A Life of Obedience

A Life of Obedience

Scripture: Acts 5:14-29

How do you make decisions? Do you try to determine what will benefit you the most, or perhaps you strive to please or impress others? Maybe you let emotions take control or attempt to make a logical choice. Wise men and women learn to obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him. There is nothing more important in life than following Jesus and trusting Him to care for your needs.

II. What does the Bible say about obeying God?

A. Biblical Example: When the apostles were told to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, they responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

B. Sowing and Reaping: Galatians 6:7 says, “Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Every action has an impact, for good or evil. Our decisions, and the choices of others, determine the quality of our lives.

C. Disobedient Biblical Characters: The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). Imagine how different the stories in Scripture would be if mankind knew what disobeying God would cost:

1. Adam and Eve would never have eaten the forbidden fruit.
2. The nation of Israel would have chosen to fight for the Promised Land the first time around instead of wandering 40 years in the desert.
3. After seeing Bathsheba bathing, David would have turned away and walked back inside.
4. Jonah would have willingly traveled to Ninevah to preach the Word of God.

D. Faithful Biblical Characters: The Lord rewarded those who were willing to follow His commands:

1. Noah was asked to build a massive boat—which made him the laughing stock of his commnity. But he was ready when the flood came.
2. Moses, a desert nomad, had to appear before Pharaoh, the leader of a powerful civilization, and demand freedom for the Israelites. Ultimately, the people were allowed to go.
3. Joshua was told to march around Jericho for seven days instead of relying on the military tactics he knew. And God destroyed the enemy.
4. Nehemiah boldly asked the Babylonian king for supplies to rebuild Jerusalem and received all he needed, including guards to help him safely reach the city.
5. In captivity, Daniel and his three friends refused to eat meat because it was not prepared according to Hebrew dietary laws. Yet they were healthier than all the other young men.
6. Peter and the apostles refused to stop preaching about Jesus, even though they were threatened with flogging and imprisonment.

E. The Requirements: As believers, we must:

1. Believe that God is sovereign—He controls all things at all times (Ps. 103:19).
2. Trust that He will work for our good in every situation and circumstance (Rom. 8:28).
3. Love the Lord. The Bible says we show our love for Him by obeying His commands (1 John 5:3)—and not just when they are convenient and desirable.
4. Listen to Him. When you pray, make time to hear what He has to say.
5. Be courageous. Obeying God takes courage because following His will often leads to conflict. You must be willing to do what is right anyway.
6. Fully surrender to Him.

 F. The Results of Obedience

1. You will experience personal victory if you follow His will, even if the world does not consider you a success. (See Josh. 1:8.)
2. Obedience leads to supernatural peace and joy in every circumstance.
3. Spiritual growth and maturity results when believers continue to walk with God in the midst of suffering.

G. Application

1. God may ask you to do something that doesn’t make sense from a human perspective.
2. The Father may lead you to give up a hobby or donate a valuable item.
3. He may prompt you to give financially when money is scarce.
4. The Lord might want you to serve in your church or take a leadership role although you feel inadequate.

Conclusion:

When you need to make an important decision, don’t rely primarily on your own reasoning, the opinions of others, or even what worked in the past. Get on your knees before the Lord and pour out your heart. Spend time prayerfully reading His Word. Listen for His voice, and then follow His specific guidance for your life.

Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

 If you will take to heart this one principle,

you will have the awesome privilege of watching the Lord accomplish great things in and through you.

Copyright 2012 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

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The way to Intimacy with God

The way to Intimacy with God

1. Every individual is important to the Lord. 

You might feel unworthy of the Father's attention, but the truth is, you are a unique creation and beloved in His sight. Every one of us was created in God's image (Gen. 1:26); He designed us with the emotional and spiritual capacity to have an intimate relationship with Him.

2. No one is too sinful to have a close relationship with God.

According to Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (emphasis added). In other words, no one is righteous enough on his own to fellowship with God, who is perfectly holy. Instead of friendship with our Creator, we deserve death and hell—everlasting separation from Him. However, Jesus took the guilt of our sin on Himself and gave us the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:22-23).

3. Cultivating an intimate relationship requires a commitment.

A. Choose a special place where you can meet with God.

Even if you don't have a large home, devote one section of it to your time with God. You might choose a chair, a small rug, or even a closet. Eventually, that place will take on a sacred quality. There, you will find it easy to focus on the Lord and His still, small voice.

B. Invest a significant amount of time in getting to know your Maker.

Just like a close friendship or good marriage, an intimate relationship with the Lord requires time. Biblical writers often referred to "waiting on God." By this, they meant trusting in the Lord and giving Him time to speak to their hearts, encourage them, or answer their prayers.

C. Include Bible reading.

Reading and meditating on Scripture should be a regular part of your time with God. It will teach you how the Lord thinks, remind you of His promises, and reveal areas of your life that need His correction.

Before you read from the Bible, ask God to speak to you. He will be faithful to reveal His truth and show you how to apply it to your life.

D. Humility and trust

As we approach God, we must come with an attitude of humility. Proud people don't see their need for the Lord and, consequently, resist His guidance and correction.

4. If you are willing to invest in your relationship with God, you will reap a great reward.

Read Psalm 16:11. Have you felt this kind of joy in the Lord's presence?

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The Wounded Need to Knwo there is a Physician

 The wounded need to know

 there is a physician

© 2012 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

When we come to Christ asking for help, we are offered a person, not a list that adds insult to injury. To the wounded, he simply offers his own wounds.

For a moment I was completely confused. Wincing, I bent down to remove what I thought was a thorn between my toes when a bee crawled out of my sandal. My immediate reaction was one of indignation. I hadn’t done anything to warrant this. But this train of thought was immediately derailed by a second sting on the opposite foot. The next thing I knew bees were everywhere. They went after my head and continued to chase me regardless of how fast or far I seemed to run. By the time I made it home, I had been stung again and again.

I can’t remember the last time I had been stung by a bee. (I was probably five or six years old, and my mom was immediately there to medicate and console me.) By the time the adrenaline stopped rushing, I was overwhelmed with throbbing limbs and digits. I had forgotten how painful a bee sting can be and I had no idea how to soothe the hurt. My husband gave me a bag of ice and set off to the Internet for information. What we discovered was half-helpful, half-maddening.

On every website that offered information on treating bee stings, there inevitably seemed to be a few thoughts on what I should have done to prevent them. The lists were always very similar: Avoid wearing perfume and bright colors. Don’t work or play around beehives or hornet nests. Don’t provoke them or disturb them. Remember that bee stings are painful and can be dangerous. The words almost seemed to make the stinging worse; the burden of fault was unbearable.

Religious people sometimes make use of similar teaching opportunities. When a person is crumbling under the weight of his or her own sin, crying out over a life of brokenness, or agonizing over a certain sting of consequence, someone inevitably steps in to offer some after-the-fact instruction. This person’s objective may be well-meaning. There may even be nothing wrong with the words or wisdom offered. But there is undoubtedly a wrong time to offer them. Before we give a lesson on all that makes us bleed, the wounded need to know there is a physician.

Luke 11:46Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

Jesus came onto the religious scene of Jerusalem with a method that bothered a great number of people. The experts of the law were proficient in the commandments of Scripture; they wanted people to know that sin bears great consequence and that the way to God is straight and narrow. The teaching of Jesus certainly echoed these truths, and yet Jesus called out the religious leaders repeatedly as those who were “teaching human precepts as doctrines” (Matthew 15:9). “And you experts in the law,” he proclaimed, “woe also to you! For you load people down with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them” (Luke 11:46).

Of course, the advice given to me about avoiding bee stings was obviously sound. And on some level, it seems reasonable to include these principles while discussing a treatment plan; prevention is clearly the best treatment. But each time I came across this “guidance” as my entire body throbbed in pain, I naturally wanted to scream. Of course I didn’t mean to disturb the bees’ nest; I’m still not even sure where the nest was. To be fair, I didn’t see any of it coming. I wasn’t wearing bright colors and I wasn’t wearing perfume. I simply stepped in the wrong place at the wrong time and I was paying for those steps. Yet regardless: all of this was completely irrelevant at the moment I was looking for help.

There are times when sin simply comes in and completely flattens us. In hindsight we may be able to see the wrong turns and reckless steps that might have brought us there, or actions that might have prevented the heartache altogether. But in the midst of our brokenness, Jesus isn’t the one pointing this out. To the wounded, he simply says, “Come.”

All God will say is "Come to Me, I will Heal You"

Your Problem is from now Mine

Your Trobles from now is Mine

You were and will always be Mine!!

When we come to Christ asking for help, we are offered a person, not a list that adds insult to injury. To the wounded, he simply offers his own wounds. While Jesus indeed offered instruction that would load down the strongest among us, God was lifting him to the cross to help us bear the burden. In his presence the stinging may at first seem worse, but the wound, he assures us, will heal.

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