The Blessing of Obedience
An abstract of Connor Kraus’ sermon on March 16, 2025, in the Joshua series. Watch the sermon video here.
Have you ever had a curfew growing up? Remember how following the rules at home meant your parents might extend that curfew, giving you more freedom? But when you broke those rules, that freedom was pulled back. This simple idea from childhood teaches us something powerful about our relationship with God.
The Balance of Rest and Obedience
In our recent journey through the Book of Joshua, we've seen how God promised rest to the Israelites in their new land. Last week, we explored how God brings victory and how trusting in His promises leads to rest. But there's another part of the story that's just as important – obedience.
God had given Israel victory over their enemies. The major battles were won! But there was still work to do. Small pockets of enemies remained in the promised land, and God's plan was for each tribe to clear their assigned territory completely.
Why did God leave some enemies? He explains in Exodus that driving everyone out at once would leave the land empty and overrun with wild animals. Instead, as Israel grew, they would gradually take over more territory. This was God's perfect plan – a land they could grow into.
But here's the important part: to fully experience God's blessing, Israel needed to follow through with obedience.
Caleb: A Model of Faith and Action
In Joshua 14, we meet an extraordinary 85-year-old man named Caleb. Forty-five years earlier, Caleb was one of only two spies who believed Israel could conquer the promised land. Now, after all those years of waiting, Caleb wasn't looking for the easiest assignment. Instead, he asked for the most challenging territory – the hill country filled with the strongest enemies!
Caleb shows us what it looks like to both trust God's promises AND be actively obedient. He knew God would give victory, yet he was eager to do his part. This balance made him incredibly effective.
When Compromise Creeps In
Unfortunately, the rest of Israel didn't follow Caleb's example. Throughout Joshua, we read troubling statements like: "The descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites" and "The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities."
Was it really that they couldn't, or that they wouldn't?
These small compromises seemed harmless at first. The remaining enemies weren't an immediate threat. But over time, those compromises grew. In the next book (Judges), we see Israelites intermarrying with these people and adopting their cultural practices – exactly what God warned against.
Joshua's warning proved true: "If you ever turn away and become loyal to these nations remaining among you... know for certain that the Lord your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you."
Finding the Sweet Spot
So where should we aim to be in our own lives? We want to be like Caleb – completely trusting in God's promises while also being fully obedient to His commands.
Some of us struggle more with trusting God's promises of rest, forgiveness, and blessing. Others have no problem believing God's promises but struggle with the obedience part.
If obedience is your struggle, here are three important lessons from Israel's experience:
1. Small Compromises Become Big Problems
Like potholes in the road that start small but grow when ignored, sin that we tolerate eventually becomes a major obstacle. When we allow small disobedience to linger, it takes root and creates much bigger problems down the road.
Ask yourself: How am I creating tomorrow's big problems through today's small compromises?
2. What We Tolerate Becomes Our New Normal
Like barnacles that accumulate on a boat's hull, slowing it down, the things we allow to remain in our lives become our new normal. Israel stopped seeing the Canaanites' presence as dangerous because they had gotten used to it.
What compromises have you allowed to become normal in your life? What is the Holy Spirit prompting you to address?
3. Obedience Unlocks God's Full Blessing
God gives us gifts, but like athletes with natural talent, we still need to train and practice to reach our potential. When we combine God's gifts with our obedience, we experience His fullest blessings.
This isn't about health, wealth, or popularity. It's about experiencing the deep purpose and fulfillment that comes from living exactly as God designed you to live. There's nothing more life-giving than doing what God created you to do!
It's Never Too Late
If obedience has been a struggle for you, don't let shame hold you back. No matter how far you've strayed or how many opportunities you've missed, God never stops loving you. He always provides a path back.
Jesus is ready with the machete, cutting a path through the jungle to help you find your way back to the road of purpose and blessing. Through faithful obedience and abiding in His will, you can return to the life He designed for you – a life more fulfilling than anything else you've been pursuing.
Your Choice Today
The choice is yours: Will you continue a life marked by missed opportunities, or will you choose obedience to all God has called you to do?
God's offer never changes, but your ability to experience the beauty of life as He intended can be transformed by how closely you follow His plan.
May we all listen to the Holy Spirit's urging today, responding to those gentle nudges that remind us of what's best. The greatest treasures in life aren't found in bigger bank accounts or better health but in walking purposefully in the good works God prepared in advance for you to do.
Ready to Discover God's Purpose for You?
Are you curious about finding your purpose and experiencing the rest God offers? We'd love to help you on that journey! Join us this Sunday at 9 or 10:30 a.m. for worship and community. Whether you're just exploring faith or looking to deepen your relationship with God, there's a place for you here.
Plan a visit today and learn more about our ministries and how you can get connected. Your journey toward purpose and rest starts with a single step!