Under Orders
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Over the past several weeks we have been going through what I’ve been calling, “Basic Training.” So far we have looked at talking to God. We used the ACTS method of prayer—Adore, Confess, Thanksgiving, Supplication as our prayer model. Then we trained on Getting into God’s Word. We talked about spending 7 minutes with God! 1/2 minute preparing yourself, followed by 4 minutes of reading the Bible, while asking the normal literary questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much. Then we talked about asking the final question, So what does this mean to me—what should I do differently because of what I’ve read today. Finally, we finished up our 7 minutes with God by concluding with 2 1/2 minutes of Prayer using the ACTS method. I challenged you to spend 7 minutes with God! Next we have trained on Thinking On These Things—keeping our mind focused on all that is godly, through Scripture Memory, and Meditating on God’s Word. Next our Basic training focused on Living Simply—slowing down and experience God in the quiet moments. Finally, we talked about spending time Alone with God. Solitude, and quiet are two things many of us do not like.
Our Basic Training all leads to us following orders. Which is our subject today. The great thing is that we don’t have to perfectly preform our training to begin following orders.
Obey
Obey
The final night that Jesus spent with his disciples, he told them:
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Love
Love
Love God
Love God
If we are going to remain in the love of God, the first one that we need to love is God!
The Sadducees—those who did not believe in the resurrection—and the Pharisees—the religious leaders of the day, had been silenced so they got together to pose a question. An expert in the Mosaic Law came to question Jesus.
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus even went a step farther. He not only told us what the greatest commandment is, but He also told us what the second greatest commandment is!
Love Others
Love Others
If we are going to be obedient followers of Jesus, then we need to learn to love. Loving others was a theme in Jesus’ life! So much so that He gave His disciples “a new command.” Look at John 13:34-35.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Live Like Jesus
Live Like Jesus
In 1897 Charles Sheldon wrote a book titled, “In His Steps.” Over the past several years there has been a push known as WWJD—What Would Jesus Do? That was the question Pastor Maxwell asked his congregation to consider. It is where we get the popular saying—What Would Jesus Do?
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Have you ever considered what it would really cost you to actually ask, What Would Jesus Do? and act on the answer that comes?
What would you do for your neighbor, or for the waitress that waits on your table. How about the person that doesn’t get your order right, how would you treat them? Walking through this life like Jesus walked is NOT an easy or simple matter, yet it is part of the orders that come from our Master!
Loving people, and following Jesus helps us have the heart of God. When we have the heart of God—what is important to God is important to us. The great thing is we do not have to wonder what is important to God. John tells us exactly what is important to God in John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
I love this! Jesus did not come to condemn the world! The world was already condemned. God doesn’t send anyone to hell, the human race is condemned to hell because of disobedience. Jesus came to redeem the human race back to God. If we love like God loves we will want to obey the marching orders that God gave us right before He ascended into glory. These orders are found in Mathew 28:19-20.
The Great Commission
The Great Commission
Jesus tells his disciples that He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. That means Jesus has the authority to give us our marching orders. The next two verses are our marching orders!
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
These two verses cover three parts of the Christian life:
Evangelism—make disciples.
Identification—baptizing them.
Discipleship—teaching them to obey.
These marching orders, and they have not changed for more than 2,000 years! So how about you?
SO WHAT?
SO WHAT?
Are you living in obedience to Jesus? That is the big question. You see, I find that a lot of people are more the idea of Living for Jesus more than they really are willing to follow Jesus!
How are you doing with Love?
Are you loving God?
Are you loving people?
Are you really willing to live by the question, “What Would Jesus Do?”
Are you willing to join with the Lord to make disciples of all nations?
HOW TO
HOW TO
So if you are willing to live obedient, you will need to get serious about loving God. If you are serious about loving God you will have to love people—even the people that are not lovable!
As you love people—even those that are not lovable, you will need to constantly ask, “What would Jesus do?” Then, when you hear the answer, actually do what Jesus would do!
Finally, loving people will lead you to be concerned about where they will spend eternity!
Let’s see what God can and will do, with You!
