Feelings can start something.

But they rarely sustain it.

There are moments when we feel inspired—motivated to change, to reset, to do things differently. But what happens when that feeling fades?

This message explores the shift from emotion to commitment—the difference between wanting change and actually building a life around it.

In a pivotal moment, a group of people move beyond good intentions and make a clear, intentional decision about how they’re going to live moving forward. Not just internally, but practically—in their relationships, priorities, and daily rhythms.

Because real transformation doesn’t happen through inspiration alone.

It happens through devotion.

This episode challenges us to consider what we’re truly committed to—and what it might look like to move from temporary emotion to lasting change.

Scripture Focus: Nehemiah 9:38–10

00:00 Welcome and Setup

03:31 From Emotion to Devotion

04:19 A Defining Commitment

07:23 A Community Decides

11:59 What Change Looks Like Practically

13:32 Priorities and Worship

16:50 Why Emotion Isn’t Enough

24:05 What You’re Really Committed To

27:03 Action Steps

28:22 Final Challenge

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Click here for more sermons

OC Church of Christ

Good morning, church.

2

My name is Marcel Hall and, I have

the honor and privilege of being able

3

to preach God's word this morning.

4

Again, my name is Marcel with

my wife Karina, we've been

5

married, almost 21 years.

6

Oh, amen.

7

I wasn't expecting that.

8

There you go.

9

A brother appreciates that.

10

We have three kids of 15, 13,

and this week will be eight.

11

So it is active at our place and,

uh, so I'm grateful and I do wanna

12

thank all those who help us be

able to have our worship service.

13

We have our AV team, our ushers,

those who set up the snacks.

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Can we go ahead and thank them?

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We are so grateful for all

that you do and are doing.

16

We're gonna go ahead and get

into the word here today.

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Now, many of you have heard me preach.

18

There are several of you

have not heard me preach.

19

And so I want to let you know this is an

interactive time, and so if you want to be

20

quiet, that's great in about 30 minutes,

but I'm gonna need some feedback, some

21

positive feedback for our time together.

22

Amen.

23

Because there you go.

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The brother right here in the

front said You got this, Marcel.

25

And that's what I need in order for

this to go well, if you want this to

26

go bad, then put your hands, sit on

your hands and say nothing, and it'll

27

be the worst sermon that you've heard.

28

Okay?

29

But if you want the spirit to move,

then I believe that you're gonna have

30

to go ahead and be with me on this one.

31

All right.

32

Especially my teenagers.

33

I saw y'all the other day here,

so don't get quiet on me now.

34

All right.

35

I will call you out.

36

All right.

37

Amen.

38

Amen.

39

We're gonna continue our sermon series.

40

We started a sermon series,

at the beginning of February

41

here called Rise Up and Build.

42

And so we are walking

through the book of Nehemiah.

43

So I want us to do a little recap

here 'cause I know we have some

44

people that have been here with us

and we have some people that, that

45

necessarily haven't been here with us.

46

So I want us to all be able to

capture the context so we can see

47

God's message for us here today.

48

And so we're gonna do a little

brief recap here of Israel's story.

49

And so the people of Israel, the

Israelites, God's chosen people,

50

they had rebelled against God,

started to worship other God.

51

They were unfaithful to God.

52

And so, uh, as a result, they were

exiled and then God restored them and

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brought them back into their land.

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And then they started to rebuild.

55

They rebuild the altar, they rebuild the

temple, and then they rebuild the wall.

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And that's where we are in

the story of, in the book of

57

Nehemiah, they are rebuilding.

58

The wall, and then they have a time in

which can be categorized as a, maybe

59

a revival or a sacred assembly, and

they decide to hear God's word, and

60

so they listen to God's word again

and be able to receive God's message

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that's been there the whole time.

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But yet they have deviated from

actually adhering to it, and then

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they're broken by what they hear.

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They realize, wow, we have strayed from.

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God.

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And so now they want to, and they have

this time of confession, and that's

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what we saw in Nehemiah chapter nine.

68

The last time we were there.

69

And so we see there's a

spiritual renewal taking place.

70

There's a spiritual revival taking place,

and so we're gonna catch up right after

71

this time in which they have this, this,

this corporate gathering, meaning a

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collective gathering in which they're,

they're reading God's word and, and then

73

they're praying and they're confessing,

God, we've done all these things, and

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then now they're going to make a decision.

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And so the title of our lesson

here today is from a Motion.

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To devotion.

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Let's go to God in prayer.

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Father, thank you so much for your word.

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Thank you for the chance already.

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We've been able to hear good news

that's taking place through our

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sacrifice and offering over in Tijuana.

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Thank you for the chance to

remember the cross in Jesus and his

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resurrection and how that trans.

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Forms are very live.

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Thanks for opportunity we've had already

to worship you through song and through

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prayer and God, we pray right now that

that your word may minister to our hearts.

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Father, whether we are afflicted,

as was mentioned earlier, we come

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in ready to praise you, God, we know

you have a message for us today.

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May we receive that and may we not just

receive it, but may it transform us.

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In the name of Jesus.

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Amen.

92

Amen.

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Alright, we're gonna go back to

Nehemiah chapter nine and verse

94

38 and uh, because again, this is

right after this time of prayer.

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So imagine this church service and we all

got up and we started, started confessing

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our sin and we're all feeling convicted

and broken, and we were feeling emotional.

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And this is a good emotion.

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It's emotion that God wants to use.

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And it says right after this, it says,

in view of all this we are making.

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A binding agreement, putting it in

writing, and our leaders, our Levites and

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our priests are fixing their seals to it.

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Let's go ahead and let's

stop right there again.

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So after the time of prayer, confession,

they're moved to make a binding agreement.

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What comes to mind when you hear

a binding agreements contract?

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You're thinking contract, right?

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You're thinking, man, we

just got real up in here.

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Because what does putting

something in writing do?

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What does that communicate?

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It means this is serious, right?

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This isn't just a verbal

agreement or acknowledgement.

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This isn't a handshake saying,

Hey, yeah, we got this.

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Okay.

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No, this is something that is serious.

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This is more serious than going

Instagram official with your

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relationship because that's serious.

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Yes.

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No, this is serious.

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And again, it makes sense because all

of us, sometimes there's situations

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where like, Hey, an agreement is cool.

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All right, I'll see you at 10.

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All right, that's okay.

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That's okay.

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But then if it deals with some money, we

don't wanna just do a handshake, do we?

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Uh, can we put this in writing

please, because I wanna make

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sure I get my money back.

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That's what the banks do, right?

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The banks say, Hey, oh,

you wanna buy a house?

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We'll give you a loan, but you need

to sign a whole lot of documentation

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saying you're gonna pay us back.

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And so we understand when

you put something in writing,

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it communicates commitments.

132

You know, everybody loves the idea of

change until it requires commitments.

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Yes, I'm down to change.

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Ooh, you want me to commit?

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Hmm.

136

And we start acting like Outkast forever.

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Forever, ever, forever, ever.

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But this revival moved them

from emotion to dedication.

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From, we feel convicted to,

we're putting our names on this.

140

They move from emotion to devotion.

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And so we re, we continue, and in verse

one, in Nehemiah it says, those who sealed

142

it were, and then they list the names,

a whole bunch of names on this seal.

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So we're not sure if they just literally

put their John Hancock on there, or

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they had a seal for their family.

145

But they put their seals on there too

to confirm what they were declaring.

146

And so there was over 84 names

on here and that had priests, the

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leaders and heads of families who

represented all the other families.

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So they're all committing.

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To this binding agreement, and so

we jump on down For the sake of

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time, we're gonna jump, we're gonna,

we're gonna skip all the names.

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We're gonna go to verse 28, and it says

here the rest of the people, priests,

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Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple

servants, and all who separated themselves

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from the neighboring peoples for the

sake of the law of God, together with

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their wives and all their sons and

daughters who are able to understand.

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All these now join their fellow

Israelites, the Nobles, and bind

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themselves with a curse and an oath to

follow the law of God, given through

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Moses the servant of God, and to obey

carefully all the commands, regulations,

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decrees of the Lord, our Lord.

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And so what do we have here?

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All the people commits and it says

here, all who are able to understand.

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So it wasn't just the older folks,

it wasn't just the middle aged

162

folks, it wasn't the young adults.

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It reached all the way down

to the young people, to the

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junior high and high schoolers.

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Everybody was able to understand

was included in this, and they

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decided, yes, we are going to

follow the law of the Lord.

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Amen.

168

And they made an oath.

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So they said it out loud.

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And I know Greg has been having this

at, at the beginning of sermons,

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say our, I think it's a declaration.

172

I'm not sure the exact title of

it, but we're saying, Jesus is

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the son of God and Jesus is what?

174

Lord.

175

Jesus is Lord.

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So I'm gonna say it again.

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Jesus is what Lord?

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Oh, y'all didn't say anything over here.

179

I said, Jesus is what Lord.

180

Okay.

181

I told you I call you out.

182

All right.

183

So here we go.

184

He said to everybody who understands us.

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So that's what they did.

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Amen.

187

They all declared, we are

going to follow the law of God.

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And it says they bound

themselves with a curse.

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Oh yeah, this got real serious.

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I don't know about you, but I've never

made an agreement with somebody and put

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a curse to myself if I didn't fulfill it.

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When I got married, I

didn't say, oh, I'm Karina.

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I love you today in my life, but

if I don't, may God curse me.

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I never thought about that one time.

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You know what I'm saying?

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And neither have you.

197

I know there's nobody in here like, oh,

I put curses on myself all the time.

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No, you don't.

199

And so this shows how serious

they were taking this.

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Yes, they were emotional, which was good,

but now it's becoming concrete devotion.

201

It is becoming dedication.

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You know what if we don't fulfill this?

203

Maybe we receive a curse now.

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I dunno what kind of curse.

205

I'm sure they were thinking like

some light curses, like, uh,

206

maybe I don't get, you know,

some fish next week or something.

207

I'm sure that they were maybe thinking

some light curses, but they said

208

that they would even be cursed.

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And what else?

210

It says they were basically

recommitting themselves to God.

211

They gave an oath to follow God

and obey God's word, not partially.

212

But fully, we're not going to pick

and choose what parts we want to

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follow because that's what's got

us into this nonsense and trouble.

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No, we're going to go ahead and follow

fully, fully, even if it means it might

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require a sacrifice and denial of myself.

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Okay.

217

That's what they were committing to.

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They weren't committing to something easy.

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They were committing fully

to the Lord God Almighty.

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Some of you thinking, man,

that's too much, is it?

221

Really

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think about this when you love it, and

I love it when somebody commits the same

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level of energy, passion, and, and, and

sacrifice to us that we gave to them.

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Don't you?

225

Yeah.

226

Yeah.

227

And in fact, we would actually have

a problem when we give fully to

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someone and they give less back to us.

229

What's up with that?

230

Right.

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Think about this.

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God has given fully to them,

so the only natural response

233

is to give fully back to God.

234

You and I today receive so many blessings

through Christ, so what should our natural

235

response be to give ourselves fully?

236

To Christ and so it's not unreasonable.

237

No.

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It's actually very logical and reasonable.

239

God has given so much, so therefore,

we are going to give back to God.

240

Amen.

241

Amen.

242

Let's continue reading.

243

Churchill, you're still with me here?

244

Yes.

245

Alright, here we go.

246

Alright.

247

So he, so here's what happens.

248

So now after this they decide,

let's get real practical.

249

We decided we're gonna devote ourselves

fully, but let's address some specific

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areas that we need to right now.

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Maybe these are areas that ain't

been completely lacking, or they

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saw, Hey, for our time we need

to address some specific issues.

253

So he says, we promise not to

give our daughters and marriage

254

to the peoples around us, or take

their daughters for our sons.

255

You see God to command his people not to

intermarry with the other nations, not for

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racial reasons, but on spiritual grounds.

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He says, I want you to be united with

someone who's on the same level with

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you spiritually, because if that doesn't

happen, we're gonna have a problem.

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And then it can affect your faith.

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But guess what?

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Also affect the generations after you.

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And so this was God's logic and I

believe and we see a new New Testament,

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that same principle applies to us.

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Today is disciples of Jesus.

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Let's keep, let's continue.

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Verse 31.

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When the neighboring peoples bring

merchandise of grain to sell on the

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Sabbath, we will not buy from them

on the Sabbath or any other holy day.

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Every seventh year, we will forego working

the land and we'll cancel all debts.

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What are they agreeing to?

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What are they down to?

272

Really to follow the Sabbath.

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That was a Saturday, a de

designated day to be holy.

274

It was supposed to be a

day of rest and worship.

275

And so they said, we're gonna follow that.

276

We're gonna adhere to that.

277

And also God has said, Hey, every seventh

year is gonna be a sabbatical year.

278

It's a year that you're gonna have

trust and rest in canceling the debts.

279

And they say, we're going to

actually follow that going forward.

280

Going on in verse 32.

281

It says, we assume, and it's

gonna, we're gonna skip through

282

'cause it's, it's a lot there.

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We're gonna read through a couple

passages here from 32 to 38, but basically

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they commit to giving their tithes and

their offerings for the worship of God.

285

It says, we assume the responsibility

of carrying out the command to give

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a third of a shekel each year for

the service of the house of our God.

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For all the duties of the house of

our God, we, the priests, the Levites,

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and the people have cast lots to

determine when each of our families

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is to bring to the house of our God at

set times each year a contribution of

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wood to burn on the altar of the Lord

our God, as it is written in the law.

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We also assume responsibility for

bringing to the house of the Lord each

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year, the first fruits of our crops

and of every fruit tree, and they

293

close out this whole time by with this.

294

In verse 38, it says, we will

not neglect the house of our God.

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They decide we're gonna give their

first, and we're gonna give our best to

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God so he can be worshiped and that the

temple of God can function properly.

297

Yeah, because that was a big part of

their devotion to God, and not only

298

in their daily lives, but also when we

gather together, we wanna see God's glory.

299

So the temple has been designed and

God has given some instruction, and in

300

order for that to really happen, if we

can receive the spiritual benefit, we

301

need to make sure it's working properly.

302

So we need to give so

that this can happen.

303

So they decide to give.

304

They had their weekly

offerings, if you will.

305

They had their special mission

offerings, if you will.

306

Yeah.

307

Yeah.

308

And it's interest.

309

It says, we will not neglect

the house of our God.

310

It seems to imply that they had

neglected the house of their God

311

that they were deciding, whoa, we

have neglected God in this way, and

312

we're not gonna do that any longer.

313

We're gonna make sure we tend to the

house of God the way it should be, and

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so we're gonna give ourselves fully.

315

And so their, you know, devotion to

God is partially determined by how

316

people spend their time and money.

317

'cause we support and invest in

what's important to us, don't we?

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You can always tell somebody's values

by what their calendar and their

319

pocketbook or their bank statements.

320

You can tell what I value.

321

I can tell what you value by

what you spend your time on

322

and how you spend your money.

323

And so we see here they're

deciding, you know what?

324

We're gonna devote our time

and our money to our creator,

325

our merciful God in heaven.

326

You know, our offerings today are

for the worship of God and for

327

his church to function properly.

328

May we never neglect the house

of God, which is the church.

329

You and me, may we never neglect

it, but may we give our first

330

and our very best to God.

331

Amen.

332

Amen.

333

May that be our rock solid conviction.

334

And we see here their commitment,

well, it touched every area of their

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lives, their relationships, their

lifestyle, and their values, how

336

they lived and their priorities.

337

And I stepped back and I noticed

something that their commitment

338

touched all these areas.

339

And, and we see this change

that God is producing in them,

340

in which they desire as well.

341

They desire a change.

342

They desire a revival, and we

see that real change doesn't

343

happen when you feel something.

344

It happens with dedication.

345

You see real change

takes divine dedication.

346

God has been dedicated to his people.

347

That's clear.

348

He brought them back.

349

He's been merciful.

350

He's blessed them.

351

Even when they were in sin,

his mercy brought them back.

352

So we see the divine dedication this

way, but now we see God's people

353

respond with dedication back, with

the dedication that is divine.

354

That does mirror and reflect

God's faithfulness to them.

355

They in return, have their

faithfulness toward God.

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You know, God's people are dedicated

people dedicated fully to God,

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dedicated fully to God's honor

and dedicated fully to God's will.

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Here's what's incredible.

359

The people decided on this

binding agreement on their own.

360

It wasn't commanded in the scripture,

Hey, you need to go ahead and

361

have this binding agreement.

362

When you sin, go ahead and

have this binding agreement.

363

They got together at their worship

service and they said, wow, you know what?

364

This, we are moved.

365

We gotta do something.

366

In fact, let's do this.

367

Let's get serious.

368

Let's get an agreement together

and let's go worship and

369

follow God the way we should.

370

I believe the Holy Spirit prompted

them, but it was on their own.

371

They felt compelled to rededicate

themselves to God in a way that

372

would be everlasting and true.

373

Not just with words, but

at with a tangible vow.

374

Not just personal dedication,

but as a whole group basically.

375

We all did this and we all need to

get ourselves out of this together.

376

You know, we too must be

fully dedicated to God.

377

You know, we tend to drift.

378

And we can forget that God deserves our

best, or sometimes we can be deceived

379

in thinking we are giving our best.

380

Have you not been there before?

381

I know I have drifted

in my dedication to God.

382

I know I just had a time recently,

just as I was studying the South a

383

couple weeks ago, I realized, you know,

there's areas in my life in which I

384

don't know if I've been fully dedicated

to giving and surrendering to God.

385

And that you would've asked me for

three or weeks ago, I'd say, oh, yeah.

386

But then as as God ministered to me,

I realized there are these areas that

387

don't have a divine dedication the way

they should or the way they used to.

388

But again, real change takes dedication.

389

The problem is we want the quick and

the great results for free, right?

390

We want it at no cost, but

it doesn't work that way.

391

I remember, uh, there was this

time, uh, uh, EJ Vasquez, a lot

392

of you guys know EJ Vasquez.

393

And, uh, and so EJ was

talking about changing.

394

We were in LA together at this time.

395

And, uh, EJ was, he was making a

decision about his, his, uh, his, uh,

396

his, um, eating habits and lifestyle.

397

And so e j's, like, yeah, you know what?

398

I only gonna have like one or two cheat

meals a week, or something like that.

399

And I had never heard

of a cheat meal idea.

400

I was like, what in the world is that?

401

And so I was like, man, you know what?

402

I'm inspired a brother trying to get a

six pack back, you know what I'm saying?

403

And I'm like, man, I'm, I'm gonna do,

I'm gonna do three cheat meals a week.

404

I was like, you know, if I have seven

meal, I mean three times seven, that's

405

21 meals, I'm doing pretty good.

406

You know what I mean?

407

Those three cheat meals, I was like,

well, maybe I'll make that five.

408

And then I looked up, man,

after a couple weeks, there

409

were all meals were cheap meals.

410

You know what I'm saying?

411

Because why?

412

I never fully dedicated myself.

413

I had good intentions.

414

I had a heart.

415

I was moved emotionally, but I

didn't dedicate myself spiritually.

416

That's some of us.

417

We have the prayers, we have

maybe emotion, we have a desire.

418

We might even have some

really good intentions.

419

However, we haven't fully

committed to Jesus and his word.

420

You can have all the

feelings in the world.

421

You can have all the emotional prayers.

422

You can have all the great

worship songs and cry.

423

During a a, a, a worship set.

424

We can have all the good intentions,

but without a commitment, then it's

425

just empty words with no change.

426

You see change, growth.

427

A revival collectively.

428

It doesn't end with emotion.

429

No.

430

Those things initiate dedication.

431

Here's the thing, brother and

sisters, good intentions start things.

432

Dedication, finishes them.

433

Amen.

434

Good intentions, start things.

435

Dedication.

436

Finishes them.

437

If we wanna grow, if we wanna

change, if we wanna improve,

438

what is going to be needed?

439

What it takes is to be fully dedicated

to the process and to be faithful.

440

Until the ends, we gotta have it.

441

We can't leave that part out.

442

Think about this.

443

If you wanna change your

life, what's it gonna take?

444

Dedication.

445

Yes.

446

If we want our church to change and grow

and have a revival, what's it gonna take?

447

Dedication.

448

Dedication.

449

I wanna lift up Kenny Barber.

450

Kenny, you know, many of, uh, Kenny's,

uh, uh, uh, elder in the church.

451

Somebody pointed to my man.

452

Kenny, where are you at, Kenny?

453

Uh, there he is, my man, Kenny.

454

Uh, so, oh, there you are.

455

Standing up.

456

Come on brother.

457

There you go.

458

I looked everywhere, but there

I was like, there you go.

459

You know, Kenny's a great

example of being committed when

460

coupled with good intentions.

461

Kenny will share, man, you know,

I'm feeling prompted by the spirit.

462

I feel like God is telling me this.

463

And so he'll decide, you know,

I have I, I think I should move.

464

I think I should act off of this.

465

And he wouldn't just stop there because

then he starts to put and initiate

466

a plan to get there, and he does it.

467

And so if I follow up with him,

he'll have some good news or

468

some sharing about the things.

469

Those good intentions now

put into good practices.

470

And so I look at it and

go, man, that's the way.

471

You see change?

472

Yes, there's good intention.

473

Yes, there's good emotion, but

it has to develop into what?

474

Sincere, committed devotion.

475

You know, God blesses and

honors that commitment.

476

He committed to us and blessed us first,

and he loves a reciprocal response.

477

You know, everything we do is

because of the grace of God.

478

Amen.

479

It's not like we're doing something first.

480

We're doing something in

response to God's grace.

481

And so what's the call of the hour?

482

I believe the call of the hour for

you and for me is to dedicate or

483

rededicate to the lordship of Jesus.

484

Not just dedicate in theory to

Jesus, but to the lordship of Jesus.

485

You know, Jesus asked the crowd one time.

486

He said, Hey, why do you call me

Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

487

Like you guys are feeling me, and I

appreciate that you're calling me, Lord.

488

However, you're not actually doing

what I say and why he say this?

489

Because calling him Lord is

easy living like he's Lord.

490

That's difference.

491

And so Jesus makes it clear to

another group in Luke chapter nine.

492

He says, whoever wants to be my disciple

must deny themselves and take up their

493

cross and, uh, daily and follow me.

494

Jesus again is calling.

495

This is what Lordship is like, is that

I am Lord, I lead, I direct, I center.

496

I orient your life, not just parts

of your life, but your entire life.

497

I can't be a Savior and not be Lord.

498

I'm Savior and Lord, and

so Jesus helps to de see.

499

We have to be fully

dedicated to the lordship.

500

Of Jesus.

501

And that's actually the safest

place you and I can be is

502

under the Lordship of Jesus.

503

The scariest and most scariest place we

can be is outside of the will of God.

504

And so when we surrender fully with

the safest place you and I can be,

505

and so again, this is a dedication

that touches every area of our lives.

506

And I believe God is calling us not just

individually, but collectively to be

507

fully devoted to following Jesus Christ.

508

That means we won't accept a culture of

compromise because Jesus will be Lord.

509

That means we'll be holy in our

conduct, holy in our relationships,

510

and not permit worldliness.

511

That means we're gonna be full

of grace and not judgmental.

512

That means we're going to pursue

God's honor and glory, first and

513

foremost, over worldly treasures

or any personal gratification.

514

It means the church,

the people, you and me.

515

We will be sacred in our eyes

and not an afterthought or

516

something that's disposable.

517

That means we're gonna

first commit ourselves.

518

To the Lordship of Jesus and then

help each other be fully devoted to

519

the Lordship of Jesus, and then we go

out and help those who are far from

520

God to be able to devote themselves

fully to the Lordship of Jesus.

521

I believe this is the response

and the call of the hour to God's

522

Word and His grace through Jesus.

523

Can we get real practical right now?

524

All right.

525

Y'all know me.

526

I like some action steps.

527

So here's some action steps

here for the week here.

528

Try this out.

529

I did this already this past week.

530

First, reflect, reflect on

God's dedication to you.

531

Spend some time in prayer,

thought meditation.

532

How has God been dedicated to you from

the beginning of your life until now?

533

And then two, write.

534

Write your own covenant to God.

535

Go ahead and write your own covenant.

536

How are you going to respond

to God's dedication to you?

537

You know, I did this, and I'll be

honest with you, as I was doing this,

538

I was getting inspired, but a part

of me was getting a little hesitant.

539

I started singing a little outcast

again forever, forever, forever.

540

And I was like, wow, I can't believe

that there's some hesitancy to recommit,

541

and I had to pray through that.

542

I was like, wow, you've

been so good to me.

543

How could I ever give you anything less?

544

And yes, there might be a hesitancy

to to maybe just put my toe into the

545

pool, but no, I'm gonna jump right in.

546

And so God in his mercy and the grace

move me along during his prayer so that

547

I can say what true conviction Jesus is.

548

Lord,

549

as we close relationship with

God is more than emotion.

550

It's devotion.

551

God's people have a divine dedication to

God, to God's word, and to God's will,

552

and God is calling us to either commit or

recommit fully to the Lordship of Jesus.

553

Imagine if we all dedicated

ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus.

554

Imagine what would happen.

555

If we didn't just attend church,

but we were fully devoted to Jesus,

556

marriages would heal, families would

reunite, addictions would break.

557

Priorities would shift.

558

Peace would be experienced.

559

Generosity would increase.

560

Hope would be gained.

561

People far from God would come home.

562

Our church wouldn't just grow.

563

It would become a life giving

force in this county, and not

564

because we tried harder, but

because we were surrendered fully.

565

That's what happens when God's people

stop drifting and start dedicating.

566

May we learn from our brothers and

sisters in the faith, our ancestors.

567

May we also say we will not neglect

the house of God because Jesus is Lord.

568

May we move from emotion to devotion.

569

Amen.