Are you collecting the pennies or the quarters?

Obeying can be hard thing to do-At a certain Children’s Hospital a boy gained a reputation for creating trouble with the nurses and the staff. One day a visitor who knew about his terrorizing nature made him a deal, “If you’re good for a week,” she said, “I’ll give you a quarter when I come again.”A week later she stood before his bed. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “I won’t ask the nurses if you behaved. You must tell me yourself. Do you deserve this dime? After a moment’s pause, a small voice from among the sheets said: “Gimme a penny.”
If we looked inside your “piggy bank” would we would discover-pennies or quarters? There are those who claim to be Christians but are living for the pennies and there are those who continue to chase the quarters. Those who are hunting for quarters have come to a time in their lives when they have placed a life of convenience on the altar of obedience for a closer walk with Jesus Christ. John spent his life chasing quarters. When Christ called John from a life of fishing to a life of ministry John placed everything that he had possessed on the altar of obedience and now he was going to encourage others to do the same. Look with me at 1 John 2:3-4” Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. John had a fisherman’s education so he’s not going to try and impress you with deep theological words in fact he’s going to come right out and write if you claim to know to Jesus Christ then your life will be characterized by obedience. Claiming to know Christ means that we possess and protect His Word. Christian counseling centers are filled with believers who have failed to protect His Commandments it’s not that they don’t know His Word but that they don’t obey the authority of the Word-they possess the authority of the Word, but they refuse to protect the authority or put the authority in practice in their lives! Sitting on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a State Police Officer see's a car puttering along at 22 MPH. He thinks to himself, "This driver is just as dangerous as a speeder!"So he turns on his lights and pulls the driver over. Approaching the car, he notices that there are five old ladies, two in the front seat and three in the back, wide eyed and white as ghosts. The driver, obviously confused, says to him, "Officer, I don't understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to be the problem?"“Ma'am," the officer replies, "You weren't speeding, but you should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a danger to other drivers.”“Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing the speed limit exactly twenty-two miles an hour!" the old woman says a bit proudly. The Officer, trying to contain a chuckle explains to her that "22" was the route number, not the speed limit. A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the officer for pointing out her error. "But before I let you go, Ma'am, I have to ask... Is everyone in this car OK? These women seem awfully shaken and they haven't muttered a single peep this whole time," the lady replies “Oh, they'll be all right in a minute officer. We just got off Route 186.” It makes no difference if you are living in the fast lane of life or you feel that you are living in the slow lane watching as everything and everyone around you is going 186 mph, we are commanded to obey our authority-and the Word of God needs to be our authority! This is the same message that the seasoned saint was attempting to communicate to his audience back in 1 John 2:5. The word “perfected” means “to bring into full development” so from obeying His Word we develop into the image of Jesus Christ and discover a life that is fully satisfying. 1John 2:5-6 “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Walking just as He walked” means that just like Jesus we are submissive to God’s authority in every way possible. When our hearts desire is to obey our Father we become motivated/anxious to see His will accomplished in our lives and from our complete obedience to Him we begin to collect those quarters. I close this morning by asking you the million dollar question which is brought to you from “Capital One”-“What’s in your wallet?”

Pastor Paul,

May God continue to bless your life as you remain faithful to Him!