Pursuit of Joyful Obedience

Intro: Sermon on the Mount and Obedience

Obedience is Wise

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Parable of the Two Builders

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Our love and obedience will be tested in the storms of life. Poor workmanship choices are often not not noticed in fair weather, but when things are put under pressure. When we face trials, the truth and wisdom of our choices will be proven .

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.

If you don’t make the decisions to obey now, today, when there is very little pressure, when weather is fair... then the storm will crush you when it comes.

God created you and he is far smarter than you are on your best days.. but he also is a loving father and in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. To obey even when we don’t understand, or when it means resisting the temptations of the flesh is wise. It takes a lot more work and discipline on the front end, but when pressures hit, you wont have to start again from ground zero.

Obedience is Wholehearted

Matthew 5:48 NKJV

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

oYou therefore must be pperfect, qas your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 ESV

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Leviticus 11:44–45 ESV

For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

The pursuit of “complete obedience” includes bridling our speech (), disciplining our physical appetites (), managing our time (for service and prayer with the Word) and money (to increase the Kingdom ), blessing our adversaries (), making a covenant with our eyes to refuse to look upon anything that stirs up lust (), and living out the 8 beatitudes ().

Why does God command perfection of us?

Obedience is Filled Joy and Love

Matthew 11:29–30 ESV

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Love

Romans 14:17–18 ESV

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

John 14:23 ESV

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

We talked about a house built on the rock and the wisdom of obedience to Christ, but if you leave today thinking just :I’m going to try a little bit harder, you have missed it. You can’t do it in your own your own strength detached from love and affection for Christ. Love and obedience are inextricably linked, and I propose to you that focusing on growing in love for Jesus is a far more effective than gritting your teeth and focusing on your sin.

We talked about a house built on the rock and the wisdom of obedience to Christ, but if you leave today thinking just :I’m going to try a little bit harder, you have missed it. You can’t do it in your own your own strength detached from love and affection for Christ. Love and obedience are inextricably linked, and I propose to you that focusing on growing in love for Jesus is a far more effective than gritting your teeth and focusing on your sin.

Christ and His words are the firm foundation in whom we trust, not in our own righteousness. We do need to resist sin and temptation when it befalls us,

Fear vs love based obedience

externalism vs internal transformation

Obedience to the great commission and frontier missions

About 7000 unreached an unengaged people groups remaining on earth, many of these groups with millions of people

Are you not going out of fear and self preservation, or are you not going for legitimate, Biblical, Holy Spirit, leadership of Jesus reasons. If you have those reasons I’ll give you a high five and say your awesome. If you don’t have those reasons, I want to challenge you; you may be wasting your life and abdicating your calling… and the biblical responsibility to obey Jesus’ simple commands to proclaim the gospel. Is God calling you to lay down your comfort and safety, to go and do difficult things in humility for the sake the name of Jesus and the glory of God.

Shaking the dust off feet and going to another place that has not heard. To what degree do our western countries fall into this category?… if they have heard and have said no; go to where they have never heard and wipe the dust off your feet.

Perhaps Jesus is extending an invitation to you right now,