Pastor Reynold Lim, 29 Jun 2008.
Are you a "pig" Christian or a "hen" Christian? A pig and a hen passed by a church and wanted to know how they could contribute to the church. The hen suggested ham and egg. The pig was appalled. In the giving of ham and egg, the hen was giving a contribution but the pig would be giving a total commitment.
What is Commitment?
A person who has "commitment" is one that is being "boung emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or persons." When we are committed to something, we are totally bounded body, mind and soul to that something or someone.
We are almost halfway into 2008. Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, earthquake in SiChuan and the sank ferry in the Philippines claimed many lives without the knowledge of Christ.
In the words of Charles Dickens in Great Expectations, we are in the best of times and we are in the worst of times.
Pastor Reynold remembered in the past when he mail missionaries, he would get a reply in a matter of weeks. Today, his test messages are replied within seconds.
Pastor Reynold wanted to encourage us to crossover, just like the Israelites crossing the river Jordan. Those who murmured could not cross Jordan.
Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan."
(Num 32:1-5)
The 2.5 tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh (1/2) did not want to cross Jordan.
Mat 8:28-32 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. (29) And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" (30) Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. (31) And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." (32) And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Let our prayer, our words of encouragements and our sermons be acceptable to God. Let them be from our heart.
1. Take the first Step v3 "As he journey… "
Act 9:3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Salvation is not just about us receiving redemption. It is also God putting the Holy Spirit in us to conform us to the image of Christ. Salvation is not about what we do. True success is about how much we allow God to work in us.
Saul was the Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was not contented in where he was. How could Paul wrote such profoundly if he has not taken the first step? Some of us will follow God up to how our logic will take us.
2. Examine your heart v4 "Why are you persecuting Me?"
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
1Sa 12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
The Bible tells us prayerlessness is disobedience and it's a sin. As long as we don't have our eyes on the throne, we are sinning.
Jacob was running away from Esau for twenty years. He was also running away from God. He was the ladder where angels going up and down. But his life was not changed. Today Christians want Jesus to do all the dying while we do all the living. We have taken the Word of God and apply it according to our own desire / mindset / convenience and filter out what we don't want. We judge the preachers according to our own way. In doing so, we cannot get the full value of the Word and hence could not grow from glory to glory. Preachers have come and gone. Have we allowed the Word of God to change our lives?
When the angel spoke to Mary, she responded "be it unto me." Mary was willing to take the consequences of a self-righteous community that may stone her to death for an unexplained pregnancy.
3. Make a Commitment of Faith v5 "Who are You, Lord?"
Act 9:5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Does Jesus know us? Are we known by God? The first passion in our LORD is to have a personal relationship with Him, not ministry
4. Embrace the LORDship of Christ v6 "LORD, what do You want me to do?"
Act 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
Every time we invoke the name "LORD" and yet we do not obey then we are calling the name of the LORD in vain. We have been trained to know what will happen tomorrow. When we follow God, we are not too sure what will happen. We are happy to relate to Him and His deliverance from hell. We are happy to find joy and comfort in Him. But we are not happy to follow him unconditionally. Every invoking of the word LORD must be followed by making a personal commitment.
Act 9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
No wonder we don't want to ask God this question (what God wants us to do.) When Saul made the commitment to know what God wanted him to do, he forfeited everything.
Php 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Saul had everything to lose yet he was willing to give up everything. Jesus is not the LORD of our lives until we make Him our master in every part of our lives.
In John 5, the man who had an infirmity for 38 years could not get a chance to get healing by getting into the pool. Jesus asked him whether he wanted to be well. Surely Jesus knew he wanted to be well. The man explained why he was not well. He should have answered he wanted to be well. But Jesus was merciful and healed him.
Paul was blinded but he made a commitment and took the journey to die to self.
5. Die to self vv7-9
Act 9:7-9 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (8) Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. (9) And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
What do we do when we are blind? Paul was blinded for 3 days. He did not eat or drink. He was blind physically but God opened his spiritual eyes.
Paul's Response:
1. A Commitment to Body Ministry: Serving Others (v10-17)
Act 9:10-17 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." (11) And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, (12) and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." (13) But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. (14) And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." (15) But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (17) So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
2. A Commitment to the Public Declaration of Faith: Water Baptism and Testimony
Act 9:18,20 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; (20) And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
Water baptism is an outward act of an inward obedience in faith.
3. A Commitment to Body Life
(19) and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
Because he preached the Gospel to passionately his life was endangered.
We need to grow from infants (awareness) to children (receptiveness) to young men (believing) and ultimately to fathers (commitment.)
Commitment to cell life in a cell church like CBC is important for the following reasons.
- Life in association with one another – People who become responsible to one another and for another.
- God is real and active in our midst.
- Learning is done through experiences in the cell community.
- Every member is a minister.
- Cell experience body life through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- Cell penetrates the community through Body Evangelism.
- A church that can survive any government.
How do I get started?
- Initiate a Paradigm Shift
- Your Commitment to a Biblical Community & Authentic Relationship
Give a nudge – do it today
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