The Principle of Obedience

Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I'm thankful to know that Jesus is in the house. Amen. I know he's here because you can feel his presence. Amen. But we also have a promise. When you're gathered in his name, he is there. And when he inhabits praise, he is there. So, I know he's here. And he's going to touch our hearts and he's going to touch our lives this morning. I'm going to read from John chapter 14 and then a verse from John chapter 15 and then a couple of verses from Ephesians chapter 2.

And so, from John chapter 14, Jesus' words beginning at verse 12. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, he shall do also. And greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father. And whatsoever you ask in my name, that will I do that my Father may be glorified in the Son." That's why we just prayed. And he said, "You ask, I'll do it." He said, "If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."

And then he says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Kind of find that interesting. He's talking about you're going to do greater works, and you can call on me, and and you can ask in my name, the Father's going to do it. You're going to do greater works than than the works that you've seen if you believe on me. And then he says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that Holy Ghost, that he may abide with you forever, the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.

But ye know him, for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come again. Yet a little while, the world seeth me no more, but you see me because I live, you shall live also. And at that day you're going to know I'm in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me should be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

And then Judas said, "Lord, how is it that you're going to manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world? How are we going to see you? How are you going to reveal yourself to us, but nobody else?" And Jesus answered said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and he will come unto him and make our abode with him." And then in John chapter 4 15 verse 14, he said, "Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you."

Find it interesting here. He's talking about asking in his name. He's talking about greater works that you're going to do. He's talking about the poor outpouring of the Holy Ghost. But all mingled in in through there, he talks about keeping his commandments. He talks about if you love me and you keep my works. He said if you have my commandments and you keep them, I see a little pattern there. You're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. So he is talking about obedience here and that will be the title of our lesson, this principle of obedience.

Ephesians chapter 2, very familiar verse to us, verse 8, for by grace you are saved through faith and not of your that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It's not of works lest any should boast. For we are his workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The series of lessons we've been studying deals with Christian principles and relationship. And so we talked about loyalty and we talked about honesty. We talked about discipleship.

We've talked about these different kinds of principles and relationship, but today's lesson focuses on this principle of obedience. So the relationship here is of with our relationship with God more than with others in in this lesson. And to be sure, obedience is not a popular topic all the time. Yet without obedience to God and his word, we really can't live for him. We have to obey those. I think probably no Bible story demonstrates this point as poignantly as that of Samuel and Saul, very familiar passage and and some very familiar uh scriptures there.

Would you read as a king, Saul had an opportunity to make a great do a great work for God. Now we know that God had no intentions really to provide a king for Israel and they asked for one. They wanted to be like the other nations and said, "Can we have a king? Can we have a king?" They asked Samuel over and over. Finally Samuel says, you know, "No. Why not? You know, God is over you." And so he goes to God about it. and said, "Well, give them a king."

That's what they want. Let that happen. And so, Saul really had an opportunity to be a wonderful king and do those things. In fact, God told Samuel, he said to anoint Saul, there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. And so, unfortunately, what seemed to be great potential for leadership and and service just begin to deteriorate very rapidly. Almost as soon as Saul takes over, and he begins things begin to happen. And in 1 Samuel 13, we see Saul's first major mistake.

He is waiting to arrange for battle, and he's they're getting ready to go to war. And And Samuel says, "Don't fight until I get there. We'll offer sacrifices to God and so the God will help us." And so, Saul, he's a man of action. He's wanting to get busy, and he's wanting to get to the battle. And he looks around, and the others there, and we're just milling around waiting. We're not ready to start fighting because we're waiting on Samuel. And Another day goes by, and another day goes by, and Saul's getting antsy.

And finally, he said, "You know, it's it's just a sacrifice. I'll just do it myself." So, he offers the sacrifices, and they go to war. And so, his next major mistake was failing to obey God's command. And so, Samuel shows up and says, "Saul, ready to do the sacrifice?" We already did that. We're ready to fight. Well, you were supposed to wait. And so, now he begins to fight. And Samuel had told him, "Here's what you were to do. You are to completely destroy the Amalekites and destroy all their possessions.

Don't keep anything. Don't do anything except destroy them from the face of the earth." And so, Paul or Saul partially obeyed the order, but he saved Agag, the king, and the best of the livestock for for themselves. And so, Samuel comes up to him again. And he he meets him as the troops are returning from battle. And said, "Did you do what you were commanded?" Yes, we did. We did exactly what you said to do. Well, what's these sheep I'm hearing? And what are these cows that I'm hearing?

And And what's going on? And Samuel, as he confronts Saul, he he begins to blame Saul begins to blame the others. He said, "Well, the best of the sheep and of the oxen, the people spared those so that we could offer them as a sacrifice unto the Lord our God." Now, that seems like a reasonable thing, doesn't it? Save the best stuff and we'll just give it to God. Good excuse. And then Saul said or Samuel said this very familiar scripture, and you've heard it many times, no doubt.

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." Sacrifice is good. God's pleased with sacrifice. God expected sacrifice. He expected those things in the Old Testament time. And And that was part of their worship. But he said, "If you're not in obedience, these sacrifices really don't mean a whole lot." I think that carries huge implication for our lives today. I know our sacrifices today are that of a contrite spirit, right? And a heart that gives praise to God, and those kind of things are the sacrifices, fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

All these kind of things that we offer, and if you will in sacrifice to him, but if we're not in obedience, it really becomes almost useless. To obey is better than sacrifice. You know, our human nature, it it just demands this privilege of doing our own thing. We want to do things our way. I think most of us are probably that way. One way or another, we want to do it our way, the way we see fit, the way we see that it ought to ought to be.

But the problem is when it comes to the things of God, there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of there of is the ways of death and destruction. And so the pathway to full commitment to God, it it seems to be the path less traveled because we want to do stuff our way. I woke up this morning and and very early I heard a mower going and it went on and on it was probably for an hour or someone was mowing somewhere and I thought well there's a Sunday morning for someone, you know.

And I don't know who and I'm not condemning but I'm just saying I'm going to do my way. Not give God his time, not do those things. I'm going to go out and do what I want to do. And when we take that broad easy path of doing our own thing maybe we forget that that's what Satan wanted in the first place, right? In the Garden of Eden. Was to do it your way. You know, God knows what's going on in your life and he knows that if you partake of this fruit and he knows if you do that Eve that that you'll be like him and and so it places us really on the same path that the devil would travel.

And so God demands total obedience to his word and to his command. And if we're going to live for God, this is a principle that that we must settle in our hearts. We must yield to God's leadership in our lives. And that doesn't mean just on a Sunday morning but throughout our day and throughout our week and throughout our lifetime to say how am I lining up to the word of God. God demands we give earnest attention to his word and that we follow his instructions and that we do what he had to say.

Even Jesus gave in this example of that. I know he didn't look forward to the cross. He wasn't anxious to get there and you know, he knew what he had to do and he knew that he had to go to Calvary and he knew what was going to happen and that he would die and give his life and yes, he did know he was going to raise again but he knew what it was going to take to get there. And so he goes to the garden and he prays, "Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me.

I really don't want to do it. And And that's I think where we find ourselves in our lives so many of the time. I I really don't want to do this or or the flesh doesn't want to do that or would rather do this over here, but realizing the eternal purpose of the crucifixion, Jesus said, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." And that's where we need to get in our walk with God. It's really about pleasing him and doing what he wants, not doing what makes me comfortable.

So, a willingness to obey God places us in a position that is higher than any other on earth. When we call him master and Lord and and we mean it and we do see him as our master and the one that is the Lord over our lives, it's it's more than just words, but it becomes a commitment to him. And he said, "When you do that and you keep my commandment," he said, "I call you friends. I call you a member of my family." So, let's look at this importance of obedience in our Christian life.

First off, our very salvation hinges on obedience. On obedience. Paul presents what what may seem a dichotomy or maybe even a we might question in Ephesians chapter 2, we read that verse that we read, "For by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God." Many people stop there and they say, "See, we're saved by faith. I don't have to do anything. I just have to believe and that's all that I have to do. I just have to believe in Jesus Christ as my personal savior and I am saved."

And yes, it is true that we are saved by grace. It is only by the grace of God. Paul makes that abundantly clear. And In fact, although he states that we're saved by faith, he also places the origin origin of faith in grace. Think about it. He said, "That grace is not of that faith is not of yourselves. It It isn't because you've got it and you've deserved it." He said, "God has given us." He said in Romans, "The grace is given unto me is given to every man that is among you."

So, don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. Don't look at yourself and say, "Well, I've got great faith and I can believe and I can trust God better than so." He said, "But, think soberly because God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." So, grace even allows us to have faith in the first place. It's been defined as Grace has been defined as unmerited favor or undeserving, something we don't deserve. So, you can't earn it. It is God working enough even though we don't deserve it.

And so, we must guard against becoming legalistic in our walk with God. And when we place our salvation anywhere else than His grace, we're really no different than the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked. We say, "Well, I can earn it. I can do better. I can I can receive God's blessing if I'm because I am earning it." No, we do not earn it. I think particularly as Holiness Pentecostals, we got to be careful that not place our emphasis on what I am doing to say I'm going to please God and earn my salvation because it is by grace.

This Christian life is a life of balance and we must have this balanced theology behind a balanced lifestyle. You know, there no doubt a lot of times you will hear, "Well, all that stuff you're doing that's just a bunch of legalism and bondage to a legal code. You got to understand what grace is and what grace does. We deserve to die. Wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That grace is given to us so that we can live.

It is obvious we can't repay for what he has done. The price was too great. You cannot earn your salvation. We have to receive it as a free gift. We must understand that all we are is by the grace of God. You know, it is tempting to look at our lives and say, "Well, I'm pretty good, you know. I'm better than that person over there. I don't do what they do. You know, I don't come home drunk and beat up the wife and I don't smoke and cuss and do all those things.

I I see others make bad decisions, but I choose what's right and I ignore peer pressure and when the con- conversation goes the wrong way, I take the high road and stay out of it and you know, it doesn't matter. None of those mean that I deserve salvation. God's not looking down saying, "Yeah, I want that person cuz they live a clean life." No, he's saying, "I want everyone whosoever will, if they will turn to me, I will give them grace." We got to settle it once for all without the God's grace, we're just as sinful as the next guy.

Yeah, I can discipline myself to pray and I can discipline myself to fast and to dress a certain way or talk a certain way and and read a certain things and avoid other things and you know, all these things will not earn me salvation. That is why it is a gift. Awards and rewards are earned. It's something you you have to work at, but gifts are given. Peter refers to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Paul calls it a free gift. And God gives that free gift out of an ultimate act of grace.

The source of our salvation then is the grace of God. It rests on nothing we've done. Jesus provided it, but there is more to salvation than just acknowledging God's grace. There's more than just a mental assent to say, "Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ." That grace has to work in us. It has to work through us. Some people even looked at Acts 2:38 and we we look at that as our plan of salvation to repent and to be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And they look at that and they say, "Well, baptism, that's just work. You're saved when you believe and and that's just that's that's you doing something. It's it's you repenting and it's you going down in water and and all that stuff is just works and it's really not necessary." Well, Paul said it this way, "Do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering?" In other words, his grace. Do you despise that? Not knowing that that goodness of God will lead you to repentance.

So, grace, God working in us, will lead us to a point where we have to repent. In other words, to change your mind, to turn around and go a different direction. Well, now you're trying to earn salvation. No. The grace of God is leading me to a place where I will turn from this lifestyle and I will follow that one. We need to understand that in our life. Salvation saves us, but it doesn't end with a new birth experience and infilling of the Holy Ghost. As is the case with a physical birth, a new birth, it's only the beginning of a spiritual life and a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yes, we are saved from sin and its consequences when we repent of those sins and and we're baptized in his name for the remission, the payment, the blood applied to our lives and we're filled with the Holy Ghost in our lives. However, we must continue walking with God and communing with him. And salvation involves a lifetime of growing in relationship with God and striving to the goal of being conformed to his image and becoming like Jesus Christ. And so we live by faith and we continually endeavor to obey and to please him in everything that we do.

He gives us that gift of salvation by imparting his righteousness and calling us into this relationship with him. Paul went on in in verse 10 of Ephesians. He said, "We are his workmanship." God is working on us. We were created in Jesus Christ. Now, listen to this, "unto good works." Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Now, people look sometimes at at us and they say, "Well, that's all just works. You're trying to earn salvation." No, I'm not trying to earn it.

I've already got the salvation. I'm trying to do what he has ordained for me to do and that is to walk in those good works. Good works, that that's obedience. They're not the cause of salvation, but they are the result of salvation. John Calvin said it this way, "Our calling demands purity of life and nothing else." We have been freed from sin to this end that we may obey righteousness. You need to be careful cuz some people say, "Well, it's just grace of God and I can live anyway I want and God's grace is he's just going to cover it all."

No, he gave you grace that gave you salvation, and he made you righteous legally. That's a legal term that he puts you righteous before God that you could stand in right relationship with God, but he did it so that you could do those good works. That objective to change us into the image of Christ. And so he prepared and he designed redemption so that it would cause us to do good works. It's no accident that once we're saved by the power of the spirit, the Holy Ghost in our life, we exch- experience a change in our way of life.

The things we used to do they're they're no longer appealing, and we want to please him. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men that they may what? See your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Now, if they're glorifying you, that that misses the point, but if it's glorifying God, good works don't buy salvation, they glorify God. That's why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "What? Know ye not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost that's in you?"

That's where the grace came in. He filled us with his spirit, which you have of God. You're not your own. You didn't do it. You're bought with a price. Then he goes on to say, "Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." Obey. Follow his word. Follow his plans. He said in 1 in 2 Corinthians 9:8, "We are to abound to every good work." In Colossians 1:10, Paul wrote, "Be fruitful in every good work." And these good works are a crowning result of God's working in our life.

Romans 6:22 says it this way, "But now being made free from sin." And we're thankful for that, right? When those sins are washed away and his spirit comes in our life, we're thankful for that. Now we are made free from sin. And then he said, "And you are become servants to God." And you have your fruit into holiness and the end everlasting life. There are those that read Paul and they read James and they think, "Well, they're at odds." Paul's always talking about grace. He's talking about about salvation by grace and everything else.

And you go over to James and James looks at it and says, "Yeah, you can talk faith all you want, but faith without works is dead. You got to put some Paul never said that. He said, "You have to You are saved for good works." Working obedience to God. And our obedience must be a continual obedience. We're not obedient for repentance and baptism and then we walk our own way. We have to continue living righteously, holy in this present world. It's a lifetime endeavor. And we we understand that.

It It doesn't just happen in an instant and suddenly everything's okay. We have to continue following the word of God. I think of the story of the woman that came to Jesus Christ. She'd been caught in the act of adultery and they were ready to stone her and and and kill her. Said, "The law says this." And Jesus writes in the sand. We don't know what he wrote, but eventually everybody leaves and he says, "Where are your accusers?" "I don't have any." And Jesus said, "Well, neither do I condemn you."

But he didn't say just go go back to whatever you're doing. No, he said, "Go and sin no more." Be obedient to the word of God. So, it is a lifetime thing. Turn away from that life of sin. Bible tells us that Enoch walked with God. He lived in a time the world was filled with wickedness. It was before the flood and when everything was just just falling apart and wickedness all over the place and God was about to destroy and he he lived in in that period of time.

But during that time, he walked with God. His relationship was not a one-time experience, but he lived in this continual communion with God. He was obedient to the things of God. It's an example of how we should live. We're really not saved. We understand that ultimately salvation comes when we make it to heaven. But our life on earth is a time that we are preparing for that eternity and it involves a walk with God that begins at our salvation, but it continues until he comes again.

And so we have to constantly strive to follow his commands and to have a life of obedience. It it demands that we live apart from the ungodliness of this world and the things of this world. James talked about that in James 4:4. He said, "Know ye not that friendship with the world talking about the world's systems and the things of this world and the pleasures of this world, the sins of this world. He said, "The friendship with the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God,"

he writes. We need to be careful that what we do is in line with this word of God. Now words alone obviously don't indicate a obedient life. You can say, "Yes, I I I'm a Christian now and I'm living for God." Well, that that's good. But does your life show that? And I'm not up here judging you, that's between you and God. I'm just going to say what the word of God has to say and then you apply it to your life. Jesus talked about those in Matthew 5:15:8.

He said, "This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth. They honor me with their lips." Just go out and ask how many Are you a Christian? Yeah, I don't go to church, but yeah, I I I I'd consider myself a Christian. He said, "But their heart is far from me." They claim to surrender and to do something and to to make that claim does not necessarily indicate that a surrender has taken place. Are the things of God and His word now most important in our life?

Some people make great professions of have saving faith, but there's really no evidence in their life that they're following the word of God. That spirit that is in their life should begin to bring forth fruit unto righteousness. That's why James said, "Yea, a man may say you have faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works." I want to see it cuz I can't. "And I will show thee my faith by my works." You'll see it because I'm living it out. I'm obedient to God.

You see, obedience is it's really proof that we have surrendered to God. When you're in disobedience, you really haven't surrendered. I'm still doing what I want to do. The law explicitly declared the manner of life that God wanted Israel to live and he expected them to follow a different lifestyle than than everyone else. And he gave them all all those things, but they didn't follow it. Joshua, later on, he issued detailed instructions to Israel as they armed and prepared to conquest of Jericho. He said, "Don't take anything."

Again, much like what Saul was told, destroy it all. And we know that Achan disobeyed the Lord's command. He took took several things. We only can possess complete surrender to God when we demonstrate that obedience to his word. That's why Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." You can say, "I love God" all you want, but if you're not keeping his commandments, if you're not following in his word, if you're not obedient to him, really it's just empty words. Only show that complete surrender to God as we walk in obedience to him.

We can only realize really what this Christian life means and what it means to serve him when we walk in obedience to him. Our willingness to obey his word. We grow in the Lord and we can remain victorious. Obedience to God will will help us to become stronger and more productive Christians. Obedience to God does several things. Number one, it will bring us success to your life in in living for God. You will be successful. You know, I've heard people say, "I don't want to live for God cuz I know I'm going to fail."

Well, he'll empower you. He'll give you grace. So, you start there and then you start working toward obedience to God and he will help you to do that. He will help bring that success. Moses guided Israel through the wilderness for 40 years and it came time to to turn it over to Joshua and and let Joshua he Joshua had proved themselves in in battles over the enemies and he had shown his faith in God when everybody else said, "Let's go back to Egypt." And he and Caleb said, "No, let's take take this."

Yeah, he was a great leader, but but he even sometimes veered from that pathway of obedience. And we see this we we see this first he failed to consult the Lord before he attacked AI after they left Jericho. He just said, well, this is just something small. We'll just go take care of it. Just take a few of you some of you guys rest. We'll just go. He didn't check with God and they lost that battle. Well, why? Because there was sin in the camp. He needed to be obedient.

He needed to realize that yes, Jericho was a great battle and God helped us with it. I can just do this next one on my own. No, true obedience knows we need to depend on him for everything. You want to have success. God wanted to get the glory in taking over Canaan's land. When they he moved brought them across the river, he and he always wants to get the glory in our lives to show that it is him working. And so obviously he got glory when they just walked around Jericho and the walls fall flat.

And then Joshua said, we can do this next one ourselves. Now, you still need God. And I think we see that same principle in our lives. You know, great battles sometimes we face things and we seek God and he does a great miracle and we say, yes, God worked this out for me. And then the next thing comes up and we say, I'll just handle this and we get into ourselves in a mess. True obedience, if we want to have a successful life for God is no is to trust him in everything that we do.

Joshua had another failure. He was told don't make any covenants with anyone in the land. Don't don't agree with them. Your job is to push them out. I gave you this land and you're going to inhabit it. And so there were some people that live nearby, the Gibeonites that were actually neighbors and they walked up and they put on some old clothes and got some old moldy food and carried it up and said, we've come from a long way and you know, our clothes are worn out, our food's about exhausted and can you please sign this agreement that you'll be and Joshua didn't consult God.

He didn't he just say yeah, sure. Put his name on the line. You'll be we'll be partners with you. Well, thanks. You're the neighbors. I'm the ones you were supposed to push out. Success for God's people only results when we seek him. No matter how simple it may seem. Here's what we know. Except the Lord builds a house, we labor in vain to build it. I want him to build my house. And how does he do that? It's because I when I am obedient to him.

Obedient to God will will bring blessings on our lives. God told Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 30, he said, "The Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work in thy hand." God God will bless you in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your cattle, the fruit of thy land for good. For the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good as he rejoiced over thy fathers if you will hearken unto the Lord your God. To keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book.

And if thou shalt turn unto the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. The meaning is clear. Serving God means more than just coming on a Sunday morning and we do that. That's part of it. You know, singing songs and joining the presence of God and then going back and living our lives until next Sunday. No, it involves a life committed to God. One person said there's at least four types of people in our church. There are those that are willing for others to attend regularly and and they come to church but well, I'll come Easter and Christmas and a few times a year.

I'm a Christian but you know, I'm just really not a part of it. Then there are those that that come but they just don't get involved in anything. Well, I'm here, but I did my part. Then there's those that do come and they're willing to work, but only so far. I've got my own things going on in in my life to live. And then there are those that attend everything supporting the work of God, getting involved in it. Where do we find ourselves in that list?

And there's no doubt others besides what this person gave, but where do I find myself? Am I totally sold out for what God and His kingdom want to be? Want me to be. Am I obedient to the word of God? Now, I understand we can't force anyone to obey God's word, but it will come naturally to the child of God that wants to please Jesus Christ. Obedience to God brings knowledge of God's will. You ever wonder what's God's will in my life? How do I know what God's will?

Well, it starts by just being obedient. Doing what you can. Be obedient. And when you do that, you will find yourself walking closer and closer to the will of God. Knowing and doing the will of God is is something we often struggle with. There can be no complete surrender to God unless we know and are willing to follow what He wants. So, Paul gives us some instructions on how to do that in Romans 12. I beseech you therefore, brethren, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Notice He didn't say present your heart, present your mind, present your soul. No, and that said, He said, present your bodies. In other words, live your life in a way that is holy and acceptable unto God. Live your life in a way that is pleasing to Him. And I know we take that scripture sometimes we say present your bodies living. That's it. Just going to the altar and repenting and crying out. to God. No, it it's talking about literally who you are physically, present that to God that is holy and acceptable.

Put that into the service of God following his will. And then he said, "And don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." So, in other words, be obedient to the things of God. He said that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Obey God and you will find that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for your life. Other thing to know is when we are obedient to him, we get to enjoy the presence of God.

God's word is clear regarding regarding that source of the relationship with God. James said it this way, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Walk in obedience to God and the things of God, and he will come near." We read that to some ex- to a great extent in John 14. It was interesting as we said, he was talking about, "I'm doing great things, and you're going to do greater things than this. I'm I'm going to send the promise of the Father.

It's going to come to you." And all throughout it he keeps talking about, "And be obedient. Walk in my commandments. Do these things." These are tied together. You want the presence of God in your life, be obedient to the word of God. Loving him and obeying his word are they're closely related. He said, "He that hath my commandments and keep it them, that's the one that loves me." That's how he said that. He it is that loves me. How do you know you love him? Well, are you walking in his commandments and keeping them?

That shows your love for God. He that love me, he said the Father will love him, I will love him and manifest myself to him. You can't purchase this reciprocal love between God and man, but it automatically becomes part of our nature when we're obedient to His word. And it will bring His love into our life. Just really at least two basic reasons for keeping God's commandments. Well, number one, He told us to. That ought to be enough. He's our creator, right? He He He's the one that He's God and we're not.

And so, that ought to be one thing, but the other is that we love God and we desire to please Him. And when we can get to that point, it changes our whole attitude in our life for God. There are people that say, "Yeah, okay, I I'm being obedient because I have to, you know, I'm I'm afraid the man upstairs, if I make a mistake, he's going to strike me or something." And so, they walk that way. The others understand that if I love God, then I want to be like Him.

I want to follow after Him. That's where we need to be. A person who does not love God may may only feel like a slave. Well, I have to obey because that's what I have to do to be a part of what God wants me to be, but but when we obey His commandments because we love Him, we become eager to do so. You know, we're we're we're free here in North America to live where we have freedom to worship as we desire. We can, you don't have to worry, you don't have to be afraid, Bibles are available anywhere, don't have to be smuggled in as they do in some societies.

Don't have to have silent worship when you come together because you might upset, you know, the law might hear you and come and drag you out of your church and and all these kind of things. But that doesn't make us better. What makes us better is when we put this word of God in our hearts and we begin to follow it and we begin to obey it. You know, if we're not careful, we'll dilute ourselves in this relationship with with Jesus. This this superficial relationship is so easy, but it's so different from what they experienced at Pentecost.

When you think that those that received the Holy Ghost were willing to give their lives for the gospel and to move that message. We understand what it means to be obedient when the spirit comes in our life. And obedience to God will bring answered prayers. James said it this way, "Ye ask and you receive not because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your own lusts." If our focus isn't obedience to God, prayers will not be answered. Obedience to God. Five keys to a successful and rewarded prayer life.

Yes, number one, you have to have faith in God. We have to have trust. Another is we must love as he loved. We must be willing to obey God. We must have a desire for fellowship with the Lord, not just a time to ask, you know, to come before him. Some people our prayers are just ask, "Lord, I need this and I need this and I need this. Here's my list." No, a fellowship with him and then being filled with his spirit. When we can put those things together, God will answer prayer.

Obedience to God is essential if we're going to be in contact with him. The key to our spiritual success is to follow the will of God for our lives. And how do you know that? It's right here in his word. Obedience to him, drawing closer to him. There's an old song used to sing it said this, trust and obey. Anybody remember that one? Said this, trust and obey cuz there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. The trust part sometimes we're okay with that.

The obedience part need to be okay with that, too. Walk in obedience to the world to the word of God. Talking about disciplines and these these things, these principles of a relationship with God. If you want to be what he wants you to be get in his word and then walk in his word. Obey it. Do what it has to say. Let's stand. It's probably one of the toughest lessons we have when we're kids, right? You got to obey. Why? Cuz I said so. Guess what?

God said so. You eventually learn, well, it's because you're my mom and dad and I want to be in obedience to you and I want to have that right attitude. Hopefully that same thing happens in our walk with God. I want to please you. If you feel that way, just lift a hand and tell it to him right now. Lord, in your name we're here today sitting here listening to your word not because we just want to check off a box but because we want to please you.

To walk in obedience to your word and to what you have to say. Pray that you will help us to do that in Jesus' name. We thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Take a break and we'll go time for morning worship here in a bit.