SUNDAY SERVICE SUMMARY 08/05/2016
PREACHER :
PS X MKHIZE
MESSAGE TITLE : COMMITMENT
Referral Scripture: Luke 14:16-20(KJV)
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a
great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to
them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with
one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a
piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I
pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come
A church you’re attending will never go higher than the
level of your commitment. Even a ministry that you participate in cannot rise
above the level of your commitment, if you’re in a worship team it will never
rise above your level of commitment, also if you ushering – the ushering
ministry will never rise above the level of your commitment.
Commitment is not only about coming to church on Sundays but
also being present in other church meetings like weekday prayers, committing
with our time, our finances and everything that concern the church without
finding excuses. Like when it raining you find it as an excuse not to attend a
church gathering or meeting. The church will never grow if it members are not committed
to the church. The thing which has become a problem with believers is excuses.
Referring to the main scripture we can see in this parable this man organised a
great feast or banquet, did everything and invited people to come, all they had
to do was to come but they were full of excuses.
Like today as it is raining some didn’t come to church with
no valid reasons , some of us think commitment is for a Pastor or we doing it
for a Pastor but it all about God and advancing the Kingdom of God. Some can
just say I’m not feeling well and decide not to attend while the church it
where they can be well, some decide to be busy with their things – which some
were blessings from God , but now when it time to come and show their
commitment to God they don’t come.
Some give excuses of family commitments forgetting that a family
is a gift from God which God can also take away from you. God can take away everything
that you now using to make excuses for not attending church services. Some even
say what am I going to get for doing it, what am I going to get for going to
church. Some can even give excuses like the weather is bad, this is allowing situations to be above God .
Isaiah 54:5 for your Maker is your husband, the Lord of
hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the
whole earth he is called
The church is a bride to Christ, now imagine a bride who doesn’t
play her role in marriage. God played and is still playing his role. The fact
that we can talk , we can eat , have clothing for our body , sleep and wake up –
these are some of the things to show that God played his role. But us when we
have to give our commitment to God we have a lot of excuses.
In the Book of
Revelation Jesus says either be cold or hot – don’t be lukewarm. If you still
in church be in church and if you’re out let it be clear than to be on and off,
we don’t know whether you still a member or not or you have backslide cause you
disappear when you want to and just show up when you feel to do so.
Some people are church daters, they are not committed to
the church. These people think for themselves not God , we see them in church
while they still in need for healing, blessings or certain church programmes,
once these church programmes are no longer in the church they disappear . They
also come just for social reasons to meet friends – THEY ONLY COME TO CHURCH
FOR THEMSELVES, THEY DON’T HAVE A MINDSET OF ‘’WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE CHURCH’’.
CHURCH
DATERS DON’T COME TO CHURCH IN TIME – THEY ARE ALWAYS LATE, BUT
GO TO THEIR WORKPLACE THEY ARE THE 1ST ONES EVERYMONRING. GOD NEED
TO BE OUR PRIORITY AMONGST EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS SEEK YE
FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
CHURCH
DATERS DON’T HONOR APPOINTMENTS – EVERY APPOINTMENT THE
CHURCH SET OR EVENTS THEY DON’T BOTHER TO PARTICIPATE
CHURCH
DATERS HAVE A DATABASE OF EXCUSES
– THEY ALWAYS FIND AN EXCUSE BUT THEIR BIGGEST IS FAMILY COMMITMENT
CHURCH
DATERS DON’T COMPLETE THEIR TAKS – GIVE THEM SOMETHING OR A
TASK TO DO IN CHURCH , THEY WILL LEAVE IT HALF WAY BUT AT THEIR WORKPLACE THEY
WILL WORK UNTIL THEY SWEAT JUST TO IMPRESS THEIR EMPLOYERS, HOW MUCH MORE WHEN YOU
DOING IT FOR GOD.
CHURCH
DATERS ARE NOT GIVERS: LIKE I SAID WHEN YOU COMMIT YOU ALSO
COMMIT WITH YOUR FINANCES AND TIME
CHURCH
DATERS CAN EASILY FORM A COMPLAINING TEAM: influencing others to always
ask why is this being done like this, why this why that – it a sign of people
who are not committed
IMPORTANT THINGS IN A LIFE OF A BELEIVER
1. Once
you saved, Join the Local Church – Don’t just come as a visitor every Sunday.
Joining a church will also cover or give you protection as there are always
Prayers for the local church, from Leaders praying for the church (members) to
intercessors interceding for the church.
2. Make a
local church a Priority - shopping, football games must not be above your local
church in your priorities.
3. Try to
make your Pastor’s Job a Joy – try by all means to make your Pastor’s job easy,
attend home cells, prayer meetings, your chosen ministry services, cause if you
don’t now a Pastor has to follow you around
4. Find
ways to serve – Find something to do in a church, there are many different
ministries in a local church that you can serve in
5. Give –
being part of the family mean you give your time and money. Some just send
money and think it ok even if they don’t attend just because they send money or
deposit it to a church bank Acc – Your time is also needed in a local church
6. Connect
with People – the book of John teaches we must love one another, encourage one
another, pray for each other. It is very important to connect and visit other believers.
Some will choose to visit unbelievers which is not wrong if you doing it to
share the gospel of Jesus.
7. Share
your passion – our main passion as believers is sharing the word, in the past
years believers used to gather just to share the word, so they can grow. Even
now it still needed in order to grow in knowledge of the word and Him who saved
us.
MOMENT OF THOUGHT: 'think and ask yourself - how am I serving God through my local church, how can I improve from using the above message'
