Motivation for Commitment - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child family for Friday, September 23 familiar with the story of Daniel from the Old Testament his life.

He feels clear and strong motivation to remain surrender to the Lord. The series unfailing commitment continues was some people can achieve so much and all the people achieve so little, probably our first responses will these people more talented than these people.

Therefore, that's the reason, but not necessarily so why is it some people are so excited and enthusiastic about what they're doing and a and energized to do well of what they're doing, where is someone else who may have the same responsibility seems to be so lackadaisical about the whole idea.

No excitement, no enthusiasm. What is the difference how is it that two people often times sitting on the same pew in the same church building listening to the same message one can be excited enthusiastic about the Lord desirous to know God applying spiritual froze the other person sit right beside him, but not excited, not enthusiastic making no applications never taken note.

Never carry a Bible to church. They just sort of there. What is the difference. The difference is real simple. The difference is in motivation. One person is motivated on his job.

He alone is not one child is motivated, the other one is not one believer is motivated, the other is not motivation is the drive that is within us is that something within us that moves us that store is that punches out button that gets us the moving, what is it take to drive you on the inside to energize you to the store you to incite you all want to do the thing that you told God that you going to do in the life of Daniel some incidences happened that give us what I believe are some very specific motivations in the area of our commitment to you and I should say well you know it. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ that ought to be motivation level. That's true, but it appears that's not motivation enough. And God doesn't just use one form of motivation. He uses many forms and there are different aspects in which you and I look at life and so we are motivated by different things motivated by different aspects of our Christian life. So if you turn the Daniel chapter 1, we will talk about this matter of motivation to commit and you recall that in chapter 1 verse one the Scripture says that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had invaded Judah taken Jehovah Kim, the keying away, and also had taken away into Babylon. Many of the fine young men who described in verse four. Youth, in whom it was no defect who were good looking showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge and who had ability for serving in the king's court and he order him that is Ashburn as his servant. The king servant to teach them the literature on the language of the Chaldeans, and he appointed them. Also, a certain menu, then the ration of the king's choice food for the wine which he drank appointed they should be educated three years of into this time they were to enter the keying service now. Among them were three young men plus Daniel whom you know by name Daniel Hannah not Michelle Azariah, the command of the officials changed their names gave them new names Daniel. He assigned the name Bell Shasta Hannah Anaya Shadrach me shell the shack and Azariah, Abednego we know those days are three Hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace.

Now you need to know something about Nebuchadnezzar to understand the situation, which Daniel finds himself Nebuchadnezzar was a file, a file key. He was a barbarous kind of man he was a despot. He was a pagan. He was a heathen. He was a murderer.

In fact, in the 39th and 29 chapters of Jeremiah as we read the kind of man he is. The Scripture says that he took the key and killed his son right before him, and then he put his eyes out with the king's eyes at the mouth about one of his favorite ways of punishing his enemies would be to borrow them slowly over the hot flame so you can tell he is a man with no heart. So here is Daniel noun is three Hebrew friends along with his other friends there, who came from Judah here they are in the court of Nebuchadnezzar who had a split second. Could take you like and who was known for his murderous attitude and the quickness with which he could take your life and so these four young men are confronted with defiling the Hebrew law which they grew up with. As far as the forms of worship and who they would worship and how they would care their worship and one of the regulations which they had received was one that dealt with what they were to eat and with how they were to worship and how they would to deal with all of this, so Daniel knew that the food offered to him and to his friends in the wine. This whole table wasn't dedicated to the gods of Babylon. So here's the problem he had. How were they to live holy lives not to violate their conscience to keep true to Jehovah God, who is the only God and at the same time live in Babel so they have one or two alternatives they could say well we are just not going to do it.

We believe in Jehovah God you can do what you choose this week is not going to do, but God gave Daniel and his friends. The wisdom not to respond in that fashion. But Daniel, the Bible says in verse eight. Here that Daniel had purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food all of the wine which he drank, so he sought permission for the command of the officials that he might not defile himself at the first motivation here that I want you to notice when it comes to obeying God or carrying out our commitment I would you think about something for a moment and that is your devotion to Christ your simple personal, loving devotion to Jesus Christ.

One of the reasons at least that Daniel would not defile himself is because he was devoted to Jehovah God now to express devotion to God means that you honor him as the only true God, that you recognize him as the only true God that you worship him as the only true God, you are loyal to him and to him alone.

Is your God and that you express love told him let me ask you question what governs whether you live committed to God and not do you watch to see the way your friends are going or is your devotion to Jesus Christ like an anchor that when you blown any direction you you just remain true to Jesus Christ, for the simple reason that you anchored to him by your loving devotion that is motivated in itself by your Thanksgiving and praise for his saving you and keeping you as one of his own.

Listen Daniel had purposed in his heart not defile his body not to violate the laws of worship which he had learned as a young man, and so when he was challenged to violate the very things that his parents had told him in his relationship to Jehovah God Bible says he purposed in his heart he made up his mind, regardless of the circumstances and the consequences are shall obey God. Have you ever at any given time said to Almighty God.

Through your son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells me dear God, I shall obey you regardless of the consequences. That is a commitment, and that is the type style that God wants from all of us. That is, we are going to follow him regardless of our circumstance. Daniel chose to do that. He followed through on his commitment motivated by loving devotion to Almighty God is a second motivation on what you see here and that is a motivation that is based on clear direction. I think about this for a moment.

Daniel could've chosen to say well I'm just not going to do what you say, do, and more than likely in a matter of hours or less they would have taken his life but his Daniel and his friends began to pray. God gave them an alternative. Watch this, God gave them an alternative to violating the king's command, which would've cost them their life now.

Having clear direction from God, he purposed in his heart he was going to fulfill his commitment. Almighty God, regardless of the consequences. He was committed to that buddies in seeking the Lord God gave them clear direction. Here's what you do, do you approach Ashkenaz in a humble fashion submissive to him and you ask permission is for the Bible says he asked permission of Ashkenaz, the drink water and eat vegetables for 10 days then who convinced that King servant who convinced him and persuaded him to allow these men to really in essence violate the king's commandment the same time he was able to accomplish the same purpose and that is to become the kind of service that the king would need. You see, he was motivated by clear direction when God gives is very clear direction. Unmistakably clear direction that is a highly motivating factor in obeying God.

This is why a life of prayer. A life of meditation and searching the word of God is so important because you see that that is the habit of your life that each morning you spend some time listening to the Lord. Praying to him reading his word in seeking his face in seeking direction God will give you unmistakably clear direction of your life and when you know that you have the mind of God is amazing how that will motivate you to take risk in the eyes of the world, but it's never a risk on your part to be obedient to God. Daniel knew that God had spoken very clearly about what he was doing so he was willing to risk his life by challenging in a humble fashion. The command of the king to reserve Ashkenaz is 1/3 motivating factor here and that is the discovery of what God will do in your life.

Now think about this for a moment, here is Daniel in a pagan society, having been transferred all the way from from Jerusalem over to Babel totally different suicide a different language.

Different cultures different lifestyle worshipers of the pagan gods can see the evidence of that heathenism all around. How is he live in this kind of a society.

Daniel could've said well I guess it's all over with Shadrach me shack in the Bendigo and I'm sure they may have that may have crossed their mind as they stood before the fiery furnace liquor distillates all over. What can we do here we are who we among so many in this heathen pagan adulterous and idolatrous society. What can we do but Daniel, Shadrach me shack and Abednego determined the wood found out what God could and would do in their lives and so they very wisely when about doing what was required of them in their educational process. These first three years in order to discover what God what can Jehovah Yahweh at all, not what can Elohim what can he do with us in the society.

Have you asked God that question about yourself lately is irrelevant. You know, only one. So was Daniel Shadrach me shack in the Bendigo only affordable, they were each only one had you ask yourself the question lately.

God, what can you do with me at this point in my life in the society. If I yielded myself totally to you and with hell nothing from you gave myself without reservation God, what could you do with me.

Does that excite you.

Does that motivate you or have you already decided and put a lien on the clamp or what got for God to do much with me says to look at my education. God is not interested in that you know what God's interested in God Almighty is interested in men and women who are willing to commit themselves to him without reservation and have the same sense of commitment. The Daniel had Lord God, I am committed to obeying you regardless of the consequences.

That's the kind of people gods looking at you made the decision.

Have you asked that question seriously about yourself. What can God do with you at this point in your life at this time. What can he do with you, what would he do with you. Listen, the real question is not what can he do the real question is, what will he do if you make a commitment to obey him.

At this point in your life and from this point further, by the power the Holy Spirit and through the indwelling Christ who is your life. What will God do in and through your life if you follow through on your commitment to him and the truth is you don't know the answer to that document of the first time I was ever confronted with that in a in a major way the Lord to challenge me to do something that I will do many times God will challenge us to do things we don't want to do. But the question is not whether I want to or not, but the ultimate question is did not remember the time when he challenged to do something that was very difficult. I was afraid to be honest, I was just absolutely scared Athol got out get fired. I bet this will be the end and this will be what he'd been listening to that now for about six months same prayer same request for God been praying about it about that long that morning. This is clear as a bell.

I will never forget what he said you have two alternatives you can obey me. Allow me to bless you. Or you can choose to disobey me and spend the rest of your life wondering what I would've done with you. Had you obey me and I will tell you that got my attention because I thought of that time in my life and I was less than 30 years of age about 30 somewhere thereabouts.

I thought, God, I can't spend the rest of my life wondering what you would've done had I obeyed you at this critical time to listen to me carefully. Sometimes God will confront you with something that does not appear to be a major crises in your life but if God confront you and you have an alternative you going to have to make a choice you. It may appear that you have many alternatives but uses the ball down the want to to obey or disobey.

Don't just push to the side. What appears to be a rather unimportant decision. It could be the turning point in your life. Have you ever made the decision in your life that whatever God tells you to do. You going to do it.

I don't mean you always have a got everything but I'll tell you one thing, when you tell God what about this is that you put the pressure on. He knows how to put the pressure you see, he knows your heart and he knows there are times when you really want to do his will, but easy sometime you not sure are we just frightened. I don't know about you but my friend, listen, I would want to live the rest of my life wondering what God would have done had I obeyed him. When Ruth went all of us I believe will agree that to obey God is always the wisest decision.

Amen.

That we know that's true. It's always wiser to be obedient, but is interesting even though we know it's the wisest to be obedient that sometimes we face circumstances. We want to be obedient, but we want to be obedient and avoid what God is required, will work that way. So sometimes we are highly motivated by a desire to discover Lord what will you do in my life if I obey you. This time, and I could give you many examples of men who come to me who been challenged in their business and it, what seemed to be a tremendous risk and demanding unbelievable faith in almost an impossible situation. Standing there at the crossroads having to make a decision their life scared to death to do what they believe God's calling them to do. Looking at what appears to be security and want to be appears to be no security when the real truth is. Listen the real truth is you obeying God.

That's the only time in your life that you are secure when a man faces the account of the situation and he runs off the cliff and closes his eyes and jumps out in the space and he goes now.

We must remember is this that he's always going down in the palm of the sovereign hand of God, which means he's more secure with his eyes closed and going down the side of the mountain. He's more secure than when he standing on solid ground, trusting himself, you can't lose placing your trust in God thank you for listening to motivation for commitment. If you like to know more about her family were in touch ministries and had started writing this podcast is a presentation of InTouch ministries Atlanta, Georgia