Obedience by Faith
1 John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewThose who love obey the commandments. How so? Stay tuned.
Notes
Transcript
Among the Maasai people of Kenya, there’s a traditional greeting that goes far beyond “hello.” They don’t begin with small talk or pleasantries.
Instead, they ask: “Kasserian ingera?” It means: “And how are the children?” That question tells you everything about their values. Because the well-being of the children is a measure of the health of the whole community.
If the children are well, the society is well. The best part? The traditional response is: “All the children are well.” Even if that’s not always fully true, it’s an aspiration—a commitment that every adult shares in the care, protection, and thriving of the next generation.
What if the Church had that same heartbeat? What if every decision, every conversation, every prayer began with: “How are the vulnerable among us?” That’s the posture of God’s love.
Communion has two aspects
vertical
horizontal.
Most communion services
I focus on
vertical connection.
This week I’m going to
dwell more upon
horizonal
connection with people.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Here the Bible is clear,
it is impossible
to have perfect vertical connection
with defective horizonal connection.
If our connection with
friend
family
co-worker
church saint
is damaged
our channel to God
is challenged.
I sense this most strongly
in my marriage.
I know it is impossible
to fight with my wife
then go have my devotions.
In fact,
the bible says it explicitly.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Notice the last part.
God is clear.
Marital conflict leads to
prayers being hindered.
But this is true
of all human relationships.
And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Once again,
love for God
love for people
go hand-in-hand.
They can’t be separated.
This is why communion
has the human component.
Before we take the emblems
we must first
wash feet.
God is intentional
about the structure
of the communion.
The ordinance of humility
paves the way to
see and receive
the love of God
more fully.
This is especially important
with fellow believers.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
If you love God,
you love people who
are being made like God.
This is not saying
you MUST love
the other church members.
This is saying,
you WILL love
the other church members.
In the 1800s, slavery cast a dark shadow across the United States. Millions of African men, women, and children were treated as property—owned, bought, sold, abused. But there were some who said, “No more. They risked everything to help enslaved people escape to freedom. They formed secret networks, safe houses, coded songs, and hidden signs.
It was called the Underground Railroad. One of its most famous conductors was a woman named Harriet Tubman. She escaped slavery herself—and then went back. Not once, but over a dozen times. She led more than 70 people to freedom, often under cover of night, with a pistol in her pocket—not to hurt anyone, but to protect those she was guiding.
Tubman didn’t do it for money. She didn’t do it for recognition. She did it because she loved those still trapped in the bondage she once knew. That kind of love—the kind that goes back for the hurting, the captive, the unwanted—is the same kind of love God shows us. Jesus said in Luke 4:18, “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives… to set the oppressed free.” God didn’t shout freedom from a distance. He came to us. He stepped into enemy territory.
John is clear
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
This is basically,
just stateing the
prior verse backwards.
The prior verse says:
“Those who love God
will love fellow Christians.”
This verse says:
Those who love
their fellow Christians
also love God!
It goes both ways!
But this verse also connects:
love of people
love of God
commandment keeping.
That is why Jesus
summarzed the 10
into only 2:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
This is obvious
if you
love God
and people
we won’t sin against
God
or people!
The solution to
commandment keeping
is love.
Big failure by many SDA’s.
baptismal lessons
are about proving
law exists
sabbath applies.
The lesson fails
present how we can
experience a life
of loving obedience.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
What do we learn?
Commandment keeping
victory in spiritual journey
overcoming in this life
is all based on love and faith.
Obedience by Love
Obedience by Love
This one is obvious.
we obey the commands
because they are they
loving thing to do.
Obedience by Faith
Obedience by Faith
How does it work.
Believe I can obey?
and suddenly I do?
We trust in
God’s forgiving grace.
God’s transforming grace.
We believe that,
it is God’s will and plan
to change my heart.
By faith we
turn our will
over to God.
As we surrender,
we ask God to
give us desire for right.
Yesterday,
cleaning for Sabbath.
Seylah didn’ feel well.
Ellie vacuumed entire house.
Seylah felt better.
Please re-vacuum kitchen.
Said:
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m sick.”
Appeal
Appeal
Surrender will to God.
Allow Him to
grace to desire
what is right.
