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7. Why teach Obedience?
   

A. What is the third instruction?

 

Mt 28:19,20 “ go and (1) make disciples of all nations,(2) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and (3) teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you .”

 

Note:

•  A church activity – to teach new believers
•  A disciples response – to be obedient
•  Jesus foundation – to everything Jesus has said.

   

B. The impact of repentance

•   Remember that becoming a Christian involves repentance – a turning round and going in a different direction. So, we need to learn to live life differently.

•   Previously in ‘Why make Disciples' we considered that:
  •   When we came to Christ we had probably given little thought to
    •   what we had been like before
  •   and were largely clueless about
    •   what God has in store for us for the rest of our lives.

•   We saw that we were largely ignorant of God and His purposes (we did our own thing), so there was knowledge to be conveyed, understood and acted on. Now there is experience to be added.

    

C. ‘Doing' in God's way

  

•   This experience is the DOING of what Jesus said.
•   So this is the experience of:
  •  resisting wrong – Jas 4:7
  •  positively living out the life Jesus spoke about
    •  expressing the fruit of the Spirit (character) Gal 5:22-25
    •  entering into the things Jesus is doing (activity) 1 Cor 11:1
    •  Following – John 2:5
•   1 John 2:3 explains that obedience is a sign of our relationship with God.
•   Rom 8:15-17 shows that sonship makes us children of God, heirs with Him and joint heirs with Christ.

    

D. Examples of obedience

  

•   Abraham – went out, not knowing where he as going. 
•   Noah – built an Ark.
•   Enoch – obeyed, pleased God and disappeared! 
•   Nehemiah – rebuilt a city.  
•   We can fulfil all of the things God wants us to do – because He will help us.

E. Sons of God

   

•   Obedience is not a form of slavery but rather something that releases.
•   It releases us into sonship, blessing, God's favour and into the destiny that God has for us - blessing others and being blessed in doing what God wants us to do.

A Final Comment

The insecure person is the one who is fearful and objects to being 'told what to do'. When Jesus tells us what to do it, is always for our best. He is continually seeking to lead us into his Father's will for us which, as we've noted before, is to enable us to 'work' the very best, as we've been designed to 'work'. 

Obedience to all that Jesus taught is, therefore, to enable us to enter into the wonder of who God has made us to be and to function in it to the very best of our ability. That also means we enjoy living like we never have done before!

And why does Jesus 'command' us? Because he knows we need that forceful encouragement to overcome the old sinful nature and the enemy, both of whom seek to hold us back. Don't let them do it!