God Deserves Our Obedience Series

- Let’s use evangelism as an example.

- I’ll be the first to say that sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with strangers is scary!

- Sometimes, it’s even scarier when we share Him with a close friend or loved one.

- Yet in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples and us.

- He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- As you can see, that’s not an option…it’s a command. “Go!”

- You might think, “Yeah, some people have the gift of evangelism, but I don’t. I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing. I’m afraid I’ll turn someone away. I’m afraid I’ll freeze and look like a fool…”

- Whatever your fears are, God is greater than them.

- In 2 Timothy 1:7, we’re told, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

- I’d say power, love, and self-discipline come with boldness and courage, wouldn’t you?

- Perhaps you’re afraid that once you start sharing the Gospel with others, Satan isn’t going to be happy, and you’re going to be attacked.

- Yes, that’s true because he is our adversary.

- But we’re told in Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

- You say, “Yeah, but Satan’s attack might involve persecution from the world!”

- Yes, that’s true, but that’s okay, because Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us, “God Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

- Brothers and sisters, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is just one example of many we could use to illustrate that our obedience must be bold and courageous.

- Is there something in your life right now that God wants you to do, but you’re afraid to do it, so you’re not obeying?

- Give it over to Him today, ask Him for the boldness and courage you need, and choose to be obedient!

II.) Our Obedience Must be Complete- Vs 24-26

- Has anyone here ever bought something that needed to be assembled, and instead of using the instructions, you put it together on your own?

- I’m guilty, and I bet most of the men here today would be guilty of that as well.

- Usually, the instructions are long and complicated.

- Not only that, but the pictures don’t always match what you’re seeing while you’re assembling it, so it just gets confusing.

- Well, one day, I learned my lesson the hard way.

- Sherri, her father, and I were putting a shed up outside at our house.

- It was a really hot day, and we just wanted to get it done and over with.

- Well, we were making good progress when Sherri’s dad said, “We don’t need those instructions. This is easy!”

- Sherri tried to say, “The instructions are there for a reason. We need them to put this together the correct way.”