COMMITMENT

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Sunday Morning:  February 8, 2004

Text: Colossians 3:23-25  "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."

HAVE A DESIRE TO PLEASE

2 Corinthians 5:9-11  "Wherefore we labour [present middle, ambitious of honor], that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted [pleasing to] of him. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad [evil]. 11. Knowing therefore the terror [fear] of the Lord, we persuade men. . . "

THE WARNING

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  "Know ye not that the unrighteous [unjust] shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM

Matthew 19:16-17  "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have (inherit, Luke 10:25; 18:18) eternal [agelasting] life? 17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter (not just see) into life (for the millennial age), keep the commandments (be just).

COMMITMENT TO FAITH

Matthew 19:20-21  "The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21. Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect [complete], go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

FOLLOWING CHRIST

Matthew 16:24-25  "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

TO LOSE YOUR LIFE

John 12:24-26  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto [leading to] life eternal [agelasting]. 26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour (with agelasting life in the kingdom)."

A PROFITABLE SERVANT

Matthew 16:26-27  "For what is a (saved) man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul [life in the kingdom age]? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [life in the kingdom age]? 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

IT WILL COST YOU

Luke 14:26-28  "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?"

NEED FOR COMMITMENT

Luke 9:62  "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

Acts 14:22  "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

Colossians 1:23  "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, . . . "

HOPE OF THE GOSPEL

Colossians 1:27  ". . . which is Christ in you, the hope of [the] glory:"

CONTINUE IN PRAYER

Colossians 4:2  "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"

CONTINUE IN DOCTRINE

1 Timothy 4:16  "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

TIME IN HIS WORD

John 8:31  "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;"

RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD

2 Timothy 2:15  "Study [give diligence] to show [present] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

CONTINUE LEARNING

2 Timothy 3:14  "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;"

CONTINUE IN GRACE

Acts 13:43  "Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God."

GRACE FOR STRENGTH

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in (your) weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

WITH PERSECUTIONS

Mark 10:30  "But he shall [mh, may not] receive an hundredfold now in this time (age, implied), houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world [age] to come [the one coming] eternal [agelasting kingdom] life."

NEED FOR GRACE

Hebrews 12:28-29  "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us [may we] have [present active] grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29. For our God is a consuming fire."

OCCUPY TILL I COME

Luke 19:13  "And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come."

BE UNMOVEABLE

1 Corinthians 15:58  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour [toil, weariness] is not in vain in the Lord."