PREACHING COMPILATION

ALL IN: COMMITMENT TO GOD

BIBLE TEXT
""And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?" - ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭10:12-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

ILLUSTRATION
Sophie, the scrub woman, was a Christian. One of the gentlemen in the large building where she worked said to her, "Say, Sophie, I understand that you are a Christian." "Yes, sir, I am a child of the King," was her immediate reply. "Oh! So you must be a princess, since God is your King." "I sure am." "Well, if God is your Father, and you are a princess and a child of the King, do you not think that it is beneath your dignity to be found here in this City scrubbing these dirty steps?" Not being daunted Sophie replied, "There is no humiliation whatsoever. You see, I am not scrubbing these steps for my boss, Mr. Brown. I am scrubbing them for Jesus Christ, my Savior!" – Source Unknown

Now that we know God and have a personal relationship with Him, God requires something from us; in any relationship (friendship, brotherhood, siblings, marriage) is always a must: COMMITMENT - a state or quality of being dedicated to a cause.

MAIN POINTS

I. WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES
A. Fear the Lord your God
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." - ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- The fear of the Lord results to wisdom

"The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short." - ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- The fear of the Lord prolongs life

B. Walk in all His ways
"whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." - ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- If we are His then we should imitate the way our God walks

C. Love Him
"Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride." - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭31:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- The love for God results to God's favor.

"But if anyone loves God, he is known by God." - ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭8:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- If we have this great love for the Lord then we will know for sure that God knows us.

D. Serve Him
"Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him." - ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- Distinction of those who are committed and not.

II. HOW DO WE DO THAT
A. With all our Heart
why: because our hearts are like receptive spil for the word of God, Jesus uses this analogy in Mark 4, the Parable of the Sower.

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ESV

‬"I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart." - ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭24:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- We can't have fear of the Lord, walk with Him, love and serve Him without giving our hearts to Him or even using it.

- Our commitment to someone manifest or because of the level of passion/heart that we pour on it.

B. With all our Soul
why: the soul is a person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity/inner man.

- "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- Our commitment should not only manifest in our passion or works but it should also flow into our moral and emotional identity.

ILLUSTRATION
Story of the hen & pig who wanted to give the hard working farmer a special treat ... a ham & eggs breakfast! The chicken was dedicated, she gave her eggs, but the pig was committed, he gave his life! – Source Unknown

CONCLUSION
How is our commitment to Jesus?
God had given us everything that He has, His own Son, His everything.
What are willing to commit to God?