What are hindrances to being committed? Two major hindrances are:

• Excuses
• Fear

We can make excuses for why we don’t commit. Examples of excuses are lack of time, money, the flesh, inconvenience and distractions. These are all justifications as to why we don’t commit. But we can overcome every objection and become steadfast in Christ Jesus.

God is warning us to stay committed to Him. Lack of commitment has consequences in the kingdom of God. We need to take heed when God warns us. Consider Noah.

• Hebrews 11:7 New King James Version – By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

God warned the head of the family–Noah–so Noah could warn the others. God wants us to warn others too. Watch for opportunities to point people to Jesus. The world measures success by money, fame, status, education and material things. But God measures success by obedience.

We must learn how to obey even when we are afraid. Noah MOVED with godly fear. Some people don’t want to fully commit. If we partially commit, that means we are not committed. To fully commit we have to depend on God. Full commitment means walking by faith and not by sight.

• John 6: 63-66 New King James Version –  ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” ⁶⁶ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

We can’t be so committed to pleasing people that we don’t please God. It is better to please God rather than man.

• Hebrews 11:6 New King James Version –  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We have to stay committed even when things get hard.

• 2 Timothy 2:3-5 New King James Version – ³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

When things don’t go the way we thought, do we go back? Do we go back to what we know, back to what is familiar or back to what God has delivered us from? Our souls are on the line. Our souls must commit to following Christ to be saved.

We must be able to overcome the Four T’s in order to stay committed…

1. Tests (from the LORD)
2. Temptations (from the devil)
3. Tribulations (from the world)
4. Trials

We have everything we need in CHRIST JESUS to pass every obstacle that comes our way.

• 2 Peter 1:2-3 New King James Version – ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

God’s Word is a seed that is programmed to produce godliness. All we need to do is receive the seed of the Word of God and nurture it by obeying the Word.

• John 5:19 New King James Version – ¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.