Jesus Unfiltered - Love - Love... Obeys!, Part 1

If you read the Bible, the word love shows up everywhere, and we all say and want to love God. But here's the question.

What's that look like? How do you know if you really do love God? That's today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. The mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians through the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram. And today he'll pick up in his Jesus Unfiltered series by asking three vital questions. What does it mean for God to love us? How do we love him?

And what does it look like to love each other? These answers really get to the core of what we believe as Christians. So stick around for this entire program, especially after Chip's teaching as he shares some additional application for this message.

You won't want to miss it. If you're ready, here's Chip with his talk Love Obeys from John chapter 14. If you pull out your teaching notes, I want to start by asking a question that you might have a very first answer to, but I'd like to challenge how we tend to think of it. And the question is this, is love more than a feeling? I mean, is loving someone more than a good, positive sort of emotional connection feeling?

And I would say for most of us we would say, well, no, there's got to be more to it than that. But in pop culture beginning in the 60s, and we won't go into sort of the whole existential movement with truth, but if I say something like, if loving you is wrong, I don't want to be, oh gosh, how did you guys know that? That's an old song, right?

Or do you remember the BJ Thomas? Some of you, this will really date you. You've heard it on an elevator, right? Hooked on a feeling, high on believing that you're, oh wow, this is scary. No, literally, you read the lyrics, I'm hooked on a feeling, later in the song he says, I'm powerless and a victim of your love, I'm an addict. In other words, love is something that's so powerful, so pulsating, so penetrating, that whatever is, you just have to respond to it, but it's fundamentally a feeling. And honestly, an awful lot of what's happened outside the church and inside the church is that if you really love someone or if you love something, it justifies any behavior because you love them, right? How could love be wrong?

But sort of love gets kind of squishy. My first conflict with this concept was in high school, I talk about basketball a lot, but I played baseball in high school and college, and we had a great baseball team my senior year in high school. And what made it great was we had a lot of guys that could hit, but we had two pitchers that were great, and our ace, I mean back then, I mean 85 miles an hour in high school, and he had a curve ball that would just drop off the table, high school kids couldn't hit it. Championship game, we're there, we're ready, we're going to win the whole thing, and we got our ace on the mound.

Well, senior Ida sits in. Three days before the game, he decides I'm going to cut school, he goes out and parties, he gets suspended. We want to kill him. So it's the championship game, he shows up in his dress clothes, he can't, you know, dress out, and he kind of gives this sort of shrugging shoulders, hey, I really want you guys to know, you know, we had a brotherhood, it was a great team, I just want you guys to know I really love you. I'm thinking, really?

I mean, really? So, we lost the game, by the way, and I didn't feel real love by him at all. His words were absolutely meaningless.

Wasn't a Christian at that time? I had lots of responses that I won't share here. And you get the idea, someone says they love you but their behavior's like, come on, man. Well, it gets real personal and often very painful when there's a discrepancy between even a good feeling.

I think he was sincere, he felt good about us. But I remember maybe one of the earliest counseling times, I was a very young pastor and a young man came and sat in my office and he said, my wife met some guy at the gym and she told me that she's fallen in love and she can't deny herself and even though she knows it's wrong, she's leaving with this guy and I've got these two little kids. But she said she still loves me but this is just, and I remember thinking, wow. And then scores and scores and scores of counseling sessions over the years, I've had it more than a few restaurants or in my office with a husband and a wife and a guy who feels overwhelmingly remorseful but unconsciously love is such a pulsating feeling and you're such a victim of it and you have to respond and he's telling me and telling his wife, look, she was just a prostitute. It's just sex.

I mean, it's just pictures on the internet. It's just sex. It was an affair but I love you. I love you.

I love the kids. This is just sex. I mean, it's not even, and I just have to tell you if you've never been in that sort of situation, her face was not, it was just sex.

Her face is I've been betrayed and your words of I love you feel absolutely meaningless. And I think what it does is it raises the question of what's the relationship between kind of love and behavior or love and obedience and this isn't new. This isn't like something that's happened in the last 50 or 60 years. It was so prevalent in Jesus' day. He told a little parable in Matthew 21. I've put it in your notes if you want to check it out later and he tells the story of a father trying to teach people about obedience and love and he says a father went to two of his sons and he says to the two sons, I want you to go out and work in the fields today. And one son said great, I'll do it dad. And the other said dad, I'm not going to go. The one son who said I'll go gets halfway there and decides, you know, I'm not doing this.

I'm going to blow him off. So he says he'll go but he doesn't. The other son says I won't go and then he decides later, you know what, this is my dad. This is, and so he decides later to go ahead and obey. And Jesus said which one of these has obeyed their father? And the inference was which one of them really loved their dad? We're going to talk about where love and obedience connects and how does it work? And you know what, I mean our feelings and our passions and our, those are all really, really important but there's some things that are deeper and we've got to figure out how they fit together because Jesus has told his disciples he really loves them and as you open your notes, we're going to look at John chapter 14 and what we're going to do is we're going to see how he communicates his love by his words, how he's going to remind them of his actions and how he's then going to flip it around and in about the middle of this evening of this conversation, he'll tell them and he'll tell us here's love, here's obedience, I want you to know here's how they fit together so that when you say I love you to a person or say I love you to God, this is how they really fit together. Now as you open the notes, you'll notice there's the context and what I mean by that is what's been going on and I wrote it out for you because it's a very emotional moment.

I mean I don't want you to think of you know like here's a Bible story and we're hearing this. I mean this is 12 grown men who've left everything. They're by the authorities they want to arrest them. They've been abandoned. They've been kicked out of the synagogues. They're following this itinerant preacher with multitudes of people following him but on this evening he has told them that he's going to leave and they don't get it and then Peter says well I'll never leave you. He goes no actually Peter you know I know you're the leader and all that but you're not only not going to follow me, you're going to deny me three times before the evening's even over and now the other disciples are going you know Mr. Peter I mean if he's going to blow it what about us? Judas has left and these guys are paralyzed with fear and anxiety and uncertainty. The dream that they had that the Messiah is Jesus and that he was going to take down Rome and he was going to set up a political kingdom on earth in their lifetime and they were going to sort of be the head honchos with him that evaporated and they're not sure what it is to follow this Messiah. He's done all the miracles of the Messiah.

He teaches like no one else. They believe that he's God but his agenda for how he's going to play that out and their expectations are this far away. Anybody like that feel like that in your life? Like I'm really following God I really love God and I was thinking like we were going this direction and it feels like this direction. Anybody here like wow you know I really want to follow Jesus but life it's not turning out right now in my relationships or my health or my work or this I'm just this if this is what it means I don't get it that's what he's going to address. Peter Thomas Philip and Judas not as scary the other disciple they all have questions and so what I want you to know is what's in your mind if you can picture this critical conversation after they've taken the Lord's Supper and Judas is gone is the each one is going to ask questions and Jesus will weave teaching into the conversation and just listen his goal is to love them to comfort them and to help them and as we eavesdrop I think it'll help us. Peter basically said so where are you going and Jesus answers verse one do not let your hearts be troubled trust in God trust also in me in my father's house there are many rooms if it were not so I would not have told you I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and I will take you with me that you may be where I am you know the way to the place where I'm going now first of all just imagine you've kind of heard all this stuff about you know when I die and I will be raised and Messiah and your head has been spinning and now people are trying to kill you and you're a secret hideout and he's talked about this is my body and this is my bread and you know this is what I'm going to do but all of your all of I mean it's just a what's going on and Peter says I want to follow you but where are you going and number one what he says is I am going to prepare a place for you I'm going to the father and where I'm going I'm going to repair it says many rooms or an old translation is mansions don't think a plantation you know like in the south in the ancient world families live together and so the kind of the patriarch of the father of the family when someone would get married he would betrothed his wife which would be a legal contract and then he would say okay you've agreed to marry me and whatever dowry and everything then he would go back and actually build onto the father's house and the related network and then come back and take his wife and Jesus is picturing I'm for you but I'm leaving but I'm preparing why so that you can be with me he's he's giving him comfort in the moment by saying there's an absolute certain future and I will be back because I love you and I'm for you and then he says you know the way and if you have your own bible probably not in one of these few bibles you can circle the word no because there's two different words he's going to use and this one is this is a fact you know the fact of the way I'm going and where I'm going in another words it's a word that's like two plus two is four everybody knows that right the other word for knowing Greek is a word that means you know by experience you know you know how this works because you've experienced it he'll use that in just a minute and so to Peter's question basically the comfort is I'm coming back the agenda that you thought you were going to get is different than the agenda that you're going to get but it's good for you well Thomas speaks up and basically says well wait a second you say we know the way it's simple I don't get it verse five he says Lord we don't know the way or where you're going so how can we know the way and Jesus said maybe the most profound words that ever came out of his mouth that are very direct I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me if you really knew me by experience you would know by experience my father as well from now on you do know me and know him and you have seen him and so the word way here sometimes we the literal word it's if you were picking up a Greek document and you read this it would be the path or the road the word is Havas you know the path so you're at point A and you want to go from this city to this city here's the road here's the path what he's saying is everything I've come to do is to reveal the father and take people to the path back to the father there's this huge barrier of the selfishness and sinfulness of man and God the father God the son God the Holy Spirit so loves all that he's made he wants them to be with him I came to reveal the father and I am the actual path my life how I've lived what I've said follow me I'm the path I'm not only the path or the way to the father I am the truth of the father all that's true of the father is true of me in fact I'm not only the path and the truth I am the actual source of life because if you've seen me you've seen the father you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and we'll get you back to today's message in just a minute but first are you in need of a spiritual shot in the arm do you feel like your walk with Jesus is stale maybe even a bit stuck well join us after the teaching as Chip highlights a resource we have that'll help you reconnect with God through his word you don't want to miss it okay here again is Chip to continue our series Jesus Unfiltered now they've heard different teachings but he's putting it together so you have hope you are in the presence he could be more clear of God and he's made I think sometimes we as Christians get a little bit squirmish it's very exclusive it's very politically incorrect the the idea that there's a God that you can put any name to and there's multiple paths to go up to the mountain to this God one it's not only not biblical it's totally illogical when I sit down with a Muslim or a Mormon or people from any truth claim there is a very clear path and they're all very very different and they're all mutually exclusive here's the deal if Jesus is in fact a God and if you rose from the dead to prove it and it's true when he says I'm the only way he's the only way it's not narrow because the issue is not some formula or some way of living or some times that you need to pray or or some concept that you can move into the cosmos the problem is there's a barrier between a personal God and he has broken the barrier and he's created a path by his death on the cross he's forgiven the sins of all people of all time and he's risen from the dead to give life because it's about a relationship it's not about some style of living and so he's making it very very clear they would give their life and follow him and you are here today and I'm here today because of their faithfulness but Thomas has a question okay I don't know the way you are the way the actual way if you've seen me you've seen the father Philip goes you know what how about a little closer look at the father okay I'm still not following you and so Philip says show us the father and that will be enough Jesus said don't you know me relationally experientially Philip even after I've been among you such a long time anyone who has seen me has seen the father how can you say show us the father don't you believe that I am in the father and the father is in me proof number one the words I say to you are not just my own rather it is the father living in me who is doing the work if you don't believe on the works then at least believe in the evidence of the miracles themselves and so he's clarifying all this teaching all this journey he's saying when you see me you see the father well show us the father you've been living in the presence the very first chapter of John's gospel this is written about 90 between 90 and 100 ad the church has been multiplying thousands and tens of thousands hundreds of thousands of people are following this Jesus now in a very hostile environment in fact they're being taken into coliseums and they're being persecuted and killed and as they're following him John led by the Holy Spirit writes the gospel of John to help people understand who Jesus really was in correct smear and he says in the beginning not not of time in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God all things that have come into being has come to being through him and there's been nothing created that hasn't been created by him and the word became flesh the logos the the communication the personal communication of the second person of God's heart and Trinity Jesus the word became flesh and literally tabernacle or lived among us that we would behold his glory see who God really is through the law came from Moses but truth and grace came through Jesus and then he was saying no man has seen God at any time this was the goal but he Jesus has revealed him if you want to know what God is like it's exactly how Jesus is if you want to know God how God feels about poor people how did Jesus feel about poor people if you want to know how God feels when you're discouraged and hurting and angry and you've really blown it and failed it's how he feels like when the woman caught in adultery is thrown at his feet if you want to know how he feels about people they're arrogant and self-dependent and think they've got it all together it's how Jesus feels about the Pharisees and you can read that when you've seen me you've seen the father I am the bridge on the path on the way to the father I came to reveal the father now look at verse 12 now he's gonna say there's an assignment we've been talking about this the whole time your assignment is to do the very thing that I've been doing I'm going to leave and you're going to reveal the father to the whole world look at verse 12 verse 12 he says I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in me will do what I've been doing what's he been doing revealing the father how by his words and his miracles he will do even greater things than these because I'm going to the father he says not quantitatively but qualitatively you all will have far more impact than the the 30 or 33 years that I lived on the earth you have far more impact than this little piece of geography you're going to do things that literally transform the world and it's true it's happened and then notice this amazing promise he says and I will do whatever you ask in my name focus so that the son may bring glory to the father you may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it and so he's he's not only comforting them and yes it's not what you expect but I have a different agenda it's a better agenda then the question comes up like well how are we going to pull this off I mean how how in the world can we do greater works we're actually scared to death right now and notice he's going to tell them he's going to say are you I mean get this down he's going to say you all are uptight because you feel like you're going to be orphans and abandoned you are uptight because all you can think about is the circumstances and the fear and what might happen later tonight you guys are uptight because the agenda that you thought I had you on guess what the outcome is going to be better and greater but the way to get there's going to be really different I want you to know that I'm going to give you something better and richer and deeper than you've ever known you think it's been great to walk with me on these dusty roads and we talk together and we share together and I put my arm around you and we've done counseling and you were used by me I'm going to tell you that every single one of you and every future follower will never have to wait in line to talk to me he's going to say the Holy Spirit is going to be sent and he's going to live inside of every believer and this Holy Spirit will bring the very presence of the Father and the Son to live inside of every believer in this new thing called a new covenant so that you can have access and power and conversation 24-7 notice he explains it the very next section verses 15 through 21 he says if you love me literally if you keep on loving me you will obey what I command remember he just commanded him ask of anything your goal is to reveal the Father now if you obey me in this journey of revealing the Father ask me whatever you wish and I will ask the Father and he will give you another counselor literally another advocate the word is paraclete one who's called alongside right next to you to give you everything that you need the word was used for a lawyer it was used for a helper it was used for a counselor in other words but the word another you ready for this it's another of the same kind this is Living on the Edge with chip ingram and you've been listening to part one of chips message love obeys which is from the third volume of his jesus unfiltered series titled love chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about and in today's world that word love means so many different things it can describe how someone feels about a sports team or favorite food or the emotional or physical connection with another person so what's right and what's wrong well in this series chip cuts through the confusion by exploring how christ defined it in john chapters 11 through 15 learn five straightforward attributes of biblical love and how to apply these truths to your relationship with others and god don't miss a word of this meaningful series well chip's with me in studio now and chip you know throughout our day to day we're constantly bombarded by all the negativity stress and lies out there and oftentimes we embrace those thoughts and patterns into our lives without even realizing it so take a minute if you would and talk about how we can stand our ground and push back great question dave i was just discussing this with the discipleship group i have early on monday mornings and we were all talking about the news and distractions and negativity and scrolling and all the rest and the scripture in first corinthian says we're to take every thought captive to the obedience of christ and so the battle is in our mind and it's one thing to limit the intake but you have to have an offensive weapon and so what we've developed is what i call truth cards each card has a lie that we're tempted to believe and then the truth is from the book of john and what you do is you read these over i mean just casually and it is amazing how you learn to take every thought captive let me give you an example the lie living the christian life feels like an impossible journey trying to be and do all the bible says is overwhelming and then you flip over the card and here's the truth i can't do the christian life in my own strength but as i stay connected to jesus i experience his power and his joy john 15 5 you get the idea get these truth cards they'll really help amen chip well to order your set of our gospel of john truth cards go to livingontheedge.org or call us at triple 8-333-6003 as you read through and meditate on these 21 cards you'll expose the lies we've bought or fallen into and replace them with the rock-solid truth of god's word to learn more about this helpful tool visit livingontheedge.org or call 888-333-6003 app listeners tap special offers here again as chip to share a few final words for us to think about as we wrap up today's program jesus is talking in a very familiar passage and it's interesting he ends it with a huge assignment after he gives them a very huge promise in fact two of them the first big promise was he's actually going to heaven preparing an actual real place for them and that there's hope the second is that he's going to have the holy spirit come and reside in them god the holy spirit in other words he promises his presence and his power is going to be more real and more available because he leaves than if he stays and then he gives him this amazing assignment you know i came to reveal the father and now instead of being limited to one human body the spirit of god comes in every believer and their job our job is to reveal the father to others people know god is kind when we're kind they'll know god is forgiving when they experience us forgiving and finally they'll know that god shows no partiality whatsoever when we're not prejudiced and you know i can't do that you can't do that jesus knew the disciples couldn't do it but the spirit of god living in you produces the life of christ now here's what i've got to tell you you can get overwhelmed and think you know i need to be this perfect person you need to take baby steps of obedience the organ of transformation is when i trust god take a step of faith the spirit of god then empowers me so let me give you a little assignment that i think will be fun we want to reveal the father i want you to think right now of one person today that doesn't believe in god as far as you know or is not a follower of christ at least and that you want him or her to know that god is kind i want you to think of one single appropriate act they don't even have to know that you did it but one act of kindness towards someone at work or in your neighborhood just out of the blue that you're going to do today have you got it now go do it great word chip and as we close i want you to know that as a staff we ask the lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is and we'd love to hear how it's going would you take a minute and send us a note or give us a quick call either one is easy just email chip at Living on the Edge dot org or call us at triple eight three three three six zero zero three again that's triple 8-3-3-3-6-0-0-3 or email chip at Living on the Edge dot org well thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with chip ingram next time we'll continue the third volume of our jesus unfiltered series titled love i'm dave drewy and i hope you'll join us then