Keys to the Kingdom: Obedience

Services

Sunday -9:15 AM Bible Study / 10:30 AM Worship Service / 6:00 PM Evening Service --- Wednesday - 6:15 Bible Study & PBYF

by: Elder Randy Waters

06/09/2023

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Gracious greetings to all! It's hard to believe that its already June. Where does time go? For sure, time flies and summertime not only brings flies, but also reminds us that time flies. Nature and our lives are in full swing now. The late spring and showers have made for a flush of greenery. The birds are singing and the bees are buzzing and all Christians should be rejoicing. Almighty God long ago promised that as long as the earth stands, there will be summertime.


“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”  Genesis 8:22

There are two things which seem to be more appreciated in the summertime than any other time. One is a shade tree and the other is a cool breeze. Both of these come from God and both are expressed figuratively in the church. Every Sunday morning, Christians have the privilege and opportunity to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus under the shadow of His rock solid word while being fanned by the breeze of His agape love.

Summer is a busy time both in nature and in human activities. Vacations, ball games, gardens, grandchildren and cotton fields all provide splendid opportunities to enjoy life on Earth with passion and purpose. But sometimes, in the heat of all the hassle, we can overheat. The beach is a beautiful, wonderful place, but it can result in the parching pain of a sunburn. Likewise, the world is a beautiful, wonderful place, but it can become a wilderness without the shadow of God’s providential grace and the serene sensation of His refreshing forgiveness and faithfulness.

In most cases we plan and place the center of our summertime outside activities around the shade. A picnic under a tree, a book under a tent at the beach, or a fish fry under the shelter at the river, are all the more accommodating because of the presence of shade. Even though air conditioners are great inventions and I’m thankful I have them in my house and vehicle, such conveniences can desensitize the need and benefit of a shade tree and a summer breeze. Just because we have air conditioners doesn’t mean we don’t need Jesus or His church. The fact is, this world is a wilderness and without God and His graces, we will suffer “Sin Burn!” We may be able to air condition our house or car, but we can’t air condition hell. The Good Lord is gracious and merciful and in His wisdom puts a shade tree in just the right place and sends a refreshing gentle breeze at just the right time. He can and does do that in everyday life and during weekdays, but He really pronounces His comforting call on Sundays in His church.


As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”  Song of Solomon 2:3

Thank God for the local church on Earth! He has builded and is building many such places and I believe one such place is located at 4 South Zetterower Avenue in Statesboro, Georgia. Really, all I am, and all I want to be is a “shade tree” preacher. God calls us, even commands us to assemble in His great name, in the spirit of holiness under the teaching of truth and He does so for our good. He knows we need the shade and the sustaining influence of His Holy Spirit working through the preaching of His word and the fellowship of His Spirit born people. All of us would be better off by simply doing what God says do. We’d be happier because we are holier. And really, all God is telling us is to do something that will be the greatest blessing and benefit to us. When we give God our hearts in worship, he gives us the refreshing and freshness of His protection and provisions. You really cannot out give God!

The best way to benefit from God’s means of grace is to obey Him.


The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29

Obedience is a big deal with God! It should be real important to us as well. Christians don’t obey God to become Christians, they obey God because they are Christians. Obedience won’t get you to Heaven, but it sure makes traveling there a lot better. No genuine Christian can be happy and disobedient to God at the same time. Happiness and holiness always walk together with the child of God on the roads of life. Obedience means “doing what God says quickly.” Delayed obedience is really disobedience. I guess you could freeze cabbage, but I don’t think it would be nearly as good as fresh cabbage, though it may be better than no cabbage at all. Our God is a “now” God! Not only is He a present help in time of trouble, He is also omnipresent enough to know even our thoughts and motives. And we better believe He knows when He tells us to do or not to do something and we say no. Never say no when God says yes! Remember the Bible says that God is for us and not against us. So if He is for us, it doesn’t make much sense for us to be against Him. Disobedience is an expression of our humanness in rebellion against the very one who loves us and has redeemed us. Not only that, the written word of God is really the manufacturers handbook. The best thing for us to do to operate machines as complicated as the human person is to read and obey the manufacturer’s handbook — the Bible. God is not only good all the time, He is also right all and every time. Obedience is not the way to be better people, obedience is the way to be a witness to a bigger God. Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God and He made that way for us through obedience, even the obedience of death on a cross. The gospel is simple — we are sinners and Jesus took our place and the wrath of God for us, paid our sin debt in full and gave us eternal life. And the commandments of God are straight forward — do what God says! That means if God says jump, we say, “How high?” If God says sit, then we start looking for a chair.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

Fear God and Keep His Commandments.

Kingdom life is not boring nor is it for lazy people. Christianity is not a “do nothing” religion, but one fitted with exciting, fulfilling challenges centered around following Jesus. Following Jesus cannot be done without obeying God’s word. Obedience is the consequence or response of the Holy Spirit’s residential influence in the heart of a saved person. Like unto God loving us before we could love Him, obedience is a miracle of grace which causes a believer to want to obey in responding love like John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb when Mary, who was carrying the baby Christ child in her womb, got near her. Let’s consider three blessed benefits of obedience as we live out our time on Earth in God’s kingdom.

Obedience Confirms Our Love.

Actions speak louder than words and obeying God is like shouting, “I love you Lord!” As a parent what would you think if your child came to you and said, “Mama or Daddy, I am going to start doing everything you tell me to do and stop doing everything
you tell me not to do?” After the “after shock,” you would feel your children really loved you wouldn’t you?


If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Obeying God is really the only way a Christian can be happy, be- cause disobeying God hurts the one he or she loves. Grief is the price we pay for love and there is real grief, even guilt, when a redeemed one rebels against the righteous one. The commandments of God don’t make us righteous but they lead us to the righteous one. Fellowship with Almighty God is possible because of what Christ Jesus did for us on the cross. Fellowship with Almighty God is practiced and enjoyed when we obey His perfect word and surrender to His will in and for our lives.

Obeying God confirms our love for Him not only by doing what He says do, but also by not doing what He says not do. This includes not worrying. When we worry, we pay more attention to what’s bothering us than we do to the one who loves us most. The best way not to worry is simply to obey God. Don’t worry, be obedient, and you will be happier even if your circumstances don’t change.

Obedience Conforms Our Lives.

You can tell a real Christian by their lifestyle. We are made of the choices we make. Jesus is real clear about the impossibility of serving two masters. The master of your
life is the one you obey. God did not give His commandments to the whole world, he gave them to the Israelites. And God doesn’t write His new covenant law on everyone either. He only writes them on the ones He has saved. Since they were written by the indelible ink of Christ Jesus’ blood, they cannot be erased but are to be adhered to.

Obedience shapes our lives because it affects what we say, do, and think. Now the devil wants to and tries to direct and shape our lives, but the one sign the devil can’t deal with nor can we ignore is God’s word. Every “Thus saith the Lord” weakens, even washes away Satan’s suggestions. The only way we can prevent this world from squeezing us into its evil mold is by obeying God’s Holy Word.


And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the re- newing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and accepta- ble, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

America stands at the threshold of conformity today. That threshold is the entrance to wokism, liberalism and cancel culture which will destroy the very fiber of the family and challenge the church’s stance for truth and faithfulness to God and His commands. We must not let this world shape nor shake us. Remember, the Bible will keep us from sin or either sin will keep us from the Bible. The closer we stay to the Bible, the closer we will be to God and the more we’ll look like Jesus.

Obedience Conveys Our Liberty.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but at all times the truth makes us free. Obedience to God is not a “have to” thing, rather obedience to God is a “get to” thing. No matter how dark the day nor dire the circumstances, obedience always bring peace because there is freedom in a clear conscious no matter how big the storms are. Noah spent one hundred and twenty years building a boat in a place where it had never rained. He did so because God said so! Really, that’s the best reason to do anything, especially things that are right that don’t make sense. The results of Noah’s obedience not only brought safety and security to him; but also to his family as well as a whole bunch of other creatures. The flood waters came just as God said, but the ark floated because the water was on the outside. When we obey God’s commands, in a likeness to Noah’s ark, we can keep the world’s wickedness outside and rejoice because of the liberty of His presence on the inside. Obedience to God’s word conveys the grandest construction plan for anyone’s life.


Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  Matthew 7: 24-25

May we never try to get above our “raisin”. After all, we as believers were raised with Christ. And never, but never question the captain’s judgement! Honesty is the best policy and obedience is always the best path.

Brother Randy

Blog comments will be sent to the moderator

Gracious greetings to all! It's hard to believe that its already June. Where does time go? For sure, time flies and summertime not only brings flies, but also reminds us that time flies. Nature and our lives are in full swing now. The late spring and showers have made for a flush of greenery. The birds are singing and the bees are buzzing and all Christians should be rejoicing. Almighty God long ago promised that as long as the earth stands, there will be summertime.


“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”  Genesis 8:22

There are two things which seem to be more appreciated in the summertime than any other time. One is a shade tree and the other is a cool breeze. Both of these come from God and both are expressed figuratively in the church. Every Sunday morning, Christians have the privilege and opportunity to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus under the shadow of His rock solid word while being fanned by the breeze of His agape love.

Summer is a busy time both in nature and in human activities. Vacations, ball games, gardens, grandchildren and cotton fields all provide splendid opportunities to enjoy life on Earth with passion and purpose. But sometimes, in the heat of all the hassle, we can overheat. The beach is a beautiful, wonderful place, but it can result in the parching pain of a sunburn. Likewise, the world is a beautiful, wonderful place, but it can become a wilderness without the shadow of God’s providential grace and the serene sensation of His refreshing forgiveness and faithfulness.

In most cases we plan and place the center of our summertime outside activities around the shade. A picnic under a tree, a book under a tent at the beach, or a fish fry under the shelter at the river, are all the more accommodating because of the presence of shade. Even though air conditioners are great inventions and I’m thankful I have them in my house and vehicle, such conveniences can desensitize the need and benefit of a shade tree and a summer breeze. Just because we have air conditioners doesn’t mean we don’t need Jesus or His church. The fact is, this world is a wilderness and without God and His graces, we will suffer “Sin Burn!” We may be able to air condition our house or car, but we can’t air condition hell. The Good Lord is gracious and merciful and in His wisdom puts a shade tree in just the right place and sends a refreshing gentle breeze at just the right time. He can and does do that in everyday life and during weekdays, but He really pronounces His comforting call on Sundays in His church.


As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”  Song of Solomon 2:3

Thank God for the local church on Earth! He has builded and is building many such places and I believe one such place is located at 4 South Zetterower Avenue in Statesboro, Georgia. Really, all I am, and all I want to be is a “shade tree” preacher. God calls us, even commands us to assemble in His great name, in the spirit of holiness under the teaching of truth and He does so for our good. He knows we need the shade and the sustaining influence of His Holy Spirit working through the preaching of His word and the fellowship of His Spirit born people. All of us would be better off by simply doing what God says do. We’d be happier because we are holier. And really, all God is telling us is to do something that will be the greatest blessing and benefit to us. When we give God our hearts in worship, he gives us the refreshing and freshness of His protection and provisions. You really cannot out give God!

The best way to benefit from God’s means of grace is to obey Him.


The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29

Obedience is a big deal with God! It should be real important to us as well. Christians don’t obey God to become Christians, they obey God because they are Christians. Obedience won’t get you to Heaven, but it sure makes traveling there a lot better. No genuine Christian can be happy and disobedient to God at the same time. Happiness and holiness always walk together with the child of God on the roads of life. Obedience means “doing what God says quickly.” Delayed obedience is really disobedience. I guess you could freeze cabbage, but I don’t think it would be nearly as good as fresh cabbage, though it may be better than no cabbage at all. Our God is a “now” God! Not only is He a present help in time of trouble, He is also omnipresent enough to know even our thoughts and motives. And we better believe He knows when He tells us to do or not to do something and we say no. Never say no when God says yes! Remember the Bible says that God is for us and not against us. So if He is for us, it doesn’t make much sense for us to be against Him. Disobedience is an expression of our humanness in rebellion against the very one who loves us and has redeemed us. Not only that, the written word of God is really the manufacturers handbook. The best thing for us to do to operate machines as complicated as the human person is to read and obey the manufacturer’s handbook — the Bible. God is not only good all the time, He is also right all and every time. Obedience is not the way to be better people, obedience is the way to be a witness to a bigger God. Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God and He made that way for us through obedience, even the obedience of death on a cross. The gospel is simple — we are sinners and Jesus took our place and the wrath of God for us, paid our sin debt in full and gave us eternal life. And the commandments of God are straight forward — do what God says! That means if God says jump, we say, “How high?” If God says sit, then we start looking for a chair.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

Fear God and Keep His Commandments.

Kingdom life is not boring nor is it for lazy people. Christianity is not a “do nothing” religion, but one fitted with exciting, fulfilling challenges centered around following Jesus. Following Jesus cannot be done without obeying God’s word. Obedience is the consequence or response of the Holy Spirit’s residential influence in the heart of a saved person. Like unto God loving us before we could love Him, obedience is a miracle of grace which causes a believer to want to obey in responding love like John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb when Mary, who was carrying the baby Christ child in her womb, got near her. Let’s consider three blessed benefits of obedience as we live out our time on Earth in God’s kingdom.

Obedience Confirms Our Love.

Actions speak louder than words and obeying God is like shouting, “I love you Lord!” As a parent what would you think if your child came to you and said, “Mama or Daddy, I am going to start doing everything you tell me to do and stop doing everything
you tell me not to do?” After the “after shock,” you would feel your children really loved you wouldn’t you?


If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Obeying God is really the only way a Christian can be happy, be- cause disobeying God hurts the one he or she loves. Grief is the price we pay for love and there is real grief, even guilt, when a redeemed one rebels against the righteous one. The commandments of God don’t make us righteous but they lead us to the righteous one. Fellowship with Almighty God is possible because of what Christ Jesus did for us on the cross. Fellowship with Almighty God is practiced and enjoyed when we obey His perfect word and surrender to His will in and for our lives.

Obeying God confirms our love for Him not only by doing what He says do, but also by not doing what He says not do. This includes not worrying. When we worry, we pay more attention to what’s bothering us than we do to the one who loves us most. The best way not to worry is simply to obey God. Don’t worry, be obedient, and you will be happier even if your circumstances don’t change.

Obedience Conforms Our Lives.

You can tell a real Christian by their lifestyle. We are made of the choices we make. Jesus is real clear about the impossibility of serving two masters. The master of your
life is the one you obey. God did not give His commandments to the whole world, he gave them to the Israelites. And God doesn’t write His new covenant law on everyone either. He only writes them on the ones He has saved. Since they were written by the indelible ink of Christ Jesus’ blood, they cannot be erased but are to be adhered to.

Obedience shapes our lives because it affects what we say, do, and think. Now the devil wants to and tries to direct and shape our lives, but the one sign the devil can’t deal with nor can we ignore is God’s word. Every “Thus saith the Lord” weakens, even washes away Satan’s suggestions. The only way we can prevent this world from squeezing us into its evil mold is by obeying God’s Holy Word.


And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the re- newing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and accepta- ble, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

America stands at the threshold of conformity today. That threshold is the entrance to wokism, liberalism and cancel culture which will destroy the very fiber of the family and challenge the church’s stance for truth and faithfulness to God and His commands. We must not let this world shape nor shake us. Remember, the Bible will keep us from sin or either sin will keep us from the Bible. The closer we stay to the Bible, the closer we will be to God and the more we’ll look like Jesus.

Obedience Conveys Our Liberty.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but at all times the truth makes us free. Obedience to God is not a “have to” thing, rather obedience to God is a “get to” thing. No matter how dark the day nor dire the circumstances, obedience always bring peace because there is freedom in a clear conscious no matter how big the storms are. Noah spent one hundred and twenty years building a boat in a place where it had never rained. He did so because God said so! Really, that’s the best reason to do anything, especially things that are right that don’t make sense. The results of Noah’s obedience not only brought safety and security to him; but also to his family as well as a whole bunch of other creatures. The flood waters came just as God said, but the ark floated because the water was on the outside. When we obey God’s commands, in a likeness to Noah’s ark, we can keep the world’s wickedness outside and rejoice because of the liberty of His presence on the inside. Obedience to God’s word conveys the grandest construction plan for anyone’s life.


Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  Matthew 7: 24-25

May we never try to get above our “raisin”. After all, we as believers were raised with Christ. And never, but never question the captain’s judgement! Honesty is the best policy and obedience is always the best path.

Brother Randy

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