Obedience: The Way of the Wise
Notes
Transcript
(S1)—
“Just trust me; do what I say, I know what’s best for you!”
As a young boy I didn’t always make wise choices? Loving parents…told us what to do…didn’t always like it or understand it—just do what I say!
— Certainly obeying my parents had benefits, I didn’t realize at the time, they did it because they loved me!
SERIES
The SOURCE of wisdom...the VALUE of following it; The BENEFITS; Prudence/Discretion
Today…a word that has become taboe to teach in raising kids today. and sadly; talked little about in Christian circles…
(S2) — OBEDIENCE
Trust Challenge
Do we trust God enough to obey…his instruction, his word, his will and his way?
Son to his father—Their purpose — to impart wisdom for Godly living...the blessings of choosing wisely
2:1 “My son accept my words and store up my commands within you,” ...5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
6:20 “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.
7:1 “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you... 2 and you will live;
Some are just very straight forward
10:8 “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.”
13:13 “Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded.”
Such practical wisdom. Why did Solomon have to give it? He knew the way of the world; the many temptations…that his sons would not always chose wisely unless they were instructed…
If we’re honest, we all struggle with obedience, being told what to do. We don’t always listen to God; our spiritual father. Its hard still to just trust and we obey.
From the beginning God set up standards...and the only thing people had to do was obey…
— Adam and Eve—Abraham—Israel and the law
Deuteronomy 13:4 “It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him;
Do you have of a heart of obedience to God’s instruction?
PRAY
(S3)
Solomon’s Dream {1 Kings 3:10-15}
1 Kings 3:14 “if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.””
David had a heart for God; obedience served him well…
“...if you stay on course, keeping your eye on the life-map and the God-signs, I’ll also give you a long life.”
The words of a Spiritual Father to his son; words for the wise. Wisdom still for us today
{Proverbs 3:1-6}
Cadence/rhythm—warning/Instruction/Promise
Three ways of walking the path of obedience
(S4)
My son, do not forget my teaching, keep my commands in your heart,
Warning is clear—never forget…
Law/torah/mitswah…signify the father’s wise tutelage of the minor.
To remember God’s law was to obey God.
Deuteronomy 8:11 “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”
The instruction—To keep...is to preserve them so deeply within; locked in our heart so that life...will flow through them
Proverbs (King James Version) D. The Wise Path of Life (Part 4): Never Forget Your Parents’ Major Teachings, 3:1–35
“It is the forgetfulness of the heart, not the failing of the memory.”
Generally we are short term memory creatures...
—the Media knows this; takes a story, runs with it for a time...then its forgotten
— 9-11 everyone rushed to churches...then they forgot why
— how many of you forgot my message from last week
There is some instruction that we forget...and some that just sticks...
Don’t put your hand on the stove
Obedience is to let God’s word penetrate deeply enough, to immerse ourselves in God’s instruction
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
...we walk in obedience by...
(S5)—
I. INTERNALIZE sound teaching
I. INTERNALIZE sound teaching
keep my commands…is to take to heart the wisdom of God
2 Timothy 1:13 “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.”
Trust in what is truth...
The Promise
Proverbs 3:2 “for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.”
Who wants some of that?
— see this not as a guarantee, but as a general principle for ones well-being. Of course there exceptions…
Proverbs (King James Version) D. The Wise Path of Life (Part 4): Never Forget Your Parents’ Major Teachings, 3:1–35
“However, when this principle is extended beyond this mortal life, it can be claimed as a promise. True life—eternal life—begins when an individual trusts Christ”
This promise in Luke
Luke 23:42–43 “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.””
We walk in obedience by internalizing every word of God as sound teaching we can trust
Deuteronomy 6:7 “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
The warning
(S6)
3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Love and faithfulness speak to the character of God
mercy” (Hebrew ḥesed), is the primary term for Yahweh’s commitment to His people and their reciprocal love and loyalty to Him and to each other
God loves us by extending mercy to us in our sinfulness. His faithfulness binds us...both to grace and truth
John 1:16–17 “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Two words in Hebrew but with similar thought’
loyalty, devotion, goodness, trustworthy, being dependable
Joint obligation to loyalty and kindness; covenantal love
"I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife/spouse, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part...”
This kind of obedience has a binding quality...
Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
We walk in obedience by...
(S7)—
II. KEEPING the way of God close
II. KEEPING the way of God close
Necklace of a scroll: A show of their obedience and close relationship with God.
Keeping God close brings us in obedience to his way of love and faithfulness; the way we are to be in the world
The promise
Proverbs 3:4 “Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”
“As a young boy Jesus demonstrated these two rewards in his life”
Luke 2:52 “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Keeping close is our vertical relationship with God, which shows up in our horizontal relationship with others.”
Obedience is letting the love and faithfulness of God guide you—keep them close...
The warning
(S8)
5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”
Most frequently quoted...to be confident in...that something or someone is trustworthy
Lean into—is to be supported by something or someone stronger
Chair/wall
To trust in the Lord...is to lean into the wisdom of God more than our own understanding...
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 15: Proverbs Admonitions to Piety—A
This obedience is not lip service or outward show but is to become an integral part of the disciple, written on the heart (see
(S10 ) — We walk in obedience by....
III. LEARNING to trust God
III. LEARNING to trust God
It is to be confident that the Lord’s instruction is for our benefit...and a greater good
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
By leaning into learning ...with your whole self. To trust God’s guidance; to trust God is stronger than we are...
The promise...
Proverbs 3:6 “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
This is a prophetic promise in the words of John the Baptist...
Luke 3:4–5 “...the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.”
Obedience wasn’t just an O.T. thing....
Luke 11:28 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.””
John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
John 14:23 “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.”
(S11) — TO OBEY GOD IS TO LOVE GOD!
Jesus modeled obedience...
Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
He instructed his disciples in teaching obedience
Matthew 28:20 “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
The promise
“...stay on course, keep your eye on the life-map and the God-signs, that lead to life.”
Do you have of a heart of obedience to God’s instruction?
Challenge
Internalize more of God’s instruction...
Keep God’s love and faithfulness close...
Lean into Learning to trust God...
Obedience is not some demand...it is to accept his love...to respond to his mercy...to INTERANLIZE his instruction as truth ...KEEP it close...LEAN into learning to trust Jesus who is the love of God that leads to life.
Just trust me; do what I say, I know what’s best for you!”
