223. Do not ask me to obey.

[00:00:08] Hello friends, welcome to another episode of Making Disciples. My name is Cris Rogers and I am your host. It's lovely to be with you today.

[00:00:16] My gut feeling is this is going to be an epic episode. A lot to be said, to unpack and to explore.

[00:00:25] So I'm not going to do a very long introduction at all.

[00:00:28] I hope that you are doing well. I hope life is treating you well. And I'm just hoping that these discipleship episodes, these podcasts on discipleship are actually helpful for you.

[00:00:43] If there's any particular topics you would like us to cover, then reach out. Let us know because I would love to make sure that we're kind of scratching where your itch is.

[00:00:54] So if there's any particular topics, do let us know.

[00:00:57] So today's topic has come from one of our listeners who reached out and just said, you know, I'd love you to just explore an episode on what it means to obey God.

[00:01:08] They obviously felt quite stressed by the idea of having to obey God.

[00:01:13] So they said, you know, would I cover that in today's episode or in a episode? So today is that day.

[00:01:20] So we're going to do that. I've entitled this episode, Please Don't Ask Me to Obey.

[00:01:23] Please Don't Ask Me to Obey. Because this idea of obeying God, we do struggle with it.

[00:01:31] You know, we don't want to be told what to do in modern society.

[00:01:36] So it's one of those topics that I often find Christians going, you know, I don't mind loving God and I don't mind worshipping God and spending time with God.

[00:01:44] But, you know, the idea of obeying what he says in the Bible, you know, do I even agree with some of the stuff he says in the Bible?

[00:01:50] Which is an interesting kind of challenge.

[00:01:52] And it's like, hmm, how do you love a God that you don't agree with what he has to say?

[00:01:59] So we're going to explore this topic today.

[00:02:02] So I hope you find this really interesting.

[00:02:04] It's going to be covering a lot of little areas and kind of side notes and side explanations just to try and give you some real meat and content here on this topic of obeying.

[00:02:16] So I'm going to jump in quite quickly and get going and explore this topic together.

[00:02:21] So here we go. Let's talk about obeying.

[00:02:24] Please don't ask me to obey.

[00:02:36] Well, discipleship.

[00:02:37] If you were to ask me, Chris, what is a disciple?

[00:02:40] I'd say this. Discipleship comes from the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

[00:02:45] The Great Commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength.

[00:02:49] To love God with your head, your hands and your heart.

[00:02:52] Then the Great Commission says,

[00:02:55] Therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit,

[00:02:59] and teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you.

[00:03:03] So becoming a disciple is somebody who not only loves God, but also is obeying God.

[00:03:09] So that's Matthew 28.

[00:03:10] Teach them to obey.

[00:03:12] And I would say, friends, I think many of us, we're happy to be loved.

[00:03:17] And we're happy to love God back.

[00:03:21] But we're less willing to obey and be challenged about our lives.

[00:03:27] We want God to help me with my life.

[00:03:31] But we don't want God to change me and my life.

[00:03:34] I'm happy as I am.

[00:03:36] I'm happy how I'm living and the decisions that I'm making.

[00:03:39] Many of us would say we're happy to love God and be loved by God.

[00:03:44] But we're not sure about obeying his teaching.

[00:03:48] I definitely think in modern society, obeying is difficult.

[00:03:53] Particularly because it means we're going to need to accept that we don't have it all correct.

[00:03:59] We don't like to be told to obey.

[00:04:02] Think about when you were a teenager or a child and you were told you had to do something.

[00:04:08] Did you want to do it?

[00:04:10] I think as we look back and we think right now, actually the things that our parents very often asked us to do were very wise things.

[00:04:16] But yet we didn't want to obey because we wanted to be in charge of our own lives.

[00:04:20] And we would have a hissy fit.

[00:04:22] We'd stamp our feet and sometimes roll on the floor crying because we were being told to do something.

[00:04:27] We did not want to do it.

[00:04:29] We don't like to be told we have to obey.

[00:04:33] So why do we find obeying hard?

[00:04:37] Interesting question.

[00:04:39] Why does God want us to obey?

[00:04:42] Why is it important?

[00:04:43] So this is what we're going to explore today.

[00:04:45] Because it's clear, Jesus says make disciples and teach them to obey.

[00:04:52] So therefore the teachings of Jesus, to be a disciple of Jesus, we cannot be picking and choosing.

[00:04:58] But yet in modern society that's exactly what we want to do.

[00:05:01] We want to say, well these bits of the Bible are okay.

[00:05:03] We'll have that.

[00:05:04] These bits of the Bible are not okay.

[00:05:05] They don't fit my world view.

[00:05:07] Therefore we disobey.

[00:05:10] And the invitation is by Jesus to teach them to obey.

[00:05:17] Actually obeying is a good thing.

[00:05:20] So John 14, 15.

[00:05:23] If you love me, Jesus says, keep my commands.

[00:05:27] Friends, we can't split loving God and obeying God.

[00:05:31] We can't say, well I want to be loved by God.

[00:05:34] I don't want his help in my life.

[00:05:36] But I don't want to obey him.

[00:05:37] I don't want to obey what he says.

[00:05:39] I want to do my own thing.

[00:05:40] We can't split these two.

[00:05:42] Because if you love me, Jesus says, then you will keep my commands.

[00:05:45] These two things go hand in hand together.

[00:05:49] In other words.

[00:05:50] So friends, there's a challenge of obedience, isn't there?

[00:05:54] I find obedience really hard.

[00:05:56] I hate being told what to do.

[00:05:57] I like to do my own thing.

[00:05:59] There's a challenge to obedience.

[00:06:01] Romans 7, 15 says,

[00:06:03] I do not understand what I do.

[00:06:06] For what I want to do, I don't do.

[00:06:09] But what I hate to do, I do.

[00:06:12] In other words, we can't even obey ourselves.

[00:06:14] Can't even obey ourselves.

[00:06:16] You know, I want to do one thing.

[00:06:17] But I end up doing the total opposite.

[00:06:20] I do not understand what I do.

[00:06:22] For what I want to do, I don't do it.

[00:06:25] But what I hate to do, I do.

[00:06:28] And that's from Romans 7.

[00:06:31] Paul recognized this.

[00:06:32] Incredible, isn't it?

[00:06:33] You know, we can't even obey ourselves.

[00:06:36] So the idea of obeying God, we can't even obey ourselves.

[00:06:39] Jeremiah 17, 9.

[00:06:41] The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

[00:06:46] Who can understand it?

[00:06:49] Friends, this is so true.

[00:06:50] This is so true in my life.

[00:06:52] The heart is deceitful.

[00:06:54] You'll see how this plays out in a little while when it comes to obedience.

[00:06:59] Our hearts are just deceitful above all things, beyond cure.

[00:07:03] So, you know, our natural resistance is to disobey.

[00:07:10] Our natural resistance is to obey.

[00:07:12] We don't want to obey.

[00:07:13] And we have this natural bent to being deceitful.

[00:07:17] We have this natural bent to being disobedient.

[00:07:20] Our hearts are disobedient to God.

[00:07:24] You know, we are not naturally inclined to obey God.

[00:07:29] We are naturally inclined to disobey God.

[00:07:34] And that's the problem of sin, isn't it?

[00:07:36] That's why Jesus came on the cross.

[00:07:38] It's because we have an inclination to have hearts and minds that are bent towards sinning.

[00:07:44] And we have a difficulty, friends, I hope you want to be honest with me, but I think we all do.

[00:07:50] You know, I'm looking at me here.

[00:07:51] A difficulty of admitting that we might be wrong.

[00:07:55] We have a difficulty admitting that we disobey.

[00:07:59] We make God the problem.

[00:08:01] He's asking, you know, things that are unrational.

[00:08:04] You know, he goes too far.

[00:08:05] You know, we make God the problem rather than ourselves a problem.

[00:08:09] And we have this cultural emphasis on independence and self-determination.

[00:08:16] And so culture is hardwiring us to disobey.

[00:08:20] To do your thing.

[00:08:22] To live your life the way you want to live it.

[00:08:25] And it's all in contrast to what it means to love God and keep his commands.

[00:08:31] So why do we find obeying hard?

[00:08:36] Why do we find obeying hard?

[00:08:38] 1 John 2, 16.

[00:08:40] For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes from the, not from the Father, not from the Father, but from the world.

[00:08:50] There is much more going on inside of you and I than we realize.

[00:08:54] There is much more going on inside of you than you realize.

[00:08:57] You know, like the Jeremiah, the heart is deceitful.

[00:08:59] There's more going on inside of us than we'd like to recognize.

[00:09:02] And this is why we end up disobeying.

[00:09:06] There's more going on than we realize.

[00:09:08] We've got ego and pride.

[00:09:09] We've got fear of change or the unknown.

[00:09:12] Sometimes there's a misunderstanding of what obedience means in a spiritual context.

[00:09:17] Past negative experiences of authority figures.

[00:09:20] All of this plays its part.

[00:09:21] But friends, ultimately, we have to understand, we have to understand that the reason we find it hard to obey is sin.

[00:09:31] Sin is the reason we don't like the word sin.

[00:09:34] I mean, some of you might be going, oh gosh, this is so old school Christianity what Chris is talking here.

[00:09:39] This is just basic one-on-one Christianity.

[00:09:41] And it is so true.

[00:09:43] Our sinfulness causes us to disobey.

[00:09:47] And our sinfulness means that we are hardwired to not want to obey.

[00:09:52] We don't even want to obey.

[00:09:54] Romans 7, what did it say?

[00:09:55] You know, what I want to do, I do not do.

[00:09:57] But what I hate, I do.

[00:09:58] We are so hardwired to sin.

[00:10:01] And this is why we need Jesus.

[00:10:03] This is why we need Jesus.

[00:10:04] So can we just explore sin for a second?

[00:10:09] What is going on?

[00:10:10] Why are we so hardwired to disobey?

[00:10:15] We are deeply, our nature is deeply rooted in sin.

[00:10:21] Our sin is not superficial behaviour.

[00:10:24] But it's a fundamental part of our fallen nature.

[00:10:26] We are fallen people.

[00:10:28] We are hardwired to sin.

[00:10:29] Romans 7, 20.

[00:10:30] Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it.

[00:10:38] But it is sin living in me that does it.

[00:10:42] There is a deep rooted sinful nature in each of us living out in our lives.

[00:10:47] Sinful nature is hardwired inside of us.

[00:10:50] Sin has become a comfortable and familiar friend for many of us.

[00:10:56] So comfortable.

[00:10:57] And this makes us resistant to the change of unwiring that sin.

[00:11:03] Sin has become comfortable and familiar.

[00:11:08] So comfortable and familiar, it's common language to us.

[00:11:12] It's a familiar friend.

[00:11:13] We've also got the deceptive allure of sin.

[00:11:17] Sin is often, it often appears attractive or beneficial to us.

[00:11:23] It can cloud our judgment.

[00:11:25] Hebrews 3, 13.

[00:11:27] But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today.

[00:11:31] So that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

[00:11:36] Sin is deceitful.

[00:11:38] It's got this allure.

[00:11:39] In other words, sin can make disobedience seem more appealing than obedience.

[00:11:45] Disobedience.

[00:11:46] So I find it so interesting.

[00:11:48] We talk to friends and they're debating with me that certain things should be permissible as Christians.

[00:11:57] They say these things should be permissible.

[00:11:59] And I listen to them and their arguments.

[00:12:01] You go, gosh, your arguments are so lost in disobedience.

[00:12:07] What you are saying sounds rational.

[00:12:09] And actually it's incredibly irrational what you are saying.

[00:12:14] And it's because sin is so deceptive and sin is so rooted in our nature that now the sinful things seem to make sense to us.

[00:12:24] And the obedient things seem to sound irrational to us.

[00:12:29] Because we're so confused by our sin.

[00:12:33] And therefore we have a struggle to control ourselves and control our understanding of the decisions that we should make.

[00:12:42] James 4, 17.

[00:12:44] If anyone among them knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.

[00:12:51] In other words, everything is so confused now for us.

[00:12:53] Because our sinful nature has so confused us that sin looks like it's not sin and not sin looks like it's sin.

[00:13:01] So we can justify anything.

[00:13:03] Which means, my next point, we rationalise disobedience.

[00:13:08] We can end up rationalising our disobedience.

[00:13:12] We're experts, friends, at finding reasons to justify our sin and avoid obedience.

[00:13:18] Because we've become so gifted in seeing sin as the righteous thing and the righteousness as the sinful thing.

[00:13:28] We've confused it all up so much that we now rationalise our disobedience.

[00:13:32] I love Jeremiah 17, 9.

[00:13:34] The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

[00:13:38] Who can understand it?

[00:13:41] Our hearts are so deceitful and disobedient that our hearts have played games with us to the point where we no longer know what's right and what's wrong.

[00:13:51] And that's why Jesus' teaching is so important.

[00:13:55] His teaching is this is how to live.

[00:13:58] This is how to live life to its fullest.

[00:14:02] The teachings of Jesus are so important to us.

[00:14:06] But we've rationalised disobedience.

[00:14:10] So can I unpack this just a little bit more?

[00:14:13] We're now going into even more small print.

[00:14:15] I want to look at what's going on here for us.

[00:14:23] That we are able to rationalise disobedience.

[00:14:29] We are able to justify our disobedience.

[00:14:33] Friends, we're able to justify our dishonesty by making very good arguments.

[00:14:37] It's just a white lie to avoid hurting their feelings.

[00:14:43] Anyone, you know, everybody, well they fudge their taxes, don't they?

[00:14:49] Everybody does that.

[00:14:51] You know, I have it with my kids.

[00:14:52] All my friends at school are doing it.

[00:14:54] We're justifying dishonesty.

[00:14:57] Everybody's doing it.

[00:14:58] I'm not gossiping.

[00:14:59] I'm just sharing a prayer request.

[00:15:01] We're very good at finding ways of justifying our dishonesty.

[00:15:07] Friends, we can make great excuses about our sexual immorality.

[00:15:13] You know, we're in love.

[00:15:14] So it's okay to do this.

[00:15:17] We're in love.

[00:15:18] So it's okay to do this.

[00:15:19] It's just harmless flirting.

[00:15:22] You know, I'm not cheating anybody.

[00:15:24] It's just harmless flirting.

[00:15:26] And, you know, we can justify our sexual behaviour by saying,

[00:15:30] well, we're in love with each other.

[00:15:32] We're not harming anybody else.

[00:15:34] You know, it's all consensual between us.

[00:15:37] You know, watching pornography doesn't hurt anybody.

[00:15:40] It's just me.

[00:15:41] I'm just being a private thing that I'm doing.

[00:15:44] We justify our sexual immorality with excuses.

[00:15:49] We avoid generosity.

[00:15:51] I can't afford to tithe right now.

[00:15:53] I can't afford to be generous right now.

[00:15:55] God understands my financial situation.

[00:15:59] I'll start giving more when I have more money.

[00:16:03] Somebody else will help that person in need.

[00:16:06] I've got my own problems.

[00:16:08] We neglect our spiritual disciplines by saying,

[00:16:11] I'm just too busy to read the Bible.

[00:16:13] God knows my heart.

[00:16:15] I can worship God anywhere.

[00:16:17] I don't have to go to church.

[00:16:19] I don't need to be part of a regular church community.

[00:16:21] I'll pray later on.

[00:16:23] I'm just tired right now.

[00:16:25] So we start to neglect our spiritual disciplines

[00:16:27] because we're coming up with excuses.

[00:16:30] And these are all ways of rationalizing our disobedience.

[00:16:34] We choose to hold onto our bitterness.

[00:16:37] How do we do that?

[00:16:38] We make arguments and rational arguments.

[00:16:42] And we say things like,

[00:16:43] they don't deserve forgiveness for what they've done to me.

[00:16:48] I'm justified in my anger.

[00:16:50] You know, because I was the one that was wronged.

[00:16:53] God understands why I don't let this go.

[00:16:56] We prioritize worldly excuses.

[00:16:59] We say things like,

[00:17:00] I need to focus on my career right now.

[00:17:02] I'll serve God more when my career is established.

[00:17:05] God wants me to be successful.

[00:17:08] So it's okay to cut corners occasionally.

[00:17:12] I'm networking, you know, for the kingdom, of course,

[00:17:14] but I'm networking.

[00:17:16] And by doing that, you know,

[00:17:17] you might be compromising your values,

[00:17:19] but you're prioritizing your worldly successes.

[00:17:24] You might avoid evangelism by saying

[00:17:27] that you don't want to offend anybody

[00:17:29] by talking about your faith.

[00:17:32] You might say things like,

[00:17:34] someone else is better equipped to share the gospel than me.

[00:17:37] They're all excuses, aren't they?

[00:17:38] You might justify materialism by saying things like,

[00:17:41] God wants me to enjoy life.

[00:17:43] So it's okay to splurge on these luxuries.

[00:17:47] I work hard for my money.

[00:17:48] Therefore, I deserve to spend it how I want.

[00:17:51] You know, I'll be generous once I have more.

[00:17:54] We have all of these excuses that we make.

[00:17:56] We're making all these,

[00:17:57] and what we're doing is we're trying to rationalize

[00:18:00] our sinful behavior by making excuses.

[00:18:03] Friends, we are doing this all the time.

[00:18:06] We're doing it all the time.

[00:18:09] And ultimately, what this is doing is,

[00:18:13] it's just us rationalizing our disobedience.

[00:18:18] And we're being deceptive to our own selves

[00:18:22] by thinking our arguments make sense.

[00:18:25] I sat with somebody recently that I'm pastoring,

[00:18:27] and they're making an argument about why they've made a certain decision in their life.

[00:18:31] And as they're making the argument,

[00:18:33] I'm hearing their reasoning.

[00:18:34] I'm thinking, oh my gosh, you have convinced yourself this is rational.

[00:18:39] You have convinced yourself that this behavior is rational.

[00:18:47] And as they were going, I just thought, Lord, I'm not going to get through to them here,

[00:18:52] because it's only you that are going to do this.

[00:18:55] Because what they are arguing is they've so neatly tied this up in a rational argument

[00:19:00] from a worldly perspective,

[00:19:02] that actually the scriptures sound so irrational to them.

[00:19:04] I'm not going to break through.

[00:19:06] And I was just like, God, I'm going to have to pray here.

[00:19:08] I'm going to have to pray that you break in.

[00:19:10] And as I was just listening to them, I'm praying, Lord, come on, you need to do something here.

[00:19:15] And there was a moment where you suddenly realized,

[00:19:18] I could see it in their eyes,

[00:19:19] they were realizing that what they were saying was so foolish.

[00:19:22] So foolish.

[00:19:23] And you could see it just, it was like clarity was starting to break in.

[00:19:27] And then they quickly boxed it back up and went back to the irrational.

[00:19:29] Because the irrational was comfortable.

[00:19:31] It made sense to them in their irrational thinking.

[00:19:34] It made sense.

[00:19:35] And therefore, they could justify their behavior.

[00:19:38] So friends, this is what's going on inside of us all the time.

[00:19:44] So when Jesus says, teach them to obey,

[00:19:47] it's against everything in our nature to obey.

[00:19:52] It's everything in our nature to obey.

[00:19:54] And this is why we need the gospel.

[00:19:57] This is why we need Jesus.

[00:20:00] This is why we need the cross.

[00:20:03] Because sinfulness is the most rational thing to do in our irrational confusedness.

[00:20:09] In our sinfulness, this all makes sense.

[00:20:13] And friends, I know, I know, I know,

[00:20:15] coming to the point of realizing that our rational ideas are irrational,

[00:20:23] it's actually a painful process of transformation.

[00:20:26] It's painful.

[00:20:27] It is painful.

[00:20:30] Obeying God often requires us to confront our sinful nature and remove it from our lives.

[00:20:36] It's uncomfortable and it's difficult.

[00:20:40] And it can only happen when we confess and say,

[00:20:42] God, gosh, my thinking is so confused.

[00:20:46] I make sense out of the most unsensible things.

[00:20:52] I'm making sense out of things that are so confused.

[00:20:55] And only in that place do we go, God, help me.

[00:20:58] So what I want to cover just quickly in the last few moments is,

[00:21:01] I want to talk about God's perspective over obedience.

[00:21:05] And I want to reframe obedience for us.

[00:21:09] Let me talk about God's perspective on obedience for a second.

[00:21:13] Friends, to God, obedience is an expression of trust.

[00:21:18] Obedience is an expression of trust.

[00:21:22] When we are obedient to God, then we are saying, God, I trust you.

[00:21:28] I trust you.

[00:21:31] For God, there's a connection between love and obedience.

[00:21:36] There's a connection between what was Jesus saying earlier?

[00:21:39] If you love me, do what I say.

[00:21:43] There's a connection between love and obedience.

[00:21:46] And friends, God's desire is for us to have growth and transformation.

[00:21:52] That's God's desire.

[00:21:53] He does not want us to fail.

[00:21:56] God wants us to succeed.

[00:21:58] So God's understanding of obedience is you saying,

[00:22:01] look, I'm giving you the route here for success.

[00:22:04] The route here for success looks like obedience.

[00:22:09] Do what I say.

[00:22:11] It's the most fruitful way of you living your life.

[00:22:16] So friends, there's the importance of obedience in our spiritual lives.

[00:22:20] James 1.22.

[00:22:21] Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.

[00:22:26] Do what it says.

[00:22:28] James says, do what the word says.

[00:22:31] And then John 15.10.

[00:22:32] If you keep my commands, you'll remain in my love.

[00:22:36] Just as I have kept my father's commands and remain in his love.

[00:22:40] I love this idea that God is like a river.

[00:22:44] The river is flowing.

[00:22:46] All we have to do is stay in that river.

[00:22:49] Stay in the river and it's going to lead us to success.

[00:22:53] When we get out of that river, it is not going to lead us to success.

[00:22:57] We're going to get lost and we're going to get confused.

[00:23:00] We're not going to get where we need to get to.

[00:23:01] So friends, we need to align ourselves with God's will and wisdom.

[00:23:07] We've got to align ourselves.

[00:23:08] Think about getting the river.

[00:23:09] Get in the river of God.

[00:23:11] And it will take you to the right place.

[00:23:13] If you don't do that, you are not aligning yourselves with God.

[00:23:17] And it's going to lead to confusion.

[00:23:21] And for God, this obedience, it builds our character and our spiritual maturity.

[00:23:29] Obedience to God builds our character and spiritual maturity.

[00:23:34] It strengthens our relationship with God.

[00:23:37] And it has a positive impact on our lives and those around us.

[00:23:40] I think obedience to God is difficult.

[00:23:43] It goes against our sinful nature.

[00:23:45] But it's the best thing for our lives.

[00:23:48] It aligns us with God.

[00:23:49] It builds our character.

[00:23:51] It strengthens our relationships.

[00:23:52] And it brings a positive impact, a fruitfulness to our lives.

[00:23:57] So how do we remain obedient?

[00:24:00] How do we remain obedient?

[00:24:02] I think obedience is a response to love, not a burden.

[00:24:07] It's a response to love, not a burden.

[00:24:09] Don't see the teachings of Jesus as a burden to live in your life.

[00:24:13] But see it as a response to his love for you.

[00:24:16] And you showing your love back to him by being obedient.

[00:24:22] Freedom is found in surrendering to God's wisdom.

[00:24:26] Freedom is found.

[00:24:29] Imprisonment, confusion, being lost is when we're out of step with God.

[00:24:36] Freedom is found when we walk with God.

[00:24:40] And this is what we see in scripture, isn't it?

[00:24:43] When we see biblical figures who struggle, they've walked out of step with God.

[00:24:48] Let's look at David.

[00:24:50] When David was struggling, it was because he had an affair.

[00:24:53] And this affair that he was having was out of his wisdom that he thought his life would succeed when he had that affair with Bathsheba.

[00:25:03] It's actually out of confusion that he made that decision.

[00:25:07] And he justified it.

[00:25:09] He justified the affair, making it sound like it was the wisest thing he could do.

[00:25:14] And it wasn't.

[00:25:16] It was the most irrational thing he could do.

[00:25:19] There are many biblical characters who've struggled with obedience.

[00:25:24] But ultimately, you end up coming back to God because they realise that is the best thing.

[00:25:28] It's the wisest thing.

[00:25:29] So, what are the practical steps towards embracing obedience?

[00:25:35] Philippians 2, far too late.

[00:25:37] In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus Christ.

[00:25:41] Who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to hold to his own advantage.

[00:25:47] Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.

[00:25:50] Being made in human light and lightness being found in the appearance of a man.

[00:25:54] He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on the cross.

[00:25:58] Jesus did not pursue himself.

[00:26:06] He pursued the Father.

[00:26:08] He didn't pursue a mindset that saw himself greater or equal with God, although he was.

[00:26:14] He chose to become human.

[00:26:17] He chose to understand that he needed God's wisdom.

[00:26:21] Jesus was God.

[00:26:23] Let's not get confused.

[00:26:25] But as Paul said, Jesus did not cling on to, but he relinquished.

[00:26:31] And he humbled himself becoming obedient.

[00:26:34] Because that was the best thing he could do as a, yes, 100% man, but it was also 100% God.

[00:26:41] And in his humanness, he knew the best thing to do was surrender to the will of God.

[00:26:45] Because in his humanness, he wasn't able to know everything.

[00:26:50] James 4, 7.

[00:26:51] Submit yourselves then to God.

[00:26:53] Resist the devil.

[00:26:54] And he will flee from you.

[00:26:55] So how do we embrace obedience?

[00:26:58] We have to submit ourselves to God.

[00:27:00] God, you know best.

[00:27:02] And I'm not going to pick and choose.

[00:27:04] I'm not going to say I'm going to have this little bit, but I'm not going to have that little bit.

[00:27:07] Yes, we might need to interpret Scripture and have a look at it.

[00:27:11] What did it mean in context?

[00:27:13] Because some of our interpretations are wonky interpretations.

[00:27:17] But ultimately, you know, once we've worked out what God is trying to say, then we say, right, we commit to that.

[00:27:24] Because you are the one who's wise.

[00:27:27] So embracing obedience means embracing that God knows best.

[00:27:33] And submitting ourselves to him.

[00:27:36] And saying, God, I'm going to live what you say.

[00:27:38] Even if it doesn't always make sense to me, I realise that it doesn't make sense because it's right, not because it's wrong.

[00:27:46] What makes sense to me comes from the world, Lord, not from you.

[00:27:50] So I'm going to live by what you say, even though sometimes it might look irrational.

[00:27:54] I know it's the best.

[00:27:57] So a couple of little things just to land on.

[00:28:00] Some main points I just want to pull together as threads at the end.

[00:28:04] Number one, friends, there is a tension between our desire to love God and our reluctancy to disobey him.

[00:28:10] There's a tug of war happening inside of you and I between what we think is rational and right and what God says.

[00:28:17] And there's a tug of war and we will do everything we can to make it sound foolish.

[00:28:23] Because it's easier to do our thing.

[00:28:25] Because sin makes those things comfortable.

[00:28:30] And obedience, friends, it requires humility and a willingness to change.

[00:28:35] I do not know best, but God does.

[00:28:39] So choosing to obey God is choosing to say he knows best.

[00:28:44] And friends, our resistance to obedience often stems from our pride, our fear, misunderstanding, but also our sin.

[00:28:52] Resistance to obedience comes from our sinful nature who will lie to us.

[00:28:57] Our hearts will lie to us to make things sound sensible that are not sensible.

[00:29:03] They're totally irrational.

[00:29:06] But our sinfulness does everything to say this makes sense, this is a good thing.

[00:29:12] And it's just not.

[00:29:13] God's call on our lives, friends, is to obedience and it's rooted in his love for us and our desire for growth.

[00:29:19] So if God wants us to obey him, not because he hates us, but because he loves us and he knows this is the best thing.

[00:29:26] You can try all these other ways, but they will ultimately lead you to a place where you are dissatisfied and you are confused.

[00:29:37] Last two points.

[00:29:39] Obedience is crucial for our spiritual nature.

[00:29:41] If you want to deepen your relationship with God, you have to be obedient to him.

[00:29:47] Think about children.

[00:29:49] Children to mature and grow have to grow to become obedient to their parents.

[00:29:54] Then we might be able to stand on our own two feet.

[00:29:57] But it's only once we've learned what it means to be obedient to the wisdom of our parents that then we can mature as adults.

[00:30:05] If we do not obey our parents, where that will ultimately lead us to is a place of complete confusion.

[00:30:12] And that's where people end up with themselves making stupid decisions in their life.

[00:30:17] They end up bankrupt.

[00:30:18] They end up in prison because they just can't live by obedience.

[00:30:23] And finally, we must reframe obedience as a positive response to God's love rather than a burden.

[00:30:37] So I think that's ultimately where we get to.

[00:30:40] If you choose to see obeying Jesus' teaching as a burden on your life, you are going to really struggle.

[00:30:50] But if you can move to that place where you realise that God ultimately loves you, that God ultimately has wisdom and the truth,

[00:31:00] obeying him is an overflow of love for him, not a burden towards him.

[00:31:06] I think this is where society has got so confused.

[00:31:09] We think living by the teachings of Jesus is a confusion.

[00:31:15] I think it doesn't make sense in modern society.

[00:31:18] Use the phrase, it's out of date.

[00:31:19] You know, when we start saying scripture is out of date, what we're doing is we are rationalising ourselves.

[00:31:27] You know, we're rationalising that, hang on, we can argue this is out of date, therefore we don't have to do all of it.

[00:31:33] Rather than realising that everything in scripture makes total sense from beginning to end.

[00:31:41] Living our lives to the teachings of Jesus makes total sense.

[00:31:45] But culture has rationalised arguments to say it's out of date.

[00:31:49] It's not a modern way of thinking.

[00:31:52] As if somehow modern life is the pinnacle of life.

[00:31:57] And it's not.

[00:31:58] We are more tired, burnt out, worn out, confused, lost than we've ever been as a society.

[00:32:06] And therefore we are struggling to obey because we've rationalised, confused things.

[00:32:13] So, there's a lot there, isn't there?

[00:32:15] And I think ultimately where we get to is, friends, we need to confess.

[00:32:20] And we need to say, Lord, like what is it?

[00:32:22] What is it for us to obey you?

[00:32:25] What is your teachings?

[00:32:26] Why is living by your teachings the best thing for my life?

[00:32:30] I'm going to confess.

[00:32:31] I'm going to step back and I'm going to choose to say you know best, Lord.

[00:32:35] So why don't I just lead us in a quick confession?

[00:32:38] A quick confession.

[00:32:42] Because we are hardwired to disobey.

[00:32:46] And if you've got to this point in the podcast and you are still listening to me,

[00:32:49] you're probably going, yeah, I need to confess.

[00:32:56] Because I am quite confused then.

[00:32:59] You know, from what you're saying, Chris, I can see myself in a lot of these places.

[00:33:03] Because I probably just, yeah, I probably do need to confess and allow myself to be realigned.

[00:33:08] So why don't I pray?

[00:33:09] Heavenly Father, we do so much to rationalise disobedience.

[00:33:18] We justify, we make excuses, we avoid, we neglect.

[00:33:22] We hold on to the wrong things.

[00:33:25] We prioritise the wrong things.

[00:33:27] We avoid things that we need to be doing.

[00:33:30] And we just allow ourselves to be led down a route of confusion.

[00:33:35] And we make it sound so rational.

[00:33:38] Lord, we confess that this is what we're doing as humanity.

[00:33:41] We're doing this ourselves.

[00:33:43] And it's leading us to a place where we are not happy.

[00:33:46] We are incredibly confused.

[00:33:49] And we're tired.

[00:33:51] We're burnt out.

[00:33:52] We're worn out emotionally, physically, spiritually.

[00:33:55] And Lord, we confess that.

[00:33:57] And we ask for your forgiveness.

[00:33:59] And we just say, Lord, show us your path.

[00:34:02] Show us your way.

[00:34:04] Lord, we want to obey.

[00:34:06] But our hearts are so hardwired not to obey.

[00:34:10] It's really hard.

[00:34:12] Lord, our hearts are deceitful above all things.

[00:34:15] We confess that.

[00:34:16] We need a cure.

[00:34:18] We need you to give us a cure.

[00:34:20] And Lord, we know the cure is found in Jesus and his death and resurrection.

[00:34:26] Lord, may we partake in the cure.

[00:34:29] And may we come to our right minds.

[00:34:32] And I pray that.

[00:34:34] We pray that.

[00:34:35] In the risen name of Jesus, may we come to our right minds.

[00:34:39] Because of your good news and the gospel.

[00:34:42] We pray that in Jesus' name.

[00:34:43] And all the saints said, Amen.

[00:34:46] Friends, that was a lot of thinking packed into just over half an hour.

[00:34:52] Go get yourself a coffee.

[00:34:54] Brew on it.

[00:34:55] Maybe go for a walk.

[00:34:56] I'd love to hear your thoughts on that episode.

[00:34:59] And if you've got questions similar to this,

[00:35:02] pertaining to things around discipleship,

[00:35:04] then do let us have them.

[00:35:07] Send us a message.

[00:35:08] We would love to hear.

[00:35:09] Friends, until next time, grace and peace.

[00:35:12] Have a good week.

[00:35:12] Have a good week.