100% (2)

I enjoyed playing sports as a kid. I played baseball, bowling, tennis, football, and soccer on organized teams. On the streets, in the backyard, and on the ponds, we also competed in golf, basketball, wrestling, and hockey. I loved playing sports.

The thing that complicated my activities was a diagnosis of asthma. During certain times of the year my asthma would be worse than others, but I learned to manage my breathing and exertion. I was always careful to “keep some in the tank” so that I lost control of my breathing. I never had to sit out and it never stopped me, but I was careful not to give 100% except at necessary times.

A Committed Family

What would happen if we gave 100% to the Lord? What I worried about physically is what I think concerns us spiritually. If we gave 100% of our lives to the Lord, would we lose control of our lives and somehow be less satisfied?

In the OT book called “Numbers” a whole group of people were dedicated to serving the Lord. They were the Levites. You probably know that the OT worship involved animal sacrifices. These Levites assisted in these sacrifices but even more than that, they were living sacrifices to God.

Numbers 3:9 NIV

Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.

“The Hebrew emphasizes their complete dedication by repeating the verb, literally ‘given, given’,…”[1] In this passage these people are given to Aaron and his sons as helpers. But a few chapters later they are given to the Lord in surrender.

Numbers 8:15–16 NIV

“After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting. They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.

This family, the Levites, were born into this world with the purposes of serving the priests and in surrender to the Lord. When I read this recently it really made me think about what it is like to be 100% God’s. Would 51% be good enough? 75%? How about 99%? Rev. Dale Hays told a story about a trip he took to Haiti.

On a recent trip to Haiti, I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. His parable: A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.

After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

The Haitian pastor's conclusion: "If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation." Dale A. Hays, Leadership, Vol. X, No. 3 (Summer, 1989), p. 35.

I think it is worth thinking about today. Does God expect a group of people or anybody to be 100% devoted to Him – “wholly given” or “given, given” as the Hebrew presents it? Let’s take a few minutes to investigate it.

Is 100% a Real Thing Today?

A lot changed at the Cross of Christ. The Gospels report that at the time of Christ’s death, the veil at the Tabernacle was torn in two from top to bottom. It was an exclamation point from God that the old way of worship and requirements for forgiveness had been ended with the sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross.

However, the principles of the OT still carry into the NT and into our lives today. For example, God still expects us to be 100% committed to Him today. Let’s consider an event that happened in Luke 10 –

Luke 10:38–42 NIV

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

We know that life is filled with many things – relationships, careers, caring for family, concerns, personal welfare…just to name a few. So, I find myself very sympathetic toward Martha. She was just trying to get the things done. Jesus teaches her a lesson that is useful for us today. Life is filled with all kinds of things to worry and be upset about, but there is only one thing that is needed. Mary chose to focus on Jesus. That is still the lesson for us.

Jesus Tells Us that Our One Focus Needs to Be on Him

Let’s continue our investigation a bit further. We can all probably answer if someone asked us what the greatest commandment was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind”.

Matthew 22:37 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

This is a repetition of the 1st of the Ten Commandments found in Deuteronomy 6. It is repeated in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

The Expectation of 100% Commitment to God is as Old as the Ten Commandments

Does it seem like climbing Mt. Everest? ALL of your heart, soul, and mind committed to loving God? Notice the next thing that Jesus says…

Matthew 22:38 NIV

This is the first and greatest commandment.

Jesus pointed out that this commandment is first and the greatest. The greatest in what way? The largest? The best? The most demanding?

The thing that is certain is that there is no one that can ignore the expectation of God that we love Him committedly. There simply is no other option.

Today we begin a new year with the opportunity to resolve to be 100% involved in loving God. This is the manufacturer’s specifications and expectations.

You Are God’s

We’ve noticed that God had an entire group of people called the Levites who were dedicated ‘wholly’ or ‘given, given’ to Him. The Apostle Peter points out your position in his 1st letter,

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. There is no ‘opt out’ possibility. I am not the final Judge, but the Bible tells me that those who love God will live happily in eternity with Him. Those who don’t love God will suffer an eternity of horrors. I would think that would be enough agree that RESETting my priorities would be worthwhile.

For those who are BOLD enough to RESET their priorities this year I want to point out a couple of things that will help you.

#1 – God is more concerned about you yielding to Him than doing for Him

Our first impulse is to typically say, “Ok God, I’m going to sign up to do something for you that will show that I’m committed to loving you - body, mind, and spirit.” As a pastor, I’m all for commitments to ministry areas in the church. Nothing wrong with that; but, maybe God is saying to you, “I just need you to be yielded to me. I want you to listen to Me more. I want you to be more responsive to prompting of the Spirit in your life.” Or, maybe, He is saying that you need to stop violating God’s law in areas of your life.

#2 – God is filled with Mercy and Grace

I started this message admitting that I found giving 100% on the sports field to be impossible. When you’ve read the command to love God with ALL it may have seemed impossible as well. One Bible teacher pointed out…

Nobody has ever loved God with all his being. Nobody has ever loved her neighbour as herself. So nobody can possibly merit eternal life. Once again, it brings us back to grace. If we are to have any place in the kingdom of God, it will be due to the unmerited grace of God for sinners who could never make it by themselves.[2]

The God who asks of us, also has abundantly supplied for us. Paul reminded the church of Ephesus of God’s great love, mercy, and grace.

Ephesians 2:4–10 NIV

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Committing to RESET our lives is possible by the gifts that God has showered on us.

#3 – The Person of the Holy Spirit

Jesus knew that the challenge of the believer was to be 100%. Through His goodness He provided His Spirit, the Holy Spirit to empower us to live for Him.

John 16:7–15 NIV

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. He guides us into truth. He speaks the Words of Jesus and is our Comforter. He is made available to us at salvation and a greater baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer.

RESET for 100%!

Physically it was impossible for probably all of us to play sports at 100%, but there is no reason for us to hold back when it comes to loving the Lord with everything we have. “Athletes become great when they make a total commitment to their sport. They fully understand the need to do what is best for their bodies. Their commitments become a matter of life and death. The committed athlete enjoys a challenge but is always pressing for even greater challenges. Greatness comes to an athlete who is willing to sacrifice everything.

It is easy to settle for a marginal life. Most people do. But God has a better plan for His people: greatness—the kind that comes only through a life of commitment!”[3]

The evangelist D. L. Moody understood the challenge of doing a spiritual RESET

There are very few who in their hearts do not believe in God, but what they will not do is give Him exclusive right of way.… They are not ready to promise full allegiance to God alone. Dwight L. Moody*[4]

I’m challenging each of us to make 2023 extraordinary. RESET your body, mind, and spirit to love God 100%!

[1]Raymond Brown, The Message of Numbers: Journey to the Promised Land, ed. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2002), 68. [2]Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 236–237. [3]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2001), 40. [4]Elliot Ritzema and Elizabeth Vince, eds., 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013).

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