Not long ago I preached on a sermon called The Battle of Your Mind and we're looking
at this passage here in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse number 5 which says casting down
imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and so I was teaching you how we
have this battle in our mind and we've got to make sure that we make sure that every
thought that we have is taken into captivity under the obedience of Christ and are these
thoughts that the Lord wants us to think and I'm not so much covering the mind so
much today but there is just another thought there again every thought to the obedience
of Christ. You know the Lord God wants us to be obedient to Him. The Lord God has given
us His word and He wants us to obey His word. He'll bless you for it. He'll shine
His face upon you when He sees you obey Him and look at verse number 6 it says and having
in a readiness the Lord God wants us to be ready to do something and having a readiness
to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Do you want to take revenge
brethren? You know we can't take vengeance we can't actually take revenge against
those that have done us wrong that's for the Lord to do but there is a revenge that
God wants us to do and that's a revenge to revenge all disobedience. You see we've
all disobeyed the Lord. We've all committed sin and He wants us to take revenge on the
disobedience that we've committed. It is when your obedience is fulfilled. He wants
us to obey Him. You know He wants us to obey Him fully. You know with every decision every
thought every walk of life everything that we say it ought to be in the obedience toward
obedience toward our Lord God and so the title for the sermon tonight is revenge all disobedience
revenge all disobedience. We're all disobedient people. There's no one here that can say
I always obey the Lord. I'm always right with the Lord. That would be sinless perfection
there is none like that today and so we are all disobedient to different degrees and you
know tonight you might be more disobedient toward the Lord than you were five years ago.
I don't know or maybe five years ago you were more disobedient and you're more obedient
to the Lord today. I'm not sure how your spiritual growth is going but there are reasons
why we disobey the Lord. I was just thinking about this how do we take revenge on our disobedience?
You know what are areas of our life that we can look at and potentially come to terms
as to why we disobey the Lord? You say pastor we disobey because of our sinless sorry our
sinful nature our flesh and of course that's the case but what are the what are the effects
why is it that we give in so easily to the flesh? Why is it that we give in so easily
to disobedience and how can we fix that in our life? If you can turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3 please. Can we read to 2 Timothy chapter 3? I've got
five points as to why you may become disobedient toward the Lord. And in 2 Timothy chapter
3 verse number 12. I'll give you a minute to turn there. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse number
12. The first reason why we may become disobedient toward the Lord is because of suffering. You
know this world you're never going to live a perfect life. You know this life has all
manners of problems all manners of trials and difficulties and suffering. And sometimes
people may suffer so greatly when they turn around and say well Lord it's just it's just
not worth it. Lord why are you allowing me to go through some such difficulty? And you
might you know you might just start to blame the Lord right? Say Lord you know why why
are you doing this to me Lord? You know I'm suffering life is difficult. And so you rebel
against the Lord you get angry toward God. You know you don't understand why would he
allow me to go through this? And so you say well you know it's just not worth it. You
know I thought I was doing the best I could and I'm still going through these difficulties.
Lord you haven't delivered me. And the temptation might be well God's going to disobey the Lord.
It just doesn't seem worth obeying the Lord as I go through these tough times. And look
if that's your attitude your times are going to get tougher. You know your tribulations
are going to get more difficult. And you won't have the aid and the help and the comfort
of the Lord there by your side. You know there's another kind of suffering and you know that
is one type of suffering. There is another type of suffering that we can experience in
2 Timothy chapter 3 verse number 12. It says yea and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution. Shall suffer persecution. That is suffering as well. Being
persecuted for simply following the Lord. Right? Being persecuted simply for standing
on his word. And you know I would think that you know as you grow in the Lord you'd get
to a certain level of maturity where you can say man I've suffered for the Lord. Praise
God. You know people have persecuted me. People hate me for being a Christian. And then you
turn around and you say praise God. You know because great are my treasures in heaven.
The Lord is laying up the treasures the great rewards in heaven and I'm looking forward
to the next dose of persecution that might come my way. But you know what that position
is not easy. You know it takes maturity to get there is what I guess I'm trying to say.
You know if you haven't grown as a Christian. You know if you haven't really experienced
his great comfort and you haven't seen your eyes on heaven and eternity and your eyes
are on the here and now. When you suffer persecution for Christ you may have a completely opposite
reaction. You say well I don't want to suffer persecution. I don't want to stand out like
you know. I just want to you know just blend in with the rest of the world. You know I
just want to get through life without difficulties. And so instead of living godly in Christ Jesus
I would just live like the world. You know that can draw you to disobey the Lord. I'm
not going to obey the Lord. Is it worth obeying the Lord? You know that actually is it worth
it because I'm suffering persecution for it. So I'd rather not. I'd rather just go with
the flow. I'd rather just disobey the Bible and disobey God's word because it will make
my life easier today. But you'll miss out on the great rewards and the great treasures
that God wants to lay out for you in heaven. You'll miss out on maximum rewards because
there is great reward when you suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. Look at verse number
13 there's 2nd Timothy 3. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving
and being deceived. You know for the adults here your children are going to have a harder
life than what we had. It says there evil men seducers shall wax worse and worse and
worse and worse. I mean I remember just you know how bad the world was when I was growing
up. How bad the world was when I was a teenager. All manners of temptations. All these evil
men they just get worse and worse as the generations go by. As we get closer to the coming of the
world. Society the world is going to get worse. The persecution toward the next generation
is going to be worse. And the next generation is going to be worse than that. So is it worth
just living godly? Is it worth living for Christ? Like I said one reason why we disobey
is just because we don't want to suffer. We don't want to stand out. We don't want to
be you know just want to get through life you know just take it easy. And so what do
we do? We want to take revenge. We want to take revenge on our disobedience. So how do
I turn my disobedience to obedience? Well if we continue there verse number 14. But
continue thou. This is what you need to do. Continue thou in the things which thou hast
learned and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Reverend I want
you to not just learn at New Life Baptist Church. I want you to be assured of what you're
learning. Okay you need to know why you believe what you believe. Look if I preach something
and it's just my opinion and it's not in the Bible you don't have to believe it. Okay.
But if I preach something you better say hey you know what let me just check that for myself.
Let me go and open God's word. I want to be assured of what I'm hearing. You know I only
grew as a I've been saved since I was four years old. I only grew I've heard preaching
I've heard the right things. You know I've heard you know and it's been a help to my
life. But I only grew when I could assure myself what I was hearing was true according
to God's word. I can open it for myself and read it for myself you know and test all different
you know contradictive ideas with the passages that I'm looking at and go you know I'm assured
that this is what God says and if it's what God says then I'm going to stand on that truth.
See it's not just learning but we need to be assured of what we learn. Verse number 15 and
that from a child I'm glad there are children in our church I'm glad. It says that from a
child that has known the Holy Scriptures. Children you've got no excuse. You've had many years of
your life. You know a lot of your parents got saved in their adulthood. You know and and you
have the privilege of knowing the Holy Scriptures from your youth. That from a child that has known
the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. You know you've got the privilege young people of being saved early okay knowing
what God says being clear about it going to a good church we're going to hear clear preaching
on salvation but then it continues in verse number 16 because the Bible is not just salvation as you
know the Bible is quite a big book but it says all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Reverend and children young people the Bible it's it's the Word of God okay it's God's word to you
okay it's not my word to you it's not your parents word to you it's not the authors the men that
wrote the scriptures words it is by the inspiration of God. If you could go to God and ask him Lord
ask him any question you know where you go you go to the scriptures okay God will speak to you
those words are alive they're living they're powerful they'll guide you they'll comfort you
they'll protect you it says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it's profitable
for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of
God may be perfect freely furnished unto all good works. Isn't that amazing in order for us to become
more obedient you know we can come perfect mature and grow freely furnished and to all good works
you can obey all the good works that God wants you to follow it and obey you know but you need
to get your head into the scriptures it is your source of life it is unlike any other book there
is wisdom found in other books there are good things found in other books but there's only one
book that is a hundred percent true without a single error that's what God's Word it's your
direction for life. So one way you can take revenge on your disobedience if it is suffering
if suffering and persecution and trials and tribulations are one of the reasons why you
disobey you need to find yourself in God's Word you know what you need to say Lord I just need
to continue to grow I need to assure myself of what you say and Lord once I'm assured of what
you say in your word then I'm going to do what you've asked me to do. We're to take revenge on
all disobedience this is how you can obey the Lord knowing his word in a greater capacity come
with me to let's see come with me to Proverbs chapter no come with me to Isaiah come with me
to Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. Another reason why you may disobey the words of God is because you might
say well it just doesn't seem reasonable you know I know the Bible says that I think I can reason
better than that I think I think I'm wiser than God here I don't think it's reasonable you know
that could be the response of some and you need to understand that the Bible is a like I said it's
a special book and that's why it says it says in 2nd Corinthians 5 7 for we walk by faith not by
sight for we walk by faith not by sight you know as you read the Bible and the Lord God instructs
you to do certain things you're going to turn around and go I don't think that's going to work
for me it's just not going to work you know I surely this is not going to function it just
can't I mean I see how the world is I see how men's hearts are and Lord you're asking me to
react differently to everybody else how's that going to work for me it just doesn't seem reasonable
and so you go with your wisdom you go with your thoughts and ideas and there's nothing wrong with
thoughts and ideas the Lord wants you to reason with him come now and let us reason together
that's what God said right come now let us reason together you know the Bible is a logical book but
it's a book that you must apply faith you know you can't just read it without faith and think it's
going to make sense you need to apply the same faith that you apply to the Lord Jesus Christ as
your Savior the moment you trusted him now you take that same type of faith and say Lord I'm just
going to trust every word you've got here even if I don't fully understand it I'm just going to go
and do what you've asked me to do you know given your tithe it's pretty unreasonable from a man's
perspective and I've taken 10% of what I've earned and given that to the House of the Lord
doesn't seem reasonable to me Lord because I need it all you know my expenses requires that to and
for you to ask me to give that Lord it just doesn't seem reasonable you know that's just how it is you
know I mean I'm just that's one example there are many things in the Bible that might just sound
unreasonable if people find out you're doing this they're gonna say this what's wrong with you what
are you missing out on don't you understand you know you're you're you're hurting yourself but
again you walk by faith not by sight and it's you all I'm sure all I'm trying to say to you if you
just obey the Lord it's going to work it's going to work whatever it is you know I've experienced
this in my life it can't just be my life and I hear testimonies of others how they have obeyed
the Lord and God has come through and even it may even be at the 11th hour the 12th hour right when
you think it's not going to work out the Lord just steps in and makes it happen because he
rewards your obedience you know he's able to just change events that you thought you thought you
know things are just going one way and the Lord just changes that for you because he blesses you
who shines his face upon you he sees that obedience yeah it may seem unreasonable you know if I
preaching someone at the door and they said to me this wasn't that long ago I said to me you know
I just can't believe in the in the God of the Bible any any person that would sacrifice his
son for the his enemies how can I believe in that God that sounds unreasonable to me
but you know God is is unlike any human being you know our God is a is a God of extremes of
extreme nature you know like he's a God that if you refuse his son he's going to take that soul
and cast it into hellfire for all eternity because it doesn't seem reasonable that doesn't seem fair
yeah but then he sacrificed his son his son took all of your sins all of my sins it's a free gift
what great love what extreme love God must have toward us to do such things you know might seem
unreasonable but this is the way of the Bible this is this is the way of salvation and you're
going to find that as you learn more about God's Word it's always going to seem unreasonable if you
don't apply your faith upon it but when you apply faith it makes sense you know some people think
the Trinity is unreasonable how can there be one God in three persons and yet for me it's not a
big deal you say why pastor you know are you unreasonable are you insane no because I just
have my faith on the Lord that's what the Bible says and that's what it is and it once you put
your faith on certain thoughts ideas and practices and doctrines that are found in the Bible it all
just starts to make sense especially when you see the Lord come through and deliver you and bless
you and and give you great you know great things that you know have come from his hand then it all
makes sense you're there in Isaiah 55 well actually before we read Isaiah 55 let me just
read to you this passage that we all know Proverbs Proverbs 3 5 trust in the Lord with all thine
hearts and lean not unto thine own understanding oh that doesn't seem reasonable don't lean on your
understanding just trust in the Lord trust as you put your faith in the Lord with all thine hearts
just say I'm gonna believe it all Lord if any page that are open in your word I'm gonna believe
all of us I may not understand at all you know if someone asked me questions on this passage on this
doctrine I may not have all the answers but I'm gonna trust what your word says I'm just gonna
trust you wholly and then it says in verse number six in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall
direct thy paths be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and look at this and depart from
evil how can you take revenge on your disobedience you know what been be not wise in your own eyes
just say Lord you know better than I know you are greater than I am Lord you've been since eternity
and I've just lived some 40 years or whatever your years are Lord I'm going to trust you fear
the Lord and depart from evil depart from disobedience is you can put it that way if
you want but what must you do you must fear the Lord say Lord you are right all the time and
anytime I'm in conflict with you Lord I'm the one in the wrong even if I don't get it even if I
think in my pride that I'm right I'm just gonna humble myself and say Lord you are right and I'm
wrong you're there in Isaiah 55 verse number 6 and all these passages are very familiar but
Isaiah 55 verse number 6 seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while here is near
look at this let the wicked forsake his way again we're talking about disobedience we could say let
the wicked forsake his disobedience take revenge on your disobedience if you want to look at it
that way it's all speaking of the same thing just different ways of saying it it says and the
unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and
to our God for he will abundantly pardon you see this man here speaking about a believer it says
and let him return unto the Lord he already belongs to the Lord you know what you might be
saved for a number of years but you just find yourself saying you know what it's I don't think
it's going to work your way Lord I'm just going to go my way but I was telling you it's just return
to the Lord it says he will have mercy upon you mercy upon him and to our God for he will
abundantly pardon praise God for him that he abundantly pardons it's not easy for us to forgive
each other is it it's not easy for us to do someone's done you wrong it's kind of it's easier
to hold on to that grudge and then to just forgive that person the Lord forgives you for being
disobedient the Lord forgives you for having walked away in disobedience toward him and then
the very special words here verse number 8 it says for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither
are your ways my ways saith the Lord so look in your limited brain you will never really
understand God like I'm talking about just in your flesh you know in your understand in your
experience of the world if you're just to take your life you will never understand God that's
why we have the Bible again you know that the Lord reveals who he is to us through his word
you know I don't know what ideas you have of what God is like or who he is but if he's not
the God of the Bible he's not God it's something else then he says in verse number nine for as the
heavens are higher than the earth heavens plural I mean just our atmosphere is pretty high I've been
up there pretty high I've been up there on a plane it still keeps going I look up it's pretty high
and then to get to space and then to get to the third heaven that's pretty far I've never seen
the third heaven I've never seen it but he says for as the heavens are higher than the earth so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts it's not just that he has he's
a little bit different to us you know he is God his thoughts are beyond our understanding so we
go to the Bible once again and say Lord you know my thought of a of a God was Santa Claus you know
gives good gifts to the to the good and you know if you're naughty you won't get a gift you know
you won't be rewarded and now you say no Lord I'm gonna put it whatever whatever your thought of
who God is so Lord I wouldn't know who you are you know I wouldn't know a little bit more of you
you need to again go to his word and say Lord I can't be me if I just if I'm trying to create a
God in my imagination it's never going to line up with the God of the Bible because his thoughts
are greater are higher than my thoughts his ways are higher than my ways and so even though it
might seem unreasonable even if it doesn't make sense completely to you you know what if you see
it in God's Word you're sure that that is what God says there it is that's what God wants from
me that's what he's asking of me then brethren just step in his ways just go his way and you'll
be blessed you'll be encouraged you'll be full of joy you know you'll be comforted our Lord God is a
good God come with me to the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 1 and verse number 10 Proverbs
chapter 1 verse number 10 so some reasons why we disobey number one was because of suffering
number two we may think it's unreasonable you may seem unreasonable and the third one is in here
in Proverbs chapter 1 verse number 10 Proverbs chapter 1 verse number 10 it says my son if
sinners entice thee consent thou not you know sinners are trying to entice God's people you
know when sinners see a righteous person a believer someone that loves the Lord they want
to cause you to sin they're going to entice you this is the world young people welcome to the
world there are wicked people out there and they want to see you sin they want to see you disobey
the commandments of the Lord you can't completely escape it because if you're going to live in this
world you're gonna have to face these things I just want to prepare you for this world and the
Bible says here don't be enticed consent thou not the third the third reason why people disobey is
because of peer pressure peer pressure my friends the world my colleagues my associates my family
they're asking me to do XY and Z they're asking me to disobey the Lord and I don't want to you
I just want to get along I don't want to stand out I feel the pressure of my p-group I feel the
pressure of my friends so I'm just going to give into that and I'm going to disobey the Lord this
is something that's you know a real issue with young people peer pressure now I'm trying to
pressure you to be obedient a bit of pressure from your pastor here okay though because it
pleases the Lord you know I mean who do you want to please you know please the one that created you
the one that saved you the one that made you his fan part of his family his child great rewards
in heaven you know eternal life God has given you this you want to please him or you want to please
your peers you can't please both you know one thing that you'll learn in life is he can't
please everybody you can't please everybody even in church I can't please everybody at
church and so you need to understand that peer pressure is a thing but you need to learn how
to not give into peer pressure come with me to Proverbs chapter 4 Proverbs chapter 4 verse number
14 Proverbs chapter 4 verse number 14 there's a reason why a lot of these instructions are in
Proverbs because the book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom if you give into peer pressure you're
not wise you're a fool you're not strong you're weak you don't fear God you fear man when you
give into peer pressure Proverbs chapter 4 verse number 14 it says enter not into the path of the
wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away for
they sleep not except they have done mischief and the sleep is taken away unless they cause
some to fall you know there are people in your life I'm sure if you live if you live in any
kind of life there are gonna be people in your life that are trying to make you fall they're
trying to pressure you to give into the world you know to sin like the world and the Lord wants you
to be protected from that from that pressure peer pressure you know I can't you know I'll be
honest with you I can't fully relate to peer pressure like I know it's a thing I know what
it's like to feel peer pressure like I know what it feels like to want to please people you know
even if it means that you're gonna have to give up giving to you know give up on on certain things
or giving to their desires or disobey the law directly because you want to fit into a group
like I understand that feeling but I just I don't understand the weakness as to why I mean it's
there in the Bible and I see it I see that people give into peer pressure it's young people but it's
even adults you know even pastors give into peer pressure you know there are pastors behind
pulpits that are too afraid to preach what they really believe because of their peers what are
my peers going to say if I stand on God's Word you know it's something quite different to what
they stood on and I'm gonna stand and just preach God's Word there are pastors that are just too
afraid because of peer pressure it's like they never grew up it's like they got stuck in those
young you know years where you're trying to please your friends sometimes pastors want to please
pastors you know I'm thankful that I never really understood it like I never really got it and I'll
give you and I probably used I use I've run out of stories so you're gonna hear the same stories
of the years okay but I remember once in primary school you know we had a group of friends and I
grew up in a place where there was a lot of immigrants a lot of Asian immigrants and we had
a we had a big group of friends we had a in that group of friends we had some Anglo you know white
white friends and I had Asian friends only one day my Asian friends and the Anglo friends they
started to fight amongst themselves and then they split it you know into groups and one went that
way the other group went that way and you know the Asian friends were like so Kevin who you going
to be friends with like come on you know come join us you know these guys are idiots and then my
angle friends would be like Kevin you're gonna join us a while like come on man you know you're
Asian I'm like you know what I'm not doing either you guys see you later I don't care about this
fight they're my friends and you're my friends the fight between you guys has nothing to do with me
and I learned from a very young age it's probably I don't know 10 I was probably like 10 years old
or something but I learned something interesting when I when that happened that I don't have to
give in to a group I don't have to feel like or pressured to feel I have to fit in to some type
of you know Association you know I can I can just stand on my own if I have to and what I found
interesting was this when I stood on my own you know instead of one group being mad at me and the
other group being mad at me they both kind of respected me and they both accepted me as different
like I was able to be friends of both groups I didn't have to choose I didn't have to give in
to peer pressure and it's something I learned very early in my life and maybe that played out
through the rest of my life and you know what as a pastor I don't I don't think oh what's what's a
pastor what's pastor so-and-so gonna think of me if I preach on this you know I'm not trying to fit
a group or an association I'm not trying to fit a fellowship you know I don't feel that pressure
you know what if I see God's Word and I believe that's what it says I'm assured of what it says
I'm gonna preach it with conviction because I realize something in life you just can't make
everybody happy so why try why try to make everybody happy it seems like when you don't try
people respect you more something I found and you know I like because I don't you know I'm glad that
I can open God's Word in church and preach and not think oh that could upset brother so-and-so
or sister so-and-so doesn't agree with that so I bought touched upon that issue just I don't
like peer pressure I think it's stupid but you know what it is something that people give into
too easily they feel like they have to be part of a group part of an association and I've got
to fit in making sure everything lines up the way I'm gonna live my life this is why I often preach
about no individual soul liberty the priesthood of the believer you're all accountable to God
for your lives you don't have to line up with this pastor you know sometimes people think oh the
reason you homeschool your kids is because you went to a IFB Church people homeschool the kids
no I didn't give in to pressure like that I decided to homeschool my kids before I was even
married I think I knew my wife Christina will date him for about a year when I heard on the radio
some homeschooling stuff I'm like man that sounds awesome I want to do that oh the reason you have
12 12 kids on the way past is because you know you're trying to be like pastor this or that no
my wife was told she couldn't have any kids so something switched in a branch because I'm gonna
have as many as I can then that's how it is I'm not trying to line up with somebody or some group
or some Association just don't give in to peer pressure you know why you give in to peer pressure
you're going to that's gonna be a life for the rest of your life you're just gonna be trying to
please people you're gonna be concerned about what does this person think of me what does that
person think of me what does that family think of me and I'm gonna make sure just just be who you
are you've been created by God God's given your personality he's given you his Holy Spirit he's
given you the Bible now go and live the life that God wants you to live be obedient to the Lord not
to your peers be obedient to the Lord yeah I found when you don't give in to peer pressure
you know you'll be left alone you know and you can win people over with the quality of your
character instead of winning people over because you fit the group you win people over because the
quality of your character it's all different it's very different so three reasons you know
peer pressure it may seem unreasonable suffering these are reasons why people disobey the Lord
you're still there in Proverbs so come with me to Proverbs chapter 22 and verse number 15 Proverbs
22 verse number 15 Proverbs 22 verse number 15 another reason why people disobey well Proverbs
22 15 says foolishness is bound in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it
far from him another reason why we disobey is because of the lack of correction a lack
of correction you know you this this new generation we're living in the the ways of this
world is to not correct not to provide any correction there are no winners there are no
losers you all participated you all get the participation reward well done I find it funny
because my kids play soccer and even if their team comes the last on the ladder they all get a trophy
at the end whoo-hoo but correction our children need correction and the Bible speaks of the rod
of create correction that'll drive foolishness foolishness from the heart of a child look no
child's perfect no person is perfect no adult is perfect but the more correction you receive in
life the more you're going to obey the Lord naturally you're going to understand you're
going to learn that with disobedience comes correction you're going to learn that with
disobedience comes pain so to avoid all that I'll just obey you know when I obey and I have a pleasant
disposition toward those that are asking of me we're gonna have a good relationship things are
gonna go well you know what and in my obedience I'm gonna be rewarded I don't know about you
parents but when my children obey I want to reward them when they're obedient you know I
want to do kind things to my children that are obedient but you know what it's not just parents
and children the Bible says if you're then problems come with me to problems 13 problems
that actually this is about parents and children again so let's have all this quickly problems 13
verse 24 Proverbs 13 verse number 24 say pass I just can't pick up a rod I just can't pick up you
know a wooden stick or I just can't take out my belt Bible says in Proverbs 13 24 hear that
spareth his rod hate of his son that's what it says these are the words of God you say pastor
I cannot correct my children I just cannot bear to pick up an item an object you know and give my
child a whooping on his bottom then you hate your son I'm not telling that's what God says
it says but he that love of him chasing of him be times be times early if you love your children
you will chase them you will take that rod of correction you will apply it you will drive the
foolishness from their heart okay and teach them obedience teaching that there's a punishment when
you disobey the Lord God come with me to Hebrews sorry yeah sorry not Hebrews come with me to Psalm
23 come with me to Psalm 23 Psalm 23 and while you're turning to Psalm 23 I'll read to you from
Hebrews 12 11 it says there are no chasing in for the present seemeth to be joyous obviously
whether it's the child receiving the chastisement or if it's the parent given the chastisement to
the child it's not pleasant for anybody is it so why we rather avoid it because it isn't pleasant
but if you avoid it you hate your child for no chasing in for the present seemeth to be joyous
but grievous nevertheless afterward it yield of the peaceable fruits of righteousness and to them
exercised thereby see there's a profit to being chastised it's not just the pain on the bottom
it's going to profit you in life and parents you know it's it's um we're not always going to be
perfect like we can't always raise the our kids the best way you know we're not always going to
make the right decisions you know sometimes by taking that road of correction sometimes you're
going to discipline your children even when they've done nothing wrong it can happen okay
it's not obviously not our intention but it can happen but this is why it's so wonderful for our
children to get saved at a young age because now they have a Heavenly Father that will correct them
you know when our kids do something we don't know about it the Father's going to correct them you
know if we chasing our kids and they didn't deserve it you know if they took it with love
and humility the Lord's going to reward them what's great about being a Christian you know
we can't balance the books necessarily we try our best but God always balance the books you know God
makes sure that chastisement and correction is profitable it'll bring that peaceable fruit of
righteousness in our lives so we can obey so we can do what the Lord's asking of us you're there
in Psalm 23 verse number four Psalm 23 verse number four this is the beautiful Psalm most
one of I think the most famous Psalm of course says yea though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me look at this thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me you see when you're corrected by the Lord it's not joyous at the time but when you're
being corrected by the Lord the Lord is comforting you the Lord is showing you that he loves you the
Lord is showing you that he wants to direct you that he wants to guide you that he wants to take
you out of the shadow of death he wants to see you through that journey that right of correction is
needed it's comforting it's comforting that's why we should not get mad at the Lord when he comes
the trials and difficulties that come our way potentially by the hand of God's chastisement
learn to find comfort that God has given you such a difficulty to get through it continues
in verse number five thou preparest the table before me before me in the presence of mine
enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever you know
of course when this was written David they wrote this the house of the Lord was the Old Testament
well tabernacle but the house of the Lord of course for you is this church you know I would
love nothing more but for new life at this church to be here all the days of our life that we can
be here praising the Lord thanking him even if we had a hard diff you know we've had a hard life
even if we've had a hard day even if we feel like the Lord has come down strongly upon us we can be
in God's house you know this is a place where you can be obedient he wants you to be here he wants
you to sing praises to him he wants you to serve one another as we serve Christ it's wonderful to
have the house of the Lord that we can be part of come with me to 1st Samuel chapter 15 1st
Samuel 15 please 1st Samuel 15 1st Samuel 15 so I said I've got five points so this is my last
points and this is a very familiar passage when we talk about obedience we often turn to this
passage or preachers will often turn to this passage because it's so much to learn and this
is about King Saul I'll just read to you from 1st Samuel 15 verse number 1 1st Samuel 15 verse
number 1 1st Samuel 15 verse number 1 Samuel also said unto Saul the Lord sent me to anoint thee to
be king over his people over Israel now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the
Lord thus saith the Lord of hosts I will remember that which Amalek did to Israel how he laid weight
for him in the way when he came up from Egypt the Lord is speaking about an event here where the
Amalekites ambushed the Israelites when they came out of Egypt you know and killed several of them
in that ambush God is saying this has come to my remembrance it's time for me to punish Amalek
it's time for me to punish the Amalekites this is like 400 years ago okay and so obviously the
Amalekites did not love the Lord they did not love the people of God and as far as I'm concerned if
it's 400 years later they've only progressively gotten worse and worse and now God says all right
you know he's very merciful he's very long-suffering he goes now it's time now it's time to pass
judgment verse number three he says go sorry now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that
they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infants and suckling ox and sheep camel
and ass God says slay it all kill them all even the children it's a pastor that's unreasonable
that's what God says he goes even the ox the sheep the camel the ass even the animals it's a pastor
that's unreasonable what have the animals done it's not the animals fault that the Amalekites
was so wicked people might look at a passage like that go home should obey such commands
it's coming from God's prophet to God's King over Israel and look you might read that you
might go that pastor that seems unreasonable to me so you got to just trust in the Lord you need
to understand just how wicked these people have become it's time to wipe them out God has already
been long-suffering God has been merciful 400 years on and they've never improved they've
never sought the Lord they've not made peace with the people of God so God says all right it's over
you try to be merciful 400 years it's not gonna happen see God's thoughts are above our thoughts
his ways are higher than our ways drop down to verse number 13 so just fast forward here Saul
and his army go in and they do wipe out the Amalekites to an extent and then verse number 13
it says and Samuel came to Saul and Saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed
the commandments of the Lord a lot of Christians are like this at church I'm not saying necessarily
our church but just churches that I've been at now Saul has disobeyed the Lord Saul did not wipe
out the animals okay he didn't but you know the prophet comes blessed be thou of the Lord you know
I always get a bit nervous when people have all the holy words praise the Lord you know I mean
it's good to praise the Lord I hope it's legitimate I hope it's not just a show but for
soul this is just a show I've done what the Lord commanded of me I'll be no I've been obedient
Samuel verse number 14 and Samuel said what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and
the lowing of the oxen which I hear so he goes hold on I can hear these animals I can hear the
sheep what's going on so you said you've kept the commandment of the Lord but why can I hear
the animals and soul said they have brought them from the Amalekites for the people spared the
best of the sheep and of the oxen say why to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and the rest
we have utterly destroyed don't you know Samuel we want to give it to the Lord we want to sacrifice
the Lord hallelujah praise the Lord such a wonderful Christian soul is at this point in
time well that's what he thinks but notice he disobeyed the Lord he disobeyed the Lord
but he's going oh man I'm so I'm such an obedient person and we need to be careful like this and I
said earlier that it's wonderful to have Church we come to the house of the Lord I want to
you know all the days of my life I want to be in the house of the Lord but I don't want to just
come to the house of the Lord hallelujah praise the Lord for my heart is far from him
I've been disobedient all week long I just come to church I go through the motions
I offer my sacrifice of praise
you know I put my my tithe I give it to the house of the Lord I'm doing these sacrifices
but what about your heart though have you been obeying the Lord
but I went to church pastor
and we can become like this very very easily you know as we keep going the next point that I have
for your brethren is the reason we disobey is we go through the motions we can go through the
motions of Christianity we can go through the motions of serving the Lord we know we know
church is on it Sunday morning Sunday afternoon Wednesday we'll be there you know I'll go soul
winning I'll read my Bible you know I've read my Bible I've read my Bible a whole chapter worth
and gone I don't know what I read have you done that because my heart wasn't there
but I've ticked the box I've done it tick went to church tick went soul winning tick
and it says there in verse number 16
then Samuel said unto soul stay and I will tell what the Lord have said to me this night
and he said unto him say on and Samuel said when there was little in thine own sight was thou not
made the head of the tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed the king over Israel and the Lord sent
thee on a journey and said go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites and fight against them
until they be consumed wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord but didst fly upon
the spoil and it's evil in the sight of the Lord brethren when we disobey the Lord it's evil
it's wicked
verse number 20 and this is going to be you this is going to be me this is our flesh what soul is
saying is our flesh and soul said unto Samuel yay I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone
the way which the Lord sent me and I have brought Agag the king of Amalekites and have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites look what he says verse 21 but the people Samuel the people
took of the spoil sheep and oxen what's he saying in fact as we go through the story you're going
to notice all of the qualities that we covered this tonight are all there so it's saying I
gave into peer pressure the people Lord sorry people Samuel they wanted the sheep they wanted
the oxen so I said all right let's do it soul gave into peer pressure
soul is going through the motions he's sacrificing but he's not obedient to the Lord
his heart is not right with the Lord
I guess it just didn't seem reasonable to do what God said it didn't seem reasonable to just
destroy the best of the cattle the best of the sheep they were there
maybe there's a lack of correction because he's the king who's going to correct the king but God
and his prophets you know people under the king are probably just yes men you know instead of
rebuking the king instead of him getting correction he thinks well I'm lofty and lifted up I'm the
powerhouse I'm the Lord of the land I mean I don't know in this story I see it all I see
all the reasons why you might disobey the Lord at least the things that we've looked at tonight
and then it says in verse number 22 and Samuel said have the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord he says do you really think God cares
about sacrifices more than obedience behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken
than the fat of rams God doesn't really care about the sacrifices
remember what they are in the old testament they're pictures to Christ
the sacrifices in of themselves are not really that important
it's what they pictured Christ is what's important and you know what Christ was obedient
if a sacrifice is going to picture Christ it ought to be a sacrifice of obedience this is
a sacrifice of disobedience it doesn't even picture the sacrifice of Christ
he says in verse number 23 for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as
iniquity and idolatry because thou has rejected the word of the Lord he have also rejected thee
from being king and this is really the nail in the coffin for for soul God's that's it God's done
with soul okay I mean soul is any like any sinner he's disobeyed the Lord but he's gotten to a point
where he's so far from the Lord you know and he pretends that he's right with the Lord he pretends
you know we can come to church and pretend we can come to church and just be fake
oh we're here saying the hymns oh praise the Lord and you don't care
look obedience is better than sacrifice God wants your heart he wants your obedience
God wants you to take revenge on your disobedience
just very quickly I'll end on this one Matthew chapter 15 verse 6 I'll just read it to you
Matthew 15 verse 6 the words of Christ he says um ye hypocrites well did Isaiah prophesy of you
saying this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honor for me with their lips
but their heart is far from me that can be us you know we can praise the Lord from our lips
king's soul praises the Lord you know thanks the prophet you know thinks he's right in the
Lord just by the lips and his heart is so far his heart was disobedient he thought he knew better
he thought he knew better than the Lord he gave into the peer pressure
the final point I had for you Brevin is going through the motions going through the motions
is one reason why you can just disobey the Lord because you don't mean it you've ticked the boxes
you think you're right with God because I've done the things God wants me to do but your heart is
far from him to take revenge say that's no more I mean I made the effort to be in church I might
as well give my Lord all my heart right now I'm here anyway I might as well love him and serve him
and obey him as best as I know how and to serve him and to be thankful for what he's given me
and to be thankful for New Life Baptist Church so Brevin revenge all disobedience just the five
points once again number one what reasons why we disobey number one suffering we don't want to
suffer number two we think it's unreasonable what God is asking of us number three peer pressure
number four a lack of correction and number five because we just go through the motions
you know we forgot that we how much we are to love the Lord all right Brevin let's pray