UNDERSTANDING OBEDIENCE

Bible Reading: 1Cor. 1:26-31

  

·      The Lord delight in the prosperity of His children but despite various ways God deals with man from the time past, it is of noteworthy that man lack the will to obey simple instruction.

·      Man is only interested in what was received and how it was received but will never seek to know the GIVER of all things

-         No wonder God usually changes His approach even in similar situation in order to get the attention of man.

·      God may decide to do it all by Himself and sometimes may request our input in order to test our obedience

-        He will sometimes use the foolish things of this world just to test the level of our faith in order to humble the wisdom of man.

1Cor. 1:27

Question: Why will He go through different approaches in bringing deliverance, breakthroughs and blessing to man

Answers:

a.    Due to The Rigid and Stereotype Nature of Man.

·      Sometimes God may sense that we have boxed ourselves into one method or style of receiving our needed breakthroughs and blessings.

-       Naaman said, I thought Elisha will come, pray unto his God and use his hand to rub my body. 2Kings.5:11

When God is saying do you need miracles, blessings and breakthroughs? Are we not busy

complaining about our many misfortune rather than to simply say yes.

Isa. 55:8-9

Do we seek to know His way or we are only interested in the miracle

b.    Sometimes He wants to inspire our heart to bring about unimaginable things.

·      Following through His inspiration we can receive our needed miracles.

Has God suggested something to your subconscious lately?

-        Are you doing something about it or you lack the courage to follow it through?

Such idea may look stupid to the world system as in the case of Jacob in Gen.31, but God is waiting

to see how much of trust we have in him.

1Cor. 2:9

·      God gives idea through reading the scriptures, through vision, through dreams, through things we see around us, through things that happen around us, etc.

-        It may look stupid and unreasonable but as long as we can sense God in it and it does not put the name of God to disrepute, there is no harm in trying.

c.    To test our Humility Level.

·      Sometimes He may want to know whether we can take insult or debasement for His name sake.

·      The Bible made us to understand that Jesus spat on the floor and mashed His saliva with sand to make clay. John 9:6

-        A lot we say, what sort of insult, debasement, humiliation, disgrace, etc. is this?

-        Without Debasement there cannot be Glorification

Do you not feel insulted or too important and want to go back when God is taking you through a little

insult on your path to your breakthrough?

d.    To test our level of sensitivity in an unfamiliar terrain.

·      If you are taken through unfamiliar terrain, will you first check with God before taking your decision?

·      Moses used the unfamiliar to bring about a major healing and recovery to the people who were on the verge of been totally destroyed by God in the desert. Num.21

·      Same also, when it was time to save the Gentiles, God used similar approach to speak to Peter in a trance. Acts 10

God can tell you to preach to that muslim boss in the office, Pray for that neighbor or colleague who has been a hindrance to your progress, etc.

e.    To test the level of our endurance and longsuffering.

·      Sometimes God may take a man through difficult or fruitless-like venture that may get so tiring and frustrating.

·      If God had wanted to deliver Jericho in one day, he would have done it. Eph. 3:20.

·      But why will He want them to march around a city every day for seven consecutive days. What was God trying to test?

When you have written so many applications and still no job, what is He trying to test?

-        When that admission each year is lost just because of few marks, what is He trying to test?

-        When that job or business of yours after so much of fund injected and experience put in place and still no hope for survival, what is God trying to test?

He wants to see how tenacious you can be. Job 13:15

·      Can you follow God in the midst of uncertainty?

-        Can you put your trust in Him even when there is nothing to trust?

f.     Sometimes God wants to see how big your faith is.

·      How big is your faith in the midst of many adversities?

·      If we follow the story of this widow closely, we were told that the husband served God as a minister of God in his time but yet poverty was dinning and wining with them. 2Kings 4

-         The woman may conclude that since the God the husband served even to the point of death was not able to provide their need, there is no need seeking after that same God and His prophet anymore.

Are we not saying that the God (church) whom our parent are serving is now local? It cannot take care of your need because He is an Old School God while you are New School.

g.    To know if we trivialize Him or He (God) is our chief corner stone.

·      Sometimes God wants to know whether we trivialize Him on some aspect of our lives or we have made Him the chief corner.

Does moving from the living room of our homes to the rest room requires the presence of God?

Does doing our everyday duties in the office requires the abiding presence of God?

Going to cut down some trees for the expansion of the house of God may look simple a task especially when one has received the permission of the presiding pastor (Elisha) 2Kings 6

So why ask again for Elisha’s company on such a simple task which do not require any prayer and

fasting to carry out?

Elisha in this passage is a type and shadow of God’s presence and the sons of the Prophet knew the

importance of having God everywhere they go however simple or not too important it may seems.

Do you take God with you at every decision or you have some matters your experience, wisdom,

specialty, expertise, etc. can handle without the help of God?

In conclusion

·         Total obedience opens you to the knowledge in God’s word

·         Knowledge in-turn releases the abundant power of God.

·         The difference between success and failure is the level of knowledge of the workings of God

·         I’m happy to announce to you that Obedience;

-         Brings peace

-         Gives confidence

-         It allows for great exploit

-         It make a man’s face to shine among his peers

 Only trust and obey.

 

 

PASTOR LANRE AREOLA

       

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