Obedience = Preparation + Promise + Performance

Obedience = Preparation + Promise + Performance Romans: 4:21

Shared at: Sweetwater Bible Church

Bring: Hammer, nails, level etc, Bible for illustration, Fish and loaves, kleenex, flip chart (Obedience = Preparation + Promise + Performance) (2nd page Bold points below)

Scripture Reading Psalm 16

Pray

As you know Bro and Sis Walker are sick.

He asked me Tuesday to fill in for him.

I am not a gifted preacher or public speaker.

My gifts are in serving and encouraging.

I strive and believe God has gifted me to be like Barnabas. I am good at making others look good. Being there to give them what they need when they need it.

For example: When working construction I know when the contractor needs a saw, hammer, nails or whatever. The reason I know is because I have done these jobs and I know what is needed to do the job.

This is true in our service to God.

The better we know God, the longer we have served God the better we are able to help others.

That is why in Titus 2:2-12 Paul says for the older men to teach the younger, the older woman to teach the younger.

This is the whole concept of discipleship.

A more mature believer helping a less mature believer move toward maturity Bro. Howard Tannahill

Or as my brother Paul says turning hearts toward God. Taking that next step.

I got a little sidetracked for a moment, so when Pastor Walker asked me to speak I hesitated because I know it takes me a long time to prepare a message

but because he is a friend, has done so much for me and we love coming here, I said yes. And then cried out to God to give me what I and you needed for this Sunday.

I trust what God has given me will speak to your heart today as it has mine.

You are getting today what I am hearing from God, particularly in my devotional time with Him.

Let’s read Romans 4:20 -21

He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

I have titled this message

Obedience = Preparation + Promise + Performance

The context of this passage is Abraham offering Isaac.

You know the story well so someone give me the highlights of the story…

[Have on flip chart]

God promised Abraham Land, Seed and blessing

For this to happen Abraham needed an heir

He had no heir so Abraham and Sarah divised a plan

and Ishmael was born but not accepted by God as the promised heir.

Sarah laughs

Did you know that Abraham laughed as well Gen 17:17 -18 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!” 1

Finally Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness

At 100 years old, when they are both beyond child bearing years, they have a son – Isaac!

Like Abraham it has taken me a long time to learn this lesson:

Believe in God’s promise and don’t devise Ishmael’s. Simply Obey.

Remember last week Dr David Hopewell mentioned Ishmael.

Okay Lord I am hearing you loud and clear!!!

1. This leads to my first point. We need to be Obedient to God’s call.

In my life I have many times know what God was asking but devise my own way to get there rather than waiting on God. Yes my Ishmaels

When we were first building our house

I needed some supplies but didn’t have the money.

I determined I would not buy them unless somehow God supplied.

On the way there my daughter called and I told her what I was doing.

I got to the store, picked up the supplies and waited a bit by the checkout butGod had not supplied.

I gave in and used my credit card

Later my daughter asked me how it went and I had to tell her I failed the test.

Looking back I should have put the supplies back. I don’t know if God would have supplied in that step of obedience or at a later time but I know it was what I should have done.

2. My second point is that God prepares us for what He calls us to do.

God started preparing me way back as a child. My dad and mom invested in me. Training me how to do what they knew how to do.

I work alongside Dad on projects around the homestead. I went with him to pick up children for church, I learned from mom what a good teacher was as she taught Sunday school, junior church, VBS etc.

God was training me as I was bullied in school

God trained me as I serve as summer staff at camp

College, seminary, marriage and 30 years of camping ministry were all in preparation for what God has for us now.

We are never too old to keep serving God in some way.

God has called Lucinda and I to travel to camps that serve people of color. To use our gifts of service and encouragement to be a blessing and to multiply our impact.

We don’t have the resources to do this but God has called us, we MUST be obedient and go! He will provide!!!

At Cedine we were used by God to touch thousands of kids' lives and turn their hearts at least one step closer toward God.

Now we will be investing in leaders of camps that each will be touching thousands of lives.

Many of these lives will touch others lives that touch other lives.

We never know the impact we will have.

Scott

Jacques

We most often don’t know the impact we have on each other. I believe much of our time in heaven will be hearing these stories.

I am reading through the Bible in a year using the YouVersion Bible App. Which I do recommend. It has many different Bible reading plans and Bible study guides.

The plan I am using reads 2 old testament chapter a section from the NT and every other day a Psalm or Proverbs.

I am in Exodus reading about the instructions for building the tabernacle.

God gave very clear and specific instructions that were to be followed completely in every little detail, Make it this size, use these supplies, only pure gold and pure olive oil, use this formula to make incense and don’t use this formula for anything else it is holy.

Consequences for disobedience were death

For all the complaining we do about the Israelites not learning their lessons I am glad I live in the age of grace.

So let’s look at some scriptures that verify my third point:

3. promise. Where God promises He will provide.

Genesis 18:14 Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.

Hebrews 11:19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back.

I am also reading in Mark about the feeding of 5,000.

The context of this story is so critical to understanding what Jesus was teaching His disciples.

Let’s start in Mark 5:1

Demons are driven out by the Master

Verse 20 A girl is restored and a woman healed

6:1 Jesus is rejected in Nazareth

6:6 Jesus Commissions the twelve 6:14 John the Baptist is beheaded

Read Mark 6:30–31 (HCSB)

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Jesus and the disciple are weary, beat down, wore out.

Jesus Says We need a break. Let me repeat Jesus said we need a break.

We have a hard time seeing Jesus as fully human where the disciples had a hard time seeing Him as fully God.

Jesus was weary, worn out from not having a minute to himself except getting up early and going to the mountain to talk to His Father,

which meant loss of sleep and even more tiredness. Sounds similar to camp life.

On top of all this Jesus had just got the news that His best friend had been beheaded.

The disciples are weary as well and they are excited for a vacation, a break from traveling to cities doing itinerant preaching, sleeping in other peoples beds,

being rejected, not being able to always heal like Jesus and they too just heard of their friend John the Baptist.

So they get in a boar and head out on vacation.

They get there and you know the story.

Jesus has compassion on the crowds.

I can imagine what the disciples are thinking. I can't believe this:

Jesus said we were going on vacation, that we needed this break. Now He is teaching and we know Jesus...this is going to be a while before we can get back to our time away.

In verse 35 the disciples could take it no longer and they approach Jesus and say, It’s late,

THE PEOPLE are hungry, NOT to mention us, send them away to buy food.

The disciples may have been thinking Jesue will be for this plan as His compassion made Him preach,

surely His compassion will tell them to go get food, so we can get back to our break.

Typical of Jesus oh His reply was not what the disciples expected but another command to give them something to eat.

They, I think, are flabbergasted. Give them something to eat, are you crazy,

we are supposed to be on a break, we’re in the middle of the wilderness. Do you want us to spend 200 denarii to buy bread?

Certainly not!

What did Jesus do but give another command: Go see how much food you have

4. Point 4 Provision.

The disciples come back with 5 loaves and 2 fish. I think now they are convinced that Jesus will say okay, send them away. They need to eat.

But no Jesus gives yet another command to divide them into groups.

After their obedience Jesus performs a miracle and provides food for 5000 men plus women and children

Obedience = Preparation + Promise + Performance

As I conclude I want to say that it is not our performance that God wants as much as He wants a relationship with us.

He is a relational God. He is in relationship with Himself as Father Son and Holy Spirit.

He created us for a relationship. So He could walk in the cool of the night to fellowship with us.

It is easy for us to get caught up in doing things for God and not have a relationship with Him.

God says He hates our Sacrifices our service without the relationship.

Psalm 51 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean wash me, and I will be whiter than snow

10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me

16 - 17 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it: You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.

We serve out of a deep desire to thank Him because of all He has done for us and we know it brings Glory to Him and draws others to Himself

Being black history month I want to close this way.

First I want to lament with you, all that my ancestors and our country has done to bring injustice upon you and your ancestors.

I have come to see that I don’t know what I don’t know. I will never understand the pain, suffering, injustice, weariness your ancestor and you have and do experience.

My prayer, desire and hope is that our country would repent of the evils we have committed.

It starts with admittance, recognizing that we have messed up.

Then we can work on repairing the damage.

But so many people who look like me are deeply blinded by their upbringing and society.

Our history books have taught them false facts that they use to defend themselves and say they are not racist.

They don’t realize that racism is a social construct not a biological one.

These many false facts have been written in our history books and ingrained in our minds.

It is almost impossible to begin to see the truth.

With the devil so busy using this to divide us the hope of change is only a glimmer.

But can we ourselves and this church get it right? Then by our love they will know we are christians and we could change our area of influence.

Let me encourage you with these familiar words:

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,

Till earth and heaven ring.

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let your rejoicing rise,

High as the list'ning skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught you,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought you;

Facing the rising sun of your new day begun,

march on till victory is won.

Stony the road you trod,

Bitter the chast'ning rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat,

Have not your weary feet,

Come to the place for which your fathers sighed?

You have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

You have come, treading your path through the blood of the slaughtered,

Out from the gloomy past,

Till now you stand at last

Where the bright gleam of your bright star is cast.

God of your weary years,

God of your silent tears,

Thou who has brought you thus far on the way;

Thou who has by His might,

Led you into the light,

Keep you forever in the path, we pray.

Lest your feet stray from the places, where God, met you,

Lest your hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, you forget God,

Shadowed beneath His hand,

May you forever stand,

True to your God,

True to your native land.

Pray