Obedience: The (Super) Natural Response to Faith John 14:15-27
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." (Heb 11:8)
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20)
DIRECTION: This morning I’d like to focus on what it means to obey God’s will.
1. OBEDIENCE IS AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF LOVE
A. LOVE IS THE BOTTOM LINE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. (1 Cor. 13:13)
1) "love is the fulfilling of the law." (Rom 13:10)
2) “If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
3) “If a man love me, he will keep my words:” (John 14:25)
4) "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3)
If you have trouble obeying, you have Heart trouble!
2. OBEDIENCE BRINGS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. John 14
A. FELLOWSHIP: Vs 16, 23 See also 1 John 1:7
B. FAITH Vs 12 (1 John 5:4)
(2 Thess 1:3) “Your faith groweth exceedingly”
C. LOVE: Vs 21: “Shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him…”
D. LIGHT: Vs 21; 26 “Will manifest myself to him.” “Will teach you all things..”
E. PEACE Vs 27
F. PROTECTION Vs 30,31
1) Why did the Devil have “nothing” in Jesus?
Because: "I do always those things that please him." (John 8:29)
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON’T!
2) Our sin gives “ground” to the Devil. Eph. 4:27
Illustration: God’s “Laws” are given for our protection and provision. Suppose you had to Cross a field full of land mines. If one who knew where everyone was offered to guide you, would you reject their help? Would you not stay as close to that person as possible?
"And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day." (Deu 6:24)
3. OBEDIENCE SETS THE STAGE FOR GOD TO WORK. Vs 12
A. JESUS WAS ON HIS WAY TO THE CROSS WHEN HE TAUGHT THIS.
1) His obedience opened the door for God’s Salvation. Luke 24:26
2) His obedience opened the door for God’s Spirit. John 16:7
B. GOD’S GREATEST WORK IS TO REVEAL HIMSELF FIRST TO YOU,
AND THEN THROUGH YOU. (Phil 2:12-16)
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phil 2:13)
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21)
APPLICATION: Notice the Practical Process of Obedience.
1) We Seek to develop a Personal Devotional life. (Growing in love to God) Through:
a) Time in His Word. (Bible reading/study/meditation)
b) Time in His Presence. (Prayer)
2) God reveals his will to us through His Precepts, Prayer, People, and/or Providence.
3) We Adjust our wills to His.
4) We begin to obey him.
5) He accomplishes His will through us.
6) We are encouraged and get to know God by experience and grow in our Love for him.
7) The Process repeats itself on a higher plane.
At any point we can back out and interrupt God’s Plan.
CONCLUSION:
> BECAUSE GOD IS ALL LOVING, HIS WILL IS ALWAYS BEST.
> BECAUSE GOD IS ALL KNOWING, HIS WILL IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
> BECAUSE GOD IS ALL POWERFUL, HE WILL ENABLE US TO OBEY HIM.
Spend some time this week meditating on 1 John 2:3-6:
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. “
"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that
we are in him."
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
For your consideration. According to the above verses:
1) What is the evidence that I have truly come to know God?
2) What is the clear evidence that someone doesn’t know God?
3) What does God do in the life of those that obey His word?
All heaven is waiting to help those who will discover the will of God and do it.
J. Robert Ashcroft (1878-1958)
All my requests are lost in one, "Father, thy will be done!" Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God. … Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
“Thirty years of our Lord's life are hidden in these words of the gospel: "He was subject unto them." Jacques Bénigne Bossuet (1627-1704)
FELLOWSHIP
“If you desire Christ for a perpetual guest, give him all the keys of your heart; let not one cabinet be locked up from him; give him the range of every room and the key of every chamber.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
LIGHT:
“Obedience is the eye of the spirit. Failure to obey dims and dulls the spiritual understanding.” Samuel Dickey Gordon (1859-1936)
Obedience to Jesus Christ is essential, but not compulsory; he never insists on being Master. We feel that if only he would insist, we should obey him. But our Lord never enforces his "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots"; he never takes means to force us to do what he says. He never coerces. In certain moods we wish he would make us do the thing, but he will not; and in other moods we wish he would leave us alone altogether, but he will not. If we do not keep his commandments, he does not come and tell us we are wrong. We know it, we cannot get away from it.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
The Master's will, for this I pray, Whatever it may be!
I do not want to miss Your best; Reveal it, Lord, to me.
My own desires may lead me wrong, I must consult my God;
His counsel will be justified, When all the way I've trod.
O soul of mine, delight in Him! His Word discern, obey!
The plan you seek to know will then unfold from day to day.
We do not live our lives alone: If I am in God's will,
The lives of others will be helped, His purpose to fulfill!
My all, O Lord, I give to You, My body, mind and soul;
May all the days that lie ahead, be under Your control.
-- Frances L. Hess
