In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the blessings and protection that God provides to those who obey His commandments. The speaker highlights the importance of surrendering to God and experiencing His covenant in a fresh and powerful way. The sermon also emphasizes the need for believers to draw closer to God and desire more of His blessings in their lives. The speaker mentions seven blessings that God pronounces for obedience, including increase, fruitfulness, and multiplication.

Thanks for leading us this morning. I changed things around a little bit this week and gave everybody different roles to do. So, how's that? We'd never want to get typecast, right? So, good to be together this morning. Couple of things just to mention. Young adults, don't forget, seven o'clock tonight is your monthly meeting. Just in room 22 upstairs. A quick mention of next Sunday night. As you know, we used to have the college and so on here in the city and ever since it left, our churches have known some ups and some downs and next Sunday night is an opportunity for us as Alliance Churches to come together and to spend some time thinking, are there things we should repent of as far as competition where there shouldn't be any and as far as just being more about the kingdom than us as individual congregations and are there things that we need the Lord to restore? And we want to seek His face and just ask for a mighty moving of His Spirit in our midst. So, with those couple of advertisements, you'll never guess who's supposed to lead next Sunday night at Heritage at 630 and they say there are a thousand people amongst all the Alliance Churches in this city. And many of us for some time have been concerned about the impact that we could have if we were more together in it. And so, I'm asking you as a congregation just to plan on coming out. Next Sunday night as we meet the Lord at the place of prayer. I want to read just two verses from Revelation chapter 9 and then I'm going to preach from Leviticus chapter 26 and you might say what in the world has Leviticus 26 got to do with Revelation and well wait upon it for a few moments, and we'll try and address that. Revelation chapter 9 and verse 20 says, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk. They did not repent of their murders nor their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. And Father, we just ask that you would indeed tie your word together in our hearts and that you would use it to bless and encourage and strengthen and build up in each of our lives today as we meet you here in the place of worship and here at the Lord's table. For it is in Jesus name that we pray, Amen. You know in the chapters of 8 and 9 and a little bit further along as well in Revelation you'll find there are a series of trumpets that are blown and judgments that follow and I've always thought it remarkable that although all these things are happening on the earth. There's no repentance. There are showings of the strength of human will and the strength of the fallenness of the human nature and as you've often heard me say we're not good people getting better but fallen people who need a Savior and who need the indwelling Holy Spirit day by day to lead the Christian life and to walk the Christian life. So as we think this morning the verses in Revelation 9 show us that despite all the things that are happening still there is no heart to turn to God and isn't that kind of a picture to of human pride and how we see oftentimes people who say No, I'm not going there. Sometimes people have said to me Well, if God's in charge, I don't like what he's doing and I don't want anything to do with him And so you get all kinds of comments, don't you? I want us to see this morning that God is true to his word in Malachi and chapter 3 we read I am the Lord I change not and in Leviticus chapter 26 God set aside the first 13 verses and he says here are the blessings of obedience for those who have come in repentance and received salvation those who are walking in a relationship with God there are seven distinct blessings mentioned in the first 13 verses of Leviticus 26 and that's what I want us to dwell upon because It's good to know How that flesh is out, isn't it and in the remainder of Leviticus 26 he talks about The judgment that comes for disobedience and you find on Revelation as we've said there are seven churches seven seals seven trumpets seven bowls and Through the rest of Leviticus 26, I just encourage you to read it on your own and you'll see he says four times Seven times more I will judge because of disobedience so you see he hasn't changed that which he said in the old is indeed fulfilled in the new and The things that he proclaims don't change now that leads me to a really Kind of moment Because if it's true in the judgments It's also true in the blessings So let's look for just a few moments before we meet the Lord at his table And you know, we often say that communion is a love feast It's an expression of the love of God in Christ Jesus to you and me And as we walk through these verses the first 13 verses of Leviticus 26 We see just the blessings that he sets out for his own So let it never be thought nor the lie allowed to be Perpetuated that the devil would have us believe that God has nothing for you or for me There's no reason for following him that You're just putting out and getting nothing back Look with me at these verses for a few moments They really teach us that if we follow and obey the Lord and his word There are at least seven outlined blessings here now, I know that it's possible to follow the Lord in a very close way or As it says about Peter he followed the Lord a far-off and I want this morning just to think together about Why it is that exactly what Sean said in his little comment. I want more I need more. I want to draw in more to the Lord and to know his Blessings even more so so are you ready for the seven? Let's see if we do Ten minutes each one. That's 70 minutes No, we won't go there The first you'll find in verse 4 You see at the beginning here, especially verses 2 & 3 He says you'll keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary Walk in my statutes and keep my commandments to carry them out and then in verse 4 Here's the first of the blessings that God pronounces for obedience then he says I Will give you the rains in their season so that the land will yield its produce and we see here It's a promise of provision He promises to provide for those who walk in Obedience to him in that close personal relationship rain in its season that can be both physical and Spiritual and there are times are there not where we feel? Oh, I just was in the presence of God And there's that spiritual sense of he's been pouring into my heart the blessings and There's an old hymn that talks about showers of blessings mercy drops around us are falling But for the showers we plead isn't that the longing of not only Sean's heart this morning But yours and mine as well Lord. Would you just pour it out on us that we might indeed know? but look at the truth of his word the provision that he gives and You know water is necessary for life and the Holy Spirit is necessary for refreshment and for life and godliness and walking in him and It's necessary for growth. No water. No growth and that's true physically and it's true spiritually as well in look 351 it says this about Jesus it says he grew in four ways He grew physically and socially and spiritually and in obedience to both his parents and his heavenly father and All isn't that the desire of our heart also that we would just grow in those ways and you know He really does honor and keep his word Look at the incident in the life of Elijah Because if we took the time to compare not just the blessings But the judgments that Leviticus 26 talks about he says I won't give you the rain without obedience and you see Elijah pops up in history in first Kings 18 and says or 17 and says won't be any more rain on the earth until the Lord says so and For three and a half years says James chapter 5 there isn't any and then Here comes this guy again Three and a half years later when he challenges the people of God Who is your God if Baal is God follow him in other words if all that stuff works for you obey it But if the Lord is your God Then obey him and he's calling the people of God back to that close following in obedience of God's Word and Of the Lord and you know it works because you'll remember at the beginning of the year. We looked at that sense of high God pours out Even sometimes a double portion doesn't he if we obey he will provide Billy Graham is Not well known as a prophet, but I can think of once when I I saw him function as a prophet he received an invitation to go and preach in Anchorage, Alaska and There's no place to hold meetings And he said I'll come and these are the dates and On the same day that he said I'll come the city of Alaska and a non-christian mayor Announced we're gonna build Sullivan Arena Guess what the first event was in Sullivan Arena in the city of Anchorage a Billy Graham Evangelistic campaign now you see if you obey He will provide and I smiled at that for a long time and I even said to dr. Graham. How did you know? And he said I didn't but the Lord has always provided Yeah, I think about where we are Ought we not then to be able to say oh, let's set Obedience before us to the Lord and to his word and he will provide Hurry up John. All right number two You will find in verse six. I Also shall grant peace in the land peace not just his provision But his peace in the land we live in a land that because of Christian influence has had peace for many many years and There are those who would say it's because of our skill as Politicians and diplomats and negotiators and so on and I would beg to differ I would say to you this morning the reason that this nation has had peace in all of its history since Confederation is because of the Christian influence and ethic. Oh Let's not fall away from obedience in our day and time Because it's connected to the peace of the land Now, you know people would get downright upset with me for saying things like that But I don't care the Bible says I'll put my peace Where there's obedience to me Judy and I were talking a little bit before the service and the ladies are doing a study with Beth Moore and one of the things That that she shared with me is the lack of peace is because of the lack of prayer Yeah, I'll put my peace Where there's obedience and where there's a sense of seeking after me and pressing in to the things of God quietness in the land You know, I I've learned to appreciate greatly my Mennonite brothers and sisters who use that little German saying still in the land those who are quiet in the land and That's because of the influence of God and the desire to obey Him there's security in that isn't there? There's that sense of knowing just as Jesus in John 1028 says no one will pluck them out of my hand That's a secure place to be that's a place of peace in the hand of the Living God I'll give peace a secure place. You know, I grew up in a land Where the people put their trust in religion and they put their trust in the strength of the arm and they put their trust in the government and they put their trust in all these things and I still remember too many days Watching as bodies were picked up and taken away but when we put our trust and our obedience in the Lord Jesus There is peace. I Don't want to say this graciously this morning Maybe you're wrestling with some things and you would say to me John. I wish I had peace and I would say Is there an area? Where in obedience you need to come to the Lord, is there an area where in obedience? There's a need for repentance. There's a need for restoration There's a need to do some business with him number three In verses 6 7 and 8 Now just read on a little bit here in 6 I'll grant peace in the land so that you may lay down with no one and making you tremble I'll eliminate harmful beasts from the land. No sword will pass through your land You'll chase your enemies and they'll fall before you There's his protection So there's provision and peace and protection and it has two thoughts with it the removal of hurtful things That's really what we're seeing here as you dig into these verses, I'll remove the hurtful things and I'll give you an ability to overcome your enemy Now, you know when you build a building There's a fire code that goes into it Brad you work at fixing things and constructive kind of things. Why do they have a fire code? So people don't get killed You mean something harmful could happen to them Apparently, yeah And you know, he's given us a tremendous fire code You think about here what Leviticus 26 is teaching us to walk in obedience and I'll remove the harmful things and I'll give you that ability to see victory over the enemy In fact, it says your enemy will have to run away and only a few were needed And you know exactly where I'm gonna go with this, don't you? Our enemy is already defeated He is a defeated foe, but he works through lies and innuendos and accusations and Sometimes we wrestle with things and Struggle with things and what we really need to say in order to defeat that enemy is just to say yes Lord That's me. I Did that Lord I said that I I had that wrong motive in my heart Lord. It was me I watched that screen. I saw what I shouldn't be looking at Lord. That was me I did that action and I know it's wrong It was me because once we confess it and admit it you just took the territory completely away from the enemy There's no place for him to go. No, please. There's no more room left. Not a rock to stand on Goodness if you ever say that word will get around people don't know what you did I'd be surprised if they didn't know anyway, isn't it true? You see He gives us his provision. He gives us his peace. He gives us his protection Under the cover of the Lord. There is nothing that we need fear Somebody sent me a little video this week that I so appreciated And it talked about Listening to the lie and the lie creates the fear. Oh, it's so true He gives us his protection Number four There is a product of obedience and you find it in verse 9 The Lord says so I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and Multiply you and I will confirm my covenant with you There's the product of obedience. I will turn to you When we come to that place of surrender then there's that sense of the Lord turning and I get in my Irish imagination all excited thinking about the Lord would turn To somebody like me But that's what he's saying if you obey my words and commandments I'll turn and I'll make that covenant fresh and new and powerful in your life Sometimes we have to enter into all kinds of agreements, don't we? But the product of obedience is That we're baptized in his presence in the spirit of his love And in the strength of who he is People begin to see the fruit of the Spirit the love of God the passion of God And Begin to see there's something so different about this individual. Let me illustrate it from the life of Paul in Corinthians we read that he is beaten and stoned and bruised and battered and in the sea and Amongst robbers and all of those things and then have you ever stopped to notice what he says at the beginning of Romans chapter 10 My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel Is that they might be saved Who was it that was the cause in human terms of so much of his physical suffering they were But what's he saying Because of the Spirit of God my greatest desire is to see them transformed In the love of God And you know verse 9 Talks about an increase not just fruitfulness but multiply you I like watching channel 18 on my TV if you think about that and you have cable TV, you'll know that's the House of Commons and So on and there are some who would say I'd rather watch paint dry I Know yeah, I understand. I do I really do But the reason that I like to watch it Is you know as you think about all the stuff that goes on all of the stuff that is processed in our society All of the decisions and so on that are going to be made It shows to us how much in Obedience we need to be living examples for Christ Because it's easy to say and see it's all going to hell in a handcart You know I used to say Lord let me at them And now I say God would you just fill me with your spirit? Would you teach me how to live my life full of you knowing? Your own touch the product of Jesus in me becoming more and more and more like Jesus Number five You find again beginning there at verse 9 He says I'll confirm my covenant with you. That's a promise I Like promises don't you You promised anybody anything lately I heard that you did good Bruce do you promise anything lately did Gary good to have you back Make any promises lately Yeah Are they easy to keep Sharon says no I Love this girl. It's just so honest Yeah, sometimes we make promises, and they're not so easy to keep are they But think about this promise I'll make my covenant with you I Said to somebody yesterday I've sat beside those who are hours away from eternity and They said things like pastor. I Didn't always keep my end of the bargain There are some failures, and I want to talk to you about it You know the greatest joy The greatest blessing of this office if I can even call it that this servanthood that God gives to pastors Is to be able to say at times like that ah, but he kept his part and He will not fail you even not Just in drawing near to him I Will make my covenant Did you guys make a covenant Let's check up on him. How's he doing with that? Is he keeping up his end of it? Oh? It's good you have to pay her later, man God says I have a covenant with you With you I have a covenant with you a Promise an agreement and this is why my dear friends We ought to live in that place where we need not despair and all God knows There's enough challenges and wounds and hurts to try to knock us there Times when we must say to ourselves is it ever gonna end? Where is it ever going? But I have a covenant with you I Just am Moving into the second half of Job in my own personal devotions And I'm being reminded all over again as I read through that book. Oh There are so many things that can come into a human life But there is a God who is a covenant keeper Wonderfully, so Noah Was in covenant Abraham was in a covenant Moses was in a covenant David was in a covenant and in the New Testament All the promises of God are in the covenant that you have with Jesus Christ your Lord That's why you sometimes hear me say Are you struggling with something lay hold of a promise from God You'll hear a brother in May if her Canada flies and we haven't all gone home before then Dr. Francisco Beltran from Peru will be with us and his son had his Back Injured in a snowboard accident in Aspen, Colorado a few years ago And I love what Francisco writes to me when he sends me a note It's in Spanish and my Spanish is not great But he's reading from one of the Psalms and he's simply saying sure confident in his Promises in his promises. Oh let me quickly roll on and We we need to celebrate at the Lord's table Number six is the presence or the person of God in verses 11 and 12 dwelling amongst us staying with us walking and working and resting and playing and the joy of the Lord our strength in distress and in all of those kind of Situations Not Finding us repulsive. You see that's my problem. I sometimes think Lord when I think about who I am I Cannot but ask how could you even be interested in me? But he's not only interested. He's committed to you and me His presence I'll make my dwellings his verse 11 among you and my soul shall not reject you Do you ever feel like I can't come before God with this? My soul shall not reject you That's his covenant I'll walk among you Lastly and quickly There is his power in verse 13 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt so That you would not be their slaves and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you Walk erect or upright There's deliverance and there's enabling in that verse and oh dear friends Look just look at God's commitment to you and I in obedience Let's pray in a few moments, we'll Meet the Lord at the table and pastor Brad will lead us in that time And after the service there'll be time for prayer But have I been speaking to someone this morning and the issues and the struggles Are heavy just now Look at these seven promises for obedience and father we would come to you and Confess that there are times Where either through our own willfulness or through neglect of your word That we fail to obey But Lord even as Sean stirred our hearts this morning We want so much more of you so father, would you just Touch each of our hearts and in the remainder of this service. Would you continue to draw us to that place? not only of hearing but obeying your voice and Walking with you in Jesus name we pray Sean's gonna Come in a little bit and lead us in a song and one of our new elders Jerry is gonna come and Lead us in the next little section here