Faithful Obedience: The Call to Follow God

### Summary

Good morning, church. It's great to see you this morning. If you worshiped with us last week, you'll recall that we talked about the importance of remembering. And so we're just going to take a couple of minutes to remember where we've been the past couple of months in our sermon series. Since April, we have been studying the events surrounding Joshua and Caleb. They were two Old Testament leaders who understood what we so very much need to get: when God says go, we had better obey. They stood strong in the Lord and trusted His faithfulness. We need to follow their example because God is calling us to go too. We read our commission every single week. We can be of good courage when we're going because Jesus reminds us that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He promises to be with us always, to the very end of the age, while we do what He's commanded us to do, which is to go and make disciples of all nations.

Let's remember together what's led up to what we just heard read to us. Through a chain of several significant events, God's chosen nation, Israel, is eventually enslaved in Egypt. Fulfilling a promise that God made about 500 years before, He sends a series of plagues and parts the Red Sea to deliver His people from bondage. He does all of this to lead them to Canaan, the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. However, Israel decided to send one spy from each of their 12 tribes to check out the promised land first. The spies go, check out the land, the people, and the cities. After 40 days, they return to report what they found. They were thrilled with how amazing the land was, but there were some crazy strong people in massively fortified cities. The facts about the report were correct, and all the spies agreed on those facts. But they diverged on what they should do. Ten of the spies managed to stir up the entire congregation into a frenzy. Fear spread like wildfire, and everybody started murmuring and complaining. They eventually became downright obstinate and decided they were not going to go. Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb pleaded with the people, urging them to believe God's promises, affirming that He was with them. But the people were unwilling to hear it. In fact, they wanted to stone them. That's when God's glory showed up, saved those four men, and made it clear that He was going to wipe everybody else out and start all over with those four. But then Moses prayed a beautiful and powerful prayer. He prayed in step with God's character and His word, and God responded with both mercy and justice.

God declared that none of the men who had seen His glory and signs in Egypt and the wilderness, yet put Him to the test ten times and not obeyed His voice, would see the land He swore to give to their fathers. God laid out the consequences of their unbelief and disobedience. Their dead bodies would fall in the wilderness, and their children would be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years, suffering for their faithlessness. The ten spies who were not of good courage died that very day of a plague. Friends, we must know that God takes our disobedience very seriously. When He says go, we had better go. The consequences of not doing so are more than we can comprehend.

When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, they mourned greatly. They were sorry for the consequences of their sin, but it seems they were more sorry for the consequences than for the sin itself. They mourned greatly when they learned about the devastating consequences of their disobedience. Mourning was appropriate, but it wasn't enough to change the reality of their situation. They needed to obey God. But instead, they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying they would go up to the place the Lord had promised, for they had sinned. Initially, we might think they were finally getting it, but they were not obeying God. God had already determined the consequences for their sin and given them new marching orders. They needed to repent and obey, but they went the other way. They still hadn't learned that we cannot please God apart from faith, right belief that walks itself out in obedience, right behavior. Moses warned them that God's presence wouldn't go with them, and they would be slaughtered. They went anyway, presuming to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. They were once again out of step with God's will, flinging themselves headlong back into disobedience. Presumption is a far cry from faith. What God is after and what brings Him glory is faith-filled obedience rooted in His character.

We must mourn and hate our sin as much as God does. We must be broken in a way that leads to repentance, and that repentance must then lead to obedience every time. So I can think of no better way to respond to what we've heard today than to come to the table of our crucified Lord. The one who took the punishment for our sin, endured death, the ultimate consequence of what we deserve, so that we might find mercy, be forgiven, and have eternal life. Today, we're going to pray. I urge you to take a good long look at your heart. Do you genuinely hate your sin? Do you mourn it greatly? Are you broken over it? Does it break your heart that there are still areas of your life that you have not submitted to the lordship of Christ? Humble yourself before Him and repent. Receive the grace and forgiveness that is ours in Christ's shed blood. And then, go and obey Him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. MjU&t=86s'>[01:26]
  2. Consequences of Disobedience: The story of the Israelites' disobedience and the resulting consequences underscores the seriousness with which God views our actions. Their refusal to trust and obey God led to devastating consequences, including wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and the death of an entire generation. This serves as a sobering reminder that our disobedience can have far-reaching and severe repercussions.
  
  3. True Repentance and Obedience: Mourning our sin is appropriate, but it must lead to genuine repentance and obedience. The Israelites mourned the consequences of their sin, but their actions showed a lack of true repentance as they continued to disobey God's new instructions. True repentance involves a heartfelt turning away from sin and a commitment to follow God's commands faithfully.
  
  4. Faith-Filled Obedience: Presumption is not the same as faith. The Israelites presumed they could enter the promised land on their own terms, disregarding God's clear instructions. Faith-filled obedience, rooted in trust in God's character and promises, is what brings Him glory. We must align our actions with God's will, trusting that His ways are higher and better than our own.
  
  5. The Importance of Humility and Repentance: When confronted with our sin, we must humble ourselves before God, genuinely mourn our disobedience, and seek His forgiveness. This humility and repentance should lead to a renewed commitment to obey God's commands. Through Christ's sacrifice, we receive grace and forgiveness, empowering us to live in obedience and bring glory to God.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:26] - The Importance of Obedience
• [06:25] - Consequences of Disobedience
• [09:45] - True Repentance and Obedience
• [13:27] - Faith-Filled Obedience
• [22:33] - Humility and Repentance

Observation Questions

1. What were the key events that led to the Israelites' disobedience and the resulting consequences? ([02:52])
2. How did Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb respond to the congregation's refusal to enter the promised land? ([04:24])
3. What was God's response to the Israelites' disobedience, and what were the consequences He declared? ([06:25])
4. How did the Israelites react after hearing the consequences of their disobedience, and what did they attempt to do? ([09:45])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why did the Israelites' mourning not lead to true repentance and obedience? What does this reveal about their understanding of God's commands? ([09:45])
2. How does the story of the Israelites' disobedience and presumption illustrate the difference between faith-filled obedience and presumption? ([13:27])
3. What does Moses' warning to the Israelites about God's presence not being with them teach us about the importance of aligning our actions with God's will? ([13:27])
4. How does the sermon emphasize the seriousness of disobedience and the far-reaching consequences it can have? ([18:54])

Application Questions

1. Reflect on a time when you felt convicted about a sin but struggled to truly repent and obey God's commands. What steps can you take to ensure your repentance leads to genuine obedience? ([09:45])
2. In what areas of your life are you tempted to act presumptuously, assuming God's blessing without seeking His will? How can you cultivate faith-filled obedience instead? ([13:27])
3. How can you better align your actions with God's will, especially in situations where you are tempted to rely on your own strength and wisdom? ([15:13])
4. When confronted with the consequences of your disobedience, how do you typically respond? What can you learn from the Israelites' experience to improve your response? ([20:43])
5. Identify one specific area of your life where you need to humble yourself before God and seek His forgiveness. What practical steps can you take this week to submit that area to the lordship of Christ? ([22:33])
6. How can you encourage others in your small group to pursue faith-filled obedience and avoid the pitfalls of presumption and disobedience? ([13:27])
7. Reflect on the importance of making disciples as part of your obedience to God's command. What specific actions can you take to engage in disciple-making within your community? ([01:26])