What does real obedience to God actually look like in your everyday life? Many Jesus followers know that obedience matters, but how many understand why it matters? For example, what’s the bridge between obedience and spiritual authority? What about the necessary link to divine direction? In this week’s Light on Life Podcast, discover why obedience begins with walking in what you already know. Learn how the apostles gave us a pattern for “looking to listen” before flexing the authority of Jesus. See why Godly authority must remain under God’s authority, and how fixing your gaze on Jesus trains your heart for a practiced life of obedience. If you have ever wondered how to move from casual spirituality into a deliberate life of hearing and obeying God, this teaching will help anchor your walk. Why Learning to Listen Is the First Step of Obedience, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

This Week: Identify one command of Scripture you already know but have been delaying. Practice immediate obedience in that area. Fix your gaze on Jesus, meditate on His Word, and train your heart to respond quickly to His direction.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:

This week:
Ask the Lord each day, “What are You saying to me today?” Practice immediate obedience in the things you already know to do. Don’t delay. Don’t negotiate. Respond quickly.

Your Challenge:
Train yourself to hear. Train yourself to respond. Make obedience your habit in the ordinary things so you can be trusted in the greater things.

Remember:
Obey God. Be led. Take authority.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).

This week’s question is:

Question: What area of obedience has the Holy Spirit been dealing with in your life lately?

Share: Has He been teaching you something specific about being led?

Remember: Share your thoughts and join the conversation.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 49 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 45 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes:

• Well again, welcome.
• Let’s pray.

Father God, we approach your Word with humility and respect. We sak you to grant unto us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you. Let

Obedience Begins with What You Already Know

1 John 5:2–3 (Williams) — 2 This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God, by continuing to love God and to obey His commands. 3 For love to God means this, to practice obedience to His commands, and His commands are not burdensome,

John 14:15 (NASB 2020) — 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

• You know sometimes we get things mixed up when it comes to spiritual realities.
• We toss terms around thinking we have full understanding of them.
• How many times have heard the admonition to ‘do the will of God?’
• When we think ‘will of God’ we think some big thing that the Lord wants us to do—some large thing like who to marry, what ministry to enter.
• But the will of God is much simpler than that.
• It starts with doing the commands you already know.
• To do the will of God is to obey God.
• One reason obedience is vital is because Jesus’ Blood was shed for your disobedience.
• Haven’t we learned anything from Adam’s disobedience?
• Why would we want to go there again?
• If you really love God, why would you want to return to the lifestyle that cost Him His life.
• That’s the opening verse we read in First John five and verse three: love for God means we obey His commands.
• If you love God, practice obedience.

**1 John 2:3 (ERV) — It is by keeping God’s commands that we can be sure we know him. Whoever says I know him, but does not obey His commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever is obedient to his Word in him the love of God is truly made perfect.

• If you can’t obey the Book, what do you really have spiritually?
• So your life of obedience towards God begins with a book—the Bible.
• So here you are in morning devotional Bible reading and you come cross a ‘Thou shalt not’ in the Bible and because you are a committed Jesus’ follower, this ‘thou shalt not’ turns into a ‘I dare not.’
• That’s progress but is that all there is to the life of obedience?
• No, there are times when our obedience needs to be tweaked.
• Our understanding must be brought up to God’s level of thinking so we can obey His Word His way—not ours.
• For that you need help, and some cases a lot of help.

John 14:26 (NASB 2020) — 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.

• To be helped by the Spirit, we need to hear the Spirit.
• So even simple obedience to God’s Word requires divine aid.
• You should not live life alone.
• And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.
• This quote originated with William Temple, an Episcopal priest who said.

If the Holy Spirit were taken out of the church today, nine-tenths of what we do would go on, and no one would know the difference.

• The test of real Christianity is this: if the Holy Ghost stepped out of your life, how effective would your obedience be?

Directed Authority Is Effective Authority

• Now, in a previous podcast, we established that there is a bridge between obeying God and the effective exercise of spiritual authority.
• Notice that I used the word ‘effective’ in regards to authority.
• There is a lot of ineffective authority being substituted for the genuine Kingdom-building kind.
• Brass is being substituted for gold.

1 Kings 14:25–27 (NASB 2020) — 25 Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt marched against Jerusalem. 26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and he took everything; he even took all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.

• Authority, properly exercised, is the gold standard of the Kingdom.
• Authority must be under authority—do you understand that?
• People go off like loose cannons shooting the Name of Jesus instead of following the leadership of the Spirit.
• Allow me to show you this distinctly in the book of Acts.

Looking To Listen

Acts 3:1–8 (NASB 2020) — 1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift. 4 But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!” 5 And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” 7 And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

• Listen to verse four again.

But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!”

• And with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The four words ‘looked at him intently’ is one word in the Greek.
• And the word means to look with a strained, concentrated, unwavering gaze at someone.
• It is deliberate.
• It is focused.
• It is purposeful.
• Why did Peter look with such focus and concentration at this man?
• He is looking to listen.
• Peter did not walk up to this man and say ‘I’m going to heal him’ and shoot off his ‘in the Name of Jesus’ cannon.
• Peter was not the Lone Ranger, and neither are you.
• We need to perceive, understand and obey the Spirit’s direction.
• Authority detached from divine direction is brass subsituted for gold.
• So mark this phrase and don’t forget it.
• Look to listen—learn to obey.

The Pattern of Directed Authority

• Here is another case of Spirit-directed authority—same MO.

Acts 14:8–11 (NASB 2020) — 8 In Lystra a man was sitting whose feet were incapacitated. He had been disabled from his mother’s womb, and had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul looked at him intently and saw that he had faith to be made well, 10 and he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And the man leaped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us!”

• There it is again in verse nine: Paul looked at him intently.
• Same Greek word.
• Same intense spiritual gaze.
• In this case, the Word of God lets us know what happened when Paul looked with a strained, concentrated, unwavering gaze at this crippled man.
• He saw that he had faith to be healed.
• How did he know that he had faith to be healed?
• Those words weren’t written on his forehead.
• No, the Spirit of God showed him that.
• Paul obeyed what he saw and sensed.
• Here’s one more witness.

Acts 13:6–12 (NASB 2020) — 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, 10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

• Verse nine again—But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him.
• Stared at him—same Greek word—same looking to listen.
• Now don’t go and make a religion out of this.
• But, this concentrated gaze becomes the prelude to miraculous intervention.
• So you see, authority that brings results is Spirit directed and obeyed.
• Once more: look to listen—learn to obey.

Being Strong and Courageous to Obey God

Joshua 1:6–8 (NASB 2020) — 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.

• Verse eight is a passage quoted often in certain church circles.
• But how many really understand what ‘be careful to do’ the Word means?
• The phrase ‘careful to do’ means active compliance.
• There is nothing passive about this Hebrew word.
• We are talking obedience in its broadest sense: full, complete, and thorough.¹
• There we see the phrase ‘be careful to do’ once again but this time it’s preceded by two words: be strong and be very courageous.
• Obedience needs help.
• Obedience needs strength.
• Obedience needs courage.
• Obedience needs the Word of God working in you.
• That’s exactly what God told Joshua.
• The Hebrew word ’strong’ used in verse seven means resolute inner fortitude and firm determination.
• A determination that grips firmly, hold fast continually, and takes hold with extreme conviction.
• We are talking iron clad, uncompromising resolve.
• If that’s not enough, you have the words be ‘very courageous.’
• Very courageous is two Hebrew words.
• The word ‘very’ is the Hebrew word *meod which means “muchness, force, or abundance.
• You see extraordinary resolve is needed to obey God’s Word without compromise.
• You need to dig deep to rise high.
• The last word to understand in verse eight is the word meditate.
• The Hebrew word hagah (to meditate) carries the sense of intense, hungry consumption.
• We are not talking casual Bible reading here.
• The word means to mutter, murmur, muse, speak under the breath, and ponder deeply.
• It is also the word used in Isaiah 31:4 of a lion growling over its prey which illustrates our need to be intense and possessive about the Word of God.
• Practice obedience.
• Chew it up, work it in, push it out.
• So many of us are just out of practice.
• What about you?
• So obedience is not casual.
• It takes strength, courage, Bible meditation, and practice.

Training Your Ear Through Daily Obedience

• Here’s something many believers miss: the ear that hears God clearly is usually trained in the small acts of daily obedience.
• Obeying God is a mindset based on heart and habit.
• What type of person are you?
• Can you obey earthly laws or are you crossing the line?
• Have you set aside the laws of man because you are so anointed?
• If you push the edge of man’s law, you’ll push the edge of God’s laws also.
• This happens by reason of habit.
• Are you pushing the limits of integrity and gaming the system?
• Disobedience is a contagious disease that spreads into other areas.
• And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.
• This is on doctors, and people in the medical profession.
• Doctors will tell you one of their greatest frustrations is not the long and difficult hours—it’s patients who refuse to follow instructions.
• My doctor told me this very thing—some of her patients pushed back on her advice and went to Dr. Internet instead and in a few cases it was deadly.
• Think about this: you went to the doctor for a reason.
• They did what they are trained to do.
• They prescribed the medicine—they outlined the treatment.
• The pharmacist told you how you should take it—with or without food—in the morning—in the evening.
• And what do people do?
• They ignore the whole thing.
• Prescription bottles are left half-empty.
• Diets are abandoned—followed sporadically—sometimes they are not even started.
• So let me ask you, ‘If you are all so wise, why did you go to the doctor in the first place?’
• If you refuse simple earthly instruction, you may miss critical divine direction when it matters most.
• The habits you practice today shape the voice you respond to tomorrow.
• You know the Great Physician has instructions for your life.

Exodus 15:26 (NASB 2020) — 26 And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

• Now to make this New Testament relevant, listen to this next passage.

Mark 12:28–31 (NASB 2020) — 28 One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, ISRAEL! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 The second is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

• Now take this supreme commandment—the royal law—and read Exodus 15:26 through it.
• Here is what you have.

Exodus 15:26 (NASB 2020) — 26 And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His [great] commandments—[walking in love] and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

• So do you see the link, now between earthly obedience and the heavenly variety?
• What you’ll do with the Great Physician is exactly what you did with the earthly one—you’ll leave the prescription half-filled.
• Mark this down a Bible that is half-read, half-believed, and half-obeyed will not produce full health in both spirit and body.
• We must become obedient minded in all realms.
• So look to listen—learn to obey.

Focusing Your Heart on Obedience

• And with that thought, here is the Question of the Day.

Okay now Emery, you have said that being obedient minded is what I must do but can you tell me how to do it?

• I can give you some general principles along this line.
• First principle: you are what you look at.
• To excel, your gaze must be fixed—it cannot be casual.

**Numbers 21:8–9 (NASB 2020) — 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

• This encounter is a marvelous picture of our salvation in Jesus.
• Man was bitten by sin—the poison ran through man’s entire being and corrupted him.
• The remedy is a fixed gaze upon Jesus—seeing and understanding what His cross accomplished.
• Coming to Jesus removes the poison: if any man be in Christ He is a new creation.
• Now, there is an eternal principle here that applies directly to the life of obedience.
• This principle stands alone—life for a look.
• So many only look at the snakes in their life.
• Their gaze is fixed on the problem.
• But, here’s the principle that you must never forget.
• Master this and your walk with God will change.
• And here it is—whatever holds your attention affects you.
• If fear holds your gaze, your faith will sink.
• If the demands and distractions of life hold your gaze, they will squeeze the spiritual life right out of you.
• If anything but Jesus holds your gaze, you will come up empty.
• But, if obedience to God’s command is primary…
• If walking in love holds your complete attention, that focus will perfect your life.
• So if you’re looking to obey—Look at Jesus.
• Gaze at Him with intensity and attention.
• No one can do this work for you.
• You must look to live.
• Remember:

It’s not what you think the Bible says that counts. It’s not what somebody told you the Bible says rings the bell. It’s what you know for yourself that counts.

• And so it’s what you look at that makes all the difference.
• Look to listen—learn to obey.

Learning Obedience in the Climb

• So start small.
• You never learn to climb a mountain by being helicoptered to the top.
• Practical experience is gained in the climb.
• Start your ascent with what you know.
• That’s where obedience begins.
• If you know to forgive, start there—forgive.
• If you know to tell the truth—why would you lie? Tell the truth.
• If you owe someone—don’t cheat them—pay them.
• Above all else, if you know to walk in love—do it.
• Stop waiting for some great spiritual experience to emotionally propel you forward.
• When the emotion dissipates, you will still have the plain commandments of God right in front of you.
• Train yourself to climb spiritually by giving God the opportunity to direct you by pausing before you act and listening for the Spirit’s direction.
• Allow the Word of God to shape your response to life.
• The supernatural is learned in the natural moments of life.
• Practice obedience.
• Be quick to obey and quick to repent when you miss it.
• That is how obedience becomes a habit sustainable until the Rapture of the Church.

Call to Action

• So, are you up for the challenge of growing up in God?
• Obeying God is plain, simple Jesus talk.
• It’s not a secret—it’s not a mystery.
• Just do the thing you know you are supposed to be doing.
• If this teaching stirred your heart, if it helped you grow then think about your neighbor.
• Maybe they need to hear the Word of God in this area of obedience.
• Don’t dam up the river—let it flow to others.
• If you missed something in the audio portion of this podcast, go back through the Scriptures on the website.
• Revisit the notes—suggest it to your neighbor as well.
• Above all else, ask the Lord where your next step of obedience is.
• Then—practice it.
• Walk it out.
• Start where you are—Obey what you know—Listen for what’s next.

Now Father God, help us, teach us by your Holy Spirit to hear your words to our heart so that we might live in total obedience to you. This is so vital to your heart for us and we desire it so. We know that now and we wish to bring our life in line with your thinking. We thank you for this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

• Why Learning to Listen Is the First Step of Obedience.
• You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

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