THE OUTCOME OF OBEDIENCE
· A few centuries before Christ a man named Alexander conquered almost all of the known world using military strength, cleverness and a bit of diplomacy. The story is told that Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king. When the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men.
The king laughed, "Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!" But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff
The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory.
Are you willing to be as obedient to the ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ, as those soldiers were to Alexander? Are you as dedicated and committed? Think how much power Christ could have in our area with just a portion of such commitment.
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 102-103.
· Someone once asked Dr. Cho (pastor of largest church in the world – over 1 million.)
What is the key to your great success? His reply was very simple “I pray and I obey”
· The Outcome of Obedience to God will always bring blessing!
Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
7 blessings that obedience to God will acquire for you:
#1) ACQUIRE THE FREEDOM:
· In Acts 16:16-30 we read an incredible account of the mighty power of God demonstrated through Paul and Silas. They were slapped in jail for setting a demon-possessed lady free. She brought in a great deal of revenue to her owners by fortune telling.
With the demon gone, no more prophe-lying! Paul & Silas received a terrible beating for their act of kindness and were slammed into the inner slammer! So they got mad at God and everybody right!
WRONG! They held a worship service in the middle of their suffering!
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
· Just think of the blessing obedience brought! THEY WERE MADE FREE BY THEIR PRAISES TO GOD! Not only were they set free, but even the criminals around them were free! Captives were set free because of obedience! The following verses show us that our obedience can win the lost!!
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
· Not only was the jailer saved, but we read on in the text and find that his entire family were saved! WHY, BECAUSE OF OBEDIENCE!
· Here is the command that they obeyed. 1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
· THANKFULNESS IS A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES OR TRIALS!
#2) ACQUIRE THE FIRE:
· THE FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST CAME BY WAY OF OBEDIENCE
Acts 1: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
· Ac 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
· The fire of the Holy Spirit that fell upon those obedient believers that day, is still spreading throughout the world!
· Ac 5:32 and we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
· I am reasonably sure, that we all would agree the Holy Spirit comes to reside in all of us when we are born again. However,
according to the Word of God, there are measures of the Spirit imparted to those who strive to obey God. The measure of God’s Spirit given to us is in direct connection to our obedience….
Joh 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (another version states that the Spirit was given to Christ “without limitation” There has never been a near rival to Christ’s obedience to the Father!
#3) ACQUIRE THE FAITH:
· Even our level of faith is directly connected to our obedience.
Mt 8: 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
· Obedience is clearly a key to great faith. Understanding and submitting ourselves to authority is crucial to our level of faith. Let’s consider this principle further!
1Jo 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jo 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
· The reason that our heart condemns us is because the law of God written on our heart reveals disobedience. It does not say that God condemns, it is our own heart. Thank God that He is greater than condemnation. He convicts to bring us near to Him! PRAISE HIM FOREVER!
· Jesus lived his earthly life and did great miracles BY FAITH. HE DEPENDED ON THE FATHER FOR EVERYTHING HE DID. The Scripture teaches that He had great confidence or FAITH in God.
Jn 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
· If we will be a people of great faith we must also be a people of great obedience!
1Jo 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jo 5: 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
#4) ACQUIRE THE FELLOWSHIP:
· In the account of the three Hebrew children we have a wonderful illustration of the relationship between obedience and fellowship with the Lord! The command that they so daringly obeyed was: the first commandment THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER gods BEFORE ME! (Ex 20:3)
· The Kings command was to worship an image made by the hands of men. The cue was when they heard the music. THEIR ANSWER WAS: NO WAY! NOT NOW! NOT EVER! NOT EVEN IF WE HAVE TO BE BAKED UNTIL WE ARE WELL DONE! IT WILL NOT HAPPEN!
· THE KING GOT MASSIVELY TICKED AT THE BOYS AND CRANKED THE FURNACE UP TIMES 7 AND IT WAS SO HOT IT KILLED THE HELP!
Dan 3: 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
· The mind-boggling outcome was that they had to be asked to come out of the fire! Because they refused to disobey that day,
they enjoyed a level of fellowship with Christ that few have ever known throughout history!
· When we will not compromise the commands of God, we will know Him in ways that will alter the direction of our society!
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
#5) ACQUIRE THE FINEST:
Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good (best) of the land:
· Very simply stated: obedience is the key to quality life. Jesus said that, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10)
· Abundant life is life to the fullest. It is certain that the finest life is not trouble free. We have far too many Biblical examples to the contrary.This life in Christ even on the worst day is far better than the world can offer on its’ best day!! An obedient life assures us that ALL THINGS will work together for our benefit (Ro 8:28) We must bring in the next verse, which says it is for those that are being conformed to the image of His Son ( Ro 8:29)
#6) ACQUIRE THE FUTURE:
· Another awesome benefit is given through obedience: glimpses into our future. Through obedience, we receive vision and understanding of our calling and direction for life! There is no mistake about it, obedience opens our eyes to the future, at least to a degree ( we see through a glass darkly – 1Cor 13:12)
· In 1Cor 2 we discover that those who strive to walk in the Spirit are given special revelation of things to come by the Spirit (vs.10) These treasures are not given to the carnal or fleshly i.e. disobedient, but unto spiritual or obedient individuals. Paul, who was a tremendous example of human obedience, stated that he and the apostles had the mind of Christ!!
· Notice in the following passage, the key to understanding the direction of God for our present and future is obedience!
Ro 12: 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
#7) ACQUIRE THE FINALE:
· Finally the Finale .. Eternity with the Lord entirely depends on obedience the Word of God! JESUS SAYS SO! We can get to Heaven without being Healed but we cannot get to Heaven without being Holy!
· Not even the gifts of the Spirit are a replacement for the fruit of the Spirit!
Mt 7: 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
26 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Food for thought:
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
· Clearly the cost of obedience is nothing to be compared with the cost of disobedience!
· May God light a fire of passion in us to obey His every command!
Consider these anonymous quotes:
· The most fitting response to undeserved blessing is unreserved obedience!
· Your obedience to God today determines what you’ll be for God tomorrow.
· A small step of obedience is a giant step to blessing!
Written by Tom Anglin
