Almost. It’s a sad word in anybody’s
dictionary. It keeps company with expressions like “if only” and if you’re from
the South, “near ‘bout.”
Almost is a word that speaks of missed opportunities and fumbled
chances.
Tim KcKee was edged out for first place in the Olympic 400 meter race by
two-thousandths of a second. He almost won a gold medal.
Christian author, Max Lucado offers these sad statements that revolve
around “almost.”
“He almost got it together.” “We were
almost able to work it out.” “He almost made it to the big leagues.”
In
our Acts scripture reading, we are introduced to an “almost” kind of guy, King
Agrippa who was one of Herod’s sons and the Roman procurator of Judea who was
the puppet king the Romans allowed to sit on the throne.
The Apostle Paul has been spreading the good news of Jesus Christ
throughout the Roman Empire and here in our Acts scripture reading, he is
nearing the end of his ministry. He is on trial before King Agrippa.
Since Paul was a Roman citizen, he would eventually appeal to Caesar and
be sent to Rome where he would be martyred; but first, Paul was granted his
request for a private audience with Agrippa.
Paul appealed to something that both he and Agrippa agreed upon – the
Jewish prophets. And Paul used this appeal as an opportunity to invite Agrippa
to follow Jesus. Paul’s purpose wasn’t to refute the charges against him but
simply give a testimony to the faith that drove him.
Now, when I think of Paul, I think of someone who was very, very
convincing when he spoke and shared about his faith. He helped many, many people become followers
of Jesus Christ throughout his ministry.
Even as a prisoner in chains, he shared his faith with King
Agrippa. And it sounds like King Agrippa
is a little surprised by what Paul is telling him because he responds by asking
him, “Are you so quickly persuading me to
become a Christian?”
Paul, known for his quick wit and ability to think on his feet responds,
“Whether quickly or not, I pray to God
that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such
as I am – except for these chains.”
And this is where the conversation ends. Agrippa wasn’t fully persuaded
to become a follower of Jesus.
Over the next several weeks, we’re going to focus on the topic, “What does it mean to be fully committed to
Jesus Christ?” We’re going to talk about the importance of prayer, reading
the Bible, attending weekly worship, witnessing, offering our gifts, and
serving.
If
I had to list the foundational components in being a committed follower of
Jesus, these six things would definitely be at the top of the list. It’s hard
to imagine being a follower of Jesus without making these six things a priority
in our lives. In fact, these are so vitally important, that we are giving out a
daily devotional book for each family to read over the next seven weeks. Our
Sunday School classes and small groups are focusing on these six things and we’re
all invited to be part of one of these classes and groups.
But before we even begin to focus on these six things, let’s first ask
ourselves where we are in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
I
have shared with you about how I made a recommitment of my life to Jesus Christ
when I was in college. That new
commitment to Christ had such an impact on my life, that it changed everything
for me.
It
gave me hope because I was going through a low point of my life. It gave me
comfort because I knew that with Christ in my life, I wasn’t alone anymore. It
gave me assurance because I knew that nothing could ever separate me from God’s
love.
Because of this positive change in my life, I wanted to share my faith
with others. One of the people I shared my faith with was a friend I knew in
college. On Mondays before class, he would tell me about how he drank too much
over the weekend.
During our conversations, I told him about my new commitment to Christ
and I invited him to a bible study. He came to those bible studies and I could
tell that God was working on him. Even
though he continued to drink on weekends, he started asking me questions about
the bible and faith. I would ask him if he wanted to make a commitment to
follow Christ, and he kept telling me that he wasn’t ready for that, but at
least he kept attending the bible study.
One day, he totally surprised me by saying, “I want you to know that I finally invited Jesus Christ into my life.
I’m going to put him first in everything I do.” And I could tell that he
meant what he said. He stopped his heavy drinking on the weekends and he
started going to church. He began reading the bible every morning and he was
constantly asking me questions about the Christian faith.
He
ended up becoming a pastor and he now serves a church in Illinois. We still keep in touch through facebook. Making a commitment to Jesus Christ is where
it all begins.
The Sacrament of Baptism is a symbol of our commitment to be a faithful
follower of Jesus Christ. Sarah Mikesell made this commitment last month when
she was baptized during our annual youth mudpit event held on the grounds of
our Crossroads facility.
Being baptized in a mudpit is a little unconventional but it is a
powerful symbol of how Christ can cleanse us from the mud and the sin of our
lives and make us clean. I’m sure there was some mud in the Jordan River when
many people were baptized by John the Baptist.
We
have a homemade recording of Sarah’s baptism along with some pictures of that
special day that I would like to show you now. Let’s watch as Sarah makes this
formal commitment to be a follower of Jesus Christ by being baptized.
My
favorite part of Sarah’s baptism was when all the youth placed their hands on
her as we prayed for God to strengthen her in her new commitment to follow
Jesus Christ. When we make a commitment or a recommitment to follow Jesus
Christ, we become part of a community of people who will pray for us and
encourage us along the way.
Those of you who follow golf, you might
know the name of Rik Massengale who was a tour pro during the 70s and early
80s. Rik admits that hearly in his career, golf was his god. This not only
caused him inner turmoil, but it also created marriage problems.
His wife decided to file for divorce. But before the divorce was
finalized, they had a long talk. They decided to attend the Tour Bible Study.
The guest speaker happened to be Billy Graham, who was playing in the pro-am of
the Kemper Open that year.
Billy Graham made a statement that really stuck with Rik that day. He
said, “Christianity is not a religion; it
is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” Rik had grown up in church
and assumed that being a Christian just meant attending church. He was honest
enough to admit that he didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Through the guidance of a friend, Rik found out how he could begin this
new relationship with Christ. He and his wife both made a commitment to put
Christ first in their marriage.
Rik says, “I didn’t experience an
overnight change, but over the next six to eight months, I realized that God
was making significant changes in my life.” Rick went on to serve as the
director of College Golf Fellowship, a Christian ministry to college golfers
and coaches.
When we make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, like Rik, we might not
experience an overnight change, but over time, we will find that we are
becoming more like him.
In
our Galatians scripture reading, we find the Fruit of the Spirit which consists
of these wonderful character traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Over time, this is what
the Holy Spirit can do in our lives. By making a commitment to Christ, we
become more like Christ.
I
am excited about what a difference Jesus Christ can make in our lives. I am
also excited about what Christ is going to do in our lives and in our church
over these next several weeks.
At
this time, I invite you to take out the commitment card for this Sunday that is
found in your bulletin.
As you look at this
card, you will notice several commitment options. Let’s take a look at those.
·
Here
are some options if you decide to not make a commitment to Jesus Christ at this
point. No, today, I am not ready to make a commitment.
·
No,
but maybe someday.
·
And
here are a couple of options if you have or want to make a commitment to Jesus
Christ. Yes, beginning today, I want to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
·
A
second option is Yes, I am already a follower of Christ but I want to be an
even more devoted follower of Him.
If you choose yes as one of the options,
notice the paragraph that describes what that commitment entails. Let me read
it:
“Jesus is my guiding light, my compass, my
lighthouse. I will ask the Lord for that ‘peace that passes all understanding.’
I will strive for my speech and behavior to please the Lord. I will strive for
my attitudes, values, and thoughts to please the Lord. I will be passionate
about the Lord as the priority of my life. I will strive to be able to explain
clearly what I believe and why. I look forward to having a constant awareness
of the Lord’s presence. I will strive for others to see Christ in my life,
words, and actions. At each major decision of my life, I will ask, ‘What would
Jesus have me do?’ I will invite the Lord to be at the center of all of my
relationships. I will allow Christ to love others through me, even those who
are different from me.
I want to give us a
couple of minutes to be in quiet and choose the option that best fits you
today. I’m going to fill out my card and sign it and I invite you to do so as
well. Just take a minute or two. I’ll give you enough time.
When you’ve completed your card, we are invited to place our completed
commitment cards in one of the covenant baskets nearest you. There are baskets
down front here and there are baskets up in the balcony.
I
want you to know that we will give these cards utmost care. We’ll have somebody
who is very trustworthy collect the cards just so that we can be aware of the
commitments that are being made today.
I
think we’re ready. May God bless you during this sacred time of commitment.
