Jealous God (Ex. 20:5; 34:14) (Part 5)

Conclusion: (Part 2)

What are you to do with the truth that God is jealous? Here are three assessments.

• Assessment #1 > Are you committed or devoted?
• It is possible to be committed to Jesus but not be devoted.
• Commitment includes formality, habit and duty.
• Devotion includes zeal, delight and a willingness to sacrifice.
• When you go to church, you are committed; when you verbally and unashamedly heap lavish praise on Jesus, you are devoted.
• When you put into the offering the same token ten you've given the past twenty years, you're committed; when you tithe on the fullness of all your increase – paycheck, pension, social security, dividend income, inheritance, etc. – you are devoted.
• When you show up every now and then to do something to help the church, you are committed; when you do this week in and week out because you love God and love people, you are devoted.
• When you open the Bible each morning to read the assigned chapters, you are committed; when you discover Jesus in your reading and delight in Him and yield to something specific He asks, you are devoted.
• Assessment #2 > Are you living out of reputation or reality?
• The Church at Sardis > Rev. 3:1 > “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘ I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”
• Reputation is what other people say about you.
• Reality is what God knows is true about you.
• In other words, are you doing a superb job fooling everyone into believing that you're devoted when you know you're not?
• If that's you, I don't want you to get mad and not come back. I don't want you to continue living with the tension by pretending.
• Return to the love that you first had for Jesus (Rev. 2:4).
• Assessment #3 > Are you “all in” when it comes to serving and loving Jesus?
• Mk. 12:28-31 > Love for God will spill over into love for people.
• Love the Lord your God with all your heart (desire).
• Love the Lord your God with all your soul (emotion, will).
• Love the Lord your God with all your mind (intellect, thoughts).
• Love the Lord your God with all your strength (effort, energy).