Choosing To Obey

Conclusion

I was asked “When will we move on from this discussion of sin in Bible study and from in my sermons” and I can tell you the answer is never. This is not something we can “move away” from as long as we accept the doctrine that sin and rebellion is okay as long as it does not harm anyone. But you know what, I do thank God for you who are truly seeking our Father’s heart. You want your heart to beat with His heart. It’s not easy and it’s not popular to be in a church that’s swimming against the tide of wrong doctrine. And sometimes it’s not easy to look around and see a church that can easily seat 100 people seating 30 or 40. But we are not called to easy. We are not called to be popular. We are called to one thing: simple obedience – to the word and to the voice of our new nature. That’s all our Father has ever wanted because that’s all He needs.

Remember the definition of obey? It means to “follow the commands or guidance of; to conform to or comply with.” Remember what Paul said in Romans 12:2? He said that we should not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In other words what he said was that we should not obey the world – but change how we think so that we can come into the understanding of what it means to obey God.

Are you willing to obey? I am not asking you to obey me; I am asking you to obey God. Not Rodney’s interpretation of God, but what God says Himself. Read His word for yourself and decide what you believe or disbelieve. You decide for yourself if you’re willing to obey Him with compromise. You decide as you and you alone will stand before Him for how you walked on this earth. Not only that, but are you willing to teach your children to obey? To obey you; obey those in authority over them (i.e. policemen, teachers in school, and other adults telling them what is right.) Are we willing to secure our children’s future by teaching them obedience – to God first which will lead them to understand how to obey in this world?

During our Men’s breakfast last week, we briefly discussed the situation in Ferguson. One of the men made the point that both of the young men were asked to get out of the street and only one obeyed. The one who obeyed is alive today. We cannot minimize what it means to obey, even when we think we are in the right. We will not know or understand what Mr. Brown was thinking at the time and we will not stand in judgment of him. All I am asking you to consider once again is our ability to make choices that can lead to different outcomes.

I thank God for you and that you’re willing to take steps towards Him. I leave you with the words of Joshua which he spoke to the Children of Israel shortly before his death: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:15)