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Obedience to God: More Than a Ritual

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. -1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

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Obedience to God: More Than a Ritual

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  1. Obedience to God: More Than a Ritual

  2. Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. -1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

  3. Sacrificial Offerings • The practice of animal sacrifices dates back to the time of Cain and Abel. • Offerings to God were a means of atonement for sin. • At their core, these sacrifices were a physical manifestation of a spiritual submission.

  4. Attack the Amalekites • God commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites for their past transgressions. • This included the total slaughter of every animal. • Instead of following the Lord’s instructions, though, Saul saves “the best” of the cattle and sheep.

  5. You can’t fool God • Saul tried to excuse his disobedience by claiming that he “spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God.” • Samuel’s reply was very blunt: “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

  6. True Obedience • Ritual without genuine, heartfelt obedience is meaningless. • Submission to God’s will is the start of real freedom; it enables us to live as He intended: in relationship with Him.

  7. What obedience isn’t: • Obedience doesn’t mean becoming a mindless drone. • A Godly life means making choices – we must choose to live in submission to God’s will.

  8. Consequences of Saul’s decision • “For rebellion is like the sin of divination,    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,    he has rejected you as king.” • Saul chose to rely on the basic action of the ritual offering rather than obey God’s instructions. • As a result, his time as King of Israel would soon come to an end.

  9. The opportunity to obey • There aren’t many kings in today’s world, but obedience still has a place in the life of a follower of God. • One of the most important opportunities is to obey a clear message from God. • For men and women who are listening, those messages are all around us – we only need to take the actions required.

  10. Tell Them That I Love Them • One amazing story of such a message comes from author John DiBattista. • Through a miraculous vision, John was visited by Jesus Christ. • Jesus gave John a new calling on his life, and he now travels the world to share the love of Christ and the powerful truths that can set people free. • We must simply have the courage to obey God when He commands us!

  11. Explore the book:

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