WELCOME TO THE JACKSON STREET CHURCH OF

CHRIST

PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES

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.

THE ABUNDANT LIFE - COMMITMENT TO A CAUSE

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

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.

II. COMMITMENT TO MATERIAL GOODS AND PHYSICAL

PLEASURE IS NOT FULFILLING.

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. >>>

II. COMMITMENT TO MATERIAL GOODS AND PHYSICAL PLEASUREI 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.

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.

III. COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES

THOUGH HONORABLE DO

NOT GIVE ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE.

III. COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES

A. CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

B. CAUSES

1. ANTI-WAR

2. ABORTION

3. SLAVERY

4. SOCIAL INJUSTICE

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."

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."

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

IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRISTA. 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. >>>

IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRISTNot 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.

IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRISTB. 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.

IV. COMMITMENT TO CHRISTD. 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.

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.

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?

HAVE A COMMITTED WEEK