Father, we love your presence. We love your presence. We love you Lord and we give you all the glory. You are such a good, good Father. We love you and we give you praise this morning.
My grandfather married Doris and I – it will be 44 years in two weeks, July 30 – in a small intimate wedding of immediate family. When we said “I do” we obligated ourselves to each other. We obligated ourselves to a relationship where two became one. We see this in scripture as well in John 17 where Jesus says that He wants the disciples to be one with Him just like He’s one with the Father.
When you have a relationship where two become one – two become one. I like to say it this way: two independents become one. You don’t give up who you are. Your personalities are the same. How you think is going to be different, but you have come into agreement that we are two, but we’re going to be one.
Every relationship has obligations — things that must be done because of what the relationship requires.
When I married Doris, one of the relationship requirements for each of us was no more dating. When we became one, we were separate from our families. When we became one, the influence of our families became minimal in our lives as far as decision making.
Now, if you work in an office, for example, and you are responsible for answering the phones and making sure the right messages get to the right people, how accurate and timely you are in fulfilling that requirement could be the difference in a positive outcome or a negative outcome for the person receiving the message. That’s relationship.
We have folks who operate the sound board at our church. When the Praise Team is singing the sound board person has to balance the different voices or they will not sound good. And, the person has to make other adjustments when the Pastor or someone else stands to deliver the message. That’s relationship.
We also have folks who operate the camera. When the Praise Team is singing, a wider shot is needed so that the entire group is in the frame. However, when the Pastor or someone else delivers the message, the shot is much closer so that the person fills the frame. That’s relationship.
In these two examples, how the sound board person and the camera person interact and respond to the Praise Team and the Pastor or other speaker impacts how the congregation and the viewers on the internet and YouTube respond to the service. That’s relationship.
In the body of Christ, we are in a relationship and in that relationship we have obligations. Relationships make us debtors to the person with whom we have the relationship. Generally, you don’t enter into a relationship haphazardly and this is especially true of a Christian’s relationship with God. We are in a relationship that obligates us to do certain things for the One who made the relationship possible.
As Christians, our obligations to Jesus is our love response to what He has already done for us. If you are truly responding out of love, do you see anything as being an obligations?
Turn to Colossians 1. As Christians, our obligations to Jesus is our love response to what He has already done for us.
(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
(10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:
(11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy fulness:
(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
(13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, [The word “power” is “authority.” Satan no longer has authority in our lives unless we give it to him.] and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
He’s painting an image for us ladies and gentlemen. He’s translated us. In other words, we have been moved from one place to another place. The place we were removed from was the eternal death associated with the sin nature. We now live in the place of eternal life that’s associated with our new nature.
We no longer live in the kingdom of darkness. We live in the kingdom of light. Can the kingdom of darkness still influence and dominate our lives? Not unless we allow it to. Who holds all the power in this situation? Say it with me, “I do.”
(14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
This is now the relationship we have with Jesus. Look in First John 4.
(7) Beloved, let us love one another [You have to make a decision ladies and gentlemen to live out of who you are. And if you are railing against the current administration, you are not living out of who you are.] for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
The men and women who say they are Christians and are railing against the current administration, do you think they know God? Not if what I just read is true.
(8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
When I read that – that we might live through him – it made me think about what we typically say: God needs to live through us. This verse says “that we might live through him.” What is this talking about Bro. Barry? It’s talking about living through our new nature, living through who we have become. We don’t have a life without him ladies and gentlemen.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Jump to verse 19. “We love him, [Why?] because he first loved us.
How many of you remember reading verses and seeing the word ought? There are several different Greek words for ought and we’re going to take a look at one of them this morning.
The Greek word is opheilo (#3784 in Strongs) and it’s pronounced “of-i-lo.” It means “to owe or be indebted, to be bound or obligated to perform a duty- now this is the part of the definition I want you to zero in on – a moral or personal obligation.”
Who do we have a moral and personal obligation to? Jesus. He translated us ladies and gentlemen from darkness to light! He did that for us. He took us from death to life for an eternity with Him. We have a moral and personal obligation to the One with whom we have a relationship.
A person who purchases a car, for example, agrees to be opheilo – indebted or obligated to the finance company until the loan is paid off. The same thing holds true when a person rents an apartment or buys a house. She agrees to be opheilo to the lender for the duration of the lease. Relationships.
The shed blood of Jesus opheilo’s – obligates – us to Him.
But so many in the body of Christ don’t understand what they committed themselves too by accepting Jesus as their eternity altering savior. If they did, and I’m going back to the example I just used, they would not be railing on the current administration. They don’t take the time to really read and digest the fine print – the Bible. [I hold up the Bible.]
For so many, the relationship is one-sided. Jesus will do this for me. Jesus will do that for me. But relationships don’t work that way. How many of you know that? When a relationship in a marriage is one sided, can you say divorce? Can you say division of assets? They are not one-sided. Relationships require knowing what you are responsible for doing that complements what the other person is doing, or, in the case of Jesus, complementing what He has already done for us.
In our relationship with Jesus, we are obligated to do certain things if we want to have a relationship with Him whose ultimate end is fellowship. Remember what it says in First John chapter one?
(3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are born again, that creates a familial relationship. You can be a member of the family and not know the other person. I have cousins and distant relatives in Kentucky, California, Illinois and other states that I’ve never met. And yet we are family. I don’t know all their names. I don’t know where all of them live. But we are family by blood. Are you following me?
Jesus wants more than that. He wants more than being a family member and we should too. The song, “You Won’t Relent” came to mind as I thought about this.
“You won’t relent until you have it all. My heart is yours. … I don’t want to talk about you, like you’re not in the room, I wanna look right at you, I wanna sing right to you.”
This should be our heart’s cry too!
So, what are some of the obligations we have because we love Him? What are some of those things that we are obligated to do because He first loved us?
Turn to John 13.
(1) Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
(2) And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the hearts fJudas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
(3) Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
(4) He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
(5) After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
(6) Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
(7) Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knoweth not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
(8) Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
(9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
(10) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
(11) For he knew who should betray him: therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
(12) So after he had washed their fee, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
What had Jesus done by washing the feet of the disciples? First of all, he knew that Judas was going to betray him. “Judas, I am washing your feet because I forgive you for what you’re about to do.”
Sometimes I believe we forget that the other apostles abandoned Jesus when He was arrested. So, He’s washing their feet. “I am washing your feet because I know you are going to leave me alone. You are going to abandon me. And we see this in Matthew 26:56.
I have a question. If you knew someone was going to walk up to you and spit in your face, would you wash that person’s feet? If you knew someone was going to steal your identify, go to the bank and take your money, would you wash that person’s feet? You see where I’m going. Jesus knew what they were going to do and yet He washed their feet.
That is love ladies and gentlemen and that is what He is trying to communicate to us. When we rail on the current administration, we are not willing to wash their feet. We are not willing to forgive like Jesus forgave the disciples. And we’re acting that way, do you think anyone who is not a family member of God has a chance to become one? I know God can make a way, but we are not helping Him at all.
It breaks my heart when I see Christians who are not acting like Christians.
(13) Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Now this is the verse I’m after – verse 14.
(14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; [What’s the context? Forgiving the disciples by washing their feet.] ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Forgiveness is one of the obligations we have as being part of God’s family. Ladies and gentlemen, being willing to forgive should not be a tedious task. It should not be one of those things where you go to God and pray for strength to do or ask Him to help you do it. It’s supposed to be easy and if it’s not, you need to work on that.
Let’s look at another one. Romans 13, beginning with verse 1.
(1) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
(2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
(3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
(4) For he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid: for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, a revenge to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
(5) Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
What conscience? Your new nature ladies and gentlemen. When it says God has ordained the powers, it not saying God has ordained the people. He has ordained the structure. It is the people in that structure who mess up that we say God put them in place. Really? Seriously? No! He put the structure. God is a goo of order. People mess up the structure.
(6) For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
(7) Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
These are the things we’re obligated to do in the governmental structure as we see it right now.
(8) Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:
You may not like paying the taxes. You might not like the person who is over things because he’s making bad decisions. But I’m telling you, if you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you have one obligation to every single person on this planet and that’s to love them.
And you demonstrate that love, ladies and gentlemen, by praying for them when you don’t like what they’re doing.
Declaring God’s best in their lives, when you don’t like what they’re doing.
Declaring God’s peace and protection in their lives, when you don’t like what they’re doing.
That’s the obligation we have to love them. We have an obligation to.love one another.
Look at Hebrews 5:12. It says “For when for the time you ought to be teachers.” I’m going to stop here. Hebrews is saying we ought to be teachers. Teachers of what Bro. Barry? Of the gospel. There is no other message worth teaching than the message of the gospel! And we are to be teachers of the gospel. Most of us will do that by living the gospel before people and speaking it into their lives.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “I’d rather see a sermon any day than hear one preached.” A person who wants to see a sermon does not want to be convicted by a sermon that they hear. If you think you will know a sermon by looking at a person’s life, then it makes the assumption that you know what the book says. A person who makes this statement doesn’t know what the book says and will determine what is a good sermon by their own standards.
A good sermon is going to obligate you to the “Good Book.” If we are truly following Jesus, a person will be able to look at our lives and know that something is different about us and they will want to know what it is.
First John chapter two. We have three more passages this morning.
(1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
(2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
(3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
(5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily in the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
(6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
If we say we are abiding in him, then we are abiding in him and looking like Him. We need to be walking like Jesus walked. That’s an obligation. That. Is. An. Obligation.
First John chapter three. Look at verse 16. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
We are obligated to lay down our lives for the brethren, for the family. Well, Bro. Barry, what does it mean to lay down our lives for the brethren? I’m glad you asked the question. Look at verses 17 and 18.
(17) But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
(18) My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
We lay down our lives for the brethren when we are willing to sacrifice or give up what we have when they have needs. When you do this, what you are saying is what is important to me is not as important as what my brother needs right now. Laying down your life is when you are putting your brother or sister ahead of yourself.
Remember Jesus said that we will know his disciples by the love they have for one another. And there is no greater love than when you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else.
Let’s look at verse 19. There is a reward for doing this.
(19) And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
(20) For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
(21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
(22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, [Why do we receive of Him when we ask? It’s because we are willing to lay down our lives for the brethren. Context.] because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. [And what is pleasing in His sight in this context? Laying down your life for the brethren.]
(23) And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
(24) And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, [What was the commandment He gave to us in this passage? Lay down your life for the brethren.] and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, buy the Spirit which he hath given us.
Turn to chapter four, our last passage. We’re going to pick it up with verse four.
(4) Ye are of God …
The word “of” in the Greek is “ek” and means we come from God. God is our source of being. He birthed us. Barry no longer comes from John and Dorothy. Barry now comes from God. And ladies and gentlemen, that is so important to understand. You may have an earthly father and mother BUT God is YOUR FATHER.
The power and authority that you have on this earth right now is because God is your Father. Never underestimate who you are. Never underestimate who you belong to. God is your Father. I don’t care what comes against you. God is your Father. And I have it on good authority that God takes care of His children.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
(5) They are of the world: [They are born of the world.] therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
(6) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
(7) Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
(8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
We are obligated. We are indebted. We have a moral obligation to Jesus. We have a personal Jesus to love one another.
Now, why is all of this important? It is important because of where the Lord is taking us as a church. When we have all of these new people coming in the obligations that we talked about – we owe that to them. If they are going to see Jesus – you have to know, that the people who come into this church are not going to be like us. Some will have drug problems. Some will be battling alcoholism. There are going to be people who have issues.
And we can’t see passed all of that and see what Jesus can do for them, God help us! God help us! They are coming because they want help and we have to be able to see through who they are to how God sees them. That is our obligation to Jesus. So whatever we have to do Lord, we will do. Amen? Please stand.
