Consecration: A Loving Commitment to God

Consecration is a tricky word. And actually, to let you in on a little bit of a behind the scenes, as pastors, when it came to setting out Consecrate, again, we did it last year. We did it last year. We used to call it prayer and fasting, which it is. But we had a bit of a conversation about whether to still use the word Consecrate because we try not to use overtly churchy words, a bit like you have to come in here and you have to get given a little guide book for what does that word mean, what does that word, you know, that. Consecrate, you don't really hear the word Consecrate very much outside of, let's say, a religious setting, do you? Does anyone? Has anyone heard the word Consecrate this week in any setting other than a church setting? [00:49:52]

So it refers to the act of setting apart a person, object or time for a holy purpose dedicated entirely to God. It is a response, and this is the key, to God's holiness and a commitment to live in alignment with his will. [00:51:03]

Consecration is an act of love that doesn't come out of fear. Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow God is going to do amazing things among you. Oh God, oh no, what's he seen? What does he know? Is there going to be a prophetic word from the front about my hidden sin? What about this? What about that? Does it mean I'm actually going to have to give up my entire toy car collection that no one really knows I have and I'm embarrassed that I'm 67 and still got a toy car collection, or whatever it is? [00:58:18]

What Richard and Francis are celebrating is 50 years of all of me in return for all of you forever. It's a covenant relationship. All of me in return for all of you forever. Now, some people have amazing marriages. Most people work at their marriages. Many people have failed marriages behind them. Like, I know. Just because we screw it up or we've been on the receiving end of something screwing it up, it doesn't make it bad. Marriage is amazing. Partly, I'm married to Nick. It's amazing. There we go. Nick, I love you. You're amazing. I love being married to Nick. I genuinely do. But the reason marriage isn't amazing isn't because of Nick. The reason marriage is amazing is because God designed it, and he doesn't create junk. [00:59:56]

Consecration, it comes as an act of love and devotion towards the other person. I'm going to give you an example as best I can. Keep holding. The reason we went to this Joshua 3 verse 5 is because I want you to, to keep holding that. This is what we're talking about. And the whole thing about marriage is an analogy that I'm trying to show you. [01:00:20]

So if I were to re-consecrate myself to Nick, I'm going to say that, that language, which essentially, well, hang on. You're already married, aren't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I am. Well, I'm already with God too, but actually it's good to have that. It's a specific intentional time where you say, no, no, no. I'm bringing myself afresh. I'm bringing myself afresh. I'm coming in. I'm all in, God. I'm all in. Some of us, some of us could do with doing that in our marriages too. [01:00:51]

Covenant is all of me in return for all of you forever. That's what covenant is. That's the deal that God has made with us. The New Testament is the new covenant. Now, for a covenant to be established, there have to be witnesses present and there has to be bloodshed. There has to be bloodshed. I don't know why. That's just the rules of covenant. [01:01:51]

So Jesus shed his blood to establish the covenant where God, I personally think this is nuts looking at some of you, where God says, I want all of you and I'm going to give you all of me. And this goes on forever. And nothing will separate us from the love of God. Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nothing above, nothing below. Literally nothing can separate us. [01:02:12]

If God were only interested in the stuff you do for him, he'd just get himself a home help. What Nick needs from me is a home help. This is my attention. Not because she's needy, but because that's where relationships are forged. You actually need to put your phones down. You actually need to look into each other's eyes. You actually need to hold hands. You actually need to breathe the same air. Spend that time together. Am I talking about marriage or am I talking about God? Yes. [01:04:51]

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And here's the thing about consecration. I think most of you would know that actually when you're married and you're making out with someone down the street that's not your spouse, I think most people would know this is not right. I think that's pretty flaming obvious, right? I think the equivalent would be to be saying, Jesus, I follow you. And then you whip your crystals out and give them a little wave. [01:10:19]

God is inviting us to use the marriage analogy to say, will you just come after me? Some of you, some of you have let bitterness come into your marriage. to your marriage, to the point you don't even want to give yourself physically to the other person anymore. There's a bit of a... I've had a long, many, many conversations around marriage in the past. [01:13:24]

Jesus cannot be based on that I've got a certificate that on the 31st of January I said yes to him that's not what my relationship with him supposed to be about that's not what your relationship supposed to be about sometimes you say to people tell me something about Jesus and they say well in 2001 you're like 2001 what's been happening for the last 24 years what do you love about Nick oh I could tell you a stack of things because having screwed up one marriage I've worked much harder as is Nick at the second one and there's been one thing that we've developed in our marriage and it's like a hyper focus I will not look at any other one at any other person and be interested in them I guard my heart I I've given my heart to Nick and if any of you have ever been through a divorce once is plenty right I feel the same about God God's inviting me and this is what consecration is into hyper focus Chris don't get distracted don't look to your left don't look to your right keep your eyes fixed on me I know you do other things during the day I know you look at other things during the day of course you do straight back in straight back in there are loads there are plenty of beautiful women out there but there's only one Nick and I will never as long as she's alive I will never give my heart or my focus or my affection to another because I've made that decision out of that affection comes the fact I do the bins [01:17:04]