Full Obedience - Genesis Part 53

We are in a verse by verse study of the book of Genesis were in chapter 22 and though we stopped in Genesis 22 to do three messages in this chapter and are subtitled this little tiny series how to have a massive spiritual life and I've told you that the reason we slow down and paused. Here is because all three of the principles involved in having a massive spiritual life are displayed in the life of Abraham right in this chapter, and they are absolute surrender, full obedience and utter trust in the promises of God in the last week we talked about absolute surrender and if you missed that message. I love you to go online and downloaded a podcast or you can pick up a CD in our lobbies. I read such an important message. I hope that you catch up with us this week were going to move forward. I'm going to talk about principle number two full obedience to God.

So let's go back and review the passage very quickly.

Here we go. Genesis 22 verse one. Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham and Abraham said here I am, and God said, take your son, your only son Isaac was about 18 years old at this point, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. I will tell you about that show your map so you see that Abraham was living in Beersheba was about a three day walk north to Mount Moriah which is where Jerusalem presently is today. Verse three. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey, he took with him, two of his servants and his son Isaac, and on the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then he said to his servants stay here with the donkey. While I am the boy go over there.

We will worship and then we will come back to you.

So Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. When they reached the place where God had told him about Abraham built an altar there and arrange the wood on it.

He bound his son Isaac, and laid them on the altar on top of the wood that Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. We said last week. There is absolutely no doubt that Abraham was going to plunge in that knife deep into the chest of his boy had God not stepped in at this point. Verse 11.

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven saying Abraham. Abraham here I am.

Abraham replied do not lay a hand on the boy. The angel said do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from the universe on your only son, and Abraham looked up and there and affect it. He saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering. Instead of his son. Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time and said I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you've done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. I will surely bless you and make your descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore and through your offspring, the Lord Jesus Christ. All nations on earth will be blessed say the next five words with me because you have obeyed me say it one more time because you have obeyed me alright. So in this chapter we see the first two principles for having a massive spiritual life principle number one is absolute surrender.

Abraham said all right God, if you tell me to sacrifice my son. I absolutely surrender to your will, and the second principle is full obedience, Abraham also says and God not only will I surrender to what you tell me to do, but I will obey it slowly and exactly the way you say it should be done. You see those two principles absolute surrender, full obedience, God, God, I'm okay now that's the stars were going to go in our passage because it's time now for us to ask our most important question and you know what this is so loud and Prince William Bethesda edge community Internet campus. Tyson, on the count of three. Here we go wanting to go for a salon. You know I said this last week that I love this passage is a great passage but I really don't see what it's got to do with me.

Well friends listen if you want to have a massive spiritual life. This chapter has everything to do with you and with me because it tells us how to get that kind of spiritual life. Remember what I told you before the people in the Bible.

These great men and women of God and down through history, they did not have different genetic material than you and I have what it is, is that they lived by a different set of principles than most of the world around them live by. And if we can understand those principles and emulate them in our own life. God will give us a massive spiritual life, just like they had to make sense to you.

Okay so if we want to have that kind of spiritual life. In this passage of the principles and were looking today at number two and that is full obedience. So let's define before we go on what is obedience will obedience means to do what we're told to do. That's pretty easy full obedience to God, however, goes one step farther full obedience to God means that not only do we do what God tells us to do, but that we do it exactly how God tells us to do it without shaving and cutting the corners in any way no one can have a massive spiritual life without a commitment to full obedience to God.

Listen to what God said to Joshua, he said. Joshua 17.

Be careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. And where is all that well.

It's right here in the BRI BLD correct. Look what God says. He says do not turn from it to the right or to the left.

Folks, this is full obedience. No right turns no left turns. Just write down the yellow line in the center, and you know looking for second full obedience is what God wants from every single follower of Christ. It's just the people who don't want and care about having a massive spiritual life all that much. They're not going to give it to God they're going to do with the way they feel like doing it and what they're going to give God his excuses every excuse in the book for why they can't do what God tells them to do the way God tells them to do it and then they're going to presume on God's forgiveness and presume on God's patience and presume on God's mercy. But my friends this is a dangerous way to live with me show you first Samuel chapter 15 the years 1050 BC King Saul has become the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel here we go. Verse one. Then the prophet Samuel said to Saul here. Now the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel. On the way.

While Israel was coming up from Egypt. Now he says to Saul, go and strike the Amalekites and utterly destroy all that they have put to death. Both man and woman, child and infant oxen. She camel and donkey go hallway wall will wait a minute. This is God. This is genocide this is wiping out an entire group of people. A loving God is doing this by what is going on here with friends, but we must understand is that this was an act of divine judgment upon these people. Deuteronomy 25 listen, verse 17. Remember, God says what the Amalekites did to you. The Israelites, when you came out of Egypt. How they attacked among you all the stragglers at the rear the fate and the weary and did not fear God, therefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord gives you rest from all your enemies in the land that the Lord is giving you the promised land use shell blocks out the memory of the Amalekites under heaven.

You must not forget friends. The point is, God did not pick out some random people group to annihilate that is not what is happening here is the Israelites were marching across the Sinai after they came to the Red Sea. The Amalekites did a despicable thing. They prayed on the stragglers at the back of a column of the week the sick children, the elderly, the disabled who couldn't keep up with the rest of the pack.

They robbed them. They slaughtered them like a bunch of merciless hyenas and as a result, God pronounced divine judgment on them. Exodus 1714 then the Lord said to Moses, write this in a book as a memorial and recited to Joshua that I will utterly blot out the Amalekites from under heaven, and the task of fulfilling this divine judgment, sale on King Saul to carry out you guys understand what were talking about here, you got it.

Now some of you may still be bothered by this, and if you are living suggest to you a resource.

Dr. Peter Williams online you can find it online at the CS Lewis Institute. It's a little series of messages he did entitled loving God, or cosmic tyrant, and it's all about this passage and others where God seems to be a cosmic tyrant, but he explains why he's not, so go check it out online.

I don't have any more time to deal with it right now, but check it out online. Okay, let's move on. So were in first Samuel 15 God is commanded Saul to go wipe out the Amalekites. All the men all the women. All the children all the animals burn the city to the ground. Now let me summarize what happens next. Saul busters his army and attacks the Amalekites just the way God order and Saul then totally destroys their army, just the way God order and Saul Burns their city, just the way God ordered. I been so far so good right now. Bursae however Saul captured a gag, the king of the Amalekites alive hopes had God told him to do that. No.

And what's more, Saul spared a gag and the rest of the sheep, oxen, the lambs, and all that was good. Had God told him to spare any of those animals know Samuel rose early in the morning to go meet Saul and Saul so I'm coming and said to him, blessed are you of the Lord.

I have carried out the command of the Lord and Samuel said will then what then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the slowing of oxen that I hear you get with what Samuel saying the same Saul if you have done what God told you to do fully and completely, there would be no sheep alive for me to hear bleed. There would be no oxen alive for meeting your low, it should be completely quiet what you mean you did what God told you to do.

Saul says that well. He says the people to love it how he shifts this the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen watch now to sacrifice to the moon, Lord our God, how sanctimonious can you get Samuel to imbibe. He said hey Saul has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, say it with me to obey is better than sacrifice. Say it again, to obey is better than sacrifice, and may I say to you, you can take the word sacrifice out of their and put anything in its place you want and the sentence will still read the same to obey is better than what ever is in the box folks God is interested in full obedience. It's just that simple. And Samuel says because you have rejected the word of the Lord. He has also rejected you from being king and he took Saul's kingship away friends. How important is full obedience to God. They is important enough that he revoked Saul's kingship over it.

Above all else God wants full obedience. Saul gave him half obedience.

But as far as God is concerned half obedience is disobedience to God. It half obedience is disobedience.

I know I read this to you before to quote from AW toes are one of my favorite writers, but I can't think of any other quote I've ever read that that's better at this moment you know how are all praying for revival in our country and were praying for revival in our city and revival in our church and revival in our lives. Okay will listen. Toes are said and I quote, have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late, and how little revival has resulted considering he says the volume of prayer that's ascending these days rivers of revival should be flowing that no such results are in evidence. Toes are says should not discourage us. Rather, it should stir us to find out why our prayers are not being answered. He concludes by saying I believe that our problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying the and it simply will not work."

Folks.

You can pray for revival in your life all you want but if there is disobedience to God in your life is not going to happen and we can pray for revival here in this church.

All we want but if there's disobedience to God in our church is not good happen and and and churches around America can pray for revival as much as they want but if there's disobedience in those churches to God and ain't going to happen. Friends remember second Chronicles 714 of my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face. Okay so far so good, and turn from their wicked ways, repent of their sin come back to full obedience to God friends if we leave that step out the rest of God's promise doesn't apply. He says I'll hear you from heaven forgive your sins all you your land. Yeah, we gotta do everything at the beginning, not just some of it and so the bottom line is if you want a massive spiritual life.

If I want a massive spiritual life we want revival in our lives if we want revival in our families if we want revival in our churches friends prayer is important but obedience full obedience is critical. You know, two weeks ago I was having my quiet time I was on my knees in prayer and the gentleman's name popped up on my radar screen and he and I had parted ways.

A while back. It wasn't a nice party.

We written some emails to one another that weren't the sweetest females ever written and though verse of Scripture came to mind. Matthew chapter 5.

If you're presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering before the altar, and go go where will go see your brother first be reconciled to your brother, and then calm and present your offering so I'm on my knees in prayer and the Lord says to me a lot. I want you to go.

Humble yourself in front of that man and I want you to ask him to forgive you and I want to see you guys reconcile and I said, but Lord, I do want to do that and the Lord said we need to go over the verse again long civil Lord this really true, is it to my just sending an email and tell them I'm sorry I need a whole lot less humiliating to send an email be whole lot less humbling to send an email. And God says said to me lawn the verse doesn't say leave your gift and go send an email so I really struggle with this friends.

I did not want and finally just as clear as a bill. I sensed the Lord saying to me now long do you really want to be the person who quenches what the Holy Spirit is doing for good at McLean Bible church because of your disobedience because of your help obedience. Do you really want to be that person. So I called the guy up and I think we meet. We met the next day and he said you know I was thinking about calling you up, but I would really sure how you'd receive it.

He said I'm really shocked you called me wanting to call me and I'm like it's a long story okay will you really go into a but it's kind of a long story and you know what we exchange forgiveness is. I asked him to forgive me. He asked me to forgive him. We hugged each other.

We said look, why don't we just let this be ancient history. Okay put it behind us and let's move on his friends from here and brothers in the Lord from here friends. Here's the point point is that when it comes to obeying God. Our flesh is always looking for the easy way out. Our sin nature is always looking to cut the corners. Can I send an email about a text, you know, maybe I'll write him a note and and God saying no no no no I want full obedience. And if you want willing to give me full obedience.

And don't even bother.

And the reason our flesh is always looking for a way around it is because full obedience to God is our full obedience to God can be humiliating full obedience to God can be demanding but friends we can. Not will listen to me a massive spiritual life without full obedience to God. It cannot be done. A man got it so let me ask you a question enclosing my question is where is God asking you to give him full obedience. Is he asking you to humble yourself and go ask for forgiveness from someone that you offended and you.

You're saying what yeah but it was their fault to want to make them come to me all is God asking you to go make restitution for something you did wrong, you're saying Lord is way too costly and besides legally there's nothing they can do to me is the Lord asking you to speak with somebody about their relationship with Christ in your sample eyewitness with my life. I don't need to use words. My life is my witness, is the Lord asking you to stop having sex with your boyfriend or your girlfriend or your fiancé and you're saying you have a godly don't do it all that often get married anyway as God asked you to get into a small group get connected with people and accountable with people and you're saying that I'm not.

I don't want somebody crying in the my life is none of their business was going on in my life has God asked you to confess a secret sin of pornography and get help and you're saying you have a God I don't do it that often. It's not of a minor thing is God asking you to stop the awful things that you and I say about people gossip and and and just backbiting and and just awful things in your saying well you know what is true what I say is God asking you to stop lusting over women than addressing them with your eyes and you saying, I'm not doing that.

I'm just admiring your creation is God asking you to spend more time with your family and your saying God, I'll do it.

I promise I got a career first, let me get my career where it needs to get to that. I'll get back to this is God asking you to have family devotions and pray with your children before you go to bed at night and you're saying you know I'm so tired when I get home from work I just want to sit down for a few minutes and watch television.

There pink people they can pray. Is God asking you to get involved in some volunteer area of service for him in your K and I already too busy.

Laura was God asking you to set aside quiet time to spend dedicated time with the Lord and dedicated time in the word of God in prayer and you're saying you know commune with God on the golf course. I look at the trees and gone and I we have our prayer time on the golf course folk you know what we say stuff like that. We sound like so and I've seen what happened. The soul and I don't want what happens told happened to me. And if you're smart, you know what happens told happened to you folks. If we want massive spiritual lives. Let me close by saying been all obedience to God is where we must set the bar. No excuses. And when we fall short, we can confess it to God and we can ask for his forgiveness which he gives freely and we can try to do better next time.

We don't lower the bar we keep it a full obedience. This is what made Abraham the man of God that he was. You want to be a man of God you want to be a woman of God. This is one of the critical ways you and I have to be willing to live in the hope that you will spring with our heads out of our eyes closed, the Holy Spirit tapped you on the shoulder at some point during this message and said hey you know what – this is you, you're giving me half obedience in some area and I want this fixed and wanted to take a moment right now to confess that, to the Lord and telling with his help with his power you're committed to full obedience. Now with our heads bowed in our eyes closed. Please no one looking around if you made a commitment to full obedience to God in some area of your life.

I want you to stand right where you are is a sign of the fact that you mean business and I want to pray for you, so stand up if that you anybody else just before we pray Lord Jesus, I thank you for every one of us who were standing I'm standing up here.

Forgive us Lord for listening to our sinful fleshly nature and try not always cut the corners on what you want us to do to make it easier on ourselves less humiliating, less humbly, God help us to have a passion for full obedience to God and to understand you will accept nothing less is satisfying to you and so Lord for all the people who were standing God, thank you for their willingness to repent today and I pray that you would give them the strength that they need and encourage that they need in the determination that they need to carry through on what they've told you today.

Father, help us be people not like Saul, but help us be people like Abraham who was going to put that knife in his boy because you commanded to help us to have that kind of obedience to you full obedience. In Jesus name we pray. Amen