The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 15 verses 9 through 17.

Tony Clark: Satan doesn't tell people is how obedience really frees us to be everything God wants us to be or wants us to have. Satan never told Eve about the perhaps thousands of trees that they could eat from. But he only focuses on the one tree that they couldn't eat from. Oh, Satan does the same thing to us today. He will always have you focus on the spouse that you can't have instead of worrying about the one that you do have. And so we see this here that that we are to abide in God's love. And and as we keep his commandments, Jesus goes on to say just as I kept my father's commandments and abide in his love.

In other words, Jesus is saying I am never going to ask you to do something that I have not done myself. And this is how Jesus does things. He will do it first, then teach it like Acts 1 1 says it's now on the screen for you note takers. This is this is the key to parenting. This is the key to leadership. This is the key of being the balls. Anything anything that has to do with leadership, you do it first, then you teach it. This is how Jesus did things. And this is how we were taught in the Marine Corps, leadership by example.

You do it first, then you're able to teach it. Look what it says there in verse 11. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. Now, in this verse, Jesus is saying that I am telling you these things for two reasons. Number one, that my joy may remain in you. And number two, that your joy may be full. So the way that the joy of Jesus will remain in us is when we are obedient to his commandments. And you already know we have already said this before that his commandments are not only referring to the 10 commandments, but it it refers to all of God's word.

And I have I have found out in my own life personally when I am disobedient to God's word, my life lacks joy. My life is a drag. There is a depression that's in my life when I'm disobedient to the word of God. But when I am walking in obedience to God's word, my life is full of joy. And this is where God wants us to be. Having lives full of the joy of the Lord, why? Because God knows that it is this joy that we're called to be full of that will give us the strength to endure through the tough times that all of us are going to go through.

Oh, isn't this what Nehemiah taught us? In Nehemiah 8 10 it says for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So this is how the joy of the Lord will remain in us when we are obedient to the word of God. But he also said at the end of verse 11 that he wanted our joy to be number two to be full. To be full. Yes, we drain our joy through disobedience, but I believe that we also drain our joy through, watch this, partial obedience. Oh, no, you not totally disobeying the Lord, but you are partially obeying him.

See, God said that he wants our joy to be full, not partially full. And so often we feel that if we are partially obeying, we're okay. And we have not totally drained all the joy out of our cups, but our cups are kind of uh it's just It's not all the way empty. It's just maybe halfway full. And we're okay to be in that condition. Even though God said he wants our cups to overflow, he wants our our lives to be full of joy. We're okay if it's drained down a little bit. As long as we got a little bit there and we And we okay with that.

But we fail to realize that partial obedience is total disobedience. Oh, let me show you what happens when we partially obey because some of you are in this condition today. Well, you God's told you to do something, but you you you you you you did it, but not all the way. You still have their number saved in in your favorites, but you haven't called or anything. You You just You You just still have their number there. You just partially You partially obeyed the Lord. Oh, let me show you the fruit of what happens when you just partially obey the Lord and you are okay in that condition.

Let me show you what happens. In Genesis 12 verse 1, God tells Abraham, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house to a land that I will show you. Oh, now in chapter 11 and verses 31 and 32 summarizes what took place here. It says these these verses said that Abraham did leave his country. But Terah, his father, was leading the way with Lot, who was Abraham's nephew. Oh, now let me ask you something, Abraham. Didn't God tell you to leave and leave your family behind? Now, he would say well, I did do that.

I did go. I I left my country. But he brought his family with him. So he partially obeyed the Lord. Oh, what's the result? Oh, they were delayed in the city of Haran for 15 years until Abraham's father Terah died. It is no wonder that they were delayed because Terah's name means delayed. And Haran happens to be a city that was halfway in between Ur, where Abraham lived, and the promised land, Haran was right in the middle. So when we decide to partially obey the Lord, it will cause us not only to lose our joy, but it will cause us to be delayed as well.

And there is a promised land that God has for our lives, an abundant life. You understand if you hear on Wednesday night, you understand the promised land is not heaven. It's that abundant Christian life that God has for us. And there's a promised land that God has for our lives, but so often we are delayed in receiving it because we trying to be cute and clever and partially obey the Lord. Well, I have to ask us what is Terah in your life that's keeping you from your promised land? Or is this some relationship you keep playing around with?

Abraham was delayed in Haran for 15 years until Terah, his father, died. Then he was able to move on to the promised land. And so Jesus says in verse 11 that he wanted his joy to remain in us and that he wanted uh his joy and our joy to be full. Our joy will never be full as long as we trying to be cute and partially obeying the Lord like Abraham did, we would end up delayed. And I believe that there are some of you here today who are delayed in receiving all that God has for you, that abundant life that he has for your life because you trying to be cute and say I obeyed, Lord.

But all the time you know that you partially obeyed him. Look what he says there in verses 12 and 13. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than he would lay down one's life for his friends. What I find interesting is how Jesus said in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Now, this is the second time the Lord tells them this. The first time was in John chapter 13 in verse 34 when he says a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you love one another.

Oh, this tells me a couple of things. Number one, that love is not an emotion, but love is a choice. Ladies, I know you think love is an emotion. I don't feel like you love me. Love is a choice. It's not an emotion. Jesus never tells us to feel something, but he does command us to do something. And that is that we love one another. Oh, the second thing this tells me is that Jesus sets the standard of love with the phrase as I have loved you. Oh, this is key. This is so important because we have our own man-made standards of what love is.

I would love you as long as you love me or I would love you until you make me angry. Now, I ain't going to love you anymore. No, no, no. Jesus doesn't give us room to come up with our own definition or standard of love. He says you love one another. Watch this as I have loved you. Oh, what kind of love is this? A love that is willing to lay down your life for another. Oh, isn't this how Jesus demonstrated his love for us by going to the cross? He laid down his life for us.

This is the love we should have for one another. Now, how do I know this for sure? Because verse 13 says greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends. What a powerful verse. Jesus is saying that the ultimate proof of love is seen in our willingness to sacrifice our lives for someone else. Oh, in just a few hours, Jesus was about to put this love into action by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. See, it is one thing to say with our mouths I love you.

But it is another thing to show it. And Jesus said greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends. And I was thinking about this weekend, can't we have to ask ourselves this question here? Do the people around us know that we love them this much that we are willing to lay down our lives for them? So often those around us don't even know we like them. Let alone love them to the point where we are willing to lay down our lives for them. And see, Jesus is calling us to live according to a greater love than the world is demonstrating.

This is why he said in verse 13 greater love has no man than this. Jesus is calling us to a greater standard, a greater love than what the world demonstrates. Look what he said there in verse 14. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. And this verse blows me away because Jesus considers me his friend. And when I can be so flaky and foolish at times, and Jesus said that we are his friend if notice if we do whatever he commands us. We're friends of God and and as friends, he wants to share with us things he is about to do in this world.

You say well, what do you mean? Well, in James chapter 2 verse 23 it said that Abraham was called a friend of God. Then in Genesis 18 verse 17 God says, shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? No. And the Lord told him that he was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, the same thing is true for us. The Lord will give us insights into what he is doing presently in this world that the world is clueless clueless about. Just because we are his friend just like Abraham was.

This is why for me this is what what's going on in the world today is pretty clear. Jesus makes a statement and it's a a powerful statement. He says when the son of man comes or when I return, will I find faith on the earth? Oh, see that this tells me something. This lets me know that before Jesus Christ comes back, there will be a scarcity of the Christian faith on the earth. He said when I come back, would would a son of man find faith on the earth? So this means that there will be a push by or energized by Satan, there'll be a push in this world to rid this world of anything that is Christian.

This is why I'm not shocked when I see the things that I see. Oh, it's been going on for a long time, but I'm not shocked by it. I'm shocked in the sense that I I'm alive to see it happen. That that part of it I'm shocked by. But I'm not shocked because Jesus said when he returns, will he find faith on the earth? So there must be a push to remove the Christian faith. I was talking to an atheist friend of mine some time ago and I said you know the Christian faith is being persecuted.

He said I'll get out of here. And Christian faith is not being persecuted. Y'all just making it up in your own mind. I said really? I said you know it started in 62 63 when it it there was a removal of prayer out of schools. I said now, if you would notice, we going to take the 10 commandments off the walls in the courts. And then next, you know, we going to take all nativity scenes from government property. I said then we stop putting the hand on the Bible and said I promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

We don't do that anymore. And I said they really really would love to get in God we trust all for that money. I said but it starting to not take place. It's going to take place when we go to a cashless society that the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that's going to take place. That we already seeing it happen today. I don't know about you, but I don't carry cash with me. I just don't. Some of you are still holding up the lines writing a check. And And pulling out, you know, and and pulling out some dollar bills and and you got you still got a little coin purse, you know, you My I who I who does that?

Who does that anymore? Some of y'all still do. I know you old school. You know, you you my age and older and you still got little coin purse, you know, that little little rubber thing with the slit. And everybody behind you is like this. So I'm not shocked. I'm not shocked by what's going on in the world today because as a friend, the Lord tells us in his word things to come. This is why I know and I'm going to preface this by saying that I know God will judge the United States. He's already starting to do it unless we repent.

If we repent that I God already said if we just turn to him, oh, he he will turn things around. And if he doesn't if God if God doesn't judge America harshly, I agree with what Billy Graham said that he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. So so how do I know these things? Because I am a friend of God, therefore he tells us in his word things to come. This is why he says these things. Look what he says there in verse 15. Says no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I've called you friends for all things that I've heard from my father, I have made known to you.

Now, in this verse, Jesus tells his disciples no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. Oh, Jesus is speaking in general terms here. He is saying that a servant or slave, in the Greek language, does not know what the master is up to. But because Jesus is telling his disciples intimate personal things about the father, he now calls them friends. Oh, he goes on to say for all things that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you.

Before they were not able to receive this type of information and thus they were like servants or slaves. But now that they have matured enough to receive what Jesus is saying, now he calls them friends. Look what he says there in verses 16 and 17. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give you. These things I command you that you love one another. Now, these are some powerful yet misunderstood verses.

Now, this is not This is not referring to choosing us in salvation, but choosing us to fruit bearing. Remember I mentioned last week, proper Bible interpretation is dependent upon context, context, context. The context of this chapter up until this point is about bearing fruit. We see that in verse two or bearing more fruit. We see that at the end of verse two or bearing much fruit. We see that in verse five. Now, Jesus is saying I chose you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain. I'm sure that the disciples were thinking uh-uh no, Jesus, no, we chose you.

I I bet you Peter would protest because Peter said in in Matthew 19 verse 27 see we have left all and followed you. No, Peter. It was really Jesus choosing you to follow him and you just responded. We're only responding to the Lord's calling us, calling or appointing us to go forth and bear fruit for his kingdom. Oh, you have to search your heart with this question. Are you bearing fruit for the kingdom of God? Or you might bear fruit for your job and bear fruit for your family and amen, God bless that. But are you bearing fruit for the kingdom of God?

What are you doing for the kingdom that you bearing fruit that God chose you, called you to bear fruit for him? Oh, it's great that you come and sit in the seat and listen. That's great. Amen, God bless you. We appreciate you being here. But what fruit are you bearing for the kingdom? That's the question you have because Jesus chose us to bear much fruit and that our fruit should remain. This this this whole concept may just mean because I thought I chose the Lord back in 1985. And the Lord said no, you you didn't choose me, but I chose you to go forth and ultimately go to Newport News, Virginia and bear much fruit for me.

That your fruit should remain. And because of this, I can ask the father for whatever I need to bear fruit here for him. And like the end of verse 16 says and he will give it to me. Oh, I'm very confident that no matter what up until this point and I have you know couple of decades, 20 plus years of being here, whatever I've asked the father to bear force to bear fruit here as a church, he's provided for us. He provided facility at the facility uh things after thing. He provided because he chose me to come here to bear much fruit for him and that our fruit should remain meaning that I know long after I'm gone if the Lord should tarry.

This church will continue because he chose me to come and bear fruit and that the fruit should remain. And I know it's going to remain. And so whatever I ask the father that that will enable us to bear fruit here for him, he's going to give it to us. And he's been faithful. I've seen it. 21 going into 22 years now. I have seen his faithfulness. Okay, in verse 17 it says again that Jesus commands us to love one another. Why you keep saying that? Oh, we going We going to come to that in in a little while.

So if we choose to love one another, surely the world around us is going to be like wow, you guys are awesome. Yes. Y'all just love each other, just loving on each other. Well, you got to wait until next week to see the world's reaction because they have a reaction to us loving one another. And I don't know if it's what we think it is. And we going to see and how to deal with their reaction. We see that God's will next week. Let me conclude with this. Joy or happiness, which one are you experiencing or which one are you pursuing?

Jesus said that he wants our joy to be full. Where is the level of your joy today? Is it full or is it almost empty? If it is, could it be because you have been partially obeying the Lord? Maybe there's a Terah in your life delaying you from your promised land. Abraham was delayed 15 years. How long are you going to be delayed? Remember that it wasn't until Terah died that was when Abraham was able to move forward to his promised land. Maybe some relationship is named Terah that needs to die before you move forward to your promised land.

Oh, let me make something very clear because some I know you. I know how you are. I'm not talking about your marriage. You marry, you you deal with it. You just you learn, get some tools of how to deal with your marriage. I'm not saying cuz I know some of you think pastor Tony said that You You're Terah. You need to die. This marriage is Terah. You delaying me, hindering me. Don't you go out here with that mess. Don't go out here with that. I'm not talking about you marry, you deal with it. You learn how to biblically deal with your issues.

But you know what Terah is in your life. I don't know what that is, but you know what it is because it's delaying you from your promised land. It's delaying you from all that God has for your life. And God is pointing to it right now. Some of you thought you had an out with your marriage. No, you don't have an out. You don't have an out. You so already you can do as far as marriage, you know, little Ghostbuster thing, you know, you get that's not Terah. Don't don't try to make that Terah. No.

Can't. Can't. But you know what Terah is for you. You know what that is. And you know it needs to die. It reminds me of what Isaiah said. In the year the king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. It wasn't until the king Uzziah died that they were able to see the Lord. Look into king Uzziah instead of looking to the Lord. And it wasn't until he died that they were able to see the Lord. There's things that need to die in our lives before we can see the Lord clearly, before we can get to the promised land God has for us.

There's things that delay us. There's things that block us from seeing the Lord and being all that God wants us to be. And you know what that is. And when the Lord shares that with you, then it's your time to bring it to the foot of the cross and leave it here. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this time in your word. I pray, God, that you would do a work in our hearts. I pray that, Lord, that you would continue to draw us to you. Lord, I pray for those who are here who are partially obeying you.

And, Lord, I pray for those who are here who lack joy because they have been disobeying you. Oh, Lord, draw them to you. Draw them to you by your spirit. I pray, Lord, for those who have never repented of their sin and and accepted Christ as their Lord and savior. May today be the day of salvation for them. May they confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead. Your word said they shall be saved. Working hearts, draw people to you today in Jesus name. Amen.

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