Guilt or Grace, What's Your Motivation

This is a sermon I preached at church

Introduction

A story that Bill Bright used to tell goes something like this. There was a woman who was married. The guy she married had a grading sheet on how well she was doing as a wife. At the end of the day he would give her a grade such as c- or b+. Year after year this graded on her and she hated the pressure she felt. Thankfully this husband died, and her new husband was totally different. When they settled in in the evening he would tell her how much he loved her and they worked together to meet the needs of the family. About 5 years after she was married to the new husband she was rummaging through the attic and came across one of the old grading sheets. At first rage rose up in her remembering the old hurt. But then she began to laugh. She was now doing all the same things the old husband had demanded of her, but was acting out of deep love and joy.

Many see God as being like the first husband. Having a long list of things I have to do to be loved. Like Santa they see him making a list and checking it twice to determine if we have been naughty or nice.

But I want to show you that God is more like the second husband toward whom we can respond with love and respect.

Do vs. Done

It is the difference between “do” and “done”.

It is not about what I do for God, but it is about what he has already done for me when he died on the cross and forgave those who believe in Him. I do not obey God in order to be forgiven. I obey God because I am so grateful that he has brought me into his family and that he has forgiven me through his death on the cross.

Today I am sharing with you some of my personal motivations in obeying God.


I. God is Smart, I am Dumb.

I have never allowed my kids to say they are dumb.

But when I compare what I know to what God knows there is not contest.

One little hint of God’s intelligence is the amazing universe that he has created. He has built an infinitely large universe and an infinitely small universe. A God with this kind of understanding knows what is best for me in the choices I make.

My favorite illustration top understand the proportion of things in the universe is this:

If the earth is a pinhead, the sun is a grapefruit out in the parking lot. The next closest star is another grapefruit in Miami. Then to get a sense of the scope of the universe imagine billions of grapefruit just in our galaxy and then billions of those clusters of grapefruit.

Now, creation does not just go infinitely big, but goes infinitely small. This is a computer animation to give you a sense of the wonder of life at the atomic and the cell level.


Section from a DVD "The Case for the Creator" shows how DNA organizes the production of protein in the cell. The process is extremely intricate on a small basis.


Do you think the God who created all of this would have a little bit of an idea about how I should live?

Jesus said this about the value of living life the way he suggests.

Matt 7:24-27
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

When we build out lives on the basis of God’s wisdom our life is solid and strong, and can take a punishing wind.

Story about “You want to fight?” God spoke and the stars were put in place. He then fashioned a little small planet. Then on that little planet he put a little creature. After the creature was created he put up his dukes and in a squeeky voice said "You want to fight?".

How rediculous for us to invent strategies to live a good life opposite of this wise God. I have met a lot of people who think they are smarter than God. Right!

God is not only smart, he is loving.

II. God Loves Me

If I truly believe that God loves me, Really, really believe that, then why would I want to step out of that loving care and do things my own way.

Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of that love.

But also we can see little evidences all around us daily. God’s love for us is shown in the beautiful world he has given us. God has calculated and designed every aspect of the world in which we can not only survive, but thrive.

This time of the year I am so impressed by the flowers and flowering trees. We think we are so clever that we can make larger or smaller tulips, or have a new color come out this year. But God invented the concept of a tulip and created it and built it from scratch, something our brilliant botanists have not figured out. God made them beautiful, and gave them the qualities to reproduce, so we can see them year after year.

God is abundant in his plan to renew nature. Last spring the maple trees created so many helicopters that I am convinced the one tree in our neighbor’s yard could have populated a forest by itself. I was plucking maple trees out of my lawn and garden for the rest of the summer. This spring I am still taking out little maple trees. God lavishes us with good things to sustain our lives.

Because God loves us I can trust that:
His intensions toward me are good.

In John 10 Jesus tells us that he is the good shepherd. He lovingly cares for and watches over his flock of sheep, us.


John 10:9-11 (New International Version)

9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus is saying, “Look around and see if there is my kind of love anywhere else.”

When I know God loves me, I am no longer motivated by fear, but by his love for me.

Love Drives out Fear


1 John 4:18-20 (New International Version)

18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

When I really understand God’s love, I will not be afraid of him. My motivation to obey God will not be fear. I will obey God because I will do anything for someone who loves me.

My love for God and Others

My love for God is the foundation of being a loving person, and doing what God wants me to do. I learn how to love from God’s love for me.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Loving other people is the natural result of knowing we are loved by God. Jesus modeled this when he took the towel and washed the feet of the disciples.

John 13:3-5 (New International Version)
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Because Jesus knew he was loved by God he served others.

God is not a God who loves to put limits on us to keep us from doing fun stuff. But, he says, look at this wide world of things you can do that bring benefit to yourself and to others. Because I love you, I am only asking you not to do things which will hurt you and hurt others in your life.

That kind of living makes sense to me.

There are lots of benefits I have found in obeying God. Here are just a few:

III. Other Kinds of Benefits of Obedience

Obedience stops sin from getting me in its grip


Notice in this section the power of sin. It can grab you and not let go.
James 1:13-15
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

When I obey God I keep myself free of sin’s powerful grip.

Feel good inside

The girls in our home after playing tennis cleaned up trash around the court. they did not want to at first, but when they did they loved the results and commented how much fun it was to clean the area.


Obeying God is the right thing to do

There are times in life when we have to do something just because it is the right thing to do. There may not be any rewards for doing something, but just knowing it is the right thing to do can make you so happy that you chose to do it.


Clear conscience

Obedience results in a clear conscience.

1 Peter 3:15-17 (New International Version)

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Obedience brings the least regrets
Lady at AA She was 40 and had been clean for 2 years. She told with regret the things she had done and the effect on her children.

Obedience results in best long term results.
Sin for the moment is joyful, but long term it always brings sorrow.


IV. How do I have the power to obey

You may say, Bob, I want to obey God, but feel so weak. The good news is that if you have Jesus in your heart you have all you need to obey God. The moment we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts God comes to live in us. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to guide us in how to live our lives.

Power of Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:16-26
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Conclusion:

Obedience to Christ is a daily choice

Trust His Love

Learn his teachings

Ask for his power

Act on what you sense to be the right thing