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Obedience
Obedience
A husband and wife were discussing the possibility
of taking a trip to the Holy Land:
Husband: Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go to the
Holy Land and stand and shout the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai？
Wife:
It would be better if we stayed home and kept them. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Nate Saint was one of five missionaries who were
killed by the Auca Indians. He once said that his life did not change until he
came to grips with the idea that “obedience is not a momentary option…it is a
die-cast decision made beforehand. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Reasons for
There are many reasons why we may obey someone
including God. What are yours?
Fear?
Obeying because you have to?
Reward?
Obeying because you get something out of it?
Love?
Obeying because you lave Christ and your fellowman?
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Results of
A little boy was riding his tricycle furiously
around the block
over and over again. Finally a policeman stopped and asked
him why he was going around and around. The boy said that he was running away
from home. Then the policeman asked why he kept going around the block. The boy
responded
“Because my mom said that I’m not allowed to cross the street.”
The
point is clear--obedience will keep you close to those you love. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Results of
The doctors keep claiming that if I follow the
regimen of regular exercise. I will achieve the desired results of weight loss
and physical fitness. Well
I’ve tried it
and like so many of you
I had no
immediate experience of these promised benefits. In fact
over the first few
weeks I felt very weak and tired. The secret is perseverance. Over the long
haul
exercise does produce better physical conditioning.
The
same principle applies to obedience. It is not always comfortable
but over the
long haul
it has good results. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Freedom
License and
Many people think that freedom is the license to
do whatever a person wants
but true freedom is the ability to do what is
right. It takes oobedience in order to have true freedom. I can sit at a piano
and be at liverty to play any keys that I want
but I don’t have freedom
because I can’t play anything but noise. I have no freedom to play Back
of
even “Chopsticks.” Why? Because it takes years of practice and obedience to lesson
plans to be truly free at the piano. Then
and only then
does one have the
freedom to play any piece of music.
The
same is true of freedom in living. To be truly free
we must have the power and
ability to be obedient.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Faith
World’s Definition of
The story is told of an eleventh-century German
king
King Henry III
who
having grown tired of court life and the pressures
of being a monarch
applied to a monastery to be accepted for a life of
contemplation. The religious superior of the monastery
Prior Richard
is
reported to have said
“Your Majesty
do you understand that pledge here is one
of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”
Henry
replied
“I understand. The rest of my life I will be obedient to you
as
Christ leads you.”
“Then
I will tell you what to do
” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and
serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.”
When
King Henry III died
a statement was written: “The King learned to rule by
being obedient.”
Like
King Henry
we too need to be reminded that God has placed each of us in a
particular place to be faithful there. Be it as a plumber
accountant
other
father
or whatever
God expects us to be faithful where he has placed us. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
A husband and wife were discussing the possibility
of taking a trip to the Holy Land:
Husband: Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go to the
Holy Land and stand and shout the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai？
Wife: It would be better if we stayed home and
kept them.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Obedience
Nate Saint was one of five missionaries who were
killed by the Auca Indians. He once said that his life did not change until he
came to grips with the idea that “obedience is not a momentary option…it is a
die-cast decision made beforehand. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Results of
A little boy was riding his tricycle furiously around
the block
over and over again. Finally a policeman stopped and asked him why
he was going around and around. The boy said that he was running away from
home. Then the policeman asked why he kept going around the block. The boy
responded
“Because my mom said that I’m not allowed to cross the street.”
The point is clear--obedience will keep you close
to those you love.
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Obedience
Results of
The doctors keep claiming that if I follow the
regimen of regular exercise. I will achieve the desired results of weight loss
and physical fitness. Well
I’ve tried it
and like so many of you
I had no
immediate experience of these promised benefits. In fact
over the first few
weeks I felt very weak and tired. The secret is perseverance. Over the long
haul
exercise does produce better physical conditioning.
The same principle applies to obedience. It is not
always comfortable
but over the long haul
it has good results. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Freedom
License and
Many people think that freedom is the license to
do whatever a person wants
but true freedom is the ability to do what is
right. It takes obedience in order to have true freedom. I can sit at a piano
and be at liberty to play any keys that I want
but I don’t have freedom
because I can’t play anything but noise. I have no freedom to play Back
of
even “Chopsticks.” Why? Because it takes years of practice and obedience to
lesson plans to be truly free at the piano. Then
and only then
does one have
the freedom to play any piece of music.
The same is true of freedom in living. To be truly
free
we must have the power and ability to be obedient. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Faith
World’s Definition of
The story is told of an eleventh-century German
king
King Henry III
who
having grown tired of court life and the pressures
of being a monarch
applied to a monastery to be accepted for a life of
contemplation. The religious superior of the monastery
Prior Richard
is
reported to have said
“Your Majesty
do you understand that pledge here is one
of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”
Henry replied
“I understand. The rest of my life
I will be obedient to you
as Christ leads you.”
“Then I will tell you what to do
” said Prior
Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God
has placed you.”
When King Henry III died
a statement was written:
“The King learned to rule by being obedient.”
Like King Henry
we too need to be reminded that
God has placed each of us in a particular place to be faithful there. Be it as
a plumber
accountant
other
father
or whatever
God expects us to be
faithful where he has placed us. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Obedience
Reasons for
There are many reasons why we may obey someone
including God. What are yours?
Fear? Obeying because you have to?
Reward? Obeying because you get something out of
it?
Love? Obeying because you lave Christ and your
fellowman?
── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
※ Selected obedience is not obedience at all
it it
merely convenience.
Neil Marten
a member of
the British Parliament
was once giving a group of his constituents a guided
tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit
the group
happened to meet Lord Hailsham
then lord chancellor
wearing all the regalia
of his office. Hailsham recognized Marten among the group and cried
"Neil!" Not daring to question or disobey the "command
"
the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees!
Today in the Word
July 30
1993.
It is said that on his
retreat from Greece after his great military expedition there
King Xerxes boarded
a Phoenician ship along with a number of his Persian troops. But a fearful
storm came up
and the captain told Xerxes there was no hope unless the ship's
load was substantially lightened. The king turned to his fellow Persians on
deck and said
"It is on you that my safety depends. Now let some of you
show your regard for your king." A number of the men bowed to Xerxes and
threw themselves overboard!
Lightened of its load
the
ship made it safely to harbor. Xerxes immediately ordered that a golden crown
be given to the pilot for preserving the king's life -- then ordered the man
beheaded for causing the loss of so many Persian lives!
Today in the Word
July 11
1993.
Peter T. Forsythe was
right when he said
"The first duty of every soul is to find not its
freedom but its Master".
Warren W. Wiersbe
The
Integrity Crisis
Thomas Nelson Publishers
1991
p. 22.
World War II was at its
height. Forces were engaged in what was known as
"The Battle of the
Bulge" -- or "The Christmas War of 1944." The fighting was
fierce in the bitter cold and snow.
The Allied Forces bombed
and established control of a strategic area. The commanding officer turned to
several of his men and said
"Sweep across that field
and kill all German
soldiers still entrenched in the snow. I want no prisoners. Absolutely
none!"
One of the American
soldiers selected gives his account of what happened next. "As I walked
I
immediately shot and killed two wounded and suffering soldiers." He
continues
"Then
suddenly I approached a tall
young guy with a broad
Teutonic forehead.
"He was leaning
against a tree. He wasn't wounded -- simply exhausted. He had no food
no
water
no comrades in sight
no ammunition. Fear
fatigue
defeat
and
loneliness overwhelmed him. He spoke English with a beautiful vonderful-
vorld-type accent.
"When I noticed a
little black Bible in his shirt pocket
" he reminisces
"we started
to talk about Jesus and salvation. Wouldn't you know it
that lanky German
soldier turned out to be a born-again Christian who deeply loved the
Lord. I gave him water from my canteen; I even gave him crackers. Then
we prayed and read God's Word together. And we wept together too."
His voice began to
tremble
as tears splashed down his cheeks. His face began to reflect anguish.
"It seems like only
yesterday. We stood a foot or so apart
as he read a Psalm from his German
Bible. Then
I read Romans 12 from my King James translation. He showed me a
black- and-white picture of his wife and daughter."
The soldier took a deep
breath. "You see
in those days
I was a young man in my early twenties. I
had just graduated from a Christian college in Illinois and hadn't had time to
sort out my thoughts on the war.
"Maybe that's why I
did what I did. "I bid my German brother farewell
took several steps
away
then returned to the soldier. Romans 13
the 'thou shalt not kill'
commandment
the promises of eternal life
the Prince of Peace
the Sunday
school distinction between killing and murder
the irrationality of war -- all
swirled in my mind.
"When the German
soldier saw me returning
he bowed his head and closed his eyes in that classic
prayer posture. Then it happened. I said three crisp sentences that I still
repeat once or twice a week when I have nightmares about the war
'You're a
Christian. I am too. See you later.'
"In less than a
second
I transformed that defenseless Christian soldier into a
corpse."
Jon Johnston
Courage -
You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear
1990
SP Publications
pp.
155-157.
How we admire the obedience
a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man
whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken
the man explained
to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors
he often took his
dog with him. That morning
he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a
command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His
faithful friend understood
for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire started
in the woods
and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been
left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was
in perfect obedience to
his master's word. With tearful eyes
the dog's owner said
"I always had
to be careful what I told him to do
because I knew he would do it."
Our Daily Bread.
Every conscientious parent
recognizes how difficult it is to exercise his God-given authority over his
children. The delicate balance of being tough yet tender is not easy to
maintain. Many parents intensify a rebellious spirit by being dictatorial and
harsh. Others yield when their authority is tested. When a strong-willed child
resists
the pressure to give in for the sake of peace and harmony can become
overpowering. I am reminded of the mother who wanted to have the last word but
couldn't handle the hassle that resulted whenever she said no to her young son.
After an especially trying day
she finally flung up her hands and shouted
"All right
Billy
do whatever you want! Now let me see you disobey
THAT!"
Our Daily Bread.
"It is the
impassioned pleading of a quiet little Scottish lady that linked my life with
the Soudan
" wrote Rowland Bingham (a founder of S.I.M.). "In the
quietness of her parlor she told how God had called a daughter to China
and
her eldest boy (Walter Gowans) to the Soudan.
"She spread out
before me the vast extent of those thousands of miles and filled in the teeming
masses of people. Ere I closed the interview she had place upon me the burden
of the Soudan."
A year and a half later
Bingham returned to Canada
alone. Walter and Thomas Kent lay buried in
Nigeria's interior. "I visited Mrs. Gowans to take her the few personal
belongings of her son
" he recalled. "She met me with extended hand.
We stood there in silence.
"Then she said these
words: 'Well
Mr. Bingham
I would rather have had Walter go out to the Soudan
and die there
all alone
that have him home today
disobeying his Lord.'"
Our success in this
venture means nothing less than the opening of the country for the gospel; our
failure
at most
nothing more than the death of two or three deluded fanatics.
Still
even death is not failure. His purposes are accomplished. He uses deaths
as well as lives in the furtherance of His cause.
Rowland Bingham
a founder
of SIM.
On Dec. 4
1893
Walter Gowans and Rowland Bingham of Toronto
Canada
and Thomas Kent of
Buffalo
N.Y.
landed at Lagos
Nigeria. Their aim was to establish a witness
among the 60 million people of what was then commonly known as the Soudan
the
area south of the Sahara between the Niger River and the Nile. Gowans and Kent
died in the first few months. Bingham returned to Canada
formed a council
and
went back to Africa in 1900. That attempt
too
was unsuccessful. In 1901
Bingham sent out a party that succeeded in establishing the Mission's first
base
at Patigi
500 miles up the Niger River. When these first SIM pioneers
landed in Nigeria
Gowans was 25 years old
Bingham was two weeks away from his
21st birthday
Kent was 23.
It is not the multitude of
hard duties
it is not constraint and contention that advance us in our
Christian course. On the contrary
it is the yielding of our wills without
restriction and without choice
to tread cheerfully every day in the path in
which Providence leads us
to seek nothing
to be discouraged by nothing
to
seek out duty in the present moment
to trust all else without reserve to the
will and power of God.
Source Unknown.
It is the old choice which
still is presented to every soul; the old crisis which reappears in every experience.
Caesar
or Christ
that is the question: the vast
attractive
skeptical world
with its pleasures and ambitions and its prodigal promise
or the meek
majestic
and winning figure of Him of Nazareth?
The election remains for
each of us. And the moment of the election
in the shaded and solemn
"Valley of Decision
" will be memorable in our history
when suns for
us have ceased to shine!
Source Unknown.
Where our Captain bids us
go
'Tis not ours to murmur
no;
He that gives the sword
and shield
Chooses too the
battlefield
Where we are to fight the
foe.
Source Unknown.
Instant obedience is the
only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever
strives to withdraw from obedience
withdraws from Grace.
Thomas a Kampis.
I've read that when Edward
VI
the king of England in the 16th century
attended a worship service
he
stood while the Word of God was read. He took notes during this time and later
studied them with great care. Through the week he earnestly tried to apply them
to his life. That's the kind of serious-minded response to truth the apostle
James calls for in today's Scripture reading. A single revealed fact cherished
in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with
lofty ideas about God.
One step forward in
obedience is worth years of study about it.
Chambers
Our Daily
Bread
March 4
1993.
Arabian horses go through
rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require
absolute obedience from the horses
and test them to see if they are completely
trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living thing. The
trainers force the horses to do without water for many days. Then he turns them
loose and of course they start running toward the water
but just as they get
to the edge
ready to plunge in and drink
the trainer blows his whistle. The
horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience
stop. They turn around and come pacing back to the trainer. They stand there
quivering
wanting water
but they wait in perfect obedience. When the trainer
is sure that he has their obedience he gives them a signal to go back to drink.
Now this may be severe but
when you are on the trackless desert of Arabia and your life is entrusted to a
horse
you had better have a trained obedient horse. We must accept God's
training and obey Him.
Source Unknown.
Roger Staubach who led the
Dallas Cowboys to the World Championship in '71 admitted that his position as a
quarterback who didn't call his own signals was a source of trial for him.
Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass
when to run and
only in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be
right!). Even though Roger considered coach Landry to have a "genius
mind" when it came to football strategy
pride said that he should be able
to run his own team.
Roger later said
"I
faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony
fulfillment
and victory."
Source Unknown.
John Kenneth Galbraith
in
his autobiography
A Life in Our Times
illustrates the devotion of
Emily Gloria Wilson
his family's housekeeper:
It had been a wearying
day
and I asked Emily to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap. Shortly
thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House.
"Get me Ken
Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson."
"He is sleeping
Mr.
President. He said not to disturb him."
"Well
wake him up. I
want to talk to him."
"No
Mr. President. I
work for him
not you. When I called the President back
he could scarcely
control his pleasure. "Tell that woman I want her here in the White
House."
John Kenneth Galbraith
A
Life in Our Times
Houghton Mifflin
Reader's Digest
December
1981.
When Christian Herter was
governor of Massachusetts
he was running hard for a second term in office. One
day
after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church
barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down
the serving line
he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a
piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me
"
Governor Herter said
"do you mind if I have another piece of
chicken?"
"Sorry
" the
woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each
person."
"But I'm
starved
" the governor said.
"Sorry
" the
woman said again. "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a
modest and unassuming man
but he decided that this time he would throw a little
weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the
governor of this state."
"Do you know who I
am?" the woman said. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move
along
mister."
Bits & Pieces
May 28
1992
pp. 5-6.
Dr. B.J. Miller once said
"It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do
no matter
how hard it is
than to face the responsibilities of not doing it."
Today In The Word
November
1989
p.11.
"It is not the
importance of the thing
but the majesty of the Lawgiver
that is to be the
standard of obedience...Some
indeed
might reckon such minute and arbitrary
rules as these as trifling. But the principle involved in obedience or
disobedience was none other than the same principle which was tried in Eden at
the foot of the forbidden tree. It is really this: Is the Lord to be obeyed in
all things whatsoever He commands? Is He a holy Lawgiver? Are His creatures
bound to give implicit assent to His will?"
Andrew Bonar
referring to
the laws found in Leviticus
quoted in J. Bridges
The Pursuit of Holiness
p. 23.
The cost of obedience is
nothing compared with the cost of disobedience.
Lord
it belongs not to my
care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is
my share
And this Thy grace must
give.
If life be long I will be
glad
That I may long obey;
If short--yet why should I
be sad
To soar to endless day?
Christ leads me through no
darker rooms
Than he went through
before;
He that to God's Kingdom
comes
Must enter by this door.
Richard Baxter
Ron R. was discussing the
fragility of many marriages with his girlfriend and posed the following
question
"What if you wake up one morning and don't love me
anymore?" She immediately responded
"There's always obedience."
Source Unknown.
Imagine
if you will
that
you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the
country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the
other trusted employees
"Look
I'm going to leave. And while I'm gone
I
want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I'm
away. I will write you regularly. When I do
I will instruct you in what you
should do from now until I return from this trip." Everyone agrees.
He leaves and stays gone
for a couple of years. During that time he writes often
communicating his
desires and concerns. Finally he returns. He walks up to the front door of the
company and immediately discovers everything is in a mess--weeds flourishing in
the flower beds
windows broken across the front of the building
the gal at
the front desk dozing
loud music roaring from several offices
two or three
people engaged in horseplay in the back room. Instead of making a profit
the
business has suffered a great loss. Without hesitation he calls everyone
together and with a frown asks
"What happened? Didn't you get my
letters?"
You say
"Oh
yeah
sure. We got all your letters. We've even bound them in a book. And some of us
have memorized them. In fact
we have 'letter study' every Sunday. You know
those were really great letters." I think the president would then ask
"But what did you do about my instructions?" And
no doubt the
employees would respond
"Do? Well
nothing. But we read every one!"
Charles Swindoll
Living
Above the Level of Mediocrity
p. 242.
Driving down a country
road
I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge
a sign was
posted: "YIELD." Seeing no oncoming cars
I continued across the
bridge and to my destination. On my way back
I came to the same one-lane
bridge
now from the other direction. To my surprise
I saw another YIELD sign
posted. Curious
I thought
"I'm sure there was one posted on the other
side." When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure
enough
yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from
both directions were requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and
gracious way of preventing a head-on collision. When the Bible commands
Christians to "be subject to one another" (Ephesians 5:21) it is
simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way
and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.
Stephen P. Beck.
The captain of the ship
looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he
told his signalman to send a message" "Alter your course 10 degrees
south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10
degrees north."
The captain was angered;
his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your
course 10 degrees south--I am the captain!" Soon another message was
received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am seaman third class
Jones." Immediately the captain sent a third message
knowing the fear it
would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship."
Then the reply came "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a
lighthouse."
In the midst of our dark
and foggy times
all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night
telling us what to do
how to adjust our lives. Out of the darkness
one voice
signals something quite opposite to the rest--something almost absurd. But the
voice happens to be the Light of the World
and we ignore it at our our peril.
Paul Aiello
Jr.
※ Selected obedience is not obedience at all
it it
merely convenience.
※ When God puts a period
do not change it to a
question mark.
OBEDIENCE.
Ⅰ. Obedience of faith. “ A
great company of the priests were obedient ot the faith” (Acts 6:7).
Ⅱ. Obedience of love. “ If
ye love Me keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Ⅲ. Obedience to death. “
Became obedient unto death” (Phil.2:8).
Ⅳ. Obedience to Christ. “
Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2. Cor.10:5)
Ⅴ. Obedience unto
righteousness. “ Of obedience unto righteousness” (Rom.6:16).
Ⅵ. Obedience is remembered.
“ He remembereth the obedience of you all” (2.Cor.7:15).
Ⅶ. Obedience is spoken of. “
Your obedience is come abroad unto all men” (Rom.16:19).
── F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》
OBEDIENCE.
Ⅰ. Obedience is the
recognition of the claims of God (Acts 5:29).
Ⅱ. The mark of conversion to
the authority of Christ (Rom.6:16).
Ⅲ. The evidence of our
relationship to God the Father as His children (1. Peter 1:14).
Ⅳ. The characteristic of
faith
for faith always responds to the Word of God( Heb.11:8).
Ⅴ. The proof of our love of
faith
for faith always responds to the Word of God (Heb.11:8).
Ⅵ. The condition of
receiving the Spirit’s power (Acts 5:32).
Ⅶ. The indicator of the
Spirit’s working (Phil 2:12
13).
── F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》
The Secret Of Abiding Is Obeying
INTRODUCTION
1. In our examination of the "Secrets Of The Abundant Life
" we have seen thus far... a. The secret to living is bearing fruit
for in the very act of bearing fruit we experience the joy
happiness
assurance and peace which constitutes the "abundant life" b. The secret to bearing fruit is abiding
for as we "abide in Christ" (Jn 15:5) He provides the strength which enables us to bear fruit - cf. Ph 4:13 2. But what is the secret to abiding in Christ? How can we be sure to have access to the strength that Jesus provides? [Again we turn to Jesus' discourse on the vine and the branches as recorded in John 15...] I. THE SECRET OF ABIDING
A. THE SECRET OF ABIDING IS OBEYING THE COMMANDS OF JESUS... 1. As stated by Jesus... a. By keeping His commands we abide in His love - Jn 15:10a b. By keeping His commands we will be His friends - Jn 15:14 2. And restated by His beloved disciple
John - 1 Jn 3:24a B. THE PRINCIPLE OF ABIDING THROUGH OBEYING... 1. Governed Jesus' relationship with His Father while on earth a. He kept His Father's commandments
and so abided in His love - Jn 15:10b b. Passages which illustrate Jesus' desire to keep His Father's Will - Jn 4:34; 5:30; 6:38 2. And should govern our conduct as Christians as well a. We abide in Christ by keeping His commandments - 1 Jn 2:3-6 b. Otherwise we prove ourselves to be liars if we profess to know Him and do not keep His word! [And so "The Secret To Abiding Is Obeying". This may surprise some
butthe importance of "obedience" is stressed throughout the Word of God...] II. THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE
A. AS STRESSED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT... 1. With the nation of Israel a. At their beginning as a nation - Deu 10:12
13 b. Later
as the prophets tried to turn them from their apostasy - Isa 1:18-20 2. With the example of King Saul - 1 Sam 15:22-23 3. As concluded by Solomon in his search for meaning - Ecc 12:13 B. AS STRESSED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT... 1. By Jesus
on several occasions a. During the sermon on the mount - Mt 7:21-23
24-27; Lk 6:46 b. In describing His true family - Mk 3:31-35 c. In giving the "Great Commission" - Mt 28:18-20 2. By the apostles in their preaching and teaching a. E.g.
the apostle Peter - Ac 10:34
35
48 b. E.g.
the apostle Paul - Ac 17:30; Ro 6:17-18 CONCLUSION
1. One cannot read much of God's Word without realizing that obedience to God's "commands" are essential if we are going to enjoy God's "blessings!" 2. One verse that expresses this well is He 5:9
where speaking of Jesus it is said... "And having been perfected
He became the author ofeternal salvation to all who obey Him "
3. Have you obeyed the commands of Christ and His apostles? Consider just a few commands that you must obey if you are going to abide in Christ
and He in you... a. Believe on the name of Jesus Christ - 1 Jn 3:23 b. Repent of our sins - Ac 17:30 c. Be baptized - Mt 28:18-19 d. Grow in the knowledge of Christ - 2 Pe 3:18 e. Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together - He 10:24-25 f. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly - Co 3:16 g. Devote yourself to prayer - Co 4:2 4. To those who faithfully obey Jesus
to them are given the comforting words of Re 22:14... "Blessed are those who do His commandments
that they may have the right to the tree of life
and may enter throughthe gates into the city."
The secret to living is bearing fruit; The secret to bearing fruit is abiding;The secret to abiding is obeying...
－－《Executable
Outlines》