Walking in Obedience

Build Connection

I have heard parents say to their kids from a time I was young, “you wan the poepoe to get you?” or “you want the police to come take you away?” And when I hear this, I get really irritated.

it takes our responsibility as parents to discipline our kids and puts it on someone else.

it turns those people who are the good guys and turns them into the bad guys.

if you kid gets lost, don’t you want to them to find a safe person like a police officer? will they do that if you make the officer a bad guy?

Part of the problem is we don’t have the right view of the police ourselves.

We view the police as people who want to “Catch and Condemn” instead of “Protect and Serve.”

Consider this: when we get pulled over by an officer for speeding we instinctively think, he’s out to get ME!

But in reality he is protecting you and others from someone driving dangerously.

Create Tension

The unfortunate thing about this is that most people have the same view of God that they have of the police.

Many believe, even regular church goers, God is out to catch and condemn, his goal is to take away our fun and our freedom.

But like the police, God is here to protect and serve. He does this by asking us to “Walk in Obedience.”

Provide Solution

I want to identify two types of obedience.

First there is general obedience.

General obedience is what God tells everyone to do.

Matthew 22:36–39 “36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The rest of Jesus’ teachings show us how to do these things.

I will say this, if you obey one of the commands God gives us in his word without love, you have not obeyed the most important commandment, this one.

Second there is specific obedience.

Specific obedience is something God calls you as an individual to, but maybe not others.

Paul deals with this in Romans.

Romans 14:1–6 “1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. 5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain food also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.”

This is called our conscience. What we believe is right or wrong.

With Paul’s audience the big deal was what was acceptable to eat and what day if any is more holy than another.

For christians today it is more along the lines of:

What should/shouldn’t we watch or listen to?

What is appropriate or inappropriate to wear?

How we choose to spend our money?

Too many christians are too worried more about whether others are being obedient than their own love for God!

The important thing to remember is this:

Whether it’s general obedience or specific obedience, if it not done out of love for God, it is not true obedience!

Understanding true obedience there are some observations we can make about obedience…

Walking in Obedience is filled with Joy!

Today we celebrate what we call Palm Sunday. We get that idea from the palm branches that was used to lay on the ground as Jesus passed by on the colt of a donkey.

Matthew 21:1–9

“1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” 4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, 5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ” 6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt of a donkey in obedience to God’s word. There were shouts of Joy and praises offered to God. The Bible doesn’t indicate this but I believe this was a joyful time for Jesus.

This joyful time was brought on by Jesus’ obedience to God!

I’m sure we all had times in our lives where we were obedient to God’s word and it brought with it joy!

In the same way walking in obedience is filled with joy, we can also see that…

Walking in Obedience is filled with Pain!

Less than a week after the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we read about how pain can come from obedience.

Matthew 26:36–42

“36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.””

If you have ever had to give up something for the greater good called God’s will, you know how walking in obedience can be filled with pain.

Many years ago I had a friend that I spent a lot of time with. While we had a lot in common, the one thing we didn’t have in common was our devotion to Jesus. I eventually had to limit my time with this individual because they were not a godly influence for me.

One of the most difficult and painful things we will ever do is change relationships we have with people who are not godly influences in our lives, and we do it because we Love God.

Walking in obedience is filled with Joy, filled with pain and…

Walking in Obedience is simply following after Jesus!

Matthew 16:24–26

“24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

When Jesus says “if you want to be my follower” he is saying if you want to be his disciple, if you want to walk with him, if you want to walk the way of God!

Three things he requires

Give up your won way - Deny yourself

take up your cross - be willing to accept death

follow me - walk in my footsteps

Encourage Change

Do you want to walk in obedience?

For the sake of love.

As the worship team leads us in a song, if you want to make a new commitment to walk in obedience, take the palm branch from the table and bring it to the altar.