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God’s Plan for Man: Obedience Introduction: The Bible reveals to us the will of God for mankind. Paul said we have the "mind of Christ" 1 Corinthians 2.16. Yet some may be confused as to what God expects. Let us look at what God wanted from man in the Bible. I) In the Garden of Eden A) God placed man in the garden to tend and keep it, Genesis 2.15. 1. God told man what to do and also what not to do, eat of the tree of knowledge (of good and evil), Genesis 2.17. 2. The punishment for eating the tree was death, Genesis 2.17b. B) What did God want man to do? 1. To tend to the garden and keep it. 2. To not eat of the tree of knowledge. C) God wanted man to do what God told him to do. 1. This is the idea of obedience. 2. As parents we understand this with our children. a. Tell them to pick up their room, mow the yard, do their homework. b. Child gets in trouble and then says, "I don’t know what my parents want out of me?" The answer is: pick up your room, mow the yard, do your homework. II) God Expected Israel to Obey Him A) God tested the children of Israel with manna, Exodus 16.4. 1. They failed the test, Exodus 16.19 – 20, 25-28. 2. They rationalized and did not heed the voice of God. B) God tested them in the wilderness, Deuteronomy 8.2 1. They did not realize they were being tested. 2. Again, they failed the test, Deut. 9.6-8, 24. 3. They were not to follow their own desires but to submit to the will of God, Deut. 12.8 4. Obedience is not obeying God when we agree with God and then doing our own thing when we feel like it. C)God tested them with the Canaanites, Judges 2.21-22, 3.1,4 1. Israel failed by copying the Canaanites, wanting to be like them, I Samuel 8.4-5, 20. a. Not trusting in God, changing what God says and wants is to disobey God, 1 Samuel 8.18,19a; 10.17 b. A lot of time people read the Bible and then deviate because of what they want. The kind of worship they like, the plan of salvation they agree with, etc. 2. Be careful of interpreting the Bible by what other people are doing or saying. D) King Saul failed the test 1. Authority comes from God, 1 Samuel 15.1 2. King Saul deviated by not doing all that God said to do. a. God said to kill all the people and all the animals b. King Saul killed all of the people except king Agag, and some of the livestock. 1 Samuel 15.9 3. Obedience is not saying I have done what God said to do when you have not. a. Saul had rebelled against God, 1 Samuel 15.22-23 III) Obedience Is From The Heart A) Why did some people heed the voice of God and others do not? 1. Knowledge is a key ingredient in our obedience, 2 Timothy 2.15 2. Obedience in faith based, not emotion based. (Based on what God said and not how I feel about what God says). 2. We have to want to serve and obey God from the heart, Matthew 15.8 a. David described as a man after God’s own heart, Acts 13.22 B) The proper attitude is necessary to obey God 1. Outward ritualism is not obedience 2. Obedience is according to God’s word and with the heart, John 4.24 IV) God’s Plan of Salvation Requires Us To Obey Him A) Salvation is for those that obey, Hebrews 5.8-9 1. Listen to Jesus: a. Matthew 7.21 saying Lord, Lord is not enough, we must do the will of the Father. b. We are to love God with our heart, Matthew 22.37ff B) Obedience is keeping the Law of God, 1 John 5.2,3 1. How many times did Jesus ask what the law said and then told the people what to do? 2. The woman caught in adultery was told to go and sin no more, John 8.11, 12. 3. Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan and asked who was the good neighbor? Luke 10 4. His point being in Luke 10.37 "Go and do likewise" 5. On the Day of Pentecost, what did God want from them? Acts 2.38 V) Obedience What It Is & What It is Not A) Obedience is… 1. Respecting the authority of God 2. Doing all that God says—requires action 3. Trusting in God 4. Is faith based B) Obedience is not… 1. Partial 2. Doing what God says as long as we agree with God 3. Substituting our ideas for God’s will 4. Emotion based V) Application A) Obedience in becoming a child of God 1. To acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior. 2. To repent of our sins, and be baptized for the remission of our sins, Mark 16.16; Acts 2.38; Luke 13.3, Acts 8.37 B) Obedience in worship 1. To come together on the 1st day of the week and observe the Lords Supper (Acts 20.7), to sing with our heart (Col. 3.16). to pray (Acts 2.42) to give (Acts 2.42). 2. Does this mean we can change the day of worship, sing using instrumental music, etc. ? We must obey God. C) Obedience in our homes 1. As Husbands and wives we must love each other; as parents we are to train our children, as children we are to obey God and our parents. 2. Can we stop? D) Obedience in the church 1. We must treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. All members of the same body and not allow factions to develop. 2. We must work together and allow the church to fulfill its mission. Conclusion: "That is your interpretation" has become an excuse to disobey God. The problem is many believe we can say one thing; do another, and still be pleasing to God. This is called hypocrisy. Pretending to obey God is not the same as actually obeying God. True obedience is according to God’s word and a heart of servitude. That is God’s Plan for Man: Obedience from the Heart D.T. @ Westside Church of Christ 02.10.08 |