Obedience to God brings Blessing

Places of the Messiah

Deut.11:26-29, 1 John 5:2-3

INTRO

The truth that obedience to God brings blessing, is the first principle in understanding what it means to be a child of God. Failure to understand this first principle and failure to implement it is to forfeit God's BEST in your life.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE AND LOVE GOD? HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT YOU TRULY DO?

A. 1 John 5:1-3...This we can know...if we keep God's commandments that is proof we love him. 1. Just as true is the opposite of this truth. Those that do not obey God...do not love him. 2. The whole book of I John is addressed to those who profess to know Christ Jesus as Saviour. It is a book which tests us. It tests our faith by our actions.

B. Those who love God will obey God. C. Those who trust and have faith in God will obey God. ILLUS: I had faith in an old Nissan truck I owned with high mileage, but I believed it was sound. How did I prove that I really have faith in the truck? I drove it across the country. If I did not trust it I would not drive it. We had a 81 Merc. Lynx. I did not trust it. Proof? I will not take it across the country.

Have you ever thought about your trust in God in this way.

1. We use allot of religious phrases, such as "trust the Lord, have faith and etc." But do we in practical terms know what they really mean? 2. Go to a doctor. He tells you you have a particular medical problem. You take medicine he prescribes in the doses he says. That is proof of you faith in him. You do what he says to do. 3. God is our Creator! Do you believe that? Proof that you do will be that you trust Him and that you do what he instructs. If you are will not obey what God has said, then that is proof that you really do not believe or trust in HIM. 4. You can believe He exists...That is not what we are talking about. I can know that Dr. King exists, yet I have not believed in him, till I go to him and seek his help and then obey what he says do. I have put no trust in him till I do what he says. 5. Many folks put great stock in the fact that they believe that there is a God.

KNOWING THAT THERE IS A GOD WILL NOT SAVE YOU!

James 2:19..says the devils believe...yet are lost. People put great stock in reading the Bible. ILLUS: Gen. Geo. Paten was ask what he thought of the Bible. He replied "I read it every BLANKY BLANK Day" There is no magic in just reading the Bible. Lots of folks read the Bible and are going to die in their sins and go to hell. Why? It is in the obeying and the following God's Word that teaches men God's righteous ways!!! 6. Others folks put get stock in thinking and meditating on God and His Word. Many is the time I have heard someone commenting on a person who was in a cult, or not serving the Lord. They say about them, "But they really know their Bible!"

Folks, The Bible is about God, you can't know about the Bible, without knowing about God!!! D. James says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! (James 2:17-19) 1. Here is the truth of the matter! If a person is saved then they will do what they Lord says. 2. You see - they TRUST the Lord - they believe what He says. This makes them - obey the Bible. 3. Don't want to obey the Bible - -God gives every one that option! God will not force Himself on you. He will allow you do be disobedient. But if you refuse to do as God, through the Bible says to do.....then don't call yourself a believer ---your actions show that you are not. Don't want God to interfere with the way you like to live? That's OK, God gives you that option.

But do not expect God to bless you!!!

If you don't live as He says, which means to live a decent respectable abundant and happy life, He will allow you live as you want to....however, don't expect to live a happy and productive life. Don't expect to win those in your family and friends who are lost and on their way to Hell. Don't expect God to answer your prayers and don't be alarmed when God begins to chasten you to correct your sin.

YOU SEE BY NOT WANTING TO LIVE AS GOD COMMANDS, AND BY NOT WORKING TO LIVE AS GOD WANTS - - - YOU HAVE TOLD THE LORD TO LEAVE YOU ALONE....DON'T BOTHER ME WITH YOUR RULES AND COMMANDMENTS. YOU IN FACT HAVE SAID TO GOD, "I KNOW MORE THAT YOU....I KNOW WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY AND WILL GIVE ME A GOOD LIFE....YOU GO DON'T KNOW.

A BLESSING OR A CURSE.

A. The blessing. Deut. 11 1. Deut 11:1 - The commandment. Love God - Keep His commandments.

2. Deut 11:8 - Keep God commandments you will be strong.

Those who do not obey God are like tumble weeds, they go there the wind blows. ILLUS: I was returning home from a visit to Grand Junction, CO. We turned off I15 and headed west on Utah Hwy 6. There came a fierce wind from the north that caused a dust storm. Hundreds of tumble weeds were all being blown across the road and will piling up on the south fence line. If the wind had been from the south they would have all been blown against the northern fence. Why were they being blown around? They had no root. They were dead inside and without life.

That's the way of the world, but that should not be the way of the child of God. The child of God is alive in Christ and is rooted in Christ. However, sadly some professing believers who should act like a deep rooted oak tree, are blown about by every wind of trouble. James 1, teaches this that a man has no faith who is tossed around by every wind of doctrine.

One positive thing about the Promise Keepers movement is that the weak and unrooted are being exposed for what they are. A mature Christian who knows his Bible will not be caught up in the deceptive ecumenical movement that ignores doctrine and seeks to destroy Biblical truth. For many when a troubling wind comes...they get blown away. Have you noticed that when some church members have trouble they lay out of church. Or some have financial trouble they quit giving to God's work? James 1:2-3, say we are to rejoice when trials come our way. Why? Because God allows it to mature us and teach us patience and greater dependence on Him.

3. Deut 11:9 - Keep God's commandments and your days will be prolonged. Live as God says, and you will live longer. God way is to live a clean pure live. Use drugs, drink, smoke, over eat, live the wild carefree life, seek pleasures, avoid hard work....you will die early!!!

4. Deut 11:13 - Diligently obey God! This means with great attention and energy. What then is God's promise? I will give you rain

I will send grass in your fields.

God says our material property is tied to our obedience to Him. Many run businesses, conduct their business and finanial affairs without a thought to what God has said. They will suffer the consequences. Most professing Christians do not tithe....yet they think God will bless them....not so!! Question? Do you believe what God is saying here? You say you do, then prove it by living your life trusting in these promises and nothing else. Many times God tests us in this area. Lets us have some money to see what we will do....faithfully give a thanksgiving offering to the Lord...receive blessing.....in greed don't think the Lord for it....You will find yourself will little or nothing.

5. Deut 11:22..If you carefully keep these commandments, love the Lord, walk in His way, I will drive your enemies out before you. I will make you more powerful than those who oppose you. 6. What is all this saying? God will bless those that do right....those that do wrong will suffer from their mistakes...they will suffer because the are doing wrong.

ILLUS: A young man in my first church was headed down the wrong road. I counciled him on several occasions. He was headed for trouble and I gave him good sound Biblical advice that would have kept him from it. But he refused to believe it. He refused to obey.

He professed to be a Christian. Yet he would not obey God, gave his mom and dad a terrible time, finally had to join the Army. Next we hear he is serving two years in the stockade for some crime, kicked out with dishonourable discharge...still living a confused and worthless life. If you do not do what God says, then don't be upset by the trouble that will come your way.

Conclusion:

1. Obedience brings blessings. Obedience is base on believing God. Not only believing that He is there, but trusting in Him to allow Him to have the rule in your life. Doing right means that things will work out. You put yourself in God's care. 2. Disobeying God will bring you trouble and finally for those that die without obeying God in receiving His Son the Lord Jesus as ones Saviour...it brings eternal death.

3. This morning: Do you believe and trust in God? Do you have saving faith? Then the evidence is that you are seeking and having success at obeying God.

Would you honestly admit to the truth?

Do you love God?

Then you will be seeking to do as he says you will be obeying. 4. If you are here and you have never in your heart repented of your sin and received Christ as your Saviour...that is His command to you...that is his instruction. Do you believe in God? Then do as He says, receive Him and the walk this aisle this morning and publicly profess that you have trusted in Him.

That is His command.

Christian?

Are you letting God advise you in your life? Are you living the best life you can?

Would you understand that a parent wants the very best for their child? God wants the best for you. But it is up to you to accept God's plan for you life.

What are you going to do this morning?

Will you stay in the masses of those who miss the blessing of Salvation. Receive the blessings of God....or live by your own wit.

Will it be blessing? or Cursing?

Its up to you...?

Places of the Messiah