From Small group meeting to Disciple-Making: 1. Commitment Part 1 – 5th Jan 2020

From Small group meeting to Disciple-Making

Commitment Part 1
Commitment Part 2
Character
Calling
Charisma
Competency
Christ-Likeness

Overview: From Small group meeting to Disciple-Making

“FOMO” – Fear Of Missing Out: The fear of missing out refers to the feeling or perception that others are having more fun and having a better lives. In other words, a person experiencing FOMO has a deep sense of envy which affects their self-esteem. Social media unfortunately, often exacerbated this problem further.
Some Churches are also suffering from FOMO. The need to pick the latest trends, church models, outreach programs, latest songs, new artists, etc. I am not talking about being too proud to a point where we stop learning from others, but rather not wanting to miss out the next big things of church.
It is time not to look out for another model, another trends, another system, but to look to God.
You have heard “Follow your passion”, but I am telling you to stop following your passion, but to follow Christ. Stop following your passion but start following Christ.
What does it mean to follow Christ? It is to do what He says and do what He does.
It is time for us the church, to rise up to be the church God intended for us to be.

Commitment 5^th Jan 2020

When we talk about commitment as a Christian or in a Church setting, we often think of a sets of duties to adhere to, a ministry to serve in, and a small group to be part of.
We are who we are based on what and who we are committed to.
However commitment is a serious thing and many even have fear of commitment. We are afraid to commit because we always think that there is something better on the way.
All commitment will fail we fail to commit to our Lord Jesus.
We all have difficulty with commitment because by nature we are all egocentric. We are committed to ourselves.
Illustration: An English professor wrote the words, “Woman without her man is nothing” on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly.
The men wrote: “Woman, without her man, is nothing.”
The women wrote: “Woman! Without her, man is nothing.”
One thing for sure is that God is committed to us. Take time to recall God’s goodness and protection over our lives and our families.
As we enter into 2020, we all have a choice to make. What and who are we committed to?
We are who we are based on what and who we are committed to.
We are shaped by what we are committed to.
Great People become great because they are committed to something greater then themselves.
The key is to make good commitment and reduces bad ones.
That is why we must be committed to God as we are created for eternity.
All our needs in life is met when we are committed to God.
What commitment will do for us?
As an Individual: Transformation instead of Transaction.
As a Family: Covenanted relationship instead of Contractual relationships.
As a Church: Commitment instead of Convenient.

Roadmap

Committed to God – Identity
Committed to one another – Purpose
Committed to reach the non-believers – Calling

Committed to God – Identity

Jonah 1:1-3 ¹Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ²“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Background of Joppa or Jaffa:
Solomon received cedar wood from Lebanon and even the rebuilding of the Second Temple.
Acts 9:36-43 Peter was at Lydda and was called to come over to Joppa as a lady disciple by the name named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas, has died. Peter went and raised her from the dead.
Acts 10 Dwelling in Joppa in the house of Simon the Tanner (a person who is employed to tan animal hides), he received a vision of God asking him to eat all kinds of animals which deem as unclean by the Jews. There Cornelius, a centurion, sent his servants and a devout soldier to seek Peter out and asked him to go over to Caesarea.
Tarshish and Nineveh:
From Joppa to Nineveh is 550 miles (885Km)
From Joppa to Tarshish is 2500 miles (4023.36Km)
The people of Nineveh are wicked people and are against the Israelites.
Jonah ran away from God because he did not want to see the people of Nineveh repent and receive the mercy of God. He wanted to see them face the judgment of God and perish.
Jonah is committed to his emotions rather than committed to God.
We are often like Jonah, we are committed to God, but hold some reservations or fears; not 100%.
Isaiah 55:8-9 ⁸“For My thoughts arenot your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. ⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
His ways and thoughts are higher than us telling us that we do not see the big picture and we do not see the end, but He does.
God is already committed to us but it is time for us to be committed to Him.
When we are committed to God, we obey by doing His will.
When we choose to be committed to Him and do His will, we will put Him first in everything we do.
This will open doors for us to His blessings.
As a Church, we want to move from small group meeting to Disciple-Making, step up in our commitment to Him.

Committed to one another – Purpose

Jonah 1:4 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
God allows storm not to punish us but to turn us around from self-destruction, from becoming distorted in character, etc.
God allows storm to let us find out our true identity so that we can grow and become a better person.
We must learn from it instead of running away by rationalizing, giving excuses or blaming.
Jonah 1:5-9 ⁵Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that wasin the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.⁶So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”⁷And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” ⁹So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry ”
Jonah told them the whole story, how he came from the land of Israel, and that he had fled away from the presence of the Lord. And they said to him: “What shall we do to you that the storm may cease?”
Then said Jonah: “Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the storm will cease and the waters will be calm; for I know that because of me, this great tempest is upon you.”
Jonah 1:13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
The men rowed hard to return to the land –
What does this tell you? They refused to throw Jonah into the sea.
What is the implication? If these people who do not know God can behave in such a noble fashion, how much more for us as Christian?
How often I heard Christians telling me that they have been disappointed by other Christians and often it is better to work with non-Christians.
This must change. It is time for us to be committed to one another.
We can never be committed to one another if we are not committed to a Church, the body of Christ.
How can we learn love if we are not committed to one another?
How can we learn forgiveness and forbearance if we are not committed to one another?
We can only discover our true self, our identity by being connected with one another.
Let us be committed to one another in this Church by serving each other, not out of comfort or convenient, but out of sacrifice.
Jonah 1:14-16 ¹⁴Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” ¹⁵So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
At once the storm ceased, and the waves became still. Then the men on the ship feared the Lord greatly. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made promises to serve him.
Even in this seemingly terrible situation, God’s heart is for the souls of these men and this is the lesson God wants Jonah to learn.

Committed to reach the non-believers – Calling (Dead Sea)

Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Despite of Jonah’s disobedience, God never give up on him.
Do you feel your life being swallow up by people around you or by the challenges or circumstances?
Jonah 2:1-10 Jonah prayed to God and He spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Notice all through this story that, although Jonah was God’s servant, he was always thinking about himself. God protected Jonah and saved him, not because he was such a good man, but because he wanted to teach him a great lesson.
Jonah 3 By this time Jonah had learned that some men who worshipped idols were kind in their hearts, and were dear to the Lord. This was the lesson that God meant Jonah to learn.
Jonah 3:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Now God called Jonah a second time which he responded by going to Nineveh and proclaim the judgment of God that “Within forty days shall Nineveh be destroyed.”
Amazingly the people of Nineveh believed the word of the Lord and they turned away from their sins. Even the king of Nineveh repented issued a command to his people that they should fast, and seek the Lord, and turn from sin.
Guess what? God forgave them.
This is the heart of God; His heart for the souls of men.