Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Obedience: The Highest Worship Pt.2

Glory! We were talking Sunday about the highest form of worship. We said that the highest form of worship is obedience. The Lord said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Amen? We think back about Saul and we think of his disobedience. "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears?" We think that it had to do with some type of overt rebellion or an overt act of disobedience, but that's not necessarily the case. The Scripture says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). We realize that there are so many areas of our life that we so often take back under our own authority. We want to be able to make decisions that are decisions of independence. What we're doing, then, is failing to worship the Lord. We're robbing His glory by exalting ourselves to His level as it pertains to our daily functions, our daily actions, so many of the things that we think are mundane. We need to be very conscious of the fact that our obedience--through our dependence upon His wisdom, our dependence upon His working in us and giving us the strength and enabling us--is the highest form of worship, more than speaking in tongues, more than quoting Scripture.

As we saw among the two sons in our study on Sunday, one said, "Yes, Father, I'll go" and then he didn't. He realized that there were things that were far more important to him; it wasn't convenient in his scheduling. The other was aware of his busy schedule, aware of all of his delights, things that he enjoyed doing, his recreation, and his obligations, whatever they might be. He said, "I'm not going, I just don't have the time. I don't have the desire." Then it repented him; his heart was smitten when he thought about the goodness of his father. Obedience is the fruit of the awareness of the worthiness of our Father. That is why we call it worship, as we shared on Sunday. "Worthship." We put the worth upon God through our acknowledging His fatherhood. Our desire is to please Him, to replicate Him and to depend upon Him. "My Father, I hallow Your name. I'm dependent upon You for my daily necessities. I don't seek an earthly kingdom, for I pray 'Thy kingdom come.' I no longer seek obedience. 'Thy will be done.' I know that there is no good in me, forgive me as I am then enabled to forgive those who are debtors to me. I stand in awe of the eternal perspective for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."

Do you live in that realm of prayer, the Lord's Prayer being practical, working in your life, and affecting every decision that you make? That's the obedience that we're looking for, just walking in obedience to that one prayer. Don't worry about all of the specifics, "Am I supposed to turn left here, turn right there? Does God want me to buy this new house? Am I supposed to take this job?" Living in that relationship with Him and fulfilling, as we shared Sunday, the whole duty of man. "Fear God, and keep his commandments." A hunger for the awareness of who God is, a desire to press in and taste the goodness of God in a realm today that we've not known before in our lives. Obedience is a constant pursuit to know Him more. As we press in to touch the hem of His garment, as we press in to be baptized with the coal that comes from the altar, as we walk boldly because we've been cleansed with the blood of Jesus, there's a boldness to enter in. We obey, then, that greatest of all commandments, "...love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy [strength]." Obedience is the pursuit of the fulfillment of that greatest commandment. It's not just in all of the daily activities, but are we living lives of obedience to press in and know Him, to be conformed into His image? That's what really causes all of these other aspects to become effectual in our lives. They just become the byproducts of relationship with our Father.

We want to pick up a little bit this evening and talk about that obedience through the knowledge of God, that obedience that comes by relationship. It's not a legislative obedience; it's an obedience based on respect. It's a relational obedience, not a legislative obedience. Turn with me this evening to Exodus, chapter 19, and we'll look at a couple of passages here that will affect us and give that wisdom to us. We were sharing on Sunday out of Deuteronomy 10:12 and looked at the basic requirements of the Lord. "...What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul." The great commandment of God, "Love the Lord Thy God." What does He require of you?

What we want to look at tonight is why He requires it of us. He requires it of us, the Scripture makes very clear, for our good, not to satisfy His ego. God is not on some kind of a power trip. Don't bring Him down to your level. When you think about your Father, let His biblically revealed attributes dictate how you respond to Him, not your perception, but His revelation, how He's revealed Himself, who He's revealed Himself to be. The thing that causes rebellion to rise up in many of our hearts--it's in every one of us, we're the sons of Adam and we've been redeemed and adopted into the household of God--but in our flesh remain the character traits of our father, Adam. We know that in the natural, none of us can deny genetics, can we? It's the same thing with Adam, and what the father of man was, we are. It's a very frightening thing, but He wants to renew in us an understanding of the fact that we're no longer under the old Adam, but that new Adam, the Adam that is the blood of God without spot or wrinkle. The word "Adam" means "the blood of God." As we look at that, we see this last Adam, the one that we're now to be emulating, the one that is living in us, the one that we're pursuing life in. The Scripture says it's very important that we understand that it is our responsibility to move in a reverential fear and a pursuit. It's not going to just come to us. It has to be hungered for; it has to be thirsted after. When we seek Him with all of our heart, the Scripture says, then we're going to find Him.

There is a mandate, a requirement that's been put upon us. What does the Lord require of you? In this relationship there are responsibilities that have been put upon us: to fear Him, to walk in His ways, to love Him, to serve Him with our heart and with our souls. The Scripture says over in Exodus, chapter 19, verse 5, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine." The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He owns everything else, praise God. He owns the hills, amen? What He is saying to you and me here--and this is what a lot of people miss--is that God desires to bless us. His whole purpose is to pour out blessings upon us. Turn over with me, if you would, to Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verse 29. As we see the goodness of God, we're looking to obey Him out of respect, out of honor, out of reverence. These commandments that are put upon us are for our good. Most of us rebel when we seem to think somebody wants to take advantage of us, somebody wants to lord it over us and take from us our free will. In our relationship with Father, it is not a taking from us, it's an offering up of our free will, amen? Therefore, there is no rebellion involved; it's an act of obedience. It's done willfully. It's done reverentially, it's done respectfully; it's done gladly because we've come to realize what we're able to do in our own strength.

As the sons of Adam, we seem to think that we can still run our own show, that we're going to be able to make a success of our own lives, and that, somehow, we know better than God. No one would say that, but we make those decisions on a daily basis. The highest form of worship is obedience. Obedience is the fruit of humility, of submission. Obedience is the fruit of pursuing the glory of God and pressing in to know Him. Most of us don't like to be told what to do. All of us don't like to be told what to do! People that are successful in the world are just people that are able to tell other people what to do without them knowing they've been told what to do. We call them motivators, we call them leaders, but, basically, they are people who tell other people what to do in a way that is palatable and usually because of some sort of success that others want to emulate or partake of. They want to go along for the ride. Some want to produce it in their own ability, others want to go along for the ride on the coattails of those that are successful, the meteoric personalities in the world, but man is man and so, somewhere, if you and I are going to be able to come into that highest form of worship, there is going to have to be a death to self. We're going to have to realize then that obedience is the fruit of selflessness. We're able to subordinate ourselves and God's wisdom is able to manifest.

The reason that most of us want to control our lives is because we're afraid we're going to get "bested," somebody is going to take advantage of us. There's a game show that I never saw when it was on TV, but I've caught it recently late at night on the Game Show Station. Isn't it amazing what cable has got, or satellite? There are all kinds of stations, man! There's a whole station that is just old game shows. I was going through there and I saw this thing and it's something that I've watched and I've never seen it when it was on. It's a game show called Friend or Foe. I enjoy watching it because it's a study on human nature. It's interesting what people do and how they unite in the heat of competition to reach a certain goal which is the team, and they earn x number of dollars. At the very end, you get to vote friend or foe and you can either vote friend/friend and you split the money, but, if somehow you can con them into thinking you're their friend and then stab them in the back, you get all the money. Now how many of you know what happens 90 percent of the time? Foe/foe, and they are just hoping that they've conned that other person and they're going to walk away with all the goods. It's a great study in human nature. Man is evil. Selfish, independent. Teamwork, high fives. The cool thing about this show is that right before they vote, they get to look each other in the eye and tell them why they're going to vote "friend" and why they should be trusted, and then they stab them in the back. It's great. The reason is, they can't bring themselves to vote "friend" and it's not always because "I don't like the guy, I'm selfish." It's just always, "If I vote "friend" and they vote "foe" somebody is taking advantage of me and, bless God, nobody is going to take advantage of me." That's what the sponsors are relying upon and 90 percent of the time they don't have to give out any money. It's just the point that somebody took advantage--it's not the money. "Somebody is going to take advantage of me and I will not stand for that." We want to control our own lives.

Listen to what the Lord says here in Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verse 29. He says in Exodus 19, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people...." In the new covenant we realize that we are that peculiar treasure, we are a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation that has been called, anointed, sanctified, ordained to show forth the praises of Him that has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, praise God! "You will become a treasure. You will become a people that I will put My spirit into for the purpose of glorifying Me. In other words, the more you obey Me, the more I will enable you to obey Me. I'll make you a treasure; you'll become valuable to Me because you glorify Me." If you will do this, there is a byproduct. Deuteronomy 5:29, "Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, [That's a powerful phrase isn't it? Looking for a people that would reverence Me. They would keep all of My commandments. Say it with me: always] and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever." "If you will obey Me, if you will put everything into My hands, if you will empty yourself, I'll see to it that it is well with you all the days of your life." It's by the fear of the Lord that comes wisdom, and knowledge, and wealth. It is this reverence, this obedience, the ability to recognize who you are and the decision to trust in Him to make you what He wants you to be, to finish the work. "[I] am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." He that has begun this work in me, will do it, praise God!" But all the time, that old man is saying, "You'd better watch out for yourself. You'd better make an investment for yourself. You've got your children to watch out for. You've got to build this kingdom. You've got to protect yourself. You've got to make sure that you don't find yourself lacking somewhere in the future."

That's the reason most people can't give freely. It's amazing how many Christians, and we've talked about this before, Christians that are unable to obey God in the area of their financial giving. As a whole, Christians, the majority of the church, are not tithers. The average--as we've shared with you before, (and I think it's gone up some since the last study, but its been recent enough that we can identify with it--the average fundamentalist, Bible-reading, Bible-believing, church-attending, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, fundamentalist Baptist, Presbyterian, gives of their resources in the area of about $600 a year. Why would that be? Why do Bible-believing Christians not tithe? Because of fear. Not the fear of God, but the fear of lack, the fear of being taken advantage of. "I believe in God, but just in case, I've got to watch out for myself." That's why people don't give. It's not about the money; it's about the obedience, and that's where the worship is. The worship is in the obedience, it's not in the substance. God uses the substance for His own purposes. He's designated the use of it, but that's not what it's about. It's about the obedience. That's why He says He's going to take the offerings of those that are robbing from Him and rub dung in their faces, not just in the observable worship. Father is not concerned with public opinion. Everything that He does is in the eternal realm. This is about God's eternal worship, not the discernable worship. This is about Him receiving His glory from before the foundations of the world and into eternity to come. This is about His creation recognizing His majesty. As we see the goodness of God and we recognize that and we trust Him, then it says we will become the recipients of that. If we will keep His commandments always, it will be well with us, praise God.

"By [obedience] and fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life" (Proverbs 22:4). We are looking at the commandments of God and the promises of God. He says that it is going to go on into generations and with our children. Think about that. So what does that mean? "It means that I'm going to obey and God is going to heap all kinds of material things upon me and my kids will get to inherit that." That's not what that's talking about. "It will be well with your children because they will know how to worship God and I'll deal with them in their generation. I'll be their God." We're going to look at Joshua in just a moment where he made the declaration, "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua's statement there concerning him and his house was the fulfillment of the ordination that was placed on him through the laying on of Moses' hands. It's a beautiful thing to watch that manifest itself. Look over to Joshua 24 for just a second, as we look at the great warrior of God that Joshua was--what a great man! He was proven as a young man at the tabernacle of God, proven on the mountain of God as he sat and waited for Moses when everyone else had given him up as dead. Joshua had another spirit in him, praise God! When everybody else was looking back to Egypt and everybody else was looking at their secular, natural investments, Joshua saw a flicker on the mountain. He didn't know what it was, he hadn't partaken of it at this time, but he knew that his heart wasn't in the world. When he saw the glory on Moses' face and when he knew the visitation of God in the tabernacle, he didn't leave because he was afraid he would miss God.

Why do we come to prayer? "I'm afraid I'm going to miss God." Why do we come to church? "What if God shows up, what if that's the service when E.G. walks, and I'm not there? What if that's the service that Bill is healed, that Neil is perfectly restored, that Larry's back is healed? What if one of our brothers and sisters who has been seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit is filled that particular service? What if the guy you invited from work really does show up?" Joshua thought, "Man, I can't miss the presence of God." He had another spirit in him. The Scripture tells us in Joshua 24, beginning in verse 14, "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt." Learn something from those in your midst that have failed and be followers of those who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises of God. Don't reinvent the wheel; don't think there is some other way to do it. This is the way, it's been set before you; choose the old paths. "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, [That's quite a statement isn't it? If it seems evil unto you, if you think you're going to get ripped off by serving God, if you think unless you make the choice of your life's mate, you think unless you choose your life's vocation, you think unless you're in charge of your portfolio. If it seems evil unto you] choose you this day whom ye will serve." God is all about choices, whether it's here, whether it's on Mt. Carmel with Elijah, or an encounter with Jesus when He says, "Don't say you love Me and not keep My commandments." You choose, because by your fruit you are known. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments and they will not be grievous unto you."

There will be an obedience and a delight in being able to obey. "If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; [There's really only one other choice isn't there?] whether the gods which your fathers served [Do you want to end up there? Are you going to return as the dog to his vomit? Have you forgotten how incapable you are of running your own life? Are you going to serve the gods of your fathers, your father Adam?] that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [I've made a commitment to do the works of God regardless of what the consequences might be to me.] And the people [responded] and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; [verse 16] For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt.... And the Lord drave out from before us all the people... [our enemies, verse 18]. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good." Listen to what Joshua is saying here. We just saw that the Lord wants us, in Deuteronomy 5, to "...keep all [His] commandments always, that it might be well with [us] and with [our] children for ever."

Basically, what Joshua is saying here and what was spoken to us in Deuteronomy is this: Obedience isn't just an option for blessing. Disobedience brings judgment, brings opposition, and brings destruction. "I will oppose those who oppose me." Obedience isn't an option. Moses did not bring down the tablets of the Ten "Suggestions." "Take this home and consider it...." As Joshua is speaking here, they're smitten and they're saying, "Joshua what do you mean, man? We want to serve God!" "And Joshua said unto the people, [verse 22] Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him." Doesn't the Scripture say that it's better not to vow a vow than to vow it and not keep it? We've chosen to make Him Lord. We have no other options; there is no other alternative. When you come to a certain situation, a certain circumstance in life, it's not "Well, am I going to chose to do God's will or do it my way?" That is not an option for you. It's "What would you have me to do, Lord?" Not "Am I going to obey" but "How are you going to work this obedience in me, what is it that you want me to do? How do you want me to carry out this obedience? I've already purposed to obey; I'm going to do the will of God. I may not always know what it is. I may not always know how to activate, initiate that obedience but I've already decided to obey." That is what Joshua is saying here.

Choose today what you are going to do. Are you going to be a people that obey? "...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." "So will we." "No, you can't serve God. He's holy and jealous and you've already proved yourselves a stiff-necked, rebellious people. You've already proven you can't serve God." "Yes, we will!" Okay, now you've judged yourself. This was the fruit; this is the evidence of what you were but you're saying that God is to be served and He's a merciful God. He is longsuffering, and He wants to make you a peculiar people to Himself. He wants to do you good all the days of your life, and He wants to bless your children. Because you're saying that, you've become witnesses against yourself. "...and they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore [verse 23] put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day... [and they set up a memorial, verse 27] ...So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his own inheritance." In other words, what was happening here, Joshua was saying, "Look, man, I'm getting ready to leave (just like when Moses left) now I've finished the task that was before me. I've done what I told God I would do and I've done what the man of God commissioned me to do and now it's in your hands. Are you going to serve God or not? "...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." "Are you going to serve God or not?" They said, "Yes."

Every one of us in our lives is called into that same court of the justice of God, of the holiness of God. We've said that we would assume a subordinate role, that we would acknowledge Jesus' lordship in our lives. So often, like Israel, we've found ourselves serving self again, serving the gods from which we've come, but in the hour of preparation, this hour of the purging of the bride, God is stirring our hearts again. He's saying, "You can't live off of the decisions, off of the victories that you have won in years past. Today is the day of your salvation. Are you choosing, are you serving God today?" Go back to Exodus 24 real quickly. The servant of the Lord was speaking in Exodus 24. Moses is bringing admonition to the people and the people promise their obedience. All the people said, in verse 3, "...All the words which the Lord hath said will we do." The Scripture says that "...Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning and builded an altar...." In verse six, he takes half of the blood of the offering and puts it in a basin and half the blood he sprinkles upon the altar and then, (I love this part in verse seven. Look.) "And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people." This reminds you what they were doing in Ezra's and Nehemiah's time. When the temple was restored and the people had been brought out of captivity, there was always a return to the Word of God. There was always a return to individual obedience, and individual responsibility, an awareness of personal revival.

We're praying for God to move in our midst. We're praying for miracles; we're praying for souls, but there cannot be a corporate revival without personal revival. It starts when every one of us has our own personal revival, when we all choose to lay down the idols, and we all choose to subordinate, to bow our knees. You're not going to just be swept up into a revival. You're going to dive in. You're going to become the cause. The Scripture says in the 7th verse that they all spoke and said, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it upon the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words [your words of commitment]." As they're putting this tabernacle together, preparing for the visitation of God, God calls Moses again unto the mountain in verse 12 and said, "Take all of this that I have written and teach the people." There is nothing that you can do as spiritual leaders, fathers, that is greater than teaching your children obedience to the Word of God. "What are we going to do, Dad?" "I don't know. Wait just a second; I'm going to see what God has to say in His Word. We're not living by my wisdom, son. We're not doing this according to my ability. We're here about Father's business." To fail to walk in that attitude of humility, of submission, is to not have the fear of the Lord.

As we end this evening's session, turn over to Nehemiah and let's see how necessary that is in our lives, to be able to walk into that awareness of the awesomeness of our God. That [awareness] which arrested the heart of Joshua; that which caused him to be jealous for the presence of God. Nothing else interested him. He lost his appetite; he lost the desire for anything else but that visitation of God. It dominated his thoughts. He was obsessed to know Him more. We find these words in Nehemiah, chapter 1, verse 4: "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and I wept...." He had heard about the condition of the temple, and his heart was to return and to see the glory of God restored, because the temple was the visible representation of God's authority. It was the place, the Scripture says, where He chose to put His name. People knew when they went there that they were going for the purpose of the visitation of God, the shekinah, whether observable or not, present. In our lives, where two or three of us are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of us. "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Ezra hears about the condition. He hears that God is not being glorified; there's a mocking of His power. It says when he heard this he "...wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. And said, I beseech thee O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy [look at it] for them that love him and observe his commandments." A terrible God, God's awesomeness, His majesty, His presence undoes the pillars. It causes a man's knees to smite together, the most spiritual to fall at His feet as dead. So many of us want to just casually have a relationship with Him. "How you doin' today? Oh, by the way, bless me." When we access the presence of God in boldness through the blood of Jesus, it doesn't mean arrogance. It doesn't mean that we come in on an equal plane; it doesn't mean there is a commonness. The boldness is the understanding that we're perceived and received in the righteousness of Jesus Christ by the works of Jesus, not our own. We are absolute debtors. Without that blood, the efficacious work, we'd be consumed in a moment. God is terrible. "You can't serve Him!" Joshua said. "Who do you think you are?" "But, we want to." Then He will enable you, but it's going to be through your decisions, [your] specific, momentary, daily choice to honor God rather than honor yourselves. He's a terrible God, but He keeps covenant and mercy for those that love Him and keep His commandments. Many of us think that we're going to receive from God based upon our ability to obligate Him through enough Scripture that we can tie His hands and make Him accountable to us through His Word. He said "I'll already bless you and your kids; all you need to do is obey Me. All you have to do is depend upon me. All you have to do is honor Me, fear Me, for this is your duty." Fear God, walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all of your heart.

Father, we thank You for the Word of God tonight and we're humbled by Your desire to make us a peculiar treasure to Yourself. So many times we're out seeking treasures and we are Your treasures. We place value on so many things that are not related to You. You are the pearl of great price. We don't obey because we think we know better. We don't want to obey because we think we're going to come up short. We think somehow that we can provide. Hallowed be Your name. Thy kingdom come, Your will be done in these earthen vessels as it is in heaven. Give me this day daily bread sufficient for me. I don't ask You because I think You're not willing, I only pray this prayer from obedience because I know Your mercies.

He said we have not because we ask not, and when we ask, we ask amiss, desiring to consume upon our own lusts. I ask You because You've commanded me to ask You. Forgive me, Lord, all debt through the blood of Jesus. Forgive me my independence, my selfishness, for I do forgive those who trespass against me. I can't do it without Your grace but there is something working in me that enables me to forgive those who have sinned against me. Therefore, I know that Your love and Your life is alive in me because without it, I can't. I thank You. I believe that You have forgiven me my debts because You've enabled me to forgive my debtors. Don't leave me, Lord. Don't allow me to walk in the way of sinners; don't let me sit in the seat of the scorner. Lead me not into temptation. Don't allow me to be tried past that that I'm able to stand; but with every temptation, make the way of escape that I might bring glory to Your name. Deliver me from the evil one as I resist the devil and he flees from me, as I'm not ignorant of his devices. I'm aware of his subtlety, his lies, and his flattery. I refuse his attempt to put deity upon me for my eyes have been opened and I am a man of unclean lips. I behold myself in the mirror of Your Word. My eyes have been opened through the Tree of Life, not the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, therefore, I can pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever." In Your kingdom, You reign as King and I bow my knee in obedience. In Jesus' name, Father, that's my choice today. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord tonight. As Gary plays for us, we'll just take a moment to worship Him and thank Him for His Spirit that's alive in us. Obedience is a choice; it's a choice for life. Choose this day who you will serve. As for me and my house, we're serving God. Whatever it takes, we're serving God. Let's sing this together and just worship Him. For You are great / You do miracles so great. Oh, we bless You, Lord. How great is He tonight? Is He worthy of your obedience? A terrible God, a jealous God. Oh, we bow our knee, Lord. Oh, hallelujah! Just worship Him tonight. Just thank Him for working in your life, the grace that works in you to obey. It's grace; you can't obey without His free gift of grace and mercy. It's not in you. That's not you, that's Him working in you to will and to do His good pleasure. We're debtors even to our obedience. We're undone, Lord, without You. Helpless, hopeless, but so thankful for Your love and You choosing us and making us a peculiar treasure unto Yourself, the very inheritance of God. Everything we say and everything we profess to believe is vain apostasy if we fail to obey. Hallelujah! You do, Lord, You deserve the glory and the honor. Hallelujah! We can't make a right decision without Him, we can't even choose to do right, to obey, without His mercy, without His free gift. How worthy He is of our worship and our praise!

Let's sing this together and just worship Him. You deserve the glory and the honor.... Oh, Lord, we bless You. You are great, Lord. Hallelujah! Oh, for You are great, Lord! Thank You, Jesus. You're so great, Lord. You're so great, Lord, You're beyond words. We stand in awe of You. We stand dumb, only able to say, "Thank You. Somehow strengthen us to glorify Your name." It's our heart's desire, Father, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen, amen. Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Amen. Go in peace, God's love go with you.

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