Obedience Matters

Okay, guys, James chapter 2 verse 21 to 25.

James 2:21–25

James chapter 2 verse 21 to 25.

James 2:21–25

James chapter 2 verse 21 to 25.

James 2:21–25

Couple of quick announcements.

One, this Tuesday, Encounter will be the hub that meets on Tuesday.

Sorry.

Oh, sorry.

My bad.

This Tuesday is Encounter at 3702 in Vancouver.

So you'll be sent an invite and please turn up for Encounter on Tuesday.

And that was one announcement.

Two, ah, the rest, it's okay.

James chapter 2 verse 21 to 25.

James 2:21–25

Let's start at verse 20.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without works is useless?

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac

on the altar?

You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete

by what he did.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says Abraham believed God and it was credited to

him as righteousness and he was called God's friend.

You see, a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when

she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

One more time.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless or faith without

works is useless?

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac

on the altar?

You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete

by what he did.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says Abraham believed God and it was credited to

him as righteousness and he was called God's friend.

You see, a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when

she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

So guys, we're going to talk about obedience matters.

That's the title for today, obedience matters.

And so the first statement we want to start with is faith apart from works.

Faith apart from works is useless.

Faith apart from works is useless.

Faith apart from works is useless.

Works have to be active alongside faith.

Works have to be active alongside faith.

I know you know this.

Let's see where obedience plays a part.

So the thing is, works are basically obedient actions.

Works are obedient actions.

Works are obedient actions.

That's what works really are.

So God tells us something or God asks us to step out to do something or God gives us a

dream or God gives us a promise or God just speaks into your heart or God gives you the

word from the scriptures and he says, this is what the word says.

And so we begin to trust it, we begin to believe it.

But obedient action is what completes faith.

Obedient action is what shows that you actually believe.

So one of the ways we avoid obedient action is by delaying it or by questioning it multiple

times or by waiting for multiple confirmations or waiting for the right time.

And the right time is usually decided by all the conditions coming together.

That's what happens.

And so obedience matters and faith without obedient action is not faith that is complete,

it's incomplete faith.

Only works or obedient action can show faith.

That's why Paul, sorry, that's why James goes to the extent of starting verse 20 saying,

You foolish man.

As in really?

Duh, are you that dumb?

That's what he's saying.

Did you really think that by not being obedient in your action, you really have faith?

You don't.

That's what he's saying.

James was a straight shooter, right?

That entire book is so in your face.

So the absence of works is the absence of faith or dead faith.

The absence of works, the absence of works and how do we define works?

Go back to this.

The absence of obedient action is basically dead faith.

And I hope this challenges us because many of us think we are walking in faith.

Many of us have walked in faith and have new challenges ahead of us.

We are hesitant, we are delaying.

One of the things about the word obedience, and I've said this many times, obedience is

walking under.

Disobedience is walking around.

The sense of the word in Hebrew is when you're obedient, you're walking under the word.

When you're disobedient, you're walking around the word.

You're not walking under it.

There are ways you can circumvent it or navigate your way around it but not under it.

And therefore, the absence of obedient action is basically dead faith.

Or in other words, just trying to say it in many different ways, whichever way fits, use

it.

And dead faith produces obedience to what God has said and is complete in doing what

God has said.

Any questions before we go on?

Living faith produces obedience to what God has said and is complete in doing what God

has said.

It is also possible to be obedient and yet not do.

Jesus spoke of a parable of two sons and the father asks one of the sons to go and

do something and the son says yes and he doesn't do it and then the other son says no and he

does it.

Well, what if the son who said yes and doesn't do it, is his faith complete?

No, because living faith produces obedience to what God has said but is complete only

in doing what God has said.

That is what fulfills the action.

So what are the things you and I are delaying on?

What are the things that we are waiting for the right conditions?

What are the things we need another three confirmations for?

What are the things where action is held back because you are scared?

And these are real things.

Being afraid is real.

So we can't just dismiss it.

Faith that just walks over fear will only live a day because the fear will come up again.

Faith that walks over fear, as in I'm not afraid, I'm just going to trample over fear.

That's great in a song.

But in reality, I have to deal with the fear.

My fear is the result of not trusting the Father enough in a certain area and that's

where the healing happens.

It's not in trampling over it that it's gone.

And sometimes it may need me to do it again and again but eventually the fear disappears.

So these are valid reasons.

I mean, we don't want to diss what's happening in our lives but we want to diss what's happening

in our lives.

Any questions?

Okay.

Look at Genesis 22.1 because we read about Abraham and James chapter 2.

James 2 · chapter mention

Now go to Genesis 22.1.

And it says in Genesis 22.1 that sometime later God tested Abraham.

Why did God test Abraham?

What is the reason he tested Abraham?

God tests Abraham in Genesis 22.1.

Why does God test his faith?

Why does God test Abraham's faith?

What is God looking for?

What was God looking for?

Okay, when God tested Abraham, what he was looking for was obedience.

It's one thing to count the stars.

It's another to obey the command to offer his son Isaac.

He was looking for obedience or he was looking for works.

He was looking for obedient action or he was looking for works that would prove Abraham's

faith.

That would prove Abraham's faith.

Faith.

It would prove whether it was empty talk or real.

So know that whenever God gives you a promise, there is the great likelihood of him seeing

you believe the promise, seeing you sing about the promise, seeing you affirm the promise,

seeing you pray the promise.

And after all that, after he's given you signs and wonders and symbols and you have things

in your house that remind you of the promise, you write it with lipstick on your mirror

if you're...

And then after all that, God will come and say, okay, now that we've got this done, let

me test your faith because now I want to see if what you believe is what you will do in

action.

And so God tested Abraham.

He had called Abraham out, shown him the sand on the sea shore, had shown him the stars

in the sky, and he says to him, this is what is going to happen through you, not through

Eliezer but through you.

I will give you a son who would be called the son of promise and through you nations

will be blessed.

But now comes the test.

Now he wants to see if he really believes and what a test.

He's already delayed 25 years.

The guy is 99.

You would think that was enough to prove that Abraham was faithful.

But what has been tested is not whether Abraham can have a son or not.

What is being tested is, I said to you that you will have a son of promise and through

Isaac, I will begin to establish the nation that will produce the seed of the woman that

will crush the serpent's head.

Now let me see if you believe it.

How does he test him?

By saying offer your son Isaac.

There's a reason Abraham is called the father of faith.

There's a reason Abraham is called the friend of God.

This man had the ability to put into action, obedient action.

This is what we are aspiring for.

Abraham did not have the Holy Spirit living in him.

How does a man do that, man?

How do you take a child this age, grow this child to 16 or 17 and then lay this child

on an altar because you know that God will be faithful?

This is your own flesh and blood.

This is no longer Ishmael.

This is not Lot.

Obedient action.

This is the demand that is being placed on us, guys.

And rightfully so.

Then because he shows his faith in obedient action, he is called a friend of God.

He is called a friend of God.

What a title, eh?

It's perhaps the one title we should fight each other for.

Friend of God.

Any questions?

Stagnant works is evidence of stagnant faith.

Stagnant works is evidence of stagnant faith.

And by stagnant, it means it's stopped moving.

It's still.

The waters have been still for a while.

Way maker, promise keeper, light in the darkness.

That is who you are.

And he'll say, great, I'm so glad you say that of me.

But show me your works.

Any questions?

Stagnant works is when works, obedient action is stagnant.

It ain't moving.

It's stopped.

It's not moving anymore.

Or there was a great event in my life in the past which I keep rehashing.

And there's no new evidence of faith works.

Because what should happen is life in God, life in God must lead us, must lead you,

must lead me into impossible circumstances, into impossible circumstances.

Because it's only in impossible circumstances that faith, uncompromising dependence

and obedience will be demanded.

Life in God must lead you into impossible situations.

Why?

Because it's a God who wants to go around the earth, changing the impossible into possible.

He does impossible things.

Hebrews 11 is a chapter of impossibility.

This whole Bible is impossible.

Life in God must lead me into impossible circumstances.

And by impossible circumstances, God is not meaning a job or some money or a house or

a healing only.

Those things are important to him because what matters to you matters to him.

It's important to him.

But that's not what he means when he says impossible circumstances.

And the reason impossible circumstances are important is because it's impossible circumstances

that then place a demand on my faith, place a demand on uncompromising dependence and

places a demand on obedience.

And in obedience, in obedience to action, my faith will be complete.

I was writing this and thinking of something that I've been delaying for the last, at least

the last 10 to 12 days.

I'm thinking to myself, how are you going to navigate through this and not do what God

has told you to do?

I'd have a mind to do it while worship was happening.

Then I thought, no, let's just wait till this afternoon and then I'll go home and complete

what God has said.

I believe it.

I trust him.

I've written it down.

I carry it on my phone.

I go over it.

I went over it this morning, but I'm not doing it because I need another confirmation.

I'm scared of doing it.

Delay helps.

Let's go with the Hebrews 11 way for impossible circumstances.

If God tells you, May, to leave Richmond and move to Mongolia, and he said it very clearly

and you know it in your heart, what are you going to do?

You now have to go and live in a nation that you don't want to go to.

You don't want to leave your friends, and he's asking you to.

And then kicks in faith, uncompromising dependence and obedience.

Let's say that's a going thing.

Let's change that.

Let's say God wants you to break into a certain institution or organization or job front that

you are not qualified for, that you cannot get into without connections.

But he's saying, this is what I've appointed you to.

I want you to end up in City Hall and I want you to stand for elections.

What are you going to do?

Let's say it is to go to a place in Prince George and there's a family there that does not have food

and God expects you to go there and give them a fish and expects a fish to multiply every month.

These are impossible biblical situations.

As I'm saying these, these sound so unreal because they are not part and parcel of our lives.

This is not a demand we place on ourselves.

We'll touch on Elijah now.

Let's say there's a dead boy in an upstairs room and you get a dream saying you're supposed to go to that dead boy

and you're supposed to directly lay down on that boy, mouth to mouth, hand to hand, face to face,

three times and revive him back to life.

Impossible circumstances.

We would not even go here because they're supposed to stay in the Bible.

And yet, as the water proceeds from the throne and goes further,

it's supposed to increase in its depth, not decrease in its depth.

If Acts chapter 2 was knee deep, we must be waist deep now.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

These are the impossible biblical circumstances.

We focus on job and little things for our own lives and please don't think God despises that.

He loves it.

He thrills to take care of his kids.

Just like any father does.

But there's something so far beyond your own personal needs being met.

I'm not even talking about healing or anything.

I'm just talking about other impossible circumstances.

The same God who was present here during worship and who you thoroughly enjoyed is the same God who does this.

It is absolutely possible.

That song, Is He Worthy?

Is creation groaning?

Is the darkness growing?

Well then, the conditions are just right for Yahweh.

Can you step back because Satan works for something?

How do you tell the difference between something that is Satan because of what you're doing and not doing

and something that seems to be Satan because of God pulling back for some reason?

So how you find that out is, have you done everything that you have been told to?

That's the easiest way.

Have I finished everything that I have been told to?

That's the easiest way.

Have I finished everything He has told me to?

And after I have finished it, have I gone back and said,

Master, is there anything else?

That's what servants do.

They're given a task, they finish it to the T,

and then they go and ask the Master,

Master, is there anything else that we can do?

And if He says no, then they go and wait till the next morning for the next set of commands.

So it's not enough to finish what we're doing.

It's to finish what we're doing and say,

I have finished my task.

Is there anything else that you want me to do?

That's how you keep stepping into the next of God.

What happens when we engage in obedient action or works?

Obedient action or works when we engage in it?

It activates the omnipotence of God,

omnipotence of God,

into your

importance

and into your

impossible circumstances.

It does both.

Obedient action activates the omnipotence of God

into your impotency

and into your impossible circumstances.

That's what activates it.

The Son of Promise is activated when He's offered on the altar.

And it's a playing out on Mount Moriah

of what will happen to the Son of Promise called Christ

who will be laid on an altar

and is as good as dead

because the dagger is raised above

and then He comes back to life.

And Abraham didn't lay his son there

thinking, I'm going to sacrifice my son.

Abraham laid his son there thinking,

even if I kill him, I will get him back.

But it still is an act of faith

because the Father has to believe

that after He's been sacrificed

because the Father has to believe

that after slaughtering His Son,

His Son will come back to life.

This obedience is not outcome based.

There's outcome oriented obedience

which is, I will obey you and I will show faith

because I need this outcome

and when this outcome happens,

I will trust you and believe you

and praise you.

And then there is

obedience that has nothing to do with outcome.

It is coming under the word.

And saying, I will obey

because it is my pleasure to obey.

Upcome oriented obedience

is highly immature

and if that is who I am as a Christian,

then I'm a highly mature Christian.

I'm like any other religion

that appeases its gods to get its outcome.

I dislike it

when I go to God and say,

but I did this and how come you haven't?

Or when people come to me and say,

I did this but God didn't show up.

Really, why did you do it?

You did it because you wanted to obey Him.

Well then you obeyed Him.

Well done.

When I go and tell Him stuff like that,

but I stood up for you,

I did this, nothing happened.

Thank God it doesn't go.

Let's go to 1 Kings 17.

1 Kings 17.

1 Kings 17.

It says there that there was a brook

that Elijah was supposed to sit next to

and he would drink water from the brook,

the brook chariot,

and then ravens would come

and they would feed him bread and meat

in the morning and the evening.

Lunch is overrated.

So if there's any meal you want to skip,

skip lunch.

So these ravens would come in the morning

and ravens would come in the evening

and they would supply him bread and meat

and he had enough water to drink from the brook

when there was famine in the land.

And so he goes to the chariot

but the very place that God tells him to go to

and he obeys and goes to,

dries up.

It's fascinating that his reaction is very different.

When God tells us something,

and this is why I want to go down this route

of obedience matters,

when God tells us something

and the something that we are doing begins to dry up,

what is your reaction usually?

What happens inside you?

He told me this, I did it, nothing happened.

Worse, he told me this, I did it

and it's turning against me now.

What's your reaction?

This man goes, sits by a brook

and the very place that he went to

because God told him to go,

now begins to dry up.

God directed supply, seizes.

God directed supply, seizes.

God told him, in 17 verse 4, he says

I will direct,

ravens, I will direct the supply of water,

I will do it

and you go there and it dries up.

I don't know if it's happened to you

but I will direct the supply of water

and you go there and it dries up.

What has happened to you?

What has happened to me man?

Where I have done something God wants to do

and what he says,

things begin to happen exactly opposite.

What do you do then?

And so then he's sent to the next place.

Where is he sent to?

He's sent to Zarifat.

It's the wrong place to go.

It's Gentile, it's pagan.

And to whom?

To a woman who's a widow, low status.

He's the prophet of Israel.

Even the command to go to that place is so wrong

that he should begin to question it.

But he goes to Zarifat.

Jesus later in Luke chapter 4 talks about it

Luke 4 · chapter mention

and says weren't there widows in Israel

that Elijah could have been sent to?

Yet he was sent to someone

in a Gentile land called Sidon

to a woman in Zarifat.

Weren't there enough women in Israel

who were going through the famine

to whom Elijah needed to be sent?

This is when obedience matters.

It is not yours to question.

What gives you the right to?

What gives me the right to question?

Who do you think you are?

When I'm told something,

I must step to it.

But Jacob what if you're not sure God

is saying it?

Then go and check.

But this desire to be certain

is wrong.

It requires no trust

if certainty is the objective.

If certainty is the objective

it requires no trust.

How do you overcome

the obstacle of certainty?

By looking at Him

who is your Father

and beginning to embrace

His nature and His safety

and His love for you.

He's not a contractual lawyer

who's going to let you down

or pick you up depending on how you do.

He's one who surrounds you

with loving kindness.

Loyal loving kindness

who knows how to pick up the pieces

and put the whole thing back together again.

It's the only way to overcome

uncertainty because

certainty will not be given you

because Jesus is interested

in making you like Him.

And so he goes to Zarephath

and he goes to this woman.

I remember

having

the Lord saying,

I need you to go to the UK

and I'm thinking to myself

I'm going there anyways

two weeks from now

so I'll go.

He says, no I need you to go to the UK now

and I'm thinking to myself

but that's just not reasonable.

But instead of saying

that's not reasonable

I say, so when?

This is third of

I don't remember which month

and the Lord says

I want you to go on the sixth.

I'm thinking that is too close

and so I'm sitting at

this samosa shop in Surrey

and a car pulls up

outside where I'm sitting

like I'm sitting right near the window

and a car pulls up

a Mustang pulls up

and it's got a strange number plate

it says UK06

who has number plates like that?

I have a photograph of that UK06

now I'm thinking to myself

what choice do I have?

So my next question is

Father, why should I go?

There's absolutely no reply

it's like I told you to go

I don't need to give you an explanation

so I jump on a plane

and go to UK

but I don't know what to do

and as I'm landing

the Lord is saying

call your brother-in-law

ask him to come to London

walk the streets of London

he knows I don't like walking

and so now

land in UK

and I'm walking up and down

the streets of London

at a place called

Grovena Square

because that's what he told me to do

so I'm walking up and down

I've never been on a trip like that

but the strange thing is

that kind of obedience

breaks you for things

that you will now experience in the future

I'm walking up and down the streets

and I get a call

I get a call from a man

who calls me and says

I got your number

from someone in Indonesia

next time you're in London

could you please give me a call?

and so

I say I'm in London

he says where?

I say here

and he's at Selfridges

which is not too far away

and he says can I meet you?

I said yes

and he says I've been fasting

for three days

and asking the Lord for answers

and so I meet him

and he's like a Will Smith

from Ghana

he's done movies

and he's in politics

and all this stuff

and he comes and meets me

and we sit together

and I said don't tell me anything

and I begin to prophesy on him

and everything he's asking God

is answered

the next day

I don't know what to do

and so

I wake up

and I ask God

if there's anything to do

and the Lord says

nothing

so I go back to sleep

and then

when I wake up from sleep

the Lord says

I want you to go

to the place where

the Welsh revival was

and I

skipped all those classes at Regent

so I had to

Wikipedia it

and I found that it's

a place called

a church called Moriah

so we drive to Moriah

and the Lord says

just write a letter for a guy

who's going to come to this church

and leave it at the bust

of the guy who started

the Welsh revival

and he'll come and pick it up

that's all we did

third day nothing to do

except

before I left on the flight

the Lord said

there's a girl called Chiara

I want you to go

write something down for Chiara

when you meet Chiara

give her the letter

I'm thinking

how do you go around

London asking

if girls with their names

are Chiara

so that isn't working out

the third day did nothing

just enjoyed myself

the fourth day

it was time to fly home

I had to be here

in church for the service

we used to start in the afternoon

so I'm driving

to

the Heathrow

and

Paul's

sister's husband

runs a church

in Wimbledon

so I thought

let me go stop there

because he asked me

if I could come and preach

so I went there

and

I'm about to preach

and the Lord reminds me

of Chiara

and so

I go and ask Paul

I said is there a Chiara here

and guess who the worship leader is

I go and ask Paul's

brother-in-law

is there a Chiara here

and guess who the worship leader is

a girl called Chiara

not this Chiara

not the Chiara

and so I give her the words

that

God said

and she's like

weeping buckets

because

these are things

she's been asking for

jumped on a plane

and so she came back here

attended church

now here's a question

I want to ask

at the end of this whole story

aren't there enough people

in the UK to do this

does it make any sense

to fly all the way

with the UK

for three days

not knowing what you're supposed to do

spend the kind of money

you're spending

go there

and come back

aren't there 60 million people

in the UK

and out of the 60 million

can we assume

that there are at least

2 million decent Christians

why can't God get one of them

it does not make sense

but obedience

does not necessarily make sense

it takes you into places

because this is how God works

it's his pleasure

I mean never get to experiences

if you don't dare it

reason and speculative thinking

kicks in

so he goes to Zarifat

and he meets this woman

look what he does

the first thing he does is

he knows his orders from God

you said the brook has dried up

you said the bread

has stopped

because the ravens

won't bring it anymore

so what does he go and do

he starts off by

replacing the brook

he says can I get some water

because he meets his widow

he meets her there

just like I met this guy

from Ghana

who's calling me

saying if you're in London

next time

the timing of God

is perfect if you obey

the timing of God

is perfect if you obey

I don't know how much

this small delay

has cost me

in what I'm supposed to do

the timing of God is perfect

he finds her collecting sticks

and so he asks her

to bring him water

why?

because the chariot

has to be replaced

and then when she

brings him water

instead of stopping at that

and he knows she's poor

she's a widow

what does he ask next

bring me bread

why?

because the ravens

have to be replaced

you have to take God

at face value

and expect that

what he said he will do

he will do

and some of it requires

not waiting

but the audacity to ask

because it's going to

get more audacious

he asks for bread

and the woman supplies bread

but while she's still

supplying bread

here's what she's saying

I just want you to know

that I have very little

flour

that I'm collecting these

sticks so that I can

make bread

and then my son and I

are going to die

because the flour is over

and look at his reaction

his reaction is

yes, but bring me

the bread first

that's the kind

we wouldn't dare

more than that

we wouldn't dare

most of us wouldn't dare

do that

he asks for him

to be fed first

guys always remember

God is proven

God is proven

when, only when

obedience is tested

only when obedience

is tested

God is proven

only when obedience

is tested

otherwise faith

can just stay where it is

God is proven

when obedience

is tested

he asks for

himself to be

fed first

not the woman

not the son

the demand is outrageous

the demand is

self-centered

or at least

that's how it sounds

and yet

the demand has

nothing to do with

Elijah

I was in LA

the last two days

and

there's this guy

Jordan

that I

met before

and

I don't know him

well enough

but I'm sitting with him

and he'll be here

next week

and I told him

I want one year

of your life

give me one

year of your life

where

I'll ask you for

anything

and you'll have to do

if I tell you to go

somewhere

you'll go

if I tell you to stay

somewhere

you'll stay

and you'll come back

to me tomorrow

and you can let me know

this was Friday night

and I said

let me know by Saturday

I met him only

one and a half times

before for about

20 minutes

and his response was

do I have to wait

for tomorrow

can I say yes now

and look at the

demand I'm making

I do not know him

he does not have a relationship

trust has not been built

but I'm saying

give me one

year of your life

it sounds

egotistic

it sounds

unreasonable

it sounds outrageous

and it sounds all that

and appears all that

but I'm telling you

it is only for his benefit

sometimes

that kind of audacity

is required

to get someone

to where they

need to be

but the question is

when you do that

what do you expect

the reaction to be

will it be good

or will it be bad

will it be trust

can the person trust you

or can the person not

someone asked me

George and Anne

were asking me

the question

two weeks ago

do we listen to people

when we do not know them

if they give us

a word that is directional

a prophetic word

that is directional

what do we do

do we listen or don't

we listen

it's a tough call

there was one girl

that I met

and the Lord is saying

tell her to go

and spend some time

in Mozambique

with Heidi Baker Ministries

there's another couple

that want to

do a tourism

business

to Israel

and the Lord is saying

go to South America

because you will work

among the Incas

and the Mayans

and the civilizations

that came out from them

and you will do really well

what do you do now

when you give a word

like that

and they do not know you

what should be their reaction

and I would say

that if you don't

have a relationship

it is okay

not to jump and do it

God will understand

because trust has to be

developed

but then you meet

some guys like Jordan

who do not know you

but will jump to it

and he says

you do this

and you will eat

for the rest of this family

so let me not beat around the bush

sometimes when I ask you

for stuff

since you have a family

you will ask them

to give you bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

and bread

since you have

a relationship with me

even if it is outrageous

even if it sounds

completely self-centered

and Jacob

looks like an egotist

who wants to control you

I stand here

and I tell you

without a shadow of a doubt

that the only interest

I have is you

and I suggest

that you give it a shot

because the time will come

and you will have

to ask that of others

and if you haven't done it here

you will not be able

to ask it of others

trust me I know

how it is to be demanded

of things that are outrageous

and I have done it

you can ask Eddie

you can ask Chad

you can ask others

they demand it of me

and I would do it

without thinking

because I knew these

men and women

had everything that God

wanted for me at their heart

because if I have

to jump off a steeple

now to prove

that for you

then I ain't jumping

off a steeple for you

nor should you be

jumping off

a steeple for people

in the future

I'm sorry

this is part of the teaching

I cannot avoid it

to avoid it

is to skirt away

from what might sound

egotistical

and controlling

but I'll be doing

you a disfavor

this is going to be

a slightly hard message

she obeys

she has no relationship

the demand is outrageous

it is self centered

or sound self centered

can be perceived that way

but she obeys

though she has no relationship

she doesn't have

any reason to follow him

she doesn't even believe

in his God

and she obeys

she did what was asked

and as soon as she does

what is asked

in 1715

you see that the

word of the Lord

came to pass

and guess what

Elijah stayed with them

he didn't do this miracle

and get up and leave

the guy stayed with them

and ate and drank with them

for the next

many many many many many

many months

it wasn't a one off thing

the guy actually

ate and drank with them

because

the flower would not run out

true

they ate bread

but

they ate

actions like this

guys sets the stage

for others

actions like this

set the stage for others

if you don't go down this route

others will not follow

guess who follows him

Elijah

guess who follows him later

Peter

guess who follows him later

I'll give you examples

so now

something else happens

this gets even more complicated

the sun has lived

the sun was going to die

and the sun was going to die

the sun was going to die

now the sun lives

but shortly after he lives

the sun dies

the sun dies

and the woman is really upset

there's this turmoil of emotions

did you come here to expose my sin

why have you come here to bring

a misfortune on me

shift to 2 Kings 4

and it's the same thing happening

and it's the same thing happening again

in 2 Kings 4

Elisha is now in place

and there's a woman

who has a son

she didn't have

and because Elisha is favored by the woman

she says what do you want

and she says

I don't have a son

Gehazi tells Elisha

she doesn't have a son

and so a son is born

and one day

the son has a headache

and the son dies

in both cases

the women are reacting

the mothers are reacting

both mothers are saying the same thing

you said

that you would give us a son

did I come asking for a son

but now that you've given a son

why did you take him away

why are you doing this to me

with Elijah the woman says

why have you come to spot out my sin

couldn't you have left me alone

this is when

a word is given

these are the ultimate prophets

in the Old Testament

a word is given

and the word does not happen

the way it is supposed to happen

now everything goes into turmoil

Elijah and Elisha

because they are Old Testament people

themselves begin to blame God

saying why have you done this

to the ones that you sent me to

because they thought

everything good and everything evil

comes from Yahweh

so they are blaming God too

what is it that happens to you

when a promise that is given to you

suddenly turns sour and dies

what do you do then

this reaction

where is God

how could you

you are no prophet

wrong understanding

guilt

sin

blame

shame

betrayal

both the woman and Elijah react

you see the same thing

happening with Elisha

how do you handle it man

some of you have been waiting

for a while for something

and you just think it was going to happen

and it took a nose dive

what do you do then

God says

on such and such a day

I will bless you

and that is the very day

that you find the worst things

happening in your life

what do you do then

he promised you

that you would do this

this and this

and your whole life is in tatters

because of things

that have happened in between

what do you do

we got to rise up above this

and we will talk about

how to rise up above this

so that is not how we react

we definitely don't react

like these women

both mothers have promised

their sons lives

and both die

and now both are bitter

so many of us turn on God

or turn on the messenger

or turn on the promise

because what has promised

is delayed

so many of us turn on God

turn on the messenger

I have experienced this

where you give a word

and it doesn't

happen in time

or it doesn't happen

the way you want it

and you turn on the messenger

this story

is a narrative

of how things should

actually be worked out

turn on God

turn on the messenger

or you turn on the promise

and anytime you turn

on any of these things

it's like a turtle

that withdraws its neck

and everything becomes

stagnant again

you know

I have a story

you know

nowadays I get excited

when the brook dries up

and the ravens stop coming

in my mind it is

oh shucks

the source that God

is using has dried up

what is he up to next

so that's the first thing

you need to know

that when it comes to

things drying up

the first thing is

anticipation

so

what's happening Abba

can I look

up your sleeve

can I look up your sleeve

that doesn't sound

very biblical

can I scan the horizon

Abba Cook

he says in chapter 2

I have a complaint

and I'm going to

climb up the watch tower

I'm going to stand there

and talk to God

and look for what

he will say

to my complaint

that's what he says

I'm going to stand here

and wait to see

what he'll say to my complaint

and then God says

this word is for

an appointed time

it will not tarry

scan the horizon

scan the horizon

when the very things

he's promised

are beginning to turn

instead of turning on God

turning on the messenger

turning on the promise

scan the horizon

there must be

an anticipation

and then Elijah

and Elisha pray

Elijah and Elisha pray

both of them stretched out

three times on the boy

no, Elisha seems to

have only done it twice

but guess what Elisha does

he sends his staff

which is a symbol

of his authority

and his power

and it sends it ahead

of him

and he sends it

and it sends it ahead

of him with Gehazi

and Gehazi goes

puts it on the boy's face

nothing happens

and then Elisha comes

and lays himself

on the boy twice

Eureka

and then

someone was sleeping

I just woke them up

and so

and so

sorry

I just enjoy that

Elijah and Elisha pray

Elijah stretches out

on the boy three times

what an odd thing to do

what an odd thing to do guys

I mean it would be so

so repulsive today

to think of what is being done

there's a boy lying dead

and here is a grown up man

lying down on top of him

hand to hand

mouth to mouth

face to face

not once

not twice

three times

sometimes the things

that are asked of you

are so absurd

that it is best to tell

people to leave the room

because otherwise

word will spread

that you're loco

and in both cases

Elijah goes into the upper room

and he does this quietly

Elisha must have heard

about it from Elijah

or Elisha must have been there

because Elisha tries

the same thing

Peter takes a page out of

both Elijah and Elisha

and Jesus

when he sends everybody out

in Acts chapter 9

Acts 9 · chapter mention

because he's got to take care

of Dorcas

who is again placed

washed

in an upper room

dead

Paul does something

very similar

when he finds

that Eutychus has fallen

off the throne

Eutychus has fallen off

the balcony

and he's lying dead

and the Bible says

in NIV

that Paul went

and threw himself on the boy

he threw himself on the boy

other versions

to make it more palatable say

he embraced the boy

no he threw himself on the boy

some of the things

asked of us in obedience

are really

meant

to make it so absurd

that the only one

who can pull it off

is God

I read one commentary

I'm thinking

I want to delete

that commentary

from my phone

it says

the boy was actually

not dead

and Elijah was trying

to warm him up

so he could have

his life back

and I'm thinking

really?

and if you were

thinking that

what I'm thinking

is that

it's not a good thing

because

it's a very bad thing

and it's very

bad for the

people around them

so I'm thinking

there's another thing

guys

if you

lie down on a dead person

you render yourself

unclean

it's as unclean

as you can get

as a Jew

Jesus did it

with the son

of the widow of nine

but these two prophets

are rendering

the son of the widow

of nine

be quiet

repulsive

how far

would you go

with your

obedience?

there is something

to doing it three times

and in the bible

there are

many instances

where most of the

things done in the

old testament in particular

were repeated

three times

whether it be

the angels singing

holy, holy, holy

three and seven

were a common repetition

in the bible

you were supposed

to sprinkle blood

upon things

to cleanse it seven times

and so

Elisha says to Nehman

that I want you to dip

in the river

seven times

it is because you would

you would sprinkle blood

upon this bird

that was going to be sacrificed

and you would literally

dip it seven times

and so many of the

threes and sevens

are not repeated attempts

to make something happen

but they were deliberate

attempts because

it was supposed to be

numbers that were

connected with God

so it wasn't

let me try this

till it works

it was more along the lines

of this is what is

asked of me

yeah

there are many threes and sevens

especially in the

old testament

the strange thing is

much later

in 2 Kings 8

this happens in 2 Kings 4

in 2 Kings 8

Gehazi

who is now leprous

because he's got

Nehman's disease

is sitting in front of a king

and his woman has been

away for seven years

because Elisha says to

this woman

I need you to go

out of this land

and live

somewhere else

and come back to Israel

and she comes back after

seven years but when she

comes back

her land has been taken

the land that she

used to live in

has been taken

and Gehazi

covered with leprosy

is sitting in front of

the king

and he's telling the

king about this story

of this woman who was

fed miraculously

by Elisha

and whose son was raised

and while they're saying

guess what happens

this woman walks into

the king's presence

saying I have come here

to demand my land

and he's saying

but this is the woman

I'm talking about

and there's no question

of checking whether

she's true or not

the king says immediately

take your land back

the timing of God

when it comes to

obedience is so amazing

that that alone

is worth pursuing

obedience and timing

goes so hand in hand

that's why delay

doesn't mean that

you don't get

what you want

but timing is critical

and sometimes it's worth

waiting for knowing

the right time

then jumping ahead

here's another question

I had for you

when Elisha sent the staff

and it was laid on

the boy's face

why didn't the boy revive

Moses used his staff

things would begin to happen

why is it that the greatest

the guy who got

the double of what Elijah had

sent his staff ahead

and he says to Gehazi

go lay the staff on the boy's face

and the boy will revive

and he goes lays the staff

and nothing happens

we may not have

an explanation for it

but what do you do

when God asks you

to do something

and nothing happens

what do you do

when God asks you

to do something

and nothing happens

guys this is super important

sometimes

sometimes

obedience

is a progression of steps

it is not

a one off

because we get stuck with this

but I obeyed

nothing happened

well then if you obeyed

and nothing happened

go back and say

father I obeyed

what's next

imagine Paul

in Acts chapter 16

Acts 16 · chapter mention

God says go

he goes

he comes to Phrygia

and the doors are shut

and he is not allowed

to go forth

what does he do now

he goes back

and he checks again

he goes to Mysia

it's shut there again

obedience is a progression

of steps

it's not a one off

we are the ones

who made obedience

a one off

and we get so resentful

when the thing that

God asks us to do

we do and nothing happens

if nothing happens

start again

go and ask God

father I did this

you told me to do this

I did this

your obedience is now

not outcome oriented

outcome oriented

obedience sucks

it is manipulative

it is

it is based on

something that you want to do

for yourself

not something that you want to do for God

the pleasure of obedience lies

in pleasing the one

that you so love

that's why Jesus said

if you love me

you will obey me

it's not a one off

it's unquestioning response

it's unquestioning

response

it's unquestioning easy response

to the assured

love

of the father

and that's why

of the father

it is not outcome based

and it's not reward based

but it is trust based

yeah

yeah

you shared a super cool story about

obedience and all of the cool stuff that happened

can you share a story of obedience

and nothing happened

yeah

yeah

I'll keep it really short

because I've said it before

I came

I came

when was

how long ago was 1989

1993 was how long ago

29 years

29 years ago

almost to the day

it was around this time

I'd come here for a holiday

I'm supposed to go back to Bahrain

because I was working in Bahrain

and to the day

29 years ago

I was just thinking of it

while I was driving

the Lord gives me dreams

three nights in a row

saying you're not to go back right now

I got a job there

I got parents there

I didn't even take my vacation pay

I had enough money

just for four weeks that I was here

and he gives me three dreams

saying do not go back

I don't go back

and I call my boss and tell him

I can't come

because the Lord is saying no

he eventually he canceled my visa

but now I got a problem

I can only go back to India

because I can't go back to Bahrain

and that's when my papers

that I had put in for immigration to Bahrain

to Canada came through

but now I'm supposed to go to the US Embassy

to get my interview sorted out

and the Lord said I'll bring you to this land

so go

I go once

nothing happens

I go twice

nothing happens

I go a third time

nothing happens

a fourth time

nothing happens

long story short

every time I went

they would not let me go across to Seattle

to get a six minute interview done

so I could come back

every time I would go back to God

and say what do you want me to do

go back

I'd go back

second time

go back

third time

go back

fourth time

I didn't want to go back

the fourth time I'm sitting there

not wanting to go back

and instead I go to the border

thinking those guys will allow me

because I have an interview

they said no

even a Bill Clinton says yes

we won't allow you

so I come back

now I'm done

a lawyer advises me to go back to India

or sneak in through Mexico

honest truth

but here's the thing

I had absolute word from God saying

I will bring you here

if you don't have that absolute word

then you're second guessing

but when you have an absolute word

then the fifth time I didn't want to go back

I'm sitting in my

sitting and the Lord says

go back in the way in which you came

and so we go back a fifth time

and the lady was quite upset with me by now

and said why are you back

and I said

I didn't plan to come back

lawyers told me not to come back

but I'm here because

this morning I was reading the word

and the word said come back

and so here I am

and then after a whole lot of time was over

she calls me up and she's weeping

and she's saying

I don't have the power to stop you

she's the vice consul of the US embassy

I do not have the power to stop you

your God has set me up

there's nothing I can do to prevent you

from going into the United States

and she's weeping as she stamps

what needs to be stamped and given

five times

you keep going back

why?

because obedience is not a step

obedience is a progression of steps

and when obedience is a progression of steps

the world begins to watch

because something is afoot

and they will see the glory of God

imagine what would have happened to Moses

if after the first time he goes

and asks Pharaoh to let his people go

nothing happens

what did Pharaoh do?

he made it worse

he said well then

let me show you how to make bricks without straw

he makes it harder

people begin to rebel against Moses

saying why did you even do this?

and yet

there's an entire world now

that knows the story of Exodus

that story is only triumphed

by Jesus rising from the dead

there's nothing else that can trump that story

this is why in Psalm 40 it says

many will see and many will fear

and put their trust in the Lord

I waited patiently for the Lord

he heard my cry

he lifted me up from the miry clay

he set my feet on the rock to stay

now many will see and many will fear

and put their trust in the Lord

when you have metal

M-E-T-T-L-E

to stand in progressive steps of obedience

the world begins to watch

because they see you standing there

and they know that either

you will shame your God

or your God will come in such blazing glory

that they will not be able to stay neutral

they will have to reject him

or they will have to accept him

I said this before

I said this before

when my Muslim neighbor came and said

and it was such agony in his voice

when he said

Joan and Ruth have met the guy

remember the Bashir that used to come for the

he came and said to me

Jacob tell me something

how does your God speak

because mine does not

that is the kind of thing we are talking about

when it's progressive steps of obedience

this is what we are called to guys

then you have the opposite

in King Saul

his was outcome oriented obedience

he is told not to offer a sacrifice

pressure grows

he offers a sacrifice

and then you have that sad verse

in 1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15:22

verse 22 or thereabouts

to obey is better than

sacrifice

and submission

and submission

and submission

and submission

is better

than the fat of rams

last thing I want to say is in obedience

in God's commands

details are often withheld

in God's commands to you

details will often be withheld

in God's commands to you

details will often be withheld

details will often be withheld

please get used to it

in God's commands to you

details

will often be withheld

all you will get is

trust me

that's all you will get

trust me

concerns of

go where

how long for

with whom

what for

what about this

or that

these all will go

unanswered often

if you are in this church

you will be

if you are in this church expect this

if you are in this church expect this

if this is not your cup of tea start drinking

another way to rephrase Jehovah Jireh

God will provide is what we normally say Jehovah Jireh

but another way to look at it is

God will provide

an outcome

even though I don't see it

even though

I don't see the plan

that's what Jehovah Jireh looks like

because at the end of the day guys

obedience is my responsibility

obedience is my responsibility

the outcome is god's

so when he changes his direction

when he changes his direction

don't scramble to maintain direction

when he changes his direction

don't scramble to maintain direction

when he changes his vision

dont scramble to maintain vision

because you'll miss the story he's writing.

Because you'll miss the story he's writing. Just be aware of that. One of the

things God wants to do with this church is make it so highly flexible that we'll

have to change our name from Ax 29 to Acrobat 29 or something.

Yeah, highly flexible. Look at Job 37-22. Learn it. Let's read it from both the NIV

and the message. Job 27 and not 32. Job 27-12. I love this verse. I want to live

this verse. I don't want to be anything else but this verse for

his sake. Job 37-12. Let's read it from the NIV first, starting at verse 11.

Job 37, verse 11 onwards. 11-13. Let's read it from the NIV first. This is what

Job 37:11

God's desire is for us as a church, for each of us individually. He would love

this. His eyes scan the earth to and fro, looking for those that can be loyal on

his behalf so that he can be steadfast in his attitude towards us. Look at what

it says. Job 37, verse 11. He loads the clouds with moisture, meaning you're the

Job 37:11

cloud. He loads the clouds with moisture. He scatters his lightning through them.

At his direction, they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do

whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish people or to water

people, water his earth and show his love. Go to the message. It says it really

well in the message too. Job 37, verse 11-13. Yes, it's God who fills clouds

Job 37:11–13

with rainwater and he hurls lightning from them every which way. Listen to the

next verse. He puts them through their paces, first this way, then that, and

commands them to do what he says all over the world, whether for discipline or

grace or extravagant love. He makes sure they make their mark. Beautifully, this is

what this church must become. Where it'll be like at the drop of a hat. Put them

through paces. Send them here, send them that. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes

it doesn't. Sometimes it's Zarephath, sometimes it's Bethlehem. But no questions

asked. You go. Why? So that he can make his mark by using you for discipline or for

extravagant love, for whatever he wants to. Highly flexible people. Yeah? So if

this head is in the way, cut it off and replace it with a cabbage and you'll do

much better. On that note, let us end.