This coming Sunday I am talking about obedience.
What is it, is it important?
Why do we find it hard to talk about obedience, is it maybe a spirit of rebellion?
Do we do what we do for God out of love or obedience?
How do we maintain the healthy balance between love and obedience?
Is there a danger of focusing on obedience, making us more like legalists?
How often do you use the word “obey” in your prayers?
How do we decide what “laws” to obey in the Bible?
So many questions, any opinions?
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Jill said it would be interesting to hear what one of your listeners thought of the “obedience” sermon. Well I was going to thank you afterwards for the sermon. I thought it was great infact our 16 year old daughter quoted it later that day. You gave that example about consequences and how a guy threw a ball in a bullseye and it flew back and hit him in the chest and then he was mad. Well my one son didnt go to church that morning because he wasnt feeling well. I said to my daughter its probably a hangover. She said: “The ball bouncing right back at him.”
I love it!
I think you got your point across!
Ok, here’s another image that came to me this morning …
The attitude in the actual transfer of trust when we obey should look like a hand palm upwards, fingers open wide, not clenched. This allows the Spirit of God to blow the chaff of worry or fears away and for the Lord to “fill” our open hands with more than we could imagine.
It should not look like a hand, palm downwards dropping our loads, because then it does not allow for us to recieve God’s provision in the obedience. And also, something or someone might get hurt in the process when the dropped item drops on them!
probably silly I know … just thought I would share it
Exactly Jill!
Thats what I think we miss hearing about – the blessings God provides as a result of obedience. The peace that passes all understanding. Only God can provide the clarity on the otherside of obedience. Those reminders help me to continue to put my trust in the Lord despite the emotions or circumstance and pave the way for me to step out more in obedience.
Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Like Keith Green says, and God will take care of the rest!
Yep, preaching is hard….
It would be interesting to hear what your listeners thought….
Last night I watched in awe as obediance brought an amazing reward of insight and peace in a complicated situation…
God is Good.
Not sure, didn’t feel like I captured it. Got bogged down in the details of trying to explain the bible on obedience, and in the end felt like I missed the point. I went to the other extreme, stressing obedience so much I forgot to stress the love side of it.
AARRGGHH, this preaching thing is hard.
how did the sermon go?
Thanks for sharing honestly Norm … this is so true for all of us in practice.
NB: although some of us just have higher metabolisms and can get away with the outside appearances of disobedience to some degree … although lately, age is slowing down my metabolism – might have to change my name in upcoming years!
Thanks for the comments. Linda, your question at the end is worth a whole other discussion!!! Where are the men?
As for obedience, I am realizing that for myself I do not think in terms of obedience as much as love. This is a false separation, and an unhealthy one. Love and obedience go hand in hand. But in practice, I tend to do what feels right or pleasing in the moment. In my better moments I do the right thing (after years of being trained in what is right and good). But in my weaker moments, when tempted (to overeat, for example), I do not think in terms of obedience (what should I do) but impulse (what do I feel like doing). Only afterwards do I think about what I should have done.
I am being convicted as I reflect on obedience that I need to shift my thinking and behaviour on this. To consciously think or even say out loud, “Lord, what is the right thing to do right now”, then do it!
As I reread this, it doesn’t sound to good. But better to be honest than to pretend.
where’s the men’s comments here …. ?
I like how Twiggy put it above, no one wants to feel that you have to check your brain at the door, a kind of “blind obedience ” to anyone in authority. God is worthy of our obedience.
I am thinking that God cannot work in our lives if there isn’t obedience. How does he get a word in edgewise if we aren’t available to follow his leading? So I see it as a way of lining ourselves up with God, of being, and becoming, conformed to HIm. Jesus spent time alone in prayer so that he could walk in obedience to the Father’s will, “I can do nothing on my own accord but only as the Father tells me” (that’s a paraprase!). I find it encourages me to be willing to be obedient – if Christ could lay aside his will…. who am I to think I don’t need that?!
Cindy
If you talk about obedience some think you are ‘acting holier than thou’ … it makes other people uncomfortable.
Really, we should be encouraging each other to be obediant. We all know things we are not doing and we make excuses because they are only ‘little’ things.
I had an extremely difficult day today, so I excuse my over eating and say I deserve to treat myself because of my difficult day. This is ridiculous and disobedient… I need to repent and to choose to be obedient in this as in all things…
When I have been obedient I often see good things happen. I think God does reward us for our obedience. It is interesting because it is He who requires obedience and He who enables us to be obedient when we ask Him for help.
Yes we can over focus on obedience and become legalistic, but that does not mean we should not be obedient, just ask God to keep us from legalism.
I don’t usually use the work obey in my prayers but I do ask God to enable me to do what He calls me to do. I want to be obedient.
I learned an important lesson about obedience over the weekend. When God lays it on our hearts to do something, we really ought to obey. God laid upon my heart to do something very specific this weekend and I rationalized my way out of following his leading. He, of course, called me on this act of disobedience, but in his kind, loving manner!
It was a wake up call to me how easily I ignore or justify not following through on what God lays on my heart. The verse “anyone who knows the good he ought to do it, but doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4) really came to mind.
How awesome it is though, when I do obey and He shows me why He asked me to reach out to a friend, why I was to give something special away, or why I was to pray for a certain friend.
I believe there are at least two parts to it;
1)Obedience is only beneficial if what a person is being obedient to is worthy of honour and trust.
2)The person who is obedient is not doing it blindly but in an attitude of submission and expectation that a greater good will be accomplished. This ultimately is called TRUST.
I have to believe that it is not by my obedience that good things happen but by the process of being obedient, God initiates a course of events not only in the circumstance but more miraculously, in the course of events in my faith.