GREAT EXPECTATIONS

 Deuteronomy 30:15-20; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37

Introduction

Obedience is compliance with an order, request, law, or submission to another's authority. Obedience is an act of submission to an authority, a colleague, or a junior. It is compliance with the demands or requests of someone.

After stubbornly going out, only to come home with an injury, my mother will say, "if you had obeyed my word, you would be fine by now". Our obedience to God's word gives us life and prosperity.

Like a loving parent, God sets standards for our own good, to protect us from evil and harm. God's demand for obedience is not motivated by fear or compulsion but out of love and trust in Him. 

Moses sets before the people of Israel "life and good, death and evil." It is a matter of choice between life and death. Moses shows the people the road to life as being obedient to God's word by saying, "If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." Deuteronomy 30:16 (ESV). 

At this time Moses had walked with God through the wilderness and had gained enough experience with Him and even was facing the consequences of disobeying God (Num. 2012). From his experience at the age of 120, Moses told the people, "But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess." Deuteronomy 30:17-18 (ESV)

Paul points out that, our disobedience to God's word is being infants in Christ saying, "for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" 1 Corinthians 3:3 (ESV)

How long have you been a Christian? Do you take solid food or milk (1 Cor. 3:1-2)?

Some people's obedience in their Christian life is only on what their bishop, pastor, apostle, father, mother, etc. says to them (1 Cor. 3:5-8). 

Our obedience to God's word is the sure way to long life. 

Jesus taught us the absolute marking scheme of God's word. In Matthew 5:21-37, we are made to understand that, what may be right in the sight and laws of this world may still be liable before God's judgment. He lifts the guilt of murder to anger and insult. How many people are you angry and bitter towards? Sometimes, they are not even aware.

In another lesson, we will focus on bitterness and how it leads us to death - spiritually and physically. God requires reconciliation because you are an agent of reconciliation.

Brethren, how come even when we know what God wants us to do we act otherwise? Could it be that we do not really understand the meaning and practice of obedience or we simply forget how important it is? We need help to obey God's word and live.

Obedience to God's word.

1. Obedience is an act of worship as it demonstrates our love for God and sets us apart.

Obedience is our way of showing God how much we love Him. It is through our obedience that God recognizes us to make His home with us. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23 (NIV)

If are Christians, the only demonstrative act to show to the world is our obedience to God's word. Gan God actually count on you as one of His children? Can all others around you testify that indeed you are a child of God because your actions are in line with God's word?  

2. Obedience is our act of Faith in God. 

It truly means, following God's lead even when we are not sure of the outcome. It sometimes makes you take the difficult path when there are other easy options staring at you. It may require sacrifices, public rejection, discipline, stretching out of comfort zone, etc.

Our choice to obey is the demonstration of our faith in God wherever He leads. In Hebrews 8, the account of God's men of the Old Testament is recorded as heroes of the faith because of their obedience to God.

In your own life, are there things that God is asking you to do that are tough? or do not make sense to you? Your obedience will demonstrate your trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).

3. Obedience unlocks God's Rewards for Us.

Obedience to God's word unlocks the reward of success. Everyone wants to be successful at what they do, but interestingly God's word gives us a simple secret to a successful life; obedience to His word.

God has great plans for each of His children. "...I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise ... For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:10-11 (ESV)

If you obey the word of God that is handed down to us through Christ, you will always be the head and never the tail. When they say it is over for you, they'll still see you shining.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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." Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

4. Obedience to God's word unlocks blessings.

God has great promises in stock for us His children. The key to accessing them is obedience.

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:10-12 (ESV)

The challenge with the twisted gospel today is that we are sometimes misled that as long we believe in God, and pray we will be blessed.

The prosperity gospel emphasizes rewards without necessarily emphasizing obedience. But the Bible is so clear that our obedience unlocks God's promised blessing.

In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, the blessings of God are outlined. “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God..." Deuteronomy 28:1 (ESV)

* You will be blessed where ever you go

* You will be set you high above

* Your children will be blessed

* God will protect you

* He will grant you abundant prosperity

* Everything you set your hand on will be successful

* The Lord will help you to stand out.

* The Lord your God will make you the head and not the tail.

"...if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left..." Deuteronomy 28:13-14 (ESV)

How to Obey God's Word

Obedience is not easy; it can be hard if we are not determined and disciplined. 

1. Have a personal relationship with God.

2. Read your Bible every day

3. Pray to God about everything, every day.

4. Turn your focus on the reward.

Conclusion

Obeying God brings us life. Our very existence here and after is rooted in God. Note this, God spoke to the sea to create fishes, He spoke to the soil to create trees and He spoke to Himself to create humans. Fishes die when taken out of the water, trees die when they are uprooted, and so humanity dies when we get detached from God. Remember, water without fish is water but a fish without water is dead, soil without a tree is soil but a tree without soil is dead and so it is with humans, God without humans is still God but humanity without God is dead.

Today, I call on you to obey God's word and live.

Shalom aleichem...