the great intrinsic were doing this for God, but he puts them in a place that highly motivates them to work in a way that has their best interest in mind, noticed the context is its preceded by the apex of motivation and minutes followed by a big section of opposition need to remember that is at the end of chapter 2 its last horizon build Nehemiah Sierra forgot to do it, let's make a difference even in those moments right. You people stand on top of chairs and this is what working to do. Let's go for will now this is how you sustain it you get fired up, but he has them with people they have clear roles. They make a very smooth specific commitment, they're doing it someone before them.

Someone next to them were to learn in just a second that some people going to repair and other people are going to build because our giftedness are different. Some people really great at fixing stuff and other people think I can't fix anything, but they're great with a clean sheet of paper and I can build stuff but then in the context chapters for five and six will be about opposition. I mean, any time you take a step whether you decide to start really reading your Bible are really praying or working on your marriage or saying as a family bring you something radical Rinne trying to eat together like at a table with nothing glaring like two or three times a week of I'm gonna actually tuck my kids in and read him a story.

I'm gonna get with the group of single people were to make a covenant about making a difference in our workplaces were to be sexually pure. Every time you take any kind a step of faith like that.

It'll usually get worse before it gets better. So chapter 4, you get external opposition in chapter 5. There's internal opposition. In the chapter 6, he gets personal attack so people who make these kind of commitments they change, they change people around them and they change the world but it usually starts with some very significant time of motivation and it gets clear. This is what we gotta do and then they start this process and usually is followed by things that are very difficult. Notice who started the work. It's the high priest, different people have responsibility that the high priest was the highest representative of God and notice the very first line he models that the ragtag group finished it in 52 days in. I have a friend who's an engineer who said this is an absolute engineering miracle with an impossibility in the notice.

They worked in affinity groups. If you could study little bit longer. The priests work together, the merchants, the goldsmiths work together they worked in family servants and then they work in geographical areas so they knew each other. I mean, when you work your more motivated to work with people that they can have some kinship with many it's it's true today like some of you are like real techie and you can talk in languages about understanding some of your more artistic and some of you are, you know, more athletic and some of you have come from different parts of the country and some come from different countries and there's just an affinity of culture and background that as we work together with people that we can understand it helps to sustain motivation helps us keep our commitments.

We understand one another and then the final thing here is that notice there were two special commendations in verse five. Skip down there you can see that he talks about the nobles they didn't put their shoulder to the work. So now I now imagine first imagine all these individual names God doesn't accomplish his will by some big blanket thing. Think of all the individual names and imagine maybe the very next generation. These people are like your father or your grandfather's God accomplishes things, not by groups and movements in programs he doesn't. One person, one life at a time and so that's how important individuals are all the specific names and he knows he knows who slacken off and that if you skip down to verse 20. Notice the Stella Brook it says he works zealously. God sees people's motives. He sees people's hearts.

He knows where your writing is where I'm at and in all this long list. He said you know that this fellow really didn't carry his weight and this person over here is all those are observations right is unfair damages.

It's in the right will turn to the back page and let's turn those observations into some very specific principles about how you can help make and sustain your personal commitments. At NS we do can I ask you to lean back minutes. When I study the Bible, I'd that's just what I do okay when I study this for the first time I read it over a bunch of times and and then I started looking up at a line under all the gates and that I started thinking is a lot of people so I circled the different people in, but then then I began to ask why, why is chapter 3.

Here, why didn't this particular group at this particular time with this particular leader actually accomplish the task. When others have failed. What is it that I can learn about these groups and the affinities in building and repairing and after him and next to him. That would help me personally make commitments and sustain them because that at the end of the day. God didn't put this in his word just so that we can understand the MI three. He knew that we'd be sitting in this room. In this day with the issues that you face and I face now before I go on her side like you think about where are you at in your personal commitment to Jesus Christ. I mean, is it an emotional one intellectual one is it yeah I apply I like to be more committed that life you know I'm kind afraid to, because I said three steps forward. Nine steps backwards or where you at coming privately no hands or anything, but for those of you that are married down deep in your heart where you at in your commitment to your mate or like I shared. I mean there were there were times that I just felt like God. This is working. I'm really frustrated. I mean, I went through the I'm not very fulfilled right now I'm not very happy effect on not happy at all and then the enemy comes in and tries to tempt you write so where you there or how about how committed are you, some of you that her parents to really saying I will own the moral responsibility of raising my kids that regardless of their SAT scores how well they do in athletics.

They can be godly kids see that change of stuff and I don't I don't know where it is.

I'm on I got my journey but I'm think about God. What do you want me to really refresh and renew my commitments but I want you to think about that right now mean for some of you may be as a single person you're saying and I'm sort of committed sexual purity you know where that land you don't. I'm sort of committed to only dating someone to really walk unless he's very good looking or like she's really hot and I think there's real spiritual potential I could help right. Been there, done that so so with that. What I want to do now is on a walk through these three principles. I want you to pray. I want you to pray and say God, would you help clarify in my mind and my heart where you want me to make or where you want me to further sustain personal commitments in my life how to make and sustain personal commitments. Number one is the principle of cooperation we never get beyond how were getting along everything that ever gets accomplished in life is done in the context of relationships and so here's the key recognize people are different.

Nehemiah did that recognize people are different. Second, recognize the immense value of every person realize that whether it's at work or whether it's your family. I mean you're human. Some of your kids frustrate you in some seasons and some make you very happy summer. Very easy and some are very hard. Some people in your small group you connect with some make you nuts but just recognize it is not bad or good that's their different and third recognize that our common goal or common vision is greater than our individual differences. The principle of cooperation. You will never get beyond how you're getting along. And if you find yourself in your heart critical of people, even if it's only in your mind if you find yourself always pointing out what's wrong with your mate or what's wrong with with some your kids. What's wrong with some people in the church or what's wrong with this or what's wrong with that. Or if you find yourself in little coffee shops talking about other people.

The sort had this little negative slant. I will tell you what you will make progress. Personal commitments are fostered when we feel like we belong.

I believe when those people started on that wall.

Together they felt like I belong. I'm a part of the team.

Nehemiah God's got his hand on the Amaya God brought them here. We know it's God's will rebuild these walls. We know what God promised to do in the city. We know what the word God's people and and I belong I'm going to be a part and I'm going to do my little section on the wall when you feel like you belong. It fosters commitment. When you feel like you're visiting when you feel like it's them working on the wall when you feel like it's that church. When you find yourself in conversations talk about what they're doing. It's not negative them is a journey it's a process, but there's not that sense that you belong sort and evaluate if while this is what they're doing. Here's what they're trying to do here is what that's a lot different than this is what were doing.

This is where we're going.

This is where we have challenges so let me ask you, do you feel like you belong and maybe the second question is what do you need to do to take that next step, because otherwise we've created this culture, especially in America, but many places around the world were we actually think quote church is a building in the church is an event that happens some time, usually on Sunday morning and you go and sit and listen to someone talk and sing some songs hopefully feel a bit better about yourself because you've done it, and then live the other six days almost totally apart from that experience, but feel like I went to church. Therefore anything got it's it's that subtle consumer mindset versus church is us people together connected together to accomplish his purposes and his purpose here in this church is to help us love one another and love people outside this room and help Christians like Christians. That's God's call and that's a 24 seven 365 event. The second principle is the principle of coordination the multiple efforts of a group are far greater than the sum of its parts is it synergy. In other words, this group couldn't get anything going. They had a catalytic leader in the Amaya he cast a clear vision people understood. I want to do this part. This part disbarred this part you come from different places. You can work with people that you know but from this section to this section. You do this they do that in the sum of the parts in 52 days did a miracle. That's how God is always worked.

It's true in acts chapter 2.

It's true in the early church was true in the Reformation. It was true with Wesley and Whitfield. It was true in the early days of America and is true in different parts of the world. Now the principal cooperation will how do you do that well first we recognize we need each other.

There are no lone rangers. You can't make it on your own.

I can't make it on my own. I mean even the 12-step people know that you can't make it on your own. Recognize there's a job that only you can do personal commitments grow when we know that we are needed.

Do you understand there's this amazing connection between commitment and love Jesus that he that has my commands and keeps them, he it is that loves me and he that loves me will be loved of my father. And then here's the promise and we will disclose ourselves. You you get close and meet and touch and feel and experience and get transformed by God, not by just soaking in information despite receiving truth and I respond to the truth and I connect with other people and to discover my gifts and then together we do this thing, and he create something out of it.

Here's what I want to hear your needed your needed what happens in the church and the life is just a byproduct.

What happens is the most fulfilled people.

The people that had their names written in this chapter were people who saw God could use an ordinary person like me and what they did is they moved off of looking at the rubble and assuming that this is the way it's going to be and they aligned around the vision and the sum total of the parts did something beyond what they could ever dream third principle is a principal motivation, the value of the project to the worker will determine the value of the worker to the project not have to think that went over very carefully but coming think about the value of the project to the worker. How important is it will determine how important that person is.

Some people walked was the last time you walk 17 miles.

Anyone I'm going up that quicksilver trail I've done for 5 miles an up hill and down hills like many of the kidney. These people in this in this text. They walked 26 miles. I didn't take the bus, then take their bicycle they didn't say let's take a little scooter. I mean if they were rich they maybe had a donkey, but they walked 26 miles to get to work to get to help and they left the harvest behind you understand that you are sitting in a room that's been paved by the sacrifice and the commitment of people that have given their time, their energy, their money and they places all around the world.

Their life, so the gospel could reach you and reach me, and our responsibility is to take that baton and move forward and do it for the next generation that motivation must begin with leaders and influencers. I mean it's just like the way it is and if you're the head of your home dad you're an influencer if you're the glue of the home mom.

Your influencer if you're a student in you people, look to you because of academics or athletics your influencer if you're a single person I knew you realize it when you move some everyone says what you do not you say let's do this and people do that your influencer always begins with leaders there's a stewardship. There do not better than anybody else you're a business owner and entrepreneur your CEO. If your manager you need to understand that where you move networks move with you so you need to really examine the stewardship and say what vision am I gonna line my life. My time and my energy around because that's how that thing happened on the wall then and that's how it can happen on the wall here. Motivation is sustained by godly vested interest. We want to help people serve in volunteer.

We want to help them serve and volunteer in a way where they get refreshed, we want to set help them serve in volunteer so they become better parents want help and serve in volunteer with a get love and encouragement would help and serve in volunteer where they discovered their gifts where they learn about how to align their finances so that five years from now, instead of being in debt up to hear and feeling under pressure though so you want to paint all that stuff off. I just apply biblical principles. There's people that really help me. We want people to volunteer and serve in such waiver. They say you know what I didn't tell anyone about that, little private porn addiction or that drug addiction or that little alcohol addiction or that people addiction or that workaholic addiction. But when I got involved in it cuts safe and I got that out there in the word of God and the grace of God and the people of God, I'm free. That's how it works. Notice what happens. The completed wall would mean protection from their enemies, the completed wall will mean provision for a better life in the completed wall would mean productivity and impact in the world. Personal commitments are sustained when the vision becomes our vision. So where are you at in your personal commitment with God.

Are you low fair weather like when there's a kid in ICU or you need a job. I am very committed to God, help me help me help me or have you signed up and said you know what I get one little trip through this thing called time and on the live forever and I'm really glad my sins are forgiven. I'm really glad I'm having down, but I don't want to waste this.

I want to do exactly what you want me to do and I want to pay whatever price because the rewards are astounding. Now an eternal later, the end of the day whether it's in your marriage or your parenting by their senior singleness, whether it's at work.

It really boils down to have in the heart of the serve said Lord, use me. Why don't we take a moment right now, there are few things that can overwhelm us with guilt like knowing that we made a commitment to God to a mate to a friend and and then just dropping the ball and knowingly flown it and so I want to pray for you right now you may not be able to close your eyes you may be on the highway or you might be listening to this as your doing something in the office but could you pause mentally with me and let me pray for you. Holy father, we want to thank you that you are a good God, and that you are a merciful God, that you are slow to anger and your abounding in lovingkindness and you are mindful that we are people of dust people of flesh and we make the best of intentions, and we tell you we want to do what's right and we find ourselves blowing it. We do exactly the thing we said we didn't want to do or we don't follow through on the very thing that we promised we would do and we want to own that want to come to you and say that we are sorry we ask you for your forgiveness we would plead the blood of the Lord Jesus in our behalf as the forgiveness and the cleansing of our sin and we want to be restored and lower. We also want to draw near to you. Now we we want the grace and the strength to renew our commitment to find people that we can team up with and get support and help so that we can be the men be the women that you want us to be Lord I pray for those who have given up on their marriage and that is not your will that you would give them the grace at this moment to be committed and do what's ever necessary to make it work. I pray for those it made a commitment to you and of wondered and know that today's the day they need to return and know that you will forgive and restore, or be given the grace to do that right now. I pray for those the kids that have wandered away from their parents and their family and the faith and they need to do a 180. Do a U-turn, even as they're hearing my voice you given the grace right now at this moment to decide. I'm going back I'm gonna make it right with my folks.

I'm gonna do what I know is right. Almighty God, we pray for your grace to keep the commitments that we know your will. In Jesus name opening strip if you know Chip's prayer was for you just know it's our sincere hope that you will find strength and courage through that prayer. Let me encourage you to give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. We love to talk with you and pray for you or head over to our website LivingontheEdge.org sometime today. It's very likely that we have a resource from chip that will address where you might be struggling right now. I would love to help. Will Chip will be back in just a minute with some application for today's teaching but if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and the message you just heard is from chip series. Holy ambition turning God shaped dreams into reality. The six part series helps you discover how extraordinary things for God can be accomplished by very ordinary people in it. Chip explains six key conditions for anyone who longs to make a difference longs to know God's will for their life and then see it actually lived out that's you or someone you know this series. Holy ambition is the perfect voice to start chip walks you through a step-by-step process that will bring clarity and intentionality to everything you do.

There are several holy ambition resources available and all are discounted right now. Not only that, but we know not everyone is in the same place on their spiritual journey. So when you go to your website.

Click on. You were made for more find all of the resources were currently discounting.

We hope you discover your spiritual gifts and what's next on your faith journey. Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for holy ambition and you were made for more woodchip of all the resources we have for holy ambition. I know that you strongly encourage people to get the video small group study either the DVDs for the online streaming when you think that particular format is so important. What I can tell you is good intentions don't take any of us very far.

I cannot keep my commitments apart from the life of other people in my world helping me reminding me holding me accountable, inspiring me and that's why we've created a small group resource for holy ambition. We put it on a DVD format with just nine or 10 minutes of speaking and encouragement to help launch a discussion that you could do before work. You could do it in your home you could do some business people, how you can do it in a small group in Sunday school, but this will allow you to get with a group of people and keep you commitments because you share them you pray about them together. Imagine what could happen in just your world, your church or community. If your holy ambition and that of five or six other people began to take shape. It can happen. God wants to use you to do extraordinary things, but you'll need the help and encouragement of others.

Let us help you before we wrap up today's program. I want to say thank you to those who make this broadcast possible through your generous financial support Living on the Edge invests those dollars to create radio programs develop small group resources, and offer literally hundreds of A/V imprint items free every month. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge, but have never supported us financially, would you consider sending a gift today.

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