Sunday's Sermon
I preached at HPWC on Sunday, May 9 and wanted to let you all in on the essence of my sermon so here is a section of it. The text was John 14:23-29
Jesus' disclosure of Himself to others depends on the person's response to Him. verse 23 - 24 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him , and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching."
God is eager to show Himself to anyone who loves and obeys Him. Jesus doesn't show Himself to those who don't love Him and won't obey His teaching. How can anyone come to know God or plainly see Him if they are unwilling to submit to Him, to love Him since part of the essence of "being God" is being the One who is loved and obeyed.
Revelation of God cannot happen apart from a relationship with God. That's just the way it is. And you know, if you were to remember just one thing from this sermon, I hope that this would be it: Redemptive revelation is relational. In other words, we need to engage God to get to know God and knowing God is what saves us.
The whole love/obedience/receiving revelation thing is a "postive feedback loop". Knowing Jesus gives us love for Jesus which motivates us to obey Jesus. This obedience results in further disclosure of Christ's identity - His Lordship, holiness, kindness, mercy, power, etc - which then sustains and even increases our love for Him. (And the cycle continues.)
Jesus says that the person who love Him and obeys His teaching will be loved by My Father and we will come to Him and make our home with Him. God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - is revealed to His followers as we experience His love through His abiding presence in us. This is a pretty remarkable promise "we will come to him and make our home with him". God moves in!
Jesus' disclosure of Himself to others depends on the person's response to Him. verse 23 - 24 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him , and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching."
God is eager to show Himself to anyone who loves and obeys Him. Jesus doesn't show Himself to those who don't love Him and won't obey His teaching. How can anyone come to know God or plainly see Him if they are unwilling to submit to Him, to love Him since part of the essence of "being God" is being the One who is loved and obeyed.
Revelation of God cannot happen apart from a relationship with God. That's just the way it is. And you know, if you were to remember just one thing from this sermon, I hope that this would be it: Redemptive revelation is relational. In other words, we need to engage God to get to know God and knowing God is what saves us.
The whole love/obedience/receiving revelation thing is a "postive feedback loop". Knowing Jesus gives us love for Jesus which motivates us to obey Jesus. This obedience results in further disclosure of Christ's identity - His Lordship, holiness, kindness, mercy, power, etc - which then sustains and even increases our love for Him. (And the cycle continues.)
Jesus says that the person who love Him and obeys His teaching will be loved by My Father and we will come to Him and make our home with Him. God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - is revealed to His followers as we experience His love through His abiding presence in us. This is a pretty remarkable promise "we will come to him and make our home with him". God moves in!
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