One Step at a Time
Obeying God always comes first, and He will reveal the next step after we have shown our trust in Him.
Theodore Epp emphasizes the importance of obeying God step by step, illustrating that faith requires trust without needing to see the end result. He uses the example of Elijah, who followed God's command to go to the Brook Cherith, where God provided for him through ravens. Epp warns against the temptation to seek our own paths, as Elijah could have faced dire consequences had he chosen a different hiding place. The sermon highlights that true obedience leads to divine protection and provision, reinforcing the principle that obedience is paramount in our walk with God.
Text
1 Kings 17:2-7
Obeying God always comes first, then He reveals the next step. Too many of us, in doing the work of God, want to see the end result immediately. But that is not trusting God, that is trusting sight. Faith does not see; it trusts and obeys. When Elijah had delivered His message to Ahab, the Lord told him what his next step was to be. Tradition says that this brook ran into the Jordan about 15 miles above Jericho. Its waters came from the mountains of Ephraim from a spring concealed under a high cliff and shaded by a dense jungle. It is probable that it was in such a spot that God hid His servant--a place of safety made known after Elijah's first step of obedience.
The ravens were to bring Elijah his food at Cherith. Suppose, however, he had thought he knew a better hiding place and had gone back to some spot in the mountains of Gilead? He could have starved to death, for the ravens had not been commanded to go there. The ravens were told by God to go to the Brook Cherith, by those high cliffs near the Jordan River where a special stream was fed by a spring. There God would protect Elijah from Ahab. The brook bordered the land of Samaria, the very land over which Ahab was king. There God protected His servant.
"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
Sermon Outline
- Obeying God always comes first
- Faith trusts and obeys, not sight
- God reveals the next step after obedience
Key Quotes
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We should trust God and obey Him, even when we don't see the end result.
- Obedience is better than sacrifice, and it shows our willingness to follow God's will.
- God will reveal His next step after we have obeyed Him and shown our trust in Him.