Loving Obedience - John 13-15 - April 2007

Sunday School Lesson – Loving Obedience – April 22, 2007

We continue in our study of the Book of John. Our background scripture is John 13:31-15:17.

Our focus scripture in John 13:34-35; 14:15, 21-24; 15:9-16.

Obedience is very hard for most of us. We want to do our own thing.

Just this week I had an occasion to decide whether or not I would be obedient to something the LORD prompted me to do. I had dropped off a couple to take care of some business and was waiting for them outside the business. The LORD prompted me to go into the office and have prayer with them. It was a matter where prayer would be appropriate.

I thought for a minute or so, thinking that I did not want to interfere while they were doing business. Immediately, I thought of today’s lesson. Immediately, I responded to the prompting of the LORD.

I went into the office and almost directly behind me entered another lady. In fact the lady had passed by the place of business and she had to turn around and come back. A relative of the lady owned the business. She said she did not know why she had turned around and come back to the business. But when I revealed that I was led to come in to have prayer, she immediately said, “Now I know why I am here.” There was a prayer meeting in that place. If I had not been obedient a blessing and purpose in GOD’S plan would have been missed.

The reason for the prayer is still unfolding, which I hope I can share with you in the future.

Let’s read John 13:34-35:

34 “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

GOD had instructed the Jewish people to love HIM and to love their neighbor since early in the Old Testament. So why is JESUS saying this is a new commandment?

The commandment is new because HE is setting the example of how much we as Christians are to love one another. It is the dawn of a new day when GOD will dwell within every believer and will have the power to love as CHRIST loved.

We know how much CHRIST loved HIS disciples and all mankind. JESUS loved the world so much that HE gave HIS life that all believers might have forgiveness of sin and have eternal life. HE gave HIS life that all believers might have life more abundantly. HE is the example.

The new commandment cannot be fulfilled in human strength. The only way a Christian can fulfill the degree of love that CHRIST has for us is with the power of the HOLY SPIRIT which indwells every believer and will allow every believer to have a loving, intimate relationship with HIM.

By coming to earth as a human and living a sinless life as a human, JESUS was preparing the human body to be the dwelling place for the HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS would send the HOLY SPIRIT back to earth once HE had completed HIS mission upon earth.

First HE had to give HIS life as payment for sin, be buried, reveal to the entire world that HE had conquered death by being resurrected in bodily form, ascended back into heaven to sit at the right hand of the FATHER and then HE would send the HOLY SPIRIT to earth to indwell every believer. Only with the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT can a believer fulfill HIS new commandment to love one another as HE loves us.

Satan loves to cause disharmony in the body of believers.

Let’s read John 14: 15, 21-24:

15 “If you love Me, you will keep [9] Other mss read If you love Me, keep (as a command) My commandments.[10] 1 Jn 5:3

21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it You’re going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me.

When we have a love relationship with CHRIST, we want to know HIM and serve HIM. We want to be obedient to HIM. When we have the right relationship with CHRIST, it results in the right relationship with GOD, THE FATHER.

Judas, not Iscariot, asks JESUS, “Lord, how is it You’re going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”

This Judas is a disciple of JESUS and sometimes is referred to as Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3) and (Mark 3:18). He is listed as the son/brother of James (Luke 6:16). It was interesting to learn that different translations of the Bible show Judas as the son of James or the brother of James. One commentary simply lists Judas as a relative of James.

Luke 6:16: (Listing of the Disciples of JESUS.)

16 Judas the (son) or (brother) or (relative) of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Matthew 10:3: (List of the disciples.)

3 Philip and Bartholomew;[3] Probably the Nathanael of Jn 1:45–51 Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[4] Other mss read and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus

The world cannot comprehend salvation intellectually. Salvation requires a step of faith to acknowledge that JESUS died for our sins by accepting what HE has done for us and asking HIM to come into our lives. This is what makes us a Christian, CHRIST in us. GOD gives every believer the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT and eternal life. It is the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT that confirms within every believer that they are the children of GOD.

Romans 8:16:

16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,

In answer to Judas’ or Thaddaeus’ question, this is how GOD reveals Himself to believers without revealing Himself to the world. It is through the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT that HE uses every “willing” believer to reveal JESUS to the world. We are GOD’S representatives to both other believers as we minister within the living body of CHRIST and to those who are lost and do not know CHRIST.

When we have the relationship to GOD through CHRIST, there is unity in the living body of CHRIST. Each believer is equipped with at least one or more gifts in order to minister within the living body of believers. Each equipped believer has a specific function within the living body, just as all the parts of our human body have a specific function to minister to our human body. We can only function in harmony within the living body when we are each getting our instructions from the head of the living body, CHRIST. That is why we must have the relationship with HIM. It is not about us doing, it is about us seeking the relationship and then allowing HIM to direct our activity. Wait upon HIM and build the relationship. While we are building the relationship, HE is equipping and preparing us for the activity.

Let’s read John 15:9-16:

9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. 11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master[2] Or lord is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

Obedience is the key to abiding in CHRIST but obedience must be the result of our loving, intimate relationship with CHRIST. When we try to be obedient on our own, we do busy work. The love and obedient relationship between GOD and JESUS is our example to follow. I think of this relationship as a circle; a circle of love.

Because GOD loved us, HE sent HIS only SON to earth to redeem mankind.

HE first loved us and gave HIS life for us. When we accept HIM as SAVIOR the process of building an intimate, loving relationship together with HIM begins. As we build together we trust HIM more to guide our lives. As we yield our will to HIM, HE becomes the LORD of our lives and we love HIM more.

The promise is that when we love HIM, we will receive HIS joy. When we have the relationship, we have HIS joy and HIS command is that we produce fruit. We can only produce the fruit that the HOLY SPIRIT yields as revealed in Galatians 5:22-23.

Galatians 5:22-23:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,[5] Or faithfulness 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

First notice it is fruit and not fruits. The indwelling HOLY SPIRIT produces the fruit. Again it is all about our relationship with CHRIST. It is impossible for us as a human to try as hard as we can to produce all these attributes of the fruit of THE SPIRIT.
As we grow and mature in CHRIST, then the fruit of THE SPIRIT is produced in our lives. In turn, as the HOLY SPIRIT produces the fruit in our lives and we are obedient as GOD directs, fruit is produced in the lives of others.

All Christians become fruit producers. Fruit is produced in us and in turn, as we go into all the world fruit is produced in others. Keep in mind that fruit has seeds. As we produce fruit we also have seeds that are scattered which produces more fruit. The fruit that the HOLY SPIRIT produces is fruit that remains both in our lives and the lives of others.

What does a fruit tree have to do to produce fruit? Abide. It is all about staying well connected. JESUS says it best when HE describes Himself as the vine and we are the branches.

Let’s read John 15:1- 8:

The Vine and the Branches
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[1] Or and become My disciples.

Why can we ask and it will be done in verse 7? This verse used to cause me great concern because I had asked for things that did not happen. It is all about relationship! When we have the relationship, we are in the center of GOD’S will and we will not ask for that which is not according to HIS will and plan. Therefore ask and it will be done.

Vines and fruit bearing trees must have water, nourishment, sunshine and certain weather. That is why we must have and maintain our relationship with CHRIST because HE is the living water, nourishment, sunshine and just the right environment to produce fruit in our lives. Abide in HIM and let HIS words abide in you. Seek the relationship by basking in the sunshine of HIS presence in your lives and all the vital nutrients to produce fruit that remains will be produced.

May you encounter our LORD in a mighty way this day.