John Stevenson sermon at Canley Community Church

1. Obeying Jesus
Luke 6; 37-49
Canley – March 2015

2. OUTLINE
• Why obey Jesus?
• What are his commands?
• How does obedience affect our
behaviour?
• How do we stay obedient?

3. WHY OBEY JESUS – vs 46-49
What are the foundations of your life?
• Money – parable of the wealthy farmer
• Status and power – job, title or social position
• Knowledge
• Public opinion – fame; X factor, The Voice and
other many game shows
• Friends – learn the lessons of Job
• Family
• An obedient relationship with Jesus

4. THE COMMON VIEW OF RELIGION –
obedience from fear
• “Cognitive representations of gods as increasingly
knowledgeable and punitive, and who sanction
violators of interpersonal social norms, foster and
sustain the expansion of cooperation trust and
fairness towards co-religionist strangers.”
Purzycki et al, Nature 2016
• Speed limits
• violence
• Theft – expenses; pulling a sicky
• Infidelity

5. THE COMMON VIEW OF RELIGION –
obsolete and irrelevant
THEATRE CULTURE
IRRELEVANT CONDEMNING ;
NEGATIVE

6. What does The Bible say?
John 14 vs 15,16 &23 – John 13 vs 34 &35
• “If you love me, you will obey my
commands”
• “As I have loved you, love
another.”
• “By this all men will know that
you are my disciples.”

7. THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
Mark 12 vs 30 & 31
• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength.
• “Love your neighbour AS YOURSELF.”
• Who is my neighbour?
• Parable of the good Samaritan – Luke 10 v29
• A stranger or enemy; met his need; generous

8. OBEDIENCE IN PRACTICE
Luke 6 vs 37-41
• Love your enemies
• Do not judge others – you may not know the
background.
• Do not condemn – are you perfect?
• Forgive
• Sawdust and planks – do not be blind to your
own faults.
• Make disciples - Matthew 28 vs 19 & 20
• Teach others

9. HOW CAN WE OBEY JESUS?
• By ourselves we rapidly become
legalistic;
• Even about essential activities, such as
prayer, bible study, church membership.
• “He (the Father) will give you another
Counsellor, to be with you for ever, the
Spirit of Truth.” John 14 vs 16 & 17

10. CONCLUSIONS
• Is the basis of your life rock-solid or without
foundation?
• A true relationship with God (“religion”) is
based on love, not fear, regulation or culture.
• Our relationship with each other should that
of equals.
• We cannot do this by ourselves, only with the
help of the Holy Spirit within us.