MEMBERSHIP IS COMMITMENT

Ephesians 4:1-7

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


"Connectedness" and "Caring" are what we call "warm fuzzies", but without "Commitment", they would be nearly meaningless. Of what value would it be if someone you're connected with just walked away when times are tough? Or what good is it if someone says "I care about you", but then abandons you?

We often associate "commitment" with an institution. For example, we talk about the "institution" of marriage which obviously requires a commitment. What's worse, we might say that someone is "committed to an insane asylum".

My Dad used to tell the story about three men, sitting on a park bench across the street from the State Hospital. The two on each end were going through the motions of casting, as if they were fishing. A policeman leaned over and whispered to the man in the middle, "You'd better get these guys out of here, I think they're a bit crazy". "O.K.", he replied, and started to pull on the oars of this imaginary boat!

(Trying to be "politically correct", we are cautious about such jokes. However, in the context of my Dad's philosophy, it's acceptable. He also used to say, "Everybody's crazy, it's just a matter of degrees - some of us are crazier than the rest of us." Or like the Quaker who said to his friend, "Me thinks the whole world is crazy except me and thee; and sometimes I wonder about thee.")

Where do we find the idea of "commitment" in this passage, Ephesians 4:1-7?

    In a way it can be seen in the opening expression, "prisoner of the Lord." Paul was committed to jail.

    When we read, "Live a life worthy of the call", we remember the words of the prodigal son when he returned to his father: "I'm not worthy to be called your son." You see, he had not stayed with the program, because he had not kept his commitment, he felt unworthy.

    Both "patience" and "forbearance" require commitment, and the words "make every effort to keep the unity" also imply full commitment.

It is well understood that the call to commitment is a call to go beyond "contribution". Perhaps you've heard about the chicken who suggested to the pig that they provide a special breakfast for the farmer's birthday, eggs from the chicken, bacon from the pig. The pig said, "That's fine for you to say. For you to provide eggs is only a contribution, for me it's real commitment!"

To be committed is to infer three ideas. These form the three legged milk stool of Commitment: Priority, Longevity, and Accountability.

First, commitment is making decisions which limit our freedom to do other things. This is the real issue, it's commitment vs. freedom. The mood of our society is, "I want to keep my options open." I want, at any given moment, to have the freedom to do whatever I feel like doing."

    For example, after arranging for the purchase of our first house, for $19,000.00, a painting helper asked if I would take $25,000. But for me, my family was priority, which therefore limited my freedom to cash in.

    When we board an airplane for our trip to India, we will make a commitment to the plane. Once the door is shut, we can't then decide to take a boat, or walk - we've limited our options.

    Today many couples attempt "live-in" arrangements instead of marriage, but it doesn't work because the development of relationships depend on solid commitment.

    Churches without commitment to a denomination - we call them "independent" churches - have the freedom to believe and practice what ever they want, and often they end up wandering from the truth.

    It is our feeling that we need to place commitment to the church at least on a par with other involvements.

      Ministry teams should be at least on a par with sports teams.

      Sunday School should be on a par with public school.

      Labor for the Lord should be treated with the same level of commitment we make compassioning labor for material goods.

      Giving of our resources and talents should be on a par with providing for luxuries, entertainment, and leisure.

    Therefore, commitment to a church means:

    Commitment to keep doctrinal purity;

    Commitment to participate in spiritual worship;

    Commitment to help with the edification of the saints;

    Commitment to be involved with the confrontation of that which is wrong;

    Commitment to the combining of our resources; Commitment means, "You have to be there, and you have to participate."

Secondly, commitment is a statement of longevity - you keep on doing it.

    For me a life-time mentor would be a man I often refer to, Andy Sabo. During the busiest time of his life, while rising in his vocational career from floor sweeper to being president of the largest company in his mid-sized Connecticut city, and while opening his home to dozens of foster children, Andy was always in church - Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening. He taught a class, he led the youth group, he sat on the Board. He was always there. He had made a commitment, and he kept it - year after year, after year.

    How well I remember the great spiritual lift I received while kneeling at the altar during a District Council meeting. Two elderly ministers came up behind me, laid their hands on me and prayed for me. Together they represented more than a hundred years of ministry, and somehow, that rendered their prayer all the more effective for my encouragement.

    Allow me to read what I believe is one of the most electric Scriptures in the New Testament, Hebrews 11:32-12:3

      And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

      Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

      Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

    A song I first heard about ten years ago has become one of my favorites:

    FIND US FAITHFUL

      Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful,
      May the fire of our devotion light their way.
      May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe,
      And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
      Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.

Third, commitment requires accountability.

    You see, commitment is an opportunity for deeper relationships to form so that when someone who is committed asks, "How's it going?" we can answer differently, more truthfully, and more completely. Not only that, but with people who are obviously committed to the church, we are also willing to allow them to ask questions which cause us to evaluate how we are doing in our walk with the Lord.

    In fact, we might well say that without the willingness to be accountable, commitments are vain. One of the greatest evils of all is self-deception, which accountability helps cut through.

    For example, if I tell you that I am a very good fisherman, I may be fooling you even as I fool myself. But then let's suppose that you say, "For the next month, whenever you go fishing, bring the fish by my house - I will count them and log the number in a notebook. At the end of the time, if you have caught at least 3 fish for every day you have gone out fishing, then I will agree that you are indeed a very good fisherman." However, if at the end of the month I've only caught one fish, then you will help me see that I'm not the good fisherman as I claimed; rather, I really need to take up fishing lessons!

    What would happen if our commitments to church would have some accountability built in? How many would be willing to say, "I've made a commitment to attend church every week. If for any reason I am not able to attend, I will call one of the Deacons and explain why I'm not going to be there, and if I miss, they have permission to call me on the phone and ask why I wasn't there." Many people would respond to this idea by saying, "No way; what I do with my own time is my business." Then in reality there is no commitment.

    Go one step further. Let's say we gave the Stewardship MTG the responsibility to check every member's giving record against their weekly salary figures, and confront anyone who was not paying their tithes to the church. Wow! Then the fur would fly. "The church doesn't have any right to check up on my giving pattern." But again, if there's no willingness to be accountable, then there's no real commitment.

The passage in Hebrews reminds us that Jesus Himself is the greatest example of faithfulness with regard to His commitment. He made the commitment to the cross, and he kept that commitment. It's clear in the wilderness temptation that He understood His priority. Fulfilling His commitment was more important than bread, performing a miraculous stunt, or gaining rulership of all the kingdoms of the world. Furthermore, Jesus went the distance so that from the cross He could truthfully say, "It is finished." And at the end, He demonstrated his accountability when He said, "Into Thy hands I commend my spirit." No wonder His father could say, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

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