The Greatest Need--Obedience

I would imagine if I ask 20 people this morning “What do you need”? I would get 20 different answers. Rest, peace, relationship, healing, job, car…. It seems we never have trouble finding an answer when that question is asked.

Last week we began a new series we are calling the Greatest, and this morning we want to look at the greatest need. The greatest need of the church, of believers, of the world.

I’m still struggling with the title---the greatest. I don’t think it means what it use to. When the Ringling Bro’s called their circus the greatest show on earth—it really was—for a while. Of course that title is applied to so many things now---this morning 324 million results on google. And what is the greatest today may be replaced tomorrow.

There are some things though—that will always be the greatest. Jesus answer to the greatest commandment still stands. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength.

The final words of Jesus we have called the Great Commission and that mandate is still, or should be still the number one mandate of the church.

Last week we talked about the Greatest Omission for the church is to not follow Jesus instructions to go and make disciples, and our commitment to begin to do everything we can to follow those instructions.

So—this morning we look at the Greatest Need.

And I believe that need is obedience.

Since the beginning of time—the Garden of Eden, the one thing that has caused man to suffer the most-----is disobeying God. The one thing that breaks the relationship God offers to us---disobedience.

One of the most often given instructions from God---is that we obey Him.

This is by no means an exhaustive list---but just read through these with me.

Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and yoru descendants. Ex 12:24

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Ex 19:5

Follow my decrees and be careful to boey my laws and you will live safely in the land. Lev 25:18

Be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly…Deut 6:3

To obey is better than sacrifice, 1 Sam 15:22

Mighty are those who obey his command…Joel 2:11

If anyone love me, he will obey my teaching. Ohn 14:23

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, John 15:10

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 1 John 2:5

This is love for God: To boey his commands. 1 John 5:3

God really wants us to obey him—and more than that—some of the last words of Jesus extend that beyond us.

Go make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and I am with you always.

Questions

1. Why is it so important to God that we obey Him?

We need to understand this. God does not give us directions to obey as some sort of power trip. He is not trying to prove His authority or his power over us. He has that—he can do whatever he wants---and giving us directions and us obeying does not make him more powerful nor does our disobedience make him less powerful. The reason God wants us to obey is the same reason a parent wants a child to obey. We know so much more then our children. Our desire for their obedience is because we want the very best for them---and God’s desire for obedience is the same. He wants the very best for us—and has given us directions that when obeyed accomplishes that life.

2. Why then do we disobey??

God also gave us the freedom to make the choice. To fully experience the joy of relationship their has to be choice. We disobey because we deep down, ultimately want to be the boss. We want to call the shots----so we do. And we pay the consequences.

I believe it’s why the church today only has glimpses of being like the church in the book of Acts. I mean when we read about that early church and we see a complete commitment to one another, to being in one accord, serving one another, growing in number daily, no one being in want, we get excited about that church. But do we see that church often in our time??? Not as much as we should.

Let me explain---and let me say this. I have fought all week the battle of this becoming a teaching that beats us down. It is not my heart that preaching be a spanking every week. And I hope by time we are done today we can start some positives of obedience. With that said—there are times when we have to be honest about our disobedience –and it may be hard to hear or hard to address---but unless we do---we never correct it.