"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth

not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have

sufficient to finish it."

                                                                               Luke 14:28

 

     We have within the scope of our Christian experience certain spiritual laws. These laws are universal abiding truths that cannot be changed or ignored. For instance, there is the law of sowing and reaping. Paul said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Ga. 6:7). Proverbs 26:2, also states a law. It is called the law of cause and effect. It reads, "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." There cannot be the effect of any curse without a cause. Paul spoke of this, in some respect, when he was instructing the church of Corinth concerning Communion. He said, "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (unfitting as a Christian), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body...For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:29, 30). There is always a reciprocating effect to every cause.

     This brings us to our topic today, "Fulfilled Obedience." The greatest test of obedience is not deciding to do what God has said to do, but rather carrying it through to the end exactly as you are told. In other words, you have to complete your assignment. We have only to look back to King Saul and see how destructive "failed obedience" can be! Saul obeyed Samuel up to a point. He did as he was told by going down to Amalek and fighting against them, but he didn't do everything Samuel told him to do. He spared the best of the sheep and oxen.  As a result, he lost his reign as king. Paul told the church of Corinth, "And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled" (2 Cor. 10: 6).

     What is fulfilled obedience? It's having a determined resolve that nothing is going to take you away from doing what God has told you to do. It's getting locked into the purpose of God. When Jesus came to the shores of Gennesaret, he saw two ships. He stepped into one of them, which was Peter's, and began to teach. Peter and his friends had been fishing all night and were now washing their nets. When Jesus finished his message, he said to Peter, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught" (Luke 5:4). Being the fisherman that he was, Peter looked up to Jesus and said, "Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net" (v. 5).

     How often do we point out what Peter said, as if it is a statement of unquenchable faith! NEVERTHELESS AT THY WORD! Almost as if Peter was shaking off every sign of hopelessness and despair, choosing rather to obey than to dishonor the words of Jesus! However, there is something that we often overlooked in this passage. If you read the rest of the story, you will find that Peter did cast out the net just as he said he would, but not the nets! He only threw out one when Jesus said to throw them all out! Of course, the net began to break and they had to call for help lest their boats should sink. When Peter saw what was happening, he fell down at Jesus' knees, and said, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).

     Stop and ask yourself: Why would Peter feel such a sense of remorse, if indeed he was acting in complete obedience to the word? The reason he felt shame was because of his own inability to grasp the significance to total obedience. Jesus did not say, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your NET" (singular). He told him, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your NETS" (plural). Remember, Peter was a fisherman. He was well acquainted with all that had to be done to clean the nets. He also knew how toilsome it had been casting the nets all throughout the night with no results. When he told the Lord, "Nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the net" he wasn't acting on what Jesus said at all! His limited understanding of the power of the Word left him doubting, not trusting! His effort was more of an appeasement, not obedience!

     Really, what happened with Peter is what happens so many times in our lives - we fail to see the bigness of God! Peter's problem was simply, he couldn't grasp the fullness of what God was about to do. His limited ability to see kept him from fully obeying the words of Jesus!

     I think it is very interesting, that over in John chapter twenty-one, after Jesus was resurrected, that he came to the sea where Peter and the other disciples had gone back to fishing. He asked if they had any meat. They answered, "No." Jesus then said, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find" (John 21:6). This time they took in a great catch, and the net did not break! There is a great lesson for us to learn here.  Failed obedience or even partial obedience can never bring in the full blessing of heaven.  Whatever God tells us to do, we must believe he expects us to carry it through in every facet, with hearts surrendered, and never stopping short regardless of what it looks like to the natural eye. It would do us all well to remember, that only fulfilled obedience can handle the catch that God wants us to bring into our lives!

 

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