Loving and Keeping"

Sermon by Pastor David Layman

May 13, 2007 Mothers Day

John 14:15-24, Luke 6:46-49

There were identical twin brothers who grew up and lived in the same town. One became a pastor, and the other, a physician. It wasn't uncommon for people in the town to mix them up. People would run into the pastor on the street and start talking about their health problems. The pastor would interrupt and say "No, you must have me mixed up with my twin brother. He practices--I preach!" Unfortunately, Christians sometimes get the reputation of those who talk about believing in God, but don't always put their beliefs into action! But as Jesus made clear, he wasn't looking for followers who talked a good game, but failed to live as he taught. In Luke 6:46, we hear Jesus asking "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?" Immediately before this, Jesus noted that no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. The words "faith" and "faithfulness" have the same root in Hebrew. The Greeks like to split things apart: faith and faithfulness, faith and works. We tend to do so as well in America. Some think it is enough to verbally proclaim their faith in Jesus, concluding that then they can live as they please. Such logic would make no sense to the culture Jesus came from.

In John 14, the same chapter where Jesus proclaims himself to be "the way, the truth and the life", Jesus also says in verse 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Verse 21 reinforces this teaching: "They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me...." In verse 23, we hear again "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." Yet one finds again and again in a fallen humankind the tendency to want to find a shortcut to salvation. "I've been baptized, so I know I'm saved," some proclaim. "I was born in a Christian family", some say. To this, Rick Warren asks "If you were born in a car, does that make you a spare tire?" We want something simple that will justify us. "I confessed my faith among hundreds at a Billy Graham crusade". Yet Jesus asks something more: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

When in seminary, I spent an intern year as the youth director of the Union Church of Guatemala. Many of the youth had recently undergone a conversion experience. It was a wonderful thing that they had come to accept Jesus as their savior. But they were only in the beginning stages of accepting Jesus as their Lord. Some of them had become quite arrogant and self righteous, setting themselves apart from other students, and their parents. There was terrible poverty in Guatemala, but these mostly American and European youth lived in comfortable isolation from the needy about them. Their parents hired maids to do all the housework, and a gardener to cut the grass. My challenge was to lead Bible studies where we affirmed not only that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him. But if we say that Jesus is "the way," we need to walk in that way, and seek to live as He showed us. If we truly love Jesus, we need to keep his commandments, and among those commandments are to love God with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves. We made weekly visits to a Guatemalan orphanage in a poorer section of Guatemala City, as part of our effort to love Jesus by keeping his commandments. I met a Catholic nun in an adult Bible study, and that nun took the youth through a slum where she served God by reaching out to those in need. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Remember that Jesus answered the question "Who is my neighbor?" by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan!

William Wilberforce, at one time a somewhat careless and pleasure loving man, was a charming leader from a wealthy family in England. Wilberforce was transformed by the Evangelical movement in England. As a member of parliament, Wilberforce became a leader in the long fight against slavery. Wilberforce's story is told in the movie "Amazing Grace", which also mentions Wilberforce's efforts to help prevent cruelty to animals. Wilberforce believed that a natural consequence of believing in Jesus was to seek to keep Christ's commandments, and applied those beliefs in an effort to change the world about him for the better. In 1856, Wilberforce University in the greater Dayton area was founded by Methodists to provide educational opportunities for African Americans.

Today is Mother's Day, and my Mother loved a poem by Edgar Guest which speaks to our text from John 14:

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day,

I'd rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.

The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear;

Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;

And best of all the preachers are those who live their creeds,

For to see the good in action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn how to do it if you'll let me see it done.

I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true;

But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live."

My Mother truly lived out the message of this poem. Those of us who had Godly mothers were blessed! We can honor our mothers the same way we can honor our Lord: We honor God by keeping His commandments. We honor our Christian mothers by living the way they taught and showed us.

Do you remember the old "Leave It To Beaver" television show? Eddie Haskell was the opposite of Jesus' instruction in John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Eddie Haskell was a rascal. He was a smart aleck, and insincere. Eddie knew how to say the right things and butter people up. He just didn't follow thru. It was always "My, you certainly look nice today, Mrs. Cleaver." Wise mothers don't just want flattering words and occasional flowers and boxes of candy. They want children that live by the precepts they are taught!

Even children can understand the kind of love Jesus is really asking for. Several years back, I received an e-mail that actually had some good quotes about love, as seen through the eyes of children. Rebecca, age 8, said "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

Billy, age 4, said "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Chrissy, age 6, said "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Elaine, age 5 said "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Terri, age 4: "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Danny, age 7 "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is ok."

Cindy, age 8 "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

Bobby, age 7: "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Jesus, age 32, said that if we truly love him, we will keep his commandments! And Jesus practiced what he preached! The life He lived was totally consistent with the words He proclaimed. Jesus said the road is hard that leads to salvation, and walked the way of the cross for us. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors, and He loved his neighbors, even those who hung him on a cross to die.

Let's close with a final encouraging thought. In John 14:23, Jesus says "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." You see, there's a promise to those who love Jesus and follow through by keeping Jesus' words. The promise is that God the Father will love us, and He and Jesus will come and make their home with us. Jesus not only promises to welcome us into paradise one day. He promises, when we not only proclaim our faith in Him but seek to live by His teaching, that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit will come and make their home with us on this earth. No believer need truly be alone in this life. Even if you're a lifelong bachelor, or a widow, or an only child, you're not alone. For God and Jesus promise to come and live with us. There's no better home life than that!

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