Message topic: Have we gotten rid of our disobedience?
Scripture text: 1st Samuel 15:19-23
I do believe that all the children of God, should know that the only thing that could marred the relationship between man and God, is disobedience which took place in Eden and cause an expulsion.
Now comes that big question for all the children of God: have we gotten rid of the disobedient nature that was passed from our four fathers unto us before we were even born?
How can we know that the disobedience of our four fathers affected us? Listen to these words of the prayer of David when he asked God for forgiveness of his sins against God Himself.
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me; against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight: that thou might be justified when thou speak, and be clear when you judge.
Behold I was shape in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceived me; He was saying I came together by disobedient people, but know I realize that you desire truth, so forgive my act of disobedience against your will.
God had no desire to separate Himself from the man whom he made in His own likeness, so He sent His only son who had no sin, not only to show the way back to God the Father, but to show the way of obedience and blessings so we will shun disobedience.
All through the ages mankind has failed to be obedient to God, because some says there is no God; others say God is dead and even some who do believe that God exist, often fail follow His instructions which was directly given to them.
In the book of 1st. Samuel 15: 1-3 we find these words: Samuel also said unto Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be King over his people, over Israel: now therefore harken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord of host, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt: now go to smit Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spear them not: but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. How did Saul act to this command, obediently or disobediently?
Saul disobeyed a clear instruction from God through the prophet Samuel. Many Christians and members of various religions, for one reason or the other, do disobey God just like Saul did.
Did Saul went on the mission as he was directed to? The answer is yes, did he do all that he was instructed to do? No. so what was the result of his action, keeping in mind that Saul was a man of God.
Saul took the King of the Amalekites and all the fatlings, of the lambs and oxen, and utterly destroy the rest. Then came the word of the Lord to unto Samuel, saying, it repented me that I have set up Saul to be King for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments: this grieved Samuel and he cried unto the Lord all night.
Saul did not only disobey the command of the Lord given to him by Samuel, he also lied to Samuel when he said that he had done as he was commanded to do.
Then Samuel spoke these words of the Lord unto Saul: rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: because thou hast rejected the words of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being King. All because of disobedience.
It is also recorded for us in 1st. Kings 13 that a man of God was sent from Judah to Bethel to warn the King of his wrong doings: he was not happy with the message from the man of God, and wanted to hurt him, and stretched fort his hand towards him in anger, but he could not pull it back, as it became lifeless.
Then he turned to the man of God and asked him to intreat the face of the Lord God, and pray for me that my hand may be restored, so when the man of God asked that his hand be restores, it took place.
The King desire to show gratitude to the man of God said unto him, come home with me and refresh yourself and I will give you a reward: but the man of God said unto the King: If you will give me half of your house, I will not go with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place, he wanted to be obedient to God.
For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord saying, eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that you came into the city: so he went another way, and returned not by the way he came into Bethel.
The sons of an old prophet who lived in the city went home and told their father what had happened while at the time of sacrifice.
He then after learning the way the man of God was traveling, went after him, and found him resting under an oak tree and said unto him, art thou the man of God from Judah? He answered and said, yes: then the old prophet said to him, come home with me and eat bread.
Then the man of God answered him in these words; I may not return with you, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.
It was told to me by the word of the Lord, thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou came.
The old prophet lied to him in these words; I am a prophet also as you are: and an angel spoke unto me by the word of the Lord , saying, bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water, but this was a lie. So he went back with him and did eat bread in his house and drink water.
While they were yet at the table the old prophet said unto the man of God, because you came back and eat bread and drink water which the Lord had command you not to do, thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers.
When he left a lion met and killed him, all because of his disobedience to the commands given to him by the Lord.
You and I as children of the Most- High God, how obedient are we to Him? God is against all evil acts and disobedience to His commands no matter who you are: that is why Jonah had to be punished for his disobedience.
Why are so many of the people who believes in God are still disobedient to Him when He gives them tasks to do? We know that in the case of Jonah it was most likely because of selfishness.
The Ninevites and the Israelites did not have much in common, the Ninevites were not people who feared God and had conflicts with their neighbor on many occasions, so when God told Jonah to go and warn them of their need to repent, he disobeyed God, and hope that God would destroy them.
God through his love for mankind is not willing to destroy anyone without giving them the opportunity to hear what is about to happen to them if they do not heed his warning.
His disobedience to God was because of his selfishness to his neighbors: what is it that is causing our Disobedience to God today? Is it because of selfishness, pride, lack of understanding or because we are being deceived by someone?
We who clamed to be children of the most- High God, how obedient or disobedient are we to the commands of God to us?