“If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15).

For the most part I have no problems obeying God. Love others. Forgive. Serve. Give. I think those are great things. I’m all for loving others, serving, giving, forgiving and all those other things that Jesus tells us to do. These are things I try to do most of the time anyway.

But, there’s a problem with obedience. And every time I have a problem with obedience it’s because God is commanding me to do something I don’t want to do. In fact, everything in me is screaming to do the very opposite of what God is commanding me to do.

I’m all about loving others and forgiving others. But, I have my limits. And that’s just the thing. I have limits. God does no. The times I have problems loving others is when they are certifiable jerks. The times I have problems with forgiving is when the person I need to forgive has really hurt me…intentionally.

Come on, God! You want me to love and forgive that person?

Yup.

Come to think of it, the only times when obedience comes into play in my walk with Jesus is the times when what I want to do is in direct conflict with what Jesus is asking me to do.

AND it is those times that make all the difference. Jesus didn’t ask if I felt like doing what he commands. It has nothing to do with how I am feeling. It has everything to do with what Jesus commands.

So, the next time you find yourself not wanting to do the thing that Jesus is asking you to do, will you commit now to obey simply because Jesus commanded us to do so? And, I will do the same thing.

“If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15).

The church in the United States is declining. The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s membership has declined from 3,500,000 in 1990 to 1,000,000 in 2020. We are not alone. All mainline denominations, United Methodist Churches, the Evangelical Lutherans, the Episcopal church, and Southern Baptists, Assemblies of God are in decline.

In the midst of loss, many are searching for the elusive silver bullet to solve our decline. Leaders go to conferences to learn about innovation, vision casting, and becoming more relevant.

No one is considering the possibility that perhaps the reason why we are in such a decline is because we no longer obey as we once did.

Andrew Root is one of the main speakers at the National Gathering at the Fellowship Community this year that Pastor Brad and I are attending. The Fellowship Community is a gathering for evangelically minded pastors and congregations who are still in the PC(USA).

Andrew Root was asked what he thought was the reason the churches in America are in such decline and he said that the problem has little to do with innovation but with obedience. Root said, “Instead of asking how do we innovate?” churches ought to be asking, “How will we obey Jesus?”

I think Root is spot on. It’s Christ’s church. The key to thriving churches has little to do with our innovations and visions. It has everything to do with Jesus and his church.

So, Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, “How shall we obey Jesus?”

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him” (1 John 2:3-5).

What Would Jesus Do?

Remember that? That was the question Christians were asking. I like that this focused our attention on Jesus. But I think there’s a better question to ask – “What did Jesus say?“

Asking “What would Jesus do?” makes us the persons responsible for figuring out what Jesus would or would not do. That’s really not our role. If we are followers of Jesus, we simply do what Jesus did. We do what Jesus commands.

Look at our text today:

• We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
• Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
• But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.

We don’t have to ask, “What would Jesus do?”

We simply need to ask, “What did Jesus say? What did Jesus command?” and focus on doing what he already told us to do.

Bet ya. When we do that, we’ll be too busy to ask, “What would Jesus do?”