Our Obedience Glorifies God

INTRO – Previous verses, Jesus washes His disciple’s feet… sets an example… do as I do…; now He will raise the bar even higher… Love as I love…

18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

John 13:31–35 NKJV

31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”

Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”

37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”

38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

Last Week’s Message: Love One Another – Jesus had said, “Do as I have Done”;

Then He said, “Love as I have Loved” Jesus’ love – Agape (Selfless, Sacrificial, Stringless)

In the midst of this dialog hours before His betrayal and arrest, Jesus says, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.…”

What is He saying here? I believe He reveals ‘how our lives can glorify God’… here in lies some 20/20 Vision… How my life might glorify God in 2020… Our Obedience Glorifies God

· Jesus uses this title "The Son of Man" ten times in the gospel of John

· This, the tenth and last time

· The title comes from the prophecy in where he sees one like the Son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven

· It is thus a Messianic title

· This first time in the gospel of John that He uses this title is when He is speaking with Nathanael, who marveled at the fact that Jesus knew things about him.

· Jesus answered in essence that “You ain’t seen nothin yet”…

· That he was to see the angels of heaven ascending and descending upon the Son of Man

– Nathaniel

/ – As Moses lifted up the serpent… So the Son of Man must be lifted up

() – Jesus claims to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man, Messiahship

Labor not for meat the perishes, but for meat that endures to everlasting life…

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man…

What and if you saw the Son of Man ascend to where He was before

When you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I am he…

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified

We have heard from the Law that the Christ will abide forever, now you say he must be

lifted up? Who is the Son of Man?

Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him

The Decisiveness of this hour… Obedience.

Earlier Jesus kept repeating that the hour had not yet come for Him to be glorified. But now He declares that the hour had come.

· Earlier when He was talking to them of the death of Lazarus He said that the sickness was not unto death, but that the Father might be glorified in the Son…

· He was to be glorified by the raising of Lazarus from the dead…

· Now the Father is to be glorified in the Son by the obedience of the Son…

God the Father is glorified in and through obedience…

· When we obey God’s commands, we are worshipping God

· When we worship God, we are honoring God

· When we honor God, we are glorifying God

In the next chapter He will encourage His disciples to make their requests to the Father in His name, that the Father might be glorified in the Son…

Consider Abraham’s 50 year journey towards Decisive Obedience…

From: Delayed Obedience, to; Deferred Obedience, to; Deflected Obedience, to; Disputed Obedience, to; Defamed Obedience, to; Debited Obedience, to; Genesis Ch22 ‘Decisive Obedience’

Genesis 22:1–14 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

SEVEN ELEMENTS OF DECISIVE OBEDIENCE:

And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [a]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [b]lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [c]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

SEVEN ELEMENTS OF DECISIVE OBEDIENCE:

‘Decisive Obedience’

-Responsive – “Here I am...” (V.1)

-Receptive – Receives from the Lord, but is not understood (Conflicting information) (V.2)

-Relentless – Consulted no one / Conferred with no one – “So Abraham...” (5 Conj.) (V.3)

-Reckoned – Concluding that God... () God would raise Him up... (V.3-10)

-Resolute – “The Lad and I ... we will return” (Such Faith – Burnt Offering – Man from Ashes)

o Reasoned – “God will provide Himself the Lamb...”

-Reasoned – “God will provide Himself the Lamb...”

-Resolved – (V.9, 10) “And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.”

Lessons & Encouragement:

Lessons: Abraham was a man like us... He had foibles too... (Be encouraged!)

o Have a Maturing Faith... Learn Obedience Lessons from Abraham the Father of Faith

o Faith / Obedience maturing does take time... (50 years from chapter 12 to 22...)

o Become Decisive in your Faith (Decisive Obedience)

Encouragements:

“Believe the Promises of God”

o Parent of a wayward child / prodigal – “Train up a child in the way he should go... and when he is old he will not depart from it...”

o Provisions (Work/Employment – Fill in the Blank) – “My God shall supply...”

o Process – “I’m confident of this very thing... that He who has begun a good work in you... shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...”

“Know the Promises of God...”

o How? Spend time reading, studying, meditating on, memorizing in, and obeying the Word

Prayer and Benediction