1088. Abiding in the Love of Christ Through Obedience

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series from seminary chapel called abiding in Christ.

A study from John 15 today speaker is Pastor Mark Minnick from Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina.

The title of his message is abiding in the love of Christ through obedience from John 15 eight through 11. This passage is one of three in the New Testament in which we have analogies for the union of Christ and his people and each one of them of course teaches that that union is one that is living that is itself vital union, but each one of them teaches a different aspect of that the analogy of the teachers, the warm and loving intimacy of that union is the one taught in Ephesians chapter 5. That being united to Christ is like a wife's being united with her husband and his loving care for her, the analogy that teaches us the diversity, the gifted diversity that those attached to Christ have is the one that is taught primarily the book of first Corinthians, when we are confronted with the teaching of the gifted members of the church that each of us has something individually with the spirit of God is given to us to do and then we have this third analogy of that vital union that were looking at in this 15 chapter job. What is the primary thing being taught here, not the warm loving intimacy for the diversity of the members. What is being taught here. Well you look at the second verse three times. There is language like this bear if not fruit bearing fruit bring forth more fruit and of course this is been the passage for the seminary chapel here this spring and we would all say that truly the aspect that is being put before us is this matter productivity is three times when the very beginning of the passage course three more times in the passage you have that kind of language but of course this passage is teaching that there is an indispensable condition of that and it is in this matter of abiding in him and in our Lord's teaching concerning that. The eighth verse that we come to this morning is part particularly important because it is in this verse that were informed of why that fruitfulness is so significant. Let's read that verse together.

Herein is my Father glorified, that's of paramount significance when it comes to this issue. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. And then there's also this so shall ye be my disciples or the new American Standard translates that be proven to be my disciples or the idea being that it's the evidence that you truly are my followers so here we have in that verse. The two major results of this fruitfulness that are immensely significant that the father be glorified. That of course is the chief end of all human beings, whether they know it or not.

The chief end of lost people, even as it is a the Lord's people were all made to glorify God in this issue than of being fruitful for the Lord's people is critical to the achieving of art and we go out into the ministry where they are as individual Christians. This is Iran. How much more so when were actually leaders among the Lord's people and there's the second result.

It's their and that is that there is through this, the evidence that we truly are the Lords and that of course is of immense concern to us. Every person who truly is the Lord's child wants assurance that he is and when we got our Bibles, God ministers that assurance to us verbally, you have these directives about your faith in the new have promises given to those who believe that they have exercised that faith. So there's this verbal assurance but phone system is the case that you come to the point in your life, your Christian life and maybe earlier or later where do you want to be certain that those promises in your particular case are true because you are well aware that the terrorists in the field as well is the lead assure themselves with those verbal promises. And you nearly all net units nearly always the case that when you ask someone about the issue of whether or not they truly know the Lord someone, perhaps in your ministry about whom you're deeply concerned immediately assure you all.

Yes, when I was six I will relate to you. But they met the condition, therefore, in their mind the promises applied to them. That's why the Bible comes back and gives you a second category of assurance that's not verbal it's experiential. And you know that there are numbers of passages that flesh out that particular kind of assurance and in this passage the way it's fleshed out is in these terms, the evidence that you truly are his disciples is your productivity. It is fruitfulness in James at something else first. John is something else right through the New Testament. There's this strong accent on the evidences in your life. If you're going to apply the verbal assurances to yourself isn't enough to have the word only in your mouth when you got to have is, as James puts it, the works that show that that faith is genuine. In this passage that's what you have and so the passage just becomes immensely securing profitable for a believer when he over a period of time can actually say that's true of me. There is this kind of fruitfulness to my life now books. That being the case, it just then becomes critical. To be sure of what that fruitfulness is and again in various passages of Scripture the outgrowth of being a Christian is spoken of in these terms, and, according to the particular passage there may be a different nuance to what fruit is or actually a different identification from passage passage in John 15. What is the fruitfulness outlook of the previous verse which read the seventh verse.

If you abide in me, there is the indispensable condition and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done in the you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. You see, you got a rewrite of the eight first cigarette of the seven first, the rewrite of the first become very clear as to what in this particular passage the fruitfulness. This is not all that fruitfulness is but in this passage what it largely is is the matter of answered prayer.

And if you drop down to verse 16.

You'll see that it's the same thing.

Explained again which read that verse just up on the screen you not chosen me have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that what ever you shall ask of the father in my name he may give it to you that post. Let's really examine ourselves by that. This morning you and I have the evidence in our lives that we give our prayers answered.

There are many many things. Of course that by human contrivance and effort we can produce within a ministry you can be a completely lost person is a pastor and raise money to build buildings, start programs and you can save yourself I pray about that all happened so that's the evidence, but the evidence you want is the seeing of things happen that you've pray about and you had no way of making happen on your own what you want is the evidence of things like this without me you can do what you want to see things happen that you couldn't have done and that in many cases, you have nothing to do with except something you have been praying about that folks typically happens in the area of the hearts of the people to whom your ministry.

It happens in human beings, not the erection of buildings for the carrying out of a program, but it's the change of the human heart over which you have absolutely no control, and an illustration of this very recently that really blessed my heart and I think it captures what I'm trying to get out this morning, some in our church came to me after service and related to me their appreciation for the message and then explained why the message of been particularly helpful to them and they want to relate the situation.

Just in the previous week was something it happened that it never happened to them before, and it humbled them while I could not say to that person never would. Is that since last fall, I have prayed several times a week that God would humble person I want to activate service just marveling because you know how we all our folks were not were so often like the disciples trying to cast out a demon doesn't happen or do something we say Lord, why couldn't I do it I mean were given the power to cast out demons and they were building the Lord said, well, because because of your lack of what and what that evidences is you can be attempting the very thing that you were called to do in this case, you know what it is decided to be praying but not to have very much confidence that it will happen. It's another thing to pray in faith and to do it with great burden and great concern and without the person knowing anything about it or your in any way influencing it happens, and truly, you realize there is a human inability here and the thing that so points out that it was God's will glorifies God is that it was a direct answer to prayer.

How important, how vital it is for us to check ourselves through the years in ministry like this. We really see God burdening our hearts and really causing us to review this issue of giving we say really a paramount importance to what the apostle said that God had set them aside to do the ministry of the word and the prayer that brings the kinds of answers that are the evidence that it's God who is doing what is happening now many of you are familiar with the name Andrew Bono are below our course in the history of the churches unit is one of the most inspirational of all figures in the last few centuries, largely through his diary in his life that was edited after his death by his daughter Marjorie associate with Robert Murray McShane William Chalmers Berntson early days of those great revivals in Scotland in the 1830s and 1840s, and when you read bone hours. Journal is just remarkable how he keeps bringing himself back to this touchstone of the genuineness of his commitment to the ministry.

Been reading through that Journal if you entries a day started that probably the end of last summer.

Many last fall and I'm at this .33 years into his ministry and I sat down this morning my normal Scripture reading and little of those little few those entries for inspiration. I open that Journal to the days reading very first entry at the top of the page leads this way Bo Norris relating the fact I thought the other night in the quiet that I was bidden to review my ministry and life means.

I felt prompted by God to do this to look back over the over 30 years of my ministry and I did it in one terrible failure confronted me everywhere you have asked nothing in my name, lack of prayer in the right measure. In manner, except for this instead of thirtyfold, it might've been a hundredfold you myself personally and in the gathering of souls. There might've been a thousand instead of 100. What humiliating saddening view of myself is remarkable that was right top of the page this morning. I can tell you I sees that as an answer to prayer that I would have something to make concrete what I'm talking about here, folks.

What's really remarkable about that is when you read through Bonners.

Journal sheet all the time from beginning to and is seeking the Lord in prayer.

Years ago I went through that Journal from top to bottom. I made a complete list of every reference in that Journal that he is really driving himself to prayer their scores and score must be over 100 such entries all the way up until he is in his 80s. He is still after himself you still say I got to be more determined to give myself to prayer that she would 30 years and was ministry chastising self and he hasn't asked anything of the Lord's labors just remarkable. But it is an evidence of the fact that people who really pray are so aware of how much more they ought to pray and what I'm doing is urging us to really make this part of the core of our philosophy of right ministry, right ministry is ministry that sees God answer prayer and that is how the father is greatly glorified in one of the ways that you not just as a minister but as an individual Christian are really reassured. I am in the faith, and I'm vitally attached to Christ. It's a living, inseparable union. I know it because God does these things in direct response to my praying in a brings us to the question, then, of just exactly what kind of praying. Does that and that also was in the seventh verse which you looked at in this chapel, but it's the backdrop to our passage limit seven verse again, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you're probably aware of the fact that defining what it means to abide in Christ tends to be a little difficult for everyone who ministers this passage of the reasons for that is because within the passage itself.

The Lord doesn't just know clearly and with specificity narrow it down to something so particular you can walk away with it in your hand.

This is probably the closest thing to it. Certainly, up until this point, there's been nothing like this. It's when he says if you abide in me and my words abide in is going to say the same kind of thing in verses nine and 10 so that if I was to ask what's it mean to abide in Christ. I would have to be over this.

There may be other matters involving probably are within this passage I do have to deal with this.

My abiding is in direct proportion to the degree to which that the words of Scripture abide in me and then when they abide in me, you can ask what you will. So if we if we raise the question what kind of praying does God answer to his own glorification.

You have to come down to this.

It's scripturally informed, praying it's praying in terms of the revealed will of God. Scripture, you may have memorized. At some point in your life. The definition of prayer that was first formulated in the Westminster shorter catechism. It's been adopted by Methodist and Baptist Congregationalist. Literally millions and millions of children learn this definition of their catechism through the years. What is prayer.

And that definition starts out with prayer is the offering of our desires under God for things according to his will. There is the combination, you may ask what you will as long as my words abide in you.

It's the offering off of my desires and the God for things according to his will and focus when that combination is there that is the kind of praying than that the Lord answers to his own wonderful glorification. You're in the same position that I'm in and were all in the same position to use a biblical illustration that Elijah was everybody is watching and they're all hesitating between two opinions, and what you so desperately want is what Elijah prayed at the very beginning or let it be known this day.

Let it be known this Lord's day as I preach, let it be known this Tuesday live as her folks go out and visitation. Let it be known in our vacation Bible school B known for missions program. Lord, let it be known this day that you are God and that I am your servant, and I've done all these things in your word. I want you so desperately want than to show this is the right God and I truly am a servant, and what were doing is scripturally inform what you want is for the fire to fall and you want people to cry out the Lord he is God. That is the glorification of God. When that happens you want to be able to pray prayers like that and see God answer.

Spurgeon said the God who answers my fire, let him be God.

That's what you want, a senior ministry for the glorification of the Lord. There is a fuller statement of that in verses nine and 10. That is just really important to grasp, read those verses seems to us, almost as if there is some kind of abrupt break between verses eight and nine. But there's not what start back in verse seven again and redound through if you abide in me and my words abide in you, pray that way and you can ask what you will and it will be done and to you and here is my father glorified you bear much fruit. In this way and this will prove you to be my disciples. Seems like there's a big breaker but there's not as the father have loved me, so have I loved you continually in my love I say Lord, what is that mean how do I continuing your love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my even as I have My father's commandments, and I abide in his love. One of those verses follow you can see folks that that those verses continue the same kind of reasoning that the word of God the commandments of God are integral to this.

All this has something to do with your praying in your seeing answers to your prayer and your fruitfulness will take the word of God management. What why does it continue on in the vein that it does try to illustrate this way. It's very important evidently that we understand that were not working a formula. This is not like buying seeds and getting advice from the nursery where you bought them as to how to plant the seeds that if you take these seeds you plant them this way in soil that has this chemistry to it and keep them watered and there's no sign guaranteed your half-court. The Lord clearly here is indicating that this whole matter is not a matter of working a formula, it isn't just here's the Bible, keep the commandments pray the Bible it's gonna happen this whole thing is a matter of what look at verses nine and 10.

Again thoughts. What's the word that really tips you off.

This is not a formula what's the repeated word and those verses. Love. This is a matter of relationship. It's a matter of love, the keeping of the commandments, the immersing ourselves in the word until I Spurgeon said are blood runs good lien. You know the word not just that I hold the word but the word is taken hold of me.

This really is a matter of the warmth, the true love of the Lord. And when you ask yourself Lord, help me with that help me with this thing of okay. I keep your commandments and that's abiding in your love Lord says it's like this, look at me. I keep my father's commandments and abide in his love, and in the Gospel of John. That truly is a major emphasis. He says those kinds of things again and again and again I will read these for the sake of time, but you know in the fourth chapter he says to the disciples, my meat is to do what the will of him who sent me.

John five verse 19, the son can do nothing of himself.

But what he sees the father doing to the words are completely subject to what the father's doing what I'm doing. 638 I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him was simply 829. I do always those things that please him. John 855 I keep his sayings. John 1431 a listen to this one that the world may know that I love the father even as the father gave me commandment.

I do and it always the Lord saying what was prophesied of him in the 40th Psalm when he said, sacrifice and offering that it's not desire my ears. If you open bar offering an offering for sin you've not required by the body. You have given to me and low I, the volume of the book is written of me to do your will owe my God, I delight to do your will gay your law is written in my heart.

That's what he's talking. It's that loving relationship you know this means for us. We really need to be very very careful devoutly in all of our thinking about our relationship to the Lord.

We need to be very careful about not damping down the issue of obedience. It isn't enough to be hyped to feel emotionally. We have to put the premium on the matter of obeying the commandments of God that the word of God does and not in the fashion of course is burning something, but clearly in the fashion spelled out here of really demonstrating the nature of that relationship and when we do to that verse 11 to close out with this. The whole purpose for that at the end is for our show way you know God really wants you to be happy of the ministry, he best and this is the pathway to fill in your mind with the Bible yielding to what field your mind. Your prayers informed by that then God doing things you never could have done on your own and the joy that comes in realizing I really am God's child, I really am vitally related to Christ. God really is working through me. Nothing can compete with the joy of that you been listening to a message preached in seminary chapel pastor Mark Minnick, which was part of the series abiding in Christ. Join us again tomorrow as we continue the series on The Daily Platform