Life Lessons from the Beach

This Post is the first message in our brand new series called "Life Lessons from the Beach". I'm excited for this series, and I hope you enjoy this first message in the series. If you're close by, we'd love to see you on Sunday morning at 10:30... becasue the message is always better in person!

            I’m super excited to kick off a brand new series this morning called Life Lessons from the Beach.

        I started thinking about this series way back in the cold month of January, so I’m excited that it’s finally here.

            The Bible is full of life lessons, and some of these life lessons occurred on beaches, so, for the next several weeks, we want to look at some of these accounts and see how they apply to our lives today.

ILLUSTRATION- I read a slogan a while back that said Life is better at the beach. I tend to agree.

Just look at these pictures from some of the beaches in our area… theses ones are from Grand Manan, and the next few are from Beulah Camp… these places are simply stunning, and a testament to God’s handiwork.

Life is better at the beach!

            If you have your Bibles with you, our first life lesson from the beach comes to us from the book of Luke, chapter 5:1-11.

            “One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.

2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

            4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

            5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!

7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

            8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.”

9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.

10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”

11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.” (Luke 5:1-11, NLT2)

The one question that I would like for us to consider this morning is: “What are you trying to do without Jesus?”

PRAY

            Jesus began teaching at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, but as He taught, something incredible happened--something that every preacher dreams about—people kept coming to hear Him teach.

            So He had to take action, and He spotted two boats on the edge of the water.

            These boats had just returned from a nights work, but Jesus called one of them into action once again, and Jesus began teaching the people from the middle of the fishing boat.

            After Jesus had finished His teaching, He turned to Simon Peter, the captain of this particular boat, and told him to set out for deeper water, and, once they arrived in the deeper water, to let the nets down.

            This must have seemed odd to Peter, a seasoned fisherman. 

        So odd, that he said to Jesus: “Master… we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing…” (Luke 5:5a, NLT2) 

            You see, Peter knew that the best time for them to catch fish wasn’t in the daylight, but at night time, for this would be when the fish would come to the surface of the water, looking for something to eat.

The fish would remain at the top of the water as long as it was dark, but the moment the sun began to rise, they would make their way to the depths of the water again.

            So Peter was simply reminding Jesus that they had fished that very body of water just a few short hours ago and didn’t catch a thing.

            This brings us back to the question of the day: “What are you trying to do without Jesus?”

            Peter and Company had fished all night and they had not caught anything. Notice the wording that Peter used: “We’ve worked hard….” (Luke 5:5a, NIV)

            IOW- “We are professionals Jesus! We do this type of thing for a living! We know how to catch fish! We’ve tried our best all night and we’ve come up empty. We’ve done what we know to do…”

            My, how we are like Peter!

We try to live life apart from the One who created us, and then we tell Him that we know what we are doing with the very lives He has given us.

            We try to raise our families without help from Almighty God; we try to invest money in places that money should never be invested in; we try to self-medicate instead of pleading to the Master for His healing touch.

            We try to solve our problems on our own with no help from anyone, and then we wonder why our lives are so messed up!

            What are you trying to do without Jesus? You will have the same results that Peter and Company had.

You will come up empty and void every time if you are trying to do anything without Jesus Christ.

            In another time and in another place Jesus said to His disciples: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NIV)

            When we do life alone, we will be alone; but when we surrender to Jesus’ will for our lives, extraordinary things will happen!

            Peter had a decision to make when Jesus told him to set sail for deeper water and let the nets down to catch some fish.

            He could have said to Jesus: “…we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything, so we’re going to turn this boat around and go back home.”

            But that’s not what Peter said, nor is that what Peter did. 

The Bible tells us that Peter obeyed Jesus: “…if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” (Luke 5:5b, NLT2)

            Did you notice the shift that has taken place in this one verse? Peter moved from we (us) to you (Jesus).

Peter took his eyes and problems and doubts and placed them on Jesus, and He wasn’t disappointed.

            The Bible tells us that: “they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” (Luke 5:6, NIV)

            There were so many fish flopping around, that Peter had to call for help, and when the help arrived, their nets and their boats were overwhelmed with fish too!

            As Peter focused on himself, nothing happened; no fish were caught. But when Peter focused on Jesus, great things happened: multitudes of fish were caught.

            Again I ask: “What are you trying to do without Jesus?”

            Undoubtedly, this put Peter in an interesting position. He can’t help but scratch his head and wonder what in the world is going on... after all, he was a professional fisherman, and Jesus was…. “Lord” (Luke 5:8, NIV)   

            Peter fell to the floor of the boat, which also happened to be at the feet of Jesus, and confessed that: “…I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8b, NIV)

            Jesus’ reply was twofold: “Don’t be afraid…” (Luke 5:10c, NIV) and “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17, NIV)

            Jesus wanted Peter to revere Him, not fear Him, so Jesus calmed his fears and called Peter into a new line of work.

            The life lesson from this passage is twofold:

            #1. Obedience is better!

            It was a series of small things, small steps that Peter took that led to this huge blessing.

·      He pushed the boat Jesus was in out into the water;

·      He set sail for deeper water after the teaching was over;

·      He let the nets down exactly where Jesus had told him to.

            Small steps of obedience always lead to blessing, because “Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission (to God) is better than offering the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:22b, NLT2)

            The first life lesson from the beach is obeying God is always better than disobeying God.

Just think about the number of people who would have missed hearing Jesus speak if Peter had not pushed Jesus out into the water so the people could hear Him preach... obedience is always better.

The second life lesson is very simple, but so many people miss it: We need Jesus.

Peter and company had been fishing on their own all night and they had not caught anything, but when Jesus arrived they were barely able to contain all the fish.

They needed Jesus just as much as this world needs Jesus.

ILLUSTRATION- On Monday afternoon, the girls and I were fixing lunch and getting ready to watch the Price is Right, when it was pre-empted by the court appearance of James Holmes.

            He is, as you may know, the man that stands accused of killing 12 people and injuring countless others in a shooting at a movie theater in Colorado.

            As we watched the proceedings, my heart became heavy for this young man, and I began crying out to God for his very soul.

            I prayed that someone might tell him about the saving power of Jesus Christ, because, like Peter and his fishing companions, like me, like you, he needs Jesus.

            The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (NIV) 

            Each and every one of us is prone to do evil and we all need Jesus to set us free from a life spent without Him.

            Jesus called Peter, James and John to leave everything they had, and leave everything they knew—which was a very lucrative fishing enterprise---and follow Him because He would make them: “…fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19b, NIV)

            The call has always been—will always be—to follow Jesus, not for what He can do for you, but for what He wants to do in you.

            So, I come back to my original question: what are you trying to do without Jesus?

Ø Are you trying to work on your own?

Ø Are you trying to live on your own?

Ø Are you trying to make sense of this messed up world on your own?

Ø Are you trying to heal your heart on your own?

            Whatever you might be trying to do, this life lesson from the beach reminds us that obeying God is always better than disobeying God, and no matter what stage of life we are in, we need Jesus to live the life that He intends for us to live: a life following after Him.

            So, I want to give you the same opportunity that Jesus gave Peter; I want to give you the opportunity to follow Jesus.

            If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then I believe you are missing the boat. Unless you confess Jesus as Lord you will continue to live without Jesus and you will miss the blessing that He may have for your life.

            Dr. Stanley reminds us that “Jesus turned an empty boat into a full one. He can also take our emptiness—whether it is related to finance, relationship, or career—and change it into something splendid and thriving.”  (Stanley, 2005, 90)

            But Jesus can only do these things if we bring to Him our all and fall at His feet and confess our need for Him, on a daily, if not hourly basis.

       If you are not following Jesus, this is the time and this is the place to begin. You need to simply fall at His feet, as Peter did, and confess your need for Him.

         Maybe you have given your life to Jesus, if so, then I would ask you to consider the question that I asked at the beginning of the message: "What are you trying to do without Jesus?"

If you are trying to do something-- anything-- without Jesus, you are are missing out on having Jesus show up in your life the way He did in Luke chapter 5.

Jesus wants you to follow Him as well. To trust Him with your next step, to trust Him to work out the details of your current situation; Jesus wants you to trust Him. 

So, what area of your life do you need to give over to Jesus?

Will you give your entire life over to following Jesus as Peter, James and John had done?

            Should you choose to leave your all and follow Jesus, you’ll find that life is better at the beach.

            I started a new devotional book this week. One of the thoughts that came from my time alone with God is this:

            “The golden rule for understanding spirituality is not intellect, but obedience.

        If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience.” (Chambers, July 27)

          

Better

We are in the final week of our 4 part sermon series called “Better”.

The main idea behind this series is that: “Some things in life are good, other things in life are better and to have a better life, you have to let go of the good life.”

I’m not sure about you, but since I’ve begun this series, I’ve been inundated with good vs. better statements.

Allow me to share a few of them with you.

ILLUSTRATION- Last Friday afternoon, I had an appointment with the eye doctor.

Now, most of us have been to the eye doctor at least once before, but up until last week, I never clued in to what they were asking me to consider.

            As I held one hand over my eye, she asked me to tell her what was better—the eye chart semi-blurry, or the eye chart completely blurry.

ILLUSTRATION- I was watching the baseball game on Wednesday night and mid-way through the game, a commercial came on telling me that I needed a “Better Burger”.

ILLUSTRATION- On Sunday evening, we were playing softball at Justin and Sarah McGuigan’s house and as I stepped up to plate to hit the ball, I hit it directly in Justin’s glove.

            As I was making my way back from rounding the bases, Matt Liston said: “that was a good hit, but Justin’s catch was better”.

ILLUSTRATION- While reading Sports Illustrated this past week, I came across an advertisement that said “good state”—advertising a cheese pizza—and “better state” advertising a works pizza.

            No matter where I’ve gone in the last few weeks, I can’t seem to get away from the truth that:  “Some things in life are good, other things in life are better and to have a better life, you have to let go of the good life.”

            There are some things in life that are just plain better. The Bible reminds us of three better things:

            “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10, NIV)

            “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9, NIV)

            “Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22b, NLT2)

            Each of these verses remind us that there is something better in life, and we should not be satisfied with the good life, when God is offering us a better life—life spent in His presence!

            “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!” (Psalm 84:10a, NIV)

            This verse reminds us that a single day with God is infinitely better than a 1000 days—or a million days—without God.  

            I think this is a lesson that we need to be reminded of time and time again.

       Let’s face it, we all get busy and distracted with things that need to be done, and we sometimes we forget that God wants to do life with us.

            In one of my all-time favorite Bible stories, Jesus was invited to the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha.

            As soon as Jesus entered the house and removed His sandals, Mary stopped whatever she was doing and sat at the Master’s feet.

            “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed.

Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42, NIV)

One sister wanted to sit and listen; the other sister simply wanted some help in preparing the meal for their Guest.

Jesus wasn’t rebuking Martha for wanting to get her work done; He was simply reminding her that, even for a moment, there might be something better than checking off that item on your to-do-list.

Author and Pastor John Ortberg said: “What keeps someone from Jesus’ presence is not just busyness—not just having a lot of things to do. (What keeps someone from Jesus’ presence) It’s distraction.

Sometimes we can be distracted with all the things that need to be done:

·      We’ve got to paint the bathroom

·      We’ve got to take the kids to hockey practice

·      We’ve got to prepare for next week’s meeting.

Sometimes in life we can be distracted by very good things, just as Martha was.

She had invited Jesus into her home, and she wanted to make sure things were right: she wanted to make sure that the dishes put away, that the clothes were folded, that the garden was weeded.

She didn’t want to neglect being with Jesus, she was simply distracted by all the things that she thought she needed to get done.

 “Notice, John Ortberg says, "that she wasn’t doing bad things.

She wasn’t breaking the Ten Commandments, or gossiping about her neighbors or spending hours lying on the couch watching the Home Shopping Network and ordering stuff with somebody else’s credit card.

Martha wasn’t sinning. She was doing constructive work. She simply wasn’t being with Jesus.” (Ortberg. 2005, 58)

I truly believe that Martha wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus as her sister was doing. Why else would she have asked Jesus into her home?

She wanted to be with Jesus but she was distracted by all the good things that needed to be done.

In response to these distractions, Jesus said: “"Martha, Martha….you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42, NIV)

Jesus was telling Martha—with all the compassion in the world—that there is something better than running around frantically trying to accomplish many good things.

The one thing that is better is being with Jesus no matter what else is going on.

Martha believed that in order for her to be with Jesus, she had to be finished all her work.

She thought that supper had to be on the table, and her Guests had to be eating the meal.

Not so with her sister.

The only thing that mattered to Mary was being with Jesus no matter what else was going on around her.

this was the only thing that mattered to her, Being in the presence of Jesus.

ILLUSTRATION- Biblical scholar Ray van der Laan notes that 1^st century Jews had a blessing that beautifully expresses the commitment of a disciple to stay in the presence of the one he followed:

         “May you always be covered by the dust of your Rabbi”

            (That is to say) “May you follow him so closely that the dust his feet kicks up is what is cakes your clothing and lines your face.”

            "...Disciples never wanted to let the rabbi out of their sight.

            What mattered not so much was the particular activity they were doing, what mattered was being with the rabbi whatever was going on.

            Every act was an opportunity to learn from the rabbi how to be like the rabbi.

            “I can be “sitting at Jesus feet” when I’m kneeling in prayer or negotiating a contract or fixing my kids lunch or watching a movie.

        All it requires is asking Jesus to be my teacher and companion in this moment” (Ortberg, 2005, 54)

            Jesus wants us to live the better life, a life that is lived in His presence.

       Why would He want this?

Because: “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!” (Psalm 84:10a, NLT2)

            While Jesus is not telling us to cease all our work and run out into the fields and spend time with Him, He might be asking us to not be so distracted with all the good things that this life has to offer.

            Maybe there are some things that we can stop doing in favor of spending more time with Jesus.

            Maybe there are some things that are distracting us from giving our lives completely over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 

            Maybe there are some bad things that are keeping us from spending time at the feet of Jesus.

            Whatever these things are, we must not let them keep us from doing what we were created to do: spend time at the feet of Jesus.

We must not let these things—either good or bad—keep us from enjoying something better- the unending presence of Jesus Christ. 

            I wonder today how many of us have been distracted by other things in life—fixing our houses, building our families—good things—but we have neglected the better thing of sitting at the feet of Jesus and having Him teach us?

            How many good things have distracted us from something better—life with Jesus?

            How many Martha’s need to take a lesson from Mary and learn that some things in life are good, other things in life are better and to have a better life you have to let go of the good life?

            How many of us need to stop being distracted with the good things this life has to offer—even for a few moments--- and ask to be covered with the dust of our Rabbi?

            How many of us need to surrender our schedules over to the Lordship of Jesus and pray: “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” (Psalm 31:3, NIV)

         How many of us need to sit at the feet of Jesus, no matter what is going on?

ILLUSTRATION- My wife makes great potato salad!

        This has to be one of my favorite things that she makes.

      Just after she has made it, I will grab a spoon out of the drawer and taste the salad just to see how good it really is.

            As good as my wife’s potato salad is, there is someone who makes it a little bit better.

            Whenever we have a family function, I always ask my grandmother to make her potato salad, because it is a little bit better.

             I love my wife’s potato salad, but I love my grandmother’s potato salad a little bit more.

            Don’t settle for the good life of knowing about Jesus, when you can have the better life of being with Jesus, sitting at His feet no matter where you are or no matter what you might be doing.

             Some things in life are good, other things in life are better, to have a better life you have to let go of the good life.

            I wonder today what God might be asking us to give up in order to have the better life of living with Him, of being with Him?

            I wonder what good thing we might have to stop doing in order to spend time at the feet of Jesus?

            I wonder what bad thing—bad habit, bad lifestyle, God might be asking us to give up, in order to sit at His feet?

            Jesus reminded Martha that one thing was needed, one thing was better, and that was being in the presence of Jesus, so, here’s what I want us to do.

       For the next 7 days, I want us to ask and answer this question:

            What is one thing that I can put on hold for 15 minutes so I can spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus?

Jesus didn’t want Martha to stop working; He simply reminded her that He was with her no matter what she was doing.

So what is one thing that you can stop doing for 15 minutes and spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus?

Don’t worry, you won’t die, in fact; you might be amazed at how much you accomplish by spending time with Jesus.

So what will you give up? And you will have to give something up, because some things in life are good, other things in life are better and to have a better life you have to let go of the good life.

As the band comes to lead us in our final song, I want to make this very personal, so there are slips of paper on the alter this morning.

If you would like to take this challenge for one week, I invite you to come up grab a slip of paper, pray about what you will give up, and then do it for 7 days.

See how Jesus rearranges your life as you rearrange your day by spending time sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Better, Part 3

This message is the 3rd in our current sermon series called "Better". I hope you enjoy!

            The people wanted a king. They had God, but apparently that wasn’t enough for them. They wanted to be like the other nations around them and be ruled by a king.

            Reluctantly, the prophet Samuel warned the people about how the king would rule over them, how he would demand things from them,

        “But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.

20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”(1 Samuel 8:19-20, NLT2)

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a handsome man and was “…head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.” (I Sam. 9:2b, NLT2)

As Saul was out looking for his father’s lost animals, he stumbled across the prophet Samuel, and Samuel told him not to worry about the lost animals, because God had bigger plans for his life.

In a very private ceremony, Samuel anointed Saul as the king over Israel, and sent him on his way back home, with one command: do exactly as he was told.

            A little while later, Samuel assembled the people of Israel and explained to them that it was God who delivered them from Egypt, how God had rescued them from the hands of their oppressors, and even though God had brought them through, the people still wanted a king to lead them.

            As the tribes stood before the Lord, Saul was eventually chosen, and the people affirmed him as their king.

            In his first test as their leader, Saul exhibited the presence and power of God; he led his troops into battle and stood victoriously over their enemies. (1 Sam. 11)

            As strong and as handsome as Saul was, he had a slight problem. He wasn’t able to follow orders.

            1 Samuel 15 tells us of one such occasion when Saul refused to do what he had been asked to do:

            “One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord!

2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt.

3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

            4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.

5 Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.”

After Saul sent a warning to the Kenites to pack up their belongings and leave or they would die too, verse 7:

“…Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.

8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else.

9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.” (1 Sam. 15:1-9, NLT2)

            Saul had been given one command: “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them…” (1Sam 15:3a, NIV)

            His one command was to assassinate the Amalekites and all of their belongings. He was not to pick and choose; he was to destroy them completely.

            God wanted the Amalekites to be wiped out for the way they treated His people years earlier (Ex. 17:8)

            The message seemed simple enough: completely destroy all things; leave nothing- or no one –standing.

            Because Saul had a problem with obedience, a problem that had plagued him for years (see 1 Sam 13), he kept some of the best items for himself.

            This was a test of Saul’s leadership and he failed the test.

            As the prophet Samuel was spending some time in his hammock, the Lord spoke to him:

            “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” (1 Sam. 15:11a, NLT2)

Then the Bible tells us that: “Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

            13 When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

            14 “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

            15 “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

            16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!....”

17 “...Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel.

18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’

19 Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.

21 Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Sam. 15:11-23, NLT2)

This account highlights a very important life principle: Partial obedience is still disobedience.

God wasn’t looking for the sheep, the goats or even the offerings that Saul said he was going to offer; God was looking for an obedient heart.

This is still what God is looking for today.

1 John chapter 2 tells us that: “If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.

5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:4-6, NLT2)

This begs the question: "How did Jesus live His life?"

In complete obedience to God.

There was never a time when He refused to do what God wanted Him to do.

Even during His most trying time—the garden of Gethsemane- He still remained faithful:  “…My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matt. 26:39b, NIV)

Jesus remained obedient. Those who profess to be followers of the God Most High will also be obedient.

Jesus said: “All who love me will do what I say...."

24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.” (John 14:23a-24a, NLT2)

What was that teaching from January? Anyone Remember? "Application makes all the difference".

God wanted Saul to obey His word completely, not save some of the best and kill the rest. God was looking for complete obedience.

Some things in life are good; other things in life are better, and to have a better life you have to let go of the good life.

God tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice; submission is better than offering things to God, because what God is really looking for is you.

Has God been asking you to do something lately and you are looking for wiggle room in His command?

You might be looking for a long time, because God doesn’t want partial obedience, it’s all or nothing with God.

If you are wrestling with something God might be asking you to do, don’t give it another thought: do what God is asking you to do, because obedience is better.

 “Often times God’s greatest blessings come as a result of our willingness to do something that appears to be very insignificant.”(Stanley, 2005. 88)

Saul didn’t think it was a big deal that he didn’t obey God completely. He thought he was doing God a favor by saving the best parts of the plunder, but God didn’t want that, God wanted Saul to exterminate the entire lot.

If God is asking you to do something, He wants you to obey Him, because it’s always better to obey than to disobey.

Why?

Well, Saul found out that disobedience meant separation from God and as such his kingdom was taken from him.

Church: don’t make the same mistake: don’t let partial obedience be your undoing.

·      If God is asking you to give something up: give it up, because obedience is better!

·      If God is asking you to give something to Him, give it to Him, because obedience is better!

·      If God is asking you to go and talk to a certain person: go and talk to that certain person, because obedience is better!

Obeying God is better than not obeying God, just as “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:9, NLT2)

Why are both of these things better?

Because: “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!” (Psalm 84:10a, NLT2)

God is not looking for people who obey Him some of the time; God is looking for people who obey Him all of the time.

Please understand friends; there will be times when we fail to do something that God asks us to do. In those times, we have access to His grace, but this should be the exception, not the rule.

God’s people are to be known for their obedience to Him, not for their rebellion from Him.

What might God be asking you to do? What might God be asking you to give up?

The question, then, that we must ask ourselves is: “Am I willing to obey? “Am I willing to do what God is asking me to do?”

Remember partial obedience is still disobedience. So if God has been speaking to you about your need to do something, please listen to what He is telling you to do.

Someone once said: “The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The next best time is right now.”

If you haven’t been completely obedient to the Lord, know that today is the perfect day for you to begin again.

If God has been speaking to you about an area of your life that needs to come under His authority, don’t think about it one second longer, do what He might be asking you to do, because: “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8, NIV)

As we prepare to transition into our last song, I want to encourage you to spend some time in prayer, either where you are, or at the altar, and ask God to help you do what He might be asking you to do.

If you’re not quite sure what God might be asking you to do, be sure and seek someone out that you know and trust and have them help you figure things out.

(BAND)

What God is looking for from all His children is obedience, and the Bible tells us that “Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission (to Him) is better than offering the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:22b, NLT2)