Sunday, February 5, 2012

5 February 2012 - ENCS

A new series on ownership Pastor Larry did start
Renting, unlike ownership, is temporary he did impart
From 2 Chronicles 16 verse 9 Pastor then read
God will strengthen those who are fully committed instead
Those who fully commit can do many a great thing
God loves commitment, as many a psalmist did sing
On the other hand, commitment is what the enemy does hate
So if we are not fully committed, we risk a very bad fate
Fear builds walls which merely serve to us prevent
From in all parts of life making a commitment consistent
God can help us break down the barrier of fear
He is challenging all of us that He holds so dear
We really should not let anything from commitment hold us back
Pastor shared four points so commitment we would not lack

The first is that commitment requires responsibility
This stewardship is something God loves to see
There are a great many parables that Jesus did tell
Reminding us to look after our God-given talents well
God blessed Adam and all mankind, per Genesis 1 verse 28
Adam's sin gave this "dominion mandate" to the one we hate
So God sent His Son to be a perfect sacrifice
For His love for us, nothing was too high a price
Now God wants us to take responsibility for the earth
He created everything so everything has worth
We should remember Jeremiah 29 : 5 and 6
Settle down and on God let our hearts affix
And as Nehemiah four verse six does plainly impart
The wall was rebuilt for people worked with all their heart

The second is that commitment requires loyalty
Facing hardship, we should not give up or flee
In other words, we must be faithful and steadfast
Our commitment to God, family, and friends must last
A good example of this can readily be seen
If we read Ruth chapter one verses 16 and 17
Ruth remained loyal to Naomi, her mother-in-law
Even though her own country she never again saw
Pastor also gave Luke 9:23 a strong nod
We must deny ourselves daily to follow God

The third is that commitment requires sacrifice
Giving anything less than our best is not very nice
God honours our commitment once we get started
But He gets angry if our service is half-hearted
This is evident in Malachi one verse eight
Against the best, sacrifices no longer did rate
In the same way, God wants from us our best
In terms of our time, talents, and all the rest
When it comes to finances, it is plain to see
Not tithing is stealing from God, per Malachi three

The fourth is that commitment requires a decision
We must do so and act in accordance with our vision
Joshua 24:5 conveys a very powerful word
Emphasizing that he would serve the Lord
Likewise, we must be committed when we wake up tomorrow
God will honour that, giving us pleasure not sorrow