The Blessings of Obeying God - Pastor Johnny Marten
Jesus’ words in Luke 11:28 form the center: true blessing belongs to those who hear God’s word and then obey it. A healing story illustrates this truth—an evil spirit silenced a man until the spirit was driven out, prompting both wonder and false accusations that the power came from demons. Division and distraction easily follow when people misread miraculous signs or latch onto criticism instead of truth. The call to obedience reaches beyond family lines; God’s promises apply to everyone who responds in faith.
Faith requires action. Abraham’s life shows how obedience looks: he left his homeland on God’s command without knowing the full path and became the conduit of blessing for many. Hearing Scripture without doing what it says leaves life vulnerable. The Psalms portray the obedient person as a tree planted by streams—rooted, fruitful, and resilient because God’s word nourishes inward life. That living water produces steady growth, not quick fixes.
Discernment matters. Any inner prompting must be tested against Scripture; the adversary aims to seed doubt and derail obedience. When freedom comes from bondage or sin, new spiritual habits must replace old emptiness, or relapse invites worse bondage. Daily choices shape spiritual formation: mindless scrolling and reactive outrage feed nothing lasting, while intentional meditation on Scripture builds stability and discernment.
Practical obedience yields stability in families and communities. Jesus’ parable of two builders makes the stakes plain: those who apply God’s words build on rock and survive storms; those who ignore the words build on sand and face collapse. Obedience does not promise material riches as an automatic formula, but it does align life with God’s designed order and produces real blessing—spiritual health, wise decisions, and a household that weathers trials. The path forward requires hearing, testing, trusting, and acting on God’s word so that life bears fruit in season and remains firmly grounded when floods come.