#52 The Positive Power of One COMMITMENT!(23/11/02)

By Dr. Robert H. Schuller

My son and I are sharing with you a series of messages under the title, The Power of ONE. Most of us grew up with a consciousness that powers were disseminated by nations, or by power political parties, one or another. But what we are seeing today in our world, from a negative standpoint, is that the real power is being swayed by one person with a rifle, or one person with a friend and a rifle. It's an amazing thing to me how history is not shaped by masses, but it is shaped by one person ... again and again.

When I was speaking in Sarajevo a few years ago, I had a driver who said to me, "My great grandfather started World War I!" Then he told me how his great grandfather was a special driver for power people in that region. The word was out that there would be a political assassination. So the government office sent a special secret memo to his great grandfather that in tomorrow's parade he was to cut out of the parade, go two blocks off the parade route, then come back and join the parade. An assassin was scheduled to stand at a specific corner that he had to avoid. Well, the driver was in a hurry that morning and he neglected to pick up his messages so he stayed right on the parade route. At the intersection there was a rifle shot and the prince was assassinated ... and ... World War I broke out.

Negative or positive, the power of one is enormous. I can also share hundreds of true stories about the powerful positive institutions of mercy, education, and evangelism that got started with one person. My friend, Bob Pierce, felt called to go to China. There he met a missionary from our church, the Reformed Church in America. Tena Holkeboer, a wonderful woman. When she met Bob Pierce, she recognized him as an American and asked, "Well, what are you doing here?"

Bob Pierce answered, "I've come to be a missionary."

She said, "Where are you going to work? What are you going to do?"

He replied, "I don't know."

"Ok, take this little boy. He is your mission. Take care of these children." She responded and walked off leaving him stranded and unprepared with a little boy hanging onto his hand. That is where World Vision was born. The power of ONE is seen again and again around the world.
Now, today, I want to speak on the power within the power of one. It's a word called commitment. Our ministry is made possible because of one person here, one person there, and another person here, each one committed, each doing what God wants them to do ... and together the mission goes forward, around the world. It is amazing! Most people see me and they say, "You're happy most of the time." Well, that's understandable. I live in a happy family with my children and grandchildren. I live in another happy family called the church, where the people who come are happy people. They're directed people. They have a focus. They have a power. They have enthusiasm. They have excitement because of this ministry. They are committed.

How committed are they?

Well, when you watch the Hour of Power you'll see the familiar face of our announcer, Ed Arnold. When Ed was a young man he introduced me to his girlfriend here at this church. I had the joy of marrying them. Ed worked for a Southern California television network as a reporter. When we started Hour of Power in 1970, Ed Arnold volunteered to be the commercial announcer. Ed was and has been our announcer for 1,709 programs, all free!
Question: What is the difference between a decision and a commitment? I think the difference is in the passion, in the depth of fulfilling a pledge you have made. I read the definition of commitment in Webster's Dictionary - that a commitment is a pledge ... a promise. When you get married, you pledge your faith and love to each other. When you join a church you make a pledge to support your church with your life, your gifts and your positive spirit. That's commitment. A commitment is a public pledge - the essence of it is the kind of promise that says, "I will never quit ..."

I am committed to commitment. That's who I, Robert Schuller, am. How did I get that way? I really don't know. Why are some people so passionately committed to commitment they can never exit and walk away? I don't know. Did I get it from my father and mother? Very probably, I don't know. Did I get it from my church or my Sunday School where I sat every Sunday? Yes, I think so. I think that the passion within me has been the presence of God Himself in my life ... in my thinking ... in my personality ... in my motivation ... and in my reaction to stress. I don't see how anybody can really experience God in their life until they make a commitment.

Commitment is not only permanent, not only passionate, but commitment comes out of a heart of affection and love. Commitments made out of intimidation, manipulation, or exploitation are not real - nor do they last. All kinds of forces and faces try to sell you their products or services. But when they manipulate, intimidate or threaten, in any variety of ways, they don't generate commitment.

So can I give a sermon to talk people into commitment? I don't think so. I think commitment has to come from within your heart. Hopefully something I say may motivate you, maybe it's the essence of it, but only God can be God. Real commitment is the force of the presence of God within you.

Now why is commitment so important? It is so important because there isn't a single achievement even possible without it. Out of your commitment will come goals that you will set and if you don't set the goals you will never achieve a fraction of what you could and should achieve. Why is it so important to set goals when you are committed? It is then that a passion comes into your life. You don't just do what you do for money and a commission, you do it because you have a passion. You love what you do.
Why is commitment so important? Well, it causes you to be focused and not just drift around ... observing everything, but never buying into anything. Running with the hares and dashing with the hounds.

Why is commitment so important? People will begin to trust you. You answer, "But they already trust me." I'm not sure. They check you out, they want to know all about your life. Does he belong to a church? Yes, he belongs. Does he still go to church? Yes, he does. People check us out and when they see that we are deeply and passionately committed, they get a picture of our character, and then they trust us. Even if they do not agree with us, they still respect us.

Why is commitment so important? Because energy is released from deep down within you. It's amazing. As I've studied energy versus fatigue through the years, I've found that almost all fatigued people are not in a solid direction in life. They don't know exactly what they want to do, where they want to be, so they haven't discovered a deeper meaning in life. They're missing some of the relationships that are so important.

Once you are committed, your commitment is going to pick your friends.

Once you're committed, the commitment is going to shape you.

There are no great people, mediocre people, or little people ... all people are the same. The only difference is their commitment. What are they committed to? Something? Nothing? If something, what?

Commitment, what is it? Why is it so important? Why, today, does commitment fallout out of cultural favor? Why do so many people do what they can to avoid having to make a commitment? Probably lack of courage. It's true for many people. I don't want to make a commitment and then fail. That means they don't have faith and they don't trust ... or ... because they feel they're going to be trapped by their commitment ... that may be true to a certain degree. Don't be afraid of that. The alternative is not to be trapped by any commitment and then you won't know where you are going. That's worse. I've been "trapped" by my dreams for forty-six years. You lose some freedom, yes, but you haven't begun to live until you have found someone or something that is so precious that the loss of some of your freedom in a commitment is a low price to pay for the dignity and joy this will bring into your life.
Why do people avoid commitment? For some it's just procrastination. They won't say, "I'm avoiding it ... I'm thinking about it." Commitment is action, not just talking or studying. Commitment is decision time! I ask you to dare to make a decision today to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

This is the time of the year when churches of all faiths begin to focus on their stewardship, motivating members and friends to give generously to support the work of the church and reminding people that churches don't get tax dollars and don't have endowment funds that pay the bills. If the cash flow drops, the lights aren't turned on ... and that's why churches take offerings every Sunday.

I heard a rather honest story the other day about three paper dollars that got together and they were comparing notes. The $100 bill said, "What a life I have. I've been with some of the most powerful people. I've been on cruises, I've been on first class airplanes. I've been all over the world. Wow. What a life!"

And the $20 bill said, "Well, I can't compare with anything like that, but I had some nice vacations and some nice gifts. I've been to some nice restaurants."
They look at the $1 bill and the $1 bill said, "I haven't been anyplace except from one church offering plate to another."

So at this time of the year I want to motivate you to make a commitment to do more for Christ and for His church. Every year I preach a message on tithing, the principle taught in the Bible, to give ten percent of whatever money comes to us and give it to God.

Whatever it is, give God His tenth, and He will bless you. God sees and God blesses you when you make the commitment ... and you decide to tithe. It is God in you deciding to tithe!

I pled for the growth of the Christian church and a restoration of the values that have made civilization so strong through Christ.

I'm asking for commitments. I'm thrilled with how my eighteen grandchildren are making commitments. Mrs. Schuller and I traveled to Colorado recently to visit our daughter, Carol, who moved there with Tim Milner, her husband and their four children. They felt called by God to go to Colorado to start a church. They didn't know where. They didn't know who with. It was just a clear call from God, and I am proud of them. So we went to visit them in a little house that needs a lot of work, but they are so very positive in their Christian walk. Ethan, who's about 14, was wearing something that looked like a nametag under his shirt. I reached for it and said, "Ethan, what's that?"

"Oh," he said, "Grandpa, take a look." ... It said, "True Love Waits."

"What does that mean, Ethan?"

He said, "That's a group I belong to. We've all made a commitment not to have sex until we're married. That's our commitment."

And one of my granddaughters wears a "True Love Waits" ring. She has made the same commitment.

Commitments are very, very important. You should not make commitments because of the pressure of an alien culture around you, or not make them because you're afraid that will mean your guard will be down. You won't give it your best, whatever the area of life is. Is it a moral commitment? Make it public! Stand up! Is it a religious commitment? If you love Jesus Christ and come to this church ... that's not enough. Stand up and say publicly, "Jesus Christ, I want to be one of your followers and I mean it." Gradually, we can turn the tide in the culture around us that is so overwhelmingly non-Christian. You have to know that. It is overwhelmingly non-Christian right here in Orange County, California.

I hope you don't have to go through the struggles that Russ Lee went through. As a teenager he was dealing with drugs and hating himself. One day while driving he heard Mick Jagger sing, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." He pulled his car to the side of the road, and Russ Lee called out to God, "Are You there, God? ... I don't know if You are real, if you are, can you come in and change me on the inside?" That was 20 years ago. That commitment brought Christ in his heart and Christ motivated him to make other commitments. Russ Lee now celebrates 20 years as a great Christian performer and pastor.

The person who doesn't make the basic commitments to his faith, his family, his God, his church, his school, his business, and to high moral standards ... that person is going to reach a time when he will be lonely and unhappy like Russ Lee was.

Where are you? Take a new look at commitments. Pressure? Of course, commitment is pressure. We all need and should welcome pressure to be better than we are. I'm putting the pressure on you today to accept Christ, deeply, sincerely, and forevermore. That's the gift I'm giving you today.

Prayer: O Lord, this is the day when You are at work in the church and in the lives of people everywhere. Jesus Christ, we commit to you all that we are and all that we have. Take our todays and tomorrows and do something beautiful through us. Amen.