OBEDIENCE – LET GOD DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS IN YOUR LIFE

Ps Seth Asare Ofei Badu

As we gather around the Lord’s Table, it is clear that we are not aware of what exactly obedience to this ordinance brings: Some think that it brings healing, some think it has the psychological effect of making us re-examine our lives and motives. Paul said that, it is a way of proclaiming Christ’s death until He comes. We are however very certain that we are doing it as direct OBEDIENCE to the Lord’s ordinance in Luke 22:19.  In this and in all other aspects of our lives, God wants us to obey Him.

Why does the Lord want us to just obey Him?

1.      Our natural lives are limited and cannot fully show the glory of God.

2.      Faith, without which no man can please God, finds expression only in obedience.

In Obeying Godly instructions, we position ourselves for Divine intervention: We take our hands completely off the controls and let God do that for which He alone can take the credit – miracles, signs and wonders! Then ours is the blessings and God’s is the glory.

Who should we obey?

1.      God’s Word: written, and inspired consistent with written.

2.      Parents (Ephesians 5:1)

3.      The Church hierarchy (Hebrews 13:17)

4.      Older persons (1 Peter 5:5)

5.      Civil and community leaders (Romans 13:1,2)

Instructions must not contravene God’s Word, though they may not be what we would rather follow.

What is the nature of Obedience the Lord requires?

Jesus’ mother, Mary, taught the wedding attendants this, and then His first miracle took place. Jesus consistently gave people seemingly irrelevant instructions prior to making them beneficiaries of miracles:

a)      He asked the attendants at the wedding to fill the water (not wine) jars with water John 2:5, 7

b)      He asked the disciples to let the hungry crowd sit down (not rush to town and grab some quick something and return) John 6:

c)      He asked the paralytic at Bethesda the seemingly annoying question of whether he would like to be healed

d)      He asked blind Bartimaeus to come to him (instead of going to him, knowing he would have difficulty coming alone), and asked him what he wanted! (Matthew 10:49,51)

e)      He put spittle-spiked clay on the eyes of a man born blind and asked him to go and wash in a pool which is some distance away. (John 9:6)

2.      He asked the relatives and townsfolk of Lazarus, who had every right to be disenchanted with Him for “fatally” delaying His visit to his sick friend, to roll away the tombstone off a freshly-used tomb (John 11)

One lesson runs through these stories: the people were getting the chance to put their faith in Jesus into practice…through obedience (no other way). Anytime we believe we have heard His voice and put our faith into practice by obeying His somehow “unreasonable” instructions miracles do happen.

How can we practice Obedience to God?

1.      Let us acknowledge that we have God whose ways are different from ours (Isaiah 55: 8,9)

2.      Let us make up our minds to obey His voice when we know it, however unpalatable or irrelevant it seems (Hebrews 3:15).

3.      Let us be clear of how, and by whom God speaks to us.

4.      Let us be sure we are well exercised in obedience by first looking up and following His clear instructions in Scripture, such as “Go ye”, “Love one another”, “Pray without ceasing”, “Do not bear grudge against one another”, etc. It will be easier to follow the inspired Word if we are already well grounded in obeying the written word that we read and are taught. In the same way, it will be fruitless to seek divine guidance and intervention if you are not already putting the ones you know into action. (see Luke 16:31 and John 3:12)

Conclusion

To obey is better than sacrifice. (1Samuel 15:22) Let us position ourselves for His extraordinary things to happen to and among us. A child of God without the habit of obedience is poor indeed, and is likely to remain so, since a character and habit of disobedience effectively shuts God out of your life.