The Impact Of Obedience

I look at Jesus' ministry and I marvel that, for the most part, it wasn't that big and certainly wasn't for very long.  The scriptural accounts of His ministry add up to about 3 years, plus a few months or so.  I look at Jesus and I think, "You are God.  You could have preached to a packed Roman coliseum day after day.  You could have saved and healed thousands upon thousands.  The whole world could have known about You and followed You.  Your ministry could have been the greatest of all-time."  But He didn't do that.  Nor did He seek to hobnob with or have influence over the political and religious leaders of the day, but He was tempted to.

When Jesus was in the desert, one of the devil's temptations was to promise Him influence:  "Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  'I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,' he said. 'For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish.'" (Luke 4:5-7).  When I look at that temptation of Jesus in Scripture, I see this being played out over and over in churches everywhere-- the temptation to make an "impact".  I see how easily Jesus could have reasoned within Himself, "I could really make an impact for God if I had influence in these world systems." 

I see how so many fall prey to this temptation because of their desire to make an "impact" with the Gospel.  But we are sinful creatures and so easily lose sight of what Jesus was really trying to teach us through His ministry, which was humility and obedience, and trust in God's ways over man's ways, even when man's ways seem to make more sense and promise more fruit.  Yes, Jesus could have seemingly made much more of an impact for God had He used the world's systems to do it, but He knew that was not God's way because God doesn't need the world's systems to make an impact.  So when the devil tried to twist Jesus' desire to make an impact for God against Him and tempt Him into disobedience, Jesus recognized it for what it was and chose obedience to God, rather than acting according to what may have seemed like a better, more impactful way to accomplish God's work. 

When we really take a close look at Jesus' ministry, we see that it was less about immediate worldly impact and more about obedience.  Jesus exampled obedience to the Father more than anything else.  Something that keeps playing over and over in my mind is that God is less interested about the work He is doing through us, and far more concerned about the work He is doing in us.  That is because the truth is, God doesn't need us.  God doesn't need us to do His work because He is perfectly capable of doing it Himself.  In all honesty, it would be a lot less complicated and messy if He just did it Himself.  Like, when my six year-old wants to "help" me wash dishes and just creates more work for me with the giant watery and soapy mess she makes. 

God doesn't work through us because He has to, He works through us because He chooses to.  We really aren't doing God any favors with our work for Him because He could get things done so much better without us.  So why does He use us?  He uses us because He teaches us obedience and faith through our experiences.  The purpose of the work we do for God is not necessarily for accomplishment's sake, meaning, the purpose of God working through us is not for the sake of accomplishing certain tasks.  But rather, the purpose of God working through us is more for the sake of the work He is doing in us, which is teaching us obedience.  We see this truth when we look at Jesus' life and ministry.  That is what Paul is pointing out to us at Philippians 2:5-13:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross.

Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place, and gave Him the Name above all names, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.

The subject of these verses is the obedience of Christ.  Paul instructs us to have a mind of obedience and humility like Christ, Who "became obedient" to the point of death.  And because of Christ's obedience, He was exalted:  "Therefore, God exalted Him..".  Paul commends the Philippians for their obedience, "just as you have always obeyed," and reminds them to continue to "work out" their salvation through continued obedience even though he is no longer with them.  Then Paul encourages them by reminding them that "it is God Who works in you" which gives them the power to be obedient.  The verse, "It is God Who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure" can be restated as "God's work in you and through you is to teach you obedience so that you act in a way that is pleasing to Him."

We are so easily betrayed by our own heart.  Our heart can convince us that our motives and intentions are pure.  Our heart can present the most convincing case based on our own reason.  But when we look at Jesus ministry, we see that He never got involved with politics.  He never joined an alliance of religious leaders for the sake of having a greater impact.  He didn't ask the Apostles to come up with new and effective ways to spread His Gospel and reach the world.  He just exampled obedience and He asked His Apostles to be obedient.  God can produce His own fruit, so it's not fruit that He's really after, it's obedience.

"Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 'I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,' he said. 'For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. So if you worship me, it will all be Yours.' But Jesus replied, 'It is written: "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."'" (Luke 4:5-8)

"You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

"If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." (John 15:19)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-- the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life-- is not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:15,16)