Posted by Pastor Tim email me at ( - my user name - )@believersbay.com
on November 5, 2009, 9:38 am
Obedience is Better
By Tim Russ
When Israel cried out for a king in order that they might be like other nations God warned them that the king would forget God. They persisted in their request and God gave them what they asked.
Saul was a valiant man. Bold, tall, beautiful. He was anointed with oil and with the power of the Spirit of God. He was chosen by God, appointed by the prophet Samuel and admired by the people. God gave him favor with the people and he rallied them into a nation that honored God.
At Saul’s coronation ceremony there were sacrifices made. Those sacrifices led to God’s power being displayed. The people repented of their sin of asking for a king. Their acknowledgement of God was great. God accepted this and did not reject them as his people.
Saul was given instructions and a royal decree to go to war and conquer the enemies of God. He went. He saw. He conquered. But he didn’t obey. Instead of destroying everything according to the instructions he had been given he chose to bring back the best of everything to sacrifice in front of the people. God’s response?
(1 Sam 15:22 NIV) But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Christians love to worship God. The good news is that God loves to be worshipped by Christians. The real question is whether that worship is acceptable. Saul’s sacrifice (worship) was rejected outright because of his rebellion against God.
Without obedience to God’s word and his will for our lives our worship is worthless. Just as we are nothing without love, our works are nothing without love and our gifts are nothing without love, so our worship, our sacrifice of praise is nothing without obedience.
Worship services excite us. They lift us outside ourselves and elevate our spirit into a realm that is often beyond description. Although we feel God’s Spirit in that praise, if we do not obey God by extending that worship into our words, our actions and our deeds it is doubtful that we were really worshipping. After all we didn’t obey.
(Col 3:16-17 NIV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. {17} And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Let’s give God full reign in our lives. Let’s worship him in spirit and truth by following his command to do all things in Jesus’ name (as Jesus’ representative). Let’s give sincere thanks (praise) to God as we do exactly that. Let’s learn to be an obedient people just as we have learned to give the sacrifice of praise.
(Mat 19:26 NIV) Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
--from my Life Notes column on Believers Bay
Sharing the Love of God with Common Sense
Believers Bay http://www.believersbay.com
Forum http://www.believersbay.com/members/home/forum/
Message Thread:
« Back to thread