Saturday Motivation: Winners and The Power of Obedience
Saturday Motivation
Winners And The Power of Obedience.
Text:
Leviticus 22 v 31: Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord
Psalm 128 v 1: Blessed are all who fear the Lord who walk in obedience to Him
John 15 v 14: You are my friends if you do what I command
What is obedience?
Obedience is submission to the commands of one in authority. Obedience is an essential part of our Christian faith. Obedience is subjection to the Will of God. Jesus our role model was obedient unto death, even death on a cross. As Christians, the act of taking up our cross and following Jesus is obedience.
Faith and the power of the Holy Spirit is what help us as believers to live in obedience to God and that is why the message of obedience is important to us. Faith is obeying God when all our questions are not answered. Our obedience to God is an act of gratitude for His gift of grace. Obedience is our gift to God.
We must renounce every desire to be disobedient to the Lord and His commands. We have been equipped with mighty weapons of warfare that can break down our walls of disobedience.
Salvation from sin in this world and eternal happiness in the world to come are all dependent on our obedience to God
The fear of the Lord helps us respect His commands. Respecting His commands is the fulfillment of our obedience to Him.
Believers find obedience a joy not a burden as obedience makes us walk in the path of God`s commandments.
Obedience is doing what we have been asked to do the first time completely, joyfully and without complaint. Our obedience to God brings us blessings. Obedience to God is easy if we know how to listen to God.
As Christians we should have the courage to stand by what we believe in. And we must obey God in everything because by obeying God, we please Him.
Worshipping God is a sign of our obedience to Him because we were created to worship and honor God.
As Christians, we must never question a directive from God if we truly love Him. There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God.
Our obedience to God does not make God love us more. But it shows that we love God.
Let`s not delay to obey God`s commands when he speaks. The question we must ask ourselves when what gives us pleasure contradicts our obedience to God is whether we truly love Him.
When we obey God`s instructions, we develop a keen awareness of His Direction for tomorrow.
Spiritual maturity is not measured by how high we jump in praise but how straight we walk in obedience. We should obey God right away, all the way and in a happy way.
The true children of God are those who let the spirit of God lead them. For God to move mightily in our midst, we must obey him through simple acts of obedience.
Why should we obey God
We are to obey God because of the following reasons;
1. Jesus calls us to obey: As our role model, we must follow Jesus example in John 14 v 15: If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
2. Obedience is an act of worship it flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord
3. God rewards obedience. Blessed are all who hear the word of God and obey it
4. Obedience to God demonstrates our love for God because loving God means following his commands
5. When we obey God, we demonstrate our trust and faith in him.
6. Obedience is better than sacrifice: This refers to the Israelites offerings of sacrifices to God in the Old Testament.
1 Samuel 15 v 22-23; The saying was coined from Prophet`s Samuel`s message to Saul.
7. Disobedience leads to sin and death: Adam`s disobedience brought sin and death to the world. But Christ`s perfect obedience restores fellowship with God for every believer.
8. Through obedience we experience the Blessings of Holy Living
The Rewards of obedience according to Deuteronomy 28 v 1-14
1. Blessed in the city and country
2. Fertile women
3. Plentiful crops
4. Fertile livestock’s
5. Abundant bread and grain
6. Blessed coming in and going out
7. Defeated Enemies
8. Established a God`s Holy People
9. Feared by other nations
10. Plentiful rain
11. Lend to other nations rather than borrow
12. Be the head and not the tail
The curses of disobedience according to Deuteronomy 27 v 9-26, 28 v 15- 68
- Cursed in the city and country
2. Infertile women
3. Destroyed crops
4. Infertile livestock
5. Scarce bread and grain
6. Cursed coming in and going out
7. Defeated by enemies
8. Ridiculed by other nations
9. Filled with fear and despair
10. Powder and dust instead of rain
11. Borrow from other nations rather than lend
12. Be the tail and not the head
13. Afflicted with many diseases.
Our lesson on obedience will be incomplete if we do not look at the life of Moses.
You can be the best man that ever lived. The Lord might have done great and mighty wonders through you. However a little disobedience to God can cause anyone to miss the mark; this was what happened to Moses.
Moses had been greatly used by God for no one has ever shown the mighty power or awesome deeds that Moses did
Moses parted the red sea. He was empowered by God to afflict the Egyptians with plagues. He however never made it to Canaan but was replaced with Joshua because of his disobedience to God at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin. Moses failed to uphold the holiness of God among the Israelites. The Lord told him to speak the rock but he struck the rock. As a result of this, Moses never made it to Canaan. He died on Mount Nebo. (Deuteronomy 32)
Deuteronomy 32 v 48 – 52, The Lord allowed Moses to view Canaan but he never stepped foot on the land due to disobedience.
We should all learn a lesson from Moses experience and do not think that because we are special to God then we can disobey Him in little things.
Our obedience to God must be superior to our obedience to men. Our obedience to God must be total and not partial.
Song: Trust and obey ;1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word
What a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Chorus:
Trust and obey for there is no other way
To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies
But His smile quickly drives it away
Not a doubt not a fear, nor a sigh or a tear
Can abide while we trust and obey
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay
Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown or a cross
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows
And for them who will trust and obey
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we`ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go
Never fear only trust and obey
Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there`s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Prayer: Lord help me to walk in total obedience with you.Amen!