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By Pastor Carey Clow
This message continues the look at some of our values. Obedience - focus - is a key to unlocking liberty in both our lives and in others around us.
Obedience is better than sacrifice
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." - 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NIV
Listen to this message ia MP3. 40min 4.6MB
Types of Obedience
- Dis Obedience [Rebellious - "I will not..."]
- Partial Obedience [Selective - "I want to look good..."]
- Delayed Obedience [Procrastinator - "I intend to..."]
- Unwilling Obedience [Compliant - "I fear not to..."]
"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! - Acts 7:51 NIV
- Detoured Obedience [Evasive - "What can I get away with..."]
- Full Obedience [Loving - "It will be my pleasure..."]
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. - Romans 6:13 NIV
As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. - Joshua 11:15 NIV
We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions...!
Obedience and sacrifice
Obedience when it is trivial and benefits us - is easy - and blesses us.
Obedience when it is nontrivial and costs us - isn't easy - and can be painful.
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 7:21 NIV
Obedience is hard but real when it is sacrifice.
My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart. - Job 17:11 NIV
Obedience's reward
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. - Psalm 20:4 NIV
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4 NIV
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Proverbs 13:12 NIV
- We become God's treasured possession - Ex 19:5
- God;s children - Dt 5:25
- Gain long life - 1 Kings 3:14
- Blessing - James 1:25
- Access to the city of God - Rev 22:14
A Focused People - Unlocking liberty by removing ambiguity
People perish for a lack of vision/restraint
Where there is no revelation (vision, prophetic view of the future),
the people cast off restraint (perish, are naked, refuse, uncovered, go back, come to nothing);
but blessed is he who keeps the law. - Proverbs 29:18 NIV
I must reflect on the many things I don't have - because I have made choices that are more important than my personal preferences. I am ...shallow yet deep? Or perhaps deep despite my shallowness!
During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. - Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV
Our focus on the things of the kingdom of God - could bring many to righteousness.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. - Romans 5:19 NIV
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