Doing What He Says

The Gospel of John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  49:46
0 ratings
· 49 views

When we do what Jesus says out of a heart of love for him, we find some incredible benefits in our own lives.

Files
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →
Open your Bibles to John 14.
We talk about love around here a lot, don’t we? We say that our goal is love, we talked last week about how love looks like serving whoever in whatever way we need to, etc.
This morning, we are going to look at love from a different angle than the way most of the world looks at it.
Most of the time, when we think of love, we think of a mutual affection between equals—a boyfriend and a girlfriend who love each other, possibly even two friends who love each other in a platonic way.
With all our emphasis on equality, though, we might miss something critical about the love we are called to show Jesus.
When we say, “I love Jesus,” we are not saying, “I love Jesus like he is my equal.”
No; Jesus is far greater than we are. When we are called to love someone who is greater than us, love looks different.
You could think of this in terms of the way we love our parents. Our moms and dads are in a position of authority over us. One way we show that we love them is by following what they tell us to do. If they are good parents, they aren’t being mean when they give us commands; instead, they are telling us to do what they believe best for us because they love us, and we show our love by doing what they say.
If that’s true of the love we share with our moms and dads, then wouldn’t that be even more true of our love we share with Jesus?
In John 14, where we will spend time this morning, we find Jesus on multiple occasions saying that if we love him, we will obey him. We see that in verses 15, 21 and 23. Look specifically at verse 15...
So we see that doing what Jesus says is one of the key ways we demonstrate our love for him.
That isn’t what saves us—it is his love for us, displayed through his death on the cross that opens the door for us to have a relationship with him.
However, if we really love Jesus, then we are going to do what he says.
Are we clear on that, then? If I love Jesus, then I am going to show that by the way that I live. I am going to avoid what he says to avoid and do what he says to do.
As we go through the rest of the verses we will look at this morning, we are going to find at least five benefits you will find in your life as you show your love for him by doing what he says.
If you were with us last month, you may remember that we restarted our study of John by jumping in at John 14:1-6.
Let’s think about what is going on in light of what we saw last week and talked about then. This conversation takes place during the last meal Jesus will have with his disciples before he is arrested and crucified.
We saw last week that he unsettled the disciples by serving them humbly, telling them to do the same. We also see in chapter 13 that one of the disciples is going to betray him, all of them will fall away, Peter is going to deny he even knows Jesus, and Jesus is going to die.
The disciples’ heads had to be spinning at this point, so in chapter 14, Jesus seeks to comfort them.
He begins by telling them that he is going to prepare a place for them, and he will be back.
Then, we turn to the passage we are looking at this morning.
Jesus weaves the reminders of our need to do what he says in with threads of incredible promises.
For those of us who strive to do what he says out of hearts that love Jesus, then, we can pull at least five benefits from Jesus’s words to the disciples.
Let’s walk through them together. First, as we demonstrate love by doing what he says, we gain a...

1) Greater knowledge of God.

Read verses 7-11 with me...
One of the key truths John has been highlighting throughout his book is the unity between Jesus and God the Father.
He has made this clear from the very first verse of the book, and this chapter continues to build on what John has already shown us.
Jesus brings this concept up in verse 7...
Phillip and the other disciples had seen Jesus do great things, but they still didn’t understand all they had seen.
Phillip asks Jesus to let them see God the Father—he wants to see some kind of appearance of God himself.
Jesus’s answer would have been completely shocking: If you have seen Jesus and his works, then you have seen the Father.
By following Jesus, learning from him, watching him work, and walking in obedience with him, the disciples were some of the first to know that Jesus is himself God and is equal with the Father.
That gets us started on one of those aspects of God that makes our heads swim a bit.
Throughout this chapter, we are going to hear Jesus refer to himself, the Father, and the Spirit.
Using passages like this one, we come to acknowledge that God exists as the Trinity, and there is nothing else in all of creation like him.
We struggle to find ways to wrap our minds around it, but I was helped this week by a lesson from theologian Fred Sanders. He was teaching the children of his church about this important doctrine, and here is some of what he said:
“‘God eternally exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’ means that there is only one God, but existing as three persons.... Since there are three persons in God, we call God the Trinity. God is one being in three persons. Not three Gods: just one. Not one person: three persons. What does that mean, and what is it like?
Well, I’m one being who is one person. I’m not a Trinity, just a unity. God is more than I am: he’s one being in three persons...
Here’s a group of three people [pick out three kids]. But they’re not one being. They’re three people who are three beings.
So God is more 3 than just what I am, and more 1 than what this group is. God is just more! Thinking about one person kind of helps us; and thinking about a group kind of helps us; but we always know that God is more, more, more.”[1]
Look for this “three in one” language as we go through the rest of the chapter.
God is more than we could ever begin to imagine on so many different levels, and the Trinity is just one of those.
However, what Jesus taught Phillip that night was that as we walk with him over the years, we get to know God better and better.
Isn’t it a good thing to understand the God of the universe better, especially if we are looking forward to being with him forever?
As I learn what Jesus says I should do, and I obey him, I come to know him in greater ways than I could ever imagine.
I will never fully understand all the nuances of the Trinity, but I will get to know the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in greater and greater ways.
As I grow in obedience and knowledge of God, I will also start seeing the second benefit in greater ways...

2) Answered prayer.

Not only do we get to know God better, we also get to join him in doing the same kinds of things Jesus did, which includes seeing God answer prayers!
Look at verses 12-14...
There is some discussion about what Jesus means by “greater works”. It is hard to imagine doing anything greater than raising people from the dead, driving out demons, and healing diseases, so it is most likely Jesus isn’t talking about the kind of miracle as much as the scope of the work he is going to do through us.
In a matter of months, Peter would preach a sermon where thousands would get saved, which isn’t something we see happening during Jesus’s earthly ministry. Lots of people followed him, but we don’t see thousands genuinely saved in one day.
As we get to know him, we get to join him in what he is doing.
Now, those last two verses have gotten a lot of people into trouble, so let’s talk about that.
Jesus says that if we ask anything in his name, we will receive it.
So, does that mean that as long as we add, “In Jesus’s name, Amen” onto the end of our prayers, we are guaranteed to get what we have asked?
Let me just clearly say no—that is not what Jesus is saying.
God is not a vending machine, or a cosmic Santa Claus or a genie in a lamp, where as long as you say things just right, he will do whatever you ask.
God is God—the creator, sustainer, and savior of the world. You cannot force him to do what he does not want to do, and he will not bend his will to yours.
However, we do have the privilege of serving him as ambassadors, so we should seek to pray accordingly.
One commentator said it this way:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Fourteen: Heart Trouble (John 13:36–14:31)

This is not a “magic formula” that we automatically attach to our prayer requests, guaranteeing that God will answer. To ask anything of the Father, in the name of Jesus, means that we ask what Jesus would ask, what would please Him, and what would bring Him glory by furthering His work.

How do we know what would fit in those categories? By getting to know him better!
Here’s what is incredible, though: As you obey him and get to know him, you start praying prayers that are more in line with his character and nature.
When you do, God actually answers the prayers you prayed!
If you have been a Christian a while, I hope you can look back over your life and see lots of examples where you prayed and God answered.
If you can’t, there could be several reasons, and I would encourage you to ask God which of these might be true of you:
Is there a sin you are committing and you have not repented of?
Are you praying with the wrong motives or for things that don’t honor God?
Are you praying and then not watching for an answer?
Are you praying but unwilling to sacrifice to see God move?
Is God answering in a different way but you aren’t willing to acknowledge that his will and plan are different than yours?
If we love him, we will obey him, which means we will get to know him, and we will see him answer prayers as we ask for things that line up with the character and nature of God.
Often, our prayers are for God to give us wisdom about a decision we or others need to make.
Loving Jesus by doing what he says also benefits us by providing us with...

3) Help and direction.

Read verses 15-17...
This is where we are introduced to the third member of the Godhead: the Holy Spirit.
He has always existed, just like the Father and Jesus, and he has always been active.
However, what Jesus is promising is that soon, the role of the Holy Spirit would change.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would empower a person for a specific task—Samson is a great example of this. The Holy Spirit would strengthen him to fight off entire armies by himself, yet when he told Delilah his secret, the Spirit left him and he was powerless.
There is a key phrase in verse 16, though. Jesus was sending the Spirit to be with us forever.
This started on the day of Pentecost, when all the Holy Spirit was given to the church.
Now, every single believer receives the Holy Spirit as soon as they are saved, and he is always with us.
So, what is he doing? We will talk more about the Spirit’s work in a few weeks when we get to chapter 16, but for now, notice the words Jesus uses—He is a counselor, and the Spirit of Truth.
The word “counselor” is more than simply a person who helps you work through a mental health issue or personal issue.
We actually have a hard time translating this word, because we don’t have a good parallel in English.
Some translations say, “Comforter, Encourager,” or “Advocate.” All of these capture part of his role. The idea is that he is “called alongside to assist.”
The Holy Spirit strengthens us, comforts us, and guides us.
Not only that, but as the Spirit of truth, he helps us see what is right and wrong. He helps us understand the truth of the Bible and how it applies to our lives.
He does all of these things and so much more.
As Jesus was leaving the disciples on earth, he promised to send them someone who would always be with them, guiding and encouraging and challenging them every moment.
We enjoy that same privilege today!
If you are a Christian, then God himself lives with you as the person of the Holy Spirit indwells you and comes alongside you to help you live the life you have been called to live.
Isn’t that incredible?
God lives inside of you. God makes his strength, his wisdom, and his power available to you as you walk in loving obedience with him.
Doesn’t that make you want to listen better, do better, pray more, and be more responsive?
It should! These are the incredible benefits that are ours in Christ.
In case somehow that wasn’t enough, Jesus keeps going!
He knew the disciples were about to feel abandoned and alone, which is why he made some incredible statements to them.
Although we weren’t around when Jesus went to the cross, we can still wrestle with similar feelings of abandonment, which is why it is so comforting that Jesus gives us...

4) Assurance of his presence.

Read through verses 18-26...
Although there is a lot in these verses that we cannot fully cover, let’s hit some of beautiful phrases.
Start in verse 18—what a powerful reminder of his care. Remember all that Jesus is about to suffer. He is about to be abandoned, beaten, and hung on the cross to atone for the sins of the world.
But what is he doing? Promising the disciples that they will be okay. He isn’t leaving them alone for good.
Look at verse 20. He even promises that in some ways, we are going to be connected to him like he is to the Father and to us.
That doesn’t mean we are going to become God, but in some way, a relationship with Jesus actually draws us into a connection that is like the connection that exists between God the Father and God the Son!
Jump to verse 33—Jesus says that he and the Father will come and make their home with us. This may be referring to the Holy Spirit living in believers, but if it is, the picture is so incredible. The Spirit isn’t coming to take over like some “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” kind of thing. No; God is coming to live with you.
Have you ever lived with someone who wasn’t your family? Have you ever welcomed someone into your home? You do life together. They are around for the good moments and the bad. If they are around long enough, they hear the heated discussions and feel the chill in the air, but they also share the laughter and the fun.
Loving obedience allows us to enjoy the presence of God living inside us, knowing that God is uniquely present in our lives in ways he isn’t available to those who don’t walk with him.
In the course of a day, how often do you think about the fact that God is living with you? How often do you talk to him, and what could you do this week that would increase that?
If you and I love Jesus through what he has done for us, we will do what he says.
If so, we will get to know him better, see him answer prayer, find help and guidance, and know that he is always with us.
There is one last benefit Jesus gave his disciples before they left the room that night.
The next few hours were going to be the most life-changing moments these men would ever endure.
That’s why Jesus concludes by offering them...

5) Lasting peace.

Listen to his words in verses 27-31...
Let’s just focus on verse 27 because much of what he says in the next few verses simply supports that statement.
Jesus promises that he will give them the peace that he alone has and can offer.
The picture we have is even more poignant as we think about the situation in Ukraine.
Even if Russia would agree to a peace treaty at this instant, there would always be a question of how long it would last.
That’s not the kind of peace Jesus offers.
Here’s how one author explained this:
“When the world is able to serve up peace at all (which, we have to admit, is not very often), the peace it gives us is merely negative—the absence of open hostility and conflict. All the world can hope for is a truce.... But Jesus is offering us something different here—not the elimination of the storm but the promise that one can find calmness in the midst of the storm. And this kind of peace is far more valuable than a mere ceasefire.... Calmness in the midst of the storm can be deeper and more permanent, since it does not depend on external factors.”
[1]
I might be tempted to change that last sentence myself, because the peace we have does depend on factors that are external to us.
It depends on a God in heaven being willing to give his own life in place of mine as payment for my sins.
The peace Jesus gives me is dependent on the fact that I am right with the God of the universe who can never be defeated in any arena, in any conflict, or in any battle.
That’s the peace that Jesus gives in the middle of the storm—a peace that is based on the power that will outlast the storm of even death itself.
Do you know that peace today? Are you resting in it?
Are you walking out your love for Christ in obedience? Are you growing in your knowledge of him, in your prayer life, in his help and guidance, in an awareness of his presence, and in a peace that stands strong in the storm?
Endnote:
[1] Fred Sanders, “Kid’s Lesson,” https://fredfredfred.com/2021/11/kids-lesson/, Accessed 19 February 2022.
[2] Donald Fairbairn, Life in the Trinity. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2009. 69-70.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more