Love and Obedience: A Deeper Relationship with Jesus
Summary
### Summary
Happy Father's Day to all the dads! Today, we celebrate and honor you for leading your families in the name of Jesus Christ. We also welcome all our regular attendees and visitors. As we continue our series "If Then," we delve into the connection between love and obedience, particularly in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The sermon begins with a story about a couple struggling to train their disobedient puppy, which serves as a metaphor for our own struggles with obedience to God. Just as the couple persevered in training their puppy out of love, we too must persist in our obedience to God out of love for Him.
John 14:15-21 is our focal scripture, where Jesus emphasizes that loving Him means obeying His commands. This obedience is not just about having warm feelings towards Jesus but involves actively following His teachings, even when life gets tough. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in helping us love and obey Jesus. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us, making it possible to live out His commands.
The sermon also highlights that the Father loves those who love and obey the Son. This divine love is not just a general love for all creation but a special, intimate love for those who follow Jesus. This relationship transforms us from mere creations to beloved children of God.
In conclusion, the call to obedience is a call to a deeper relationship with Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This week, let's seek to love Jesus more deeply and live out His teachings in our daily lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. Loving Jesus Means Obeying His Commands: True love for Jesus is demonstrated through obedience to His teachings. This obedience is not about mere feelings but involves active, consistent actions that align with His will, even when life is challenging. [44:17]
2. The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide, empowering us to love and obey Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit, our efforts to follow Jesus would be in vain. The Spirit provides the strength and wisdom needed to live out Jesus' commands. [54:49]
3. God's Special Love for Obedient Believers: While God loves all His creation, there is a special, intimate love reserved for those who love and obey Jesus. This transforms our relationship with God from being mere creations to being His beloved children. [01:00:08]
4. The Importance of Community and Support: We need each other for encouragement, gratitude, and love. The Holy Spirit and our church community are essential in helping us live out our faith and obedience to Jesus. [01:05:53]
5. The Challenge of Obedience: Obedience to Jesus can be difficult, especially when our desires conflict with His commands. However, through the Holy Spirit and a deep understanding of Jesus' love for us, we can find the strength to obey and live out His teachings. [47:16]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[09:45] - Digital Connection Card
[12:37] - Prayer by Dennis O'Connor
[23:25] - Worship and Praise
[36:38] - Introduction to the Sermon
[37:15] - The Struggle with Obedience
[39:45] - Story of John, Sarah, and Max
[41:56] - Reading of John 14:15-21
[44:17] - Loving Jesus Means Obeying His Commands
[54:49] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[01:00:08] - God's Special Love for Obedient Believers
[01:05:53] - The Importance of Community and Support
[01:11:43] - Announcements and Closing Remarks
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- John 14:15-21
### Observation Questions
1. According to John 14:15, what is the evidence of loving Jesus?
2. What role does the Holy Spirit play in the lives of believers according to John 14:16-17?
3. How does Jesus describe the relationship between Himself, the Father, and believers in John 14:20?
4. What promise does Jesus make to His disciples in John 14:18-19?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus equate loving Him with obeying His commands? How does this challenge common perceptions of love? [44:17]
2. How does the Holy Spirit help believers in their journey of obedience and love towards Jesus? [54:49]
3. What does it mean to experience God's "special, intimate love" as described in the sermon? How does this differ from God's general love for all creation? [01:00:08]
4. How can the church community support each other in living out Jesus' teachings, especially when it becomes challenging? [01:05:53]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to obey Jesus' commands. What were the circumstances, and how did you overcome or struggle with them? [47:16]
2. How can you actively seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life to help you love and obey Jesus more fully? [54:49]
3. In what ways can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus this week? Identify one specific action you can take to grow in your love and obedience to Him. [01:06:28]
4. Think about a specific command of Jesus that you find challenging to follow. What steps can you take to align your actions with His teachings? [44:17]
5. How can you support a fellow believer who is struggling with obedience to Jesus' commands? What practical steps can you take to offer encouragement and support? [01:05:53]
6. Reflect on the concept of God's special love for those who obey Jesus. How does this understanding impact your view of your relationship with God? [01:00:08]
7. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom. What changes can you make to invite the Holy Spirit's guidance in that area? [54:49]
Devotional
Day 1: Obedience as an Expression of Love
True love for Jesus is demonstrated through obedience to His teachings. This obedience is not about mere feelings but involves active, consistent actions that align with His will, even when life is challenging. Jesus made it clear in John 14:15-21 that loving Him means obeying His commands. This is not always easy, especially when our desires conflict with His commands. However, our love for Jesus should compel us to follow His teachings, just as the couple in the story persevered in training their puppy out of love. Our obedience is a tangible expression of our love for Jesus, showing that we prioritize His will over our own.
[44:17]
John 14:15-16 (ESV): "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever."
Reflection: What is one specific command of Jesus that you find challenging to obey? How can you take a concrete step today to align your actions with this command?
Day 2: The Empowering Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide, empowering us to love and obey Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit, our efforts to follow Jesus would be in vain. The Spirit provides the strength and wisdom needed to live out Jesus' commands. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us, making it possible to live out His commands. This divine assistance is crucial because our human strength is insufficient for the spiritual journey. The Holy Spirit not only helps us understand Jesus' teachings but also gives us the power to implement them in our daily lives.
[54:49]
John 16:13 (ESV): "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength? Spend a few moments in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to empower you in these specific areas.
Day 3: Experiencing God's Special Love
While God loves all His creation, there is a special, intimate love reserved for those who love and obey Jesus. This transforms our relationship with God from being mere creations to being His beloved children. This divine love is not just a general love for all creation but a special, intimate love for those who follow Jesus. This relationship transforms us from mere creations to beloved children of God. Experiencing this special love requires us to actively love and obey Jesus, which in turn deepens our relationship with the Father.
[01:00:08]
1 John 3:1 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
Reflection: How have you experienced God's special love in your life? Reflect on a specific instance where you felt God's intimate love and how it impacted your relationship with Him.
Day 4: The Importance of Community and Support
We need each other for encouragement, gratitude, and love. The Holy Spirit and our church community are essential in helping us live out our faith and obedience to Jesus. Being part of a community provides the support and accountability we need to stay faithful to Jesus' teachings. Our church family can offer encouragement, share wisdom, and help us grow in our spiritual journey. The Holy Spirit works through our community to strengthen our faith and guide us in our walk with Jesus.
[01:05:53]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Who in your church community can you reach out to for support and encouragement this week? How can you also be a source of encouragement to someone else in your community?
Day 5: The Challenge of Obedience
Obedience to Jesus can be difficult, especially when our desires conflict with His commands. However, through the Holy Spirit and a deep understanding of Jesus' love for us, we can find the strength to obey and live out His teachings. The struggle with obedience is a common experience for all believers, but it is through this struggle that we grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with Jesus. By relying on the Holy Spirit and remembering Jesus' love for us, we can overcome the challenges and remain faithful to His commands.
[47:16]
Romans 7:18-19 (ESV): "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "We can come wretched. We can come broken. We can come hurting. We can come healed. We can come victorious. We can come in the fight, Lord. We can come defeated. Come to the King of Kings and lift our praise. It doesn't matter about our earthly circumstances. What matters is that you are who you say you are. You are a worthy God, Lord." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Loving Jesus means obeying His commands. He said, John 14, verse 15, If you love Me, you will keep My commands. In this one verse, Jesus reiterates that loving Him equates to listening to Him. If you love Me, if you love Me, then you will listen and obey. You'll do what I have asked. You'll follow the path. You'll continue on the road even when it gets too difficult that you may feel lost." (38 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The Holy Spirit helps us to discern between right and wrong. What is true and what is false. And through the Holy Spirit we can experience a deeper intimacy with Jesus and a greater ability to live out His commands. Because you see, the Spirit is an amazing gift to us. It's something that we often forget about as we hurry through our lives from one problem to another. We just forget about the Holy Spirit being there. But He is with us. He is in us. He is there to help us." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We weren't meant to live just some nominal, plain, unsubstantial existence on this earth. In fact, we were not meant to just exist. We were paid for. We have a purpose. God dwells in us. And so if we want to know what that life is for us, if we want to seek out that life, then we will seek to know Him. And as we know Him, we come to love Him when we understand how much He loves us and how He died for us." (42 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "It's saying no to yourself and yes to God and yes to the people around us who need to see God, who need to know God, who need to experience who Jesus is. It's the ultimate commission. This is God's call on all of our lives. To love others as we have been loving to invite everyone we can into this amazing gospel. Why? Because He loves us. Because He has given us the spirit to be loved. To be able to love Him. To be able to obey Him." (34 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "There have been countless times in my life where my faith has been shaken. I believe that all of us had our faith shaken this week when word came that little Luke was in the hospital. And had been diagnosed with cancer. But obeying God means loving Him. And if we say that we love Him, we trust Him and we follow Him, we know that He has a plan for everything in our lives. Good, bad, prosperity and want, joy and pain, that we follow God in everything." (53 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "If you claim to have heard and received and accepted this word and yet you fail to act on it, you are deceiving yourself because you think you are right with God because you listened to the word. Maybe even because you listened it, intently. But according to James, without action, you're wrong. And you know, James' words sound eerily familiar to Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount that we studied with Pastor John two years ago. Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 7, it says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (51 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The Holy Spirit helps us to discern between right and wrong. What is true and what is false. And through the Holy Spirit we can experience a deeper intimacy with Jesus and a greater ability to live out His commands. Because you see, the Spirit is an amazing gift to us. It's something that we often forget about as we hurry through our lives from one problem to another. We just forget about the Holy Spirit being there. But He is with us. He is in us. He is there to help us." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The Father loves those who love and obey the Son. Verses 18 through 21. He says, I will not leave you as orphans. I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live in you, excuse me, because I live, you will live too. And on that day, you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. The one who has my commands in Christ, the one who keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will also reveal myself to Him." (41 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We weren't meant to live just some nominal, plain, unsubstantial existence on this earth. In fact, we were not meant to just exist. We were paid for. We have a purpose. God dwells in us. And so if we want to know what that life is for us, if we want to seek out that life, then we will seek to know Him. And as we know Him, we come to love Him when we understand how much He loves us and how He died for us. And if we love Him, we obey Him and we follow Him. And we say, I see what You did for me, Lord. I know that You have a plan for me. I know my life is not insignificant. So I'm going to follow You. I'm going to obey You. And Lord, I'm going to see what You have for me." (42 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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