Exercising Obedience

Exercising Obedience Exercising Obedience Michael Morse / General CrossFit / Obedience; Listen; Hear; Faith / Luke 8:16-25 Being CrossFit is just about knowing truth its about obeying truth. Obedience must be practiced, it doesnt come naturally, just like we exercise muscle to make them grow we must exercise obedience to grow in obedience. Introduction 1. The journey in becoming crossfit requires stimulating muscular growth a. Without this stimulation we wouldnt and couldnt improve physically i. If you are sedentary or less active - there is nothing in your body that will go - you know what I am going to change the physique for physical fitness ii. Laws of physics - a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion 1. Except your body works against work - your body is designed to make work easier and find equilibrium 2. Which is the exact thing we use to build muscle - you work it out break it down and your body recovers and says I am never doing that again - I will build to make sure that doesnt happen again b. So we do it again - by increasing the work load - or weight i. You body goes through the process all over again ii. Soon you have a body made for the workload you have been giving it 1. Who am I kidding its not soon enough c. It isnt enough to know cross fit you have to do cross fit i. No one is crossfit naturally - there is work involved ii. To grow the muscles needed for crossfit - the muscles must be exercised 2. Spiritual Cross Fitness works the same way a. To become cross fit spiritually - we must take up our cross and follow Jesus b. Following Jesus requires us to be strong in obedience i. No one is strong in obedience and therefore must build obedience ii. You build obedience to Jesus the same way you build muscle by exercising it c. Our passage in Luke this morning will teach us how to exercise obedience to Jesus to continue our journey of becoming CrossFit › SLIDE Luke 8:16-17 CSB 16 "No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light. 17 For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and brought to light. › SLIDE Luke 8:18-19 CSB 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him." 19 Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not meet with him because of the crowd. › SLIDE Luke 8:20-22 CSB 20 He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 21 But he replied to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God." 22 One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." So they set out, › SLIDE Luke 8:23-24 CSB 23 and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 They came and woke him up, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to die!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. › SLIDE Luke 8:25 CSB 25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, "Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!" › SLIDE Warm-up › SLIDE Luke 8:16-17 CSB 16 "No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light. 17 For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and brought to light. › SLIDE Luke 8:18 CSB 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him." 1. Light is meant to allow sight and understanding a. Without light darkness covers and obscures what we want to see i. So we light a light - a lamp, a candle, a flashlight or turn on a light switch ii. Once we do that the light uncovers the darkness b. No one turns on a light to then hide it - or else why turn it on i. The light is lit and not only the one who has the light can see but all who are around the light can see by the same light ii. There is nothing concealed that wont be uncovered and nothing hidden that wont be brought to light 1. The light is penetrating completely 2. The light reveals fully c. This is a parable of the light and it sheds light on the parable of the sower - from being ready to hear to exercising obedience i. The light represents Gods word or truth ii. Truth by nature is meant to be revealed and to be revealing 1. We dont see only truth but through truth we see everything else 2. Through God's word we see everything else 2. Jesus says because of this take care how you listen › SLIDE God's word reveals truth See how you listen - this means it is our responsibility a. How you hear is just as important as what you hear • Some things should not be heard at all • Some things are heard and forgotten • Others are heard and treasured and practiced b. When one hears and practices more will be given however if one does not receive it what they had will be lost • More understanding • More desire to hear • More blessings from what you hear • More growth i. Sometimes what people think they have spiritually they only seem to have - for example the Pharisees and also the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) › SLIDE Revelation 3:17 CSB 17 For you say, 'I'm rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,' and you don't realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 3. If one hears and listens to the word of God - he should be like a light reflecting or illuminating that understanding and listening a. Because of Jesus we have a light within us and we must not hide it - light was not meant to be hidden b. Listen in such a way that we reflect the light we have heard › SLIDE Our light should be contagious and spread to as many others as we can › SLIDE Lift Heavy › SLIDE Luke 8:19-21 CSB 19 Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not meet with him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 21 But he replied to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God." 1. Jesus had an earthly family a. He grew up in a houselhold with relatives i. He had a mother - Mary ii. He had brothers and possibly sister(s) b. The people expect Jesus to give them special audience with Him or preference with Him c. Jesus indicates that no longer will His earthly family be those who are closest to Him 2. Jesus states here that His family will be different and not be made up of those blood relatives a. His family will be those who hear AND do the word of God › SLIDE Those in the family of Christ are those who hear AND do the word of God b. This should be an encouragement and testament that the Gospel is not limited to A people - i.e. the Jews, but instead it is for all who would hear and do the word of God - including the Gentiles. › SLIDE John 1:12-13 CSB 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. 3. Here is the heavy lifting though a. It is not enough to hear the word of God - we must DO the word of God i. Verse 18 Jesus said take care how you listen - hearing isnt listening › SLIDE Listening is hearing put into practice ii. Active obedience to the word of Jesus displays our closeness to Him 1. We can be closer than His own family 2. Closeness to Jesus comes from hearing and doing His word - it is not enough to hear, we MUST do it also b. Danger is found in thinking we are "spiritual" because we listen to the word regularly, we may even take notes and annotate our Bibles. i. If we dont put into practice what we hear - we are only fooling ourselves ii. Warren Wiersbe shares this story A listener wrote that my words had made her angry, but then she faced up to the fact that she was indeed guilty of being an "auditor" and not a doer of the Word. She began to listen to fewer radio preachers, to listen more carefully, and to practice what she heard. "The Bible has become a new Book to be and my life has changed!" › SLIDE Biblical truth is not powerful until it becomes active truth lived out in obedience › SLIDE Use Proper Form › SLIDE Luke 8:22-23 CSB 22 One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." So they set out, 23 and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. › SLIDE Luke 8:24-25 CSB 24 They came and woke him up, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to die!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, "Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!" Remember back when we learned about proper form in Luke 7 › SLIDE Proper form is not what you do; its how you do it 1. Proper form for obedience is Faith a. It takes faith to hear and obey - especially to do so in a storm i. Sometimes the waves seem too high ii. Sometimes the storm is deafening and loud b. Jesus said "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake (Sea of Galilee)." i. The disciples set out - they obeyed - they started sailing across the lake 1. 13 miles by 8 miles - this spot where they crossed is said to be 5 miles ii. A storm came along that was fierce and violent 1. It was hard for them to continue in the midst of troubles and fear 2. The text says they were in great danger or peril - some translate it jeopardy (not the game) - fearing for their own lives. 3. Jonah went through a storm while disobeying God and the disciples went through storm come while obeying Jesus › SLIDE We go into storms either way, disobedience is the boat without Christ in it and obedience is the boat with Christ in it a. To be in the boat with Jesus is to be absolutely safe and secure 2. The disciples woke Jesus up a. Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and waves - they ceased and their was a calm immediately i. Doesnt happen that way naturally - takes the sea a while to settle down b. Jesus rebuked the wind and waves - not the disciples - when he said Where is your faith? i. He was reminding them to trust in Him and His word - that's what faith is - trusting Jesus ii. The disciples were no different from us. 1. Storms rage around us and we often despair. 2. When the storm is calmed - we are in awe of God's handiwork - and then we question why we wavered in faith iii. Obedience is hard when you look at everything going on around you as you try to obey 1. The disciples looked around and saw danger, looked within and saw fear, but they didnt look in faith and see God c. Faith reminds us Jesus words - so we can trust them i. Lets crossover to the other side - as opposed to let's see if we make it - hopefully we can cross over 1. Faith reminds you that Jesus's word is accomplished because even the winds and waves obey His command. › SLIDE Faith is the cure for our fear 1. Faith is what brings us into love - and perfect love casts out fear › SLIDE Psalm 56:3 CSB 3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. › SLIDE Isaiah 12:2 CSB 2 Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust him and not be afraid, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation." 2. Faith and fear cannot exist in the same heart ii. When we trust Jesus - when we have faith in Jesus - obedience is much easier in the midst of storms and danger Conclusion Being CrossFit isnt just about knowing truth its about obeying truth. Obedience must be practiced, it doesnt come naturally, just like we exercise muscle to make them grow we must exercise obedience to grow in obedience. Faith is the proper form for exercising obedience. Our obedience shines like a light to those around us. Other can see because of the light we shine in obedience. › SLIDE Matthew 5:16 CSB 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Our obedience reveals our closeness with Jesus and faith is how we exercise obedience. Difficult circumstances or storms are not evidence of disobedience or faithlessness, they are the opportunity to exercise obedience and faith in God's promise or command. The disciples problem wasnt the storm - it was their lack of faith - Faith allows us to act upon God's word › SLIDE 2 Corinthians 5:7 CSB 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:05 AM April 25, 2020.