Obey

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB)
⁸  By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
 


I have been chewing on this passage for two days as I work my way through the book of Hebrews. I have been unable to get past verse eight.  This is slowing my Bible reading plan but it is also leaving me to profound encounters with God. Let's break it down.

It starts with that old familiar word in Hebrews 11. By faith. We learn a little more what this faith is in Heb 11:1. Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) 
¹  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. When we operate in faith we are hoping for something and have assurance, as well as concrete conviction, that what we are hoping for will become reality even though it cannot be seen yet. When you walk in faith like that life is an adventure. I've written that numerous times before. Living by faith will take you down some exciting encounters with God.

So everything we are going to discuss in Heb 11:8 starts on the foundation of faith. Are you living a life of faith? All believers are called to live by faith from salvation to matters of everyday life. [II Cor 5:7] While living by faith can be exciting I have never said it is easy. God continually stretches faith in His followers. 

He did so with Abraham in Hebrews 11:8. God put a call on Abraham's life. Not a call to teach Sunday School, give a little offering, to build an altar, or even to build an ark. The word called means "invitation". God invited Abraham to something just like He invites you and I to things as well. God's invitation always require faith. It will require your trust and total dependence on God. 

Once Abraham heard God's invitation, by faith, he OBEYED. What does that mean? It means more than Abraham just heard or just listened.  To obey means to comply with a command. There is so much talk about grace, about faith, about the love of God. What about obedience? Does God want, no, demand our obedience?

God does call and invite people to do things. Does He do so without requiring obedience. Obedience is built into the very fabric of our society. Parents require children to obey. People in school demand students to comply with the rules. Law enforcement personnel require obedience to the laws of the land. Yet when it comes to God, people in the church think obedience is optional. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. 

To not respond to God's call is sin. To reject God's invitation is sin. To disobey what God is calling you to do is offensive to God. It does not matter what that calls entails. If God calls you to forgive others you are to obey. If God calls you to give sacrificially you open your wallet or purse and obey. If God calls you to witness you obey. And if in Abraham's case, God calls you to uproot everything safe, secure, familiar, and comfortable and move then you are to obey. You put the house up for sale. You start packing your belongings and you move. Even if it means leaving a good job. Even it means leaving family. Even it means leaving the best friends or the best church you have ever known. YOU OBEY. YOU MOVE. 

At this very moment faith is tested. In Abraham's case it came through hearing God's invitation to move but to an unknown land God would show him. To put it another way, God called Abraham to move but did not give him an end destination to move to. God knew where He wanted Abraham. All Abraham knew was God wanted him to pack up and to move. 

What is more amazing is Abraham obeyed. By faith Abraham trusted God and what God called him to do. How many times have you heard the call of God to do something and you talked yourself out of it. Maybe all you can see is how irrational the call of God on your life is and impossible the implications of complying with that call would be. It is illogical. It does not make sense. Based on those things you choose the safe, predictable, logical route and you choose DISOBEDIENCE. 

Why is there such a lack of power in many churches. Two simple reasons stand out. There is not much faith and there is much disobedience. 

Do you think for once second it was easy for Abraham to choose to believe God and to choose to obey by faith. I don't think so. Why? I have taken hundreds of such steps in my life and each time my flesh is uncomfortable, but in my heart I have peace because I have heard God's call. The assurance comes from God's invitation. It is what He wants done. It is His will. 

I had lunch with two men talking about the Kermit revival and Howard Payne revival yesterday. I laid my burden and the vision of what I believe is a call of God to do these things before these men. I tried to answer their questions. At one point I looked at both of them and said, "Do you think I am crazy?" They joked in response that they know I am crazy but they still believe God is initiating and leading me in these areas. 

I look at this logically. I do not know one pastor in Kermit. I have never even met a pastor in Kermit. I don't hardly anyone in Kermit. Yet I feel called to go. We have been given one gift to do this revival of $1,000. I don't have a place to meet, sound equipment, chairs, money for advertising, a website, or devotion books printed to prepare for the revival. That does not change the fact God called me to do this. 

So, looking foolish to the world, I throw caution to the wind, and I obey. I have already started stepping out. I am obeying step by step by faith. We are at work nailing down a date. I will soon send a letter to pastors in Kermit inviting them to lunch where I will share my vision. We are not asking these churches to finance this revival. We are obeying and trusting God every step of the way. 

God had a plan for Abraham but He did not fully reveal it. As Abraham walked with God and sought Him God gave more revelation along the way. He does the same for me and you. We want all the details on the front end and most times God just extends His invitation and says, "Trust Me."

When God says move we move by faith. When God says stay we stay by faith. When God says branch out we do so by faith. When God says expand we do so by faith. When God says start over we lay it all down and start over. When God calls we are to answer and to obey that calling. 

Has God called you to do something? Have you obeyed? Are you justifying disobedience even while reading this? God's blessings come on the other side of obedience. Obedience takes faith. On the other side of faith and obedience are God's miracles. Determine now you will obey God by faith.