In the 1840’s, a young man who was an earnest Christian found employment in a pawn shop. Although he disliked the work, he did it faithfully “as unto the Lord”. To prepare himself for a life of Christian service, he wrote on scrap of paper the following resolutions: “I do promise God that I will rise early every morning to have a few minutes – not less than five – in private prayer. I will endeavor to conduct myself as a humble, meek, and zealous follower of Jesus, and by serious witness and warning I will try to lead others to think of the needs of their immortal souls. I hereby vow to read no less than four chapters in God’s Word every day. I will cultivate a spirit of self-denial and will yield myself a prisoner of love to the Redeemer of the world.”

That young man was William Booth, who later led thousands to Christ. The Salvation Army, which he founded, stands as a monument to his faithfulness in preparing himself each morning to serve the Lord.

-Sermons Illustrated, May/June 1990

 


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There are three types of Christians who respond to the call of service:

1. Rowboat Christians – have to be pushed.
2. Sailboat Christians – always go with the wind.
3. Steamboat Christians – make up their minds where they ought to go and go there regardless of wind and weather.

-Sermons Illustrated November/December 1988

 


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Some of mankind’s greatest contributions have come from people who decided that no sacrifice was too large and no effort too great to accomplish what they set out to do. Edward Gibbon spent 26 yeas writing The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Noah Webster worked diligently for 36 years to bring into print the first edition of his dictionary. It is said that the Roman orator Cicero practiced before friends every day for 30 years in order to perfect his public speaking. What stamina! What persistence!

Now let’s think about how much energy we put into the Lord’s work. The comparison can be rather embarrassing. And it should lead us to ask ourselves some heart-searching questions: Why is our service for Christ sometimes performed in a half hearted manner? Why do some people who pursue earthly goals put us to shame with their diligence? Think of what happens when we take lightly our service. A deacon neglects his responsibilities, and the interest of others declines. A Sunday school teacher prepares poorly, and his class fails to respond. A faithful churchgoer does not persevere in prayer, and he wonders why there are no answers.

-Sermons Illustrated November/December 1988

 


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Some years ago I was told of a young Jewish man from the United States who decided to go to Israel and live. After working there for two years he was required either to serve in the army for a given period of time or to return home. He decided to join the army. His father was a good friend of an Israeli general, who at first was afraid the young man would use that friendship to secure an easy, safe assignment. Instead, he went to the general and said, “My present duty is too easy. I want to be in the finest, most strategic, diligent, and difficult regiment in the Israeli army.” Commenting on the spirit of dedication, the general said, “People think Israelis are so successful at war because we are a super people or that we have super intellect or super strength. But our success is not built on any of those things; it is built on commitment, unreserved and sacrificial commitment.”

-Sermons Illustrated November/December 1988


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Joe Gibbs

Joe Gibbs, a coach of monk-like dedication, was in a party mood after his Washington Redskins routed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.

“I was just getting ready to go out and have some fun for the first time in six months,” says Gibbs, who sleeps at the office three nights a week during the season.

As I read those word form a recent issue of USA Today, I asked myself, “What actions, during the season, show my commitment to Christ, like Joe Gibbs has for football?” I’ve not yet answered that question.

-Jeff Carroll

 


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I saw this little gem on the wall at my son’s gymnastics class. It really challenged me as a pastor.

“If you want to perform like a champion, you must practice like one!”

-Sermons Illustrated May/June 1989

 


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Christian businessman Fred Smith reports that the membership of the Moscow Baptist church is 5,600, the attendance 6,000, and the participation lever almost 100 percent. These Russian Christians are zealous for their faith. The pastor told Mr. Smith, “In Russia, we have no four-wheel Christians.” He coined this phrase to describe people who ride to church for their baptism, for the Easter morning service, for the Christmas program, and for their funeral.

Sad to say, a large percentage of people in the free world who profess to believe in Jesus are little more than “four-wheel Christians.” How about you? Is your church attendance irregular? Do you tend to be a passive observer rather than an active participant in the cause of Christ?


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“The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field or endeavor…I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour – his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious.”

-Vince Lombardi


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In 1904 William
Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school
a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling though
Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting
people. Writing home, he said, “I’m going to give my life to prepare for
the mission field.”

When he made this
decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: No Reserves. Turning
down high-paying job offers after graduating from Yale University, he entered
two more words in his Bible: No Retreats.

Completing studies
as Princeton Seminary, Borden sailed for China to work with Muslims, stopping
first at Egypt for some preparation. While there he was stricken with cerebral
meningitis and died within a month. A waste, you say! Not in God’s plan. In
his Bible underneath the words “No Reserves” and “No Retreats”, he had written the
words “No Regrets”.

_______________________
From Sermons Illustrated


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When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the captain of the ship sought to turn him back. “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages, he cried. Calvert only replied, “We died before we came here.”

David Augsburger, Sticking My Neck Out


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What hinders you from giving Christ your all? Throw it off. Reduce the things that weight us down. F.B. Meyer says, “Thousands of Christians are like water-logged vessels, they cannot sink; yet, they are saturated with so many inconsistencies, worldliness’s and little permitted evils that they can only be towed with difficulty into the celestial port.


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In the book The Vance Havner Devotional Treasury, the author wrote, “I shall never forget Dr. R.A. Torrey saying to me as a young preacher, ‘Young man, make up your mind on one thing and stick to it.'” Havner comments, “The Christian life should be like a sword with one point, not like a broom ending in many straws. Such a single purpose forgets the past, reaches toward the future, and presses on. There is no time or place for side issues, diversions to the right or to the left. There is no place for hands on the plow with eyes looking back. Paul was a one-track man, but you can go a long way on one track!”


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