Obedience is the Ability to Hear “Under” a Command
by Thurlow J. Switzer
God is uniting the “church” for battle. God is calling men and churches into relationship so that we may be equipped for the end-times battle.
This will require a people with a covenant heart, a willingness to cover one another and to be under covering, a connectedness that will allow people to work together in harmony, and to become equipped to properly function on the frontlines of ministry, battle and war.
A Good Leader is Able to Hear under the Voice of God
Obedience comes from the Greek word hupoakouo (from hupo, “under,” and akouo, to hear). Literally, it means “to hear under” or “to listen intently” (cf. Col. 3:20; Heb. 5:7-8). It is at the core of Jesus’ call to discipleship (John 17:6), the Great Commission (Mathew 28:19), and the command to love one another (John 15:13). We are people under Christ’s command. We are at his disposal, his troops on the field of battle. Jesus set the pattern. He taught the twelve apostles that the center of his power and ministry was a relationship with God His Father.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command” (Jhn 15:9-10,12-14).
When we came to Christ, the first task of our being disciples was for our heart, head (mind set) and hands (work ethic) to come under the Lordship command of Jesus Christ as Lord. It is one thing “ to believer in Christ in our heart and confess him with our mouth as Lord (Romans 10:13), it is another for our whole being, habits, motives and thoughts to come under his command. His command must by our instant desire. We must be at his instant beckon and call.
Note how coming under command (government) is a relatively easy manner when the person on the issuing of the command is none other than God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son. “As the Father has love me, so love I you.” Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.” He set the model. “I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
A Good Commander Loves and Cares for His Men
A commander always loves his men, and the men love and obey their commander, if he is a good commander, otherwise they might just obey him. Love requires commitment and vulnerability that is achieved best through relationships. Relationships, which bring balance, produce freedom and truth and in the process bring one to conformity to the image of Christ.
When Jesus called people to follow him and become his disciples, he was recruiting. We call it evangelism; he called it discipleship (Luke 14:25-27). He had to separate the serious from the crowds. He called people into covenant and to accept his commission to be involved in what the Father had told him to do. He could say in Jh. 17:3:
“Father, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have give me come from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them” (John 17:4,6-8).
The apostle is involved in “building” and in “going to war.” He builds cities set upon a hill and he defends the cities, the tribe and the nation of God. The apostolic builder dimension and the apostolic warrior dimension have been missing in the church with full power and authority for most of the church age. No wonder the church has been bankrupt and impotent to fight the battles. God is restoring the entire five-fold army of God today with all the officer positions available to provide an adequate council for war and a full implement of skills necessary to do the task. All we need now is covenant and government. David prophesied about the coming Messiah:
“The Lord say to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of you enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle” (Ps 110:1-3).
Jesus was a Builder: Apostles are Builders
“Supposed one wants to build, Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28-19).
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures” (Prov 24:4-3).
Jesus was a Warrior: Apostles are Warriors
“Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able” (Luke 14:31-32).
“A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance and understanding and for victory many advisers” (Prov 24:5-6).
This will require a people with a covenant heart, a willingness to cover one another and to be under covering, a connectedness that will allow people to work together in harmony, and to become equipped to properly function on the frontlines of ministry, battle and war.
A Good Leader is Able to Hear under the Voice of God
Obedience comes from the Greek word hupoakouo (from hupo, “under,” and akouo, to hear). Literally, it means “to hear under” or “to listen intently” (cf. Col. 3:20; Heb. 5:7-8). It is at the core of Jesus’ call to discipleship (John 17:6), the Great Commission (Mathew 28:19), and the command to love one another (John 15:13). We are people under Christ’s command. We are at his disposal, his troops on the field of battle. Jesus set the pattern. He taught the twelve apostles that the center of his power and ministry was a relationship with God His Father.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command” (Jhn 15:9-10,12-14).
When we came to Christ, the first task of our being disciples was for our heart, head (mind set) and hands (work ethic) to come under the Lordship command of Jesus Christ as Lord. It is one thing “ to believer in Christ in our heart and confess him with our mouth as Lord (Romans 10:13), it is another for our whole being, habits, motives and thoughts to come under his command. His command must by our instant desire. We must be at his instant beckon and call.
Note how coming under command (government) is a relatively easy manner when the person on the issuing of the command is none other than God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son. “As the Father has love me, so love I you.” Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.” He set the model. “I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
A Good Commander Loves and Cares for His Men
A commander always loves his men, and the men love and obey their commander, if he is a good commander, otherwise they might just obey him. Love requires commitment and vulnerability that is achieved best through relationships. Relationships, which bring balance, produce freedom and truth and in the process bring one to conformity to the image of Christ.
When Jesus called people to follow him and become his disciples, he was recruiting. We call it evangelism; he called it discipleship (Luke 14:25-27). He had to separate the serious from the crowds. He called people into covenant and to accept his commission to be involved in what the Father had told him to do. He could say in Jh. 17:3:
“Father, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have give me come from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them” (John 17:4,6-8).
The apostle is involved in “building” and in “going to war.” He builds cities set upon a hill and he defends the cities, the tribe and the nation of God. The apostolic builder dimension and the apostolic warrior dimension have been missing in the church with full power and authority for most of the church age. No wonder the church has been bankrupt and impotent to fight the battles. God is restoring the entire five-fold army of God today with all the officer positions available to provide an adequate council for war and a full implement of skills necessary to do the task. All we need now is covenant and government. David prophesied about the coming Messiah:
“The Lord say to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of you enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle” (Ps 110:1-3).
Jesus was a Builder: Apostles are Builders
“Supposed one wants to build, Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28-19).
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures” (Prov 24:4-3).
Jesus was a Warrior: Apostles are Warriors
“Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able” (Luke 14:31-32).
“A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance and understanding and for victory many advisers” (Prov 24:5-6).