MEMORISE:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
READ: 1 Samuel 15:16-23.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORDhath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
MESSAGE
The simple meaning of holiness is complete obedience to God. In Luke 6:46, Jesus said “Why do you call Me Lord when you don’t do those things that I command you?” The evidence that Jesus is really Lord to you in spirit and in truth is doing whatever He commands you. Holiness is obedience: not just half obedience but total obedience. In today’s Bible text, Samuel announced to Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice. While living a sacrificial life in service to God has its place, it is not a substitute for obedience. In Revelation 3:15-16, God says that it is better you obey Him completely or you don’t obey Him at all. He said this because His nature of holiness commands full obedience from those who are partakers of His divine nature.
You cannot claim to be living a holy life if you are not evangelizing to win souls. This is so because in Mark 16:15, we are commanded to go and preach the gospel. It is not a suggestion; it is a command. If you are living in disobedience to that single commandment, then forget about holy living. Your evangelism should be a life style. God’s commandment does not stop at evangelism; after evangelism comes follow-up. John 15:16 says,
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain….”
If you don’t follow up souls you have won, you have not yet finished the job. Furthermore, according to Matthew 28:18-20, you are not just to win souls and follow them up, you are also commanded to make them disciples of Christ, because your fruit must abide. You disciple them by teaching them the sound word of God and by being a living example of the word you teach. Your work on your convert is not over until that convert has become rooted and built up in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). Only after doing these can you claim to have finished the job. Let it be settled in your mind that there is no holiness without evangelism, no holiness without follow up, no holiness unless you make disciples of every nation. This is the reason why we are planting churches, so that the souls we are winning, following up and making Christ’s disciples can have a place to grow and worship God in spirit and in truth. Our number one goal is to make Heaven, and our second goal is to take as many people as possible with us. Therefore, our lifestyle will be holiness, and holiness means total obedience. Total obedience means soul winning, follow-up, and the making of disciples. So, do not be surprised if I tell you that no evangelism means no Heaven! This may sound hard to you but it is the plain truth.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me the grace to win more souls this year in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 20-21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:16
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE.
1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.
o Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.
2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.
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