Last two weeks we made the point that Jesus is our savior, Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus is the Lord. We also said the Lord requires absolute obedience and that our obedience to the Lord must be absolute and immediate. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
Four principles regarding obedience
Yesterday we established four principles regarding obedience:
1. It takes faith to obey the Lord completely and absolutely
2. Your attitude towards the word of God will determine how beneficial it is to you
3. Obedience is the test of your love for the Lord
4. Obedience to the word of God is your key to success and prosperity
This morning, I want to establish the fact that we can move God’s hand through obedience.
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ (Jeremiah 7.23 ESV)
The promises of God are conditional. Sometimes when God gives you a promise, he gives you a condition for it. When you fulfill the condition, the promise will just follow. For God to become your God and for you to become his, you must obey his voice. From this scripture, if you want God to be your god, you must obey his voice.
Secondly, he says to walk in his ways and it will be well with you. In my walk with the Lord, I have come to realize that obedience to the voice of God moves God’s hand to act on your behalf. When he sees that you are standing in his word, he is moved to act on your behalf.
I want to give examples from the scriptures of people who obeyed God and what the result was.
The example of Jesus (Philippians 2.8-9)
Let me start with the example of our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 2.8-9). Jesus was God but did not count equality with God something to be grasped but humbled himself and became obedient even to the point of death. When Jesus was about to die in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed for the cup to pass over him but surrendered to the will of God to the extent that he was captured, mocked, and finally crucified. Because of that, God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord. Everybody who walks in obedience to God is exalted. Obedience to the word of God will bring you from obscurity into the limelight.
The example of Abraham (Genesis 22)
In Genesis 22.2, when God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, Abraham understood the implications—he had to kill him and burn him with fire. If it were me, I would have wondered why God would do that but Abraham obeyed. As he went to the mountain to offer Isaac, Isaac asked him about the lamb for the sacrifice. You can imagine that that must have been difficult for Abraham but they went ahead. Eventually God provided a lamb for the sacrifice after Abraham had obeyed him. God swore by himself to bless Abraham because of this (Genesis 22.18). Also, by Abraham’s obedience, God spoke into his life. Obedience can move God to speak into your life. Thirdly, the fruit of Abraham’s obedience affected even his unborn descendants. People speak of generational curses but if you will walk in obedience, God’s blessing that will come upon you will be a trans-generational blessing. People will begin to ask what is happening to your family line and the secret will be that their grandparents obeyed the Lord. I speak blessings into your life this morning. I speak the peace of God to you this morning because you have obeyed the voice of God.
The example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
Obedience brings God’s into the matter. It invokes divine presence. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar looked and saw four people in the fire, walking freely. If you walk in obedience, he is with you. They can throw you in the fire or into the sea but his presence will be with you.
The example of Simon Peter (Luke 5.5-6; Obedience will produce a miracle)
In Luke 5.5, Simon Peter complained that they had toiled all night and caught nothing. However, at the word of Jesus he was willing to try again. When he obeyed, they caught so much fish that their nets began to break. Obedience will produce a miracle in your life.
In Deuteronomy it says if you obey, the Lord will set you high above all nations. I pray that we shall be men and women who subject themselves to God in obedience. If he has spoken to you, don’t count the cost; just obey and you will see the hand of the Lord in your life.
Main references
Jeremiah 7.23, Philippians 2.8-9, Genesis 22.2, Daniel 3, Luke 5.5-6