April 22, 2018
Evening Service

This morning we had an agriculture lesson about pruning.  It is not pleasant, but it is necessary.  The pruning causes growth in the plants and in us.  God uses these times to take us to a new level of faith that we may love Him and our brothers at a much deeper level.  The key to survival is where we get our spiritual nourishment.  We must learn to abide in Christ.  Abide means to exist, dwell in, rest in, continue in, and stand firm in.  As we abide in Christ we will naturally begin to bring forth fruit in our lives that bring glory to God and help our struggling brothers.  Jesus now touches again on a subject that by now we surely have figured out is very important to Him; our relationship with other believers.

John 15:12-13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  (13)  No one has greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

·        If Jesus were a teacher in a classroom, it would be pretty clear that this would be on the test.  He has continued to hammer this idea home to the disciples showing just how important it is.  He wants us to sacrificially love each other as He has loved us.  He then prophecies in that He loves us so much that He would lay down His life for His friends.  This type of love does not come naturally to us.  It is a God given ability that we are able to put others needs before our own.  We have Jesus as our example to follow.  We may never be called to die for someone, but we certainly can listen, encourage, give to and help those around us.  Love comes most often in small gestures rather than large ones.  Look for opportunities to love one another.

 

John 15:14-17  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  (15)  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.  (16)  You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.  (17)  These things I command you, that you love one another.

·        This idea parallels right along with the idea of “abiding with Christ.”  Both result in an intimate relationship with our Savior.  He does not consider us servants or slaves; but we are His friends and brothers.  He has included us in His plans and shows us all things.

·        The conditional statement in verse 14 is truly just revealing what a true friend would do.  “If you love Me, keep My commandment.”  We honor His word as a true friend and follower of Jesus; doing it out of love for Him.  We certainly are indebted to Him for all He has done for us and could be considered His servants, but love changes the whole perspective.

·        Jesus then tells the disciples and I believe us as well that He has chosen us.  He has chosen us to receive the gift of salvation and also to perform the works, bringing forth fruit that He has given us to do.  The Great Commission was not only for the disciples but for us as well.  He has a work for each of us to do and to accomplish.  We are not alone as again He promises that if we pray He will grant us whatever we need to succeed.  God will not call you to something and then leave it to you to figure it out.  We only have to be willing to take the first few steps in faith and then trust Him to finish the work He has started in you.

·        Jesus now addresses a very relative subject in the relationship of believers to the world.

 

John 15:18-19  If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  (19)  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

·        The disciples, and all of us, are called to love a world that will hate us.  The Truth that we stand for clashes with the evil that rules this world.  We go into the world opposing the same evil forces that opposed Christ.  Scripture certainly is coming true saying the “Good shall be called evil and evil good.”  Look at subjects like abortion, same sex marriage, and even correcting our children.  If we hold a view that does not line up with that of the world then we are called “haters of men and intolerant.”  Just as prayer has been removed from schools, so shall the world seek to remove the right to speak truth in the churches.  This whole situation with transgender equality is just insane where it is going and so quickly.  Satan is a liar and perverter and he is at the top of his game right now.

 

John 15:20-25 Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept My saying, they will also keep yours.  (21)  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  (22)  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.  (23)  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  (24)  If I had not done among them the works which no other did, they would not have had sin. But now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father.  (25)  But that the Word might be fulfilled that is written in their Law, "They hated Me without a cause."

·        Chapter 14 was one of the most comforting promises Jesus made for us.  He promised that He was going away to prepare a place for us and would return one day to take us there.  This promise in verse 20 is not as comforting, but is just as true.  We will face persecution.   This morning we learned that God would prune us and now we see He promises us persecution.  Our choosing to follow Christ is not an easy road to navigate.  It is rough and narrow and there are times it is extremely hard.  Jesus is telling us the truth and we should not be surprised when it happens.  He is not sugar coating what it means to accept His invitation to “Follow Me.”  C.S. Lewis says the call to follow Christ is a call to come and die.

·        Where does all this hate come from?  Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it.  Those who reject Christ are choosing their own condemnation of their own free will.  Their guilt of their sin and their love of sin causes them to hate Christ rather than embrace the loving offer He gives to whosoever will.  We are no better than He.  They hated Him and they will hate us as well.  It is not pleasant when it happens, it really hurts, but don’t be surprised by it.  He did not say “if they persecute you,” He said “they will persecute you.”

·        Jesus does not leave us hanging right there wondering whether we can handle all this “pruning and persecution.”  He reaffirms another promise that will carry us through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John 15:26-27  And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.  (27)  And you also shall bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

·        Remember earlier I said the love He has called us to display is not a natural one, but one that is God given to us.  This is where that love comes from; the giving of the Holy Spirit.  His presence in our lives enables us to love in the face of hate.  To be comforted in the time of persecution.  It enables us to speak truth when being lied to.  The Holy Spirit enabled each of these apostles, except John, to face not only hatred but martyrdom out of love for their Savior.  People don’t die for something that is not really true.

 

In the last two chapters we have been promised many things by Jesus.  He promised that He is preparing a place for us that is above even what our imagination can dream up.  He promised that He will return and take us there to be with Him forever.  He promised that He is the only way to God, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  He also promised that He will painfully prune us to help us to grow.  He now promises that the world will hate us and we will face persecution.  He then closes the chapter promising us that help is on the way.  He will send the Holy Spirit to guide, encourage, and empower us to face whatever comes our way.  He does not promise that troubles will not come, but only that He will be with us when they do and in the end we win!

 

John 14:1-3  Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2)  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your many promises to us.  Please grant us the vision we need to endure any pruning or persecution by keeping our eyes upon You and holding tightly to Your promises.