Commitment Through The Eyes Of A Child
INTRO: Did you ever wonder how children view commitment? What do they notice or see? How does it affect their lives? Let me ask you, "How do those around you view your commitment?" Are you committed to anything? Your family? Your spouse? Job? Church? Are you committed to the Lord???? Commitment can change your life!
Let us look today at commitment through the eyes of a child.
Pro.22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Duet. 6:1-15 1Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
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Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 10And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Real commitment shows. Our commitment to the Lord should be a way of life.
Babies' vision is not clear at birth, but they soon begin to see in us various traits and actions…
Caring of the constant variety
Learn that they can depend upon mom and dad
Learn they can fix their problems
Learn they on call
Comfort of the loving variety
They begin to look for their presence
Love begins to embrace them in life
Love begins to shape their attitude
Challenge (to grow) of the encouragement variety
Immediately parents press for weight gain and physical strength looking for that first roll-over, pull-up, crawling and steps
Anxiously mom and dad begin talking and teaching hoping for the first word uttered, counting, colors, etc.
Unfortunately we are often slow to tell our children about the spiritual needs in their lives. [Steve singing Lord's songs to children in crib]
Commitment of the obligation variety
We teach them we are obligated to fulfill our commitments
We teach them we are obligated to marriage and family
We teach them we are committed to Christ
Why is our society in trouble? NO COMMITMENT!
Look at what Moses learned in Egypt (and the wilderness)…
Caring in the house of his father
He learned of their love and God's love
Comfort in the arms of his mother
He felt the comfort and heard the teachings of God
Challenge in the court of Pharaoh
Encouraged to "grow" - learn
Commitment in the fields of Jethro
God dealt with Moses after he fled Egypt
Talked to him about His children (Jews)
Showed Moses importance of commitment
That God heard and was committed to His people
Ex. 3:11 - Moses not committed
3:12 - God's challenge (encouragement)
14, 16, 18 - God's desire that Moses show commitment
4:1 - Doubt - but God took away all excuses
Look at what Moses accomplished…
Heb. 11:23-31 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. 31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
He learned caring
He offered love and comfort
He met the challenge
He showed the example of commitment
God cares for us
God comforts us
God challenges us
God is committed to us - John 3:13-21
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And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 102002am