Church Health 3 outline

Culture of Obedience

### **Opening: The Call to Obedience**

- Key Thought: *We will only experience the move of God in our church to the level of our obedience.*

- **Big Idea:** Obedience determines our opportunities.

- Obedience demonstrates trustworthiness before God.

- Disobedience places a lid on advancing God’s Kingdom work.

- Supporting Truth: *God will not provide further revelation until we have fully acted upon what He has already commanded.*

**Scriptural Foundation:** *Luke 5:1-11*

[Luk 5:1-11 NIV] 1 “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."

11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

### **1. Obedience Requires Leaving the Shore**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:4* - “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

- The Shore Represents:

- Our comfort zones and familiarity.

- Reliance on previous experiences and successes.

- **Challenge:** Will we leave the shore when Jesus calls?

- Peter had to trust Jesus’ word over his own expertise.

**Application:** A healthy church pushes beyond comfort zones to embrace God’s call, even when it challenges our previous ways of thinking.

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### **2. Obedience Risks Weariness and Past Disappointments**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:5* - “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

- **Challenges to Obedience:**

- Tired Hands: The exhaustion of working without results.

- Lack of Results: The discouragement of trying again after failure.

- Peter’s Example:

- Obeying *because Jesus said so,* despite weariness and doubt.

**Application:** A healthy church re-engages in obedience, trusting God’s promises over present challenges.

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### **3. Obedience Unlocks God’s Provision**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:6* - “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”

- **Key Principle:** Obedience always results in provision from God.

- God’s provision often exceeds our expectations (*Ephesians 3:20*).

- The overflow of God’s blessing often requires teamwork (calling others to help).

- **Illustration:** When we obey, God moves in ways that reveal His supernatural power.

**Application:** A healthy church embraces obedience, expecting God to meet and exceed needs for His glory.

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### **4. Obedience Confronts Fear**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:10* - “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

- **Fear Hinders Obedience:**

- Fear of failure.

- Fear of others’ opinions.

- Fear of wasting time or energy.

- Jesus’ Call: *“Don’t be afraid.”*

- True failure comes only through disobedience, not through unmet expectations.

**Application:** A healthy church overcomes fear by trusting God’s promises and acting boldly in obedience.

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### **5. Obedience Adjusts Our Focus**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:10* - “From now on you will fish for people.”

- **Jesus Adjusted Peter’s Mission:**

- From catching fish to catching people.

- The temporary catch (fish) pointed to the eternal mission (discipleship and salvation).

- **Key Thought:** Jesus begins with where we are but calls us to a greater purpose.

**Application:** A healthy church prioritizes the Kingdom mission of making disciples over temporary successes.

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### **6. Obedience Demands Sacrifice and Follow-Through**

- **Text:** *Luke 5:11* - “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

- **True Obedience Requires:**

- Leaving behind personal ambitions or securities.

- Fully committing to Jesus’ call.

- **Jesus’ Example:**

- Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to “catch people” for the Kingdom.

**Application:** A healthy church cultivates a culture of obedience by modeling total surrender and commitment to Christ.

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### **Building a Culture of Obedience in Our Church**

1. **Ask the Right Questions:**

- What is Jesus asking us to do today?

- Are we willing to say “yes” no matter the cost?

2. **Challenge Fear:**

- Recognize fear as a barrier to obedience.

- Trust Jesus’ command over our comfort and expectations.

3. **Focus on Kingdom Impact:**

- Shift from temporary success to eternal significance.

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### **Closing Challenge: The Call to Obedience**

- Obedience is not optional for Kingdom advancement—it is the foundation.

- **Question:** Will we pull our boats ashore, leave everything, and follow Jesus?

- When we obey, God provides beyond measure and uses us to accomplish His Kingdom mission.

**Call to Action:** Let’s commit to building a church culture where obedience is our natural response to God’s direction, knowing that He will bless our faithfulness abundantly.