Finders Keepers

📖 Finders Keepers
Pastor Jeff Smith
6/29/25
John 14:21-24

Theme:
Jesus commands us to keep His commandments, His words, and His sayings if we love Him.

📜 Opening Thought:  

📖Proverbs 8:35 – “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.”

👉 Since Jesus said He is the life, and his commandments, words, and sayings are preserved in a book called the Bible, which is His Book of Life on how we ought to live. We should keep what we have found in the Bible that we might obtain the LORD’s favor.

I. ❤️Keep His Commandments (John 14:15 –  If ye love me, keep my commandments.)

A. What Are These Commandments?

  • Not the Ten Commandments or the Mosaic laws (Lev. 22:31), although the same principle of obedience applies.

  • These are new commandments revealed after His resurrection (John 14:25-26), primarily through:

    • The teachings and writings of Paul (Acts 9:15; 26:16-18).

    • The leading of the Holy Ghost through the New Testament.

B. Commandments in the Bible:

  • Old Testament: 613 Commandments

    • ➕ 248 Positive (Do this)

    • ➖ 365 Negative (Do not do this)

  • Paul’s Epistles: Approx. 1,000 Commands
    Focused on sanctification, love, unity, and walking in the Spirit.

C. Examples of New Testament Commandments:

  • Be not ignorant – Romans 11:25

  • Be not conformed – Romans 12:1

  • Be not wise in your own conceits – Romans 12:16

  • Be not overcome of evil – Romans 12:21

  • Be not entangled again with bondage – Galatians 5:1

  • Be not deceived – Galatians 6:7

  • Be not unequally yoked – 2 Corinthians 6:14

  • Be not weary in well doing – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

  • Be ye kind – Ephesians 4:32

  • Rejoice evermore – 1 Thessalonians 5:16

D. The Reason we should Keep His Commandments:

  • They are not grievous (John 15:10)

  • Reflects His Love for Us– John 15:10

  • Reveals our Love for Jesus – 1 John 5:2-3

  • Reveals our Knowledge of Jesus – 1 John 2:3

E. The Reward for Keeping His Commandments

o   Brings Mercy – Exodus 20:6 - And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

o   Brings His Manifestation (John 14:21) - In your home, on your job, in your church.

📌Application: Love for Christ is proven in practical obedience through the keeping of his words. “Love is the root, obedience is the fruit.” — Charles Spurgeon (Eph. 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,)

II. 🗣️ Keep His Words
(John 14:23 – If a man love me, he will keep my words: )
A. The Reason for Keeping His Words:

  • Because you love God.

  • Because you love purity – Psalm 12:6 (God’s words are pure.)

  • Keeps you from temptation – Revelation 3:10 - Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

B. The Reward for Keeping His Words:

  • Abiding Promise: The Father and the Son will love you.

  • Abiding Presence: God will make His home with you.

  • Abundant Provision: God will meet your needs.

📌 Application: Keeping His words means treasuring the Scriptures, applying them, and allowing them to govern your speech, decisions, and attitudes. His word must abide in you richly. "This is the book that makes wise the simple, that gives light to the eyes, that rejoices the heart. O that men were wise to read it, believe it, and obey it!" — George Whitefield (1714–1770)

III. 📖 Keep His Sayings
(John 14:24 –He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings )

A. Lets Our Hearts not be Troubled (verse 27)
B. Leads to:

  • Unity with the Father: Jesus’ sayings are the Father’s sayings.

  • Undeniable Faithfulness: Revelation 22:6 – His sayings are faithful, true, and always reliable.

  • Unshakable Foundation: Matthew 7:24–26 – Building on the rock.

  • Unbroken Fellowship: Staying close to Jesus daily.

📌 Application: Keeping Christ’s sayings means building your life on the rock. Keeping his sayings keep you anchored to the Rock when the storms of life are raging to knock you down.

🔥 Closing Application / Challenge:

The prince of this world (Satan) is now the god of this world
(2 Cor. 4:4) and he is actively working to:

  • Blind minds.

  • Lead the world into seven years of darkness and tribulation.

Before that time:

  • Jesus will rapture the church.

  • Until then, let us be found faithful:

    • Keeping His commandments.

    • Keeping His words.

    • Keeping His sayings.

Final Charge:

📖The Bible is our light in this dark world.
✨ The Father gave His commands to Jesus → Jesus gave His
commands to us → Now, we must “Arise, let us go hence.” (vs. 31)

Jeffrey smith