Obedience is His Reward

Introduction

Welcome

Introduction to Series & Topic:

We are in a series called: ‘Jesus is greater.’ We are exploring the second half of Romans 5 starting from verse 12 to 21 where Paul, the apostle contrasts Adam and Christ.

In this series, the goal is to help us see that Christ is better. Christ will always be the better option.

Title:

Obedience is His reward.

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen!

Body

Story:

The Moravian people is a group of people in the 1700’s that experienced the presence of God in such a powerful way — an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, similar to the book of Acts 2 — that started a 24/7 prayer movement for 100 years; uninterrupted.

Part of that movement were two german missionaries by the name of John Leonard Dober and David Nitschman. With a passion for Jesus and spreading the Gospel, they had heard of an island called St. Thomas where most of the inhabitants were slaves.

Their owners/masters had rejected the Gospel and wouldn’t allow any christian missionaries to talk with their slaves. The slaves would only be limited to talk to one another or their master — but no one else outside of that.

So these missionaries, out of love for Jesus and the good news, sold themselves into slavery in order to take the Gospel to these slaves.

The story goes that after these men sold themselves into slavery, they were put into shackles and loaded onto the boat as cargo. And as the boat pulled away from the shore and their families, both of them lifted their hand up to heaven and cried out:

“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of his suffering.”

Explanation:

These two men surrendered their rights and lives to Jesus, recognizing all of who Jesus is and what He has given them.

What they give is merely the reward that Jesus deserves for enduring suffering and bringing them to life.

One article that I was reading on this story said:

Illustration:

The only thing that will motivate someone to that kind of sacrifice is truly knowing what “the Lamb” has done for them. The Lamb was not just slain; the Lamb was slain for you. And when you realize that, you begin to have the kind of radical stirrings that led Dober and Nitschmann to leave everything behind.

Application:

ME:

This is my story. Since following Jesus in 2013, I have come to learn this truth over again. But every time I lose sight of what Christ has done for me and who he is in my life, I end up sinking in my attempt to follow Jesus.

YOU:

The power you need to follow Jesus is the Holy Spirit continually reminding you of the mercy and love of Jesus displayed on the cross.

WE:

When it comes to living a christian life, it’s rooted and founded on this truth of knowing who Jesus is and what He’s done for us.

Bible

Context:

We have studied the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:12-21, exploring how Jesus is greater by contrasting Him, Jesus, with Adam.

The first week we learned that what Jesus gave is better than what Adam did. All of us have a choice to make: To live in what Adam did or to live in what Jesus gave.

The second week we learned that the results of Adam’s sin was not just death, but punishment. But the results of grace and forgiveness that Jesus gave is to be accepted and loved by God.

Third week we learned about the royalty of God and us reigning through Christ. We reign over sin and death because Christ did.

We move on to study our next passage:

Main Passage:

Romans 5:18–19 NLT

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Transitional Sentence:

What really caught my attention in this passage, is the words ‘act’ and ‘obedience’. One act of disobedience led to punishment but one act of obedience led to being accepted by God.

In this passage, we are going to learn 3 ways Jesus displayed obedience and how that affects us.

Points

First way: Jesus obeyed the commands of God

Explanation:

Jesus displayed his obedience by following and fulfilling the commands of God.

Illustration:

Matthew 5:17 NLT

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

Application:

In other words, Jesus has come to carry out and accomplish the commands of God. What are the commands of God?

Illustration 2:

Matthew 22:37–40 NLT

Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The entire law (613 including the 10 commandments) hangs on these two commands: Love God and love people as yourself.

We think we have to accomplish all 613 but Jesus says if we do these two, we will succeed in all of them. That’s why:

Illustration 3:

1 John 5:3 NLT

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

If we love God and love people as ourselves as Jesus did by the power of the Holy Spirit, we follow in his foot steps.

Second way: Jesus surrendered His will

Explanation:

Jesus surrendered His own will to do the will of God the Father.

Illustration:

Matthew 26:39 NLT

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Application:

No matter how painful or hard it was, Jesus was willing to give up what he wanted for the sake of what the Father wanted.

Third way: Jesus went to the cross

Explanation:

Jesus displayed his obedience by humbling himself and going to the cross.

Illustration:

Philippians 2:8 NLT

he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Application:

This was the ultimate purpose of God coming to earth and becoming a man — it was to die on the cross and suffer a criminals death. Not for sins but for ours.

Conclusion

Summarize:

These are the 3 ways jesus displayed obedience:

Jesus obeyed the commands of God.

Jesus surrendered his will

Jesus went to the cross.

So what:

How Jesus obedience affects us.

Jesus obedience sets us free.

Romans 5:19 NLT

Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Christ’s ultimate act of obedience was going to the cross. He fully submitted to and obeyed God.

If Christ didn’t obey, we would be sentenced and judged to be separated from God forever — now and then. There would be no one to take our place for sin and pay the penalty. But because Jesus obeyed, we are set free from the penalty of sin and death.

2. Jesus obedience is an example to follow

Matthew 16:24 NLT

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

In other words, follow what Jesus did. Jesus would never ask us to do something he hasn’t done first. He’s our primary example of what it looks to follow God.

Now what:

Love from God and love for God (How obedience flows from love)

Jesus’ love for the Father

John 14:31 NLT

but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.

John 15:9–10 NLT

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Our love for God

John 14:15 NLT

“If you love me, obey my commandments.

Call to Action:

John Leonard Dober and David Nitschman declaration be our declaration:

“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of his suffering.”

Obedience is His reward from us for His suffering.

Prayer:

In Jesus name.