If You Love Me

If You Love Me . . .

[John 14:15-24]

John 14:15-17 15

"If you love me, you will keep my 16 commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with 17 you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.�

John 14:18-20 18

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come 19 to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.

20 Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.�

John 14:21-22 21

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and 22 I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

John 14:23-24 23

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our 24 home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.�

If You Love Me . . .

1)

Love and Obedience are Inseparable (v.

15,21,23)

John 14:15,21,23 15

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

21

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me.

23

24

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

Love for Christ is a response to beauty and greatness and glory. It is not a response to need or weakness or defect. Which also means that love for Jesus is pleasurable.

It’s desiring him because he is infinitely desirable.

It’s admiring him because he is infinitely admirable.

It’s treasuring him because he is infinitely valuable.

It’s enjoying him because he is infinitely enjoyable.

It’s being satisfied with all that he is, because he is infinitely satisfying.

- John Piper

John 5:42 “But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.”

John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

John 14:15,21,23 15

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

21

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me.

23

24

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

If You Love Me . . .

1)

Love and Obedience are Inseparable (v.

15,21,23)

2)

God’s Grace Enables Us to Love • God’s Initiative

(v. 16-20)

John 15:9-10 9

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved 10 you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.”

If You Love Me . . .

1)

Love and Obedience are Inseparable (v.

15,21,23)

2)

God’s Grace Enables Us to Love • God’s Initiative • Holy Spirit (16-17)

(v. 16-20)

John 14:15-17 15

"If you love me, you will keep my 16 commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with 17 you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.�

If You Love Me . . .

1)

Love and Obedience are Inseparable (v.

15,21,23)

2)

God’s Grace Enables Us to Love • God’s Initiative • Holy Spirit (16-17) • Resurrection Life (18-19)

(v. 16-20)

John 14:18-20 18

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come 19 to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.

20 Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.�

John 7:33-34 33

"I will be with you a little longer, and then I 34 am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come."

John 8:21 "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."

John 14:18-20 18

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come 19 to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.

20 Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.�

If You Love Me . . .

1)

Love and Obedience are Inseparable (v. 15,21,23)

2)

God’s Grace Enables Us to Love (v. 16-20) • God’s Initiative • Holy Spirit (16-17) • Resurrection Life (18-19) • Union with Christ (20)

John 14:18-20 18

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come 19 to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.

20 Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.�

John 14:15,21,23 15

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

21

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me.

23

24

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

If You Love Me . . .

3)Loving God Leads to Experiencing Him More (v. 21-24)

• greater displays of love

(21, 23)

John 14:21,23 21

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.“ 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

If You Love Me . . .

3)Loving God Leads to Experiencing Him More (v. 21-24)

• greater displays of love

(21, 23)

• growing knowledge of Christ (21-22)

John 14:21-22 21

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and 22 I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

If You Love Me . . .

3)Loving God Leads to Experiencing Him More (v. 21-24)

• greater displays of love

(21, 23)

• growing knowledge of Christ (21-22) • gift of deeper relationship (23)

John 14:23-24 23

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.