Walking Towards Obedience Mark 8:34-38 Sunday August 9, 2015

Obedience What is obedience? Not a well regarded concept We’ll never have to go to school Forced into submission By monstrous, crabby teachers Who’ll make us learn addition! Obedience associated with weakness, subservience, oppression, lesser-ness  All negative

Christian / Holy Obedience Christian concept of obedience is different Active not passive We choose rather than being forced It is thoughtful, intentional Denying the Self / Self-Renunciation Jesus: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-5)

Christian / Holy Obedience Denying the Self / Self-Renunciation cont’d We live this out in two types of relationships: Human relationships Not about mindlessly following another Rather – deny / renounce / give up one’s preferences for the sake of the other person or community 2. Relationship with God Goal of discipleship: be transformed into the likeness of Christ Cast off the old self, and put on the redeemed self Renounce our own will and take on the will of God

Christian / Holy Obedience Lifestyle & Attitude Not about following rules and regulations Rather, it is a way of existing in the world, a way of understanding the self relative to others Profoundly counter-cultural “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,     neither are your ways my ways…” (Isa 55:8-9) The opposite of culture, i.e. Kim Kardashian’s 455 page book of selfies, called Selfish In sum, Christian Obedience is a powerful, positive call to a life closer to God & in service of others

Fruit of Holy Obedience Thomas R Kelly: “Then is the soul swept into a Loving Center of ineffable sweetness, where calm and unspeakable peace and ravishing joy steal over [the soul].“ Jean Vanier: We have a “guarantee of presence, light and the strength of God.” We all long for these things! Holy Obedience can lead us to them

Putting Others Before The Self This is hard to do, which is why inequality and injustice are everywhere Tackling the big issues starts with small steps Example of Christian obedience in human relationships Story of UC alumni who had difficulty making friends She gave up her self-perception and expectations and accepted the people God brought into her life, many of whom she introduced to Jesus. This was an act of holy obedience! There was joy!

Putting Community Before The Self This is about obedience in the face of authority. Excellent chapter on authority in Jean Vanier’s Community & Growth Example: my perspectives on church

Putting Others Before The Self Example: my perspectives on church I was very rigid! Only wanted to go to a church that I FULLY agreed with. Things have changed… Recently, I was asked for advice on how to choose a church when moving to a new place… No church (or community, or family) is perfect Trust God & community of believers to select leaders & authority figures All are flawed, all are on the daily walk towards obedience God may ask you to go somewhere that is not exactly what you want or like or even agree with.

Putting Others Before The Self Jean Vanier: “making the transition from ‘the community for myself’ to ‘myself for the community’… from the land of slavery to the land of inner freedom.” I don’t always agree, I’m not always comfortable, but this is the walk towards obedience! Thank God for grace!

Conclusion: Walking Towards Obedience Simple steps on how to begin the walk to obedience Richard Foster’s chapter on “Holy Obedience” in Freedom of Simplicity START NOW! Christian obedience is hard work in the beginning! “The will must be subjected bit by bit, piecemeal and progressively, to the divide Will.” Thomas R Kelly But eventually, it gets easier!

Conclusion: Walking Towards Obedience The goal of discipleship: to do whatever you want because that will be exactly what God wants too! (Dallas Willard) An Exercise: In what area of life do you fight the hardest to get your way? Might God be calling you to release something, to give up or 'deny' your own preferences or desires in order to serve the other, or benefit a community that you are a part of? Let’s pray.