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We obviously continue on, and
John, I have a dilemma in front of me because typically if something's
wrong with your outfit, you're not supposed to highlight it,
but I'm afraid everyone's gonna be staring and wondering if I
put on a stained shirt to start the morning, but I didn't. I
pulled a rookie tea move and finished tea drinking in my Sunday
school class by tipping it all the way up, and the tea bag came
out and spilled on my shirt. If you're eagle-eyed, you can
see the stain. And if you're not, then you're just blind.
And so you can't see anything. But I just wanted to get that
out of the way before I started, because I'd hate for you guys
to be super attentive and me to think, wow, look at them this
morning. They're on top of it, and it'd
just be the stain on my shirt. So yes, it is. It's there. It's
right there. You can't see what happened to
the jacket. It was too late to run home and change. And I just
wanted to just erase that off the bat there. We're in a text
of scripture, and in all honesty, I was tempted last week to preach
through all of these verses, but it became apparent that it
would be somewhat difficult to do that. And so I titled this,
Being a Friend of God. This is a carry forward. of the
vine and branch illustration though what we talked about last
week will stand alone in that sense this is if you're thinking
about a conversation and we are in a conversation that's what's
being recorded here at one time they are on their way walking
this would kind of tuck tied into the same paragraph as the
vine and branch illustration, where we see a shift in verse
18, where he's gonna talk and warn them about something else.
And so I titled this, Being a Friend of God, looking at this statement,
and it's encapsulated, obviously, with two statements about loving
one another, which we'll talk about. But I think we all want,
in all reality, we need friends, unless, of course, you're a narcissist.
And so hopefully no one is that here, but we understand the idea
of friendship, because typically we crave some connection, we
crave friendship of some sort. And in all honesty, if you've
had the benefit of having someone in your life with whom you have
mutual trust and support, you understand what having a good
friend means. People will often make crucial
life decisions about what they do for a living, where they live,
and the hobbies they pursue. based on friendship. If you kind
of trace back in your life, think about what your friends are interested
in and oftentimes what you might be interested in now based on
the fact that you're friends with somebody. We even have a
desire to be considered a best friend, not always the best desire
to be expressed. I've been at more than one wedding
and heard the best man or the matron or maid of honor make
a speech and repeat their status. Why? To make sure everyone knows
at the wedding that they are the closest. to the bride or
to the groom. Why is that? Because being and
having friends matters. There is a significance in that
relationship. And I'm talking about a real
friendship, not just the superficial social media ones that we think
we have, but people that we connect with, that we talk with, that
we're, when I say there's an intimate connection, there's,
you can talk about a host of different things. And this morning,
As we walk or continue what is called the Upper Room Discourse,
and again, I've mentioned it many a time, this is referring
to not only the Upper Room, but the journey through Jerusalem
on into the Garden. And so, we see Jesus now in the
context of the vine and the branches. As He wraps that up, He's going
to move to talking about being friends of his, and he's gonna
refer to the disciples and really by extension to believers as
friends. And there's many ways the Bible
refers to believers, but friend captures a unique aspect of communion
with the Lord. And so we're gonna kind of look
and explore what that means. A lot has unfolded in the conversation
that takes place the night of Jesus' arrest and the day before
his death. And I know I repeat myself on
this, but I do this on purpose because it's important for us
to be in context, to be at the right place, understand where
we are in the story. So he's addressed their pride
and selfishness. They've learned of a betrayer
in their midst. They have heard how Peter would
deny Jesus in his critical hour, and they've been confronted with
the reality that Jesus was leaving. That reality is now where they
hang all their emotions on. So everything centers around
that Jesus is leaving, but it's not to the exclusion of what's
taking place, but instead all of those are hung on that hook.
They've struggled mightily with that, and our Savior has been
comforting them while instructing them. So he is trying to ease
their mind, while also teaching them. And as they left the upper
room to journey to the garden, he's given them the illustration
of the vine and branches and taught them that a believer will
be fruitful, meaning that an unbeliever or unfruitfulness
equals or is an indication of someone who's an unbeliever.
And remember, Judas would have been a very poignant and current
picture of that. So they have seen the vine, the
branches, they have heard that lack of fruit means that you're
an unbeliever, you're not remaining, you are not part of him, but
that you will bear fruit as a believer. they have the picture of the
betrayer on purpose. And understand that's critical.
Not by accident, but that he was a betrayer on purpose. And
then he highlighted the promise of fruitfulness with results
such as a known love and his joy permeating their life. And
now that illustration carries forward into these next verses
as Jesus lovingly calls them friends. with all the connections
that come with it, but it's a friendship that is encapsulated by love. Verses 12 and 13, and then also
verse 17, and it's helpful to understand, and one of the reasons
why it's easy to pull this out of the Vine illustration is that
it is started and ended with the same statement. So he says,
this is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have
loved you. Then he defines the love in the
context of friendship. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And then verse 17, it says again,
these things I command you that ye love one another. And I hope
that we understand something as we were looking at being a
friend of God. But that love is a characteristic
that cannot be absent. A loveless Christian is a misnomer. We cannot escape love when we
speak of Christ, when we speak of being a believer. Because
it was his love for us that drove him to the cross. A love in spite
of who we were. It says in scripture, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And so we're looking
at this and we understand that you cannot connect to Christ.
You cannot be in his family. You cannot be his child and not
talk about love, not connect about love. But as humans, we
need constant help here. Why is Jesus in the most critical
last hour telling his disciples, you need to love one another.
And by the way, less than a few verses later, he says, I'm going
to command you that you love one another because we struggle
with it. We wrestle with this. Keep in
mind, the disciples that same evening have neglected to clean
each other's feet because they had too much pride and unwillingness
to lower themselves, or I would say, love others enough to have
cleaned each other's feet. They don't love each other enough
to serve each other. But that is not, and I want to
emphasize that, that is not an acceptable characteristic of
those who are to be like Christ at all. Because he makes abundantly
and repetitively clear that we are to love his church. To what extent as he loved his
church. Yet we should, unless we're just
blunt and arrogant and blind to the reality, we should ask
this question, how can we love as He loves? How is that possible
for us? And one author asked that question,
then he answered it and said, the only satisfying answer is
found in the truth that the love of Christ becomes our love, which
flows out to other believers. It is given to us for just this
purpose. Another writer remarks, the love
believers have for each other is marked by a selfless devotion
to meeting one another's needs. It is not mere sentiment or superficial
attachment. And I want us to lock into that. Because when he says to love
his church, it is always going to be a love that is active,
that is connected. And we're going to actually talk
about the next point is the sacrifice for his church. Loving his church
is no casual emotion or easy endeavor. It will be a choice
we make even when circumstances may dictate otherwise. And let
me repeat that, it's a choice we're gonna make even when circumstances
may dictate otherwise. As one of the unique things,
obviously, when you pastor, you get to hear more opinions about
the church than maybe everyone hears. Maybe you share amongst
your group of friends what you feel the church is about, but
maybe not as many. And one of the things that comes
out is that our love for his church, again, it's not our church,
it's his, is often dictated on what has unfolded in our life
before that, how we feel about certain things. And the reality
is, is Christ doesn't say that. He says, love my church as I've
loved it. Loving his church is not what
we typically think it is. And we are far too superficial,
we are far too fickle, and our standard of love far too earthly. How are you to love his church
as he loved it? Loving his church involves work. I'll be the first to say it,
it's not always easy. We know that because we look
around and we see all the different people and we think, man, it's
hard to love them. But then if we're really honest
with ourselves, as we look at ourselves, we think, how could
someone love me? With all the issues that I have,
with all the rudeness that comes from me, with all the quirks
and problems and idiosyncrasies, how could someone deal with me? Loving his church involves work. It involves pain. It involves
forgiveness. It involves all of you. But as Jesus says, and we're
going to in the context of being his friend, of abiding in him,
the vine of the branch illustration, he says to them, love my church. You want a good picture of that
love in action? Read Paul's letters to the churches. And read him understanding his
heart and his passion that pours out there where he ministered.
And I want you to see how he was consumed with their growth
in Christ. Not just that they feel good
about themselves, but that they were actually growing closer
to their Savior. His pain when they were wayward.
1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians are not oftentimes complimentary
letters. He's not telling them, hey, great
job. I think you did a wonderful, wonderful work there. If you
want biblical sarcasm, it's tucked in the letters to the church
in Corinth. He mocks them a little bit under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, so it's biblical mocking. You're kings and we
are nothing, he says. In other words, he's confronting
because he didn't want them just to feel good, but he was passionate.
His purpose in them was that they would stand before their
Savior and hopefully hear, well done thou good and faithful servant.
That's your example, a human example, of loving his church
through the pain, with the work. You might say, well, that's Paul's
job. That's what he's called to. He
was called to be an apostle, and the elders need to do that,
and pastors, and maybe even deacons need to do that. And I want us
to understand something. That's the calling of the church.
Every one of us is called to love in that way. This passion,
this consuming desire to see the growth of his church, not
in the way that maybe we want in this temporal circumstance,
but instead growing in Christ's likeness and in his service.
And this love for his church, love for the brethren, becomes
and is our most powerful apologetic to the unbelieving world. It
is our bold and unique proclamation of who we are in Christ. How do we tell the world that
we're Christians? How do we identify in Christ? By loving his church. John 13,
34 through 35, John has already been inspired by the Holy Spirit
to write this, a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love
one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
In case you're understanding or misunderstanding, who are
you loving? His church. And he goes this, In other words,
you want to identify in Christ. You want to let the world know
that you are a believer. You want to show your identity.
I'm not saying it's an argument for the gospel. It's not answering
every question that someone may throw. at the church, at God,
at truth. It's not that. It's just telling
the world, I am a Christian. How do we do that? By loving
His church. We proclaim to whom we belong
by our love for His church, which leads to having fruit, spiritual
fruit, of seeing the gospel witness blossom in the lives of those
previously lost. But as was stated earlier, this
is no easy love. Instead, it requires us to sacrifice
for His church. How are you to sacrifice? as
he sacrificed for his church. Greater love, he said, hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Here, Jesus, among, as he's identified them, friends, brings up his
standard of love, love that compelled him to the cross so that he would
give eternal life to them. Now, some people argue, well,
wouldn't greater love be manifested to someone's enemies? which is
just, I call nitpicking critique. John is not writing in the context
of comparing friends to enemies, but just in case you want to
follow that train of thought, I quoted this earlier, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So if you want to say,
he's just saying greater love has no man than this to lay down
his life for his friends. We weren't God's friends before
we were redeemed. In other words, he loved us.
while we were enemies of God. And so it all ties together beautifully. The point though is this, Jesus
did not die for himself, but so that others might live. It
was his perfect sacrifice. And so to replicate him, if we
are to sacrifice for the church, as he sacrificed for the church,
what's on the table? Everything. We are to sacrifice
for his church, as he did, a sacrifice that is active and loving. John articulates this sacrificial
love in 1 John 3, 16 through 18, and he makes crystal clear
what love will do. I'm going to read those. By this
we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the
world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart
against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children,
let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. We
will quickly say, I will die for the church, because we're
not likely to be called to die for the church. Because we can
make that statement in theory, it sounds great, but let's be
honest, we aren't facing that circumstance. And John writing,
1 John, and actually was facing more of a death situation, is
basically confronting the ease with which we'll make the bombastic
statement, I'll die for you. Well, if you'll die for me, then
why not buy a loaf of bread for me? Well, I'll die for you, but
I'm gonna let you starve to death. And that's what John is confronting.
And I want us to see something as Jesus is telling them about
what love looks like, it's a love in action. And the action takes
place at the street level. It takes place in real life. A true friend of Jesus loves
and sacrifice like him. But are we? We claim the name
of Christian, yet fail to apply a standard of love and sacrifice.
We fail to allow it to change the core of who we are. To be a Christian who loves,
as John is articulating, will change how you behave in society,
and specifically in your church. which begs the questions, are
we really the friends of Jesus if we lack biblical love for
his church and if we're unwilling to biblically sacrifice for his
people? Because it's cool to have a friend. We like to be someone's friend
and we like to say that we're their best friend. We want to
claim the title. We want to be friends of God,
but we don't want to take the responsibility. Because being
Jesus' friend is encapsulated by love, but it's also experienced
by obedience. Look at verses 14 through 16. if ye do whatsoever I command
you. Henceforth, I call you not servants."
And now he's bringing the servant, and by the way, Paul calls us
servants, and that's one of the names for that, and we'll talk
about it. But here in the context of earthly servanthood, he says
this, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But
I have called you friends. For all things that I have heard
of my Father, I have made known unto you. You've not chosen me,
but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring
forth fruit. And there's that fruit connection
to the vine and branches, but don't miss the word go, which
is critical. Get out and go, he's saying,
and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask
of the Father in my name, he may give it to you, which is
something he talked about last week as well. Now, often throughout
the New Testament, we find that believers are called slaves.
It is the corresponding word to Lord and it reflects something
about our relationship with Christ. It's our utter submission to
and dependence upon our heavenly master. And I would say it's
the critical word leading out for that exact reason. One of
the, I would say one, the main reason, the root reason someone
does not believe is pride. It's the unwillingness to submit
to the wisdom of God, to submit to God at all in the sense of
that we are beholden to him for our sin, we're accountable to
him and that we need, utterly dependent, means that I'm not
able in and of myself to solve a problem that is eternal and
the most important issue at all. And so that's why the Lord slave
connotation. Yet here Jesus wants to show
intimacy and depth of relationship and interaction with him. And
so he calls us friend because in the context of temporal slaves
and masters, the slave doesn't know what the master is thinking
or planning. not to trace back to ugly times
in history, but a master would just tell a slave what to do.
They don't explain to said person why they want to do it, what
their long-term plans are, or what they're hoping to accomplish.
But instead, they tell them do this without sharing any information,
without having a connection at all. Uniquely, though, a friend
does know what the person is thinking. Abraham was called
the friend of God. It was a unique and a great honor.
I think he's the only person the Old Testament referred to
that way. And here, Jesus lets the disciples know, along with
us, that we're his friends. So a unique connection in the
Old Testament is now given to every believer out there, and
it implies a great connection and access to the King of Kings.
William Barclay notes this, he says, And at these courts, in these
settings, and if you ever read about kings and their courts
and all those things, it's a very involved situation. There was
a very select group called the Friends of the King, or if you're
looking at Roman Emperors, Friends of the Emperor. At all times,
they had access to the king. And in some situations, they
had the right to come to his bedchamber at the beginning of
the day. In other words, they could come
in to wake up the king. He talked to them before he talked
to his generals, his rulers, and his statesmen. That's the
connection. We have a buddy mindset, right?
That's my friend. I hang out with them. We do dumb
things together. That's friendship from zero to
18, right? But this is the idea. The friendship
had a much more significant role here. Access to the king in a
way that no one else has. It is that deep connection that
Jesus is emphasizing here. It's an honor reserved for those,
though, that obey his word. You're my friends in the context
of the king of kings, if you do what I command. This obedience
is not what makes them friends. It is what characterizes his
friends. We love to earn. We love to have
the right. I did this, I get that. And understanding,
scripture talks about if you don't work, you shouldn't eat.
There's a whole host of things where that makes sense, that
system is there as we function here on earth. But when it comes
to being his friend of God, it's not because I obey that I am
his friend. I am his friend because I obey. That's a natural characteristic.
Jesus' friends are the object of his love and are obedient
to him because the friends of Jesus are those who habitually
obey him. W.E. Vines, and he did a dictionary
of Greek and Hebrew, and he was describing this word obedience,
which is translating the idea of doing what God commands. So
that statement, you're my friends if you do what I command. He
describes that word as this, it's when a man obeys God, he
gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes
God. In other words, their word for
obedience is deeper than the word that we use. And that's
the beauty of Greek, is that it has a depth to it. There's
other words for that kind of blatant obedience that doesn't
have that same connection. So it's obedience by believing. It's someone who's bought into
this, is what he's saying. And it suggests an actual and
outward result of the inward persuasion and consequent faith. In other words, the word that
he chooses to use there is a word deeper than we're used to seeing. It's a word that implies an inward
change in us, reflected in an outward behavior. That's why
being Jesus' friend is intricately tied to obeying him. Now, we
need to remember something. Good works save no one. but a
faith devoid of them is dead and cannot save." That's the
tension we'll find. Ephesians hints to it, 210. For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them.
In other words, it's that same analogy. To be a fruitless Christian
is impossible because we are made to be fruitful. Ephesians
2.10. James 2.26 states, "...for just
as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without
works is dead." Not that works equals faith, but in other words,
lack of works, no fruit, is indicative of a fake faith. And so I mentioned
that in the context of obedience, it is an outward action reflecting
what is real inside of us. It's not something we earn. We
don't gain that. It is the natural outcome of
being a believer. Believers, we are the friends
of our Lord, yet as his friends, we, different than a friendship
amongst each other, will obey, right? If I'm friends with somebody,
it doesn't mean I obey him. I have a friend named Mike, we've
hung out since we were 13, talk about history, but I don't obey
him, nor does he obey me, right? That's different, but we understand
that the friendship that he's talking about is different in
this context, and we will obey, and as we obey, we then will
also listen or be in tuned to his purpose and plan. Verses
15 and 16, because we're going to pray and the father is going
to give. We know that we pray in his will and in his purpose.
And so here is the distinction between an earthly servant who
will not know the intent or purpose of the master and the friend
who knows the inner thoughts. Servant is told to do this. Friend
is in the bedroom of the king talking to him as he wakes up
about what's gonna go on and what his plans are and what the
big connotation is there. Jesus makes beautifully clear
that it is in all things that we are engaged and connected,
meaning we are not in the dark as believers, hoping we're headed
in the right direction. We do not have a blind faith. I know that's an accusation hurled
by those who do not believe. And I will say emphatically that
those who don't believe have a blind faith in the world. They make a bigger leap. than
God asks us to do. We are not asked to be blind
and ignorant as we move in. It means we are not guessing
at His will and purpose, but instead can move with clear confidence
to advance His kingdom. You're my friends, and you know
all things. I've taught you everything the
Father had instructed to be taught. Friends know what is going on. Friends are aware of the plan
and intricately involved in it. How amazingly wonderful that
he includes us in his purpose, yet it is crucial that we recognize
his hand. He makes clear that we are, and
he used the word chosen, As Homer Kent writes, What are we looking
at in this context? Who picks who? And what's interesting
is that is a complete reversal of what typically would unfold
in Jewish culture. A disciple, a follower, picked
the rabbi. You saw, said rabbi, you said,
I'd like to be their student. I'd like to be their pupil. And
you would go to them and you would ask to be taught by them. And what Jesus is saying is,
that's not what happened to you, disciples. And think about it. He chose them. He sought them. He found them. This means, and
this is the critical reason behind him sharing this, there's no
self-pride here. Our confidence, well, look at
me. I'm going the right direction.
Well, it's removed. Our intellectual arrogance is
erased. It's very easy to become elitist.
Well, at least I had enough insight to believe. At least I know. And think about the disciples,
11 guys walking with him through Jerusalem. Get the context of
the conversation. Who sought who? And Christ is
reminding him, I sought you guys out. I called you. Matthew was
a tax collector. Did these guys leave what they
were doing? Most certainly they did. From
their perspective, They went for him. But he's making sure
these 11 disciples know, look, don't get arrogant. Don't be
chocked with self-confidence. He worked, he sought, he chose.
And he chose them, he says now, for a reason. because they were
all appointed to bear fruit. And he's making a point. And
that's why I mentioned I was wanting to preach this in the
context of vine and branch, because he comes now back to what he
made a point of last week. You're appointed to bear fruit. One author wrote this, the Christian
life is not a spectator sport. They will now go, he says, and
bear fruit that abides, fruit that remains eternally. Remember
the word abide is to remain in? And now he uses that exact same
word. I want you to bear fruit that
abides, remains, just as they needed to abide to bear fruit.
And then I wanna come back to that word I emphasized, because
he added that in there. He says you're gonna go and bear
fruit. And that's exactly what he meant.
They needed to go. What is the Great Commission?
We should all kind of know that, right? Go and make disciples,
right? Here is the same calling. So it's not like he's giving
a new thing at the end of the Gospels as he heads off to heaven. He says, oh, by the way, go and
make disciples. He's already talked about this
in his upper room discourse, which, as you well know, is no
longer in the upper room, but we're walking through Jerusalem.
Here we are on the streets. We've had the vine and branch
illustration. He's removing any sense of arrogance
or self-confidence, but he's telling them you're gonna bear
fruit, and what kind of fruit are you gonna bear? And this fruit,
very specifically, is zeroing in. And we talked about the fruit,
and the fruit of the Spirit, and the fruit of soul saved. Well, he is emphasizing here,
and as Morris writes, the idea of mission. The idea that you're
going out, that you have a job to accomplish, and we are called
to go and make disciples. They needed to bear fruit, fruit
that matters, fruit that remains. And that fruit brings and is
a fruit of itself in a line prayer, prayer that seeks his purpose,
prayer that is synced with evangelism. Because here, the emphasis on
this fruit, whereas a couple phrases before, he's talking
about fruit in general, the fruit of a Christian character, and
fruit that would be seen in new converts and new believers. Here,
his emphasis on fruit as he's walking with the disciples is
that you will go and make disciples, that your fruit that remains
will be that eternal fruit, and we will passionately seek eternal
fruit in our prayer life, right? Ask the Father and He will give
it to you. Why do we pray for our lost friends, families, and
coworkers. Why is that an emphasis on our
heart and mind? It's driven from this kind of
context. Ask Him and He will give to you
because as we align our heart with what He wants, His purpose
and will, then we will passionately seek eternal fruit in our prayer
life and in our action and our appointed fruit here right now
in this context is focusing on new and true believers. Evangelism is on the heart of
Jesus Christ. I've said this through all of
John. You cannot run away from the
fact that Jesus never stopped reaching. that when he's talking
to Judas, there's a evangelistic reach there, that when he works
with even the Pharisees, there's an evangelistic reach there.
And as he commands the disciples, as they journey on, as they're
walking through Jerusalem, as he walks to being arrested, what
is on his heart and mind, fruit that abides, and now he gets
very specific, that you will pray and you're gonna be praying
evangelistically. I would challenge us that when
we look at our prayer life to the Lord, and as we look at saying,
well, if I align my will, then he will do what I want, that's
how we see it. But really, as we pray and align
our heart, we'll pray for what he's doing. And we'll be synced
to his heart for people. And what does that look like?
And again, this is not to say we shouldn't pray for the health
of people, we shouldn't pray for the financial struggles of
people, but what does health solve eternally? I would venture nothing in that
sense. But as we pray for the eternal
soul of somebody, and I would challenge us as believers as
we see Christ talk about fruit and then he dives into the prayer
life, you'll pray in the Father's will and he'll give you what
you ask, and I would challenge us to have our prayers aligned
more with his eternal kingdom. What changes a life for eternity? Only knowing Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior. Only that, and here he's saying, have that focus. We're appointed to bear fruit,
appointed to be aligned, but as John MacArthur writes, the
privilege that characterizes the friends of Jesus Christ carry
with them corresponding responsibilities. I have one question, but are
we being responsible friends? Are we seeing this and instead
of grabbing it as we often do and say, well, I just want to
make sure I'm praying in the Lord's will so what I want will happen. Instead
saying, he said, go and bear fruit that remains and then have
a prayer life that aligns. Do we need to change who we are
in that? And what I mean is not change
to the words that I'm saying, but the words of scripture. To
have a prayer life that is much more connected to his eternal
kingdom, to his purpose, to why we've been left here. Why are
we here on earth as believers? Why not be taken to heaven where
there is no sin? Why are we left? We're his ambassadors.
What are we doing? We're representing him and his
kingdom. What is his message? Well, I
don't think you can deny when you read the Gospels that his
message was the good news that he came to earth to redeem us,
to buy us back from the sin that we have. And so here you see
Christ, and I hope you can grab it, go and bear fruit that remains. In other words, be in tune to
his evangelistic heart. Well, as we began the discussion,
Jesus ends talking about love. And to be honest, it is a perfect
encapsulation of His command in 12 and 17, but also ties beautifully
in with the branch Vine illustration, he says, these things I command
you that ye love one another. And as Homer Kent writes, by
letting their Christian love for one another flourish unhindered,
they would be producing the spiritual fruit that the Holy Spirit was
being sent to accomplish among them, and would be offering a
clear testimony to the world of their identification with
Christ. And I want to close now with
two pressing questions, though, as we look at that. Because as
we love the church, His church, it's not a building and it's
not an organization, it's people, and it's His people, we identify
with Christ, His friends, are responsible friends. As we have
his passion for evangelism, as we are, and it should break our
heart when we know someone that's lost, not in an ugly way, not
in a vindictive way, but in a passionate way to see them come to believe
in Jesus Christ. But it begs two questions. One,
are you a true friend of Jesus? And what do I mean by that is,
are you a believer? You are not a friend of God if
you have not put your faith, trust in Jesus Christ. And if
not, what is keeping you from it? I would implore you to spend
some time in self-examination. I would challenge you, if you
are not a friend of God, if you're gonna be honest, I would challenge
you to write down why you would not be his friend, his follower,
his child, so at least you can articulate why. And I say that
not just because I wanna give homework and I'm not trying to
give homework, but I say that because I think you might be
surprised by your reasons. They might be more emotional
than you think. And maybe not, but write them down so you can
articulate why. And I would say this, and then
I would love to reach out and say, I'd like to connect with
you for coffee or lunch, and I'd love to talk with you about
it. I'd love to know. Why would that be? Well, I'm
a believer, and I would love to talk to you about what it
means to be a believer in the context of why you can't believe,
why you think there's reasons to not believe. And then two,
if you are his friend, meaning you are a true believer, that
I believe as his church, we are and should be convicted to ask
us this, am I acting like the friend he just described? Am
I acting the way he just said? I know sometimes people who are
lost get irritated because we keep talking about being a believer,
but I would say this, our master commanded it. He told us this
is where we should have our focus and we should be passionate for.
Why? Because it is the only thing
that matters in eternity. You will never stand before God
and give him a reason that is acceptable except that you know
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You can't say anything
to him except to have said, I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ
for forgiveness of sins. There's nothing else. So why
are we passionate about this? Because it is the only thing
that matters for eternity. And so I would implore believers,
his friends, to ask themselves, am I acting like his friend,
like he just described? And I would narrow that down.
As a believer, how passionate are you for the lost? How much
do you care to love his church and then have a love for people
who don't know him and have a driving passion to reach them? Because
there's really no other reason for us to be hanging out here.
We'll all sing a lot better in heaven. At least I hope so. But
we're here because we've been left as ambassadors. We are his
friends. And he says, go, go and have
fruit that remains. Have eternal fruit. What does
that mean? It means that we go out and bear
his news, his gospel, and our prayer life is passionately connected
to people who don't know him. And we see the opportunity we
have to reach them and to share the good news with them. That
we, I would even use this word, manipulate every chance in life. to be able to share His good
news, because nothing else matters as much as knowing Jesus Christ.
Being A Friend of God
Series John: That You May Believe
| Sermon ID | 1027241552285443 |
| Duration | 41:42 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday Service |
| Bible Text | John 15; John 15:12-17 |
| Language | English |
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