CONQUER OR BE CONQUERED- PART 3- LISTEN & OBEY
Last time we looked at prayer as part of our strategy to defeat the enemy. It is crucial to our victory to pray and seek the Lord on the decisions that we make. During this time of seeking God and asking Him for direction- we must make sure that we take the time to LISTEN to what He actually has to say about it! If He instructs and teaches us and we don't listen and obey- it won't do us any good.
2. LISTEN and OBEY
In 2 Samuel 5:19-25- David had just been anointed as King over Israel. The Philistines- the enemy- went after him. David heard about this and "inquired of the Lord" asking whether he should go after them- if the Lord would deliver them into his hand. The Lord responded: "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." God gave David a strategy in verses 23 & 24 and verse 25 states: "And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer." David not only asked the Lord what he should do, but then he listened and obeyed what God told him. This brought victory to the country.
In John 9:6-7 Jesus came upon a blind man. He did something that we would think strange: Jesus spit on the ground and made clay and then anointed the eyes of the man with the clay. Then he told him to go wash in the Siloam pool. Seemed like a strange way to bring about healing- but Jesus gave the man instructions and the blind man listened and came back seeing! Too often we already think we know what God wants us to do. But sometimes He tells us "strange" things. It is not for us to question, but to listen and obey what He has said.
To take this a step further- in this obedience we must not doubt. Peter, in Acts 10:19-20, was given a vision and instructions. Then the Spirit said: "Arise, therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them". Peter was told to do a strange thing- but when he was obedient and didn't doubt- it brought about the gospel being delivered to the Gentiles. God used Peter to share the gospel with some Gentiles which in turned spread throughout the Gentile nations. He did not doubt, but was obedient to what the Lord was telling him to do.
It isn't enough to just pray and then do what we want. We must also wait and listen to what the Lord would say to us and then be obedient to what He is saying--- doubting nothing!
Our strategy for a victorious life: first we must pray- seek counsel of the Lord. Then we must be sure to listen and obey, doubting nothing!
(Taken from Pastor Keith's message 6/2/2013)
2. LISTEN and OBEY
In 2 Samuel 5:19-25- David had just been anointed as King over Israel. The Philistines- the enemy- went after him. David heard about this and "inquired of the Lord" asking whether he should go after them- if the Lord would deliver them into his hand. The Lord responded: "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." God gave David a strategy in verses 23 & 24 and verse 25 states: "And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer." David not only asked the Lord what he should do, but then he listened and obeyed what God told him. This brought victory to the country.
In John 9:6-7 Jesus came upon a blind man. He did something that we would think strange: Jesus spit on the ground and made clay and then anointed the eyes of the man with the clay. Then he told him to go wash in the Siloam pool. Seemed like a strange way to bring about healing- but Jesus gave the man instructions and the blind man listened and came back seeing! Too often we already think we know what God wants us to do. But sometimes He tells us "strange" things. It is not for us to question, but to listen and obey what He has said.
To take this a step further- in this obedience we must not doubt. Peter, in Acts 10:19-20, was given a vision and instructions. Then the Spirit said: "Arise, therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them". Peter was told to do a strange thing- but when he was obedient and didn't doubt- it brought about the gospel being delivered to the Gentiles. God used Peter to share the gospel with some Gentiles which in turned spread throughout the Gentile nations. He did not doubt, but was obedient to what the Lord was telling him to do.
It isn't enough to just pray and then do what we want. We must also wait and listen to what the Lord would say to us and then be obedient to what He is saying--- doubting nothing!
Our strategy for a victorious life: first we must pray- seek counsel of the Lord. Then we must be sure to listen and obey, doubting nothing!
(Taken from Pastor Keith's message 6/2/2013)
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