This is by far my longest post – yet I find it one of the most important post – as obedience is one of the major foundational stones laid in a young disciples life that they will balance their walk on for years to come.

” Obedience is not a dirty word – it is a key to Kingdom living”

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

And again Jesus says;
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

And again…..
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10)

We see this message repeated by the one who was next to the Lord throughout His earthly ministry and even referred to himself as the one whom the Lord loved; We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. (1 John 2:3) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, (1 John 5:3) And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6)

We read these passages in the Word yet if we preach in a way that resembles these teachings we are called legalistic. While at the same time we have a generation that longs for the presence of the Father. But we must ask the question is His presence not present possible because we have rejected His teachings and sought our own. For the Master and His students make clear what ushers in the presence of the Father yet we reject it as “too religious”.

But there are so many promises connected to this teaching by our Lord in John 14, just look at verse 26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

What an awesome promise – “He will teach you all things” — Necessary for you to know. Here is a clear promise to the apostles, and their successors in the faith, that the Holy Ghost will teach them all that truth which is needful for their salvation.

One thing I find funny and sad at the same time is that one can quote a scripture and just a scripture and people will ask you to defend your stance – O, you’re a Calvinist or a non-Calvinist, you’re a Lutheran or a Baptist and the list goes on. I find it funny because I see God’s truth woven within each Christian denomination while at the same time it saddens me because I see men twisting His truth’s to suite their understanding rather than aligning their understanding up to His truths.

We live in a day when denominational teachings often attempt to dislodge (though prayerfully unknowingly) the very core teachings that Christ has given us especially when they (Denominational teachings) bring disunity rather than a witness to the power of God’s truth. Yes the sinner who refuses to bow His knee to Christ will always be at odds with the Truth. What I am talking about is how men can take the very power of Gods Holy Word and dirty it with an infusion of worldly wisdom and call that which is Holy unholy and that which is unholy, holy.

But for the appreciation of time to my readers and listeners I will stay on topic here in this message and not run down any rabbit trails today. Now the message here is foundational especially for those who consider themselves radical disciples who have made that 100% commitment required by radical King who commands radical allegiance tied directly to radical obedience and radical sacrifice.

If we were to lightly study the past few decades we would come to see how the onslaught of false gospel ordinances that have been infused into the Church, which has left a spiritual battle field filled with the carcasses of innocent lives lost- a horrific scene of a battle field that is filled with land mines and smoke clouds of false doctrines, false signs, wonders & miracles.

These deceptive doctrines and religious practices have birthed a generation which is content on eating their own young and torturing their wounded. In many ways the enemy has succeeded in wounding and slowing down a supernatural army that could conquer the world of darkness, pushing it leaders and Satan himself right back to the very gates of Hell. Instead we find an army that has pockets of resister, those who refuse to give up and will not bow to any other save their King alone. They can not be bought, they can not be held in prison, they will die fighting for the Kingdom and it’s truth. But for the most part we have an army of spiritual warriors that are untrained, unprepared and have total lack any commitment to the King at all, most not even realizing they are serving an imposter King, they know not the True Christ. They want to comforts and rewards of service without having to serve themselves.

The spiritual warfare we are dealing with today is no different than what the King & apostles warned us of the Word in regard to this warfare. In the natural the strategies of the enemy can be compared that style of warfare which started in Vietnam and is even more prevalent in today’s war against terrorist, we have an enemy who has learned to blend in with civilians so keenly that even some of the best at discerning can be fooled, if it were possible.

We’ve seen these pawns of the enemy everywhere from Evangelistic TV shows to those leading modern day movements, even revivals. Blindly many have missed one of the biggest weapons the enemy has brought and placed right in the middle of the camp – a “Trojan Horse” if you will – a watered down version of the gospel. Like a “Trojan horse” it comes into the camp in the form of a gift, a blessing yet in the end, when it is opened up and the vile and unholy message is released it brings forth not life, but death and destruction and spreads like a cancerous plague. Take for example the Word judgment, the enemy has created a doctrine that says any and all judgment is wrong even though we find this is not actually what was taught by Jesus. For we are called in the Word to judge the fruit and to ask Holy Ghost to guide that we may discern between those who are false teachers and those who are not.

Is Obedience better than sacrifice?

This is the vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem at the time of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
The LORD Accuses Israel of Sin
Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth!

The LORD has spoken, “I raised my children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me. Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn’t know its owner. My people don’t understand who feeds them. “How horrible it will be for a nation that sins.

Its people are loaded down with guilt. They are descendants of evildoers and destructive children. They have abandoned the LORD.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him. “Why do you still want to be beaten? Why do you continue to rebel? Your whole head is infected. Your whole heart is failing.

From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head
there is no healthy spot left on your body—only bruises, sores, and fresh wounds. They haven’t been cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.“Your country is devastated. Your cities are burned down. Your fields are destroyed right before your eyes by foreigners. Your fields are devastated and taken over by foreigners. My people Zion are left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.”

If the LORD of Armies hadn’t left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Israel’s Corrupt Religion
Listen to the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom!Pay attention to the teachings from our God, you people of Gomorrah!The LORD asks, “What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I’ve had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves.I’m not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. (Isaiah 1:1-11)

Isaiah was what we would call today an intellectual. He was not royalty, but he held favor with several kings, until the time he started making everyone uncomfortable with his prophecies and forewarning s about the coming of God and the nation of Israel.

Today we find the same conditions in the Church – there are those who are the favorite of denominations as long as they speak good things, but when they get down to talking about giving things up and living our lives as obedient children unto the Lord, well now they are just crossing the line and we will replace them with another who speaks only good things – we want to hear the bless me Lord, not the surrender all unto the Lord comments.

Often times we mix the words obedience and sacrifice up thinking our sacrificial actions prove our obedience. We think we are justified in our actions because we give up certain things for God. Just because we make one or two sacrifices for God, we somehow think that those sacrifices atone for our other sins. But God tells us in these verses, what good are sacrifices to Him? Do the sacrifices that we make really mean anything to God? After all, he has everything we have because he created it all in the first place. Granted, the sacrifices that we make signify a commitment to the word of God and represent our appreciation for what he has done for us, but that is not a sure way to gain favor in the sight of God. There are people who everyday sacrifice and give of their time and make allowances for God, but they do it with a begrudging spirit. They do it as if it is something that they don’t really want to do, or something that they think will get them a little closer to God in the end.

To sacrifice means to give up. In order to sacrifice, you must relieve yourself of something, be it money, possessions, or maybe even a part of yourself. But when you make a sacrifice to God, you are just returning to Him what was His in the first place. And not to say that sacrifices are not important, because they are. However, sacrifices only represent that you acknowledge God, not that you are necessarily following what God is telling you to do.

But obedience is another thing all together. Until a little over a year ago, I did not like the statement “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” And mostly it was because I did not fully understand the concept. I did not truly understand what the difference was. I thought that if you sacrificed what you had for the good of the Lord, then you were fulfilling your commitment to God and fulfilling His commandments. It seems that while I was not entirely wrong, I was not entirely wrong.

I think part of the problem comes in with our interpretation of the word obey. We seem to have a lot of problems with that word. In the New International Version’s translation of the Bible, the word obey is mentioned 165 times, and this does not count all of the variations of the word. It would appear that since this word does appear so often in scripture that is something that is important to God.

When most people think of the word obey, they think of something close to slavery, something negative and something evil. Somehow, to obey someone or something is wrong, a barbaric notion whose time has come and passed.

According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, the definition of obey is as follows: 1. To give ear to; to execute the commands of; to yield submission to; to comply with the orders of; 2. To submit to the authority of; to be ruled by; 3. To yield to the impulse, power, or operation of; as, a ship obeys her helm.

So we see, that obey has meaning meanings, several of which we have problems with. According to the definition I just read, a synonym of obey is submit. And we all have a problem with the whole act of submission. Somehow the notion of submission is something that we just can’t accept. Sure, racially and historically speaking, there is reason to get uncomfortable with the act of submission and that’s fine. But when we inject gender issues into the word of God, then we have problems.

It has always amazed me why we actually have such a problem with these words. I do not know of one woman who has gotten married in recent years who has allowed the word obey to be used in her wedding vows, they believe it is too chauvinistic. Which is amazing to me in how we give so much power to one little word. Never mind the fact that biblically wives are to submit and obey their husbands, and never mind the fact that if a woman married a power hungry fool, he will be that fool with or without the word obey in the wedding vows. What gets me is how we say we are willing to follow the word of God, as long as it does not upset our comfort level. But the word of God is the word of God, and we must be consistent in that. The act of submission is not something we can get away from.

Another problem with the word obey and the act of obeying someone is that is has to deal with power. We often don’t like to admit that there is someone or something else that has power over us, that has the ability to control our lives. Sure, we can say all we want that God is an all-powerful and all-knowing being, but there is a part of us that wants us to believe that we have the ultimate power and control over our own lives. That we, somehow, control our destinies.

Now, I am a big believer in free will, and believe that God has given us the free will so that we may come to Him on our own without force and provocation, but with that free will, I also acknowledge that my life is in God’s hands. That my wife and son’s life is in the hands of God. That God’s will, no matter what I say, think or pray, supersedes that of my own. That I acknowledge that God has the power, and that I am but a mere servant of that power.

Many professing Christians play children’s games with each other, hugging the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to ourselves, going to church and listening to the Pastor each week, without getting out of our comfort zones, without putting behind us the fear of the hardship that we shall suffer as a result of doing something to alleviate the suffering of someone else, of thinking of others above ourselves; we are not hallowing the name of God. We are not taking the Sacrifice seriously enough, we are offering an animal to God that is not unblemished.

Someone once stated to me that it was too difficult to be a disciple, with his work load and responsibilities of bringing up a family, he just didn’t have the time. What he was actually saying was that God was not important enough in his life, he could give God the sacrifice of an imperfect animal, God wouldn’t notice, God would accept what he was giving; namely his tithes and his work in the organization in the church.

Friends, please realize that we are not playing a game of football here; worshiping and being obedient is a serious business. Once we admit that Jesus is the Christ we have come into Covenant with the Living God. He will honor his side of the agreement as laid out in His word, but if we treat His rules lightly, playing a dirty game, the Holy Spirit will continually blow the whistle against us as we mock God and count the greatest gift that we can obtain as of no worth. On that day, God’s mighty day of judgment, He who has honored the Covenant with each of us will judge whether we have been honorable.

In World Cup soccer terms, it is a great honor to be chosen to represent your country to compete against other countries. If on the field of play, you continually break the rules of the game, fouling and injuring others, you will eventually receive a red card and might even be sent home in disgrace, dishonoring the country that you represented.

Disobeying God’s rules, which are unchanged from the beginning of time, will cause you or I to suffer the second death, we will burn forever.

We can read throughout scripture many complex issues that we must lean onto Holy Ghost for understanding – The Word also clarifies issues for us and when something is of great importance it will show up throughout out the Word. In the case of obedience it does just that. I will leave this message with a number of verses that relate too and speak of obedience.

Our walk is to be filled with fruit and one of the ways to ensure that we are producing the fruit of the Kingdom is to be obedient unto His teachings, that we remain obedient to His commands –Of course being obedient and or following all of His commands shall not save us but they will help keep us on that narrow path.

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: (Romans 1:5)

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. (Romans 16:19)

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
(Romans 16:26)

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. (1 Corinthians 14:34)

And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. (2 Corinthians 7:15)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5)

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
(2 Corinthians 10:6)

Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. (Philemon 1:21)

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8)

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. (Exodus 24:7)

And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. (Numbers 27:20)

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (Deuteronomy 4:30)

As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 8:20)

Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. (2 Samuel 22:45)

As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
(Proverbs 25:12)

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: (Isaiah 1:19)

Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
(Isaiah 42:24)

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, (Romans 15:18)

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. (2 Corinthians 2:9)

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; (Ephesians 6:5)

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:5)

Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; (Titus 2:9)

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
(1 Peter 1:14)