OBEDIENCE THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 28:1-68, 1 John 2:3-6

Praise and Worship

Topic: OBEDIENCE THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Praise the Lord. We are going to look at obedience the key to our success. As we read on; we are going to understand:

(a)          What is obedience?

(b)          Consequences of disobedience and

(c)           the benefits of obedience

What is Obedience?

Generally obedience is a requirement of carrying out orders that has been given to you.

What Is Obedience To God?

Obedience to God is to do what the Lord has commanded you to do.

Our obedience to God's holy will as revealed in the bible is for our own personal happiness and eternal welfare.

A study of the bible and of human history reveals that man's obedience to God's will has always brought happiness and disobedience has always brought man unhappiness.

This is why we have in the bible an emphasis on obedience. God said “the things that I command you observe them to do” (Deut 12:32). “If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19) Christ himself set the example of obedience to the Father's will. ( Heb 5:8, John 6:38, Matthew 7:21).

If you read your bible very well from Genesis to Revelation you will find out that the word of the Lord is an instruction. In every situation, there is a part you are expected to play and there is also a part which God has to play.

For an example the Lord says “give and it shall be given to you. Ask and you shall receive and seek and you shall find knock and the door will be open unto you”. Matthew 7:7-8

You will never receive until you obey to ask and you will never find until you obey to seek.

The door will never open until you obey to knock.

Knock is a command which you are expected to obey: if you refuse to knock, the closed doors will not be open unto you. It does not matter how many years you have been hearing or reading Mathew 7:7 until you apply the word by obeying to ask, seek and knock, is when you will get the results.

Obedience is better than sacrifices and hearkening than fats of rams (1 Samuel 15: 22-23). It is not only enough to hear instruction but to follow and carry out the instruction then you will receive because you played your part.

We must not be hearers only but be doers of the word -James 1:22.

When you do what the Lord instructed you to do; then whatever needs to be fulfilled will be fulfilled.

I want us to understand the following salient points (most important points):

ü We are commanded to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh- Gal 5:16-18

ü We are commanded to evangelise-  Mark 16:15

ü We are commanded to forgive: when you are praying for forgiveness, you will not be forgiven until you forgive others and then you will have peace-Matt 6:14-15

ü We are commanded to be fruitful and multiply in whatever we are doing in all area of our lives-Gen 1:28

ü We are commanded to meditate on the word of God-Joshua 1:8

ü We are commanded to always pray and not to give up-Luke 18:1; 1Thess 5:17.

ü We are commanded not to worry -Matthew 6:25; Phil 4:6

ü We are commanded not to allow our hearts to be troubled John 14:1

ü We are commanded to rejoice always-Phil 4:4-6

ü We are commanded to tell God our needs- Phil 4:7

ü We are commanded to bring our tithes and offerings to the house of God- Malachi 3:8-12

ü We are commanded to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might- Eph 6:10

ü We are commanded to put on the complete armour of God in our Spirit-Eph 6:11

ü We are commanded to love our enemies as ourselves-Mark 12:30-31

ü We are commanded to depart from evil -Ps 34:14

ü We are commanded to trust in the Lord- Prov. 3:5-6

ü We are commanded to live a holy life- Lev. 19:2

ü We are commanded to love our wives Eph 5:25

ü We are commanded to submit to our husbands Eph 5:22

ü We are commanded not to provoke our children to anger-Eph 6:4

ü We are commanded to bring up our children with discipline and instructions that comes from God- Eph 6:4, Prov. 22:6

ü We are commanded as children to honour our parents; so that our days may be long and for all to go well with us-Eph 6:1-3

ü We are commanded to abide in the Lord -John 15:1-5

ü We are commanded to listen to God and obey Him-Deut 28:1, Deut. 8:1

ü We are commanded not to have other gods beside our God-Exo. 20:1-4

The points mentioned above are just few of the commands that the Lord gave to us for things to go well with us.

I want us to understand that: HALF OBEDIENCE IS A COMPLETE DISOBEDIENCE.

It is your responsibility to make sure that you obey the Lord because your obedience unto God will weakens the devil over your life. Your obedience makes God to open the windows of heaven for your sake and empowers you to rule in the midst of your enemies.

Consequences of Disobedience.

¹⁵ “But it shall come to pass, if  you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: ¹⁶Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the country. ¹⁷ “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks”. ¹⁹ Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out”. ²⁰ The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me......  ⁶³ And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess”.(Deut 28:15-68)NKJV

Brethren, this is the word of God. It is better for us to live an obedient life than disobeying God. “He who digs a pit fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent” (Eccl. 10:8) NKJV

You see many killings happening in our nation. It is because of sin. Sin is a reproach, disgrace, demotion, hindrance, and always stands against anyone who lives a sinful life.

Devil has no power over your life; you are the one that gives the devil power over.

Your success depends upon your obedience to God. No matter your desire for breakthroughs and promotion, as long as you are rebellious and disobedient unto the Lord, you will not get it. When you are living a rebellious and disobedient life forget about good things in your life. The more you are living in disobedience the more you are empowering the devil and it is the more you are hindering God to do what He wants to do in your life.

Benefits of Obedience to God

Deut. 28 :1-14   ¹“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: ³ Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country....

“Righteousness exalts a nation (person) but sin is a reproach” (Proverb 14:34)

Your obedience to God will make God to lift you up in every situation.

When we are telling you the truth it is for your own good. Jesus says” that you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

“Promotion does not come from the east, west, north or south but promotion comes from the Lord” (Psalm 75:6-7).

It is what God has done can remain forever.  It is what God has said that can remain forever. It is the kingdom that God have established that will remain forever. I am praying for us to gain this revelation. When you listen to God; if you walk in obedience unto the Lord, the Lord whom you obey will lift you up and set you over nations that are around you.

When the word of God is talking about nation around you: It is not talking about Namibia, Angola, South American, Africa or Zimbabwe etc. Rather, it is talking about people that are around you. Wherever you are; you will be above in every area of your life.

I want you to understand that you have no power to promote yourself. It is not by your work that you can get promotion. It's God who promote you when you obey Him.

I always used to tell you that wherever you are working, whether is a private or government sector, be committed to your work. Do not work because your boss is around. Do your work because it is your responsibility. When you are given another job do not murmur. Don't look at how much you are being paid. In your company you are representing God. As a student in your school you are there for God. You need to behave very well and study your books so that when you are excelling people will give glory to the name of the Lord.

God who gives understanding and knowledge will give it to you and you will be above you contemporaries. This is what the Christians do not know. When you Obey God; God will anoint you with different kinds of anointing so that where ever you appear; when you open your mouth to speak; you will speak wisdom because you have heavenly knowledge, understanding and revelation. You know what carnal people do not know. You can be able to do what ordinary people cannot do.

Once you are born again; if you begin to walk with the Lord, if you begin to obey God, no matter your family name, your academic level, no matter your past, no matter your environmental condition, you will excel above all.

o You will conquer where others are being conquered.

o You will succeed where others are failing.

o You will defeat what is defeating others.

o You will frustrate what is frustrating others.

o You will disgrace what is disgracing others.

o You will be honoured where others are being humiliated.

o You will be promoted where others are being demoted.

o You will be welcome where others are being rejected.

o You will excel where it was seems impossible for you, etc.

One thing I found in the bible is that: it was only few people have discovered this secret of obedience, they obeyed the Lord and their environment did not limit them.

No condition limited them, because they obeyed God, walked with the Lord and followed Him.

When you are walking in obedience unto the Lord you will accomplish great works.

The bible says that “be ready to punish all disobedience when your own obedience is fulfilled (complete)” 2 Cor. 10:6

When you start obeying the Lord not to doubt; then you can be able to punish doubt.

Whatever area you are struggling with; call upon God today to help you to obey Him.  A CHRISTIAN IS NOT A SINNER AND A SINNER IS NOT A CHRISTIAN!!!    TURN BACK TO GOD SO THAT YOUR LIFE WILL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER WHOSE LEAVES DOES NOT WITHER-PS 1:1-4.

Conclusively, the grace to obey God is always available. There is enough grace that is more powerful than the sin that have ensnared you. There is grace to lift you up from any where the enemy has cast you down.

“Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abound, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20).

We have no excuse that the environment is so dirty we cannot resist sin; but the grace to resist sin is already given to us.

The grace to be a child of God in truth and in Spirit is there. The grace to walk in the light and not darkness is there.

Brethren, let us hold on this grace and walk in obedience unto the Lord. May God bless you as you have decided today to follow, walk and obey Him in all things in Jesus' name.

What must I do to obey God?

1.            Take heed to the word of God-Psalm 119:9.

2.            Delight in the Word of God-Psalm 1:1-2.

3.            Trust in the word of God-Psalm 37:3-5.

“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does ( obey) the will of God abides forever”(1 John 2:17).

PRAYERS OF REPENTANCE

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for dying for me. I thank you for loving me. Come into my heart, forgive all my sin and wash me with your blood in the name of Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ! Remove my name from the book of the dead and write my name in the book of life. Thank you Lord. Now I am born again. I am a child of God, in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Points

1.            Lord I thank you for your faithfulness in my life, in the name of Jesus

2.            Every garment of disobedience over my life; catch fire in the name of Jesus.

3.            Every yoke of disobedience over my life, enough is enough; break by fire, in the name of                        Jesus.

4.            Every altar of disobedience manipulating my life; be destroy by fire, in the name of Jesus.

5.            Every altar of disobedience controlling my children, enough is enough; catch fire, in the name                of Jesus.

6.            Every power assigned to weaken me spiritually, financially, martially etc. Die, in the name of                  Jesus.

7.         Every satanic dominion over my life because of my past disobedience, scatter by fire, in the name of Jesus.

8.            Every cataract of disobedience in my eyes hindering me not to see; be destroyed by the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.

9.            You my eyes be enlightened in the Lord, in the name of Jesus.

10.          Let my heavenly vision become clear, in the name of Jesus.

11.          Let my heavenly understanding become clear, in the name of Jesus.

12.          You my spirit man wake up, in the name of Jesus.

13.          Anything in my life that always want me to disobey God, be uprooted and be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

14.          Chains of disobedience break and release me now, in the name of Jesus.

15.          Seeds of disobedience in my life, die, in the name of Jesus.

16.          Every blanket of ungodly fear which the enemy have used to cover my life, be removed and be  roasted by fire, in the name of Jesus.

17.          Every evil river, watering sin in my life; dry up, in the name of Jesus.

18.          Every veil of assumption over my eyes; be removed, in the name of Jesus.

19.        Any power assigned to manipulate me out of the presence of the Lord be destroyed by the  blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.

20.          I refused to break the hedge of my protection, in the name of Jesus.

21.         The grace to abide in the Lord, overshadow my life now, in the name of Jesus.

22.     Every conspiracy in the heavenlies, in the water and on the land assigned against my breakthrough scatter by fire, in the name of Jesus.

23.          Every satanic opposition against my progress scatter by fire, in the name of Jesus.

24.        Every satanic opposition against the progress of my children scatter by fire, in the name of                    Jesus.

25.          Every satanic opposition against the progress of my husband/wife, in the name of Jesus.

26.          Every satanic red sea confronting my progress, die, in the name of Jesus.

27.          Every witchcraft chain spread like nets against my progress; I command you now catch fire, in the name of Jesus.

28.         Holy Ghost fire; blood of Jesus, anger of God, angel of God, pursue my enemies, in the name                 of Jesus.

29.          Thank you Lord for answering my prayers, in the name of Jesus.

(Pray as the Spirit of the Lord gives you utterance!!!)