BOW: Believe, Obey, Worship

Fear, suffering, anxiety, temptation, and spiritual pressure are real and they don’t politely wait for Sunday to pass. We lean into a simple but demanding posture that helps us stand firm when life gets loud: BOW. It’s an acronym we keep coming back to because it works in the middle of the struggle, not just after the victory: Believe, Obey, Worship.

We start in 1 Peter 5:6-11, where Scripture calls us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, cast our anxieties on Him, stay watchful, and resist the devil. From there, we unpack what it means to believe God when the situation doesn’t make sense yet. Hebrews 11 pushes us into real faith, the conviction of things not seen, and Noah becomes the picture of trusting God before the evidence arrives. Then we step into Mark 5, where Jesus looks a father in the eye after the worst report imaginable and says, “Do not fear, only believe.” We talk about the “naysayers” that can’t stay in the room if we want to see God move.

Belief leads somewhere, so we shift to obedience through 1 John and Acts 5: “We must obey God rather than men.” Obedience isn’t always popular, but it’s part of abiding in Christ. We close with worship from John 4, because God is seeking worshipers who worship in spirit and truth, not just on a schedule. If you want Bible teaching, practical Christian encouragement, and a clear path to daily victory, press play, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the message.

Transcript

Believe Even When You Cannot See

Only Believe When Fear Speaks

Obey God Rather Than People

Worship In Spirit And Truth

Prayer And Sunday Invitation

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hey, what's going on, everybody? This is Pastor Lee Day, and I pastor Christ Family Outreach Church located in the one and the only Amelia Courthouse, Virginia. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Beyond Sunday. I want to begin this episode with an acronym, okay? And it is for the word bow. B-O-W, as if to bow down before the Lord. Okay? So an acronym, bow. Here it is. B believe. O, obey. W, worship. Believe, obey, worship. Bow. Believe, obey, worship. And we're just gonna kick this thing off in First Peter chapter five, verses six through eleven. And this is what the word of God says. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Peter gives a warning that the devil is on the prow looking to destroy. And then, my friends, he instructs us to resist that devil, remaining firm in our faith. Peter also used the term, after you have suffered a little while, which means that we are all going to go through something. Okay. I'm not claiming it on you. I'm just telling you what the word of God says. We're all going to go through something. We're all going to face struggles. We're all going to be confronted with temptations. We're all going to see pain in life. But then Peter encourages us saying that God Himself will restore you. That God Himself will confirm you. That God will strengthen you. And that God will establish you. Now, my friends, that's good news right there. You see, in the process of the struggle and the victory, we get strong and we remain strong by faithfully applying the three things that I mentioned in the acronym earlier with the word bow. Believe, obey, and worship. When we apply those three things, believe, obey, and worship, to no matter what it is we're going through or who it is we are facing, my good friends, my brothers and sisters, we will always come out on top. We will always come out in victory. So the first of the three that we are going to look at in this episode is believe. Okay? So if you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, and the sixth verse. And Hebrews chapter 11, just verse 6 right now, says this. And without faith, remember, we're talking about believe in bow, believe. And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Isn't that so good? God rewards you with his presence when you seek after him. If you want to please God, you must first begin by believing in him. The seventh verse says this by faith, Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. The events yet not seen was the rain, it was the flood. It hadn't rained on earth yet, up until the point of Noah building the ark. So God instructs Noah to build the ark for an event that has yet been seen. Okay? And it says this in the seventh verse by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. So Noah constructed the ark in faith, pure faith. He had to believe what God had said. The events, the rain, the flood, had not yet taken place. It hadn't rained yet, so he had to make the decision to believe God, even if it didn't make sense. The seventh verse said, By faith Noah being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen. Hear that? Events as yet unseen. Now, still in the 11th chapter of Hebrews, but go all the way back, my friends, to the first verse. This is what the word of God says. In Hebrews 11, 1, it says this, talking about things unseen. Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things not seen. Write this down if you're taking notes out there. Faith, believing in what I cannot see. Can we get an amen to that? Somebody just shout hallelujah, right where you are. Hallelujah. Praise God. Faith is believing in what you cannot see. So he's got to go build this ark. Noah's got to go build this ark. And he hadn't even, he hadn't even been introduced to this concept of rain, much less so much rain that it's about to flood the entire earth. But he's got to believe, okay? He's got to believe in God enough that the instruction that God gives him makes sense in the long run, even if it doesn't make sense in the first inning of the game, if you will. Okay? So faith, believing in what you cannot see. Now, in every moment, you and I, we've got to make the decision to believe God in every single moment. We've got to believe God. We've got to believe his word. We have to believe his promises for you and for your life. If you don't believe God, listen to me now. If you don't believe God, you're choosing to believe the world. Turn in your Bibles if you will. Still talking about that first word for the acronym of BAO, that first letter B is believe. Turn in your Bibles, if you will, my good friends, to the book of Mark. Okay, we're still hanging around in the New Testament. Mark chapter five, and we're gonna take a look at together right now in the 35th verse. And Mark chapter 5, verse 35 says this. While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe. And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. And they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping. And the fortieth verse says this, and they laughed at him, but he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, Talitha kumi, which means, little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up and began walking. Praise God, hallelujah. Glory to God. Immediately the girl got up and began walking, for she was twelve years of age. And they were immediately overcome with amazement, and he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Now, look at what Jesus said to the girl's dad. In verse 36, Jesus says, Do not fear, only believe. The report comes back that the girl has died. These are eyewitnesses. This is an eyewitness account that his daughter is dead. But Jesus steps in and says, Hey, don't believe that. That may be what they're saying right now, but she's not dead. She's asleep. I have the final say. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm choosing to trust in God because he has the final say. Can somebody out there be in agreement with me and say, Amen, right now? Amen. So Jesus tells the dad, again in the 36th verse, he says, Do not fear, only believe. There's that believe word again. Now, also take note to what Jesus did. He put out of the room everyone who did not believe. Okay. Again, he put out of the room everyone who did not believe. We can see this in Mark chapter 5 and the 40th verse, and it says this, and they laughed at him. So Jesus says, Hey, hey, she's she's not dead. The little girl's not dead. The 12-year-old's not dead. She's sleeping. And the 40th verse says that they laughed at him, but he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. The naysayers, write this down if you're taking notes. The naysayers had to go. The naysayers had to bounce up out of the room, my friends. Those who would not believe had to leave the room. Write this down if you're taking notes. What I believe and who I believe effects what I will see. That's good. I'm gonna say it again. What I believe and who I believe effects what I will see. I don't want to be asked to leave the room. You ever thought about that? I don't want to be one of the ones that has to be asked to leave the room due to a lack of faith. I want to believe in God enough through Jesus Christ that the living power of the Holy Spirit of God in me is about to do a work for someone. I don't want to be asked to have to leave the room. I don't want to be there when it, when, when, when someone has to say, hey, you got to go. You got to go because your faith isn't where it needs to be. I want, I want to be there when it all goes down. Okay. I want to be there to see God do the work. I want to be there. I want to be present in the room to see God do the miracle. I want to be one of the ones involved in the room. Amen. And I hope you do too. Believing in the working power of God in the exact moment that it is needed, my friends. Now, let's move on in this acronym. The second letter of BAO is O. And right now in this episode, we're gonna say that the O stands for obey. Okay, so B is believe. O is obey. Now, if you have your Bibles, I want you to go to the book of 1 John and you can head towards the back of your Bibles, and that's where you're going to find the book of 1 John. Um, head back towards Revelation, you'll find it there. When you get to 1 John, I want you to go ahead and flip to the third chapter, 1 John chapter 3, and we're gonna take off together here in the 23rd verse. 1 John chapter 3, verse 23. Just gonna look at a couple verses here. This is what it says. And this is the commandment that we believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us. Okay? Now, still in 1 John, I want you to look at 1 John chapter 2. Again, still talking about obey. 1 John chapter 2 and the third verse. Just gonna read a few verses here. 1 John chapter 2, beginning with verse 3. This is what it says. And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. Again, still talking about obeying. Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Now, you could sum up those two passages in 1 John 3, 23 through 24, and 1 John 2, 3 through 6. You could sum up those two passages as follows. Whoever obeys God's word remains in God. Whoever obeys God's word remains in God. Now, still talking about obeying, I want you to go in your Bibles to Acts chapter 5. My friends, we are rolling through some scripture in this episode of Beyond Sunday. Acts chapter 5, beginning with the 27th verse. Gonna read a few, just a handful of verses right here. Acts chapter 5, verse 27. And when they had bought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest questioned them, saying, We strictly charge you not to teach in this name. Yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men. Amen. And the God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior, amen, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. Write this down if you're taking notes. Obedience is not always popular. Okay, again, talking about obey. Obedience is not always popular. The 33rd verse just told us that they wanted to kill them, and they were enraged due to their testimony. AW Tozer said this, and I quote, True obedience is the refusal to compromise in any regard our relationship with God, regardless of the consequences, unquote. Now that's really good, and it was a little lengthy, so I'm gonna read it to you again. AW Tozer, and I quote, True obedience is the refusal to compromise in any regard our relationship with God, regardless of the consequences, unquote. In other words, no matter what the consequence is gonna be, I'm still gonna obey God because I know at the end of this thing, God is still in control. God is in control. Okay? So so even if the consequence is my life here on this earth, God is in control. And I know that I'm about to receive a glorified body from my Father in heaven. My last breath here, my friends, is my very next breath in the throne room with Almighty God. Now, let's get back to Acts chapter five for a moment. Because Peter is in front of the council, okay? And he knew what they were saying could get them into trouble. But look at how they responded in the 29th verse. It says, But Peter and the apostles answered, we must obey God rather than men. That's so good. You and I, as well, we must obey God rather than men. Once we make the choice to believe, our very next step is the commitment to obey. Okay? Again, the acronym for BAO, at least for what we're looking at it in this episode, first is believe. Okay, then obey. We'll get to the W in just a moment. But once we made the choice to believe, our very next step is the commitment to obey. All three steps, believe, obey, and worship, are steps that we must commit to take every single day of our lives as Christians. Now, the last letter in Baal is the W. Worship. So if you got your Bibles, go to John chapter four, and we are going to begin in the 21st verse. John chapter 4, verse 21. And if you were with me in the book of Acts, you're not too far from the book of John. So John chapter 4, beginning with the 21st verse, and this is what it says. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know. For salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. God is expecting you to worship him. I know some of you may go to church and get uncomfortable about bowing down at the altar, about lifting your hands in surrender, in honor and reverence and praise to worship God. I know some of you may be uncomfortable about singing out loud, but listen, God doesn't give us the option or let us have an opinion about it. He's worthy of it. He's worthy of it all, my friends. So God is expecting his people to worship him. I don't want heaven to be the first time that you or I truly sell out to God in worship. He's expecting us to worship him right now, my friends, right now. Have you ever considered the following? God is looking for your worship. God is looking for your worship. Exodus 34, 14 says this for you shall worship no other God, for the Lord God, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God. You see, when it comes to you giving worship to God, God is worthy of it. God is deserving of it, and God is in expectation of it. Write this down worship. God is worthy of it, God is deserving of it, and God is in expectation of it. I'm gonna say it again, worship. God is worthy of it, God is deserving of it, and God is in expectation of it. Now, before we close in this episode, I want to give you something to consider. Charles Spurgeon said this, and I quote All places are places of worship to a Christian. Wherever he is, he ought to be in a worshiping frame of mind. Unquote. Oh man, that's powerful. That's some good stuff right there. I'm gonna read it to you again. All places. Places are places of worship to a Christian. Wherever he is, he ought to be in a worshiping frame of mind. Unquote. Charles Spurgeon. Let's pray. Father, in the name and the blood of Jesus Christ, I thank you for this episode. I thank you so much for the acronym that we've looked at today with the word bow and and the acronym that we've that we've looked at for today's episode anyway. The B is for believe. The O we use to obey, and the W standing for worship. And so that's what we're that's what we've what we've considered here today. And Father, I pray in the name and the blood of Jesus that we would never forget those. Those three things right there are so powerful, they're so critical, Father, in our lives as Christians to walking in daily victory with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, Father, I pray that every day we would go out and we would believe. That every day we would go out and we would obey you. And every day, no matter where we are, we would be in a worshipful state of mind, always willing to worship you, Father, in spirit and truth. In the name of the blood of Jesus Christ, all God's people said, My good friends, amen, amen, and amen. I hope to see you at church this Sunday at Christ Family Outreach CFO in Amelia, Virginia. Doors open at 9:30. Service gets going at 10. Come on out. Bring some people with you and let's worship the Father together. Let's believe together. Let's obey God together and let's stand and worship Him together. In Jesus' name. God bless you all.