December 28, 2008
Key Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13


One of the things that fascinates me about the Apostle Paul is his level of commitment. Case in point: the church at Thessalonica. Paul was with them a whopping 3 weeks, led multitudes to Christ, and was then run out of town. It would have been easy for him to look back and say, “I think my work there is done … led a bunch of folks to Christ, will be praying for them … let’s call it a day.” He didn’t … in fact, he longed for them like a parent longs for the child they haven’t seen in ages. Shockingly, he loved them and pursued them like Christ loves and pursues us! That level of commitment is foreign to most of us. As a society, could we be any less committed to anything?!? We’ve got people in this church divorcing their spouse over trumped up charges because, in reality, they’re clueless when it comes to the word “commitment.” We’ve got parents who’ll give up on their kids faster than you can wind a watch (and no, I’m not talking about your dedication to their ball games and cheerleading – I’m talking about the last time you prayed and read God’s Word with them – that’s called discipleship – and few parents are committed to it)… listen, the #1 reason people don’t come to Christ is goofy Christians who profess him with their lips and deny him by their lifestyle. We should be less concerned about “walking the aisle” and more concerned about our walk … period! Our job here is not to get more people into our building … it’s to get more of Christ in the people in this building – and that takes total commitment, all the time.

1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:13     The 25/25/25/25 Rule….where will you be 10 years from today?!?

1. Those who are committed have a heart that loves people unconditionally 1 Thess. 2:17-18
2. Those who are committed disciple others with a passion 1 Thess. 3:1-5
3. Those who are committed see relationships as the greatest blessing 1 Thess. 3:6-10

Top 5 Reasons Christians Aren’t Committed:

• #5 - Failure to devote time to God’s Word (Quiet Time) Matthew 28:19-20
• #4 - Failure to devote time to prayer Acts 6:4
• #3 - Failure to engage in quality Christian fellowship regularly Hebrews 10:24-25
• #2 - Failure to fix our eyes on things above instead of things here Colossians 3:1-2
• #1 - Failure to fear (respect) the Lord Proverbs 14:26

Beliefs (Perspective) -> Attitude -> Behavior

What Does Maturity (Commitment) Look Like?

1. The ability to deal constructively with reality … to face facts.
2. The ability to adapt quickly to change that’s inevitable.
3. Freedom from the symptoms of tension and anxiety. Mature people know God is in control.
4. To be more satisfied with giving rather than receiving…discovering the true values of life.
5. To relate to others with consistency (commitment), helpfulness, mutual satisfaction.
6. The ability to re-direct anger to constructive ends…to harness that energy, not lose your temper.

Q: Which of the “top five” reasons listed above is most troublesome for your commitment level? Why?
Q: Where are you in terms of reaching full maturity in Christ (using eh six attributes above as a guide)?
Q: What one thing will you commit to today to help you move on to maturity, and how can we help you?

Bottom Line: High in the Alps is a monument raised in honor of a faithful guide who perished while ascending a peak to rescue a stranded tourist. Inscribed on that memorial stone are these words: HE DIED CLIMBING. A maturing, growing Christian should have that same kind of attitude, right up to the end of life. May God help us to live with that kind of intensity – moving on to maturity with a passion!