The Breathtaking Invitation by Jesus into a New Dimension of Connection to God

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Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2020-03-08
  • ‘If you love me, you will obey my commandments’
  • Do we have to perform well enough at this love to get rewarded?
  • The answer is both surprising and extremely encouraging!
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Sermon Outline - The Breathtaking Invitation by Jesus into a New Dimension of Connection to God

View or download the handout of the structure of the passage here.

John 14:15–31 – If you love me, you will obey my commandments

  1. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
  2. Then I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Companion to dwell with you forever
  1. the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive,
because it does not see him or know him.
But you know him,
because he dwells with you and will be in you.
  1. “I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you.
  2. In a little while the world will see me no longer,
    but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.
  3. At that time you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.
  1. The one who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me.
The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love them and will reveal myself to them.”
  1. Judas (not Iscariot) said to him,
    “Lord, how is it that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
  2. Jesus replied,
“If anyone loves me, they will obey my teaching,
and my Father will love them,
and we will come to them and make our dwelling place with them.
  1. The one who does not love me does not obey my teachings.
And the teaching you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
  1. “These things I have spoken while dwelling with you.
  2. But the Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
    will teach you everything,
and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.
  1. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you;
    not as the world gives do I give it to you.
    Do not let your hearts be troubled or be fearful.
  2. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’
If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father,
because the Father is greater than I am.
  1. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.
  1. I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming.
    He has no power over me,
  2. But that the world may know that
    I love the Father, exactly as the Father commanded me, so I do.
Get up, let us go from here.

Translation by Andrew Fountain

Goal:

  • To get three things:
    1. The surprising beauty
    2. The size of what is being asked
    3. The immensity of what is being offereed

Plan for today

  1. The beauty of truth in John’s writing
  2. The key idea
  3. The promise of the “Companion”
  4. I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you

Structure of John

1–12
”Book of Signs” 		13–21
”Book of Glory”

John 13–21 “Book of Glory”

13 A meal with the disciples

14–17 New Teaching
      from Jesus
      to the disciples
18–20 Arrest
      Crucifixion
      Resurrection

21 A meal with the disciples

Goal last week:

  • To take in the care and empathy of Jesus
  • To feel empowered by the relationship we have with the Father—who is just like Jesus

John 14 “Greater things”

  1. I tell you the truth, the person who believes in me will perform the works that I am doing,
    and will perform greater works than these, because I am going to the Father..
  2. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do…
  3. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

The Pattern×4

  1. If you love me, keep my commandments
  2. Connection with the Father
    • Promise of the Spirit
    • Word of comfort (not like the world)
  3. Future intimate connection with Father, Son & Spirit

2. The key idea

If you love me...?

  • Do we have to perform well enough at this love to get rewarded?
  • The reward of love is more of God
  • The “commands” are: “follow my example”, “Love one another sacrificially”
  • If you want us to dance together, we must be dancing the same dance
  • How can we do this? —next part (vine and branches)

Summary of “if you love me”:

  • If you love me, you will obey my commandments
  • If you love me enough to want more of me, this is what brings us together:
    living in tune with me, particularly giving yourself to others in love

3. The promise of the “Companion” (Outer blocks: 15–20 and 24–29)

Paracletos “One who is called alongside”

  • Comforter (Tyndale),
  • Advocate, Helper, Counselor, Supporter, Consoler, Encourager, Wise-one
  • Companion (wise, strong & stands up for us)

Revelation 21

  1. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
    “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humankind.
    He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,
    and God himself will be with them as their God.

4. I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you

  • This is extraordinary. This is your destiny
  • There will be more clarity on this in Jesus’ special prayer for us in John 17
  • Something more than just living in the same place
  • A deep level of intimacy where there is some kind of deep connection
    • He is still God and we are still created beings, but soemthing very deep is promised here
  • How do you respond to this?
    • Jesus wants an all-out passionate YES
    • this is the big ask
    • like “Will you marry me?” in a human relationship
  • Take a deep breath and respond!

Updated on 2020-03-08 by Andrew Fountain