Sermons on John 14:15
The various sermons below interpret John 14:15 by emphasizing the intrinsic link between love for God and obedience to His commandments. They collectively highlight that true love for God is demonstrated through a commitment to obey without excuses, aligning one's will with God's, and actively living out His teachings. The sermons use vivid analogies, such as a Porsche on the autobahn, training a puppy, and a marriage relationship, to illustrate the dynamic and ongoing nature of obedience as an expression of love. They also emphasize that obedience is not merely a duty but a joyful pursuit of holiness and a demonstration of trust in God. The sermons agree that the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in empowering believers to live out this obedience, transforming their desires and actions to align with God's will.
While the sermons share common themes, they also present unique nuances in their interpretations. One sermon underscores the idea of "no excuses" love, suggesting that true love for God requires a radical adjustment of one's life to align with Jesus' teachings. Another sermon focuses on the concept of obedience as God's love language, portraying it as a blessing rather than a burden. A different sermon highlights the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that it is through the Spirit's empowerment that believers can discern right from wrong and live out Jesus' commands. Additionally, one sermon draws on the story of Peter's obedience to illustrate that blessings and success come from following God's word, not from one's own efforts or circumstances. These contrasting approaches offer a rich tapestry of insights into how love and obedience are intertwined in the believer's relationship with God.
John 14:15 Interpretation:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) interprets John 14:15 by emphasizing the concept of "no excuses" love. The sermon uses the analogy of a Porsche on the autobahn to illustrate that true love for God is demonstrated by enduring pain, inconvenience, and sacrifice without making excuses. The sermon highlights that Jesus knows if we love Him by what we excuse and what we do not excuse, suggesting that love for God is shown through obedience without excuses.
Embracing Holiness: The Joy of Obedience (New Hope Christian Fellowship) interprets John 14:15 by focusing on obedience as God's love language. The sermon emphasizes that obedience is not just refraining from sin but actively aligning one's will with God's will. It highlights that obedience is evidence of knowing God and is essential for pursuing holiness. The sermon uses the analogy of hearing and listening to illustrate the difference between merely hearing God's word and truly listening and obeying it.
Love and Obedience: A Deeper Relationship with Jesus (Calvary Moncks Corner) interprets John 14:15 by emphasizing that loving Jesus equates to listening and obeying His commands. The sermon highlights that obedience is not just about having warm feelings towards Jesus but involves living in accordance with His will, even when life is challenging. The pastor uses the analogy of training a puppy to illustrate the difficulty and reward of obedience, suggesting that just as a puppy learns to obey out of love and training, Christians are called to obey Jesus out of love for Him.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) interprets John 14:15 by emphasizing the connection between love and obedience. The sermon highlights that obedience to Jesus' commandments is a demonstration of love for Him. It uses the analogy of a marriage relationship to illustrate how love naturally leads to actions that please the beloved. The sermon also references the original Greek text, noting that the word for "keep" (?????) implies a continuous, active guarding or observing of Jesus' commandments, which shapes the understanding that this is an ongoing, dynamic process rather than a one-time event.
Blessings Through Obedience: Lessons from Peter's Journey (JIA CMNV) interprets John 14:15 by emphasizing that obedience is an expression of love for God. The sermon uses the analogy of Peter's obedience in Luke 5, where Peter follows Jesus' command to cast his nets despite previous failure, resulting in a miraculous catch. This illustrates that the "harvest" or blessings are not in the location (the sea) but in obedience to God's word. The sermon highlights that obedience is not just about duty but is a demonstration of love and trust in God.
John 14:15 Theological Themes:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) presents the theme that true love for God is a "no excuses" love, where obedience is the ultimate expression of love. The sermon emphasizes that love for God requires adjusting one's thinking and living to align with Jesus' teachings, without adding or subtracting from His word.
Embracing Holiness: The Joy of Obedience (New Hope Christian Fellowship) introduces the theme that obedience is God's love language and is essential for pursuing holiness. The sermon highlights that obedience is not burdensome but a blessing, and it is the evidence of one's love for God.
Love and Obedience: A Deeper Relationship with Jesus (Calvary Moncks Corner) presents the theme that the Holy Spirit is essential in helping believers love and obey Jesus. The sermon explains that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to discern between right and wrong and to live out Jesus' commands, emphasizing that it is not by human power but through the Spirit that Christians can truly follow Jesus.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) presents the theme that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live out the commandments of Jesus. This empowerment is not just about following rules but is a transformative process that changes the believer's desires and actions to align with God's will. The sermon introduces the idea that the Holy Spirit acts as a helper and guide, enabling believers to love Jesus through their obedience.
Blessings Through Obedience: Lessons from Peter's Journey (JIA CMNV) presents the theme that true blessings and success come from obedience to God, not from our own efforts or location. The sermon emphasizes that obedience is a choice and a demonstration of faith, which leads to God's blessings and prosperity. It also highlights that obedience should be immediate and not delayed, as delayed obedience is considered disobedience.
John 14:15 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) provides historical insights into the Protestant Reformation and the role of Martin Luther in challenging the church's addition to the Bible. The sermon also references the revival led by Wesley and others, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the truth of God's word without adding or subtracting from it.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) provides historical context by explaining the Jewish understanding of commandments and obedience. It notes that in the Jewish tradition, obedience was often motivated by fear of punishment or desire for reward. However, Jesus redefines this relationship by emphasizing love as the primary motivator for obedience, which was a radical shift from the prevailing cultural norms of the time.
Blessings Through Obedience: Lessons from Peter's Journey (JIA CMNV) provides a cultural insight into the story of Naaman from the Old Testament, explaining that the Jordan River was considered one of the dirtiest bodies of water at the time. This context highlights the humility and obedience required of Naaman to follow the prophet Elisha's instructions for healing.
John 14:15 Cross-References in the Bible:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) references several Bible passages, including Romans 5:8 ("God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us") and John 15:13 ("Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends"). These passages are used to support the idea that God's love is demonstrated through sacrifice and that our love for God is shown through obedience.
Embracing Holiness: The Joy of Obedience (New Hope Christian Fellowship) references Matthew 7:24-27, where Jesus speaks about the wise and foolish builders. This passage is used to illustrate the importance of not only hearing God's word but also acting on it, as obedience leads to a solid foundation in life.
Love and Obedience: A Deeper Relationship with Jesus (Calvary Moncks Corner) references James 1:22 and James 2 to support the idea that faith without action is dead, paralleling the message of John 14:15 that love for Jesus is demonstrated through obedience. The sermon also references Matthew 7 from the Sermon on the Mount to emphasize that not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father, reinforcing the necessity of obedience.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) references Galatians 5:16-17 to support the idea that living by the Spirit is opposed to gratifying the desires of the flesh. This passage is used to illustrate the internal conflict believers face and how the Holy Spirit aids in overcoming fleshly desires to live in obedience to Jesus' commands.
The sermon also references Ephesians 5:18, which contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being drunk on wine, to emphasize the transformative and controlling influence of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life.
Blessings Through Obedience: Lessons from Peter's Journey (JIA CMNV) references several Bible passages to support the theme of obedience leading to blessings, including Isaiah 1:19, which states that willing and obedient people will eat the good things of the land, and Psalm 128:1-2, which speaks of the blessings for those who fear the Lord and walk in obedience.
John 14:15 Christian References outside the Bible:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) references Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, highlighting Luther's role in challenging the church's addition to the Bible and emphasizing the importance of adhering to the truth of God's word.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) does not explicitly reference any non-biblical Christian authors or theologians when discussing John 14:15.
Obedience: The Fruit of Our Relationship with Christ (Westmeade Baptist Church) references C.J. Mahaney's definition of legalism, which is seeking forgiveness and acceptance from God through obedience. The sermon clarifies that obedience is not about earning salvation but is a fruit of salvation, emphasizing that salvation is through Christ alone.
John 14:15 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Unconditional Love: Commitment to God and Truth (12Stone Church) uses the analogy of a Porsche on the autobahn to illustrate the concept of "no excuses" love. The speaker shares a personal story about enduring illness and inconvenience to drive a Porsche in Germany, emphasizing that true love for something (or someone) is demonstrated by enduring challenges without making excuses.
Love and Obedience: A Deeper Relationship with Jesus (Calvary Moncks Corner) uses the story of a young couple training their Labrador puppy to illustrate the challenges and rewards of obedience. The story serves as a metaphor for the Christian journey of learning to obey Jesus out of love, highlighting the persistence and dedication required to train the puppy, which parallels the Christian's journey of growing in obedience to Christ.
Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives (Mountain Lake Alliance) uses the analogy of a cat on a leash to illustrate the concept of being led by the Holy Spirit. The speaker describes a woman walking a cat, which moves at its own pace, to highlight how believers should allow the Holy Spirit to lead them, rather than trying to lead the Spirit or move at their own pace. This analogy is used to convey the idea of surrender and following the Spirit's guidance in daily life.
Blessings Through Obedience: Lessons from Peter's Journey (JIA CMNV) uses the historical event of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to illustrate the thought process behind difficult decisions. The sermon draws a parallel to the decision-making process in obedience to God, emphasizing that obedience is a choice that requires careful consideration and faith.