1. Love to God (verse 15)
2. Care for Us (verses 16-20)
3. Love and Care Combined (verse 21)

We have a good family friend in California, named Stuart. I met Stuart at church when I was in seminary. He was at UCLA studying physics. (Perhaps that’s why we became friends). Anyway, his family and our family have become close family friends. When we travel to California for vacation to see Yvonne’s parents, our families often get together. So that our children and their children are friends. He often will listen to my sermons.

Anyway, I want to take you back 14 years, to July, 2011. Stuart and his wife had a burden to adopt, particularly, adopt a child from overseas. Through various contacts, they were led to adopt from the Democratic Republic of Congo. And through various circumstances, they were led to adopt two children from the Congo. Here’s a picture of Stuart and the girls, Jordan and Jamie.

The adoption process was interesting and captivating. Stuart had to travel to the Congo to pick up the girls. It was not a simple and straightforward process.

On July 12, 2001, he landed in the capital city of Kinshasa airport, where he met the girls. But it would be a another month until he was able to bring them home, and the time was filled with adventure. Picture a white American, deep in the Congo, caring for two little African girls.

Stuart wrote about the first time he was with the girls alone.

I went to the bathroom and came out to both girls talking to me in French/babble. I had tried to assure them that I would be back soon. Jordan looked like she needed to go, and she did—both. We went looking for Jamie. BIG accident happened. Got through even onto her dress. WHERE’S [MY WIFE] WHEN YOU NEED HER. So I managed to get the soiled garments off and get her on the toilet. She needed some cleaning up though. So I stuck her in the tub. Oh …did I mention there is no regular running water. Only for a short time a day. Fortunately, there is a 40 gallon water barrel and a bucket there, so I went to work with her standing in the tub. Got er done and she’s squeaky clean. The clothes are another story.

The reason that I know this is that Stuart blogged the entire adoption experience. I remember waking up each day as he was in the Congo, eager to read his blog from the day before to see what sort of adventures he was on.

On his second day there, he shared the sights of a typical third-world country, sharing pictures the river filled with trash, and what the local “Wal-Mart” looked like. and the traffic, and the public bathroom. He shared of the electricity that went out often. He shared of the smells and the smog. He shared of the city noises that went on all night long.

Anyway, on his third day in the Kinshasa, Stuart he visited the embassy. All looked well, but he was missing some documents that he didn’t know about. Stuart’s liaison in the Congo, a pastor named Didier, was discouraged about these things. Stuart tried to encourage him to trust that “God would take care of it."

It wasn’t such an easy task. Yet, to quote his wife, Jennifer, “It is not simply a matter of popping into an air-conditioned office and ordering them. It's more like the DMV when their computers are down, times infinity.”

One of the documents had to come from Lubambashi, where the girls were in an orphanage, yet, the judge in charge of them made it her priority. She worked on them from midnight (when the power came on again), through the next day, to have the documents ready by 5:45pm. They also had to get the original “Act of Adoption” from Lubambashi. This arrived a few days later. One of the girls also had to get a passport, which they received after an hour and a half of waiting.

As Stuart was waiting for the documents over the next few days, he visited church, where he heard his friend, Didier, preach. After church, we was met with a big line of people, all of whom introduced themselves and shook his hand. He also visited an orphanage, which the pastor oversaw.

After seven days in Kinshasa, they finally had the documents in hand and returned again to the embassy. After that visit, Stuart wrote,

I was discouraged, but praying. I know how God has already been working, and am so thankful. On the drive after the embassy, Didier was encouraging me. I asked Didier to pray for us, and we gave it to God to work for us there. He knows the truth about the girls. We also had a good time praying and encouraging one another tonight at dinner. God is powerful and good, and loves the girls more than we do. Please pray and ask everyone to pray for God to work there, and also to help us to trust him. We need your prayer.

I remember reading his blog and being captured by the story. I read about his trip to Lubambashi, where the girl’s orphanage was. He was there for 10 days, each of which was filled with similar adventures of working through all of the administrative details needed to adopt the girls. Finally, he returned to Kinshasa the capital for another 9 days.

Then, after a month in the Congo, once the adoption was all approved, he took the 40 hour trip back home with the two little toddlers on the plane. Here they are at the beginning of the trip. Here’s a picture with Gina, a flight attendant who really helped Stuart during the flight from Paris to Washington D.C. Here they are, a happy family, a few months after arriving back home. Here’s a recent picture of them at a wedding, all grown up, doing well.

Well, I was so captured by this adoption story, that I compiled all of Stuart’s blog entries, and put them in a book. I wrote this in the Foreword,

When I first heard that Stuart and Jennifer were going to adopt from the Congo, I was thrilled. But, I had no idea what this would involve.

As my family followed his story on his blog, more and more, my heart was engaged in the suspense of his trip, praying for the Lord to guide him. I know that Stuart was writing everything down for himself (and his family). I thought that it would be helpful for him to have it all in book form to share with their family and friends. So, here it is. Stuart did all of the hard work of writing. I merely copied and pasted (and made a few, occasional edits). ... My hope is that this book will be a gift to Jamie and Jordan in years to come when they can understand the sacrifice of their father to come to adopt them. May it also stir all of us to see the extent of the sacrifice that Jesus has made to come and adopt us.

Then, I quoted from John 14:18, which is a part of our text this morning, which is why I tell you this story. Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans, but I will come to you” (John 14:18). Indeed, this is the title of the book I self-published for them, “I Will Come to You.”

It’s a great picture of the love and sacrifice that it takes to adopt. It involves a choice to adopt. It involves a commitment to persevere through all of the paperwork and administrative details. It takes finances and prayer. It carries on for a lifetime. This is what Jesus has promised to do for us in our text this morning, “I will not leave you as orphans, but I will come to you” (John 14:18).

So, let’s read these words in context. They appear in John 14. So open your Bibles there (if you haven’t already), and let's read the text for you, John 14:15-21. Jesus spoke these words to his disciples in the upper room, on the night in which he was to be betrayed, arrested and sent to the cross. Jesus spoke these words to comfort his disciples, beginning in verse 1, Jesus said, "Let not your hearts be troubled."

Jesus goes on to speak of how he will leave his disciples to prepare a place for them, so that he might return and bring them to himself (verses 1-3). Jesus speaks of how he is “The way, the truth, and the life” and the only path to the Father (verses 4-6). Last week, we saw Jesus challenging his disciples to really believe what he was telling them. Then, he comes to verse 15,

John 14:15-21
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

The title of my message this morning is, “Love and Care,” because, this is what we see in our text. We see our love for God, and we see God’s care for us. Let’s look at my first point this morning: 

1. Love to God (verse 15)

We see this in verse 15,

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

In the context, Jesus is talking with the disciples, keeping his commandments. That is, the disciples will show their love to Jesus, as they believe and follow in the ways that Jesus directed them to walk.

The disciples had every reason to love Jesus. He loved them to the end (John 13:1). He knew them personally (John 1:47-49). He showed them His glory (John 2:11; 1:14). He spoke words of life to them (John 6:68). He loved them to the end. He gave them eternal life (John 10:28). He called them His friends (John 15:15) He laid down His life for them (John 15:13) He washed their feet (John 13:5) He revealed the Father to them (John 14:9) He prayed for them (John 17). He comforted their fears (John 14:1). He promised to prepare a place for them (John 14:2-3). He restored them after failure (John 21).

All of this love shown toward his disciples should have compelled them to obey the commandments of Jesus.

Perhaps the most obvious (and most fundamental) command that Jesus gave his disciples came in chapter 13, just after he stooped to wash their feet. Jesus told them, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34). That is, the followers of Jesus are show self-sacrificial love toward one another, in serving one another. And Jesus said that such love will be a demonstration of love for the world to see. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). When others see your love for one another, they will know that you are a follower of Jesus.

So, let’s go back to verse 15, Jesus said,

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

What is his “new commandment” but to love one another? So, you show your love to God by your love to others. This is why involvement and engagement in church is so important. The Christians community is the sphere in which our love for others ought to show forth most strongly.

But love isn’t the only command that Jesus gives his disciples. Chapter 14 began with a command, "Let not your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1). Love to Jesus is shown in following this command. When we rest in Jesus, not afraid of the future, not troubled in our souls, We show our love and trust in Jesus.

In fact, this is where Jesus directed his disciples with this command: "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God: believe also in me." Faith in God will trust him for our future uncertainties, and in trusting God in this way, we are following in obedience to what Jesus says. and thereby showing our love for Jesus, because we are keeping his commands.

Verse 15 is really a principle that extends far beyond Jesus and his disciples, but to us and to all of Scripture.

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

In other words, if you love God, you will obey him. It begs for all of us to ask the question: “Are you obeying God?” If not, Jesus says, you don’t love him.

I don’t care how much you say that you love him. I don’t care how much you sing about him. I don’t care how many Bible verses you post on social media. I don’t care how emotional you get during worship. I don’t care how many Christian books you’ve read. If you do not obey the Lord, then you don’t love him! So, look at your life this morning and ask yourself, “Am I obeying the Lord?” “Am I following in the way that he leads?”

Here’s the good thing, for those who genuinely love God, this is not a burden. I’m not laying a burden upon you this morning. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). When you love the Lord, the Lord gives you a desire to keep his commandments. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). With faith in Christ come new desires and longings that God places in our soul. And our obedience to the Lord is a reflection of our love for him!

So I ask you, “Do you love the Lord?” “Are you keeping his commandments?”

Well, let’s move on. My first point was in verse 15, "Love to God" (verse 15). And now my second point covers the next 5 verses. I’m calling it,

2. Care for Us (verses 16-20)

That is, God’s care for us. I think that’s the point of what Jesus says in these verses. He begins by talking about what he will do when he leaves the disciples. He isn’t merely going to leave them alone, letting them fend for themselves in his absence. No. Look at verse 16.

John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Jesus says, “Yes, I am going away. But I’m not going to leave you alone.” I will give you one to help you. If you notice, if you are following along in your Bibles in the English Standard Version, that the word, “Helper” is capitalized. That’s to indicate that this word, “Helper” is a specific, technical word, which is translated in a variety of ways.

If you have a footnote, is reads, “Or advocate or counselor.” The New International Version translates this verse here, John 14:16 (NIV) “he will give you another advocate.” The Christian Standard Bible translates this verse, John 14:16 (CSB) “he will give you another Counselor.” The King James Version says, John 14:16 (KJV) “he shall give you another Comforter.” I love the translation of the Amplified Bible, which tries to over-translate the Biblical text, so that you can catch the flavor of the original text. Listen to this verse: John 14:16 (Amplified) “He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby).”

This word for “Helper” is translated all of these different ways, because this is what the Holy Spirit does in our lives. He helps us when we are in need. He comforts us when we are grieving. He advocates for us when we are under attack. He intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray. He counsels us when we don’t know what to do. He strengthens us when we are weak He stands by us when no one else will.

In verse 17, he is called, “the Spirit of truth,” who only comes to indwell those who believe, not to those in the world. That’s the point of verse 17, "whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him."

This is God’s care for his people, particularly for the disciples in that upper room. Jesus said that when he goes, he will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Spirit, what an interesting interaction among the Trinity. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that he sent his only son. And here, we see that Jesus isn’t the one sending the Spirit, rather, it’s the Father sending the Spirit, upon the Son’s request.

Now, for the disciples, this was all future. But for us, this has already taken place. Jesus has left, and he has asked the Father. And the Father sent the Spirit.

Historically, this happened on the day of Pentecost, when Peter was preaching to the crowds in the temple, and the Father sent the Spirit to dwell in his people. You can read all about it in Acts, chapter 2.

Now, what is significant for us is that we have the Spirit in a way that’s a bit different than the disciples had him. Look again at the last phrase in verse 17, "You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Jesus is careful about the phrases he uses here. He says that the Spirit dwells “with” the disciples. But also that the Spirit will “be in” the disciples when he comes. This is a good way to hold the distinction of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, before Jesus came, the Holy Spirit was active among his people. But the Spirit came to be “with” the saints. He often came to empower people for a task. And, as in the case of Saul, the Spirit was removed from him (1 Samuel 16:14).

But when Jesus left, and the Father sent the Spirit to the disciples, the Spirit came in a new way than ever before. He came to be “in” the disciples. This was the promise of the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit is in all of you who believe, not merely “with” you. Listen to what God promised to Israel:

Ezekiel 37:26-27
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

And here we see the connection with verse 15, if we love God, we will keep his commandments. But the reality is that when the Spirit comes within us, he causes us to keep his commandments. That’s why (for a believer) the commandments of God are not burdensome (1 John 5:3), because the Spirit is working in the life of a believer, to bring about the obedience of faith (which Paul speaks about in Romans 1:5).

What a blessing that we have! That we have the Holy Spirit in us, to help us, to comfort us, to advocate for us, to intercede for us, to counsel us, to strengthen us, and to stand by us. Oh, believer in Jesus, do you rely upon the Spirit in these things! What great care God has shown to us in giving us the Spirit.

As Jesus continues in our text, he essentially says the same thing:

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

When Jesus left his disciples, he didn’t leave them alone. He promised that he would come to them. This was his resolve, every bit as much, and way more, than the resolve of my friend Stuart, who traveled to Congo to adopt his daughters. Here’s how Stuart’s book ends,

One last trip to the bathroom for all of us after we got off the plane. I then called Jennifer to let her know we were coming. They had just arrived and were waiting. I came close to losing it again as I saw everyone from the top of the escalator. Again I was spared as I fumbled around at the escalator, trying to figure out how to get the girls on, and bring our carry-ons too. Jared came to the rescue, dashing up the stairs to get the bags. I carried the girls and got on the escalator.

Jenn and the kids were all there, along a couple from church who had come just to take photos for us. They had made a couple of welcome signs and had balloons for the girls. It was a wonderful time giving greetings, and long overdue hugs and kisses.

I was hoping to get us back on Sacramento time, but that will take a few days. The girls were all in bed by about 2, the boys by about 3. I finally got showered and cleaned up, talked to Jenn for a while in my half-stupor, and we hit the hay at about 4. So much for getting on Sacramento time. My body has no idea what time it is.

It hasn’t all quite sunken in yet. The busy-ness and exhaustion has kept that from happening, I think. But I’m still rejoicing in our awesome Provider and Savior for all he has done for us. Once again, thank you to everyone who has helped us and been praying for us. We needed it all, and appreciate it so much. God is with us!

Stay tuned…Will try to keep doing updates about our new life at home!

This is a bit about what Jesus is talking about in verse 18, when Jesus would come to be with adopted children. Perhaps closer is John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Yet, all that Stuart went through to arrive in Congo and bring his children back home, is a shadow of what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t go to Congo to get us. Rather, Jesus went to the cross to get us. He died on the cross for our sins, so that we would not remain in our sins, but that we would be removed from them, to live with Christ, forever.

Jesus continues on in verse 19 to speak about his death and his resurrection. He says

John 14:19
Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

When Jesus died upon the cross, it was the last that the world would see of him. But when Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples saw him again. We will read about this at the end of John’s gospel, when he appears to Mary and the other disciples, and even to Thomas, who wanted to see and touch him for himself (John 20:24-28).

Don’t miss this precious phrase,

John 14:19
Because I live, you also will live.

This is the gospel that we cherish. Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, that all who believe in him would not perish, but would live eternally with him! The resurrection proves that Jesus conquered death, and has life to give.

The theme of the gospel of John is this: “Believe so that you may live!” And Jesus says, “Because I live, you also will live!” This promise comes to his disciples, that is, those who believe in Jesus. In verse 20, Jesus describes the presence of Jesus in the lives of the disciples.

John 14:20
In that day [that is, when Jesus is raised from the dead and with the disciples] you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

The resurrection of Jesus was a great confirmation to the disciples of the presence of Jesus in their lives. In many ways, Jesus is similar to the disciples, saying that “I [will be] in you.”

This is the mystery of the Trinity, on the one hand, Jesus goes away and asks the Father to send the Spirit to be in the disciples. Yet, on the other hand, Jesus, himself will be in the disciples as well.

The Bible often speaks of “Christ in us.” "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Paul prays in Ephesians 3:17, “ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

So, don’t try to compartmentalize the Trinity! Certainly, if the Spirit is in us, then God is in us! And if Christ is in us, then God in in us!

This is the hope that Jesus is seeking to bring to his disciples, that he cares for them, that he will make efforts to bring them to be with him. What can we do, but respond in love and obedience to the one who saved us!

We show (1) [Our] Love to God (verse 15) by our obedience. He shows 2. [His] Care for Us (verses 16-20) by coming to us in our sinful state. And in verse 21, we see these things together. 

3. Love and Care Combined (verse 21)

John 14:21
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Let me show you how this works.

We have his commandments, and our love for him compels us to keep his commandments. When we keep his commandments, the love of Jesus is upon us and he will manifest himself to us. As he manifests himself to us, it stirs in us greater love for Jesus, which leads to greater obedience, and greater love to the Father. And he will further show himself to us, which will give us greater love, and greater desire to submit to the Lord in obedience. Then we see more of the Lord, which leads to greater love and greater obedience. And so on and so on.

This is like an upward spiral!

This is our love to God (verse 15) and his care for us (verses 16-20), combined to know the Lord in greater and greater ways.

I cannot help but to contrast this with the book of Judges, which many of us are reading through right now. That book is a downward spiral of disobedience to the Lord. The people of Israel sin and walk away from the Lord. So they are severely distressed, and cry out to the LORD. And the LORD delivers them. But then, when delivered, they forget the LORD, and continue in their wicked ways, even worse than before. As they are severely distressed, they cry out to the LORD. And the LORD delivers them. But then, when delivered, they forget the LORD, again.

The book of Judges is like a downward spiral.

So, really the choice is yours. Do you want to live the life of John 14:21, and live an upward spiral? Or do you want to live the life of Judges, and live a downward spiral? May the care of the Lord drive us to love him, in greater and greater ways.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on August 31, 2025 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.