Project Change Weekly Messages

WM 47 Worship Series #2 February 9, 2018

Obedience As A Form of Praise

There's no love story as powerful as a one where someone sacrifices something they love to please someone. You probably know some story of someone changing themselves and leaving their old ways for someone they love. Maybe they quit drinking for their family or overcame some things for someone they love. My parents stopped smoking joints and goofing around when they realized I was about to come around. I can't think of any more sincere love than giving up your wants for others.

When we refuse to continue in sin in order to be obedient and show love to God, we show God how much we love Him.

"That dirty website would please me, but I want to make God happy because I love Him."

"I'm scared to do this, but I'll do it for God."

My youth pastor put it this way: You'll probably hear someone say "Yes Lord, yes" in praise, asking God to move in them, and that's great, but what really worships God is saying "No." in obedience. God sees the "No's" we give to sin, peer pressure, ungodly pleasure, unwillingness to pray and selfish tendencies, and His heart is moved more than any shouting or singing or dancing or tiring yourself out for Him will ever accomplish. Obedience over sacrifice.

No, I won't do that thing God hates. I love Him and want a relationship with Him.

No, I won't cower to peer pressure or act like my values aren't important around my friends. I respect God too much to backstab.

No, I won't live for myself. I have a greater life purpose, to love my neighbor as myself and love my God with all of my heart, mind and soul.

Nothing worships more than that.

How to Be Obedient

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

By knowing God's Word, we not only know what we are and aren't supposed to do but allow Him to out those words to action in our hearts. If we want to be obedient to His will, we have to be consistent with His word. We need to read it, pray it, live it every day of our lives. His written and spoken Word has the power to change us, but only if we invest in putting it inside of ourselves and allowing Him to!

We have to know Jesus personally in order to obey Him.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John 10: 4 KJV

In John 10, he compares us often to being His sheep. In the first sheep metaphor the sheep hear His voice and follow Him because they KNOW His voice. They don't turn to other voices, they don't folIow the first person that draws them in with a little sheep treat, because they know exactly which voice is their Shepherds.

I might not recognize someone's voice if they're some far-off acquantance or someone I only sort of know. But you can bet that I'll recognize my parent's voices when I hear them. I won't mistake my best friends or closest relatives for anyone else. If we are close to God, we'll be able to tell what He wants for us, what is good for us, what is right and wrong to do. We cannot be obedient and follow Him without first knowing Him. And that only comes through prayer, bible study and fasting.

We can remove the things that lead us to disobedience. In the same way I might not go anywhere near the cookie jar in a diet, or throw the cookie jar away entirely, we have to be willing to remove any TV, movies, games, books, hobbies, lifestyles, internet places, and even people who draw us in to disobedience and evil. We talk about this a lot in RealTalk. Jesus expects you to remove the things in your life that cause you to sin (He even metaphorically said to gouge out your eyeballs if your eyes cause you to sin!) ,and despite our best efforts to believe we're totally all powerful over our will, we will find ourselves walking in all the wrong places if we keep all the wrong things with us.

And finally - the most complicated idea ever in human history - we just ask Him to help us be obedient.

So simple, but few seem to get it. He won't beat you over the head with a Holy Stick for admitting your weaknesses. In fact, He'll respect that and answer your prayer, and give you what you need to make the decision to resist temptation. Remember the Lord's Prayer? It's on Matthew 6.

One of the lines says,
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Even though God won't make sin impossible or never let a temptation come up, if we consistently and fervently pray that He will protect us and help us to be obedient, He is more than happy to.

Your Mission: I could go on and on about obedience, but I've already made this Weekly Message long enough. Our obedience is also directly tied to how good of a relationship we have with God, how much we can be used by Him, how our lives on this earth will play out, and so much more.

Without obedience, the total act of worship that sets a true Christ-ian (person like Christ) apart cannot exist. If we want to Go Deeper in God, we desperately need to grow in our obedience to Him. We need to set a standard for ourselves, that if the Bible says it, we will do it, no matter what the cost. And if the Holy Spirit says it, we will do it, no matter what the cost.

We need to set a standard in prayer this week, that obedience will be the defining factor in our daily decisions. What do I do tonight? Will I have fun with ____? Will I watch ___? Will I do ___? What does obedience to God say?

If we are not obedient, we are not His people. Jesus said His sheep know His voice and follow Him. To follow everything that looks good to us means we don't belong to Jesus or respect Him enough to be consistent.

But to follow Him, to walk in His footsteps, feel His touch, and know His Amazing Grace for yourself, will set you up to have a real relationship with the Universe Creator. Obedience is a part of Worship (the total act of love and relationship with God), and Worship will change your life, change your eternity, and Change the World.