The Obedience Factor Series

Learn to Drive Series Week 6

THE OBEDIENCE FACTOR:

Doing exactly what you are told

Immediately

with a happy heart

Tonight, as we follow up our baptismal service, and as we continue in our Learn to Drive in 2005 series, we want to look at the Obedience Factor. That is what baptism is about. Obedience to God’s command. Christ was baptized, and out of obedience, so must we be.

In our Learn to Drive series, last week, we talked about road signs, and their warnings to prevent us from harm. But in reality, the signs themselves don’t protect us.

It is our obedience to the signs that actually protect us from harm. If we choose not to obey them, then we will suffer consequences.

Tonight we need to learn HOW to obey the warning signs God gives us.

I want to take a close look at the actions of a man I greatly admire. This man was a man’s man. This man was not afraid of anyone or anything. The only fear he had in his life, was the healthy fear of God.

You see, God asked this man to do something that appeared to be so ridiculous, that without a doubt, he would be laughed at by all his neighbors, his distant relatives and in fact, the world. And not just for a few minutes, but for more than 100 years. That’s how long it took him to do what God had asked him to do.

Now is that embarrassing or what? To go talk to someone about Christ for 5 minutes is bad enough when you feel like you are making a fool of yourself. But for God to give you a job that would take over 100 years? I mean people would go to their grave thinking you were a fool.

But you see, this man had total faith in God. And he knew that God would never ask him to do something that wasn’t absolutely 100% important. God doesn’t waste our time, give us suggestions, or threaten us with false alarms.

No, God wants us to make the most of the time He has given us here on earth, He gives us commands (not suggestions) and He never threatens, He only warns us of impending events.

Our story starts here…

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the earth”…

You know how that goes. God took 6 days (and a day to rest) to create a perfect world. Every day He created something new. And each day when He finished, He looked at what He had done and saw that “It was good”. Until He made man. Then He saw that it was “VERY good.”

Unfortunately, by Genesis chapter 6, (only 6 chapters later) God’s perfect world had become so corrupted by man’s poor choices, that God was actually sorry He ever even made us.

Let me prove it to you. Genesis 6:6-7

6 So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart. 7 And the LORD said, "I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them."

Now that is sad. We took something so perfect that God made, and turned it into something so evil and corrupt, that He was sorry He made us. But there was one saving grace. One person had not been affected by the surrounding corruption. You hear people say, “But everyone is doing it.” Thank God not everyone does!.

This man was still a sinner, by birth and by actions. But his heart, belonged to God. He was living righteous and holy in a real imperfect world. We can use this as an example to ourselves. It is possible to stand up for what is right, to live in a way that would please God, no matter what “everyone else is doing”. As you will see, the strength to do what is right can often times mean the difference between life and death!

Look with me in Genesis 6:8-10

8 But Noah found favor with the LORD.9 This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

How many of us would stand out in a crowd like Noah? Does God notice us in the middle of our world? Let’s read on,,, Genesis 6:11-21

11 Now the earth had become corrupt in God’s sight, and it was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere. 13 So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Yes, I will wipe them all from the face of the earth!14 "Make a boat from resinous wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Construct an opening all the way around the boat, 18 inches below the roof. Then put three decks inside the boat – bottom, middle, and upper – and put a door in the side.17 "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing. Everything on earth will die! 18 But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal – a male and a female – into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of each kind of bird and each kind of animal, large and small alike, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And remember, take enough food for your family and for all the animals."