Joyful, Willing Obedience

The podcast discusses the importance of willing and joyful obedience to God. It uses the example of King Saul's partial obedience to highlight the need for complete obedience. The speaker emphasizes that obedience should come from a willing heart and a close relationship with God. Trust in God is crucial in obeying His commands. The podcast also mentions the importance of teaching children to obey quickly and willingly, as it helps them develop trust in God's voice. The ultimate goal is to have a relationship with God where obedience is willingly and joyfully done. Welcome to CCI Fellowships podcast. Thank you for joining us. At CCI Fellowship, we are reaching God, reaching each other, and reaching our community. We pray that this week's message challenges you in your walk with the Lord, causes you to grow in your faith, and encourages you in your love for the Word of God. Open your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 1. Last week we talked about obedience is not enough. Obedience is not enough. And we looked specifically at the example of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15, how he went out with the instruction from God through Samuel the prophet, to go and destroy this people group because God's judgment was upon them. And Samuel had told Saul, King Saul, destroy them completely. However, King Saul took it upon his own authority and own decision to change those instructions, saved the best of the cattle, best of the animals, spared the king's life, and ultimately got in trouble with God. Because partial obedience is not obedience. Partial obedience is not obedience. And I'm sure that we can look into different areas of our lives or different times throughout our lives where God has told us to do something, and we found ourselves obeying, but maybe not completely. We found ourselves saying, OK, God, I'll do that. But really, in the midst of it, maybe something was more difficult, or maybe we had our own ideas pop into our minds, and so we have changed what God has told us to do. In our organization, in Honduran Fellowship, we get people that ask us many times, I'm just trying to figure out what God wants me to do, and usually I address that with this question. Well, did you do the last thing he told you to do? Have you been faithful to what he has given you in the first place? Have you obeyed fully what he told you to do before? Because he's not going to give you another instruction or another thing to do if you have not been faithful to be obedient in what he told you to do in the first place. And so we come to this verse in Isaiah, chapter one, verse nineteen. It says, if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. If you are willing and obedient. It's not even that we are to obey God completely. King Saul could have obeyed God completely, wiped out all of the people, killed all of the animals, and left nothing there as the instruction was given to him, but still in his heart, there was something that was in his heart that was still not willing. You see, we can obey, but if there's not a willing heart to go with it, then it's just empty action. It's going through the motions. It's that example of the kid where you're trying to tell the kid to sit down, and finally they sit down, but they say, but inside I'm standing up. And you can see that defiance in their eyes, that unyielding spirit, that unwilling obedience that's going on. And we do that to God. And he says, if you are willing and obedient, not just if you are obedient. So, you see, we're making this declaration. We're praying the different things that we are focused on in our individual lives for God to do. We want him to answer. We get a little desperate when he doesn't answer. We get a little impatient when we don't see him answering in the time frame that we want him to. We complain. We whine to God. We come to him and just say, why is this happening to me, God? Why won't you do this for me, God? And I'm obeying God. You know, the pastor said we're supposed to tithe, so I'm giving my tithe. And, you know, I'm serving in the church, and I'm doing this, and I'm doing that, God. But I'm not seeing you do what you said you would do in your word. And the answer comes back to us sometimes from the Holy Spirit and says, your obedience is there, but there's no willingness. You're going through the motions. You're doing what you're told to do, but there's no willingness there. And we can say it in this way, too. There's no conviction. Why do you serve God? Do you serve him because somebody told you to? Do you serve him simply because your understanding of salvation is not going to hell? Or do you serve him because you have grown to know him, and inside of you is this heart that is available to do whatever he wants you to do? Is everything in the Bible easy to obey? No. Are some of God's commands like God... That doesn't seem fair, God. Sure. Because we're viewing it in our own sense and understanding of fairness, which is actually not a biblical concept. Fairness is a human concept. Justice is a biblical concept. But that's not for today. No, not everything is easy to obey. Sometimes God calls us into something that really is a stretch of our personality. It's a stretch of our character, and it's a stretch of our faith, even. Are you sure, God? Are you sure that's what you want me to say? Are you sure that's what you want me to do? As a preacher, there's been many times that the Spirit has dropped something into my heart to say while I'm preaching. I'm like, what? You want me to say that? Really? Like, I know it doesn't seem like it, but conversation happens up here while I'm preaching. While I'm telling you what I'm supposed to tell you, I'm also conversing with the Holy Spirit. We're having a side conversation going on. And sometimes he says, say this, and it's like, OK. I'll say it. I'll say what you want me to say. I'll do what you want me to do. But if we... The Bible says that God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Well, I don't see that in my life. There's a reason for that. Don't be the reason for that. Right? Don't be the reason for that. That you're not seeing it in your life. Don't find yourself in the place where this famous preacher found himself according to this verse. He was like, God, I know your word has said these things. I know your promises. I claim in your promises. I receive them by faith. I accept them. I know that they're from you, God. And why aren't they working? And God's response to him was, you're obeying, but your heart is not submitted. There's not a willingness. And, of course, he responded to the Lord with, I'm sorry, we'll get that fixed right away. It wasn't a long and deliberating process to get our hearts into a place of obedience. It's just simply a change of attitude and a change of perspective inside of us. It's a decision, and it is a quick decision to just say, OK, I'll obey. I'll be willing to obey. I'll willingly do what you want me to do. I'll willingly go where you want me to go. I'll willingly give up what you want me to give up. So today, the topic is joyful, willing obedience. Not just willing obedience, but joyful obedience. How do we obey willingly, but obey joyfully? How can we find ourselves in that place of making that switch in our hearts to say, yes, Yes, I'm willing to obey you. And then when God says, this is what I want you to do, to do it joyfully. It's not always that easy to do it joyfully. It's not always that easy to do it willingly. It's not always that easy to do it in the first place. But we can obey God willingly and joyfully. So how do we do that? It comes down to relationship. And relationship comes down to trust. And so the first thing we do is we have to have a close relationship with the Father. John 14, verse 21 says, 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. You see, as we grow in relationship with God, we grow to trust him more and more. I remember as a kid, the first time I rode a horse, my mom put me up there. There was somebody there to guide the horse and everything, and I was absolutely terrified. I did not want to be up there. And I was giving my mom every reason why I shouldn't be up there. And she finally got my attention. She said, Would I ever put you in a position of something that will harm you? Would I, as your mother, tell you to do something that would harm you? And stop crying and ride the horse. And I did, and I was fine, and I love riding horses. I never get to do it, but I learned to do that because I learned to trust my parents. And you see, the importance as parents of teaching our children how to obey quickly, how to obey willingly, how to trust us when we want them to obey, the whole importance of doing that as early as possible in their lives is because the sooner they trust us, the sooner they will trust God. You're not just teaching them to trust you. You're teaching them to trust the voice of God. And as they grow to know the voice of God, when God says, Go do this, they'll go and do it. Or when God says, Stop, don't move, they'll stop and not move. It's not just so we can produce other humans that are good members of society. It's so that we can reproduce in them what God has already produced in us through our relationship with him in learning to obey his voice, even at a young age. Jesus said, He who has my commandments and keeps them, those are the ones that I'll have relationship with. John 15, verse 14 and 15, You are my friend if you do whatever I command you. You're my friend if you do what I command you. Oh, so I'm not your friend if I don't do what you tell me to do? Correct. That's just the way it is. Until we find ourselves in relationship with God to the place where we are willingly obedient, to that place where he calls us his friends, we are simply slaves and will stay slaves throughout our whole walk with God. We are always his servants. But our relationship with him grows from I serve you because I know that I'm supposed to because I have come to understand that without you I would not have eternal life and I've come to understand that I needed to repent of my sins We're in that place of a new believer for a while. And obedience is because the word says so. Like when we tell our kids sometimes, do it because I said so. Why would I want to? I don't care that you don't want to. Do it. It is good for you. I promise it is good for you. But then there's that place of growth where we understand the why we are to obey. Or we get more information about what is a result of that obedience. So verse 15 says, No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. A servant just obeys because. But I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father. I have made known to you. The change in relationship is because of obedience to his command and because of a willingness to do those things. The second way to joyfully obey is have a close relationship with his word. Have a close relationship with his word. Psalm 119 verse 2 says, Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. In my readings, in my devotions, this week I read through Psalm 119. Nice long 172 verse psalm. Very long. For somebody that reads slow like I do, it took me a while. Somebody that reads fast like my wife, she gets through it in like two minutes. But that's not me. It took me a while. But as it took me a while, you want to know what I noticed? There are a number of verses, so I had to look it up. It's around 28 times in 172 verses that the writer of this psalm talks about obedience and joy. This psalm is a love letter to God's word. So I want you to read it this week. Read it a couple times. Underline everywhere where you see obey or obedience. And notice, notice how much joy comes from a willing heart of obedience. It says in Hebrews 12 verse 2, the second part. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So which comes first? The joy or the obedience? Well, yes. Yes. You see, Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, what was the joy set before Christ? You. Redemption of all mankind. Redemption of creation. That was the joy that was set before him. But you see, when we're just simply slaves and we're obeying out of obligation, we don't get to know what the joy is that is set before us. We don't get to know that part of the word of God that comes, that explains why I should be joyfully obeying what he has called me to do. But you see, when we have a relationship with God's word, when we know what his word says about obedience, when we know what his word says about his character, about who he is, we find ourselves growing into that place where more information comes. And for the joy that is set before us, which is closer relationship with God, which is the ability to reach other people and interact with other people on a level that we wouldn't normally get to, when we understand the joy of eternal life that is set before us, we can look at those things and say, I'll do it. Willingly and wholeheartedly. It's through the word of God that we know anything about God. Hebrews 6.18 says that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie. Well, how will I know what God said? This is what God said. Now, there are those that believe that God doesn't speak to us, that he has already spoken everything that he's going to say throughout the rest of history, and it's all contained in Scripture. I don't believe that. I believe that God speaks to us. I believe that he converses with us and we can converse with him. And I believe that everything that we think and believe comes from God will align to this. And if it doesn't align to this, then it didn't come from God. This is his word. This is our standard. This is our foundation. This is what keeps us anchored. This is what keeps us solid in our obedience and in our willing heart to surrender and submit everything to God. But it's through this that we find out that God can't lie. So if he said it, we know that it's true. Titus 1 verse 2 says, In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. So if we are believing God to answer, if we are believing God to move mountains, if we are believing God to do miracles, if we are believing God to provide, if we are going to go into this year and get into the place where at the end of the month, like we are professing and declaring, we are not going to end in lack, but it's going to end in abundance. If we are expecting those things to happen, then we need to take God at his word. Oh well, you know, the declaration isn't word for word Scripture. Well, no, but it's based on Scripture. Deuteronomy 28 verse 1 and 2. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently, that sounds like willingly to me, obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments, which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth, and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. It's having a relationship with his word that brings about joyful obedience. Because God's not going to lie. He can't lie. He won't lie. It betrays his character. He'll stop being God if he ever lied. He just won't do it. Oh well, you know, the Old Testament had a whole bunch of commandments and that was the old law. Well, Jesus summed up the whole law in two commandments. So keep the two commandments and you'll find that all of these blessings that were spoken before in the long list of things that they were told to do, how shall God not do the same for us now through Christ, who has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness? Have you ever consumed that verse? He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Oh God, I need this. God, I need that. God, you don't. He's already given it to you. Well, aren't we supposed to pray? Yeah, we're supposed to pray. Aren't we supposed to ask? Yes. Aren't we supposed to seek? Yes. Aren't we supposed to knock? Of course. That's Scripture. But we don't have to whine. Just have to thank. Thank you, God, that you've given me everything pertaining to life and godliness. Thank you, God, that your Word says that healing belongs to your people. Thank you, God, that your Word says that I have life and not death. Thank you that your Word says that I have the mind of Christ, that I don't have a spirit of fear, that I don't have a mind that is out of balance. Thank you, God, that your Word says these things. Take him at his Word. The third way to joyfully obey willingly is to have a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. John 14, 15-17 says, If you love me, keep my commandments. Gee, this is a little repetitive. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. Do you see the condition there? There's a lot of conditions in Scripture. There's a lot of if-thens. There are things that God does that are way outside of anything that has to do with us. Salvation. By grace are you saved through faith. It's not of your own works. It's a gift of God. Just receive the gift. Well, that's works. No, it's not. It's not works, because Scripture says that it's not works. It's receiving a gift. You did nothing to earn it. Nothing to receive it. However, when it comes to some of the promises that we find in Scripture, we find this clause. If you do this, then I will do this. Even in Deuteronomy, if you obey, all of these blessings will overtake you. Jesus says, if you love me, so one love God, love Christ. And keep my commandments, so love him and obey him. But you see, we will obey him if we really love him. It's all produced together. And if we lovingly keep his commandments, it says, I will ask the Father and he will give you a helper that he may abide with you forever. The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Verse 18 is, I will not leave you helpless. I will not leave you powerless. I will not leave you unable. You see, God doesn't call us to serve him as a holy, perfect God in whom there is no evil and there is no sin. There is no flaw or failure in God. He doesn't call us to approach him and come to him and obey him and then say, find the strength yourself. Good luck. Because then that certainly is works. That certainly is us striving to earn his love and striving to earn his grace and striving to earn just if he would just once look at my way with a favorable glance. If I could just do the right things. If I could just act the right way. If I just, man, if I just wasn't struggling with these things. We don't have to earn it. He loves us. First John says we love because he first loved us. We are incapable of agape love as humans. But because of Christ in us, we are able to love unconditionally. We love because he first loved us. And because he first loved us, he sent his son into the world. He sent his word into the world. He sent his promise into the world who spoke to us and said, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. But you see, it's willing obedience. It's not striving to earn. It's not working to gain. It is a response to what God has already done for us. And that is a powerful freedom that brings us into joyful obedience. John 16, 13 says, however, when he the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will tell you things to come. He'll help you obey. He'll help you submit. He'll help you accept the instructions of the Lord with gladness. Nehemiah encourages the workers in chapter 8, verse 10 and says, do not sorrow for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Where does the joy of the Lord come from? Is it not one of the fruit of the spirit? Is it not in the list of proof that the spirit is working in your life? You see, there's no fruit of the spirit in your life if the spirit is not at work in your life. And if we don't submit and obey, and if we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to be at work in our lives, to change us, to mold us, to transform us more and more into the image of God, then that fruit is not going to be developed in us and it will be hard to obey God. As my neighbor always says, oh, it's so hard to be a Christian. If you would give up striving against what God has told you to do and just accept it. I asked him one time, why is it so hard? Why is it so hard? I don't find it hard. Why are you finding it hard? He said, because I haven't gotten out of my way yet. I said, well, there you go. That seems like a pretty simple answer. Get out of your own way and it will be easy to serve God. Stop fighting obeying God and just obey Him. Willingly obey Him. And His joy will strengthen us to obey Him more. Because we learn that trust. Okay, God, I obeyed you in this. And then God says, okay, I'm going to test that obedience. I'm going to test that willingness. I'm going to call you to do something that's just slightly beyond where you grew comfortable in your obedience before. Why? Otherwise, it would just stay there. It will never grow. God is eternally interested in your growth. He is not content with you just having salvation. Will we get to heaven? That's what Scripture says. They that confess Christ as their Savior will be saved. They that endure to the end will be saved. Endure to the end. Okay, endure. I'll endure. I'll hold out. You can hold out and be a victim of life or you can endure with gladness and be a victor in your life. Amen. That was a good place to stop. Let's stand together. Father, we bless your name and we thank you, Lord, that you have given us the Holy Spirit. You've given us the Comforter. You've given us a partner to dwell inside of us, to speak to us, to guide us, to give us instruction, to give us revelation concerning this Word that you have given us. Your Word that reveals who you are. Your Word that reveals not just your actions, but reveals your ways. It says in Psalms that to Moses you revealed your ways, but to the Israelites just your actions. They knew what you could do, but to Moses you told him why you were doing it. You told him about your character. You told him about your love. You told him about who you are so that his obedience had the opportunity to come from an informed place. You have informed us, Lord God, through your Word of who you are. May we love your Word. And Father, you have, through your Word, through the sacrifice of your Word on the cross, you've given us the opportunity to have relationship with you. Not just to serve you and not just to obey you as a God that is out there somewhere demanding obedience of us, but you're a God who is near, as your Word says, even to the brokenhearted. You are close at hand and you desire fellowship with us. Lord, forgive us. Forgive us for when we have resisted your Word. Forgive us for when we have resisted your Spirit. Forgive us, God, for when we have resisted a closer, intimate walk with you. Forgive us, Father, for the times that we have obeyed in action but not in heart. Forgive us, God. Cleanse us from unrighteousness. I ask, Lord, even as David prayed, that right now you would search us and know our hearts. Reveal, Lord God, if there's anything in us that is wicked. Set us on the path of righteousness. That we would find joy in our obedience. That we would not resist, but we would willingly do what you have called us to do. That, God, your promise would be fulfilled that we will indeed eat the good of the land. That your promise will be fulfilled that you have given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. That we would see the promises of your Word functioning in our lives. That our faith would grow and be stronger. That our devotion to you, Lord God, would be greater. That we would know your love for us in a more clear way and obey you because you first loved us. God, we bless your name in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. If you are ever in the Tegucigalpa area and looking for an English-speaking congregation, please join us on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the main auditorium of Iglesia CCI in Colonio Trapeze, just off Boulevard Sollapa, near Una. If you would like prayer or more information about our church, contact us at fellowship.cci at gmail.com. That's fellowship.cci at gmail.com. Or follow us on social media. We hope to see you or hear from you soon. Blessings. .