Taking Orders from God

Coming Under the Dominion of the Bible!

1 Samuel 3

 

November 20th 2011 AM

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.       Introduction (Mt 8:23-27)

 

A.    The wind and waves obeyed Jesus Christ!

B.     Demons obeyed Christ (Mk 1:27) – no debates, no hassle! Just obeyed!

C.     Mankind? Well, we have a problem with obeying anybody!

D.    Listen to Psalm 119:133, “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”

E.     What a wonderful thought! That a person can be free from the dominion of iniquity!

F.      Not free from sin itself, but from its dominion – its power over you!

G.    Two basic preaching thoughts I want to learn for the remainder of this month:

 

1.      Taking Orders!

2.      and

3.      Freedom in Christ!

 

H.    Both concepts are tough for modern Christians to accept.

 

1.      The first thought being that freedom comes not because we have no master over us anymore, telling us what and what not to do, but that we have the right Master, telling us what and what not to do!

2.      And the second thought being what freedom from iniquity means! Freedom from sin should mean more to us than freedom from slavery, debt, health problems, troubles, and from physical enemies! But that’s next week!

 

II.    Background

 

A.    All of us have a big problem taking orders

 

1.      We love opinions, and personal beliefs

2.      But we have a big problem with someone giving us a command

3.      We have been raised to think that no one should be able to “boss” us around, or “order” us around like slaves!

 

B.     Yet, we easily take orders from “friends” and even sometimes from our employers

 

1.      What weird thing to try – my “friends” were always getting me to do stupid new things! Funny that my parents couldn’t get me to try new foods, or get me to develop a new hobby.

2.      What time to come to work – parents couldn’t get you up early, but a few euros will!

3.      What clothes to wear – funny that your parents are never allowed to stop you from wearing carnal clothing, and immodest fashion

 

C.     But we don’t easily take orders from God! (Psalm 81:10,11)

 

1.      Notice the “But my people would not hearken to my voice”

2.      The last part is the worst! “They would none of me” meaning, they wanted nothing to do with me!

 

D.    God gives us orders, commandments and expects us to obey – for our benefit!

 

1.      Did you ever read something called… “The Ten COMMANDMENTS”?

2.      Deut 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

3.      The entire Bible is not a history Book, or a dream or vision Book, or a fairy tale Book, or a religious Book…

4.      It is an Instruction Book, filled with examples of people who either followed the instructions, and succeeded, or ignored the instructions, and failed life miserably!

 

E.     Jesus gave us commandments! Not just a bunch of stories!

 

1.      John 14:15, 21, 24

 

a.       To obey Christ’s commandments is what it means to love Him

b.      If you are not obeying His word, it is because you don’t love Him – and because you don’t know Him!

c.       Jesus didn’t just teach us HOW to get along, and HOW to live…

d.      He COMMANDED us to live that way and expects us to do it!

 

2.      John 15:10-14

 

a.       Obedience to Jesus Christ is part of our relationship with Him

b.      He is the Master, and we are His friends

c.       But we are only as close to him as we willing to obey Him!

 

3.      1st John 5:3, Christ’s commandments are not grievous, so don’t expect to get away with complaining about them!

4.      One more for good measure… (Luke 6:46-49)

 

a.       Did you notice 46? Why call Jesus “Lord”, and not do what He says to do?

b.      Don’t we understand that to be a Christian means “doing what Jesus says to do?”

c.       Otherwise we are building our lives on sand!

d.      No wonder Christians are not much different than the world they live in!

 

F.      Do you realise that it is possible to be free from the dominion of sin?

 

1.      1Cor 6:12 “I will not be brought under the power of anything!”

2.      Romans 6:6, “from henceforth we should not serve sin”

3.      Romans 6:12-14, “Let not sin therefore reign… sin shall not have any dominion over you!”

4.      Romans 6:17, “ye were the servants of sin!”

5.      No wonder the devil works so hard to keep us in a bad attitude about obeying!!! Because it is the secret of a joyful heart and a successful life!

 

G.    This morning, I want to look at a young man who learned how to take orders from God, from an early age – and became one of the greatest prophets Israel has ever known! Samuel!

 

1.      Samuel was a miracle baby born to a praying Mother named Hannah

2.      When we open chapter 3 of the book of 1st Samuel, we find young Samuel in the Tabernacle of God, lying down to sleep

3.      And we see an incredible example of taking orders from God! A great example of how God makes someone great and a success!

 

III. Message – Taking Orders from God

 

A.    Obey as a Child (3:1) – it starts there!

 

1.      Obedience is learned best as a child.

 

a.       If not learned then, it only gets harder to learn. The heart gets harder, and neck gets “stiffer”

b.      Some of you are way too “grown up” for God to use!!!

 

2.      Jesus learned obedience as a young child (Luke 2:46-52) – not that He didn’t obey, but He learned what it meant to obey flawed authorities in His earthly life

3.      Samuel learned obedience as a young child

 

a.       First from his parents: Hannah and Elkanah.

b.      They did not have loads of time with Samuel – by the time he was 10 years old, he was transferring to boarding school at the Tabernacle with Eli, the high priest

c.       So Hannah and Elkanah taught their first born son the most important things like:

 

1)      The fear of the Lord

2)      Obedience

3)      Respect

4)      Serving – ministering to others

5)      Hard work

 

d.      It was no accident that Samuel was so obedient, and so respectful, and hardworking as a young man!

e.       It will be no accident in our children, or even in our own lives!

 

4.      Don’t think you cannot learn obedience to God (Mt 18:1-4). It just begins with starting over! Becoming a child again at heart!

5.      No Wonder Obedience is Rare!

 

a.       It is not easy and “normal” and “natural”

b.      The time in which Samuel was growing up was a spiritually dark time

 

1)      There were no preachers, or prophets at that day!

2)      The word of God was incomplete – only Genesis – Judges

3)      People were just doing as they wanted (Judges 21:25)

 

c.       It has never been an easy thing for people to obey – we all normally just obey when it is in our best interest

 

B.     Obedience Yields to Authority (1Sam 3:1-5)

 

1.      Young Samuel Respected Authority

 

a.       Just as young Samuel was going to sleep, a voice was heard… a name… HIS name! “Samuel!”

b.      Young Samuel bolts out of bed, and runs into Eli’s room

c.       Why? Because he thought Eli had called his name

d.      Notice!

 

1)      Samuel didn’t yell, “Waddaya want!”

2)      Samuel didn’t give out to Eli for bothering him and waking him up

3)      Samuel didn’t ignore the call

4)      Samuel respected his authority enough to RUN to him!

 

2.      God uses several things to communicate His orders to us (Pr 16:9; Ps 37:23)

 

a.       Parents (Col 3:20)

b.      Husband (Col 3:18)

 

1)      Every married woman in this room that loves God needs to honour their husband with the right to lead their home!

2)      I know your husband has failed a zillion times, but God works through authority – He speaks through authority!

3)      There are exceptions, but we live by the exceptions now-days. It’s time to get back to living by the Bible!

 

c.       Employer (Col 3:22)

d.      Government (Rom 13:1; Titus 3:1)

e.       Troubles – problems (Rom 2:4)

f.       Pastor (Heb 13:17) – most of my instructions to people go unobeyed

 

1)      I can talk straight up to someone (about smoking, drinking, anger, bitterness, stress, forgiving), and they will give me every excuse why they can’t obey, and why they won’t obey!

2)      But when their doctor says the very same things (that the stress is killing them, and the cigarettes and the drink), well, they seem to take him seriously!

3)      Funny isn’t?

4)      Do you realise just what God has called me to do?

 

3.      Are you listening to any of them? Or are you resisting every pull and push by God?

 

a.       It’s funny that we have all those authorities over our lives and we are the most rebellious of generations!

b.      “The measure of a Christian’s character is found in their obedience to God’s word, and to nothing else!”

c.       If you don’t obey the physical, flawed authorities in your life that GOD has placed in your life, then how can you think you obey God?

 

C.     Take Orders from the Bible – God’s Law

 

1.      Are you trusting God enough to obey His COMMANDS? THAT’S faith!

2.      How many of you read this Book to learn not just truths, but commands?

3.      These are God’s instructions – God’s directions on how to LIVE

4.      Obey them and you will LIVE

5.      Examples include:

 

a.       Washing hands before eating

b.      Not eating scavenger animals – long before antibiotics invented

c.       Completely resting one day out of the week

d.      Making yourselves forgive – never keeping a grudge

e.       Ye must be born again!

 

6.      The only reason you would let your husband lead, will be because you are trusting God enough to obey His COMMAND to let him lead your home! As flawed as he may be!

7.      The only reason why you would let your parents guide and direct and limit your life will, be because you love and trust God enough to obey His COMMAND to obey them! As flawed as they may be!

8.      The only reason why you would humble yourself and admit that you have failed to keep God’s laws and decide to cry out to Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you from hell, is because Jesus commanded you to do so in order to be saved from the wrath to come!!!

 

D.    A Right Heart, or a Ruined Life (1Sam 3:6-10)

 

1.      This is the amazing secret of a Christian’s life – a right attitude towards God’s commands

2.      Notice when God speaks – in the quiet times of our life!

 

a.       Make time for quiet

b.      No radio, TV, mp3 players, friends, family

 

3.      Notice how you can either be like Eli, who ignored God’s commandments, and ended up with a ruined life and home…

4.      Or like Samuel!

 

a.       Samuel is ready to Listen to God – pay close attention – “Speak Lord…”

 

1)      Eli taught him how to listen to God

2)      Eli told Samuel to do whatever God said do!

 

b.      Samuel desired for God to speak!

 

1)      We hear the voice of man so much.

2)      Do you have a desire to hear God’s voice, to hear about His love for you (Romans 5:8); about His wondrous gift to you (Romans 6:23); about His salvation (Acts 4:12); about your acceptance before Him through faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:6); about your work and sport, leisure and home, about your future and His plan for your life, about Heaven and about eternity…? Have you a longing to hear His voice?

3)      You have listened to everyone else, and take a look at where it has got you!

 

c.       Samuel was so ready to:

 

1)      Accept God’s authority and power over his life

2)      Allow God to tell him what He wanted done

3)      Will you?

 

5.      A right heart towards GOD’S commandments makes all the difference (Rom 6:16)

6.      Samuel had the heart of a servant, ready and willing to do whatever God said do! That made him great!

 

E.     Our Obedience Will be Tested (1Sam 3:11-18)

 

1.      Every Christian’s obedience will be tested

 

a.       When we are teaching Sunday School class

b.      When we are out soul-winning

c.       When we are surrounded by pagans on the job

 

2.      “He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully” (Jer. 23:28).

 

a.       God may say to you as He did to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle." (1 Samuel 3:11).

b.      These were not the words Samuel wanted to hear… Words of judgment and troubles ahead for Eli (11-14)

c.       It was not good news

 

3.      When God speaks we must obey.

4.      When God speaks it may not be a pleasant message.

5.      The important and crucial thing is that we obey God when He does speak. "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." (1 Samuel 3:19).

 

F.      Obedience to God is the Source of Greatness and Power with God (1Sam 3:19-21)

 

1.      This may seem so unimportant to you…

2.      But it is the greatest goal of any Christian!

 

a.       To be great in God’s eyes, and to be used by Him!

b.      To be free from the dominion of this world’s fashions and pressures!

 

3.      The greatest men of all time were not…

 

a.       Genghis Khan of Mongolia

b.      Albert Einstein

c.       Alexander the Great in Greece

d.      Augustus Caesar of Rome

e.       Joseph Stalin of Moscow

f.       Even though they may have conquered nations, and discovered great things, they all ruined their world, and destroyed countless millions of lives and homes

 

4.      The greatest people of all time, who affected countless millions more lives than all the dictators and scientists put together include:

 

a.       Jesus Christ

b.      The Apostle Paul

c.       Moses –almost all laws in the western world are based upon his laws

d.      Abraham

e.       Sarah

f.       And Samuel

 

5.      And these were all great, because they allowed God to order their steps – to order their lives

6.      So, There is no other way than by a soft, yielded spirit to His orders!

 

IV. Application and Conclusion

 

A.    Jesus asks in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

 

1.      The wind and waves obeyed Jesus Christ!

2.      Demons obeyed Christ (Mk 1:27)

3.      Mankind? Well, we have a problem with obeying anybody!

 

B.     Listen to Psalm 119:133, “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”

C.     What a wonderful thought! That a person can be free from the dominion of iniquity!

D.    Not free from sin itself, but from its dominion – its power over you!

E.     This morning, we have looked at a young man who learned how to take orders from God, from an early age – and became one of the greatest prophets Israel has ever known! Samuel!

 

1.      Obey as a Child – it starts there!

2.      Obedience Yields to Authority – as long as that authority is not crossing with the Bible, they are to be obeyed!

3.      Take Orders from the Bible – God’s Law!

 

a.       These are God’s instructions – God’s directions on how to LIVE

b.      Obey them and you will LIVE

c.       The only reason you would let your husband lead, will be because you are trusting God enough to obey His COMMAND to let him lead your home! As flawed as he may be!

d.      The only reason why you would let your parents guide and direct and limit your life will, be because you love and trust God enough to obey His COMMAND to obey them! As flawed as they may be!

 

4.      You Can have a Right Heart, or a Ruined Life

 

a.       Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth!

b.      Will you accept God’s authority and power over your life

c.       Will you allow God to tell you what He wants done?

d.      Will you?

 

5.      Our Obedience Will be Tested (1Sam 3:11-18)

6.      Obedience to God is the Source of Greatness and Power with God – victory over sin!