SESSION SUMMARY

You can't stay where you are and go with God in obedience to His will. To go from your ways, thoughts, and purposes to God's will always require adjustments. These may call for changes in your circumstances, relationships, attitudes, commitments, behavior, and beliefs. Once you have made the necessary changes, you can follow God obediently. Keep in mind: the God who calls you is also the One who will enable you to do His will (1 Thess. 5:24).

When you surrender everything in your life to Christ's lordship, you, like Elisha, will find the adjustments well worth the reward of experiencing God. If you have not reached a point where you have surrendered everything, decide today to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Both major adjustments and costly obedience come before you experience God's presence and power. Many Christians and churches come to this moment of truth and decide the cost is too great. What they often do not consider is what it may cost them not to obey. When God gives you an assignment, the obedience may require sacrifice for you and for those around you. Nevertheless, obedience to Him is not an option—it is required of every servant. When you obey, God accomplishes what He purposed, and you will be overwhelmed with the experience of God's power and presence. You and those around you will come to a greater knowledge of God.

If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What stood out or impacted you from the chapters?
• What adjustment is God presently asking of you? Do these include values? Attitudes? Actions? Relationships?
• Is there an adjustment God has been asking you to make which you have found difficult? Is there something God is asking you to do right now that you are resisting?
• Consider a directive from God that you have recently obeyed. How did you experience God as you obeyed Him? Is there anything God had to teach you before you were prepared to obey?
• How has your following God cost others? How has others' obedience to God cost you?
• Have you ever suffered the consequences of not obeying God? If so, what were they?

EXPERIENCING GOD TODAY

People who have been mightily used by God have always had to make major adjustments in their lives. Read the statements on the following below made by some choice servants of God. Think about the significant level of commitment reflected in each: 

David Livingstone “Forbid that we should ever consider the holding of a commission from the King of Kings a sacrifice, so long as other men esteem the service of an earthly government as an honor. I am a missionary heart and soul. God Himself had an only Son, and He was a missionary and a physician. A poor, poor imitation I am, or wish to be, but in this service I hope to live. In it I wish to die. I still prefer poverty and missions service to riches and ease. This is my choice.”

Jim Elliot “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Bob Pierce “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” 

Oswald Smith “I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. May I be happy and contented whether in the homeland or on the foreign field; whether married or alone, in happiness or sorrow, health or sickness, prosperity or adversity—I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. I want it; oh, I want it!” 

C. T. Studd “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to give for Him.” 

Which of these quotes was most meaningful or moving to you? If you are willing to make a similar commitment to Christ, spend a few moments in prayer expressing your willingness to adjust your life to Him, His purposes, and His ways.

Has God ever invited you or your church to join Him, and you refused because the price was too high? Ask God to reveal to you any disobedience in your past. If God brings something to mind, agree with Him by confessing your sin. Surrender your life afresh to His Lordship and agree that you will obey no matter what the cost.

Whenever you sense obedience is too costly, that indicates you have misunderstood who you are and what you have. As a disciple of Christ, you have been bought with a price, and you are not your own. Everything you have belongs to God. You are a manager of God's resources. Since you belong to Him, renew your dedication to Him for His purposes. Pray and agree with God that anything He asks is reasonable. Commit yourself to pay the price to obey His will. Begin watching now for the first opportunity to obey what God asks.

*This content is a condensed and consolidated version ends of chapters 17 and 18. This is in no way original content to Fellowship Greenville. This content is from the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King (copyright 2008). We are thankful for the use of the content and the impact it has had.