Summary:
We can all live a radically changed life. All that is required is obedience to God. As we grow spiritually, there are levels of maturity He expects us to reach. He also expects us to move from fear to faith, in obedience to Him. He wants us to learn His Word and do it without wavering.
——————————————————————————–
A.God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time has passed. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life change (Acts 17:30, The Message Translation).
1.Being radical means having an established root or foundation. It means a person has a foundation for what he or she does.
a.As Christians, we must be rooted in the Word of God. It has to be our foundation for what we do.
b.The root of the righteous yields fruit (Proverbs 12:12).
c.We begin to see manifestations of our faith when we decide to have the proper foundation in our life.
2.Being radical is a type of obedience; it is obedience that is rooted in obeying God’s Word.
1.When we are rooted in the Word of God, we are obedient.
B.Trials and tests will come our way when we make God’s Word our final authority. However, we must not allow them to move us (Mark 4:6-17).
1.Radical people do not quit when they are faced with challenges, obstacles, or hardship; they press forward.
a.Jesus is our primary example of a radical person; He did not quit when times got hard.
b.Sometimes offense can cause us to quit (Mark 4:17).
c.We reap whatever we sow.
d.For example, when we obey the Word, we harvest God’s blessing.
e.But if we sow disobedience to God’s Word, we will harvest lack.
C.Do not be deceived, deluded, and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at—scorned, disdained, or mocked (Galatians 6:7, AMP).
1.Our harvest is connected to the things we sow, or the deeds we do.
a.God wants us to do extraordinary things. He wants us to prosper and succeed in life.
b.He is able to do exceedingly above all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
c.We are blessed to be a blessing to others.
D.Examples of Radical Obedience
1.Radical obedience is obeying God when it doesn’t make sense.
a.For example, Jesus told His disciples to let down their nets and launch out into the deep, when they had finished their fishing jobs (Luke 5:4-5).
b.Peter made a radical move by obeying Jesus even though he didn’t see the point in it.
c.As a result, they caught a great number of fish.
d.Obedience produces breakthrough. We must obey Jesus’ commands.
2.Radical obedience is doing the will of God even when your own agenda makes more sense.
a.For example, Commander Naaman became a leper and came to the prophet Elisha for help (2 Kings 5:1-14).
b.Naaman did not like the instructions he received from Elisha; however, he obeyed and was healed instantly.
3.Radical obedience is not just asking, “What would Jesus do?” Instead, being radically obedient is doing what Jesus did.
a.Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only (James 1:22-25).
4.Radical obedience is refusing to compromise when it comes to obeying God’s Word even when it means losing friends.
5.Radical obedience means venturing outside of your comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable or unreasonable it feels.
6.Radical obedience is born out of delight, not duty. It is not a burden or a grudge.
Scripture References:
•Acts 17:30, The Message Translation
•Proverbs 12:12
•Mark 4:6-17
•Galatians 6:7, AMP
•Ephesians 3:20
•Luke 5:4-5
•2 Kings 5:1-14
•James 1:22-25
