What The Lord's Love Can Do For You Series

What the Lord's Love Can Do for You

The Gospel of John

John 15:9-13

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - September 6, 2017

(Revised March 11, 2020)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to John 15. Most of you know that for many weeks we have been studying one night in the Lord's life. It was the night before Jesus died on the cross for our sins. And we have been studying this night for so long because God's Word talks about it all the way from John 13 to John 18:27.

*In tonight's Scripture, Jesus and His disciples have left the upper room where the Lord established the Lord's Supper, and they are walking on the road toward the Garden of Gethsemane. In these moments on the road, Jesus highlighted some of the wonderful things that the Lord's love can do in our lives. Please think about that as we read John 15:9-13.

MESSAGE:

*Probably all of us have seen truly great love in our lifetimes. We have seen husbands and wives totally devoted to each other through the worst of times. We have seen parents do any good thing they could to help their beloved children. We have seen friends who would give us the shirt off their back.

*But the greatest love of all is God's love. The greatest love of all is the Lord's love we see in the life and death of Jesus Christ. So, let's focus on what the Lord's love can do for you and me.

1. FIRST: IT CAN GIVE US A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

*The Lord's love can give us a close, personal relationship with the true and living Almighty God. And His love is the only thing that can give us a relationship with God.

*Think about the relationships in your life, how important your family and friends are to you. Rick Warren once explained their importance by saying: "I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity. And I have never heard anyone say, 'Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. Or show me my awards, my medals, and that gold watch I was given.'

*When life on earth is ending, people don't surround themselves with objects. What we want around us is people. People we love and have relationships with. In our final moments, we all realize that relationships are what life is all about." (1)

*Bearing that in mind, think about what Jesus said to His followers in vs. 9, "As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. . ." Can you imagine how close God the Father is to God the Son? No relationship could possibly be closer.

*In John 10:30, Jesus said, "I and My Father are one.'' And in John 14:6-9, Jesus said:

6. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.''

8. Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.''

9. Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. . ."

*The Father and Son are one. No love could be stronger. No relationship could be closer. But again in vs. 9. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. . ."

*God wants to be just as close to us as the Father and Son are to each other! God Himself wants to be our Father and Best Friend!

*BUT HOW CAN WE GET INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP? ONLY BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, ONLY BY BELIEVING IN JESUS.

*As the Lord said in John 3:16-18:

16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

*In Romans 10:9-13, the Apostle Paul explained:

9. that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

11. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.''