I KNOW

WHAT OUR

REAL PROBLEM IS:

OBEDIENCE

I PETER 1:4

Introduction:  Like most preachers, I use to make the Christian life somewhat complicated.  I had in my mind all of these evangelical theories about “why we don’t live for our Lord” and “what is the real secret” until one day it dawned on me as to my constant, everlasting problem, day in and day out problem was nothing more or less than lack of OBEDIENCE.  With that in my mind, I began to look up verses on obedience to see if I was right.  Here is the conclusion in this little reading for you and especially for me.  

LISTING OF THE VERSES ON OBEDIENCE;  

1. I Peter 1:4....”as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance.”

2.. I Peter 1:2....”unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood....”

3. Isaiah 1:11-16....These verses show that man would rather do anything other than obey God....what god wants is portrayed in v. 16, 17   [please read]

4. Deut. 26:16....”This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to “do these statutes and judgments....thou shall therefore keep and do them with all thine heart and with all thy soul.”                                                                                                                                                             5. Joshua 1:8....”The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then shall thou make thy way prosperous and then shall thou have good success.”

6. I Sam. 15:22....”Hath the Lord as great del;ight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in “OBEYING the voice of the Lord?  Behold to OBEY is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of lambs.”

7.Exodus 19:5..”now therefore if you will OBEY my voice indeed and KEEP my covenant, then shall you be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.”  [note how the promises were all couched in one thing, obedience]. 

8. Deut. 4:24-31...[these verses are for those who do not think “disobedience” is all that bad.  This is rough language from our God.  He hates disobedience].

DOES OBEDIENCE CONNECT WITH OTHER TRUTHS FROM THE BIBLE?

1. What about Knowledge and Assurance.   [related to obedience]

a. John 17:7....”if any man will “DO His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.”

1. Principle:  We are that clarity of knowledge depends on honest obedience.  It is the same as living up to our light.....then God gives us more light.

2. Lesson:  We believers think that knowledge comes through the intellect, but here we are taught that knowledge comes through OBEDIENCE.  When I had my first little church in Virginia, I used to visit a little old lady who lived in an unpainted house on the hill.  To be quite frank about it, she was no intellectual giant, but I will tell you what she had .  She obeyed the light she had and God gave her more light and on and on the process went. She had learned to tap on the formula....what a wise old lady she was. By the way, she made such an impression on me that I remember her name to this day.  Mrs. J. J. Ramsay...materially poor as red dirt, but wise as a prophet.  

3. Conclusion: I just do not follow the teaching that “increased knowledge will bring with it growth in godliness.”  Scripture seems to reverse that order and say and teach that the WAY TO DO HIS WORD IS TO DO HIS WILL.  

2. What about the Liberating Power of the Word and Obedience  [any connection?]

a. John 8:31-32...”if you continue in my Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine...and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”  [freedom: make you free]

3. Note the Intimate Self Disclosure of the Father and Obedience.

a. John 14:21-23...”he who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. and he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.  How about v. 23 about obedience and self disclosure.  [wow]

b. John 15:14...”you are my friends ...if you DO whatsoever I command you.” [you can be called a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ by doing what He commands....Rather intimate...to be friends with God Himself]. 

4. Confidence in Prayer is Tied to Obedience.  I John 3:18-22....”and whatsoever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”

5. The EXPERIMENT of Obedience #1.  Luke 5:4-5

1. There is first the EXPERIMENT of Obedience    “Lord, we have toiled all night...nevertheless, at thy word I will cast out the nets.”  [THIS IS THE EXPERIMENT]

2. There  is then the EXPERIENCE of obedient.   “then, they enclosed fishes” v. 6

a. It is pure and simple....they enclosed fishes that nearly sank two boats when they OBEYED....pure and simple. TWO BOAT LOADS OF FISHES AND OBEDIENCE WERE VITALLY CONNECTED.   

6. The EXPERIMENT of Obedience #2.  Luke 17:12

1. The EXPERIMENT....”go show thyself to the priest”   [They were told to go and show something to the priest that had NOT YET happened.....this was the EXPERIMENT. 

2. The EXPERIENCE.   “as they went they were healed”   [Question: what was the pathway to their experience?  NOTHING BUT SHEER OBEDIENCE.   

7. The Great Illustration of Obedience.   John 2:4-7

1. Three Features of this Advice.  

a. first, our obedience is to be ENTIRE....the scope and range of these words are found in just one word, “whatsoever.”

b. second our obedience is to be EXCLUSIVE....for it says, “whatsoever He saith.”  [this simply means to the total EXCLUSION of all others....forget about what anyone else says....it is to be an exclusive obedience to HIM, HIM ALONE].

c. third, our obedience is to be SPECIFIC.  “do it”  [it is NOT to be an obedience that  is close to what He says, bu t it is to be SPECIFIC...not partial]. 

2. Three Feature in the Actual Obedience.

a. they obeyed IMMEDIATELY v. 7  [there are times in obedience when you must not pause.  I have often paused in my stewardship and then it never happened]. 

b.  they obeyed COMPLETELY.  They filled the water pots to the brim....as He had instructed them to do v. 7 . I can just hear the rationale of today for not filling them to the BRIM.....too heavy,  too cumbersome, “what is the big deal of having to go all the way to the top”....”this is over kill”.  [Logic would say that to fill them too full would waste water].

c. they obeyed SUCCESSIVELY.  [Note the order of their obedience....FILL, DRAW, BEAR.  They did all He said to do successively.  

SIDLOW BAXTER TELLS US THAT WHEN

HE WAS SAVED, HIS MOTHER WROTE IN THE FLY

LEAF OF HIS BIBLE THESE WORDS,