SERMON NOTES

10/21/18 AM Service - Rev. Edgar Gatumbato

LOVE BRINGS OBEDIENCE (John 14:21)

☑ Jesus said that His followers show their love for Him by obeying Him.

☑ Love is more than lovely words. It is commitment and conduct.

☑ If you love Christ, prove it by doing what He says in His word.

1. OBEDIENCE TO GOD COMES FROM THE HEART

➡ There are two sides to willingness and obedience. If willingness is joined with obedience, it produces a
powerful effect in the believer's life. (Isa. 1:19)

↪ When you begin struggling to obey God, that is a clear indication that your heart has shifted away
from Him.

↪ More than just words, love requires committed action.

▶ "Do you love me more than these?" (Jn. 21:15) - When Jesus asked and Peter affirmed, Jesus included
the acts Peter needed to do as a sign of his love--to nurture new believers and take care of the rest of
the Church, and finally, to follow Jesus.

↪ Genuine love for God leads to wholehearted obedience.

2. OBEDIENCE WITHOUT LOVE IS LEGALISM

➡ Obedience for its own sake can be nothing more than perfectionism, which leads to pride.

➡ As helpful as spiritual discipline can be, it can never replace your love for God. Discipline must be
coupled with love.

➡ God looks beyond your godly habits, moral lifestyle, and church involvement. He focuses His
penetrating gaze upon you heart.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

❓ Has your worship become empty and routinary?

❓ Have you lost your motivation to read God's Word?

❓ Are you experiencing spiritual lethargy?

❓ Is it possible to obey without loving God? If so, would such obedience be rewarded? What would its
result be?

❓ Is it possible to love God without obeying Him? If so, would it be rewarded? What would its result be?

❓ What are things to do so that your love for God brings out obedience?

❓ What can you do to renew your love if you feel like your obedience has become out of routine?