Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Lovest Thou Me? Pt.3

Amen! I was able to finally come up with some of the e-mails I've been sharing with you--just exciting things that are happening. Those of you who are signed up for the trip to Africa, it's going to be a great time! I was reading an e-mail just before I came in; plans are already taking place over there as to what some of the needs are. It looks like we are going to be spending possibly a good amount of time in Nairobi this time around. There will be going to the other areas, but with the three new churches there--well two new, and one that's being established--probably some good effort being made there in Nairobi; just encourage you to be prayerful in advance for those.

Your prayers are being felt, praise God, and they are making a difference. This isn't a game that's being played, there's warfare in the heavenlies. The ability to battle in the spirit in your prayer closet in Sterling can change the harvest in Nairobi. What a great system God has set up, amen? I mean, even before the Internet, praise God! So be prayerful and let's just believe God will do some great things.

Let's turn back to John's gospel, we'll pick up where we were this morning and see if we can finish up a couple of thoughts on the Lord's question to Peter, "Lovest thou Me?" As we were looking this morning, what an encouragement to each of our hearts to know that Satan desires to sift you as a grain of wheat, but the Master said, "I've prayed for you." Aren't you rejoicing in that? The Scripture says He ever lives to make intercession for us; there He is at the right hand of God in power and all authority being restored to His rightful place, in all of that majesty, in all of that splendor that the essence of God emanates. It's so weak to try to imagine what Heaven is like and what the presence of God is like. But as futile as it is, try for just a moment to imagine the majestic splendor of God. All that we identify of Heaven is absolutely unnecessary for God's presence because He's spirit, He's omnipresent, He's infinite, He's eternal. There is no effect of time and space upon Him, but for you and I to identify with something He speaks to us in these images of time and space, and the visible and material. So what we try to identify with and we talk about mansions, and we talk about streets of gold, and pearls, and we talk about foundations of all of the precious stones, and they are just things that we can reference to the splendor, the glory, the majesty. In all of that surrounding, Jesus isn't taken up with anything that shines, glitters; He's taken up with you and He's praying for you right now, praise God! That's cool! Just for us to identify, we would think, praise God, the Lord might be watching the Super Bowl or something; He's not caught up with anything but you. Think about that. Now here's what's so cool: Jesus is not taken up with anything right now but you. Jesus isn't taken up with anything right now but you, but you, but you, but you [Pointing to individuals]. Every one of us, fully taken up with us specifically, totally; how can He do that? He's God, praise God! Think about it! Stop for just a moment and realize that at this moment Jesus is praying for you. That ought to cause a rest, amen? Wake up the guy next to you and tell him, "You can rest now, praise God." You should be able to just realize that as He ever lives to make intercession for us, He is effectually praying on our behalf that we would be able to finish this course that we're on. That all of Satan's weapons would be overcome, that every fiery dart would be quenched by the shield of faith, that as we adorn ourselves with the helmet of salvation, praise God, and we'd put on the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith quenching the fiery darts of the enemy, we'd stand invincible because of the intercessory ministry of Jesus. So when we realize that, what is it that causes that armor to remain in place in our lives? What is it that causes us to continue to abide in Him and have Him continue to intercede for us? The life of obedience, the life of submission, the life of humility, so when we humble ourselves, in due time, the Scripture says, God will exalt us.

We looked this morning, and we saw that regardless of our failures, go tell the disciples and Peter I'm risen. No mater how bad you've blown it, Jesus is still seeking you and saying, "Come on man, cast your care on Me, I care for you, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I ever live to make intercession for you. If you endure to the end, you shall be saved. If you don't faint, you will reap, praise God. All that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, but the Lord, the Scripture says, will deliver us out of all of the afflictions that come upon the righteous. To those that overcome will I grant to be seated with Me upon my throne even as I have overcome." But what is it that's going to cause us to reap all of these benefits? The choice to obey--and it's a choice. Obedience is a choice, that's all there is to it. Listen! You cannot be tempted beyond your ability to choose right. The Scripture says it this way, "No man is tempted past that he's able, and with every temptation God makes a way." What do you think that way might be? Choice! He has given you and me everything, Peter says, that pertains to life and godliness. It's all been put within us in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

Back to John where we were this morning; as we closed in John 14, I want to pick that passage back up and then we're going to look at a couple of other accompanying passages to look at this mandate given to you and me. These great promises are not unconditional to us. Many Christians have come to think that they are unconditional. The fallacy that has been propagated by some of the fundamentalists for decades now; post-World War II, has been a false concept of God that says you can have Jesus as Savior, but your life would be better if you make Him Lord. "Once saved always saved," the Calvinists' perspective on the sovereignty of God: it's false doctrine. Far too much Scripture speaks toward the necessity of obedience. Not an obedience that brings about salvation, an obedience brought about by salvation; because without regeneration we can't obey. No amount of works or pursuit can cause you to become worthy to be regenerated; by grace you are saved through faith, amen? But once we're born again and we become sons of God, we're infused with the Holy Spirit and the abiding Word of God, the lordship of Jesus being expressed through the Comforter, that gives you and me the capacity--and this is where he says then in the fourteenth chapter of John as we have been reading over and over again, the fifteenth verse, "If you love Me, keep my commandments." If you love me, keep my commandments. Verse 23, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him [and here's the best news you've heard all week], and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Now watch, verse 24, the question to Peter was "Do you love Me?" "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's that sent me...." Now how much clearer can it get? I mean, if you can read to a fourth-grade level, you can understand what's being said here. Yet time and time again we've tried to make excuses for our rebellion, our self-will, our disobedience, our lusts. We need to realize that if regeneration has occurred in our lives there's going to be a pursuit to show how much we love Him--by a pursuit of obedience in our lives, doing whatever it takes to bring this flesh into subjection, to have it crucified, subordinated to the will of God. "For he that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Now, the New Testament doctrine--before we go over to chapter 15 in John, let me just give you a couple of principles of New Testament doctrine as it pertains to obedience--and we might even look at a couple of Old Testament, because I want you to see the doctrine. We've lost sight of the fact that obedience is the consequence of regeneration; obedience is the gift of grace, the ability to obey is the gift, it's the working of grace in your life. Grace is not a substitute for obedience, grace is the source of obedience, and we have to understand that.

Now in Romans, chapter 6, verse 17, the Apostle Paul as he's writing here in that sixth chapter of Romans that we're all very familiar with, chapters 6, 7, and 8, that reveal to us the three aspects that are taking place in our preparation to be glorified, of death, crucifixion, regeneration, sanctification, and then glorification--sanctification and glorification are seen in chapter 8. In the sixth chapter as he's dealing with this body of sin, the Bible says the body of sin is destroyed, then we are no longer slaves. When we've been crucified with Christ, we've also been raised with Him in the likeness of His obedience, His victory. Sin no longer has dominion over me, Paul says in this sixth chapter of Romans. We're no longer under the law of sin and death, but there is a new law found, the law of spiritual living in Christ Jesus making us free from the law of sin and death. So Paul says in this sixth chapter, verse 17, "[We] were the servants of sin..." Now this statement that he's making here is not just a statement as it pertains to redemption but it's a bridge to sanctification or the walk in the spirit. We were the servants of sin, we have not obedience from the heart. What is the indication that we are no longer slaves to sin? Heart obedience! It's in my heart to obey, I want to obey. The principle is this: God is working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. The Scripture says it this way in the old covenant, "If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." How many of you are willing to eat the good of the land? Praise God, bring it on, amen? Anybody willing to eat a steak? Anybody willing to prosper, be healed? But if you're willing and [what?] obedient; if you're willing to die, if you're willing to submit, if you're willing to let God work His purposes in your life, if your will to experience the presence and the blessings of God is accompanied with obedience, you will inherit the land, the promises of God. As we study this aspect of obedience, you see that it's a heart obedience. Look at that seventeenth verse, "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became [say it] the servants [or what's another word for servants; slaves to what?] of righteousness." I can't help it, I'm now a slave; because I've obeyed from the heart, I'm now a slave. It's God working in me to do what's right, to will what's right. Now we all know from the Scriptural teaching of Paul here, sin is still in our members, there's still temptation, there's still lust, but it's no longer the dominant power, and the more you obey, the weaker that force is in your members. By reason of use you have your senses exercised to discern good and evil, the Scripture tells us. The more I do right, the more I want to do right, the more I'm capable of doing right, and the more you subordinate yourself to the lusts that's in your members, the more hopeless and helpless you become; because who you obey, that's whose servant you are. Isn't that what he goes on to say in this passage? I mean, it is obvious, as you read this sixth chapter; you can tell who your lord is by whom you obey.

So once we read and we understand that principle in this sixth chapter, we examine our hearts and now we begin to make some decisions. Now, when's the best time to make the decision to obey? Before the temptation, before the pressure, I already know what I'm going to do. Now, don't you know your weaknesses? We already know our weaknesses. Don't wait until you're driving down the road, you glance over, the "HOT" sign is on at Krispy Kreme. You stop the car; you walk in (sniffff!), and then get ready to make a decision. Now, there is another way to work besides that road. Decide when you get up, "There's not going to be any "HOT" signs visible to me today," and you make that effort, praise God. You drive another route, and you crash into a Krispy Kreme truck. When you do, of course, the doors fly open, it shorts out the power in your car, your power window comes down, all of these doughnuts fall in the car; because that's exactly what's going to happen. The moment you decide to obey, Satan is going to do whatever it takes to distract you and to get you to make a decision based upon circumstances, emotions, feelings, lusts. But none of that will affect you when you've made a heart decision in your devotions that morning. When you walk out of that house with the armor of God on you can crash into every Krispy Kreme truck on the road, praise God! All you'll do is get out, lead the driver to the Lord, and pass out free doughnuts to everybody that's rubbernecking. That's how obedience works. But if you wait to get yourself into that environment without putting on the full armor of God--which is making the decision, the determination to do righteousness, now I'll show it to you in the life of Jesus in just a moment--you're going to be defeated, that's all there is to it.

Look over to Ephesians for just a moment, as we're talking about the New Testament doctrine of obedience. We were the servants of sin, but we've obeyed from the heart that doctrine that was delivered unto us. "For don't you know [the preceding verse says] that to whom you yield your members servants to obey, his slave you are to whom you obey; [whether of sin, of Satan, of lust, of death], or obedience to righteousness." I would meditate on that sixteenth verse of Romans 6 for this next week; and spend a little time and say, "To whom am I yielding my members? What am I strengthening myself in? What am I giving myself to: my time, my energy, my thoughts? What decisions am I making; are they temporal, or are they eternal, are they selfish or are they for the body of Christ, for the Kingdom of God?" Ephesians, the Apostle is speaking again in this particular epistle, look at chapter  2 for just a moment, and in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10, after he declares in verse 8 that we are saved by grace through faith, none of it of yourself, it's the gift of God, not works, lest any man should boast. Now, the problem is many people just read those two verses, but read on! Yes we are saved by grace through faith, it is not of works that brings about salvation, but when you are saved, verse 10, we become His workmanship, we aren't working, God's working, and what is He working toward? "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works...." Ooh, "works" is almost a nasty word among Christians today! You have been saved unto good works, amen? "...Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." You are created to obedience, to good works, to imitate Christ in our lives.

In Philippians he goes on; for the church in Philippi, turn over there for just a second. He says in Philippians, chapter 2, look down at verse 12 for just a moment. Verse 8 says that Jesus was found in the fashion of a man, humbled Himself, and became obedient Jesus became obedient unto death. He became obedient to the death of the cross; He humbled Himself and became obedient, and you are to humble yourself, and die to self-will, you're to be crucified with Him, Romans 6; you're to die daily, Paul says. We are to take up our cross and follow Him. So as Paul is speaking here and he uses Jesus as our example, our prototype, he then says in verse 12, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The subject is obedience here. As you were saved through obedience, you will continue to be saved through obedience; you will be sanctified through obedience; you will be glorified through obedience. "For [verse 13] it is God which works in you to will and to do His good pleasure." Peter, who we have been speaking of quite a bit here in the last couple of session-turn over to the first epistle of Peter for just a moment. Look what Peter has to say; we've seen Jesus, we've seen Paul, and in 1 Peter, chapter 1, you look at verse 2, "elect." Now, that word right there in some Christians' minds, as soon as we say "elect," we think of predestination, we think of irresistible will, many of these things that the Calvinistic doctrine has put forth. But the election of God, of course, is related to His sovereignty, but it's also related to foreknowledge, it's related to justice, love, and all of those things that work together. It's related to the fact that God is no respecter of persons, that He's not willing that any should perish, that all, whosoever will, may come. Those clear principles in the Word of God are just overlooked because of people's narrow-minded approach to sovereignty, to election. The fact that you are elected doesn't mean that it is irresistible, predestined, and you have nothing to say or do about it. Our election is the consequence of God's foreknowing our obedience, and so he writes here and says, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification...," elect because you chose to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. I was elected because God knew I would submit to the work of sanctification of the Holy Spirit in my life. I was elected to and sanctified to, look at the next phrase, "...unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." He goes on in this and says down in verse 14, as you read through and he's telling us what God has done in choosing us and providing for us through the precious blood. He says in verse 13, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." You know I like that, that Peter says here, all through everything that's taken place; through the grace of God we're saved, the obedience, the working, the sanctification, we are His workmanship, we're producing good works, we're moving in the power of the Holy Ghost, we're being sanctified, praise God, we're getting better in our spiritual growth and to obedience. At the very end the Bible says that, "Every man that has that hope in him purifies himself even as He is pure." He's going to appear to those that are looking for Him; He's going to appear to those that love His appearing. But look what it's going to take to finish this course that you and I are on, "...for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus." It's going to take grace to finish this thing, too. And that grace is going to manifest itself as John the Apostle speaks and says, "Then when you see Him, you'll be like Him." Think about that; but it's obedience that's going to bring us to this place, beloved. "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts [when you were] in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of [your lifestyle]; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Now you see, this is what he's saying to us, this is the message of the gospel, this is the message of New Testament doctrine: He became sin that we might be righteous. When you die to self, you'll live in Christ. If you'll humble yourself, He'll exalt you, for it's He that works in you to will and to do His good pleasure. It's God working in us to will and to do His good pleasure. Everything that pertains to life and godliness, the second epistle goes on to say, has been given unto us.

Look at the beginning of the second epistle of Peter, verse 3, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him...: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature...." He's given you promises, He's given you gifts, He's given you grace, He's given you the power of the Holy Spirit, He's given you the Word of God, He's given you the body of Christ, and He says now all of that's given for one reason; that you might take My nature upon you. Now, what is the nature of Christ? Obedience to the Father! If nothing else is clear in the Bible, the nature of Jesus was obedience to the Father, and that's what's being perfected in each of our lives.

Turn back to John's gospel, the fifteenth chapter, and we'll prepare to wind down with this for this evening. John, chapter 15, "Do you love Me? Keep My commandments." Chapter 15, verse 10, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." Hmmm. Well, Jesus is God, Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us. This God-man, fully God, fully man--I don't know how it happened, I can't explain it, but it was--He never gave up any of His divine essence, and at the same time was totally man and was subject to all passions just like you and I. He was a real man. This was not a farce. His temptations, His life of obedience was not a farce. It wasn't just God going through the motions saying, "I'll pretend like I'm being tempted." I don't know, I can't explain it. I just know it's true because the Word of God says God said that's how it was, so that settles that. The fact of the matter is Jesus was not perfect because He was God. He was perfect, Jesus the man, because He obeyed God. Because He kept every commandment, because He never once displeased the heart of His Father, He never once moved of His own volition, He never once depended on His own strength or abilities. He says it clearly here in this passage: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." There will be no joy without obedience. Christianity is a drudgery without obedience. Christianity is a drudgery without purpose, without knowing what it is that we are supposed to be doing. The whole duty of man, love God, keep His commandments. I live for God's glory; I live to fulfill His purpose in my life. I live to be His ambassador, I live to be a member in the body, I live to bring mutual edification to the members that surround me. That's why I get up in the morning, that's why I breathe. What's your purpose for living? If you're a Christian you know, and if you know you have joy. You know who you are. You know why you're here and what you're supposed to be doing. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

He goes on and He says in verse 14, check this out, "Ye are my friends, [this next phrase has been always one that I thought was interesting; you're my friend] if ye do whatsoever I command you." Now, you know if somebody told us that in the natural, we'd go, "Yeah, forget you Jack; what kind of friendship is that? This is 50/50." Not with God it's not, amen? You want to be My friend, you've got to move into the arena of holiness. Now, if you want to be my friend, in our relationship together there's going to have to be a lot of decisions made and you're stupid, so I'm making them all! That's what He's saying here. Can you accept that? "You want to be My friend, I'm driving." You want to know the good thing, too, "You want to be my friend, I'm paying." Hallelujah! That's what the lordship's all about. So He speaks to us and says, "You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. So I don't call you slaves anymore, for the slave doesn't know what his master is doing." What He's saying is, "We're friends, I'm going to let you know what I'm doing, but that's what's going to be done, but you'll know, and I'm including you." "...for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain...." He goes on and He talks about the unity of the body of Christ down in verse 17. In that sixteenth verse--He goes down and talks about the hatred of the world for us because we love Him, etc. The whole rest of this chapter is vital in that area, and that's not what we're going to emphasize right now--but in verse 16 He says, "I've ordained you, I want you to produce fruit, and I want you to realize that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you because you are my friend, because you're not asking of your own, you're asking for My glory, you're asking based upon My wisdom, you're representing Me as I've represented the Father. You're my friend if you do whatsoever I command you." We can go on; the Scripture's full of other references to this.

Luke 6, turn over there for just a second. Of course, this is one of the classics, we've referred to it numerous times, but you might as well look at it and get it in your notes. Luke 6, verse 46, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation..." verse 49. Does your life have a foundation? Is there a true stabilizing force that can only be in place through a life of habitual obedience? Is there a confidence that you are going to do the will of the Father, that your decisions are going to be according to the Word of God? When you get ready to make decisions, do you stop and pause for just a moment and go, "Lord, I want to represent You here now properly, I'm getting ready to decide, what does Your Word say about this situation"? You've got to know what the will of God is, the commandments of God; you've got to know the Word and what it is we're doing. What do You have to say about this situation? Now, if it's an amoral situation, then there's still biblical principles. When I get ready to do something amoral, it's not good, it's not bad, in the sense of morality, I still have some things that are guiding my life, don't I? The Bible says whatever I do I have to do as unto the Lord. So it's got to be done unto the Lord, and whatever I do I'm supposed to do with all my might. I'm representing God in everything I do. I do it for Him, I do it by Him. It's important for us to see that we're not our own, we're bought with a price, we're slaves, we yield our members to Him.

So as we end with this, this evening, do you have a foundation? The man that hears the Word of God but does not habitually live in obedience has no foundation. What do you do under trials then? Pressure, Krispy Kreme--immediately you fall. The tragedy is many people have been running their mouths, "Oh I love Jesus, Jesus is my Lord, praise God brother, here's a tract, visit the church." How great the ruin of that house is because you brought a reproach on the Kingdom of God. If you're going to call Him Lord, then represent Him right, righteously, properly. When you mess up go back and tell people, "I want you to know something. I did that of my own volition." Quit trying to blame things on God. "I was overcome by my own lust, I was selfish. I want you to know that I repent of that, I hate that in me, and I choose to never do that again." That will narrow the people that want to talk to you around work. It's bad enough when you were witnessing to them as a hypocrite. Now you're going to come back and heap coals of fire upon their heads through your own humility and your own subordination to His lordship. Finally living a life of truth, to where you're not always justifying yourself as Job did, but now you're justifying God. I'm jealous for His reputation, His Word is true. Let God be true and every man a liar. Do you love Me? Then keep My commandments.

Father, we thank You for Your Word tonight. We just ask that as we make the decisions in the prayer closet to obey that we're going to become far more productive when we get out into the highways and the byways. The decisions are made in our quiet time. The decisions are made as that still small voice speaks to us and says, "Here's the way, walk in it." The decisions are made as we purpose to put on the armor of God, as we purpose to not be ignorant of our enemy's devices, as we purpose to be crucified. "I die daily," the Apostle said, "it is no longer I that live, it is Christ that liveth in me, and the life that I now live in this flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." How are you living your life? If it's being lived in love for God, it's being lived in obedience to God. Read and reread that fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of John, and just read it and read it, and see why we're here. We're here to bring forth fruit that remains, we're ordained to bring forth fruit that remains. We're here to hear the voice of the Comforter; we're here to not speak our own words, but the words of He who sent us. We're here to receive the love of the Father through obedience to the Son. Do you love me? What have you done about the last thing I talked to you about in your life? Are you going to keep my commandments? Don't look to go on to the next thing until you finish what He's commanded you to do. Obedience is not leaving three things undone and saying, "Okay, I'll do this," when you're going to leave that undone too. Obedience is finishing what He's asked you to do; finish the task. Obedience was not the guy who said, "Yes, Lord, I'll go into the field," and he went and then didn't do anything. Obedience are those who said, "No, I'm not going to do that," and then repented and went. How quick are you to say "Yes." and then you just let it fall through the cracks like everything else? Let Him work in you to will and to do His good pleasure. We ask Father, that You make it real to us in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. Do you have a foundation in your life or is everything falling apart? Are your emotions falling apart, are your dreams falling? Is your purpose, direction? My direction never changes, my purposes never change, I know what course I'm on. I'm about my Father's business. You'll never have the joy without the obedience. There will never be joy without obedience to the commandments of God. You'll always be anxious, you'll always be looking for another voice, you'll always be looking for another task to do for God that you can prove how faithful you are, and your unfaithfulness is a testimony against you. "I'll do this for you, Lord," He's not asking you to do that. He wants you to finish what He's called you to do.

Let's sing this together and just thank Him for His grace in our life. "I Worship You Almighty God." Lord, there isn't anybody like You, we stand in awe of Your majesty. Why would we exalt our knowledge against Yours? Why would we exalt our strength in Your presence? We don't know, but Lord, too often we do. We just ask You to forgive us, and give us grace to humble ourselves and to cast the care upon You with full assurance that You care for us. Father, we come before You without any strength and ask one thing: work in me to will and to do Your good pleasure. I ask it, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody, and say "He's given you everything that pertains to life and godliness." Amen! Go in peace, God's love go with you.

Back to Top | Audio   |   Purchase Audio   |   Bible Teachings   |   Print