"COMMITMENT"
Intro: The story.
I. THE VALUE OF COMMITMENT.
A. It gives you the strength to go against the current.
1. Everyone had bowed to the image except three.
2. Paul spoke of the course or current of this world.
a. It is anti-God: "love not the world..."
b. The world declares the material is superior to
the spiritual.
3. Without real commitment you will be swept away.
a. The "everybody is doing it" syndrome.
B. Your commitment becomes an encouragement to others.
1. "Give me some men who are stout hearted men..."
C. Men who are committed are the men who change the world.
1. The strength of communism is the commitment of its
advocates.
a. They will suffer for the cause.
b. They will sacrifice for the cause.
2. Paul's commitment, "For to me to live is Christ and to
die is gain."
a. No wonder he was accused of turning the world
upside down.
II. MEN OF COMMITMENT CANNOT BE STOPPED. VS. 17, 18.
A. Threats of death cannot dissuade them.
III. HOW DOES A PERSON BECOME SO COMMITTED?
A. They had purposed in their hearts.
1. It is more than a mind-set.
2. It is easy to change my mind.
3. It is a matter of setting your heart.
B. It is by the power of the Spirit of God.
1. "Not by might nor by power but by..."
2. Peter's denial of the Lord.
a. He was trusting in his flesh.
3. Peter's bold witness before the Sanhedrin.
a. But Peter, "filled with the Holy Spirit"
IV. THE RESULT OF THEIR COMMITMENT.
A. The Lord stood with them.
1. He will always stand with us, if we dare to stand for
Him.
2. He does not always deliver us from the fire. The early
church bears witness to this truth.
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Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013)
Pastor Chuck was used in the Jesus People revival where he was used along with others to minister to the hippy young people. They saw a work of the Spirit where many were added to the church and discipled. He has raised up many pastors who are a part of the Calvary Chapel movement now and where he pastors the large Costa Mesa church in California.The Calvary Chapel movement is based of simple principles that Chuck Smith taught over the years such as: The priority of agape love, Simple fellowship amongst the saints, the breaking of bread, the teaching of God's word chapter by chapter and verse by verse. And lastly and most importantly the principle not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord.