Abiding in Christ: Love, Sacrifice, and Service
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound concept of abiding in Christ as outlined in John 15. The essence of abiding is not merely about being present in a religious setting but about cultivating a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship is characterized by love, obedience, and service, which are not driven by our preferences or tasks but by the overflow of God's love in us.
We began by acknowledging the distractions of the world and the need to reconnect with the Spirit. The victory of Jesus over sin and death empowers us to live in righteousness and worship Him in victory. As we delve into John 15, we are reminded that abiding in Jesus means loving others as He has loved us. This love is not based on meeting our preferences but on making sacrifices, just as Jesus laid down His life for us.
Spiritual depth is not measured by how much we know but by our obedience to God's commands. Jesus calls us friends if we do what He commands, emphasizing that our relationship with Him is not about accumulating knowledge but about living out His teachings. Serving Jesus is not about completing tasks but about abiding in Him and allowing our service to flow from our relationship with Him. This service is an act of worship, not a duty, and it requires prayer and dependence on God.
Finally, loving one another is measured by the standards of Jesus, not our own. True love involves laying down our lives and making sacrifices for others. This love extends to all areas of life, including our relationships, community, and service. As we abide in Jesus, we are called to bear fruit by loving and serving others sacrificially.
Key Takeaways:
- Abiding in Christ: Abiding in Jesus means living in a constant state of connection with Him, allowing His love to overflow in our lives. This connection is not about fulfilling religious duties but about cultivating a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. [45:40]
- Love as Sacrifice: True love is not about having our preferences met but about making sacrifices for others. Jesus demonstrated this by laying down His life for us, and we are called to love others in the same way. [48:54]
- Obedience Over Knowledge: Spiritual depth is not measured by how much we know but by our obedience to God's commands. Jesus values our willingness to follow His teachings over our accumulation of knowledge. [55:20]
- Service as Worship: Serving Jesus is not about completing tasks but about abiding in Him and allowing our service to flow from our relationship with Him. This service is an act of worship, requiring prayer and dependence on God. [01:00:58]
- Loving by Jesus' Standards: Loving one another is measured by the standards of Jesus, not our own. True love involves laying down our lives and making sacrifices for others, extending to all areas of life. [01:07:02]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:00] - Opening Prayer
- [02:30] - Introduction and Housekeeping
- [05:00] - Abiding in Christ
- [10:00] - The Importance of Love
- [15:00] - Love as Sacrifice
- [20:00] - Spiritual Depth and Obedience
- [25:00] - Serving as Worship
- [30:00] - Loving by Jesus' Standards
- [35:00] - Community and Service
- [40:00] - Practical Applications
- [45:00] - Encouragement to Serve
- [50:00] - Closing Thoughts
- [55:00] - Prayer and Response
- [01:00:00] - Communion and Giving
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Abiding in Christ
Bible Reading:
- John 15:12-17
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Observation Questions:
1. According to John 15:12-13, what is the greatest demonstration of love that Jesus describes? How does this relate to the concept of abiding in Him? [49:33]
2. In the sermon, what does Pastor Brandon say about the relationship between love and preferences? How does this challenge our cultural understanding of love? [48:54]
3. What does Jesus mean when He calls His followers "friends" in John 15:14-15, and how does this redefine the nature of our relationship with Him? [53:43]
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between serving Jesus as a task and serving Him as an act of worship? [01:00:58]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of love as sacrifice, as described in John 15:13, challenge the way we typically approach relationships and service? [49:33]
2. What does it mean to abide in Christ according to the sermon, and how does this abiding influence our ability to love others? [51:46]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual depth is measured by obedience rather than knowledge? How does this perspective affect our approach to spiritual growth? [55:20]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the idea that serving Jesus should flow from a relationship with Him rather than a checklist of tasks? What implications does this have for our daily lives? [01:00:58]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to love someone. How can the concept of love as sacrifice help you approach similar situations differently in the future? [49:33]
2. Identify a specific area in your life where you tend to prioritize tasks over relationships. How can you shift your focus to abide in Christ and let your service flow from that relationship? [01:00:58]
3. Consider your current spiritual practices. Are they more focused on gaining knowledge or on obeying God's commands? What changes can you make to ensure your spiritual growth is rooted in obedience? [55:20]
4. Think about a recent act of service you performed. Was it driven by a sense of duty or by a desire to worship God? How can you cultivate a heart of worship in your future acts of service? [01:00:58]
5. Jesus calls us to love others as He has loved us. Identify one person in your life who is difficult to love. What practical steps can you take this week to show them Christ-like love? [49:33]
6. Reflect on the distractions in your life that hinder your ability to abide in Christ. What specific actions can you take this week to minimize these distractions and deepen your relationship with Him? [51:46]
7. How can you incorporate prayer into your daily routine to ensure that your service to God is empowered by His strength rather than your own? [01:02:39]
Devotional
Day 1: Living in Constant Connection with Christ
Abiding in Christ is about maintaining a continuous, intimate connection with Him, allowing His love to permeate every aspect of our lives. This connection transcends mere religious observance and invites us into a transformative relationship with Jesus. It is through this abiding that we experience the fullness of His love, which then overflows into our interactions with others. This relationship is not static but dynamic, requiring intentionality and openness to the Spirit's leading. As we remain in Christ, we find our lives increasingly aligned with His purposes, and our actions become a natural outflow of His love within us. [45:40]
John 15:4-5 (ESV): "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you cultivate a deeper connection with Christ today, allowing His love to influence your thoughts, words, and actions?
Day 2: Love Beyond Preferences
True love, as demonstrated by Jesus, is sacrificial and not contingent upon having our preferences met. It calls us to lay down our lives for others, just as Christ laid down His life for us. This love challenges us to move beyond self-centered desires and embrace a selfless approach to relationships. It is a love that seeks the well-being of others, even when it requires personal sacrifice. By loving in this way, we reflect the heart of Jesus and become conduits of His grace and compassion in the world. [48:54]
1 John 3:16-18 (ESV): "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."
Reflection: Identify one person in your life who needs your sacrificial love today. What specific action can you take to demonstrate this love to them?
Day 3: Obedience as the Measure of Spiritual Depth
Spiritual depth is not gauged by the accumulation of knowledge but by our obedience to God's commands. Jesus emphasizes that our relationship with Him is defined by our willingness to follow His teachings. This obedience is not a burdensome duty but a joyful response to His love and grace. As we align our lives with His Word, we experience the transformative power of His Spirit, leading us into deeper intimacy with Him. Obedience becomes the pathway through which we grow in spiritual maturity and reflect the character of Christ to the world. [55:20]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: What is one command of Jesus that you find challenging to obey? How can you take a step towards obedience in this area today?
Day 4: Service Flowing from Relationship
Serving Jesus is not about completing tasks but about allowing our service to flow from our relationship with Him. This service is an act of worship, rooted in prayer and dependence on God. When we serve from a place of abiding in Christ, our actions become expressions of His love and grace. It is through this service that we participate in His redemptive work in the world, bringing hope and healing to those around us. Our service is not a duty to be fulfilled but a privilege to be embraced, as we partner with God in His mission. [01:00:58]
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Reflection: How can you transform a routine task into an act of worship today, serving with a heart fully devoted to Christ?
Day 5: Loving by Jesus' Standards
Loving one another is measured by the standards of Jesus, not our own. True love involves laying down our lives and making sacrifices for others, extending to all areas of life. This love challenges us to move beyond superficial interactions and engage in meaningful relationships that reflect the heart of Christ. It calls us to be intentional in our love, seeking to understand and meet the needs of those around us. As we love by Jesus' standards, we become agents of His transformative love, impacting our communities and the world. [01:07:02]
1 Peter 4:8-10 (ESV): "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: What is one practical way you can demonstrate Jesus' standard of love in your community this week? How can you be more intentional in your relationships to reflect His love?
Quotes
and not just with us but lord you would abide in us and lord we pray that you would teach us how to abide in you in this time lord disconnect us from the world from all the distractions we brought into this place and reconnect us in tune with your spirit lord we love you so much god and jesus thank you that you do have strength and power over death in the grave that you have victory over sin and that god you have made the righteousness of christ to be ours today and so jesus we come and we stand and we sing and we worship you in victory jesus we love you and we praise you and it's in the powerful strong risen name of jesus that we pray amen and amen [00:36:09] (47 seconds)
Spiritual depth is not measured by how much we know but if we obey. So in verse 14, Jesus says, you are my friends if you do what I command you. He doesn't say you are my friends if you can explain the Trinity. He doesn't say you are my friends if you attend a Bible college. He doesn't say you are my friends if you read a lot of John MacArthur. He doesn't, I don't need a spiritual murmur on that, brother. I usually don't name names, but I'm just saying, like, Jesus doesn't put a bunch of standards and say, like, you are my friend if you know enough to be my friend. Jesus measures relationship by obedience, not head knowledge. [00:55:20] (55 seconds)
Serving Jesus is not measured by the tasks we accomplish, but by how we abide in him. Let me say that one more time. Serving Jesus is not measured by the tasks we accomplish, but how we abide in him. Let's go back up and read verses 15 and 16. Verses 15 and 16, Jesus says, no longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn't choose me, I chose you, and I appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [00:58:33] (55 seconds)
Serving is worship. Serving is not a job. Serving is not a career. Serving is not a task list. Serving is our act of worship to God. And that's why he says you're going to need to pray. Because here's the thing. Notice Jesus says, you didn't choose me, I chose you. Isn't that so cool? To know that like you're not the one who the whole salvation thing revolves around because you didn't initiate it. Jesus initiated with you. Jesus initiated with you because Jesus loved you first. You were on his radar before he was ever on your radar. Like Jesus loves you. But he doesn't just stop there and say that. He says, and I've appointed you. Appointed you? Appointed you to what? To serve. [01:01:10] (52 seconds)
So the question is, do you see yourself when you serve God, do you see yourself as God's volunteer or that's a question that we all have to ask, not just about the church, but how we serve our neighborhoods, how we serve in the nations, how we serve our city, how we serve our church, how we serve our community groups, how we serve each other, is do you see yourself as just a volunteer in God's army? Do you see yourself as his friend? And because he is my friend and laid down his life for me, then I am encouraged. I am led to go lay down my life for other people. And no one lays their life, everybody likes the way that sounds, but nobody wants to actually do it. You may not ever get a chance to physically lay down your life for someone. You might, but you might not. But you might get a hundred opportunities every day to die to your own preferences to serve someone else. Sacrificially. [01:10:46] (77 seconds)
Jesus is trying to teach them that your service for Jesus is about you and Jesus. It's not about the church. It's not about you and your preferences. It's not even about me. I mean, you would think I started this church and you would think everything meets my preferences and it doesn't. But it doesn't matter and I don't care because it's not about me. We're not starting this church to make Brandon happy. We're starting this church for Jesus because he's our friend and we love him and he laid his life down for us. So we gladly and joyfully lay down our life for him. And if setting out chairs is a way that's going to help people come and sit down without distraction, and hear the gospel, I'll set out chairs for my Lord. I'll put out pens for my Lord. I will make coffee for my Lord. I will go teach children and play games with them and be really loud for my Lord. Do you see this? [01:14:22] (75 seconds)
And this is what the church is. The church is a bunch of imperfect, hard-to-love people who, because of the grace of God and their dependence on abiding in Jesus, are somehow, someway able to love people who don't speak the same language as them, who don't share the same preferences as them, who aren't in the same stage of life as them, who don't have the same past as them or shared experience as them, but yet somehow they're all in the middle of this living room in Stafford County every week, praising God, worshiping Him, serving Him together, praying for each other, meeting each other's needs. How does that happen? to abide in Jesus. Now, we're really blessed at our church, because we have like over 100 % involvement in community groups. So I want you to hear me say this. Nobody told me, Brandon, get up and bang the community group drum. Nobody told me get up and bang the serve team drum. I'm trying to show you that we don't have these to help the church. We have these things to help us abide in Jesus. And this is how we do that. [01:20:02] (76 seconds)
