What does the LORD really want

What does the LORD really want?

February 6, 2011

Introduction

The question is asked a lot of different ways: Am I good enough? Do I measure up? The Bible puts it this way:

Body

I. What does God expect of us?

Moses gives the requirements to Israel.

(Deu 10:12-13 NKJV) "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, {13} "and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

1. Fear God (have reverence for him).

a. The Fear of God is something that we choose to do.

(Prov 1:29 NKJV) Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,

(Neh 1:11 NKJV) "O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.

(1) To not fear God is to push him out of our minds.

(Rom 1:28 NKJV) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

(2) We need to know God in order to fear God.

(Exo 5:1-2 NKJV) Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.'" {2} And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go."

(3) Pharaoh paid a dear price because he did not fear the Lord.

2. Walk in all his ways.

Some people talk the talk, but they will not walk the walk.

(1) God told Abraham to walk before Him.

(Gen 17:1 NKJV) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

(2) Five other times we find the statement, “Walk before Me.”

3. Love him.

If we are going to love Him, it means we will have a relationship with Him. He is real. Jesus taught us to call Him Our Father Which art in heaven.

(1) God isn’t looking for a half hearted kind of love.

(Mat 22:35-37 NKJV) Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, {36} "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" {37} Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

(2) The church at Laodicea made God sick to His stomach.

(Rev 2:4-5 NKJV) "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. {5} "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent.

4. Serve him with all your heart and soul.

(1) Paul speaks of our reasonable service.

(Rom 12:1-2 NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. {2} And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(2) Serving Him is looked upon as a privilege.

(Luke 1:73-75 NKJV) The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: {74} To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, {75} In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

5. Observe his commands.

Micah also gave God’s requirements.

(Micah 6:8) He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

II. And when we have done it all, what are we to say?

(Luke 17:10 NKJV) "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

A. So how can we measure up?

B. It is not of ourselves.

(Eph 2:8-10 NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, {9} not of works, lest anyone should boast. {10} For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

III. So how does it work?

A. We are to be obedient children.

(1 Pet 1:13-19 NKJV) Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; {14} as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; {15} but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, {16} because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." {17} And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; {18} knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, {19} but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

B. Yes, Jesus paid it all, but He wants us to live lives that will be a glory to Him.

Conclusion

I. Can we meet God’s expectations? Yes and no.

A. Our best efforts will fall short of what we should be.

“When you have done all, say we are unprofitable servants.

B. By the grace of God, we can be pleasing to God.

(1 Cor 15:10 NKJV) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

II. Have you made an effort to please God?

Do you need to acknowledge the Son of God this morning, and put Him on in baptism to make Him the Lord of your life?

Is there something you need to acknowledge before others and ask their forgiveness?

Sermons I have Preached Bible Study with Harley

Hit Counter