Note: This sermon has been graciously shortened—with permission—to magazine length while preserving its depth and scriptural richness. To read Elevate to the Next Level: “Living In God’s Promeses” in its entirety click HERE. If you prefer to listen–listen HERE.
Who in the Bible demonstrated the greatest faith? Was it Noah who built the ark? Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation? Or perhaps Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Elijah? Each of these heroes showed remarkable faith. Yet Jesus pointed to someone unexpected—a Roman centurion—as the one who displayed the greatest faith of all.
Matthew 8 records the story. Jesus entered Capernaum, and a centurion approached Him, pleading for the healing of his servant. Jesus immediately offered to go to the centurion’s home. This shocked the Jewish crowd—not because Jesus intended to heal, but because He was willing to enter a Gentile’s house, something oral tradition considered defiling.
But the centurion stopped Him. He understood authority. He knew his home was considered unclean, but more importantly, he recognized that Jesus carried divine authority. “Just speak the word,” he said, “and my servant will be healed.” He explained that as a man under authority with soldiers under him, he could give a command, and it would be obeyed without question.
Jesus marveled. “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” And at that very moment, the servant was healed.
From this story we learn the key to great faith: linking God’s authority with our obedience. Faith and obedience always go together. When you trust someone, you do what they say. If you don’t obey, trust is missing. Noah obeyed. Abraham obeyed. The prophets obeyed. But the centurion—who wasn’t Jewish and didn’t grow up knowing the God of Abraham—recognized that Jesus carried the full authority of God. His faith said, “If Jesus said it, I believe it, and that settles it.”
Throughout Scripture, God links His promises to our obedience. These are the “if” and “then” promises of the Bible. If we obey God’s word, then He promises to save us, guide us, protect us, and provide for us. Deuteronomy 5:33 says, “Walk in obedience… so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days.” God’s commands are not suggestions; they are the pathway to a full and abundant life.
Jesus affirmed this when He said, “I have come that you may have life, and that more abundantly” (John 10:10). Yet many of God’s commands don’t make sense to us at first—like tithing when finances are tight, or forgiving someone who has hurt us. But obedience is an act of trust. God knows what we do not. His ways are higher than ours.
To elevate our discipleship and live in God’s promises, we must understand four qualities of obedience.
1. Obey God Immediately
Delayed obedience is disobedience. The psalmist wrote, “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands” (Psalm 119:60). When God tells us to act, we shouldn’t procrastinate, negotiate, or wait until we feel like it. We don’t have to understand God’s commands to benefit from them. We fly in airplanes without understanding aerodynamics. We use computers without knowing how they work. Likewise, we obey God because He knows more than we do.
Children often ask, “Why?” when told to do something. Parents reply, “Because I told you so,” not out of impatience but because the child cannot yet grasp the explanation. God often deals with us the same way. His thoughts are higher than ours, and He calls us to trust Him even when we don’t understand.
2. Obey God Completely
We cannot cherry‑pick God’s word. Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.” Wholehearted obedience means full obedience.
Two truths help us here:
a. God doesn’t change. “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). What was wrong thousands of years ago is still wrong today. Culture changes, opinions change, but truth does not.
b. God’s ways aren’t ours. Isaiah 55 reminds us that God sees what we cannot. We are finite; He is infinite. Faith means trusting God’s way over our own understanding.
Naaman, the Syrian commander, learned this. Elisha told him to dip seven times in the Jordan River to be healed of leprosy. It sounded foolish, and Naaman resisted—but when he obeyed completely, he was healed. Partial obedience would not have brought the miracle.
Partial obedience is disobedience.
3. Obey God Joyfully
“I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love” (Psalm 119:47). God’s commands are not burdens; they are blessings. When you love someone, you enjoy doing what pleases them. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
When we grasp the depth of God’s love—especially the gift of His Son—we find joy in obedience. Love fuels obedience, and obedience expresses love.
4. Obey God Continually
Obedience is not a one‑time event but a lifelong pattern. “Your laws are my treasure… I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end” (Psalm 119:111‑112). The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. We obey God until our final breath.
Conclusion
Obedience is the key to receiving God’s promises. God will not give new revelation when we have ignored the revelation He already gave. Our obedience reveals our faith—whether it is immediate or delayed, complete or partial, joyful or reluctant, continual or sporadic.
To live in God’s promises is to obey by faith. By faith, we obey. And by obedience, we unlock every promise God has made.
If you’d like, I can also create a shorter devotional version, a teaching outline, or a 16:9 graphic-ready summary for CGM.
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