QTVOTD: The Sustaining Power of Obedience

Today was the day we officially prayed over our apprentices Antony and Irina as they set out to start their own Life Group. My morning quiet time was on John 15:12-17 where Jesus tells His disciples His command for them –> “Love one another as I have loved you.”

This passage was a perfect topic and leading of the Holy Spirit for how to best anoint and send off this amazing couple and their seed of couples from our group to start their new Life Group in Lake Stevens. Here is my Outline for what I shared.

Passages: John 15:12-17 | John 4:34 | John 14:31 | Matthew 28:18-20 | Acts 13:1-3

What ‘Sustained’ Jesus?

“Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work.” John 4:34 AMP

“…I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.]” John 14:31 AMP

All through Jesus’ teaching He leads by example so just as Jesus was sustained by the food of obedience, we too should feed on ‘doing’ the will of Jesus in all that we do. Here at the same time we see that a huge part of Jesus’ ministry was to show the world the Love Jesus has for His Father by doing what the Father has instructed Him to do. Our goals as followers of Jesus should be to show the world that we ‘Love’ Him by obeying His commands and following His example.

What does it mean to ‘Follow’ Jesus?

“This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.” John 15:12 AMP

“…I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]” John 15:15b AMP

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.” John 15:16 AMP

The power of these passages aligns with understanding what sustained Jesus, it is profound! Jesus calls us to Love One Another. Then He says that we have everything we need to know in God’s word; essentially that it is sufficient for all issues and questions we will have here on earth. Not only that but we are ‘Chosen’ and ‘Appointed’ by Jesus to bear fruit (He is the Vine and we are the branches | the Father is the Gardener). Finally, Jesus says that since we are chosen and when we are bearing fruit, the Father will give us what we ask in Jesus name. This asking and getting is not a support of ‘prosperity theology’, it is simply a statement that when we are walking in the steps of and obedience to Jesus, our desires and requests for our ministry will be aligned with what God the Father is doing in and through us.

Wrapping it all up…

“Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).” Matthew 28:18-20 AMP

So, the call is go! This could mean ‘GO’ to the mission field. It definitely is that all of us must show the love Jesus to all those we come in contact with. In the case of Antony and Irina, this is to go and pour into other newly married couples the teaching of God’s word and together make an impact for God’s Kingdom in their community. Loving one another is the command and the context of that love is defined in the Word of God.

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