Sermon Tone Analysis

Recently a man commented on the "tough topics" I'd taught on over the years—hell, money, sex, relational confrontation, self-discipline.

He asked, "Of all the topics you've preached on, which has been the hardest to get across?"

I didn't even have to think about it.

"Becoming totally devoted to Christ."

My greatest teaching challenge is to convey what Paul was driving at in Acts 20:24 and elsewhere: "I no longer count my life as dear unto myself; I have abandoned my personal aspirations and ambitions; I have offered myself as a living sacrifice to Christ."

When I teach that to secularly minded people, they think I'm from Mars.

The thought of living according to someone else's agenda is ludicrous.

To many people, living for Christ is a kind of fanaticism the world could do without.

Who, they wonder, would be foolish enough voluntarily to suffer loss, refrain from pleasure, or impinge on the comfort level of his life?

They think total devotion to Christ means squandering the only life they have.

A man from my church provides a perfect example.

His biggest problem, as I perceive it, is his successful company.

Clients whose business he's not even seeking are lining up for his services.

Just responding to them is tyrannizing his life.

Several months ago I asked him why his heart didn't seem to be as warm toward things of God as it had been.

"Business has been dominating my life," he admitted, but added in defense, "but I'm not seeking it.

I'm just trying to handle what's coming in.

I mean, what do you expect me to do?"

I suggested he could say, "Enough is enough."

He looked at me as if I were insane.

What businessman in his right mind would say no to a client whose order would produce a bigger profit?

You don't do that in this world.

More is always better; it's the American way.

The desire for more had a greater pull on this man than his desire to follow Christ, use his spiritual gifts, serve his wife, or be father to his kids.

If it's so hard to persuade people to commit themselves unreservedly to Christ, why bother?

Why not settle for church attendance, or membership, or at least periodic service?

As ministers, we all have to come to terms with the quality of fruit we're producing.

We have to decide what level of commitment we expect from the people we're leading.

Church history has taught us that a leader can do more through a handful of totally devoted believers than through a church full of halfhearted ones.

So we're left with a tension: How can we teach in such a way that we produce fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, when we know that most people don't want to hear about radical discipleship?

Let me suggest five principles that guide me when I preach for 100 percent commitment.

Describe total commitment

The first step is to develop a clear understanding of total commitment.

A teacher constantly has to define and redefine: What does it really mean to be completely devoted to Christ?

If it doesn't mean simply showing up for services, putting in a check, and going home, then what does it mean?

Several Bible passages define total commitment for me and shape my preaching on the subject:

Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:31: "I die daily."

I've never met a fully devoted follower of Christ who didn't have to die daily to a host of things that would like to have a grip on him—personal ambition, worldly pleasures, people's applause, greed.

This culture ferociously maintains that "you can have it all," but that slogan is foreign to the mind and teaching of Christ.

It's difficult for me to stand in an affluent, suburban congregation and tell people what they need to die to, walk away from, or give up, but I have to do it.

Jesus' command in Luke 10:27 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind."

This means we need to obey God's Word and order our lives in such a way that we can live in the constant awareness of his presence.

John's question, "How can you say you love God yet hate your brother?" (1 John 4:20-20).

We live in an age in which hate is routine, and too often that attitude spills over into the church.

Yet Scripture makes it clear that total devotion to Jesus Christ includes being at peace with our brothers.

True Christians, particularly leaders, need to take Matthew 5:23-24 (the need to be reconciled with our brother before coming to God) more seriously.

We need to make relational integrity a priority and actively seek reconciliation whenever a problem arises.

That should be a prerequisite to ministry.

Jesus' constant teaching on the use of time, talents, and treasures.

After a person spends thirty years devoting all of his or her time and talents to the marketplace, it's hard to start devoting it suddenly to the Lord.

It's hard to hear verses like "Seek first the kingdom of God," or "Always abound in the work of the Lord," or "Set your mind on things above," or "What does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul?"

It takes time to develop personal spiritual disciplines—Bible study, journaling, praying, fasting, reflecting.

It takes time to be in a small group of brothers or sisters who will provide challenge and accountability.

It takes time to advance the kingdom in practical service.

But those commitments of time are a good measure of our devotion to Christ.

A medical professional from our church has decided to work a four-day week so he can devote the other three days to his lay-leadership role and his relationship with his family.

The work time he has given up costs him substantial income every week.

But he has decided to die to that so he can live to what Christ has called him to do apart from his vocation.

Already he had been using his skills to serve needy people; but now, in addition, he's able to use his gifts of administration and leadership within the church in significant ways.

He's putting his time, talents, and treasures at God's disposal.

Model it

The second step in preaching on total commitment is tougher: to live it ourselves.

It's clear, I think, that we can't lead a congregation into total commitment unless we're attempting to model it.

Every pastor has been on the wrong side of the total-commitment fence at one time or another.

It's like asking an athlete, "Have you always been in superb condition?"

Inevitably, the answer is, "Not always."

When you ask, "How'd you feel when you weren't?" they say, "Sluggish.

Under par.

Less than professional."

Recently I read about a top leader who was asked, "What is your main objective in leading your organization?"

He said, "To intercept entropy."

That fascinated me, because that's what I try to do in my own life.

I look at myself and say, Where is there slippage?

Where am I getting out of condition?

Where am I becoming sluggish?

Before I pay attention to the spiritual condition of others, I examine myself.

One of my great frustrations is not being able to manage my life so that I'm always fully committed.

But if I'm willing to hear the truth about myself, the Spirit will point out areas of carelessness and inconsistency.

Then I can repent and intercept the entropy at a fairly early stage.

In addition to trying to model total commitment, we need other congregational leaders who are fully devoted followers, who can uphold the standard.

Last night I looked around the table at our elders' meeting and thought, Every elder in this church is committed to Jesus Christ and would take a bullet for him right now.

That means when I preach about total commitment, they're the first ones to cheer me on: "Don't ever settle for less.

We're with you 100 percent."

It would be pretty hard for me to bring a strong call for deeper discipleship if the elders and other key leaders weren't in agreement.

What's exciting is that the more fully devoted the pastor and lay leaders become, the more fully devoted the congregation becomes.

The growth in the congregation then inspires the leaders to deeper commitment, and that prompts a continual cycle of growth.

Total discipleship becomes contagious and exhilarating.

There's one man in our church whose only day off is Wednesday; he comes in that morning and cleans our water fountains.

Another man comes in on his day off and services our vacuum cleaners.

Other volunteers weed and cultivate various flower beds on the church property.

I recently saw a young mom tending one of the beds.

Her baby sat in a stroller, while she listened to a cassette tape and dug around the flowers.

When I see discipleship manifested in service like that, I become motivated to be a more devoted servant myself.

Preach from every angle

The third step is to preach on total commitment from as many creative angles as possible.

Here's what I mean:

Select series that lead naturally to a call for commitment.

In a sense, every sermon I preach defines some aspect of commitment, whether it's about marriage, character development, caring for our bodies, or whatever.

Still, I believe the call to devotion is best presented overtly, and some series don't lend themselves to that as naturally as others.

For example, I preached a series that dealt with honesty in relationships.