Different levels of Commitment

Different levels of Commitment       Ecc 9:11 - I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.  Matthew 24:13 -  but HE who endureth to the end shall be saved. Circles of Commitment The Community - Represent Lost souls that live within driving distance of the church that have made no commitment at all to either Jesus or anyone's church. The Crowd - Those who show up on Sunday's for service.  They are the regular attendees.  Made up of saved and unsaved.  They are committed to attending a worship service every week.  Ezekiel 33:31 - They sit and hear the Word but do not respond. The Committed - Godly and growing.  Serious about their faith.  But for one reason or another are not actively serving in a ministry of the church.  They are committed but not involved. The Core - The core usually represents the smallest group.  It represents the deepest level of commitment.  They are the dedicated minority of workers and leaders.  Those who are committed to ministering to others.  They are people that lead and serve in the various ministries of the church as teachers, deacons, musicians, youth sponsors and so forth.  Without the core the church would come to a standstill.  The core workers form the heart of the church.  Lam 3:23 - Great is they faithfulness. Mark 12:32-34 - Now when Jesus saw that he (The Scribe) answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God"  Meaning - You have a good understanding keep on pressing until reach your place in God. The First Disciples - St. John 1:39 - Come and See.  The first encounter that Jesus had with John and Andrew he did not lay any heavy requirements on the early followers.  He just invited them to seek him out.  He allowed them to watch his ministry without asking for a lot of commitments.  He was creating an interest. As the group of early followers grew into a crowd, Jesus began to slowly turn up the heat.  St. Mark 8:34 Jesus was able to ask for that kind of commitment from the crowd only after demonstrating his love for them and earning their trust. A purpose driven church Move the unchurched from the community to your crowd for worship. Then move those from the crowd into the congregation for fellowship. Then move them from the congregation into the committed for discipleship. Then move the committed into the core - for ministry. Finally move the core back out into the community for evangelism.    Philippians 3:14-I press towards the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.