Three reasons to disobey God. A message on walking in obedience with joy. When was the last time you disobeyed God? When was the last time you knew that God wanted you to do something and ultimately you did something else?
Some people might say, “well, I’m born again. I’ve been sanctified. I disobeyed God,” and then somebody else might say, “well, you know, we’re all saved by the grace of God and yet we’re still in these vessels of clay. We sin every day.”
When we know that God wants us to do something and we put it off, we don’t respond with obedience. Why did you disobey him? What were the reasons for that?
I’m going to look at three reasons to disobey God from a story in the Old Testament. There is no happy ending in the story here, at least not for those men and women in the Old Testament. Three reasons to disobey God might not sound like a very inspiring title. But I believe if we look at this and we think, can we consider why did these people this obey God?
This might give us some insight and help us again to overcome and to walk in victory. Three reasons to disobey God. I’ll be in mostly in the book of 1 Kings.
First Kings starting in chapter 11, we are wanting to look at three people. There are three reasons why they heard the voice of God and they turned away. This is at the end, after David’s dynasty, and then Solomon’s Dynasty is starting to come to an end. And Solomon in all his grandeur and glory, we all know that he still had problems, but we’re going to pick it up when Solomon is being unfaithful to God and God has to do something about it.
God has to do something about Solomon’s wickedness and frankly some of David’s compromises.
“And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father,” 1 Kings 11:26,27
Why did Jeroboam rebel against Solomon? Because he did some construction projects? No, he rebelled because as we know from reading a few different places, Solomon was using slave labor. Solomon was oppressing his own people to do his big building projects and so Jeroboam stands up and says, I don’t want to take this. This isn’t right, and actually that was a good thing. His rebellion was good as we’ll see as we continue reading.
“And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph,” v. 28
And notice the young man because he was getting things done. This man Jeroboam, who was about to rebel against Solomon, he kinda liked him because he got things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force at the house of Joseph.
“And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field,” v.29
Ahijah met this young go getter. Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak and the two of them were alone in the open field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new clothes he had on and tore them into 12 pieces, “And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:(But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father,” 1 Kings 11:31-33
The prophet continued to share the word of God. “Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee,” 1 Kings 11:34-38
God chose Jeroboam. This is the first thing we need to recognize. Jeroboam’s rebellion was ordained of God and he had a call on his life. His call that God placed on his life was different from the call he gave David. “You’re going to be the anointed one. You, you’re going to be the chosen one.” God called him and he gave him this promise. “If you will listen to all that I command you. If you will walk in my ways and do what is right, I will be with you and that will build you a share house. I will give you a dynasty.”
So let’s think about this for a minute. Jeroboam has God’s promise. Obviously. He’s kind of in the inner circle with Solomon. He knows about David and God. The prophet is specifically saying, “you know how Solomon blew it? You’re going to become king. Jeroboam walk in my ways.”
Well with the example of Solomon, with the clear words from God with this promise, there is no way Jeroboam is going to blow this opportunity to start a brand new family dynasty, right?
“Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon,” 1 Kings 11:40.
Solomon is unhappy with this prophecy and decides to kill Jeroboam. Nobody learns do they? The only thing we learned from history is that we don’t. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, Jeroboam fled to Egypt where he remained until Solomon’s death. We see very clearly that saw that Jeroboam feared Solomon. He’s a brave man. He’s a go getter, initially Solomon liked what he found in this guy, but he also has fear. Brothers and sisters, each of you in a position of influence, in a position of leadership. People look at you and they see you as a leader, as a mom, as a dad. Your children look up to you when you’re invincible,
But we all know, however much of a go getter you are, many of us still struggle with fear. We have God’s promises. We have God’s commands. We’re go getters. We’ve been recognized, but we still have fear. This was Jeroboam and we’ll see that fear comes back to define his legacy. As a king, we see that fear infects everything. That’s terrible.
“And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now
This is so interesting. I like this Jeroboam. He’s taking leadership, but he’s actually doing it under the authority of the new king. He says, “we will serve you, but I’m going to advocate for these people.” Jeroboam defended the people. Jeroboam listened to the people. He hears what’s going on. He understands and he goes and he stands between the people and the new king.
“And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions,” 1 Kings 12:6-11
Rehoboam listens to advice from old people and then just rejects it, and then he goes and listens to the advice of his peers and he says, “yes, I’m going to be a cruel tyrant.”
This is where the split starts. These people rebel against Rehoboam. They say, no, we’re going to stand on our own two feet and they leave.
“So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only,” 1 Kings 12:19-20. Just like God had promised.
“And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord,” 2 Kings 12:21-24.
This is like one of the little tiny bright spots of light in this whole period of history. They listened to the word of God. They listened to the word of the Lord and went back according to the word of the Lord. That doesn’t happen much. That doesn’t happen much. After David died, they actually listened to God’s voice. And now we have two kingdoms.
So far Jeroboam is off to a good start, right? He’s heard the voice of God, he advocated for the people, and then they rise up against the wicked rule of Rehoboam. Jeroboam is king now. “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel,” 1 Kings 12:25.
Jeroboam said to himself, how much trouble do we get in brothers and sisters from saying to ourselves, from these little dialogues in our head? Has anybody else talked to themselves? You know, even if you don’t raise your hand, you probably do even if it’s not out loud and that’s where Jeroboam is. He’s thinking about a problem. The kingdom.
“And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah,” 1 Kings 12:26.
Now it’s not a problem to talk to yourself, but listen to what Jeroboam did. He allowed a lie to enter into his mind. How do we know this is a lie? Because God promised that he would have a kingdom forever. “If you walk in my ways, I will bless you. I will give you this and you will have all that you desire.”
But Jeroboam started talking to himself and Jeroboam says to himself, “all these people might rebel against me. I’m kinda new at this king business and I’m not really sure.”
He thinks about it, he talks to himself and then he does something. He seeks advise. That is not necessarily bad, in this case it is.
We don’t need to seek advicewhen we have a clear promise from God. We don’t ask for advice whether or not we should obey God, whether or not we should take him at his word. Sometimes we need to get encouragement and it’s fine to say, “hey brother, I am struggling. I know God says this. I know I should do this, but I need your prayers. Can you encourage me?”
But Jeroboam is seeking advice. What should I do to make sure something happens that God already promised to me? We know well that the advice you received wasn’t any better than the advice Rehoboam received that causes the split in the kingdom.
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense,” 2 Kings 12: 28-33
Now, whose job was it to make festivals? It was God’s job to set up festivals, but Jeroboam doesn’t want his people to go down to Israel. He takes the place of God and creates his own festival and creates idols to be worshipped.
He offered sacrifices on the altar. Whose job was it to offer sacrifices on the altar? The priest. He made the offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He also stationed the priest in Bethel for the high places he had made. He offered sacrifices on the altar.
Jeroboam did ot trust God’s promises and set up his own religion.
What do you think about his plan? Did he obey God? No. Why didn’t Jeroboam obey the Lord? What was his reason for disobeying the Lord? He wanted the people. He didn’t want the people to leave him. He feared that the people would leave him.
The first reason that I see for disobeying God from Jeroboam is fear. People disobey God because of fear.
Now let’s look at the second reason.
Jeroboam was a leader. He had people following him. Was he a good leader? No, but he was successful. He was effective in his leadership. The people followed Jeroboam. They even went to Dan to worship a golden calve.
Now, if we read this quickly, if we think about this story, we might think the people of Israel weren’t really responsible. They weren’t really culpable like Jeroboam was because it was their leader that established the new religion. Certainly, leaders carry a greater responsibility.
We saw that Israel was willing to rebel against physical slavery, right? They had just rebelled against Rehoboam for putting them into physical slavery, but they weren’t willing to rebel against spiritual slavery.
We read in 2 Chronicles chapter 11, there were some from Israel that obeyed the one true God, even though it meant that they had to leave their home and go down to Jerusalem to worship the one true God. They said, yes, we will worship the god of our ancestors.
“For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord,“ 2 Chronicles 11:14
We see in 2 Chronicles they did rebel against the spiritual slavery, but here’s the truth that Israel found out, and here’s the truth, that those faithful Levi’s and priests found, out it is sometimes hard to obey God, and Jeroboam knew this.
He’s like these people. If they want to obey God to worship, they have to go down to enemy territory. They have to go down to Jerusalem. That’s a long hike. If you’re way up in Bethel, most of them, rather than doing that, which was difficult or inconvenient, they just blindly accepted Jeroboam leadership.
And this leads to our second reason. Why did Israel disobey God? What was their reason for disobeying God? It was inconvenience. It was easier to stay and worship Jeroboam’s idols. Do you know what a great big reason for people disobeying God is? Plain old, good old fashioned laziness.
It’s inconvenient. So much of what we do is based on convenience, and I’m not saying that’s wrong, but when it comes to obeying God, so many people don’t obey him. Their reason for disobedience is because it’s not easy. Because it’s inconvenient and because they’re lazy.
Let’s read our third story here so they continue to worship in Bethel. They continue to follow their leader because it’s easy to do that. God in His grace sends a prophet. He sends a prophet.
A man of God came from Judah to Bethel. Remember he had to come all the way down from Judah, all the way up to Bethel because the prophets, the Levites, the faithful men and women of God, for the most part had left town.
So he leaves Judah and goes up to enemy territory by the word of the Lord. Jeroboam is standing beside the alter to burn incense and this man of God from Judah walks up to the king, to the ruler, to the man with the authority to chop off his head. While he’s offering the sacrifice, this is what the man of God says, “against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee,” 1 Kings 13:2.
He is anthropomorphizing the alter to make a point. He’s talking to the altar. Maybe he’s too scared to even talk to Jeroboam. Jeroboam is there in the act of worship. He gave the sign that day. He said, “This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before,” 1 Kings 13:3-6.
Jeroboam begged the prophet to ask God to restore his hand. And the prophet did just that. This man of God, this prophet, he’s not going to disobey God out of fear. That’s not his reason for disobeying God because this man has no fear, at least not in the story.
The king responded to the man of God. Verse 6, “please plead for the favor of the Lord.” Now notice verse 7, “And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.”
So Jeroboam is apparently trying to bribe the prophet. Bribe him to save him from the coming judgement.
“And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.”
Now, a certain old prophet was living in Bethel. Now we’re getting to the twist.
“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah,” 1 Kings 13:11,12
Remember, this is an old prophet. Why is he an old prophet? Well, he’s an old prophet because all the young prophets had enough strength to go across the border and serve the Lord in Israel or in Judah.
His sons had seen the way taken by the men of God who had come from Judah. Then he said to his son, “Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am,” 1 Kings 13:13,14
It’s interesting that already the news has spread already. I think the old prophet had a good motive. He wanted to meet this man of God. He wanted to fellowship. He offered an invitation.
“Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest,” 1 Kings 13:15-17
We know this man’s problem wasn’t fear. We know it wasn’t laziness because he had to go all the way across the border to give this message. He was also a go getter and we know that he heard God’s message. He understood God’s command to him. He repeats it at least twice.
But his stomach is grumbling. Don’t drink water. Don’t eat food. Don’t drink water, don’t eat food. The word of the Lord, the command of the Lord. He’s not forgetting it. It’s not a problem with hearing,
But this old prophet said to him, “I am also a prophet like you.” And again, isn’t it nice when somebody puts their arm around you and says, “Oh, I’m a prophet too. I’m a Christian too. There’s a connection in our hearts and I imagined that they had that connection and he puts his arm around him and he said, “He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water,” 1 Kings 13:18,19.
Now here’s where it gets really crazy. The young prophet with the message for Jeroboam, he delivered the message. The old prophet deceives the young prophet by giving him a false message.
While they were sitting at the table, another message comes, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had deceived him, who had brought him back and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah.
“And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy
Is there a more sad sentence than that in the Bible? “He is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command.” What an obituary. The man of God who disobeyed the word of God, who disobeyed the Lord’s command. What kind of man or woman will you be known as? What will they say when they find your corpse? What do you think about the story? Is this fair? The deceiving old prophet who wasn’t willing to stand up to Jeroboam. He gets off with his life and the faithful prophet, who in a moment of weakness allowed himself to be deceived. He’s killed by a lion.
This is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. Is it fair? But maybe it doesn’t feel fair to us, but what would have happened if this young man of God, this prophet had been allowed to go on his way? What would have happened if God had said, “but he was mixed up and I’m going to let him go. I’m going to go back on my word.”
The deception of the old prophet would have trumped God’s word. The deception of one man over another would have been shown to be more powerful than the word of God that the young prophet knew by heart.
Note that the Prophet said, “an angel came and told me.” That’s not actually the voice of God. Think about what Paul told the Galatians. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.,” Galatians 1:8. Yes, even if an angel tells you something. if it is contary to the word of God, do not believe it.
We don’t merely take whatever someone says. There are lots and lots of people who have God’s word, God’s word, or so they claim. They have a message for you. The Lord laid something on their heart. They’ve written a book, they’ve preached sermons, they’ve done DVD series, and they have a message for you,
But just because someone says it’s God’s word doesn’t mean we accept it. Why did this man disobey God? It’s easy for me to kind of guess his motives and try and say, “well, you know, he was just really hungry, so he just kinda gave in, even though he knew it was wrong.” Maybe that’s true, but scripture doesn’t tell us for sure. It doesn’t tell us what was going on in this man’s heart.
Let’s review again. Jeroboam disobeyed God’s word because of fear. The Israelites disobeyed God’s Word because of laziness, because it was inconvenient.
The prophet of Judah disobeyed God’s word. Why? He was deceived. Was it carelessness, peer pressure, compromise, another voice?
Hath God said? It was the age old question. The young prophet was confused. He obviously was. Even if he knew what was right and wrong, when that guy says, “well, the angel of the Lord told me this.” This old white haired prophet says, “the angel of the Lord told me that you should come and eat with me.”
Well, who should he believe? Have you been confused? Does confusion, hearing from another voice, hearing from somebody else, just confusion ever cause you to hesitate in obeying God’s word?
Whatever the reasons were for his confusion, we know that he was guilty. No matter how inconvenient it was to go all the way from the top of Israel down to Jerusalem, we know that laziness is an excuse and Israel was guilty. We know that Jeroboam lost out on his dynasty because of fear.
These reasons might seem legitimate at times. They definitely feel legitimate in the moment. How can I be held responsible? If I’m confused about something? You know, it really is hard. I don’t think I can quite do that much. I’m scared. These are reasons that feel legitimate, but the truth is whatever reason we have, each one of us have rebelled against God’s word.
There is no excuse. We don’t trust his promise. It’s inconvenient. We don’t understand. We all have reasons and excuses, but the truth is we’ve rejected his word and it’s clear enough. We’ve turned aside, we’ve gone to our own way. Well, here’s the good news, and the people of Israel had to wait a long time to hear it.
Jesus obeyed God’s word. Jesus set a perfect example for us. He provides the answer for our rebellion. He provides the answer for our excuses to disobey his father. He came down to earth and for the joy that was before him, he did something very inconvenient. He took that scary cup and he drank that scary cup down despite his fear for the joy that was before him. He overcame and he is seated at the right seated at the right hand of God. Jesus shows us how to live in obedience, tempted in all ways like we are tempted with the same reasons, to disobey.
There we have three reasons to disobey God. When I think about obedience, I think about the word of God in 1 John. Some verses that give answer to Jeroboam’s fear, they give a solution to the laziness of Israel, that bring clarity to the confusion of the prophet.
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love,” 1 John 4:15-18
There is no fear, Jeroboam in love. Instead, perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. Jeroboam’s fear overwhelmed him. Rather than allowing his confidence in God’s goodness and God’s promises to overwhelm him.
Now the application I’m driving isn’t just love God. I need to love God more. If I just love God a little bit more then I’m going to obey him. But the application here is that we trust in the love God has for us. There is no fear in love. If I look at that and I say say, I need to love God more, I think we’re maybe missing it and we’re being a little bit man centered in our approach.
No, I need to trust God’s love for me more and if he calls me to do something, if he tells me to obey him, then I know that it’s good and I don’t have to be afraid because he’s going to be with me. There is no fear in love. When God gives a command, he gives it in love, and if I have fear, that means they need to understand his love of it more. If I have fear, I need to remember that his commands are good.
This leads to our second application. Laziness. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandment: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,” 1 John 5:2-4.
Listen to this you Lazy Israelites. We know his commands are not a burden, are not grievous. His commands are not a burden because everyone has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world. Our faith. Did you catch it?
John tells us that his commands are not grievous. His commands are not a burden. It’s a good thing. It’s a happy thing if I have to make a trek all the way from Judah. John says, “you’re all the way down in Israel and need to go Jerusalem. I’m gonna love that trip because his commands are not grievous. My yoke is easy. My burden is light.”
The rich young ruler comes to Jesus and he says, “Jesus, how should I receive eternal life? What do I have to do? I’ve done a lot of good things. Have I made it?” Jesus loved him and said, “you lack one thing? Go sell all you have. Give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” Our rich young ruler, our friends, say the same thing the Israelites said, “Whoa, that’s hard. That’s a lot.” He was dismayed by this demand and he went away grieving because he had many possessions.
Once we get a hold, first of all of the love of God, that will overcome our fear. Then we get a hold of the goodness of his commands. It’ll overcome our laziness. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
What if we’re confused? What is that? What’s holding us back from obeying God’s word? We have questions.
John says, “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you,” 1 John 2:26. Well, that qualifies for this Prophet in the Old Testament.
“These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him,” 1 John 2:26,27
Abide in him. “But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it,” Deuteronomy 30:14.
You don’t have to get in a boat and go across the ocean to find God’s word. It’s near you. It’s in your heart. Even in the Old Testament, God’s word had sufficient clarity. If they would only let the spirit guide them.
So to our friend, this prophet who ended up being eaten by a lion, we can say, “you don’t need anyone to teach you. The annointing you have teaches you all things. And it’s true and it’s not a lie. Just as it has taught you remain in him.”
So here’s my application from this text. The spirit illuminated word of God brings clarity to your confusion, so if you’re confused, you abide in him, you wait on him until there’s clarity. What does it mean to wait on God? A lot of answers to that, but I want to zero in on one application especially when we’re trying to discern God’s will.
Waiting on God means to do what you know now, to do what you know to do and to do it now. In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul says, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is saying, “I haven’t achieved everything. There are still things I’m learning. I’m still growing in obedience to God. I haven’t reached perfection yet, but the one thing I do, I forget what is behind and I reach forward to what is ahead. I pursue as my goal the prized promise by God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.”
Here’s some real wisdom for us from brother Paul. “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing,” Philippians 3:15,16.
Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way, and if you think differently about anything, if you think differently about anything, you have questions, you’re confused. You think, “is this really the way it is? Maybe I should change.” If you’re confused. If you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, brothers and sisters, in any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.
Our prophet’s problem was he had been given a truth from God, a command from God. Don’t drink, don’t eat, go back a different way, and then he received another potential truth and rather than saying, “well, this is my foundation, what I already know for sure,” it led him to reexamine the foundation that had been previously laid.
Are you following me? In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. You know there’s lots of good teaching out there. There are good biblical teachings that you haven’t heard and you will come across them and say, “wow, this is good stuff and you’ll bring it into your life and God will bless you.”
But if you hear something new that causes you to question the foundation that has already been laid for you, you’ll reject it. That is confusion that leads to disobedience. There’s nothing wrong with building on what we have already attained, but we’ve got to stay faithful, stay solid on what we know.
I don’t want to pretend that being in a place of confusion, of fear or even discomfort, inconvenience, that it’s easily fixed, but we dare not abandon what God has shown us.
I have friends, and you probably have friends, who change their minds on a clear biblical teaching and it’s usually chalked up to either a new explanation of scripture. Well, the Greek says this, or this teacher said this, or maybe it’s a feeling that they get that they attribute to the Holy Spirit.
Have you heard this? Oh, well, you know, I just got a hold of the Gospel in a new way and the head covering, you know, that’s, that’s kind of salvation by works and I want the Gospel so I’m going to set aside the head covering so I can love Jesus more. Or somebody explained to me that the original Greek actually says this, therefore I’m going to set aside another practice, another foundation that’s been laid. Because I’m confused, because I’m lazy, because I have fear.
In conclusion, I started off by asking, when was the last time you disobeyed God? Let me ask now, when’s the next time you’re going to disobey God? When’s the next time it’s possible? It’s even likely that you are wrestling with something and you have fear. I’m supposed to do this. Maybe it’s confessing something. Maybe it’s adopting a practice. Maybe it’s going back to something you’ve compromised in.
Has God given you a command you’re struggling with? Is there a scripture that seems unclear? Are you living in fear about what will happen if you actually take him at his word? You’re reading something or you’re watching something that’s not his will and it doesn’t edify him. He is speaking to you through his word, through the spirit that you need to stop or you need to go.
When’s the next time you’re going to disobey God? What are your reasons for disobeying God? He has answers for those reasons. His love answers your fear. His commands aren’t a burden. The spirit guided word will provide clarity if we wait on him.
Jesus Christ provided the perfect example for our rebellion, the perfect counter example. He showed us that in his power, it is possible to obey him no matter what good reasons you may have.
One more time, we can overcome these three excuses: fear, laziness and confusion.
Number one, perfect love casts out fear, so believe in God’s love for you. Perfect love casts out fear, believing God’s love for you. That reason is gone. That lie has been questioned by perfect love.
Number two, his commands are not a burden. They’re not grievous, so love God by your obedience. That attack from Satan that says, “this is too hard.” It’s done away with when we understand that his commands are a good thing, that there are a blessing.
Number three, I’m confused. I’m not sure what to do. I’m hearing a teaching that’s coming in and I feel like maybe this is good. The spirit illuminated word brings clarity. So wait on him. Wait for that anointing to teach you all things abide in that anointing.
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