Complete Obedience: Trusting God's Will in Our Lives

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound truth that our relationship with God requires complete obedience and trust. We began by reflecting on the story of Saul, the first king of Israel, who was commanded by God to destroy the Amalekites completely. However, Saul chose to spare King Agag and the best of the livestock, rationalizing his disobedience as a means to offer sacrifices to God. This narrative serves as a cautionary tale about selective listening and partial obedience to God's commands. Saul's actions reveal a heart more concerned with self-preservation and public approval than with true submission to God's will.

We delved into the nature of sin and its serious implications. Sin is not merely a set of wrong actions but a condition that separates us from God. The story of Saul illustrates how sin can lead us to justify our actions, even when they are contrary to God's explicit instructions. This disobedience is likened to idolatry, as it places our desires above God's commands. Yet, in the midst of this sobering reality, we are reminded of God's grace, which is available to those who humble themselves and seek His forgiveness.

The message also emphasized the importance of listening to God with an open heart. True obedience is not about performing religious rituals or making grand gestures but about aligning our hearts with God's will. We are called to examine our lives, identify areas where we may be holding back from God, and surrender those areas to Him. This act of submission is not only an act of resistance against the devil but also a pathway to deeper intimacy with God.

As we enter a new year, it's a time to "clean house" spiritually. This involves removing anything that hinders our relationship with God and seeking His guidance in all aspects of our lives. By doing so, we position ourselves to hear His voice clearly and follow His leading faithfully.

Key Takeaways:

- Selective Listening and Obedience: Saul's story teaches us the danger of selective listening to God's commands. Partial obedience is disobedience, and it reveals a heart that prioritizes personal desires over God's will. We must strive to listen fully and obey completely, trusting that God's ways are higher than our own. [51:59]

- The Seriousness of Sin: Sin is not just a list of wrong actions but a condition that separates us from God. Understanding the gravity of sin helps us appreciate the depth of God's grace. When we recognize our sinful state, we can truly grasp the significance of Christ's sacrifice and the forgiveness it offers. [48:33]

- Humility and Grace: God gives grace to the humble. When we acknowledge our shortcomings and submit to God, we open ourselves to His transformative power. Humility is the key to receiving God's grace and experiencing His presence in our lives. [01:22:16]

- Spiritual House Cleaning: The new year is an opportunity to examine our lives and remove anything that hinders our relationship with God. This process of spiritual house cleaning allows us to draw closer to God and align our lives with His purposes. [01:27:44]

- Seeking God's Guidance: Like David, we should seek God's guidance in every decision. By prioritizing God's will over our own, we demonstrate a heart that is truly after God's own heart. This requires intentional time in God's Word and prayer, allowing His voice to guide our steps. [01:31:08]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [09:03] - The Unity in Christ
- [14:02] - Worship and Need for God
- [23:50] - Announcements and Gatherings
- [33:41] - The Tradition of Hope Letters
- [37:13] - The Foolishness of the Galatians
- [40:39] - Listening and Believing God
- [46:23] - Saul's Disobedience
- [48:33] - Understanding Sin's Gravity
- [51:59] - Saul's Partial Obedience
- [55:00] - The Consequences of Disobedience
- [59:40] - God's Call to Humility
- [01:03:39] - Obedience Over Sacrifice
- [01:22:16] - Grace for the Humble
- [01:27:44] - Spiritual House Cleaning
- [01:31:08] - Seeking God's Guidance
- [01:37:22] - Celebrating the Lord's Supper
- [01:46:22] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1 Samuel 15:1-23

#### Observation Questions
1. What specific command did God give to Saul regarding the Amalekites, and how did Saul respond to this command? ([46:23])
2. How did Saul justify his partial obedience to God's command, and what was Samuel's response to this justification? ([56:21])
3. What does the passage reveal about the nature of sin and its consequences, as illustrated by Saul's actions? ([48:33])
4. How does the story of Saul illustrate the concept of selective listening to God's commands? ([51:59])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does Saul's story serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritizing personal desires over God's will? ([55:00])
2. How does the narrative of Saul's disobedience help us understand the seriousness of sin and its impact on our relationship with God? ([49:41])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between humility and receiving God's grace? How is this demonstrated in Saul's story? ([01:22:16])
4. How does the concept of "spiritual house cleaning" relate to the idea of removing obstacles that hinder our relationship with God? ([01:27:44])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you might have practiced selective listening to God's commands. What steps can you take to ensure full obedience in the future? ([51:59])
2. Identify an area in your life where you might be justifying partial obedience to God. How can you align this area with God's will? ([56:21])
3. Consider the seriousness of sin as discussed in the sermon. How does this understanding impact your view of God's grace and forgiveness? ([48:33])
4. What practical steps can you take to humble yourself before God and open yourself to His transformative power? ([01:22:16])
5. As you enter a new year, what specific "spiritual house cleaning" actions can you take to remove hindrances in your relationship with God? ([01:27:44])
6. How can you seek God's guidance in your daily decisions, similar to how David sought God's will? What practices can you implement to hear His voice more clearly? ([01:31:08])
7. Reflect on a specific area of your life where you need to surrender control to God. What steps will you take this week to submit this area to Him? ([01:23:32])

Devotional

Day 1: The Danger of Selective Obedience
In the story of Saul, we see the peril of selective obedience to God's commands. Saul was instructed to completely destroy the Amalekites, but he chose to spare King Agag and the best livestock, rationalizing his actions as a means to offer sacrifices to God. This partial obedience reveals a heart that prioritizes personal desires and public approval over God's will. It serves as a cautionary tale that partial obedience is, in fact, disobedience. We are reminded that true obedience requires us to listen fully and trust that God's ways are higher than our own. [51:59]

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.'"

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you are selectively obeying God? What steps can you take today to fully align your actions with His commands?


Day 2: Understanding the Gravity of Sin
Sin is not merely a list of wrong actions but a condition that separates us from God. Saul's story illustrates how sin can lead us to justify our actions, even when they contradict God's explicit instructions. This disobedience is likened to idolatry, as it places our desires above God's commands. Recognizing the seriousness of sin helps us appreciate the depth of God's grace and the significance of Christ's sacrifice. When we acknowledge our sinful state, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's forgiveness. [48:33]

Isaiah 59:2 (ESV): "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."

Reflection: What is one sin in your life that you have been justifying? How can you bring this before God and seek His forgiveness today?


Day 3: Embracing Humility to Receive Grace
God gives grace to the humble, and when we acknowledge our shortcomings and submit to Him, we open ourselves to His transformative power. Humility is the key to receiving God's grace and experiencing His presence in our lives. It requires us to let go of our pride and self-reliance, recognizing that we are in need of God's guidance and strength. By humbling ourselves, we position ourselves to receive the fullness of God's grace and to walk in His ways. [01:22:16]

James 4:6 (ESV): "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle with pride? How can you practice humility today to open yourself to God's grace?


Day 4: Spiritual House Cleaning for a New Year
As we enter a new year, it's an opportunity to examine our lives and remove anything that hinders our relationship with God. This process of spiritual house cleaning involves identifying areas where we may be holding back from God and surrendering those areas to Him. By doing so, we draw closer to God and align our lives with His purposes. This act of submission is not only an act of resistance against the devil but also a pathway to deeper intimacy with God. [01:27:44]

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Reflection: What is one thing in your life that is hindering your relationship with God? How can you begin to remove it today?


Day 5: Seeking God's Guidance in Every Decision
Like David, we are called to seek God's guidance in every decision. By prioritizing God's will over our own, we demonstrate a heart that is truly after God's own heart. This requires intentional time in God's Word and prayer, allowing His voice to guide our steps. When we seek God's guidance, we align our lives with His purposes and experience the peace and direction that comes from walking in His ways. [01:31:08]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What decision are you facing today that you need to seek God's guidance for? How can you intentionally spend time in prayer and Scripture to discern His will?

Quotes

"Even when I don't feel that you're working, you never stop, you never stop working, you never stop, Lord Jesus, you are here, Jesús, estás aquí We love you, God Te, You're worthy of praise Tú, Lord, we pray that as we open your word we continue to worship you, Jesus' name, Amen Se puede sentar You may be." [00:21:44]

"Let me ask you only this did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith esto es lo único que quiero avergar de ustedes ¿recibieron el espíritu por las obras de la ley o por oír con fe? you believed what God said tú faith are you so foolish having begun by the spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh tan insensato son habiendo comenzado por el espíritu ¿van a terminar ahora para la carne?" [00:38:50]

"Destroy them completely. know it's passages like these that we have a hard time sometimes grasping why would God do that. When you feel the enormity of what that really is. Use that to understand a little bit better the enormity of our sin. Use that to have a greater understanding of how great our sin is before God. Our sin is a big deal." [00:48:13]

"Samuel said, ¿Tiene el Señor tan gran alegría en ofrendas y sacrificios como en obedecer a la voz del Señor? Vean, obedecer es mejor que sacrificio, y escuchar es mejor que la grasa de los ramos. Y Samuel dijo, ¿Se complace el Señor tanto en holocaustos y sacrificios como en la obediencia a la voz del Señor? Entiende, el obedecer es mejor que un sacrificio, y el prestar atención que la grasa de los carneros." [01:03:53]

"Because their heart is for the things of the world. When we don't listen to him. When he's saying, this in your life is getting between us. we hold on to that thing. It's like committing adultery against the Lord. Why does he want us to remove it? You adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" [01:18:00]

"Pero Él da más gracia por eso dice Dios opone al orgullo pero da más gracia a los humildes pero Él da más gracia por eso dice Dios resiste a los soberbios pero da gracia a los humildes ¿qué es lo que necesito hacer? necesito humillarme a mí mismo y escuchar a Dios sometanse a Dios por tanto sometanse a Dios resistan pues al diablo y huirán y huirán y huirán de ustedes." [01:22:39]

"Take your whole life and lay it before God. Alright God, even those areas I don't want to talk about What do you want? ¿Qué es lo que tú deseas? It's time to clean house Es God, I want you Porque Lord, show us what is standing between us and you nosotros? So after we've heard from God here's what needs to leave Y to hear from God what He wants us to do Es." [01:28:11]

"When we truly submit to Him then we're ready to hear what He wants us to do doesn't mean you become a pastor It's whatever He wants you to do here's the question Second point What is God telling me to do? Maybe I have removed something from my calendar God, what do you want me to do? You know Saul didn't actually wipe out the Amalekites." [01:29:55]

"You know when we're making a decision in our life we stop and say, God, what do you want me to do? David actually encountered the Amalekites before he became king él y en estaban las familias los y los capturaron a y su gente y ellos y entonces David se él no fue inmediatamente si tú y él se fue a perseguir a los amalecitas y voy a buscar al Señor." [01:31:14]

"quieres oír la voz de Dios tienes que pasar tiempo con su palabra a celebrar al Señor con la Santa Cena vamos a celebrar al Señor dos cosas que el Señor nos dio para hacer hasta que Él hay la Santa y el bautismo las dos mientras nos preparamos están enviando cosas creo que están enviando cosas listas para nosotros mientras vamos a puede orar." [01:36:37]

"Lord Jesus, our hope is only in you. And you are enough. You are enough for everything we need. So Lord, just peel our fingers back from whatever it is we are holding on to. Y We love you, Lord Jesus. Te It's in your name that we pray. Amen. I love you, church. Go in the Lord." [01:49:19]

"Y tu promesa que si tú eres fiel y justo limpiarnos que nosotros podamos gozarnos de ti. que gracias Señor por tu Que es para ti. Haz esto en recordación de mí. Y Pablo dice, porque yo recibí del Señor lo mismo que les he enseñado, que el Señor Jesús, la noche en que fue entregado, tomó pan y después de dar gracias lo partió y dijo, esto es mi cuerpo que es para ustedes." [01:42:51]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?