Rick Warren - Following God's Directions—Part One

This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, the audio broadcast ministry

of Pastor Rick Warren. Today we continue in our series

called fifty Days of Faith. In these lessons, Rick looks

into God's word to discover the true meaning of faith

and explore ways we can strengthen it. First, if you'd

like to help the kids you know learn God's word,

then stay with us, because in just a few minutes

we're going to tell you about God's big plans for

you an easy to understand storybook Bible by Pastor Rick Warren.

You can take a sneak peek right now by going

to Pastorick dot com while you listen to today's message.

If you want, you can just text the.

Word hope to eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four.

That's the word hope to eight hundred six hundred five

thousand and four. Right now. Here's Pastor Rick Warren with

part one of a message called following God's Directions.

One day a Roman army officer came to Jesus and

he said, I have a servant who's very ill. In fact,

he's paralyzed and he's suffering in bed. And Jesus said, well,

I'll just go to your house and heal him. And

the Roman centurion said, oh, no, Lord, you don't need

to do that. Said, I understand authority, and I'm not

worthy for you to come to my house. But I

know this obedience and authority thing. I am a captain

in the army. I make commands to my soldiers and

they obey immediately.

And I make.

Commands to my servants and they obey me immediately. They

do whatever I tell them to do. So I understand

authority and obedience. You don't need to come to my house, Jesus,

If you just say the word from right here, I'm

sure he'll be healed instantly.

Jesus looked at that man, and he.

Said, this is the greatest faith I've ever seen in Israel,

the greatest faith. Why because faith and obedience are interlocked.

When you trust someone, you do what they say. If

you don't do what somebody tells you to do, it

means you don't trust them.

Now, God has.

Linked faith and obedience together so that all of the

promises of God are conditioned upon you following the directions

that he gives you. Notice the first verse on the

top of your outline Deuteronomy five point thirty three. Follow

all the directions the Lord has given you, then life

will go well for you. How many of you would

like to have life go well for you? Can I

see your hands?

That's what I thought.

And God has made some incredible promises in his word

about obedience, and he gets very very specific. In fact,

there were so many promises about obedience in God's word

I couldn't even listen them all. I had to just

pick and choose a few there on the front of

your outline. Notice what God promises if we obey him.

God blesses those who obey him. The Bible says, God

saves those who obey him. God watches over those who

obey him. The Lord takes care of those who obey him.

You will be helped. God helps those who obey him.

God gives us what we ask for because we obey

his commands. The Bible says that if you follow God's directions,

you will be happy. You will live longer, you will

lack nothing good, you will have.

All that you need.

The Bible says, if you obey and follow God's instructions,

that you will live in perfect freedom. You will have

greater wisdom, you will dwell in security and peace. He's

promised you will be prosperous and successful. You will be

great in the Kingdom of heaven, and you will be

rewarded for eternity. Now, just in case this didn't sink in,

I listed a few other references for you to look up.

Obedience is the premise behind all of the promises. God

gives us his promises by grace, but we enjoy is

promises when we follow the directions. We follow the instructions. Now,

based on all of these promises, and they're pretty incredible.

Is God a liar?

No?

God says I will do these things in your life

if you follow my directions.

The Manual for Life.

Based on that, let me ask you some very pointed questions,

and I'd like for you to verbally respond to this.

Based on this, do you think that following God's direction?

Do you think that obeying God is a.

Good idea or a bad idea? Yeah, a good idea.

Do you think it is smart or is it stupid

to disobey something God's told you to do? Yeah, it's stupid,

It's dumb. I heard a smart over there. We're going

to do a recount right now. Okay, So that's when

here's the third question. When I don't understand something that

God tells me to do. When I don't understand a command,

will it be more beneficial to me if I do

it anyway? Or if I do what I think is best? Yeah,

do it anyway. You see, God often gives us rules

and commands in his word. And they're not suggestions, folks,

they're commands. God often gives us commands in his word,

but he doesn't explain why he wants you to do

them on faith. And sometimes they sound unfair. They sound

like they're meant to cramp your style, that God is

some kind of killjoy that is limiting you.

For instance, the Bible is very clear.

It says no sex outside of marriage, real clear about that.

Over and over, sex is for husbands and wives in

the bonds of marriage. The Bible says, when somebody hurts you,

you are to forgive them. The Bible says you're to

take the first ten percent and tie it back to God.

Of all you make, the Bible says you are to

when people do evil to you, you are to do

good back to them.

Now, a lot of these commands, they don't make sense from.

A human standpoint, but God says to it it's a

matter of trust. So then the big question is will

I be blessed by obeying what God is said to

do even when I don't understand it, or by making

up my own set of rules because I know more

than God.

There's no question about that.

Obedience is a demonstration of faith, and obedience unlocks the

key to all of God's blessings in your life. God

promises to reward you if you'll just follow his direction.

You're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Rick will be

back in just a moment with the rest of today's lesson.

If you've missed any part of today's teaching, you can

listen online anytime at pastorick dot com. That's pastorick dot com.

The Bible says children are a gift from the Lord.

Do you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or kids in

your neighborhood that need to know God loves them and

has a good plan for their lives. You can help

them get closer to God by encouraging them to read

God's word. That's why we're so excited to tell you

about a very special resource just for kids. Called God's

Big Plans for Me. It's a storybook Bible by Pastor

Rick Warren. This two hundred and twenty three page hardcover

children's book includes forty well loved Bible stories to help

kids engage with God's word. Each Bible story has an

introduction from Pastor Wreck that helps young readers understand the

Word of God and a closing thought with a practical

step boys and girls can take to discover God's Big

Plans for them. Their eyes will light up as they

turn the beautifully illustrated pages and really start to get

what God wants to say to their young hearts and minds.

God's Big Plans for Me is so much more than

just a book filled with cute pictures of Bible characters.

It's a fun and effective way to introduce children to

God's everlasting truth. This book makes a great gift. You'll

want to get a copy for every child in your life.

And today, when you give a gift to help Pastor

Rick's Daily Hope take the certain Hope of Jesus Christ

around the world, We'll send you a copy of God's

Big Plans for Me Storybook Bible to say things just

call eight hundred and six hundred five zero zero four,

or go to Pastorick dot com to get your very

own copy of God's Big Plans for Me Storybook Bible.

If you choose to become a partner in Hope with

an automated monthly giving, we'll also send you a very

special welcome gift to show our appreciation. That's Pastororick dot com.

Or you can call eight hundred at six hundred at

five zero zero four. Thank you so much for your support,

and don't forget to let us know which radio station

you heard us on.

Now back to more from God's Word with Pastor Rick Warren.

The Bible says you are too When people do evil

to you, you are to do.

Good back to them.

Now, a lot of these commands, they don't make sense

from a human standpoint, but God says to it it's

a matter of trust. So then the big question is

will I be blessed by obeying what God is said

to do even when I don't understand it, or by

making up my own set of rules because I know

more than God.

There's no question about that.

Obedience is a demonstration of faith, and obedience unlocks the

key to all of.

God's blessings in your life.

God promises to reward you if you'll just follow his directions. So,

as your pastor, I don't want you to miss out

on all the promises that are right there on the

front of that outline. I don't want you to miss

out on that. God will bless you and save you

and watch over you and take care of you and

help you, and you'll be happy, and you'll live longer,

and you'll lack nothing, and you'll have what you need,

and you'll have perfect freedom. And God will prosper you

and make you successful, and you'll be great in the

Kingdom of Heaven, and you'll be warded. I don't want

you to miss out on that. So today I want

us to look at how to receive the promises of God.

What you must do in order to appropriate all these

things in your life. And the Bible is very clear

you do four things on the back of your outline

how to resis God's promises. When you know what God

wants you to do, when you know what the will

of God is, you do four things. Number One, obey

God immediately immediately. You don't delay, you don't wait, you

don't procrastinate. You don't put it off, you don't make excuses,

you don't drag your feet.

You just do it.

You do it now, you don't do it later. You

do it now. So I'm one nineteen verse thirty two.

I will quickly obey your commands without delay. I hurry

to obey your commands. If there's any time in life

you really ought to hurry, it's when God.

Tells you to do something you shouldn't delay on that

you hurry.

You obey God immediately, whether you feel like it or not,

whether you understand it or not, you just do it immediately.

You don't have to understand something to benefit from it.

I don't understand how heavy planes fly in the air,

but I fly all the time. Understand how computers work,

but I share like email. I don't understand internal combustion,

but I've driven a car for years. You don't have

to understand something to enjoy it to benefit from it.

And you don't have to.

Understand God's commands in order to obey them and benefit

from them. Every parent knows that when you'll tell a

kid something, sometimes.

They'll say, well, why should I do that? And you say,

because I said so.

Now behind those five words you are actually saying because

your little pe brain isn't big enough to understand it.

And one day you'll understand real reality. But right now,

trust me, I know better than you, and I'm doing

this for your own goods, So you do it.

All that's behind because I say so.

And God sometimes tells you to do something, you say why,

and he says, because I say so, because I know

more than you, and I don't owe you an explanation.

One day you're going to understand, but you just do it.

It is pretty audacious to question the creator.

Of the universe. Are you sure God?

He said, well, what if I don't have a good attitude,

you still obey? You're telling me rick to obey God

with a bad attitude. Absolutely, it's far better than disobedience.

I mean, how about your parents. If you were to say, kids,

I want you all to go clean your rooms, but

you don't have to do it until you have an

enthusiastic attitude, they're.

Never going to do it.

They're just never gonna do it, So you do it

in spite of it. I mean, I've adults do this

all the time. I can't tell you a many adults

I've talked to you who said I don't feel like

forgiving and reconciling with my spouse, or I don't feel

like breaking off this affair that I know is wrong.

Well, so what, who cares what you feel?

You do the right thing anyway. Only immature people go

by their feelings. Mature people do the right thing in

spite of their feelings. You're very emotionally immature if you

live by your feelings.

So what do you do? You do the right thing.

You obey God immediately in spite of how you feel,

and then after you have obeyed, then you can work

on your sorry attitude that'll come along later. Feelings will

come later. You do the right thing because you know

it's the right thing to do, and you know what

your feelings will play catch up.

Now, here's the principle in the Bible.

Anytime God gives a stated command without a specific date,

like on the first of every week, do this, he

doesn't give it.

He means to do it now. Now.

For instance, when Kay calls the Warren family to dinner,

she says come to dinner at six o'clock, she means

at six o'clock. If she says come to dinner at

five thirty, she means five thirty. If she says come

to dinner, that means what now, right now? Not in

ten minutes, It means now, you obey immediately.

Now. Kids kids are born knowing how.

To play the game of delayed obedience because they're playing

their games or video or whatever. And whenever you say

come to dinner, the first game they play is play deaf.

I get here you. Oh, I didn't hear you. I

didn't hear you say that. And you know what, we

do that all the time with God. Oh I can't

hear you. God, he's talking loud and clear. You I

get la la la, la la la. I'm not listening.

No no, no, no, no, you know, and put I'm not listening,

and you're trying to pretend that you're deaf when God

has said I'm talking to you, and you know I'm

talking to you.

Like he is right now.

And then the second game we play is imagine mom

is talking to somebody else. Oh, you meant me come

to dinner. Well, who do you think I meant the

little fairy in the corner? Now, no, he says, oh,

well I surely. And we do this with God. Oh, God,

this verse here in the Bible. Surely that's not for

me in my circumstance. No, that's got to be for

somebody a long time ago and a long way away. Surely, God,

you're not talking to me, are you? In order to

delay obedience? Now, when we delay obedience, it means we're

questioning God.

Do you really know what's best? God? I mean, I

know you said this in the Bible, but do you

really know what's best? And do you really have what's

best for me? And mind? Surely you didn't mean me

when you said that.

You know what, I've discovered that many adults use counseling

to delay obedience. They know the right thing to do,

but they don't want to do it, so they just

keep going to counsel and going on to counsel, thinking, well,

if I just keep talking about it, then I don't

have to do what I know is the right thing

to do, to confess, to repent, to forgive, to be forgiven,

and on and on. I mean, you talk to somebody

say how long are you be accountsing? Ninety nine years? Well,

I could have saved you ninety eight of them if

you'd just done the right thing the first year, and

you're using that to delay what you know is the

right thing to do. Question, What if God responded to

your needs at the same speed at which you obey him. Ooh, see,

when we get in trouble, we want God's help immediately.

God, I need your help now, and I need it fast.

How about if that's it, Well, I'll think about it.

I'll get around to it one of these days. But

right now I'm a little busy, and I intend to

help you. But it'll it'll be, it'll be a while.

If you want the blessings of God, all the ones

I just read on the front of this outline, you

want those in your life, you must obey God immediately.

When he tells you something to do, you follow the instructions.

Would you write this down? Delayed obedience is disobedience. Delayed

obedience is disobedience. Now, if you want all of the

blessings of God in your life, number two, you must

also obey him completely, not just instantly or immediately, but completely.

You don't say, well, I'll shake this one but not

that one. And I like this command, but I don't

like that one, And I'm going to follow this one,

but I'm not gonna follow that one. You need to

not be partially obedient, but totally obedient. Pal one nineteen says, Lord,

you gave your orders to be obeyed completely. Now in

order to do this, to obey God completely, you need

to understand two very important truths. Number one is that

God's standard of right and wrong has never changed. It

never has, it never will. If if something was wrong

six thousand years ago, it's still today. If it was

right ten thousand years ago, it's still right today. If

lying was wrong in the Ten Commandments, it's still wrong today.

Because truth doesn't change. Culture change, popular opinion changes. Lots

of things change, but truth does not change. It is

eternal forever, and what's right is right and what is

wrong is wrong, regardless of what the popular opinion polls say.

The second thing you need to understand is that God

has a bigger perspective than you. He sees things you

can't see, and you trying to see from God's perspective

would be like an aunt trying to see from your perspective.

It ain't gonna happen.

You're not capable of seeing it all like God sees

it all, So you need to trust him. Look at

this next verse. Your job is not to decide whether

God's law is right or wrong, but to obey it.

Let me just figure it out. So God, I'm going

to obey it.

If you know what the oldest temptation is, it's not

lest it's not lying, it's not gluttony. The oldest temptation

is the temptation to doubt God's word. When Satan came

to Eve in the Garden of Eden, his first temptation was,

did God really say you should need of this tree?

I know, you know you can eat of everything else

in the Guardian, but you're not to eat of this stree?

Did God really say that? And every time you're tempted,

he's still using that same line on you in your conscience. Yeah,

I know the Bible says, don't do this, but did

God really say is it really for me?

And?

Yeah, I know the Bible says I'm supposed to do this,

but really does that apply in the twenty first century?

Did God really it's to doubt God's word?

This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Now, if you've missed

any part of this message, or if you just like

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Visit Pastor Rick dot com where you can listen online anytime.

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to close out our time today. But first, the Bible

says children are a gift from the Lord. Do you

have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or kids in the neighborhood

that need to know God loves them and has a

good plan for their lives. Well, you can help get

them closer to God by encouraging them to read God's Word.

That's why we're so excited to tell you about God's

big plans for me. Storybook Bible. It's a very special

resource you'll want to give every kid that God has

placed in your life. Here's Rick to tell you more.

In Matthew nineteen fourteen, Jesus said, let the little children

come to me, and do not hinder them, for the

Kingdom of God belong to such as these. How do

we bring children to Jesus, Well, the best way is

to read the Bible with them. You know, when my

kids were growing up, I could always see their excitement

about Jesus grow every time we read stories from the

Bible together. Now I see that same excitement when I

read the Bible with my grandchildren. I love teaching them

at such an early age that God created them for

a purpose, that they are not an accident, that they

matter to God, and that He has a special plan

for their lives. So I'm excited to tell you that

I've teamed up with a very gifted children's illustrator to

prepare a new Bible for children. It's called God's Big

Plans for Me Storybook Bible. Your kids will learn from

God's word in ways that are easy to understand, and

long after they learned to read on their own, this

storybook Bible is going to keep on encouraging them to

trust in God's promises. The God's Big Plans for Me

Storybook Bible contains four well loved Bible stories that will

help your kids learn how to apply God's word to

their lives. Each story is beautifully illustrated, it's incredible, and

includes an introduction from me that it encourages them to

discover God's great purpose for them. It's fun, it's effective,

it's entertaining, it's challenging, it's captivating. It's a great way

to introduce children to God's eternal truths. Now, I'll send

you this Bible for Children, God's Big Plans for Me

Storybook Bible, just as a way of saying thanks. When

you give a gift to Daily Hope today, we depend

on your gifts. I want you to have this as

my thank you gift to you. I hope you'll get

a copy for all the children in your life, your kids,

your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, even children you know in your neighborhood.

They'll all love this. We've had nothing but one hundred

percent great feedback from people who have seen the God's

Big Plans for Me Storybook b Just.

Call eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four or

go to Pastorick dot com to get your very own

copy of God's Big Plans for Me Storybook Bible. And

if you choose to become a partner in Hope with

automated monthly Giving, we'll also send you a very special

welcome gift to show our appreciation. That's Pastorick dot com.

Or you can just call eight hundred six hundred five

thousand and four and thanks so much for your support.

Oh and please don't forget to let us know which

radio station you heard us on. Be sure to join

us next time as we look into God's Word for

our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's

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