God has given us tools and weapons to fulfill our purpose –– PRAYER, WORSHIP, THE WORD, & RELATIONSHIPS. But there’s one more we must talk about. Without this one weapon, the other weapons & tools may not even work…OBEDIENCE! Obedience is the most powerful of all of the five weapons because it fires the others!

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

• Nothing with eternal value will happen in your life if you are not obedient to Christ.
• Radical Obedience releases us toward our unique purpose.

John 14:12 (ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

If you try to remove the humanity out of His Word you will try to absolve yourself from your responsibility.

John 14:15-17 (ESV)

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

• Helper = paraklētos = comforter; advocate; called to one’s side; called to one’s aid; counselor; legal assistant;

John 14:20-21 (ESV)

20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:26 (ESV)

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Hebrews 5:7-9 (NKJV)

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

Three Things About Obedience:

#1) PRAYERFUL PURSUIT OF OBEDIENCE (v.7)

Hebrews 5:7a (NKJV)

who, in the days of His flesh,…

• The things He did were unique to His humanity. He came to model that for us so we can continue to move in uniqueness through His works. In the same way, God is calling us to be unique, different form the world.

Hebrews 5:7b (NKJV)

… when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death…

Hebrews 4:14-15 (ESV)

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Luke 11:3 (ESV)

Give us each day our daily bread,

Radical obedience is when you obey Him…

1. Immediately
2. Even when it doesn’t make sense
3. Even if it hurts
4. Even if we don’t see a benefit
5. All the way to completion

Hebrews 5:7c (NKJV)

… was heard because of His godly fear,

Radical obedience comes from your fear of God.

#2) PAINFUL PATHWAY TO OBEDIENCE (v.8)

Hebrews 5:8a (NKJV)

though He was a Son…

Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Hebrews 5:8b (NKJV)

… yet He learned obedience…

• Obedience must be taught.

1 John 5:3 (ESV)

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

2 John 1:6 (ESV)

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

• Radical obedience is the lifestyle of God-fearing children.

Hebrews 5:8c (NKJV)

… He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

If your obedience doesn’t cost you anything, it’s not obedience, but rather convenience.

#3) POWERFUL PRODUCT OF OBEDIENCE (v.9)

Hebrews 5:9a (NKJV)

And having been perfected,…

• perfected = teleioō = complete; to bring to an end; consecrate; to accomplish; bring to a close or fulfillment by event; to finish

• “Having been perfected” speaks of a process. It was a sequence of events, not microwavable trust and obedience.

Matthew 26:41 (ESV)

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

John 5:19 (ESV)

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

John 8:28-29 (ESV)

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

Hebrews 5:9b (NKJV)

… He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

CONCLUSION

Here are some takeaways:

A) To have radical obedience we must understand that we must have the fear of God… to love Him and desire His will over our own.

Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

1 Peter 4:1-2 (ESV)

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

B) Everything Jesus did in the flesh was a result of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

C) Radical obedience is willing to suffer to the point of death.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV)

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV)

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

D) Radical Obedience releases your unique purpose.

E) Radical Obedience always precedes the miraculous.

Peter Not Catching Fish

Ref: Luke 5:4-7 (ESV)

4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Crossing over the Jordan River (Joshua 4)

Joshua 4:24 (ESV)

so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

F) Deliberate & Purposeful Disobedience disqualifies you from your destiny.

Saul (1 Samuel 15:26-29, 35)

1 Samuel 15:26 (ESV)

And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

Ephesians 5:6 (ESV)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.