Partial Obedience: Sermon by Pastor Daniel Ho
This sermon was preached by Pastor Daniel Ho, a pastor from a Chinese Congregation in Perth
His sermon, titled Partial Obedience, was based on two familiar passages of Scripture, with the first in Luke 5.
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
At this point, Peter must have been surprised, perhaps irritated. He may have been thinking. (Look, Master, in regard to teaching, you are the greatest, but in regard to fishing in this lake, where I’ve been fishing all my life, I am the expert!) However, Peter let down “one net” as a show of respect, just to fulfill the Master’s wish, but in his mind, it was a futile effort. This is partial obedience.
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Jesus had done many miracles in many places, but never was there recorded such a reaction like Peter’s. Some commentators think the reaction is like that of Isaiah. However, Pastor Daniel humbly differs. To him, it is the conviction of the Holy Spirit in Peter which exposes his sin of unbelief or pride. Partial obedience brought about repentance.
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
The second passage is taken from Genesis 22.
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
Abraham, the father of faith, obeyed God without question. In this last sentence, Pastor Daniel said Abraham was not lying but actually believed that he and Isaac would return.
“17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Hebrews 11:17-19”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide;[b] as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide;[b] as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Complete obedience led to a powerful blessing from God. In Abraham’s seed, the Messianic promise was prophesied, that from his own blood, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham’s obedience was based on faith. He trusted God completely, and was willing to place his own son’s life on it. Obedience is learned, and Abraham had learned it well over the many years of his walk with God.
Today, many Christians are only partially obedient, like Peter was. They give, but do not tithe, missing out on a powerful blessing of God. They serve out of convenience, but draw back when it is not convenient. They ask God for forgiveness but are unwilling to seek out a neighbor to say sorry. They come to church every Sunday looking holy, but at home and at work, that’s another story. They pray for those in need, but don’t do anything physical to help them when they can.
In the book of James, it is written that faith without works is dead. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith, but works is the fruit of faith, the result of a genuine belief in God.
In conclusion, Pastor Daniel drew emphasis from vs.14 “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” It is on God’s mountain that we must offer our living sacrifice, which is our obedience, not on our mountain. It is on God’s terms, not our own. Only when we truly place our will into God’s hands and turn our hearts to follow His Spirit will His true blessing come, and the complete fulfillment of our lives. Let us have faith, and trust Him, He will never let us down.
God bless,
Jason
Faith is reason, Obedience is result
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