Obedience No Matter the Cost: No Turning Back

But as you chew, that is what releases the nutrients. So what am I saying? Hearing the word without studying the word is like swallowing without chewing. That's why in your bulletins, it's a sermon note. You can write things down. You're getting the recipe so you can go home, eat the meal again, and chew. Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Is that what Paul said to Timothy? [01:07:21] (36 seconds)  #StudyTheWord

Believing equals receiving. Think about it this way. Just as believing makes all things possible, unbelief makes all things impossible. What do you want? The possible or the impossible? And this is when people who embrace this mindset are tempted to give up. It's what happened to the Israelites. They embraced the wrong testimony, the wrong report, and they were ready to cash it in, give it all up. There was two, Joshua and Caleb, that gave a good report. Yes. Indeed. You know, there are giants in the land. But if god has promised, he'll give it. He'll be faithful. [00:56:33] (51 seconds)  #BelieveAndReceive

What many people fail to realize is this, Obedience actually becomes our way of escape. Sometimes when it's tough in life, we have a tendency withdraw. And when we withdraw, we isolate. When we isolate, then we pull away from not only friends and family and not only our church, but then we'll find ourselves maybe without even knowing pulling away from God, not praying as much, not in the word as much. You know, our attitudes begin to sour. We begin to look at the at the glass half empty rather than half full. Just our whole perspective, perception, everything changes. And that's a dangerous condition to be in. [00:29:54] (49 seconds)  #ObedienceIsFreedom

My mother, by faith, waited on my father's return to Christ for fourteen years, but god was faithful. And she never gave up the fight of faith. And my father is in heaven now. His name absolutely written in the lamb's book of life because of my mother's prayers that gave birth to my salvation and the salvation of my two older brothers. And then all three of us as brothers began to pray for my dad, our dad. God answers prayer. Why? Because he always honors his word if that prayer is given in obedience to his word. Think about it. God can't deny his word. [00:46:51] (40 seconds)  #PersistentPrayerWorks

You see, god receives glory when his promises are obeyed by us. Because when we obey what he's commanded us to do, then what happens, he blesses it. He will always bless his word. Jeremiah one twelve. He hastens. That means he listens with swiftness, hastens over his word. Everybody say word Word. To perform it, fulfill it. So if we act in obedience on God's word, it may not be instantaneous. Sometimes, it may be a fight. You may have to walk over days, weeks, months, even a few years. [00:46:08] (43 seconds)  #ObedienceBringsBlessing

In fact, I have found if there is a persecution so great, that means there's a calling that's even greater. Amen? Amen. Think even of our Pentecostal movement, the assemblies of God, which was birthed out of the Azusa Street revival. Who was the man of God that the Lord used to usher in that revival? A humble black man named William Seymour, a man that had also walked persecution. Yes. The sin, the persecution of slavery, but yet god in his wisdom, he will honor those who are oppressed. Why? Because I believe with all of my heart, Satan is threatened. [00:32:03] (49 seconds)  #PersecutionProducesPurpose

You know what unbelief does? Unbelief fosters doubt, which in turn leads people back to Egypt or into bondage. That's why the devil is always trying to tear down our faith by sowing thoughts and seeds of doubt and unbelief. And the moment we embrace and we entertain this doubt, then what happens? We begin to doubt god's word in every other area of our lives. And this is what was happening not only to the Israelites, but it can happen to us as well. And when that happens, old habits, old sins, old lifestyles, they're resurrected. [00:58:26] (42 seconds)  #UnbeliefCreatesDoubt

Whether it's Israel, whether it's us, you will find looking back holds you back, but looking ahead creates forward motion. God never takes us back. He always moves us forward. How many believe that? Say amen. Amen. So here you have in order to prevent a setback, what do we need to do and what did Israel need to do? They needed to focus on obedience to god's promise, my first point. God always keeps his word. Could have heard a pin drop. God always keeps his word. Amen. [00:44:59] (43 seconds)  #LookForwardMoveForward