"Trust and Obey"

If you grew up in church like I did you may remember the old song, “Trust and obey / for there’s no other way / to be happy in Jesus / but to trust and obey.” I wasn’t a particularly obedient child so I didn’t really appreciate the wisdom of this simple song, but the longer I have lived and served the Lord the more I am convinced that these words summarize a wise life of faith and faithfulness before God.

The first church in Jerusalem (and beyond) clearly understood that they were “junior partners” with the Holy Spirit in carrying on the mission of Jesus in the world. Their leaders had authority only to the extent that they lived and walked in submission to the lordship of Jesus. The “Body” of the church was not the “Head”; only Jesus had that place. Therefore, the responsibility of the church and its members was to faithfully listen to the voice of the Spirit and respond with simple obedience.

It’s amazing how important the idea of obedience is in the book of Acts. When called before the ruling Council in Jerusalem Peter and the other apostles clearly stated, “We must obey God rather than human beings” (Acts 5:29). Obedience as an expression of faith is a response to God. When human beings ask us to disobey God, obedience requires us to disobey those human beings. The apostles taught that God had given his Spirit “to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32). A decision to follow Jesus was referred to as being “obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). On the other hand, the ancestors lost their relationship with God because they refused to obey (Acts 7:39, 53). When the elders in Jerusalem reached a decision about fellowshipping with Gentile converts, it was simply required “for the people to obey” (Acts 16:4).

The New Testament idea of “obedience” is related to the idea of “hearing.” The (Greek akouo) word for “hear” refers to an active, interactive hearing, not a passive or selective hearing. It means to listen to what someone has to say with a prior commitment to doing whatever they might require. However, that hearing requires discernment and wisdom. In that sense, we must not “listen” to the devil or those who would oppose the truth of God’s Word. (We might give them a respectful hearing but not with a prior commitment to obey.) The (Greek hupakouo) word for “obey” simply means “to hear under,” and refers to an attitude of submission rather than a mindless conformity. “Obedience” is a heart attitude, a positive responsiveness to the will of God with a commitment to actively live out that will.

The primary key to the power and effectiveness of the first church in the book of Acts was first of all a lifestyle of active listening to the heart and voice of God. They clearly understood that God was God and they were not, and to be the church Jesus was building, their response was simply to trust and obey.

I gained a great appreciation for the spiritual heritage of the Friends (Quakers) when doing my doctoral work at George Fox University in Portland. The first time I participated in an “unprogrammed” meeting for worship I knew it was going to be silent, but I didn’t know why. While attempting to sit quietly I noticed that after a time a brother or sister would stand and state in simple and clear teams what they felt God’s Spirit was saying to their heart and then sit back down. Then more silence. Then perhaps someone else would stand and communicate a simple thought. That went on for 30 minutes before I realized that they weren’t just trying to be quiet; they were listening, actively listening to God’s voice, and then attempting to faithfully communicate what they felt they had heard. Those that spoke understood that what they said was to be good for the community and beneficial for the meeting. At the end of the time of worship a “clerk” would summarize what was heard and draw appropriate conclusions. In a similar way, a meeting for business involved church leaders spending far more time listening to what God was saying to them rather than discussing business and making decisions.

An EPIC Church knows how to listen and obey. However, it’s important to admit that this spiritual discipline and practice does not come naturally. It requires a deep humility and a growing ability to hear and discern with wisdom and faith. That means “trust and obey” has to begin in our individual lives. We can’t expect “us” to do what “I” don’t do. Maybe we should accept the challenge to set aside time to be still, to listen, to trust that our Father is smarter and stronger than we are, and to simply obey his Word when it comes. “There’s no other way to be happy in Jesus.”