Beyond the Ritual: The Steeplechase of Obedience

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:00:00] Good to be in the house of the Lord this morning and see all you wonderful faces. My wife just told me that I didn't need to do it from here. I needed to do it from up there. And I said, you can tell me what to do at home, but here they get me, right? But it's good to be here and worship the Lord this morning. I want to first of all say there's a couple changes in the bulletin in there. Made a couple of errors, but Steve's got it all handled and we'll get to that.
[00:02:19] The number of all that is right on the board there, so I want to point that out first this morning.
[00:02:25] We do have a few announcements this morning.
[00:02:30] I'm getting distracted a little bit because something's going on out there, and I can't sit and let me go up here.
[00:02:40] We've got a few announcements we want to make this morning.
[00:02:42] We have a trustee meeting today at 2 o'clock, so if you're on the trustee board, please be here at 2 o'clock if at all possible.
[00:02:49] I want to also note for those that watch on Facebook there's been a lot of things happening as far as on the grounds the trustees have been very busy they got the steeple to working
[00:03:00] up there if you notice come by here at night light song plays music we didn't start playing music on it yet there's been a big rubber roof redone on the back side of the church
[00:03:12] this week they had a crew come in and do put a new roof on the picnic shelter They're coming to put gutters and all that on there.
[00:03:21] We can't do those renovations and all without the faithful support of tithes and offerings here at the church.
[00:03:27] So thank you so much for being faithful with that.
[00:03:30] And again, we're doing a lot of different things.
[00:03:32] And the trustees are very, very, very busy.
[00:03:35] We also have an administrative council meeting today at 3.30.
[00:03:40] If you're on the administrative council, chair of one of the committees, at-large members, please be there as well.
[00:03:46] did not have one in january and then we also will have a mission meeting on march 8th at 2 30.
[00:03:53] so if you're on a mission team come out for that and come out and do our wednesday night dinners uh this coming wednesday at 5 30. angela i'll be putting that on we'll have spaghetti and salad
[00:04:04] and all that good stuff so come out and be a part of that also in the bulletin uh the college connection we have two young ladies in our congregation that go to college and for
[00:04:12] valentine's day several ladies got together and put together a pastry box and sent it to them with all these goodies and food things and all in it and so they were very appreciative of that
[00:04:24] and so we want to say thank you to everyone that participated in it and also today was the last day for our food drive bringing the soups and also we will take all the soups that we got last count
[00:04:35] we had about 700 of our thousand but i haven't heard a number here yet and so we'll take all Call that to a food pantry, and thank you for supporting us with that as well.
[00:04:45] We also took care of the breakfast for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this week over at the high school.
[00:04:52] It's a wonderful thing.
[00:04:53] Those kids come to school at 6.30 in the morning, and they have a 45-minute worship service before they start their day.
[00:05:05] They have a singing group.
[00:05:06] pastors can come and do the little sermon but they also have students that do it as well and it's amazing just to watch them come in. I think I counted 109 this week that were there
[00:05:19] so thank you for supporting the missions that did that. I know Susie's got an announcement as well. Any other announcements?
[00:05:51] Yes ma'am.

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:05:52] Let's not forget that every Sunday you don't want to do paper up here and stand And I did have someone ask me this week, thank you for reminding me of that.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:06:21] They put them in the bottles and that's a wonderful thing.
[00:06:23] But if you want to write a check, put baby bottle boomerang at the bottom and they'll separate it in the books and all that stuff this week.
[00:06:31] And also you can do that as well.
[00:06:34] Any others?
[00:06:37] Steve, will you begin to lead us in worship?
[00:06:39] Thank you.
[00:07:43] Let us pray together.
[00:07:43] Gracious and loving God We talked in our group this morning Our Sunday school group About the awe and majesty of you If we could really grasp The place that you are Who you are We wouldn't just pray to you
[00:08:02] We would fall on our hands and our knees Before you That's the mighty wondrous thing we get to do here Lord Lift our hands to you Praise you, pray to you But Lord I ask that your Holy Spirit this morning
[00:08:16] Touch our hearts and allow us to see and feel just how great you are, how little we stand in front of you, small, but how much you love us and will reach down and pick each one of your children up.
[00:08:32] It truly is a pleasure to come to your house and worship and praise you.
[00:08:36] We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:08:40] I'd like to invite you to stand and join in us.
[00:08:43] We're going to recite the Apostles' Creed before we move into our praise songs.
[00:08:47] Growing up, we never did the Apostles' Creed.
[00:08:50] I never really said that until I started coming here, but I really enjoy it, and it tells us exactly what we believe.
[00:08:58] And we actually have a song that we'll be doing not too much longer that actually is based on the Apostles' Creed.
[00:09:04] It tells about what we believe.
[00:09:06] Let's stand as we join in with the Apostles' Creed this morning.
[00:09:10] I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary suffered under Pontius
[00:09:26] Pilate was crucified dead and buried the third day he rose from the dead and he ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:09:40] I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:09:55] Our praise song this morning, as the pastor said, we had some things that are a little different in the bulletin than what we're actually going to do today.
[00:10:02] So the first one is, how great is our God? That's our first praise song.
[00:10:07] and then our second praise song is going to be alleluia but our first praise song help us sing

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:10:11] how great is our god how great is our god amen we're going to sing alleluia even if the words

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:12:26] are not on the screen for alleluia i think you'll know it thank you you may be seated let me paint

[00:14:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:14:55] a picture for you you stand here and you sing those words how great the art one of the most beautiful songs and then you start singing that song alleluia and heaven stops the angels stop
[00:15:16] singing the bible says there's angels that sing all the time but what if your heart and your voice reached god and heaven stopped and they just listened to what you sang for the majesty of god
[00:15:33] i think that's what god listens to when he hears his worship in the sunday mornings which should be every day to just worship god stop and sing that song that's an easy one i would just sing
[00:15:49] that song to him and now you get to go and you pray to him hopefully this week as you started your first week of lent uh you've took that time to pray and fast i don't want to get into the
[00:16:04] sermon now but sometimes we think it's about the process what we're doing what we're giving up i will tell you it's not about the process it's about you getting closer to god you giving up
[00:16:20] something doing something to draw you to coach god allow you to be more connected with him and we should have that every every day of our life remember my mother she's still in hospital we
[00:16:32] thought she was going to get to go home today but they're going to keep a little bit longer just logistics and insurance now trying to get things done but she's still there they're still giving
[00:16:41] medicine and the drips and all that stuff so keep her in your prayers as well i tried to reach out out to build a whole this week and I'll continue this week to try to get in
[00:16:51] touch with him and give you an update on him good to see Ed and Johnny here this morning looking good again they've been out with some injuries but it's good to see them back here with worship with us anyone have a prayer request I'd like to
[00:17:10] lift to the Lord this morning Jeff Edwards remember Jeff he's got some medical things going on. But yeah, keep Jeff Edwards in your prayer. Yes,

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:17:21] Leandra, my youngest daughter. She complications with her. I saw another

[00:17:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:17:32] one. Yes, sir. Mike Chris. All right, give me the posted on Mike. Mike's

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:17:37] from yesterday. Any other brother in law? Carl lady that I kind of work

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:18:13] with. Her name is Franda. She had foot surgery this week. Recovering from

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:18:17] that. Any other prayer requests?
[00:18:24] Anyone want to share a praise report? How the Lord's been good to you this week? Yes, TJ.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:18:35] Amen. Amen. Amen.
[00:18:38] Yes, sir, David.
[00:18:44] Amen.
[00:18:45] Amen. That's a definite prayer. Any other?
[00:18:52] Yeah, I had a wonderful time with the ladies group yesterday.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:18:58] Any other prayers?
[00:19:02] Any others? Give Ms. Libby a microphone and let her pray for us this morning.
[00:19:09] We got one? There you go.
[00:19:13] Thank you.

[00:19:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:19:14] So we thank you for all that you've done for us.
[00:19:22] We know, God, without you, we are nothing.
[00:19:24] And we know that you can heal everything that's wrong with us.
[00:19:28] We know that if it's in your will, that you can heal all the sickness and all the pain and all the harm and take care of everything and everyone in this world.
[00:19:37] We know, God, that that's what you want.
[00:19:39] And we ask you, Lord, to help us be a beacon in the light in the world for you.
[00:19:44] we thank you God for all you've done for us and all you're going to do, we thank you for being one of those who are sick and in need of your healing touch we claim your new power for each of them
[00:19:55] we thank you God again for all that you've done for us and given us we thank you for our church and thank you for our pastor, give him the words that you want him to say this morning and
[00:20:06] help it reach our hearts and help us hear your message today we thank you God and and we pray the prayer that you have told us to pray.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:20:15] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:20:19] Thy kingdom come.
[00:20:21] Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:20:25] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
[00:20:33] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[00:20:38] For thine is the kingdom and the power

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:20:40] and the glory forever.

[00:20:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:20:42] amen thank you hey happy birthday i didn't thank you well you're going to get an opportunity to sing right now uh it's in the cokesbury and i know some of you that have really good eyes like
[00:21:03] to follow the cokesbury the rest of you the words will be up here it actually is 131 it says 133 in your hymnal but i mean your bullshit but it's 131 in the cokesbury let's stand as we sing jesus

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:21:14] saves and thank you may be seated tell me jesus died for my transgression and that he paid that price a long long time on a called calvary but there's something else that i want to know
[00:24:49] Does he still feel the nail every time I fail?
[00:25:01] Does he hear the crowd cry crucify again?
[00:25:09] Am I causing him pain even though I've got to change?
[00:25:16] I just can't bear the thought.
[00:25:30] seems that i'm so good and breaking promises and i treat his precious grace so carelessly but each time that he forgives what if he relives the agony he felt on that tree does he still
[00:26:02] I feel, feel the nails every time I fail. Can he hear that crowd cry crucify again? Am I causing him pain? Then I know I've got to change. I just can't bear the thought of hurting him.
[00:26:31] god you tell us in your scriptures all good things come from you your hand reaches out and offers

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:28:05] to us everything that we need sometimes we focus on things that don't matter in this life and lord i'm reminded you don't need one penny in this plate but yet you're still gracious you still provide for us and no matter what happens in this life order your will will continue to go on
[00:28:25] your gospel will still continue to be shared we just get to be a small part so lord i thank you for allowing us to come back and give to you our tithes and our offerings multiplying for the work
[00:28:37] of your kingdom in christ's name amen part of this sermon got lived out in a couple things that happened during this service sometimes it's funny how the lord brings those things at least to my
[00:31:40] mind uh that maybe this was the the right sermon that he laid on my heart i am that person that likes to be very methodical i like consistency i like things to go in order maybe you would use
[00:32:06] the term discipline so this morning when we read the scripture we sometimes we read it before i've got it in the sermon in a specific way because i want to focus on that passage as i
[00:32:20] mentioned before the prayer request started we enter into our linten journey and you if you've been in a methodist or this type of faith any length of time we have a very methodical way we
[00:32:32] look at those things what we're going to give up we're going to pray at that particular time we're going to fast in that time give up something we're familiar with that process But what if during your Lenten journey, the Lord showed you something different?
[00:32:55] Ask you to change what you're doing, your mindset.
[00:33:01] He still wants you to pray.
[00:33:02] He still wants you to fast.
[00:33:03] He still wants you to sacrifice.
[00:33:05] He still wants you to give.
[00:33:08] But the Lenten journey is supposed to be about us getting closer to God.
[00:33:17] Sometimes when the Holy Spirit talks to me as a pastor and I get up here and I preach to you, my wife hears it on the way home it didn't flow right I didn't say this
[00:33:33] I wanted to say this I didn't put emphasis on this you see the problem or the bulletin bulletin is not right words don't get on the screen it throws me into a chaos because I can get that meticulous
[00:33:52] with what I'm wanting to say and what I want to happen and do that's not the Holy Spirit in any form or fashion And I'm not saying that's not a good thing.
[00:34:06] But I've had many people come to me after a sermon.
[00:34:09] And I think I got up here and butchered it.
[00:34:14] It was not what the Lord laid on my heart.
[00:34:16] I didn't.
[00:34:18] And people would come up and say, the Lord, that was for me.
[00:34:23] The Lord answered my problem in that scripture.
[00:34:27] And I just throw my hands up sometimes.
[00:34:33] I like those specific things.
[00:34:35] but even I have to give way to the Holy Spirit and let him move and let his work be done even if it makes me nervous and sometimes it does I just like structure I like facts
[00:34:49] I like information I'm not that person that likes to sit down and read a novel I want to read something that tells me something tells me how to do something gives me direction I often said to Angela and maybe other people
[00:35:04] that's why I don't think I'm a good storyteller in a sermon But then again, I think some preachers tell too many stories and not enough scripture.
[00:35:14] I admire them, though.
[00:35:15] They can relate the story and the scriptures together.
[00:35:19] I have books at my house that are just simply on quotes, facts, manuscripts, and sermons of pastors.
[00:35:27] Because I think when you come to church, depending on the state of mind, you may not get nothing out of what I say.
[00:35:36] But you might get something out of the music.
[00:35:38] or that little silly quote I put in each bulletin may resonate with you.
[00:35:45] I like quotes.
[00:35:48] R.C. Sproul, Billy Graham, Oswald Chambers, of course, C.S. Lewis.
[00:35:55] I like putting those little tidbits of information in there so that you can maybe get something out of it.
[00:36:01] My life as a pastor is one where people come to me each and every week and they tell me what's going on in their life, the physical part and sometimes how it relates to the spiritual part and with that in mind I
[00:36:18] want to offer you a quote this is by Oswald Chambers our spiritual life is not measured by ecstasy but by obedience let me say it again our spiritual life is not measured by ecstasy but by obedience it simply means your spiritual growth is not how you feel how the lord talks to
[00:36:44] us is not whether or not the sermon was put right i mean the songs were put right in the sermon or the offering plates were where they were supposed to be or we worshiped and praised
[00:36:54] better this week than we did last week it has nothing to do with your spiritual life you should do those things and you we should tithe and we should sing and all those things but that has
[00:37:09] nothing to do with your spiritual life it's your obedience people come to church and enjoy fellowship and they enjoy singing and the spirit moves into service but before you leave and get in your car hardly you get a phone call or before you get to work the next day someone calls you
[00:37:32] someone says something and that joyful worshipful experience is completely gone and you're back into the world that doesn't matter to god what matters to god is our obedience for us as believers our spiritual life is measured by obedience to god it's fundamental and it's a divine defining
[00:37:59] characteristic of who we are in jesus christ obedience not ecstasy of worship or charismatic style of worship or a certain expressive nature in worship matters more to God than one person or the other.
[00:38:19] During the life of Jesus, Jesus himself said this, my food is to do the will of the Father who sent me and to finish his work.
[00:38:31] One word, obedience.
[00:38:35] But how does our obedience look? Jesus obeyed his Father. He listened.
[00:38:41] He spoke truth.
[00:38:44] But how did his obedience look in his personal life the life of jesus can be described as the ultimate picture of humility just being humble the bible says who for the joy that was set before him talking about
[00:39:06] jesus endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of god when you read that verse there it's a picture of humility regardless of what life brought to him
[00:39:25] what god laid before him and we know the story he led him to a cross the ultimate of shame and disgrace but the bible says he was lifted up and exalted and sits at the right hand of the father
[00:39:42] simple obedience to god that was his delight to fulfill the desires of his father But spiritual life is not defined by what we do, ecstasies.
[00:40:01] How good we rejoice and worship God this day or that day.
[00:40:09] In some of my darkest places, I've often told people when I felt closest to God.
[00:40:17] I think it's just a more sheltering, comforting presence to that.
[00:40:25] You can be in the middle of travesty in your life, and you can feel the warmth of God around you.
[00:40:31] when Jesus was on that cross there was no excitement at that there was no prolific celebration in that moment but it was the greatest accomplishment God ever did to offer salvation back to you and me
[00:40:51] and to bring us back to God now sure the crowds rejoiced there was excitement that day the one that had told them and pointed out their sins and pointed out their wrongs and how they were taken
[00:41:05] and stealing from people for this and that and worship and all, the one that was causing problems for Rome is now being put to death.
[00:41:18] They were excited.
[00:41:20] The Bible even tells us they were casting lots for his bloodstained garments.
[00:41:29] I think in that moment, too, the angels that we talked about earlier that rejoice and sing to God all the time, and I don't know that this is in the Bible or not, but in that moment they stopped singing and they're waiting for god's command the son of
[00:41:49] god is being crucified and we have to stand here and do nothing i think gabriel and rafael and michael they were waiting for god to say go kill them all wipe them all off but he didn't
[00:42:07] the greatest accomplishment god did was in that horrific moment i still find myself as a pastor gauging my life and lives of others by how the spirit moves and his guidance in a particular matter or
[00:42:25] worship service and I have to remind myself it's my obedience to God I have to put aside those things in my life that I feel good about as a contractor you do work and build a house build a
[00:42:41] addition or whatever and if I walked up to my client and said I'm done they give me my check and they walk over to where the addition is supposed to be and they say, there's no addition.
[00:42:57] You didn't remodel, you didn't paint, you didn't build the house.
[00:43:02] Oh, but if you could see with my eyes, man, I'm jumping for joy here.
[00:43:07] That's the best project I've ever done.
[00:43:09] They would think I was a fool.
[00:43:12] I didn't do what they asked.
[00:43:16] I didn't do what they paid me to do.
[00:43:21] Sometimes churches are that way.
[00:43:22] We measure our service and our response to God by how we do in a service or what we do but I'm reminded the person sitting quietly in the middle of a church service can be receiving the answer that God has been
[00:43:39] waiting to give them for years God's Holy Spirit is still doing the work the question we have to ask ourselves during this Lenten season is are we walking and listening to God during these 40 days
[00:43:58] I have to go and ask myself, am I being obedient to God during Lent?
[00:44:04] Am I being obedient to God during my life?
[00:44:08] If God did change what he wants me to do during Lent, would I be willing to get outside that structure and do it?
[00:44:17] Sometimes we have to put away the flesh and simply concentrate on the spirit of the Almighty God.
[00:44:26] Until we obey, we won't move one step closer to the Father.
[00:44:35] That's not an easy thing to think about.
[00:44:39] Contrary, if we don't do it, we're not living a life of humbleness to God.
[00:44:45] Our walk as a Christian is not a 100-meter dash.
[00:44:51] I sat a couple days trying my best to think of an analogy.
[00:44:55] If it's not a 100-meter dash, then it's got to be a marathon, right?
[00:44:58] That's simply endurance.
[00:45:01] Well, the Christian life could be that.
[00:45:03] Absolutely.
[00:45:05] And then it hit me.
[00:45:07] You ever watch one of those steeplechase events?
[00:45:12] Do me a favor.
[00:45:13] Throw your hand up.
[00:45:13] You know what a steeplechase event is?
[00:45:16] It's a two-mile course that you run fast, slow.
[00:45:23] You jump over water hazards.
[00:45:26] You jump over barriers.
[00:45:27] There's barriers that are three foot high.
[00:45:31] And during that course of two miles, you've got to run it as fast as you can.
[00:45:36] I did a little research on that it said it coaches that teach people how to run the steeplechase are the upper echelon of coaches when it comes to track it's not just about speed it's about timing it's not just about being fast it's
[00:45:55] about your ability to jump engage to leap over things you have to pay attention to the coach you have to listen to the coach if not it'll cost you something I was watching videos of people that failed during these events
[00:46:17] broke their legs arms shoulders they didn't pay attention sometimes obedience will cost us something but also obedience will cause us to receive a blessing during this life and when you finish the course in this life for us as
[00:46:41] during this Lent and especially during our Christian walk with God, when we as a child of God are shown a path in your life, the first thing we must do is humble ourselves. Humble yourself. Then pray
[00:46:58] and heed God's voice.
[00:47:03] The one thing you must do in that is walk towards God to the place that he's leading you. Don't get lost off course.
[00:47:12] Don't take your mind off the next barrier god is leading you to that barrier jesus course of his life was laid out before him before the foundations of the world just like your life is he knew exactly what he had to go
[00:47:30] go where he had to go what he had to do and for us as believers it's the same way our course is never easy in this life a lot of twists and turns a lot of ups and downs a lot of falls
[00:47:46] but I'm reminded that God was with Jesus every single place he went so how does that relate to us in Lent in our season of Lent we pray, we fast, we sacrifice but are you looking for where God
[00:48:06] is going to send you it's not enough to say we got through 40 days and we get the resurrection and we see the resurrection of Jesus on Easter but are you changed from who you were
[00:48:17] 40 days before, where did God lead you, were you obedient in your spiritual practice Did you listen for the voice of God?
[00:48:29] What are the results of your walk?
[00:48:31] What's the purpose?
[00:48:34] And for the obedient servant, if we do follow God, the Bible says there's an unopened treasure of blessings that we can receive and hear if we obey the voice of God.
[00:48:46] But not only for that, the person who is obedient to God will receive a reward.
[00:48:56] But it's not on our works.
[00:49:00] It's for being obedient to God.
[00:49:04] The scripture verse I wanted to point out this morning which comes from Luke 17, 1 through 10.
[00:49:09] Jesus said, Then he said to his disciples, It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come.
[00:49:21] Jesus is sitting with his disciples and he's talking and he starts to talk to them directly.
[00:49:29] He just told them the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
[00:49:31] and he says then he said to this disciple it's impossible that no offenses should come in this life that's essentially what he said but woe to him through whom they do come you're going to face
[00:49:44] struggles you're going to face obstacles but to that person that causes another person to stumble or fall woe be to that person don't be that person he says in verse 2 it would be better for him
[00:49:59] If a millstone was hung around his neck and he was thrown into the sea, then he should offend one of these little ones.
[00:50:11] Now, sometimes we take that verse and we say, Jesus saw these little children and he's talking about those little children.
[00:50:18] And I think he is.
[00:50:20] But I think there's also a spiritual undertone to that as well.
[00:50:24] He's talking to us as children of God and the meaning is still the same.
[00:50:28] Woe be to that person that causes a little child to fall, stumble.
[00:50:33] Woe be unto that person that causes one of his children to fall.
[00:50:41] He says in that next verse, take heed to yourselves.
[00:50:44] If your brother sins against you, rebuke him.
[00:50:48] And if he repents, forgive him.
[00:50:53] That simply means we have a right to go to the person that has the issue with us and bring it to their attention.
[00:51:01] and if he repents we forgive that person he says and if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes and returns to you and says I repent then you shall forgive him
[00:51:17] that's a hard one we would just write rather write him off after the second or third time right and if they come back the fourth time talk to the hand and then what they say
[00:51:33] but he says no you gotta forgive them seven times i remind you he's talking to disciples here disciples he's willing to speak to them and lead and guide them and to try to help them in their life but listen to what it said it
[00:51:57] said also the apostle said to the lord increase our faith i love that he they're listening to the disciples i mean he's listening to jesus and the apostles that said there is plural he said
[00:52:12] increase our faith i don't think they knew what they were asking for if i was to add lived out a little bit in my mind lord we hear what you're saying we want to obey you want to hear what you're
[00:52:27] what you want us to do but it's kind of hard it's hard for us to carry it out today so the lord said if you have faith as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree be pulled up by the roots
[00:52:44] and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.
[00:52:50] What Jesus is saying in essence is, you want me to increase your faith?
[00:52:57] But do you know what you're asking for?
[00:53:00] If you have that much faith, just a fraction, a small portion of that faith, you can speak to a tree and it will be uprooted and go and fall in the sea.
[00:53:11] Do you really know what you're asking for?
[00:53:15] If I was to take a poll this morning of every person in here, and I ask you do you want to have faith with God faith in God do you desire a strong faith and you want that relationship
[00:53:28] and be close to him as you can possibly be do you want to walk that Lenten journey and draw really really close to God I don't think there's a person here that wouldn't lift their hand that's one of the things
[00:53:43] we desire in our walk in the Lenten journey but what does it take to have that type of faith and to obey the words of Jesus we know the obvious things we talked about them last week we sit down we read the scriptures we
[00:54:01] pray that builds your faith but there's a little bit more i won't give any names out but i've had two people in my life that were good friends of mine one guy and one lady people i consider to
[00:54:23] walk close to god knew the scriptures could expound on them could teach me and something happened in their life and they were almost boldly they did boldly they did that to me they did that to my family and i will never forgive them for that and they pumped their
[00:54:50] chest up i had an incident happen in my life some three years ago someone hurt my son he'd done something things that happened i would say wrong not terrible and they were malicious in the way they attacked my son and for months i had to go to my god and say you better take this from
[00:55:23] me because i can get to a point where i hate these people you better help me and the lord does you find a way to forgive those people because we're told to obey god you see a pastor or a person and
[00:55:44] a believer we can know all the scriptures in this life but until we learn to obey god and listen to him and listen to what it takes to grow our faith everything else means nothing obedience to god
[00:56:03] is exactly what god wants for us in our life it always draws me to a curious thought sometimes when christians want to know more about the bible want to know about revelations and want to know
[00:56:16] about prophecy and all these great things in the bible but jesus is saying in those teachings to his disciples you've got to get the basics down first if i'm willing to forgive you of your
[00:56:32] transgressions and your sins you got to be willing to forgive other people for their sins if that's that's that's how you grow with me that's the fundamental part of being a believer we must have that obedience jesus finishes out that chat that those 10 verses he said in which
[00:56:54] Which of you having a servant plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, Come at once and sit down and eat.
[00:57:09] But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for me, prepare supper, and gird yourself and serve me until I've eaten and drank.
[00:57:18] And afterwards you can eat and drink.
[00:57:21] does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded to him i think not so likewise when you have done all those things which i have commanded say we are unprofitable servants we have done what we were what our duty was to do
[00:57:41] that word and pop unprofitable unprofitable is the key word there when you and i have done everything we're supposed to do as a believer when we've obeyed the commandments and the teachings of Jesus and God the Father he's going to give us a crown but we don't deserve it we're simply
[00:58:07] supposed to do what Christians and believers are supposed to do that's why he calls it unprofitable we're supposed to do those things if we desire faith that comes from Christ he talks about we have to be obedient and do what we're required to do each and every day if you start this lint
[00:58:32] and journey and you give up something and you pray and you fast but you have something in your life against someone or someone has something against you i would encourage you to start your lint lake and extend it a little bit further but go to that person and make those things right
[00:58:56] that's the difference in Christians the Christian walk is how we grow that mustard seed of faith we first have to be obedient to God and listen to him and find that person that place that thing we're supposed to take care of
[00:59:19] I could give you an example but if you got one you know it already but during Lent it might be that we think I ought to say this during Lent we might want to see what truly matters
[00:59:37] is that we listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He tells us to do first to make things right in our life and then focus on our Lenten journey.
[00:59:51] Go take care of what he or she has done to you.
[00:59:55] Fix it. Make it right.
[00:59:58] Sometimes during that process God tells us to do without.
[01:00:04] Pay something.
[01:00:06] Serve somebody.
[01:00:09] Change a business habit.
[01:00:11] But whatever it is that you're doing and you're not being obedient to God in your life, take care of that thing first.
[01:00:21] Obedience to God.
[01:00:24] If you would stand with me this morning.
[01:00:31] In our Sunday school class, we're talking about the law and the covenants, grace, the gospel.
[01:00:40] When you talk about faith and obedience, you have to talk about Abraham.
[01:00:45] The father of the faithful.
[01:00:46] He believed, heard the voice of God, and he did it.
[01:00:50] And he was counted to him righteousness.
[01:00:54] But along the way, God tried him every step of the way.
[01:01:01] If you hear my voice and you obey me, then take that one son that I told you was going to be your heir and sacrifice him on that mountain.
[01:01:12] Now go do it.
[01:01:15] And he was obedient.
[01:01:18] But right before he's taken the life of that boy, his pride and joy, his obedience to God was shown.
[01:01:29] And I get a weird picture here.
[01:01:31] Every step Abraham takes up that mountain with his boy, to that altar for that sacrifice i see that ram on the other side of that mountain going up and when he gets ready to sacrifice that boy god says and i don't understand it god knows
[01:01:51] everything he said now i know you're obedient and that lamb is in a thicket that's the sacrifice but he was willing to do it you had to be willing to hear the voice of god obey
[01:02:12] the voice of God when you obey the voice of God God's blessings will then fall upon you fall upon me I'm not sure those disciples that day were ready for the answer that or the message that Jesus gave them but I know that Jesus cared enough for them to tell them
[01:02:32] if you really want a strong faith if you you can't handle all of it but if you just want that little spot that little mustard seed then you got to be obedient you got to follow and listen to my words
[01:02:51] you can't hate nobody you can't have all bitterness against anybody i had this moment and i'm glad i go on saturdays and get in my little corner and do my little notes the only person in
[01:03:02] this life this world that i can say is my enemy is the devil everybody else has an opportunity to be my brother and sister in christ i'm done everybody else has to be the opportunity to be
[01:03:27] my brother and sister in christ if i want an enemy let me take it out on the devil in the name of the father son and holy spirit amen there is a fountain filled with blood our

[01:03:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:03:48] altar is open if you'd like to come and pray if you'd like to come and speak to our pastor If you'd like to come and just draw yourself closer to Christ, there is a fountain filled with love.

[01:05:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:05:46] Good to be in the house of the Lord.

[01:06:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[01:06:38] Again, remember, we've got a couple of meetings this afternoon.
[01:06:40] So if you're on those committees, please come out for those.
[01:06:44] As you go into your next week of your Lenten journey, remember, good works are not the cause of your salvation.
[01:06:52] And good works are the evidence of that salvation.
[01:06:57] Faith in Christ always results in good works.
[01:07:01] where obedience to God is the mark of true saving faith.
[01:07:08] In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and all God's children said Amen.