Obedience Continued 11-08-2020

And not run under them and when your on leash it doesn't help if I'm going over and she's going under. But she got that and you're one of the other cool things about Sarah Sue was that I can throw a frisbee as hard as I could. And she'd zoom out there and she'd catch it before in the air before it hit the ground. Usually with a flying leap. She's just a lot of fun and take her sometimes to a field that was kind of tall and throw a ball or a stick and she'd run out watching it and she'd half. She wasn't a huge dogs that she'd have to pop up every now and then get a better better view of where that ball was going. it's just a lot of fun and eventually I and with Sarah Sue. She she was the backup alarm for getting me up for church. She respected the little half door in the kitchen. She knew she was supposed to stay on one side of it and not have free roam of the house. But if I was slow getting up for school mom would say get them up but over the door down down and into my room in the middle of my bed, but as good as Sarah Sue was she also Was sinful she was sinful with butter. She really liked butter. Now. She wouldn't steal better when people were around but when she thought no one was around she'd get her paws up there and she can clean that butter. Just so clean you think you should put it back in the cupboard and I hope that didn't happen very often.

She got a way with her sin for a while and eventually we're going. All the time who is using all this butter and we got suspicious. So one day I close Sarah in the kitchen area. I made noises. Like I went out the front door and then I crawled around to where I could watch and sure enough. It didn't take long her paws are up and she's cleaning up the butter for us. And so I had to work to teach her not to obey not only when people were present but all the time I had to kind of give her a fear of God. That's somebody's always there watching.

All right, and that reminds me of a verse that I'll share with the adults this morning. It's in Philippians chapter 212 heat. Paul says my dear friends as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling and you know, all of us need to learn to obey those with authority over us whether it's parents or whether it's our relationship with God Heil Olie Olie. We all need to learn to obey and

And that is what I want to pray about for all of you that you will learn to obey not just when your parents are teacher there. But also when they're not let's pray father. I lift up these children and the rest in attendance here that we would learn thoroughly. how to obey not just when people are watching but when no one's around

Give us hearts that want to do that and the will to do that bless each one of these children now in Jesus name. Amen. All right, you can drag Pam upstairs be good to her. But it's other other concerns. Hey. I hear the sound a little better now. So this passage that were looking at today continues the theme of obedience that that we had last two weeks ago when I last preach obedience to Christ.

following his example Joe said there for my friends there was therefore therefore preachers often asked in the there for inverse 12 refers back to what we had two weeks ago where we saw the son of God.

The sun willingly took a lesser role in the godhead willingly emptied himself a divine power to be born of a virgin willingly was obedient obedient to death on the cross and the result was he brought glory to God and the father and the father honored him glorified the son that have the name of Jesus what happens? Yeah, every knee shall bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. So obedient to Christ.

happens both in public and in private I love you vs. Love goes on after that there for my dear friend with that stuff about obeying as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence. your own thing is pretty useless

only obey when people people are looking. Just like being on a diet isn't going to help if you're only on the diet while people are looking.

I know I've seldom been on a diet though. I should I have sell them. I have known the experience of the thrilling victory of most of the day eating that's less food than you want almost all the day only to give in to let snacking at the end of the day. Refuge a map to Just a waste of time the Philippians like my dogs are Sue had to learn to obey talk when Paul was around 10 when he wasn't.

I had to teach Sarah sue the fear of God and the idea that someone was always watching before she chose to leave that butter alone. You and I need to learn to obey God's word both when others are around and when were alone sinsations? Call can come you didn't come frequently. They come sell them, but they do come often come when were weakest and least prepared to face them.

Why would Paul tell them that they had to work out their salvation in fear and trembling with Paul worried that the the Philippians were going to be popping in and out of Salvation all day long. Do you know like you're hammering away and hit your thumb and you say something nice for a Sorry God you'll popping in and out of Salvation day long. I don't think that was paused concern because I believe That our relationship with God is more of a relationship than a legal arrangement.

for a few weeks now some of us have the meeting on Wednesday nights with people from the Monmouth Church the Pee Dee church and Jefferson Evangelical watching some videos in discussing and having discussions or prayer times and the series has been a good reminder that Even church leaders who study God's word to share it need to keep up their relationship with Christ need to spend time in prayer. Not just and in that prayer time not just filling it with noise your own talking. What happens when we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling obedience in Christ? It opens the door to his help verse 13 for it is God who works in you to Will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. So as we keep Working on our relationship with Christ Our Savior. He will work in you. Ed and you and you and you and me to fulfill his purpose, isn't that awesome partnership we do our part to keep the relationship going And he gives us the power to live like he wants us to live in like we want to live you'll we build up habits of going to church. Of spending time in prayer and reading his word.

In part to keep from drifting away from Christ and as we do those things he gives the power. The will and the act in order to fulfill his good purpose. obedience in Attitude obedience involves our will it involves our actions and to please God obedience requires a right heart attitude by telling you let's say Your your parents and your son or your daughter takes the tool you don't want them to touch. They might get her through whatever and you call them on it and put that back and come and tell me you're sorry. and then you can tell they're really mad. They're really upset. That they got caught. And they and they put the tool back and they come and they say I'm sorry and you're going yeah, right, but at least they were compliant if that happened when you get on the phone and say hey Grandma, guess what your grandson or granddaughter just did it after getting caught for taking my tools when they were supposed to stay gave a releaf a really bad apology. Isn't that nice? No, no, no Grandma's not going to be called and left unless when you called him on the carpet, they really feel bad. And they're not faking, you know, they hope not the other almost ended in tears that they disappointed you then you might call Grandma say hey your grandchild growing up. They they made a good. Choice today after a bad choice

what God wants our obedience to come from a right attitude to do everything without grumbling or arguing and then he gives us the reason so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

I hate to tell you this but there are jobs out there that are unpleasant to do. But if you take them on with a good attitude people will take notice serving God with a good attitude may not always when you praise in this world, but God will notice and his opinion of you is what really counts. What others around you think? So be obedience involves our actions obedience involves our attitude another way of talking about our obedience to Christ just to talk about How firmly you're holding on I'm holding on to the Word of Life. Literally the Bible the Word of Life figuratively though to price the logo with the word of Life how firmly we hold the Christ will reflect be reflected in our walk and in our obedience. So let's go to the middle of verse 15 and 16. So 15, then you will shine among them like stars in the sky and 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life and then you will be able to then I fall speak and will be able to boast the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain your obedience brings joy to whoever is your is are your leaders in Christ, you know, I love to see You guys growing in the Lord and it's succeeding in your lies and it's heartbreaking when someone who's a part of our church family fail.

I also it is also Joy to the church body to see people turn their lives over to Christ to see people growing and changing. To see the fruits of our labors. I am the church laborers and celebrate recovery laborers in the clothing closet to benefit others for Christ and in for themselves. And if all this is true about what a joy obedience and succeeding in life is then it's all so true. That scene disobedience is heartbreaking. Nobody wants to realize that their work all them want to realize that his work was in vain. It comes from World War II. These prisoners of War were in a prison camp and some of it got blown up.

By the planes that go by and so they were ordered to grab all that scrap keep it all at one end of the camp and they had to work extra hard. I think they had to work long into the night to get it all done. Finally. It was all done and they could go to bed need a compass something. Wow.

Next morning Jess what order was take that heap of stuff over there and put it at that into camp. That became their daily chore. And I had no we did it. Congratulations. It was just their drudgery there drudge work everyday and it was depressing. None of us want to look back and go we did our work.

It was useless to have done it. Call says but even if I am being poured out like a drink-offering on sacrifices serving coming from your face, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you two should be glad and rejoice in me.

As he saw that is indicated good result in his church work with them. It was okay with him to be used up serving them and serving others.

Let's stop here. Look to the rest of the verses in Chapter 2 next week just ask. Are you surrendered to Christ? Do you want to be obedient to his will not not just not just you prayed once and got your fire insurance policy. Do you want to be obedient to his will?

Then as we close in prayer tell God you are willing to be obedient ask him for the power that. Joined in with your obedience. That's a wonderful partnership. Let's pray.

Father thank you for this lesson of obedience this begins with the example of of Jesus Christ life and death. Obedience to you and help us. To be obedient such that you'll Supply the power. when we Supply the will help each one of us to have the kind of hearts that want to please you not that were earning anything, but that our life will go better. You will gain glory and others who come to Christ because of it helped us this day to choose obedience to you in Jesus precious name. Amen, thank you.