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Consecration
Dedication
Suppose
you gave a notebook to a friend and then later find a page that belongs in that
notebook. You don’t need to agonize over what to do with that page because that
was decided when you gave the notebook away. The giving of the page is a
reaffirmation of the first giving of the notebook.
So
too
is our dedication
to the Lord a continuous act—an ongoing surrender to his power and love. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Dedication
The
only problem with “living sacrifices” is that they keep crawling off the altar.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Dedication
Someone
is reported to have asked a concert violinist in New York’s Carnegie Hall how
she became so skilled. She said that it was by “planned neglect.” She planned
to neglect everything that was not related to her goal. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Dedication
Incomplete
Suppose
you had a thousand-acre ranch and someone offered to buy it. You agree to sell
the land except for one acre right in the center that you want to keep for
yourself. In most parts of the country
the law would allow you to have access
to that one lone spot by building a road across the surrounding property.
So it is with us as
Christians if we make less than a full surrender to God. We can be sure that
the devil will build roads to reach any uncommitted area of our life. When this
happens
our testimony will be marred and our service will become ineffective. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Personal
Dedication
Lloyd Ogilvie recalls William Booth's statement: "When I got the poor of London on
my heart and caught a vision of what Jesus Christ
the reigning Lord
could do
with those people
though I knew there were many with greater training
greater
wisdom
greater intelligence
greater power than William Booth
I was
determined that the living Christ would have all of William Booth that there
was."
Ogilvie says
"I believe
that's our call. And the only
commitment and response we can make:
does he have all that there is of us?" ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Personal
Dedication
I asked
"Why doesn't somebody do
something?" Then I realized I
am somebody. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Dedication
Suppose you gave a notebook
to a friend and then later find a page that belongs in that notebook. You don’t
need to agonize over what to do with that page because that was decided when
you gave the notebook away. The giving of the page is a reaffirmation of the
first giving of the notebook.
So
too
is our dedication
to the Lord a continuous act—an ongoing surrender to his power and love. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Dedication
Someone is reported to have
asked a concert violinist in New York’s Carnegie Hall how she became so
skilled. She said that it was by “planned neglect.” She planned to neglect
everything that was not related to her goal. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Dedication
Incomplete
Suppose you had a
thousand-acre ranch and someone offered to buy it. You agree to sell the land
except for one acre right in the center that you want to keep for yourself. In
most parts of the country
the law would allow you to have access to that one
lone spot by building a road across the surrounding property.
So it is with us as
Christians if we make less than a full surrender to God. We can be sure that
the devil will build roads to reach any uncommitted area of our life. When this
happens
our testimony will be marred and our service will become ineffective. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Personal
Dedication
Lloyd
Ogilvie recalls William Booth's statement:
"When I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of
what Jesus Christ
the reigning Lord
could do with those people
though I knew
there were many with greater training
greater wisdom
greater intelligence
greater power than William Booth
I was determined that the living Christ would
have all of William Booth that there was."
Ogilvie says
"I believe
that's our call. And the only
commitment and response we can make:
does he have all that there is of us?" ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Dedication
The only problem with
“living sacrifices” is that they keep crawling off the altar. ── Michael P.
Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Personal
Dedication
I
asked
"Why doesn't somebody do something?" Then I realized I am somebody. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
At a meeting of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Bobby Richardson
former New York Yankee
second baseman
offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy:
"Dear God
Your will
nothing more
nothing less
nothing else.
Amen."
May not a single moment of
my life be spent outside the light
love
and joy of God's presence and not a
moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full
of His Spirit and His love."
Andrew Murray.
Charles Spurgeon was saved
on January 6
1850
and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of
consecration: O great and unsearchable God
who knowest my heart
and triest
all my ways; with a humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit
I
yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own reasonable sacrifice
I return to Thee
Thine own. I would be for ever
unreservedly
perpetually Thine; whilst I am on
earth
I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever!
Amen.
Charles Spurgeon
Wycliffe
Handbook of Preaching & Preachers
W. Wiersbe
p. 235.
Bertoldo de Giovanni is a
name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was
the pupil of Donatello
the greatest sculptor of his time
and he was the
teacher of Michelangelo
the greatest sculptor of all time. Michelangelo was
only 14 years old when he came to Bertoldo
but it was already obvious that he
was enormously gifted. Bertoldo was wise enough to realize that gifted people
are often tempted to coast rather than to grow
and therefore he kept trying to
pressure his young prodigy to work seriously at his art. One day he came into
the studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath
his abilities. Bertoldo grabbed a hammer
stomped across the room
and smashed
the work into tiny pieces
shouting this unforgettable message
"Michelangelo
talent is cheap; dedication is costly!"
Gary Inrig
A Call to
Excellence.
Plato wrote the first
sentence of his famous Republic nine different ways before he was satisfied.
Cicero practiced speaking before friends every day for thirty years to perfect
his elocution. Noah Webster labored 36 years writing his dictionary
crossing
the Atlantic twice to gather material. Milton rose at 4:00 am every day in
order to have enough hours for his Paradise Lost. Gibbon spent 26 years on his
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Bryant rewrote one of his poetic
masterpieces 99 times before publication
and it became a classic.
Source Unknown.
In his book One Crowded
Hour
Tim Bowden describes an incident in Borneo in 1964. Nepalese fighters
known as Gurkhas were asked if they would be willing to jump from airplanes
into combat against the Indonesians. The Gurkhas didn't clearly understand what
was involved
but they bravely said they would do it
asking only that the
plane fly slowly over a swampy area and no higher than 100 feet. When they were
told that the parachutes would not have time to open at that height
the
Gurkhas replied
"Oh
you didn't mention parachutes before!"
Our Daily Bread
January 30
1994.
I think of David
Livingstone
the pioneer missionary to Africa
who walked over 29
000 miles.
His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his
Scottish brethern. He ministered half blind. His kind of perseverance spurs me
on. As I run
I remember the words in his diary: Send me anywhere
only go with
me. Lay any burden on me
only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie
that binds me to Your service and to Your heart.
Joseph Stowell
Through
The Fire
Victor Books
1988
p. 150.
Former pro basketball star
Bill Bradley tells that at the age of 15 he attended a summer basketball camp
that was run by Easy Ed Macauley
a former college and pro star. "Just
remember that if you're not working at your game to the utmost of your
ability
" Macauley told his assembled campers
"there will be someone
out there somewhere with equal ability who will be working to the utmost of his
ability. And one day you'll play each other
and he'll have the
advantage."
Daily Bread.
Persistence paid off for
American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh
who discovered the planet Pluto. After
astronomers calculated a probable orbit for this "suspected" heavenly
body
Tombaugh took up the search in March 1929. Time magazine recorded
the investigation: "He examined scores of telescopic photographs each
showing tens of thousands of star images in pairs under the dual microscope. It
often took three days to scan a single pair. It was exhausting
eye-cracking
work--in his own words
'brutal
tediousness.' And it went on for months. Star
by star
he examined 20 million images. Then on February 18
1930
as he was
blinking at a pair of photographs in the constellation Gemini
'I suddenly came
upon the image of Pluto!" It was the most dramatic astronomic discovery in
nearly 100 years.
Today in the Word
November 26
1991.
Nothing that is valuable
is achieved without effort. Fritz Kreisler
the famous violinist
testified to
this point when he said
"Narrow is the road that leads to the life of a
violinist. Hour after hour
day after day and week after week
for years
I
lived with my violin. There were so many things that I wanted to do that I had
to leave undone; there were so many places I wanted to go that I had to miss if
I was to master the violin. The road that I traveled was a narrow road and the
way was hard."
Fritz Kreisler.
It does not take great men
to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.
Philipps Brooks.
Not long ago Newsweek
magazine reported on what it called the new wave of mountain men. It's
estimated that there are some sixty thousand serious mountain climbers in the
U.S. But in the upper echelon of serious climbers is a small elite group knows
as "hard men." For them climbing mountains and scaling sheer rock
faces is a way of life. In many cases
climbing is a part of their whole
commitment to life. And their ultimate experience is called free soloing:
climbing with no equipment and no safety ropes. John Baker is considered by
many to be the best of the hard men. He has free-soloed some of the most
difficult rock faces in the U.S. with no safety rope and no climbing equipment
of any kind. His skill has not come easily. It has been acquired through
commitment
dedication and training. His wife says she can't believe his
dedication. When John isn't climbing
he's often to be found in his California
home hanging by his fingertips to strengthen his arms and hands.
Charles Swindoll
Living
Above the Level of Mediocrity
p. 236.
At a meeting of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Bobby Richardson
former New York Yankee
second baseman
offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy:
"Dear God
Your will
nothing more
nothing less
nothing else.
Amen."
Bobby Richardson.
Johnny Fulton was run over
by a car at the age of three. He suffered crushed hips
broken ribs
a
fractured skull
and compound fractures in his legs. It did not look as if he
would live. But he would not give up. In fact
he later ran the half-mile in
less than two minutes.
Walt Davis was totally
paralyzed by polio when he was nine years old
but he did not give up. He
became the Olympic high jump champion in 1952.
Shelly Mann was paralyzed
by polio when she was five years old
but she would not give up. She eventually
claimed eight different swimming records for the U.S. and won a gold medal at
the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne
Australia.
In 1938
Karoly Takacs
a
member of Hungary's world-champion pistol shooting team and sergeant in the
army
lost his right hand when a grenade he was holding exploded. But Takacs
did not give. up. He learned to shoot left-handed and won gold medals in the
1948 and 1952 Olympics.
Lou Gehrig was such a
clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him play on
their team. But he was committed. He did not give up. Eventually
his name was
entered into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Woodrow Wilson could not
read until he was ten years old. But he was a committed person. He became the
twenty-eighth President of the United States.
Source Unknown.
In the December 1987 Life
magazine
Brad Darrach wrote: "Meryl Streep is gray with cold. In Ironweed
her new movie
she plays a ragged derelict who dies in a cheap hotel room
and
for more than half an hour before the scene she has been hugging a huge bag of
ice cubes in an agonizing effort to experience how it feels to be a corpse. Now
the camera begins to turn. Jack Nicholson
her derelict lover
sobs and screams
and shakes her body. But through take after take--and between takes too-Meryl
just lies like an iced mackerel. Frightened
a member of the crew whispers to
the director
Hector Babenco
'What's going on? She's not breathing!'
"Babenco gives a
start. In Meryl's body there is absolutely no sign of life! He hesitates
then
lets the scene proceed. Yet even after the shot is made and set struck
Meryl
continues to lie there
gray and still. Only after 10 minutes have passed does
she slowly
slowly emerge from the coma-like state into which she has
deliberately sunk. Babenco is amazed. 'Now that'
he mutters in amazement 'is acting! That
is an actress!'" Total dedication amazes people. How wonderful to be so
dedicated to Christ that people will say
"Now that is a Christian!"
Source Unknown.
C.T. Studd
the famous
English cricketer and member of the English XI cricket team
gave away his vast
wealth and became a missionary a century ago. His slogan was
"If Jesus
Christ be God
and died for me
then no sacrifice can be too great for me to
make for him.
C.T. Studd.
In 1912 William Borden
a
graduate of Yale University
left one of America's greatest family fortunes to
be a missionary to China. He got as far as Egypt and died of cerebral
meningitis. He died--and was only in his 20s--but there was "no reserve
no retreat
no regrets" in his consecration to God.
Source Unknown.
When D.L. Moody was
visiting England he heard Henry Varley say
"the world has yet to see what
God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy
Spirit." Moody would later comment
"He said 'a man." He did not
say a 'great man' nor 'a learned man' nor a 'rich man' but simply 'a man.' I am
a man
and it lies within the man himself whether he will or will not make that
entire and full consecration. I will try my utmost to be that man."
Source Unknown.
A woman rushed up to famed
violinist Fritz Kreisler after a concert and cried: "I'd give my life to
play as beautifully as you do." Kreisler replied
"I did."
Bits & Pieces
Vol. F
No.
41.
A wife who is 85% faithful
to her husband is not faithful at all. There is no such thing as part-time
loyalty to Jesus Christ.
Vance Havner.
Lt. Col. Terence Otway
commander of the 9th Parachute Battalion of the British 6th Airborne Division
has an assignment to destroy the four powerful guns of a coastal battery in
Merville
overlooking Sword Beach. If the 9th could not complete the task on
time
naval gunfire would try. The bombardment was to begin at 5:30 a.m.
Otway had an elaborate
strategy to overrun the guns
but the plan misfired. An initial air attack was
a total failure
and then his battalion was dropped across almost 50 miles of
the countryside. Of his 700-man battalion
Otway could find only 150 soldiers.
Nevertheless
the men improvised brilliantly. They cut gaps through the outer
barricade of the gun battery with wire cutters. One group cleared a path
through the minefields
crawling on hands and knees while feeling for tripwires
and prodding the ground ahead with bayonets. Now they waited for the order to
attack. Otway knew casualties would be high
but the guns had to be silenced.
"Everybody in!" he yelled. "We're going to take this bloody
battery!" And in they went.
Red flares burst over
their heads
and machine-gun fire poured out to meet them. Through the deadly
barrage
the paratroopers crawled
ran
dropped and ran some more. Mines
exploded. There were yells and screams and the flash of grenades as
paratroopers piled into the trenches and fought hand to hand with the enemy.
Germans began
surrendering. Lt. Michael Dowling and his men knocked out the four guns. Then
Dowling found Otway. He stood before his colonel
his right hand holding the
left side of his chest. "Battery taken as ordered
sir
" Dowling
declared. The battle had lasted just 15 minutes. Otway fired a yellow flare --
the success signal -- a quarter of an hour before the naval bombardment was to
start. Moments later Otway found Dowling's lifeless body. He had been dying at
the time he made his report.
Reader's Digest
June
1994
pp. 196-197.
Govern my heart
that I
may be willing and even eager to profit
lest the opportunity which thou now
givest me be lost through my sluggishness. Be pleased at the same time to root
out all vicious desires of seeking thee. Finally
let the only end at which I
aim be so to qualify myself in early life
that when I grow up I may serve thee
in whatever station thou mayest assign me.
John Calvin.
Consecrated To God
INTRODUCTION
1. We have begun to see that there is much significance to being a Christian... a. A Christian is "a person reborn"
experiencing a new creation that leads to a new life b. He now "belongs to the Lord"
God's special child that lives as a pilgrim c. Who sojourns in this world "living by faith"
trusting in the Lord and being a trustworthy servant 2. Another significant fact about being a Christian involves the concept of "sanctification"... a. The words "sanctify" and "sanctification" are translated from the Greek "hagiazo" {hag-ee-ad'-zo} b. It means to make holy
to set apart for a special purpose; related words include holiness
consecration
saint -- As we shall see
this pertains to both our standing before God and our conduct before God [Thus a Christian is "Consecrated To God". As we take a closer look atthis aspect of being a Christian
let's first consider...] I. THE PROGRESS OF SANCTIFICATION
A. ALL CHRISTIANS ARE SANCTIFIED... 1. Some understand sanctification as "all at once" or "in two stages" a. E.g.
the Wesleyan concept of "entire sanctification" b. Some even suggesting that once "sanctified"
one can no longer sin -- The necessary implication of such doctrines is that some Christians are sanctified while others are not 2. The Biblical evidence suggests otherwise: a. The church at Corinth 1) Who were "sanctified in Christ Jesus" - 1 Co 1:2 2) Who had been "sanctified" - 1 Co 6:11 -- Note the past tense b. Yet many of these people were still "babes in Christ" and "carnal" - 1 Co 3:1-3 1) They were filled with envy
strife and divisions 2) They were acting carnally
as mere men 3. Thus
while Christians may not be perfect
they are still called "saints" a. Note the use of the word "saint" in addressing all Christians - Ro 1:7; 1 Co 1:2; Ph 1:1; Co 1:2 b. Because they had been "set apart" to be "God's holy people" it was appropriate to be called "saints" - cf. 1 Pe 2:9 -- This pertains to our standing before God
we are blessed to be considered His holy people B. CHRISTIANS ARE ALSO "BEING SANCTIFIED"... 1. Sanctification is an on-going process a. Those in Christ are "being sanctified" - He 2:11 (NKJV) b. It begins at conversion
and continues as we grow in the faith c. As Paul prayed for the Thessalonians: "may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely" - 1 Th 5:23 2. Thus Christians are to pursue sanctification (holiness) a. As the Hebrews were admonished - He 12:14 b. As Paul commanded the Corinthians - 2 Co 7:1 3. Because God is holy
so we are to be holy in our conduct - 1 Pe 1:15-16 -- This pertains to our conduct before God
our responsibility to live holy lives [God has therefore called Christians to be holy
set apart
sanctified.In obeying the gospel we have been sanctified; but if we are truly"Consecrated To God" then we will pursue and perfect our holiness
(i.e.
our consecration). To assist us in this goal
consider...] II. THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION
A. SANCTIFICATION IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT... 1. Note how sanctification is tied in with the work of the Holy Spirit: a. "sanctified by the Holy Spirit" - Ro 15:16 b. "sanctified...by the Spirit of our God" - 1 Co 6:11 c. "sanctification by the Spirit" - 2 Th 2:13 d. "the sanctifying work of the Spirit" - 1 Pe 1:2 (NASV) 2. The Holy Spirit naturally has an important role in our on-going sanctification... a. Because He was instrumental in our spiritual regeneration when we become Christians - cf. Ti 3:5-6 b. Our bodies serve as the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Co 6:19-20
c. The Spirit is the instrumental agent by which God strengthens the inner man - Ep 3:16 -- How does the Spirit accomplishes His work of on-going sanctification? Read on... B. SANCTIFICATION IS ALSO THE WORK OF THE WORD OF GOD... 1. Note that sanctification is also said to be tied in with the Word of God: a. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." - Jn 17:17
b. "that He might sanctify...by the word" - Ep 5:26 2. Since the Word of God is said to be "the sword of the Spirit" (Ep 6:17)
the Word is evidently the instrument used by the Spirit to help bring about our sanctification a. One who sets their mind on things the Spirit has revealed through the Word is setting their mind on "the things of the Spirit" b. When we set our minds on "the things of the Spirit" (the Word of God)
we are then able to "live according to the Spirit" - cf. Ro 8:5 c. Led by the Spirit through the Word of God
we will then produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives
instead of the works of the flesh - cf. Ga 5:16-23 -- If we wish to live holy
sanctified lives
we must allow the Spirit to do His work through the Word of God! CONCLUSION
1. When a Christian understands that he or she... a. Is "a person reborn" b. Who now "belongs to the Lord" c. And is "living by faith" ...they should have no trouble accepting the idea that they are also "consecrated to God" 2. Do we appreciate the privilege of being "Consecrated To God"? a. That God has blessed us to be part of "a holy nation"? b. That God has called us to holiness
because He is holy? c. That having sanctified us
He desires to sanctify us completely? -- That He does this because He desires to dwell among us? - cf. 2 Co 6:17-18 If we do
then we will take to heart the admonition of Paul: "Therefore
having these promises
beloved
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit
perfectingholiness in the fear of God." (2 Co 7:1)
Are we perfecting holiness in the fear of God?
－－《Executable
Outlines》