Commitment, Compromise, or

Conflict
“ WE PICK WHO WE WILL
SERVE “
1. Conflict: “I lived for myself and myself alone”

a) I knew of Jesus and did not care, I was rebellious and

destructive.
Acts 9:3-5:
3
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from
heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying to him, “Randy! Randy! Why are you
persecuting me?”
5
“Who are you, lord?” Randy asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
b) My son and daughter were not rebellious or destructive
as their father was, but still living for themselves.
1 Samuel 3:7-10:
7
Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had
a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time,
and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you
call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So
he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls
again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel
went back to bed.
10
And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-20:
 14
For the love of Christ compels us; because we thus judge, that if
one died for all, then were all dead:
15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose
again.
16
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though
we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know us
him no more.
17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation.
20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God.

2. Commitment: “I am a new creation”

a) USA TODAY said “well over 80% of

American’s claim to be Christians” when
poled in 2005.

Deuteronomy 6:4:
4
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”
Or “ Listen up, Randy! The Lord is your God, the Lord alone.”

b) “ So what’s my problem ”?

Jeremiah 16:10-12:
 10
“When you tell the people all these things, they will ask,
‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have
we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the
Lord our God?’
11
“Then you will give them the Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your
ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and
served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. 12 And
you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow
your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me.
c.) The
Lord has already done all he is obligated to do for
me. He owes me nothing. The only thing that moves the
Lord on my behalf is my devotion unto him.

3) Compromise: “We Steal from God”

A) STORY OF THIEF AT WAL-MART

a) God’s Marriage’s

Malachi 2:13-17:
13
Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar
with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no
attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with
pleasure. 14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept
my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord
witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were
young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she
remained your faithful partner, the wife of your
marriage vows.

b) God’s Children

Malachi 2:15-16:
 15
Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In
body and spirit you are his.[a] And what does he want?
Godly children from your union. So guard your heart;
remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate
divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce
your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,[b]” says the
Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not
be unfaithful to your wife.”

c) God’s Judgment

Malachi 2:17:
17
You have wearied the Lord with your words.
“How have we wearied him?” you ask.
You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil
are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them.
You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of
justice?”

d.) God’s Tithe and Offerings

Malachi 3:7-10:
7
Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees
and failed to obey them. “Now return to me, and I will return to
you,” say the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone
away?’
8
“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are
under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all
the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my
 Temple. If you do,” say the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open
the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great
you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the
test!

A. I always bought the best and always when I wanted it.

B. I always said I don’t have it this month.

C. I would say the church will only waist it.

D. I would use any and all excuses to keep what I thought

was mine anyway.

e.) God’s Talent

Revelation 3:14-22:
Message to Laodicea
14
"To the angel of the church in (A)Laodicea write: (B)The Amen, (C)the
faithful and true Witness, (D)the [a]Beginning of the creation of God,
says this:
15 (E)
' I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; (F)I wish
that you were cold or hot.
16
'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will
spit you out of My mouth.
17
'Because you say, "(G)I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have
need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked,
18
I advise you to (H)buy from Me (I)gold refined by fire so that you may
become rich, and (J)white garments so that you may clothe yourself,
and that (K)the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye
salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
19 (L)
' Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be
zealous and (M)repent.
 20
'Behold, I stand (N)at the door and (O)knock; if anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, (P)I will come in to him and will dine with him,
and he with Me.
21 (Q)
' He who overcomes, I will grant to him (R)to sit down with Me
on My throne, as (S)I also overcame and sat down with My Father
on His throne.
22 (T)
' He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.'"
1 Peter 4:10:
10
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of
spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

4.) Repent: “ What I do, I am”

a) Hebrews 3:8-15:

8
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
9
There your ancestors tested and tried my
patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty
years.
10
So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11
So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”[a]
12
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.[b] Make sure that
your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away
from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while
it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and
hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end,
trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will
share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:
 “Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”
b) Romans 10:10:
10
For it is by believing in your heart that you
are made right with God, and it is by
confessing with your mouth that you are
saved.