Adapted from a Greg Nance sermon https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/1-where-is-your-commitment-greg-nance-sermon-on-commitment-190957?ref=SermonSeriesDetails

2. Where is your commitment?
Let me begin with three illustrations.
All he ever really wanted in life was more. He
wanted more money, so he parlayed inherited
wealth into a billion-dollar pile of assets. He
wanted more fame, so he broke into the
Hollywood scene and soon became a filmmaker
and star.

3. He wanted more sensual pleasures, so he paid
handsome sums to indulge his every sexual
urge. He wanted more thrills, so he designed,
built, and piloted the fastest aircraft in the
world. He wanted more power, so he secretly
dealt political favors so skillfully that two U.S.
presidents became his pawns. All he ever
wanted was more. He was absolutely convinced
that more would bring him true satisfaction.
Sadly, history shows otherwise.

4. He concluded his life—emaciated; colorless;
sunken chest; fingernails in grotesque, inches-
long corkscrews; rotting, black teeth; tumors;
innumerable needle marks from his drug
addiction. Howard Hughes died, believing the
myth of more. He died a billionaire junkie,
insane by all reasonable standards.
Would you say that Howard Hughes was
committed? Absolutely!

5. They planned their own deaths and hoped for the
deaths of as many others as possible.
In an effort that developed over a period of years they
plotted and carefully put together their nightmarish
scheme.
They scheduled everything to have the most dramatic
impact they could think of.
They worked together and received training for piloting
passenger jets so that they could carry out an attack
on the United States as an act of terrorism that we now
call by its date: 9-11.
Would you say that these men were committed?
To the death!

6. He was born and raised in obscurity.
As an adult he was baptized along with many
others and began a ministry traveling about
within his own country.
He became a well known preacher and miracle
worker and within a short period of time began
to speak openly against the current national
leadership’s corruption.

7. He made subtle and not so subtle claims of
divinity and gathered and organized followers
into a powerful movement that threatened to
overwhelm those in high religious positions.
In jealousy the national leaders conspired
against him and put him to death.

8. He willingly accepted their penalty of crucifixion
as an act of obedience to God the Father.
Would you say that Jesus was committed?
Praise God, yes!

9. There are many good causes that deserve
committed people who will take up the
challenge and work and serve in them.
There are other things that demand our time and
attention that we may work and serve in, but not
whole heartedly or with what we might describe
as true commitment.

10. Then there are things that capture people’s
attention and hearts and drive them to pursue
with a devotion and a false sense of hope for
fulfillment or sense of importance only to end in
disappointment or despair.

11. The power of commitment is that it focuses your
energies and resources.
The danger of commitment is that you can be
committed to the wrong things.
The Bible is filled with examples of people who
were committed, some to right, and others to
wrong things.

12. Today I want to begin a series of talks with you
about this question:
Where is your commitment?
Perhaps a better question would be where are
your commitments?
We can get so watered down with so many so
called important things and responsibilities that
we can lose track of what really matters.
Our commitments end up running our lives,
don’t they?

13. Some of us spend our lives jumping from
commitment to commitment hoping somehow
that in the end we will have accomplished
something worthwhile.
Or that somewhere along the way we will finally
find it: that one thing we are cut out for that
really toots our horn.
The truth is that you can run to the end of the
highway and come back and not find what your
searching for.

14. The Bible tells us: O Lord, I know that the way of
man is not in himself.
It is not in man that walks to direct his own
steps.
NIV

15. We all need guidance in where to place our
devotion and make our commitments.
You don’t want to look back on life and see a
string of activities that smack of insignificance
and wasted efforts.
Do you?
Sometimes what seems so valuable at the
moment seems like a waste of time later on.
I don’t want to live my life that way, do you?

16. That’s one of the reasons I follow Jesus Christ.
That’s one of the reasons we gather for Bible
study and worship.
That’s one of the reasons we pray and read
scripture and seek to listen to the voice of God
and pursue His will.
It is also one of the reasons we all need
examples and models to live by, and fellowship
with fellow followers of Christ to share life with,
and awareness of those without Christ around
us to reach out to.

17. Simply put, we need to be constantly building
our relationship with Jesus Christ, serving with
fellow followers of Christ, seeking to win others
to Christ.
This is January and the year is still new.
This is a good time to evaluate and prioritize the
various matters of our lives and bring them
under the light of God’s word for His guidance
and direction.

18. When I die I hope and pray that it can be said
that I lived my life according to these three
priorities:
1. Loving God
2. Loving the family of God
3. Bringing others into relationship with God.
These three above all else and clearly, so
that anyone who knows me would see that
this is true.
I don’t want people to have to lie at my funeral,
do you?

19. Jesus’ words on commitment are pretty
amazing. To say they are strong is a huge
understatement. His words are the words of life.
They will last even if heaven and earth pass
away. Jesus’ words show us how to commit and
what to commit to. Then Jesus’ life, death, burial
and resurrection demonstrates that He meant
every word He said.
Let’s listen to just a few of Jesus’ words for
guidance on where to build our commitments.

20. NIV

22. Where are your treasures?
What is important to you?
Where is your focus?
What do you dream about or what do you feast
your eyes on?
Who is your master?
What controls your life?

23. When we listen to Jesus here we realize that
what He says is about things that outlast this
life.
Jesus guides us into commitment that will never
leave you sorry you kept it.
You may be sorry you didn’t,
but you will never be sorry that you did!

24. NIV

27. Along with this clear order of priority Jesus
covers the areas we are so prone to prioritize
above those he tells us about here.
So Jesus goes on and says about things in this
life that usually grab our hearts and gain our
devotion: Don’t worry about them!
That’s right!
Jesus says, “Don’t worry about your life or your
body.”

28. Can you believe this?
He goes into detail here to make sure that we
understand what he is saying.
Food – check.
Clothing – check.
Your Father in heaven knows what you need
and he’s been in the business of providing even
the birds and grass with these things.
He’ll take care of you as well.

29. So here’s the amazing promise of God’s Son,
Jesus Christ, for those who take Him at his
word and accept the challenge of living under
eternal priorities: (here it is, are you ready?)
NIV
Now our issue is simple:
Will we follow Jesus’ words about commitment?
Or will we look for a better plan elsewhere?

30. Just to make us reconsider in case we were
thinking about looking elsewhere, Jesus gives
us this admonition and warning:
NIV

31. Sooooo. Where is your commitment?