Do You Really Love Jesus?
John 14:15
I would like to begin with a question…. “Do You Love Jesus”??? I am not surprised that you would say yes. But I want to go a bit farther and really examine this subject:
1. Does your life show that you love Jesus?
2. Do your actions prove your love for Jesus?
3. Are the choices that you make based on your love for Jesus?
4. Would others testify of your love for Jesus?
When at the funeral home I tend to listen to what is being said about the deceased. Here are some of the descriptions people will use about their loved ones:
o “Boy, He sure loved the Crimson Tide”
o “His passion was fishing & hunting”
o “She sure loved to cook”
o He was dedicated to his career"
o “He was a good man”… “she was a good woman”
o “Shopping was her life”
o “He was a great friend”
o “She sure loved her church”
When I die it is not my goal for people to say “He was a good preacher or a loving Father” Now those things are nice but ultimately I want people to say “that ol boy right there …HE SURE LOVED JESUS”!!! What about you? When you are not around, do people say “He/she sure loves the Lord”? Better yet what does the Lord have to say about your love for Him?I submit to you that the Word of God says that many of you don’t love Him at all!
Throughout His Word God confronts His people and addresses their inconsistent actions toward Him. - Malachi 1:6 The Lord says…“A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices? ’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says The Lord of hosts”
o If you were as devoted to your job as you are to Jesus would you still be employed?
o If you were as faithful to your wife/husband as you are to Jesus would you still be married?
o If you paid your bills like you pay your tithes would you have food, a vehicle or a home?
o If you were as obedient to the secular law as you are to God’s commands would you be free or behind bars?
I want to consider these things for a little while and ask the question “Do You Really Love Jesus”? Understand this: Jesus will not be persuaded by your words alone. He can see directly into your heart. Jesus has prophesied that the disciples would be scattered, but Peter professed (WITH HIS MOUTH) that he would never leave Jesus - Mark 14:29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
You may fool your friends.
You may fool your family.
You may fool your spouse.
You may even fool yourself …..But, you can’t fool Jesus.
HE KNOWS YOUR HEART!!! …So again I ask, “Do You Really Love Jesus”? Let’s look at:
I. The Evidence Of Your Love For Jesus - John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Notice that Jesus begins this statement with “IF” Jesus knew everybody that He was addressing didn’t love him. One of His own disciples is preparing to betray him for 30 pieces of silver.If you “Really Do Love Jesus” there will be evidence! Jesus makes it very clear what the evidence of love for Him will be…..OBEDIENCE!! Do you live a life in complete obedience to Jesus Christ? Can a lost man see what it is to be Christian by watching your daily life?
There are too many “pew warmers” want to live life their way and too few CHRISTIANS! People who want to do what they want to do, when they want to do it! They are not one bit concerned with what God desires or commands. You cannot love God & embrace evil …IT WILL NEVER WORK!! - 1 John 2:3 and we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in Christ - Here, John reveals that if obedience is not in your heart you are not saved. This doesn’t mean that Christians will not fail but there will be OBEDIENCE in the heart of those who TRULY LOVE THE LORD! Anyone can say they love God, but the proof is in obeying God.
So, if “The Evidence of Our Love for Jesus” is Obedience, then we must examine our lives to see if we measure up. The 2nd thing I would like to consider today is:
II. The Examination Of Your Love For Jesus - Matthew 22:35-40
Many times when a detective is looking for evidence of someone’s guilt or proof of their innocence they will administer a “Polygraph”. A Polygraph is an electrical device that registers involuntary physical processes such as pulse rate and perspiration and is used as a lie detector. The investigator will hook the suspect up to a machine and ask a series of questions. And the machine will indicate whether the answer is truth or a lie. I want you to hook up to the “polygraph machine” that is God’s Word and see what it says about your “love for Jesus” In Matthew 22 we read that after Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees came to question Him again. One of the experts in religious law asked Jesus a question trying to trap Him. He said “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law?” - Notice Jesus’ reply - v37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Jesus sums up the entire law in these verses notice what He says in verse 40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”If you want to know if “You Really Love Jesus” then you must measure your life & actions against these verse: You say “I Really Love Jesus”…Jesus says “if you love me, keep my commandments” Now that you are hooked up to the “lie detector” of God’s Word, Let’s begin “The Examination Of Your Love For Jesus”
A. Do You Obey Commandment #1 - v37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.
Many will proclaim that God is first and then place everyone & everything else before Him. If we truly love the Lord, He will have prominence in every area of our life! The Great Commandment sums up the 10 Commandments. Let’s look to the “1st four of the top 10” for a moment.
1. 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
2. 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
3. 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
4. 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
If we “Love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength we:
• Will not have any other Gods
• Will not create any idols
• Will not take His name in vain
• Will remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy
A major study by Lifeway Christian resources shows that most young adults today don't pray, don't worship and don't read the Bible ……….Thom Rainer states that If the trends continue, "the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships,"
Let’s dig a little deeper into the question of your love for God:
1) You Say “I Love God” But Do You Talk To Him?
I say I love my wife (and I DO!) Because of that I communicate with her. I talk to her regularly. If I said that I loved her and just sat around the house and never said anything she would might question if I REALLY LOVED HER!I am sure if the only time I did talk to her I was when I was complaining about what she has done or not done she would question if I REALLY LOVED HER! I am sure if the only time I talked to her was when I was asking her to do something for me she might question if I REALLY LOVED HER! Yet there are many professing “Christians” that never talk to God. There are many more professing “Christians” that only talk to Him when they are complaining or when they want something
Notice what Paul says:
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.......................................1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. - Sometimes we just need to get alone with God and thank Him for who He is and thank Him for what He has done.
Thank Him for His:
o Mercy
o Grace
o Love
o Salvation
Many of you can’t pray because you are so consumed with things that will not matter next week much less in eternity! - A recent “Lifeway” survey showed that 65% of professing Christians rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
But “I Really Do Love Jesus”! Jesus said “If you love me, Keep my commandments”
2) You Say I Love God” But Do You Allow Him To Speak To You?
The same Lifeway study that I mentioned earlier showed that 67% of professing Christians don't read the Bible..........Another article states: “Americans revere the Bible — but, by and large, they don’t read it. And because they don’t read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.” http://www.sbts.edu/resources/magazines/love-for-a-bible-not-read-a-call-for-biblical-literacy/
There are some who would argue over which translation of the Bible to use and they won’t even pick up a bible and read it themselves!
The Bible is “God’s Infallible, Inerrant …Inspired Holy, Word” - The Psalmist said - Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path...................While prayer is our way of speaking to God, the Bible is God’s way of speaking to us! Too many folks out there are having one way conversations! Communication with God requires both prayer & study of the Word!
You say “I love my bible” ...Do you really? Did you read as many verses of the bible as you did news headlines last week? Did you spend more time studying God’s Word than you did scrolling the News Feed on Facebook or seeing what was trending on Twitter? What used more electricity this week, the lamp where you study or the Television set?
I am a great admirer of President Ronald Reagan. I loved his politics and his personality. I own a copy of his memoirs and I am fascinated to get into his mind and see what he was thinking during certain crucial events during his presidency.
But it is even more amazing to open the “living Word” and allow God to speak to me about:
o His work in creation
o His plan for mankind
o The sacrifice of His Son for my sins
o What He has in store for us when this life is over.
o What He wants His children to accomplish
o What He wants His children to avoid.
What a blessing and privilege it is to possess a copy of God’s Word to man. - There are people all over this country who will walk 10 miles one way just to hear someone read the Word to them and you have it on your phone and won’t even read it!
But I love Jesus… Jesus Said “If you love me, keep my commandments”
3) You Say “I Love God” But Do You Come To His House? - Hebrews 10:25 tells us (not to forsake) the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In the LifeWay study I mentioned earlier, of those who professed to be Christians, 65% do not attend worship anywhere.
We have such an awesome privilege to come together with likeminded believers and:
o Worship
o Pray
o Study
o And Fellowship - But so many take that privilege for granted. Folks, there very well may come a day when we no longer have that privilege.
As a pastor it is very frustrating to spend 8 or 9 hours digging into the Word and preparing to share a message to a group of people, having a God given burden to reach someone and then the people that are supposedly “active” members just don’t come because there is something “better” to do. - There are Sunday school teachers who have given of their own time to study and prepare to teach you and when you don’t come it is discouraging to them. - There are people willing and prepared to teach your children in Children’s Church but they don’t have the opportunity because you woke up and had an urge to do something else this Sunday.
Adrian Rogers said that “every time you willingly choose not to attend a worship service you are casting a vote to close the doors”. Tonight at 5:30 many of you will cast a vote for us to stop having Sunday Night services. I love the opportunity to be in God’s house. I love to hear the Word preached. I love to sing songs praising my Savior. I love to fellowship with other believers. I just don’t understand people who claim to have been saved who just don’t go to church. I actually have a harder time figuring out those who just pop in from time to time!
But “I love Jesus” …Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments”
4) You Say I Love God” But Do You Give Him What Is His? - Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
How can we rob God? We must consider the fact that all that we have belongs to Him. God is gracious enough to allow us to keep the majority of what we are blessed with. He only asks for a small portion in return.God says that they robbed him. - In tithes and offerings
Tithe – {H} (ma‛aśrâh - mah-as-raw') - a tenth;
Offering – {H} (terûmâh - ter-oo-maw') a present (as offered up), especially in sacrifice.
The problem with many peoples attitude toward giving to God is to simply give him what is left. You are wasting your time giving God what is left… HE REFUSES LEFTOVERS!! - If you can spend 200 dollars on things you don’t need on Saturday and only give God a 20 dollar bill on Sunday, then you might want to examine your priorities! You say, but I can’t afford to give… Friend, YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO!
But “I love Jesus” …Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments”
5) You Say I Love God” But Do You Serve Him? - Romans 12:4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others do it gladly.
Can you:
o Sing
o Preach
o Teach
o Play an instrument
o Be a leader
o Be an encourager
o Can you serve in any capacity
If you have the ability to do any of these things, it is because God (through His grace) gave you that ability. Why did He give you that ability? So that you can use it to bring glory to His name!
In my workshop I have a work bench. It has a shelf and on that shelf is a level, hand saw, skill saw, drill, sander, hammer, screwdrivers and a flashlight. Recently the only tool I have used is a table saw. That table saw has kicked up saw dust all over that building and covered every item on the work bench. None of those tools have been used to accomplish anything in weeks. But that table saw has helped me accomplish a great deal. - There are too many people in the church today who are just “sitting on the bench” collecting dust!
Each one of those tools in my shop has a specific task that it was created to complete. - 1 Corinthians 12:12 ¶For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
If we are the body:
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His Word’s teaching?
Why aren’t His feet going?
If we are the body
I found a page on the internet that gave some of the most common excuses for not serving in the church, here are a few:
I am too busy with work
I am to busy with the kids commitments such as:
o Base ball
o Basket ball
o Cheerleading
o Foot ball
o Band
o Lacrosse
o Academics
I am too busy with a sick relative
I don’t know what opportunities are available
I don’t know what gift God has given me
I don’t have the skills
I am burnt out and I need to be fed for a bit
I don’t get anything out of it
I offered to serve in the past but no one followed up with me
I served for a while but I felt unappreciated
How about just being honest and saying “I JUST DON’T WANT TO!” - Do the same with not coming to church. Stop offering pathetic excuses and just say some thing was more important to me or I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO COME!
For those who think you are “too busy to serve in the church” …. FYI: Every Sunday you attend your local church you are served by very busy people. Stop whining and get involved!”
But “I love Jesus” …Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments”
We started off by asking the question “Do You Really Love Jesus”? I can’t answer that question for you, but you can! You have been connected to the “lie detector” that is God’s Word. Just as I mentioned in the case of Simon Peter, Jesus will not be fooled with your words, HE SEE YOUR HEART! Maybe He has revealed some things to you today. Maybe He has revealed that you are lost and need to be saved… YOU CAN RIGHT NOW! Maybe He has revealed to you that your love for Him is not where it should be… MAKE IT RIGHT TODAY!
You say, “I LOVE JESUS”! Jesus says …”If you love me, keep my commandments”
