WHY
DO WE OBEY GOD?
Mt.
6:33 "But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you."
CONTEXT vss.
19-21 Worrying
about what
you
want
that you don't have yet.
vss.
22-23 An
unhealthy eye vs. a good eye. What's important to us?
vs.
24 Is
our allegiance to God
or to things?
vss.
25-32 Worrying
about what you
need.
1.
TO BE RELIGIOUSLY CORRECT? SUPERFICIAL
Mt.
23:23-24 Being
correct is good, but not enough. Justice, mercy & faith.
2.
TO APPEAR RIGHTEOUS TO OTHERS? SUPERFICIAL
Mt.
23:27-28 Righteous
outwardly
but lawless & hypocritical inside.
Mt.
6:1-2 Charitable
deeds done to be seen by men. The hypocrite has his
reward.
Mt.
6:5 Praying
to be seen by men. The hypocrite has his reward.
Mt.
6:16 Fasting
to be seen by men. The hypocrite has his reward.
3.
TO ESCAPE HELL, TO GAIN HEAVEN, OR TO PLEASE GOD?
Mt.
3:1-9 "...Who
has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?..."
Who
you are
(your lineage in Abraham) is of no benefit.
What
you do
(bearing
fruit in obedience)
is what matters.
BEAR
FRUIT WORTHY OF REPENTANCE
NOTE:
Fruit is intended to give pleasure to the one who eats it.
EXAMPLE:
Gen.
3:6 "So
when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food,
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree
desirable
to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate...."
THE
FRUIT WE ARE TO BEAR IS FOR GOD'S PLEASURE
LOOK
AT THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE
Lk.
13:6-9 Do
we "use up the ground" (serve ourselves, seek our benefit,
just look
for the reward, heaven)? Or
do we "bear fruit" (serve God, seek to give Him pleasure)?
Phil.
2:12-13 "Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in
my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling; [13]
for it is God
who
works in you both to
will
and to
do
for His
good pleasure."
NOTICE:
Their obedience (which involved their "will' [desire] &
their action) was not
to be seen,
but "for His
good pleasure."
TO
FOLLOW JESUS IS TO GIVE GOD PLEASURE ON
HIS TERMS
WE
CANNOT RATIONALIZE
ON OBEDIENCE - THAT IS PRESUMPTUOUS
Lk.
9:57-ff (vs.
58) You must count the cost of discipleship - of following Him.
(vss.
59-60) He must come before fleshly (family) ties. Let the
spiritually
dead
bury their dead. You be spiritually alive.
Mt.
10:34-39
We must love Him above father, mother, son or
daughter to be worthy
(of value, fit, suitable)
(vss.
61-62) He must come before our friends. what
about our excuse
for not assembling because company came?
As
a plowman looks ahead as he plows, don't look back
1
Sam. 15:17-23 (especially
vs.
22)
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice
of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed than the fat of rams."
Psm.
51:15-17
(especially vs.
17)
"The sacrifice of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise.
WILL
GOD ACCEPT OUR SERVICE, OUR WORSHIP, OUR CONFESSION OF
SINS, OUR SUBMISSION TO BAPTISM - IF IT IS ON
OUR TERMS
AND NOT
ON HIS; IF IT IS FOR OTHER PURPOSES RATHER THAN TO PLEASE
HIM?
1
Jn. 3:18-21 "My
little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed
and in truth. [19]
And by this we know
that we are of the truth,
and shall assure
our hearts before Him. [20]
For if our heart
condemns
us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
[21]
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have
confidence
toward God.
DO
YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE TOWARD GOD?
1
Pet. 3:18-ff "...there
is also an antitype [true likeness, asv] which now saves is,
namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ,..."