We  are looking at The Essentials of the Church - what is essential for us as a congregation if we’re to fulfill God’s mission for us of living and sharing the Gospel in the world - beginning right here in Merced.  Together we’ve looked at the essentials of love, faith, Godly men, Godly women, Godly leadership, and the Gospel.  This morning we’re coming to The Essential of Commitment.  Let’s say that together, “The essential of Commitment.”  The essential of what?  Commitment.

Every one of us is committed to either one of two things.  We’re either committed to ourselves or we’re committed to God.  Every other commitment in life boils down to those two commitments - self or God.  What are the two commitments?  Self or God.

To get us started thinking about what we’re committed to we get to look at a short video.  Someone here sent me this.  For a price I might tell you who.  That’s self-serving isn’t it? 

(Video:  Ford Commercial)

Every day the average American - that’s us - every day we’re exposed to 3,500 desire-inducing advertisements.  Advertisements that are designed to appeal to our self-serving desires.  Self-gratification.  Desire-inducing.   Moving us to action without thinking.  Because if we thought about it we wouldn’t do it.

How many of you have gone to a grocery store lately?   Have you noticed that the stuff you need is usually in the back?  Milk - meat.  To get there we have to run a gauntlet of ads and products that are laid out in a way to appeal to our self-gratifying desires - not our brains.  Appealing to our emotions to get us to buy.  At the check out there’s more little temptations - candy - gum.

Which is why we should never shop hungry and we should always make a list of what we need and stick to it.  Otherwise its way to easy to walk out of the store spending money on what we don’t need and probably can’t afford.

The present economic crisis has hit us between the eyeballs with the realization that people buy all kinds of stuff they can’t afford or don’t need - cars - houses - bigger TV’s - game systems - buy all that on impulse without thinking through the bigger picture of how it all gets paid for.  Credit is easy - or at least it was.  Instant gratification.  Seal the deal before they think.  3,500 desire-inducing ads.

The consumer culture of America today is based on the reality that we are committed to gratifying ourselves.  Our ultimate commitment is to self.

That - at the core of who we are - consumer commitment to self - has also entered the culture of the church. 

Skye Jethani - who is a pastor / speaker / author - graduate of the Free church seminary in Deerfield - not too long ago Skye Jethani wrote this:  “Traditionally the Christian life has been marked by releasing one’s desires, submitting to a spiritual mentor or community, and learning to take up the cross and deny one’s self…  But these values are not championed in our consumer culture, and they certainly don’t prove popular among church shoppers seeking a comfortable religious experience.”  (1)  

Once - when Jesus was heading to Jerusalem He was confronted by three men.  The first man tells Jesus, “I’ll follow You wherever you go.”  Jesus tells him that to follow means never having a home.

Can you imagine that today when so many Christians are focused on property values and all the toys we just have to have?  All the little things and comforts we surround ourselves with.  The choices we make in our commitment to ourselves.

“I’ll follow you anywhere.”  “Well, you’re going to be homeless.”

Let’s be honest - many of us would qualify our following:  “I’ll follow you as long as it doesn’t too severely impact my lifestyle.”

The next two men put conditions on following Jesus.  “First, I need to go bury my father.”  “First, I need to say goodbye to my family.”

Have you heard this?  “We couldn’t make it for church because we had family from out of town and they don’t go to church.”  “We had a family gathering.”  “We had to go camping.”  “We had a bar-mitzvah.”

Let’s be honest - many Christians would qualify their following:  “I’ll follow you but my family comes first.”  Or something else - name it - qualifies our following.  (Luke 9:57-62)

One major reason the church in America today is in serious trouble is because the church in America is focused on self and not God.  We have replaced serving Jesus with serving ourselves.  Commitment is convenient.  Worship is optional.  Sacrifice is subjective.  Attendance is an alternative.  Study is selective.  Prayer is not a priority.  And if it is, its about us not God.

Which sounds harsh.  But consider the evidence around us.

The church doesn’t run counter culture - it follows culture.  Rather than infecting culture, the church is infested by culture.  In many ways the church in America has marginalized itself because its not committed to following Jesus.

That’s a danger we face - even as those who believe in Jesus as the Christ - because we know the right answers we can do church on autopilot.  We can serve in the church - participate in ministries - come to Sunday services - when its convenient - for what benefits us - what satisfies our wants.  We can be so focused on God’s love for us - Jesus being born for us - crucified for us - that we forget that all this is about God and what He wills - not us.

We can be so focused on ourselves - so subtly committed to ourselves - and our little self-serving version of church and knowing God - that we will miss the opportunities God gives us to be blessed and to participate in the awesomeness of what He’s doing - being His people right here - being used by Him to take the Gospel into Merced and beyond.

If you have your Bibles or want to use the blue Bible below a chair in front of you - please turn with me to 1 Timothy 4 - starting at verse 1.  Two commitments.  Which are? Commitment to self or commitment to God.

It is essential that the we the church be committed to God.  Who is it essential that we be committed to?  God.

Look with me at what Paul writes to Timothy.  1 Timothy 4:1:  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times - latter times meaning since Jesus has come - almost 2,000 years of later times.  The Ephesian church was living in the later times.  We’re living in the later times.

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

Let’s pause there.  In verses 1 to 3 Paul warns Timothy about people who are committed to themselves.

The people Paul is writing about - “those who will fall away from the faith” - these were people in the church.  Trusted people - family members - respected - looked up to - teachers - leaders.  They’d known the Gospel.  Embraced the Gospel.  Been an integral part of the congregation.  But when push came to shove they’d rejected the bottom line of faith - commitment to God not self.

They were teaching a combination of Jewish tradition - Christian teaching - pagan philosophy - mixed together and taught as truth.  It involved abstained from foods - abstaining from marriage - which they said was part of this sinful world and so had to be avoided.  Things that Paul reminds us that God had created and declared good.

Ultimately they were committed to a form of works based religion that focused on a commitment to working towards spiritual purity apart from the grace of God.  They’d become so committed to themselves and what they believed that they’d taken Jesus out of the equation.

Let’s be clear.  Paul is not writing about believers who may disagree with us or we may disagree with them.  We have issues that we deal with in the church - and that’s part of being siblings in Jesus - prayerfully working together to understand and live in obedience to God’s will.  There are times when God’s people really mess up.  When God’s people treat God’s people in an ungodly way.  Opportunities for us to forgive and demonstrate God’s grace and love.  That’s different. 

Paul is writing about people who are so committed to themselves that they’re following after the world and not Jesus.  So committed to themselves that they’re following Satan and not God.

They’d become committed to getting their own egos stroked.  Committed  themselves to being seen by the church as knowledgeable in matters of faith and Scripture.  They were committed to maintaining their position of importance in the church.  They were committed to their own understanding of Scripture which was far from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are people we love and trust and care about - good people - nice people - but for whatever the reasons - there are those who inhabit congregations -  who because they’re committed to themselves and not God - they’re working against Jesus Christ and His Church.
 

It is a consistent tactic of Satan that works every time.  If Satan can get us lured into being committed to our selves the church will stumble in our calling.  Whatever opportunities God desires to lead us into as individuals and as a congregation we will fall short of.  People around us who need Jesus won’t hear the Gospel or see it lived out in our lives. 

It is essential that the we be committed to Who?  God.

Verses 1 to 3 are Paul’s warning of what can happen if we remain committed to our selves.  Starting at verse 4 - and going on through the end of the chapter - Paul is going to focus what it means to be committed to God - what will help us to grow in our commitment to God.

First - We need to commit to Pursue Our Relationship With God.  Let’s repeat that together, “Pursue our relationship with God.” 

Verse 6:  In pointing out these things to the brethren - pointing out that God has created and declared these food and marriage as good - that what was being taught by those focused on themselves - works not grace - all that was just wrong - in pointing out these things you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.  But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. 

Let’s pause there.  Worldly fables were legends and stories that the self-committed people in the church were using as part of their false teaching.  Paul says, “Have nothing to do with them.”  Don’t even go there.  Don’t even think about embracing any of that as something for your life.  Instead, point out the truth.  Be committed to what it means to live life with the living God. 

We need to make the commitment to go on pointing out what is right - to be committed to living by what is right.  As one political campaign put it:  Stay the Course.  Remember that?

Choose to stay committed to God.  Regardless of the opposition - even if its in the church - regardless of what’s going on the culture around you - regardless of public opinion polls - stick to what you know to be true - the words of faith - the sound doctrine - the truth of what it means to live life with the living God. 

Sometimes we’re tempted to find a half-way point - a comfortable meeting place between viewpoints - or to smooth things over so we don’t have a conflict - maybe even compromise in how we do life.  But, what these men are advocating isn’t just a disagreement among brothers and sisters in Christ.  Paul says what these men were teaching comes straight from hell.  We can’t compromise with that.  Paul writes, don’t give in to the temptation to compromise.  Be committed to living out what you know is true about God.

On the other hand - going on in verse 7 - rather than compromising your commitment - On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 

Do you know who this is?  Shaun White.  Probably the best snowboarder alive.  Wednesday night he successfully defended his 2006 men’s halfpipe gold medal - winning another gold medal up in Vancouver.  His final run included a total of six backflips and 11 rotations and something called a Double McTwist 1260 - which requires him to cram two board-over-head flips inside of 3 1/2 turns.  Any of you see this?

That along with freestyle snowboarding and skiing - people launching themselves into the air flipping and twisting - there’s a word for that:  Insanity.  Ultimately these people are nuts.  But, it is cool to watch.  Right?  All that takes guts and a whole of practice.

The Greek word Paul uses here in verse 7 for “discipline” is the Greek word “gumnazo” which is where we get our English word:  “gymnasium” or “gymnasitics.”

Years ago this person - Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton - remember her?  Notice the shameless desire-inducing ad.  Mary Lou Retton said, "Here's what it takes to be a complete gymnast.  Someone should be able to sneak up and drag you out at midnight, push you out on some strange floor -- and you should be able to do your entire routine sound asleep in your pajamas. Without one mistake. That's the secret. It's got to be a natural reaction.” (2)   

“Gumnazo” “discipline” is an image of repetitive hard exercise - practice -  push-ups - sit-ups - calisthenics - disciplining our bodies.  A commitment to doing the basics over and over again.  And when we fail - or get knocked down - we get up and do it again till we get it right.

With that image in mind - Paul says we need to focus on disciplining ourselves spiritually.  Physical discipline only goes so far.  Spiritual discipline is “profitable for all things.”  It keeps us going today and into eternity.  Spiritual discipline teaches us what to allow into our lives and what to refuse.  It builds us up and prepares us for the issues of life.  It teaches us to love - even those who oppose us.  It teaches us how to live life in touch with the living God - to live with courage and boldness and confidence.

Verse 9:  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance - this is the kind of advice that you build your life on - For it is for this we labor and strive

“Strive” is the Greek word “agonizo” - which is where we get our English word “agony.”  “agnonia” is the Greek word for wrestling.  Ponder that.  Wrestling is a punishing sport.  Hours of sweat - endurance stretching grueling workouts - every part of your body being put to the test.

Years ago - not too many years ago when I was in High School - I was on the wrestling team.  Our coaches had one of those signs in the work out room “No Pain.  No Gain.”  Ever heard that?

The commitment to pursue godliness - living life as God intends for us to live life - that commitment requires planning - action - and whole lot of effort.

It seems like most Christians don’t go there.  Judging by actions that demonstrate commitment it seems like there are a ton of Christians who think that if we come to church and hear a sermon or something that that’s commitment.  That that’s going to grow us as in our relationship with Jesus.  Like if we hang out in a garage long enough we’re going to become a car.

We must purposefully carve time out of our frantic schedules - to give God the priority in our schedules - to spend quality time with God.

It is a serious issue that so many Christians take lightly the commitment to spend time daily in God’s word.  We have to be committed - committed to study the Bible - to our devotions - our one thing studies - regularly - committed to daily times of reading and meditation and prayer.

We must be purposefully committed to going deep in our relationship with God - to pursuing an understanding of God’s presence and work in our lives.  Learning to look for God moments.  To be aware of what He’s doing in us and in the world around us.  Learning to see life as opportunities to be used by God.

We must be committed to worship - to fellowship - to service. 

That may not be easy.  In fact it won’t be easy.  Because if you make that commitment to live according to your commitment to God - everything in the culture we live in will try to get you to compromise on that choice.  Commitment to pursue your relationship with God will require discipline and agony.

Going on in verse 10:  For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Remember Hebrews 12?  “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on - Who?  Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Hebrews 12:1,2)

Our motivation is Jesus Christ - who Himself endured opposition - even to death on the cross as our Savior.  Jesus who triumphed over the ultimate opposition - the worst that Satan could do - even death.  When we make the commitment to draw nearer to God - the huge blessing of that commitment is that God draws nearer to us.  He fills us - lifts us up - walks with us - empowers us - transforms us to be the men and women that He’s called us to be.  His life - His victory - becomes our life and victory - even in the face of the greatest opposition.

First - Paul says that we need to make a commitment to pursue our relationship with God.  Second - Paul says - in the face of opposition - we need to make the  commitment to Pursue Our Calling.  Let’s repeat that together, “Pursue our calling.”

Verse 11:  Prescribe and teach these things.  Again Paul is saying - in the face of opposition keep going - stay the course.  Don’t shrink back from continuing to share what is right - which was Timothy’s role in the Church.

Now, some of you may be saying, “Well, Paul’s writing to Timothy the pastor.  I’m not a pastor.  So, this doesn’t have anything to do with me.”  But all believers who’ve come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ have been given a spiritual gift - a calling and a place of service in the Church.

God has a purpose and a plan for people who don’t yet know Jesus personally.  When they come to Jesus God will open that up to them.

God has a purpose - an essential role - a place of ministry and service for each one of us.  So, what Paul says to Timothy we all need to hear.  We all need to be faithful to doing what God has called us to do.

Verse 12:  Let no one look down on your youthfulness,

Let’s understand the importance of that statement.

Acts 16 tells us that Timothy was “the son of a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek.”  That word “but” is powerful.  Timothy is only half ethnically correct.  And, his father - the Greek - isn’t even around.  He’s either dead or he’s left.  Imagine the stigmatism.  Timothy lives between two cultures - Jewish and Gentile - probably not accepted into either. 

Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois are believers.  They taught Timothy the Hebrew Scriptures and about their faith in Jesus.  Timothy came to faith in Jesus under Paul’s teaching.  Again he’s caught between two worlds - religiously looked down on by the Jews and yet not part of the gentile religions of Ephesus.  (Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:5)  

And Timothy is young.  In the Hebrew culture unless you were 90 something you were considered young.  Timothy is probably in his 30’s - a relative teenager.  He’s not treated as an adult - or seen as someone old enough to respect.  Yet, Timothy is the pastor of the Ephesian Church.  He’s opposed by those who have their own agenda and are teaching these false doctrines - making an issue of Timothy’s age and background.

Scripture describes Timothy as a young man struggling with his self-identity - struggling to understand who he is - lacking in self-confidence - internalizing stress - overly critical of himself.  Can you hear Timothy?  “They’re right.  What was I thinking?”

Ever feel alone?  A tad misunderstood.  Isolated.  Trying to live for God and feeling inadequate.  It is so easy for us to look at ourselves and see inadequacy where God is creating opportunity.  To have this knee jerk reaction of hesitation.

Timothy, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness.  Don’t you look down on your youthfulness.”

Verse 13:  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

God’s calling on our lives isn’t about us.  It’s about what God is doing in us an through us.  We need that reminder when things get hard.  Timothy needed to be reminded.  Elders in the church - recognizing that God had called Timothy to ministry - these elders had laid hands on Timothy - spoken words of confirmation of Timothy’s calling to teach the word of God and to pastor.  “Timothy - get your eyes back on God and His call upon your life.”

Verse 15:  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 

Pastors who are worth listening to on Sunday morning don’t just get up and ramble on and on about something that came to mind Saturday night.

It takes hours to prepare a sermon.  On average about 20 plus hours a week.  Hours spent in study - in research - in prayer - wrestling personally with the text and going over and over the teaching in my mind - sometimes at very odd hours of the night.

Then there’s the process of allowing God’s word to touch and penetrate my often self-committed heart.  Which is often brutal - ego stripping.  The process of allowing God’s word to transform me when way too often I resist that transformation.

Then there’s the process of working to try and to explain what I’m studying and learning - to explain all that to someone else - to all of you - in a way that makes reasonable practical sense - that’s helpful to you. 

I share that not to get focused on myself.  But because Paul’s words to Timothy are an example for everyone of us. 

That’s what Paul means by pain and absorption.  That commitment to what God has called Timothy to do - as God uses that process to transform Timothy’s life - that transformation becomes evident to others.

Remember last Sunday?  Who are we?  “We are God’s instrument of change in the world.”  Each of us has an essential role in penetrating this world with the Gospel.

That calling doesn’t change because we feel inadequate or because we’re struggling with issues or sin in our own lives.  Life with God is a process of learning to live out our relationship with God through the stuff of life.  To follow Him - to serve Him - a dogged commitment to be used by Him in whatever He calls us to do - wherever and whenever He calls us to serve Him.  As we stay committed to what God has called us to do for Him God will use even our deepest issues to bring glory to Himself.

Paul’s bottom line is in verse 16:   Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

When Paul writes about ensuring salvation - he’s writing about living with God.  Being delivered from the crud of this world - evil - our own sins - what comes to us as we live in commitment to this world.

He’s writing about living forgiven - living satisfied at the deepest level of who we are - living life with the living God - what comes to us as we live committed to God.  Living in a way that draws people to the Gospel rather than driving them from it.

One step further…  Stay with me. 

C.S. Lewis said: “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak.  We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased.”

Put slightly different:  Why are we committed to little when God offers us so much?  The world we live in promises us so much and delivers so little.  Committed to our own short sighted self-commitment we’re content with mud pies when God offers us unimaginable riches - unending opportunity.

Question:  Who are you committed to?  Yourself or God?

_________________________

1. Skye Jethani, “Stranded In Neverland” Leadership, Spring 2009

2. Quoted by TBSF web - Practice