Obey the Lord

1. Read: 1 Samuel 15:22 – “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.”

2. About the Text:

1) The Lord had commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites for crimes against humanity.

2) Saul, however, spared the king and all the livestock.

3) When confronted by Samuel, Saul said that he had obeyed the Lord.

4) However, Samuel pointed out that he had not obeyed all that the Lord said.

5) Saul reasoned that he had spared the livestock for “sacrifice.”

6) Samuel made it clear that obedience was better than “sacrifice.”

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Doing, not just hearing.

1) “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

2) ““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

2. Respecting the word of God.

1) The authority of the word.

a. Following the commands, examples, and implications of God’s word.

b. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).

2) The silence of the word.

a. Not imposing our own way when God is silent.

b. Remember Nadab and Abihu – Leviticus 10.

c. “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9).

3. Demonstrating love for God.

1) “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

2) “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:2-3).

1. Every single person is responsible to obey the Lord.

1) The Israelites were required to obey the Lord – “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him” (Deuteronomy 13:4).

2) The nations are required to obey the Lord – “but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith” (Romans 16:26).

3) Disciples are required to obey the Lord – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

4) Every person everywhere is required to obey the Lord. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30).

2. There are consequences for everyone who does not obey the Lord.

1) “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:24-25).

2) “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

1. Because God loves us.

1) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

2) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

2. Because we must love God.

1) “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).

2) “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10)

3. Because we must love one another.

1) “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

2) For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9).

4. Because obedience is beneficial to everyone.

1) “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 12:28).

2) “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

1. Obey the Lord

1) What does it mean to obey the Lord?

2) Who is responsible to obey the Lord?

3) Why must we obey the Lord?

2. Invitation