THE NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE

     Our encounters with God should translate to obedience. We don't want to be those described by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:5 like those "having a form of godliness but denying its power." It's quite easy to have this "form" of spirituality. Just do what others do, (or dont do what they dont do), speak in a manner that they speak. Yet, one will know soon that their heart is not converted, for it still holds true what it says in Matthew 7:16: "By their fruits you shall know them ..."

     The generation today face a harder challenge : The situations now are such that it is harder for one to obey /to be righteous partly because of the increasing social pressure from the world, the government, or even the church itself!
 - Getting married nowadays means lots of costs and pressure! A couple is bombarded with media that promote immorality and yet cannot follow God through marriage (due to financial difficulties, misconceptions, inconveniences etc).  They easily decide to go the comfortable way of living in together.
 -Compromises at work just to get things done, or just to be promoted. We need not elaborate the ungodly schemes other people have to do just to gain advantage over their counterparts.
 -The changing laws in our times : the rise of gay activism forces even Christian institutions to comply to their ridiculous standards such as making toilets gender neutral or forced submission of preachings for the government to inspect to see that they are LGBT-friendly.

     We need to understand the necessity of obedience, for it is the thing that will cause us to move on in our spiritual walk! It is the very means by which Jesus validates our love for Him. He says in John 14:15,21 :

 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 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.

      In Luke 6:46, Jesus said "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" Jesus holds obedience with high importance. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 tells us, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..."

      James 1:22-25 further tells us that we deceive ourselves if we only hear the Word and not do it, and that if we don't do/obey God's Word, we forget the Word! But if we are a doer of the work, we will be blessed in what we do.

Obedience

     There's a good definition of obedience found in CBN.com:   Obedience is the practical acceptance of the authority and will of God. It includes both submitting to Him and then expressing that submission in actions, words and thoughts. To be obedient is to be in agreement with God. To be in agreement with God is to be in a position of power in Christ. 

     The Greek term is "hupakoe" which signifies attentive hearing, to listen with compliant submission, assent and agreement.
- it contains three elements :
1. hearing attentively
2. properly responding, and
3. obeying/compliance without reservation.

- A soft, compliant, humble heart is a PREREQUISITE to obey!!!

- Obedience often involves spiritual warfare : 2 Corinthians 10:5 "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when all your obedience is fulfilled."
demolishing strongholds = anything opposing God's will
arguments = arrogant, rebellious ideas and attitudes
every high thing = pride

The aim is to bring every disobedient thought into obedience to Christ
* Obedience begins in the thoughts.
* Our mind must be conditioned that whatever happens, we will obey God!
* If in our minds, if there is a doubt of whether we should obey God, then we have already lost.
* It's as if God has given us a list of things we should obey in this life, and once all of it is fulfilled, He will then punish all disobedience

Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness 

- Obedience is learned through suffering : Jesus had to learn to obey.. It's not something that comes naturally to us. Hebrews 5:8 : "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." .
     Suffering makes our hearts soft, compliant, and humble, and gives us the proper environment to obey. 

Luke 9:23 If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 

"daily" - indicates a progressive and continuous renouncing of one's natural self-centeredness.

"You need more crucifixion."  This is what God personally said to me, and I believe the message applies to the fellowship.  God is looking for those lambs who will obey His voice, and follow Him on the road that leads to crucifixion... then after it comes eternal glory!