Study inLuke’s Gospel

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Obedience Under Pressure

Chap 1v57-66Presentation 05

IntroductionI wonder if you feel a little embarrassed when you read the spontaneous hymns of praise recorded by Luke both in his gospel and in his companion volume the book of Acts. The Songs of Mary, Zechariah, Simeon, and those of the early church, to mention nothing of the exuberant praise of Paul and Silas in prison. If embarrassment is not the emotion you feel then perhaps the feelings you experience is that of secret envy. Perhaps you wish that this quality of praise marked your own Christian experience?

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IntroductionNow read the illuminating words of John Stott.“ Worship, faith and obedience- the three ingredients of discipleship- are all outward looking. In worship we are preoccupied with God's glory, in faith with his promises and in obedience with his commands. Authentic Christian discipleship is never introverted. The Bible is a marvellously liberating book.”

Perhaps we need to ask if we are aware of an introverted discipleship and if so is this because of some deficiency in one of the areas mentioned; worship, faith or obedience? While these three are inter-related it is to the third that our passage draws us.

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The Birth CelebrationsGod had promised an unbelieving Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, a son in their old age. His unbelief has the effect of suppressing any verbal praise he might have made during the 9 months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. When the child was born it was understandably an occasion of great joy. John was circumcised, according to custom, when he was eight days old and afterwards there was a time of celebration. Many of you have similar celebratory meals for family and friends after the baptism of your children. It is a time when others enter into your joy. Imagine in passing the welcome relief this joyful celebration was for Elizabeth who for years had lived under a cloud of shame and reproach.

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The Birth CelebrationsWe're told in scripture to "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice". It’s sad when you come across someone who is able to enter into another person’s grief but not into his or her joy. We are obliged to ask do they grudge others the blessing of God; are they envious of the benefits they enjoy? When we see others with blessings, which we have been denied, do we find it hard to enter wholeheartedly into their joy? If so, then we are saying in effect that we are unable to accept God's plan for our lives. We have not discovered the grace of contentment, which springs from an acceptance of the fact that God knows what he is doing as far as our lives are concerned.

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The Birth CelebrationsOf course the person who is blessed of God must, in the midst of their joy, be sensitive to the feelings of others who may have been denied your blessings. Elizabeth must have known all about the insensitivity of others; "Time you were thinking of starting a family Elizabeth our fifth's on its way in March" or, "Its clear you can't be very fond of children, married all this time and still none on the way”.

How cruelly insensitive some people can be. Many of the couples you see who are childless would dearly love to have children. I understand that the infertility rate in the U.K. is currently running at 1 in 7 couples.

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The Birth CelebrationsBut it is not just over the blessing of children where we need to exercise care in our speech. When we are enthusing in our engagement and forthcoming marriage, we need to be sensitive to those who would dearly long to be married but as yet God has not provided them with a partner. Not every single woman is single by choice. Now of course we should rejoice in all of God's good gifts but lets do so with sensitivity towards those who are denied them.

What is the point of all this background? It would have been easy for sensitive Elizabeth to be so caught up in a momentum of joy and so eager not to hurt others, that she could have allowed herself to be pushed by family into agreeing to name the child Zechariah, after his dad!

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Obedience Under PressureCan you identify with this kind of family pressure? Imagine someone saying, "There's always been a Zechariah in the family!” It may seem to us that the choice of a name was an issue she could easily have given ground on in order to keep the peace. But Elizabeth knew that God had made it clear that the child was to be called John. It was not simply a matter of petty preferences and stubborn intransigence on her part. It was a case of whether or not God was to be obeyed. Elizabeth stuck to her guns against family pressure. Good for her! Conventional wisdom tells us to pursue balance in every area of life. Avoid extremes at all costs. And that kind of thinking has affected our Christian discipleship.

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Obedience Under PressureMichael Griffiths comments upon this approach: “Balance, then, is not a matter of mathematical proportion, giving proportional attention to various biblical principles. The principles are all to be observed 100% simultaneously. There is no room for being moderate in one's loyalty and obedience to Jesus Christ.”

Clearly, our families often have important input for our lives and we daren't treat dismissively what they say. If their wisdom were heeded there would be a lot less heartbreak and tragedy in the world. The kind of pressure to beware of is that which creates a tension between our loyalty to our family and our loyalty to God; pressure that can challenge our obedience to God.

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Obedience Under PressureEven Jesus experienced that kind of family pressure cf. Mk.3.31... Mary and the rest of the family wanted to get Jesus out of a situation, which they felt too dangerous and stressful for him. Doubtless their intentions were from the best of motives. But Jesus chose to remain and do his Father's work. How would we cope with the kind of family pressure that would cause us in effect to disobey God? Sometimes the pressure is openly hostile on other occasions it can be subtle and emotionally manipulative. Pressure not to be too committed to Jesus. Pressure not to be so silly as to read our bibles and pray. Pressure to do anything other than go to church. Pressure to conform to the standards of this world.

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Obedience Under PressureElizabeth was determined to obey God, yes even in what seemed a trivial thing. Once we begin to disobey and excuse disobedience by saying, "Well it was really a small thing, it surely won't upset God too much to disobey in something so trivial", then we set the tone for a life of increasing disobedience. Remember it is ‘the little foxes that spoil the vines’. S. of Songs 2v15

We may also lull ourselves into believing that moderate obedience to God will result in moderate fruitfulness and blessing in our lives. What a nonsense!

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Obedience Under PressureWhile God certainly demands obedience of us he will never force it from us. You have the power to deny God his rights. Though in doing so you will violate your commitment to him and damage your spiritual wellbeing. It is easy to speak of our love for God, but in the end of the day, the level of our obedience is the measure of our love for him. What did Jesus say to his disciples,

"If you love me.. keep my commands." John 14v15

It is when we obey God, even when under pressure to act otherwise, that we are acknowledging his rule in our lives.

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The Path To RestorationNotice the dynamic of family pressure when they discovered they were unable to bend Elizabeth to their will, the family appealed to Zechariah for support cf. v62. He called for a writing tablet and wrote with a sense of finality, "His name is John". The issue was settled. What a support it is in the work and service of God when both husband and wife are united and able to encourage one another in the path of obedience. If you have such a partner thank God for him or her. If you haven’t got that kind of support then pray that God would graciously work so that you are both pulling in the same direction in your pursuit of God. We dare not underestimate the value of having a partner who shares in our desire to live for God.

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The Path To RestorationNow the moment Zechariah wrote, "His name is John" his speech returned. Obedience restored the blessing of God!

George McDonald the allegorical writer and mentor of the great Christian apologist C. S. Lewis writes,

"Obedience is the opener of the eyes".

By that he meant when we determine to walk in obedience to God, we see more of God and experience more of his blessing. Let me paraphrase McDonald and say, "Obedience is the opener of the mouth". This was literally true in the case of Zechariah.

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The Path To RestorationYou will remember that in v20 Zechariah lost the power of speech when he had questioned the truthfulness of God's messenger and doubted the graciousness of God's provision.

Now Zechariah demonstrates the obedience of faith. By naming his child John he was saying, "I believe God. I believe all that God has promised. I believe God intends to be gracious." His obedience not only opened his lips but also secured the enabling of the Holy Spirit for one of the richest expressions of praise recorded in the Bible. There is a vital lesson for us to learn here. If God chastens us because of our disobedience and unbelief then the way in which that blessing is restored is through our returning to the pathway of obedience.

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The Path To RestorationYou see we cannot expect to experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit for service if our lives are marked by disobedience. Let me draw your attention to Acts 5.27-32.... Notice the last phrase of the apostles in v 32 "the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him". Nothing could indicate more clearly the moral basis of the gospel.

Let me elaborate. First, the Holy Spirit makes his residence in the human heart upon repentance and faith. What is conversion if it is not a return to a new obedience to God? The Christian is someone who has turned from pleasing himself, and from obeying his every whim and fancy and who now begins to give God the obedience that his lordship requires. Cf. Rom 8.5-9....

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The Path To RestorationSecondly, the N.T. distinguishes between the Spirit's indwelling and his fullness or empowering for service. Now this is not a mystical or emotional experience. Many Christians make the mistake of spending a lot of time pursuing some mystical experience. Perhaps as a result of reading a particular book, or attending particular conferences they think, “now if only I could experience God in that way”.

However, the Holy Spirit's empowering does not become ours along the route of mysticism but by travelling the path of obedience. This was true in the case of Zechariah. It was equally true in the case of the apostles.

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The Path To RestorationSome Christians long for more of the grace and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives without recognising the importance of confronting the disobedience which inhibits their usefulness and fruitfulness. What should they do? They need to confess and forsake their sinful disobedience.

It is important to grasp the very obvious biblical link between obedience and blessing. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, summoned the people to ‘return to the old paths’ [of obedience] Jer. 6v16. Do our hearts yearn for more of the Spirit’s fullness? Then ask God to expose those areas of sinful disobedience, which are displeasing to him. And, with his gracious enabling, resolve to walk in greater, deliberate obedience to him.

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The Path To RestorationSinclair Fergusson helpfully comments upon the relationship between obedience and the Holy Spirit . He writes:

“The New Testament understanding of our protection is set forth in ethical terms, in terms of God's power made available to us through a life of obedience, yielded to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God enters into us, and, if you like, He forges the armour out in our own lives.”

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ConclusionAre our lives powerless and ineffective because of our disobedience? Is this why many have little boldness in their witness? Is the reason that our tongues are not loosened to praise God as we ought due to our disobedience? Obedience motivated by love is one of the greatest gifts we can give to God. We should not be surprised therefore that the enemy of our souls will do all in his power to prevent us from offering it. Whether that is the family pressure Elizabeth and Zechariah experienced or the social and religious pressure exerted on the apostles or some other pressure to disobey. Obedience holds the secret to freedom, courage, peace, power, happiness and salvation.

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