This document is a sermon about finding meaning and fulfillment in life through commitment to Christ rather than temporary things. It discusses how commitment to material goods, physical pleasure, or social causes alone cannot provide lasting meaning. True abundant life comes from presenting one's body as a living sacrifice to God and committing fully to Christ above all else. The sermon encourages examining one's own commitments and priorities to determine if they are focused on eternal significance through Christ.

1. W E L C O M E T O T H E
J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
P L E A S E T U R N O F F C E L L P H O N E S

2. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. 2 And do not
be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God.

3. THE ABUNDANT LIFE -
COMMITMENT TO A CAUSE

9. THE ABUNDANT LIFE
A. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy; I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full.
B. A Clear Conscience; Commitment To A
Cause; Confidence; Cheerfulness;
Companionship; Challenge; Character;
C. Freedom from sin and a clear conscience is
not enough to give us the abundant life.
D. Not just dead to sin but alive to God Rom 6:11
E. Not just denying ungodliness but living
soberly, righteously and godly Titus 2:12

10. I. COMMITMENT TO A CAUSE
A. Until a person has become a part of
something bigger than himself, he is
not really alive.
B. The difference in a good person and a
bad person is the choice of his cause.

11. II. COMMITMENT TO
MATERIAL GOODS
AND PHYSICAL
PLEASURE IS NOT
FULFILLING.

12. II. COMMITMENT TO MATERIAL
GOODS AND PHYSICAL PLEASURE
A. Eccl 2:1-11 I thought in my heart, "Come now,
I will test you with pleasure to find out what is
good." But that also proved to be
meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is foolish.
And what does pleasure accomplish?" I tried
cheering myself with wine, and embracing
folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I
wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to
do under heaven during the few days of their
lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses
for myself and planted vineyards. I made
gardens and parks and planted all kinds of
fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water
groves of flourishing trees. >>>

13. II. COMMITMENT TO MATERIAL
GOODS AND PHYSICAL PLEASURE
I bought male and female slaves and had other
slaves who were born in my house. I also owned
more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem
before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and
the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men
and women singers, and a harem as well—the
delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far
than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my
wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my
eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My
heart took delight in all my work, and this was the
reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that
my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the
wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

14. II. COMMITMENT TO MATERIAL
GOODS AND PHYSICAL PLEASURE
B. Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch
out! Be on your guard against all kinds of
greed; a man's life does not consist in the
abundance of his possessions."
C. The lowest possible incentive for work is
financial gain
D. Man spends his days chasing the illusive
dreams of their own goals only to discover
that when they reach them life remains
empty, dull and meaningless.

15. III. COMMITMENT TO
SOCIAL CAUSES
THOUGH
HONORABLE DO
NOT GIVE ETERNAL
SIGNIFICANCE.

16. III. COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES
A. CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
B. CAUSES
1. ANTI-WAR
2. ABORTION
3. SLAVERY
4. SOCIAL INJUSTICE

17. III. COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES
C. IT’S EASY TO GET SO INVOLVED IN
“CAUSES” TO RELIEVE PHYSICAL
SUFFERING THAT WE FORGET THAT
WE ARE REALLY HERE TO HELP
PEOPLE SPIRITUALLY. WE ARE HERE
TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST JUST
AS JESUS WAS. - Luke 19:10 for the
Son of Man has come to seek and to
save that which was lost."

18. III. COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES
D. JESUS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS AND HELPED WHEN
HE WAS CONFRONTED WITH IT BUT HE
KNEW THAT WAS NOT HIS PRIMARY
PURPOSE. - John 6:26-27 Jesus answered
them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
you seek Me, not because you saw the signs,
but because you ate of the loaves and were
filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which
perishes, but for the food which endures to
everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give
you, because God the Father has set His seal
on Him."

19. IV. COMMITMENT TO
CHRIST IS THE ONLY
COMMITMENT WHICH
GIVES LIFE MEANING,
PURPOSE, DIRECTION
AND SATISFACTION.

20. IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
A. Phil 3:7-21 But whatever was to my profit I
now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What
is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in
him, not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ—the righteousness that
comes from God and is by faith. I want to
know Christ and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death, and so,
somehow, to attain to the resurrection from
the dead. >>>

21. IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have
already been made perfect, but I press on to
take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took
hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself
yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are
mature should take such a view of things. And
if on some point you think differently, that too
God will make clear to you. Only let us live up
to what we have already attained.

22. IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
B. Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—
this is your spiritual act of worship.
C. 2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For
our light and momentary troubles are
achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what
is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal.

23. IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
D. Col 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised
with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God. Set your minds on things above, not on
earthly things. For you died, and your life is
now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ,
who is your life, appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory.
E. Mat 13:44-45 "The kingdom of heaven is like
treasure hidden in a field. When a man found
it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and
sold all he had and bought that field. "Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
looking for fine pearls.

24. IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
F. Rom 2:4-11 (God) "will give to each person
according to what he has done." To those who
by persistence in doing good seek glory,
honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
But for those who are self-seeking and who
reject the truth and follow evil, there will be
wrath and anger. There will be trouble and
distress for every human being who does evil:
first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but
glory, honor and peace for everyone who does
good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
For God does not show favoritism.

25. WHAT ABOUT YOU?
A.DO YOU HAVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE?
B.DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE? –
ARE YOUR SINS FORGIVEN?
C.ARE YOU COMMITTED TO A CAUSE?
D.ARE YOU COMMITTED TO THE RIGHT
CAUSE – ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE?

27. HAVE A COMMITTED WEEK