TOPIC: The Life Committed to God

TEXT: SAN LUCAS 9:57-62

INTRODUCTION
 This morning we are going to study on the Christian discipline – Commitment. What is true
commitment to God? How to be committed to God?
 Commitment means the act of committing oneself; pledging, engaging, or promising oneself to the
other.
 Commitment is a conscious choice to do something. Not just when I feel like doing it, I do it regularly, as
a matter of principle.
 We live in a time where commitment is not important anymore. A lot of families were broken day by
day. No one wants to be committed to one partner for the entire life. People switch jobs very often.
People are not committed to their church. I believe we are living in days where commitment is lacking.
 Wherein fact everything your husband/wife, your work, your ministry is I believe you desired and have
prayed it for so long. Inilaban mo pa nga! Tinalikuran at kinalimutan ang lahat for the sake nang
pagcocommit for all of these things! But why today you are complaining about it! Wala ka ng time para
sa lahat ng ito!
 A person who is first committed to God can be committed to one’s surroundings and excel in life. It
means you have to learn first to be committed to God before you can commit yourselves to things that
are around you and for you to keep surpassing, overcoming life exceedingly!
3Sika, O Apo, ti mangted iti naan-anay a talna kadagiti natibker ti panggepna ken kadagiti agtalek
kenka. 4Agtalekkayo nga agnanayon iti Apo; kanayon a salaknibannatayo. – ISAIAS 26:3-4
 So if you want success in life, if you want hope, peace; you need to stay committed to God no matter
what your circumstances are. How committed are you to Jesus? Is every area of your life committed to
God?
Illustration: A certain man wanted to sell his house for 1M pesos and another man wanted badly to
purchase the house. The problem was that the man who wanted to purchase the house could not come up
with enough money to buy the house. After a great deal of negotiation, the owner of the house agreed to
sell the house for half of the original amount under one condition. He would still own one nail that hung
over the home’s front door. The agreement was made and the sale of the house was completed.After a few
years the original owner of the house wanted to buy the house back but the new owner refused to sell. So
the first owner went out and found the body of a dead dog and hung it on the nail that he still owned in the
house. He also won over his argument in court. Before long the house became so unlivable that the family
was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.
 The sad reality is that the same is true of those who leave just one area of their life uncommitted to
Christ. The one small un-owned nail can have some rotting garbage hung on it and devastate our
spiritual life. Our most desperate need as Christians is to have every area of our lives committed to
walking with Christ.

BODY/DISCUSSION
WHAT IS TRUE COMMITMENT TOWARDS GOD?
The Cost of Following Jesus
57Idi addada iti dalanda, immasideg ti maysa a lalaki ket kinunana ken ni Jesus, “Sumurotak kenka, uray
sadino ti papanam.” 58“Adda rukib dagiti musang, ken adda umok dagiti tumatayab, ngem awan
pagiddaan ken paginanaan ti Anak ti Tao,” insungbat ni Jesus. 59Kinunana iti sabali a lalaki,
“Surotennak.” Ngem kinuna ti lalaki, “Apo, innak man pay ipumpon ni amak.” 60Kinuna ni Jesus
kenkuana, “Bay-am dagiti natay a mangipumpon kadagiti minatayda. Inka ketdi ikasaba ti Pagarian ti
Dios.” 61Adda manen sabali a nagkuna ken ni Jesus, “Sumurotak kenka, Apo, ngem innak kadi pay
agpakada iti familiak.” 62Kinuna ni Jesus kenkuana, “Ti mangrugi nga agarado sa taliaw a taliaw, saan
a maikari iti Pagarian ti Dios.” - SAN LUCAS 9:57-62
 Luke records for us in this passage an account of three men who Jesus met as He traveled along with
His disciples. Two of these men declared that they wished to follow Jesus; to become His disciples. The
other was one whom Jesus summoned to follow Him. It is interesting that all the three backed out
because they did not have the commitment to follow Jesus. Let us study these three men one by one.
57Idi addada iti dalanda, immasideg ti maysa a lalaki ket kinunana ken ni Jesus, “Sumurotak kenka,
uray sadino ti papanam.” 58“Adda rukib dagiti musang, ken adda umok dagiti tumatayab, ngem
awan pagiddaan ken paginanaan ti Anak ti Tao,” insungbat ni Jesus.

1. True commitment is more than involvement.

 This man makes a very powerful and profound promise to Jesus that he would follow Him
wherever he went. I believe that the man was sincere, he wanted to follow Jesus, he wanted to
be a part of what Jesus was doing, and he wanted to make a difference. I also believe that his
decision was based on all the popularity and miracles that Jesus was performing. He did not
think about the cost a person has to pay for being a disciple and blindly committed to be Jesus’
follower.
 Sometimes we only wanted to stay, to serve, to go to church because of the things we
hope for that He will do it for us.
 True commitment has a cost to pay. Many of us commit to do things, commit for ministry but we
do not weight the cost. True commitment is, “I have decided to follow Christ, no matter what
come against me, who opposes me, I will be committed to Jesus as long as I live.”
 When Jesus discerned this man such a commitment was lacking in him. See what Jesus said to
him: Luke 9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has
no place to lay his head.” I believe this man never came back to become a follower of Christ
because he did not want to commit himself to Jesus when the going got tough.
 The sad reality is that most people settle for being involved without ever making a commitment.
Being involved means that you can do what you want, as you want and when you feel like doing
it. Commitment means that you are at the call of Jesus 24 hours a day, seven days a week and
365 days a year.
 It means whatever the situation is; even if the weather, the situation seems to be unfavorable,
even the people in the church will not like me, will not listen to me, I will still go! I will still pray! I
will still going to be worshipping and praising God! So what!
 How is our life when we honestly look at the commitments we have made in our lives. True
commitment is more than involvement.
 Let’s look at the second man. Luke 9:59-60 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he
replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury
their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
 Jesus calls the second man but he asks permission from Jesus to go and bury his father. Jesus
gives him a blunt reply, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” Why did Jesus talk so tough? Does
he not have any compassion when our loved ones die? This is where we miss the scripture. Let
us see what is going on over here.
  Listen, this man was not asking to attend his father’s funeral because if his father died he would
not have been with Jesus now. He was asking to stay and care for his family before following
Jesus. His priority now was his family – first family, then Jesus.
2. True commitment is giving priority to God.
 There is nothing wrong with caring for your family because your family is a gift from God and you are
instructed by scripture to take care of them. Jesus is driving at the issue of priority. Jesus wants us to
make Him first in our lives and no other place will do.
 But never ever make your family the reason or an excuse when it comes to serving God: why you act
like that, you behave like that!
 The reality is not about our family, not about the things we use to be an excuse but because we lack
discipline when it comes to commitment.
 Many times we can not give our loyalty to the church service and ministry, most of the time were
coming up late but why in our works, in some other personal appointments we could manage to be on
time!
 It is not good having the attitude as always make excuses as I’m tired po kasi, I was so busy po kasi sa
work, saying naman po kasi yung kikitain? Sino ba humingi niyan? Ng trabaho, ng lupain, ng Negosyo
mo? Remember that ibinigay ng Lord ang kasagutan ng panalangin mo na kung saan iniiyakan mo noon,
linuluhuran mo sa panalangin pagkatapos ngayon yan ang ginagamit mong rason or excuses? Oh come
on!
 Secondly, it is urgent for us to commit to be a disciple of Christ because the work is plenty. What did
Jesus ask him to do? Follow me. Does this word ‘follow me’ sound familiar to you?
Matthew 16:24 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.
 Jesus is telling if you truly want to follow him then everything in your life has to be denied and give him
the number one priority in your life.
 Deny yourself: Say no to self and yes to God. It is to dethrone our self and enthrone God in us.
Give up yourself.
 Take up his cross: Sacrificial, concerned about others, concerned about the Kingdom of God,
sacrificial to the duties of a Christian than our personal comfort.
 Follow me: Be willing to go wherever God leads you.
 You have to set aside everything na pumipigil, bumabalakid sayo sa pagseserve.
 Let’s do make most of our time, ourselves be available to God!
 Why does Jesus want us to follow him and give him priority? Jesus has some work for us. See how he
called Simon and Andrew: Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
 We need to give Jesus priority and be committed to him because God wants us to be fishers of men.
There is no time to waste. His coming is very near and God wants our prioritized commitment in
bringing others to him. There is work to be completed and God needs our urgent commitment and
100% priority. True commitment is giving priority to God.
 Luke 9:61-62 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to
my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in
the kingdom of God.”

3. True commitment keeping your focus on God.

 The third man comes to Jesus and says I want to follow you Lord but I have a request to make. He
makes a reasonable request to go back and say goodbye to his family and again Jesus makes a
statement that sounds rather harsh when He tells the man that he is not fit to follow. Why does Jesus
do this?
 Notice what the man says to Jesus: Luke 9:61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me
go back and say goodbye to my family.”
 This could take days or even weeks before it was finished.
 We are much like this man because we are far too often focused on what we lose before following
Jesus. Choose Jesus first, and choose only Jesus.
Illustration: If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.”
Commitment is that key. Choose one chair. Choose Christ. It is absolutely impossible to live a Christian life
without having a complete commitment to following Christ.
 True commitment is more than involvement. True commitment is giving priority to God. True
commitment is having our focus on God.
 Kinorrect ka, pinagsabihan ka, nasapul ka ni Pastor sa preaching, sasabihin mo ayaw ko na! Focus kay
God kapatid hindi sa kung ano ang ayaw mo at sa kung ano ang gusto mo!
 Let’s do make our lives a Christ centered not self centered! Nagseserve at nagsusurrender po tayo sa
Panginoon para sumunod, magtiwala sa kung ano ang kagalakan Niya sa ating buhay at hindi para
makuha natin kung ano ang gusto natin sa Panginoon!

HOW TO BE COMMITTED TO GOD?

1. Be committed to yourself.
 We have been called to commit ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples. Disciples always learn. We should
never reach a point in life at which we are no longer learners of faith.
 Illustration: My commitment to learn.
See what apostle Paul said: Philippians 3:10-14 10Ti la tarigagayak isu ti pannakaammok ken ni
Cristo, ti pannakapadasko iti pannakabalin ti panagungarna, ti pannakipagsagabak kenkuana ken ti
panagbalinko a kas kenkuana iti ipapatayna, 11iti namnamak a mapagungarakto met. 12Diak
kunaen a nagballigiakon wenno awanen ti pagkurangak. Ngem itultuloyko nga ikabil ti amin a
kabaelak a manggun-od iti gunggona. Daytoy ti panggep nga adda iti panunot ni Cristo Jesus idi
inawisnak a sumurot kenkuana. 13Kinapudnona, kakabsat, diak ibaga a naragpatkon daytoy.
Aramidek ketdi ti maysa a banag: Lipatek amin a napalabas ket ipakatko ti amin a kabaelak a
manggun-od iti adda iti masangoanan. 14Iti kasta, sipipingetak nga agtaray nga agturong iti
pagtungpalan tapno magun-odko ti gunggona a yaw-awis ti Dios kadatayo babaen ken Cristo Jesus.
 Apostle Paul is writing this approximately 2 years before his death. He is telling about himself that he
has not finished learning, he is still leaning, he is still striving and committed to God.
 Make a commitment to continue to grow spiritually. Take positive steps to do so. Start a Bible reading
plan. Set aside time each day to pray. Read/listen to God’s word. Never give up on learning.

2. Be Commitment to your church.

 We need to commit ourselves to be responsible members of one church. The local church is the first
level of commitment outside of our personal relationship with the Lord.
Hebrews 10:24-25 24Panunotentayo no kasano ti panagtitinnulongtayo iti panagayat ken
panagaramid iti naimbag. 25Ditayo liwayan ti panaggigimongtayo, kas ar-aramiden dagiti
dadduma. Ad-adda pay koma ti panagpipinnaregtatayo, ita ta makitayo nga umasidegen ti Aldaw.
 The first commitment to church is going to one church, regularly and punctually.
 Now listen, commitment to church is deeper than just attendance to the worship services, but it does
begin there. You will never truly feel a part of this church by attending the Sunday morning services and
going home, be involved. Commitment is also loyalty. Be loyal to the services and programs.
 Kapag may kailangan ka(kalakasan, karunungan, kagalingan, provision, favor) kanino ka lumulapit?
Kanino ka tumatakbo? Sa lahat ng sitwasyon ng buhay wala kang ibang tinatakbuhan kundi ang Diyos
ngunit bakit sa buhay natin tila ba nakikipag-agawan ng oras ang Diyos!
 Did you know whom God will going to use? They are those who always commit themselves for God’s
work. We wanted to be used by God but we never wanted to give our time, our life to God!
 What is the essence that you are strong, you are young, you are smart yet you are not available when
the church needed you, when there are activities for the Lord wala ka!
 But if we learn to make ourselves available, you can be the joy and strength of the church, you can be
the progress of the church, you can be the reason to make every church activity successful and
glorifying to God!

3. Be committed to your call.

 We all have been called with a divine calling. When God called you God also gave you the gifts and
talents to you to accomplish that call. In other words be committed in using your gifts and talents for
God.

Paul reminds us in Romans 12:6-13 Masapul ngarud nga aramatentayo dagiti nadumaduma a sagut
kas iti parabur nga inted ti Dios kadatayo. No panangipakaammo iti mensahe ti Dios ti saguttayo,
masapul nga aramidentayo kas mayannurot iti pammati nga adda kadatayo. 7No panagserbi,
agserbitayo. No panangisuro, mangisurotayo. 8No pammaregta, paregtaentayo ti padatayo a tao. Ti
adda ibingayna, mangted a sibubuslon. Ti mangipangulo, agtrabaho a sigagaget. Ti mangngaasi,
mangngaasi a siraragsak.9Agayatkayo a sipupudno. Guraenyo ti dakes ket salimetmetanyo ti
naimbag. 10Nabara koma ti panagiinnayatyo kas agkakabsat ken ni Cristo, ket nareggetkayo a
mangipakita iti panagraemyo iti maysa ken maysa. 11Ipasnekyo ti agtrabaho, ket dikay agsadsadut.
Ipapusoyo ti agserbi iti Apo. 12Agbiagkayo a siraragsak gapu iti namnamayo. Ibturanyo dagiti
rigatyo, ket kanayon nga agkararagkayo. 13Ibingayanyo dagiti napanglaw a kakabsatyo iti
pammati, ket padagusenyo dagiti sangsangaili.

 Commitment to ministry means putting those gifts to work. God has given you gifts and placed you
here to use it. If you are not using your gifts your commitment is not complete. We must commit
ourselves to the ministry of the local church and use the spiritual gifts that God has given us.

CONCLUSION
 Will you make a commitment today? If you think you have forgotten your commitment, it’s time to
remember them and return to the right path God have called you to walk! Ask for forgiveness and
give/commit your life to Him, He is waiting on you, its never been too late to be back on track!