Category: Obedience
Subject: Obedience
The Patternists: According to All
For those who are seeking to please God, it is instructive to do a concordance search of all the times the phrase “according to all” is used in scripture. The phrase occurs on multiple occasions in the Old Testament (in English translations such as the King James, New King James and American Standard versions). The phrase is inclusive of what the “all” encompasses. Often the “all” concerns the commands of God. Consider the example in Joshua.
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7-9).
True obedience to God requires obedience to all He has commanded. It is not acceptable to pick and choose the commandments we desire to obey, and ignore the rest. Joshua’s admonition came with the promise that if they were faithful in their obedience to all of God’s commands, that they would have “good success.” The Old Testament reveals both the truthfulness of that statement, and the sad end of Israel when God’s commands were not followed.
This object lesson is applicable to men today. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). This is why it is necessary to obey the entire pattern revealed in the scriptures. As Peter said, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).
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Sermon: “Here Am I Send Me”
Speaker: Josh Cox
The importance of taking our place in service to the Lord.
Sermon: Christ, Our Peace
A discussion of the entire context of Ephesians, chapter 2. The sermon establishes the central position of Jesus Christ in our scheme of redemption, and refutes the false dichotomy that salvation by Grace precludes the necessity of obedience.
Sermon: What Can the Righteous Do?
David affirmed in Psalm 11 that in the midst of trial or persecution, the righteous can depend upon God as they place their trust in Him.
“There is none who does good”
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good” (Psalm 53:1).
The infidel is a fool. He is wicked, living his life without the one thing that can bring good action — faith in God.
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:24-25).
There is a philosophical question that is often asked. Can atheism account for morality? In other words, without God, can there be true right and wrong, good and evil?
Accepting the reality of God, the point is moot. If God exists, and created us for His purpose, then one can’t be “good” unless one is doing God’s will. This is what the Bible affirms. Left to our own devices, we are incapable of serving God acceptably. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). And, it is required of us, if we are to be good, to obey Him. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Don’t be a fool! Believe in God, and do His will!
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The Patternists: Feel Compelled
Religious people typically act in accord with the dictates of the conscience. This is commendable. Paul made clear that we should always do what we believe to be right, “for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
What is equally true is that many, in doing what they think is right, are actually violating God’s will. In other words, they are convinced they are doing what God wants them to do, but they are mistaken. This is a serious problem, as noted by the Lord Himself:
Sermon: When I Sin
No one is immune to sin. Only the Son of God Himself lived his life without sinning. Since all sin, the key is responding to that sin in your life appropriately. In doing so you can escape the consequences, and benefit from God’s mercy.
Sermon: Lessons Learned from a Fish’s Belly
An examination of Jonah, chapters 1 and 2. The lesson examines what we can learn and apply from Jonah’s time spent in the belly of a great fish. 1) You can’t hide from God; 2) God hears our prayers as we turn to Him; 3) God disciplines us so that we will turn to Him; 4) Salvation is of the Lord; 5) Obedience without thanksgiving is empty.
The Thessalonian Example
The apostle Paul obviously considered the church in Thessalonica to be a faithful congregation. “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4). They had received the gospel of the Lord from Paul and others, and through their obedience to it had become “examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe” (1:7).
The concept of faithfulness is married to an acceptance of truth, coupled with an effort to conform to it. Consider Paul’s description of the Christians in Thessalonica, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus” (1:13-14).
Sermon: Be Strong!
The lesson examines Paul’s exhortation to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-7 to be strong! Endure hardship as a soldier, compete honestly as an athlete, and work diligently as a farmer.
Sermon: Participation Matters
The lesson is designed to encourage work in the local congregation. Both the duties and blessings of participation are discussed.
Sermon: Do You See Yourself?
Felix and Paul are presented as two examples, illustrating the forgetful hearer, and the doer of the work, noted in James 1:21-25.
Sermon: Heroes of Faith
Four character studies from the list of Heroes given in Hebrews 11. The legacy of faith of Enoch, Gideon, Barak and Jephthah are examined, with applications made.
