Sermon

John 15:1-17

IPC Ealing Sermon Podcast

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  1. So, we've been looking at what does it mean to be ministry-minded?

  2. What does it mean to serve?

  3. And it all starts, doesn't it, with the servant king, the Lord Jesus, the son of man who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

  4. And then we looked at what does it mean to serve as sons of the Father.

  5. And then last week, as the bride of the king, and this morning I want us to look at what does it mean to serve as friends of the boss.

  6. I look at John 15 and verse 15.

  7. It's a remarkable verse.

  8. John 15 and verse 15.

  9. Jesus says, no longer to his disciples do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing.

  10. But I have called you friends.

  11. I've called you friends.

  12. It's the ultimate name-dropping, isn't it?

  13. To call Jesus friends.

  14. Or to say we are not only friends of Jesus, but that Jesus regards you and I as his followers as his friends.

  15. It's the ultimate in name-dropping because his name is above every name.

  16. And so if you know someone who's got a really well-known name, you'll know people like this.

  17. They drop it, don't they, into every conversation.

  18. Some of you will remember Dan Quayle.

  19. It's ancient now, but he was the vice president to George Bush Senior.

  20. I think I've got that right.

  21. And in their kind of vice presidential debate, Dan Quayle, who was not short on confidence, compared himself to John F. Kennedy.

  22. And Lloyd Benson, who he was debating, came back.

  23. And Lloyd Benson said this, Senator, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.

  24. And Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.

  25. That is very clever.

  26. It's a double whammy, isn't it?

  27. Because in one breath, this guy was able to tell the nation I was friends with John F. Kennedy.

  28. And at the same time, he made Dan Quayle look like a dirty name.

  29. He made a fool of him.

  30. And name-dropping, there's a real skill to it.

  31. There's a way of doing it.

  32. Somebody has said drop names are like toupees, you know, a wig.

  33. And badly done, they are obvious and show bad taste.

  34. Carefully deployed, they weren't wonders.

  35. They're kind to laugh.

  36. But I want us to think about this morning what a great privilege it is to have the name of Jesus associated with our name.

  37. I want you by the end of this sermon to be bold enough to name-drop.

  38. To drop the name of Jesus this week, wherever you go.

  39. And so let's explore, what does it mean to be friends with Jesus?

  40. To have Jesus as your friend?

  41. And not only to call him friend, but to have him call us friends, which is not quite the same thing.

  42. I no longer call you servants, but friends.

  43. I don't know how many friends you've got on Facebook.

  44. Maybe hundreds.

  45. Some of you might have thousands.

  46. But in real life, you don't measure friends by quantity, do you?

  47. There's a proverb that's 3,000 years old.

  48. It's a proverb of Solomon's.

  49. It's very up to date.

  50. It says this,

  51. A man of many companions may come to ruin.

  52. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

  53. How many friends do you have on Facebook?

  54. Probably lots.

  55. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

  56. And Jesus is that friend.

  57. And I no longer call you servants, he says to his disciples, but friends.

  58. And not to have a friend is really important, isn't it?

  59. To have a friend is important.

  60. Some of the saddest words I've ever read were by John Paul Getty.

  61. He was one of the richest men in the 20th century.

  62. He was a multi-millionaire many times over.

  63. And he's reported to have said at the end of his life,

  64. I've never known love.

  65. I've never known what it is to have a friend.

  66. And I think that shocks us.

  67. I hope it shocks us.

  68. It saddens us.

  69. For a human being, at the end of their life,

  70. no matter how much money they've made,

  71. how much they've managed to accumulate for themselves,

  72. the fact that they never had a friend, it's tragic.

  73. And why do we find it tragic?

  74. We find it tragic because my first point is this.

  75. We were made for friendship.

  76. We were made for friendship.

  77. In the book of Genesis,

  78. in the account of how God created the world,

  79. we're told that human beings, you,

  80. every human being that's ever been made,

  81. has been made in God's image.

  82. You have been made in God's likeness.

  83. That's the explanation for who you are.

  84. We've been made in God's image.

  85. And God is the three-in-one God, isn't he?

  86. Look at verse 9 of John chapter 15.

    John 15 chapter mention

  87. Look what it says there.

  88. Can you notice there are three loves

  89. intertwined in verse 9.

  90. As the Father has loved me,

  91. Jesus says,

  92. so have I loved you.

  93. Abide in my love.

  94. As the Father loves me.

  95. That is the love of the Father for his Son.

  96. As the Father has loved me,

  97. and then there is the love of Jesus for his disciples,

  98. so I have loved you.

  99. And then there is the love that you and I

  100. are to have for one another as Jesus' disciples,

  101. which we are to remain in.

  102. And it's all bundled together in that one verse, isn't it?

  103. A three-fold cord is not easily broken.

  104. So as the Father has loved me,

  105. Jesus says, that's where it all begins.

  106. In the beginning, God.

  107. Before the beginning was God.

  108. There was something before there was anything.

  109. God is not some solitary God.

  110. He's not like Allah on his own,

  111. like Muslims believe.

  112. But in the beginning, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  113. That's what we mean when we talk about God being love.

  114. You see, before the beginning,

  115. before there was anything,

  116. there was God,

  117. there was friendship,

  118. there was relationship.

  119. There was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  120. Do you remember how John puts it in John 1?

  121. That great passage, he says,

  122. in the beginning was the Word,

  123. and the Word was God,

  124. and the Word was with God,

  125. and the Word there is literally towards God.

  126. There was a relationship,

  127. a face-to-face relationship in God,

  128. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  129. There was a living,

  130. and a loving,

  131. and a delighting in one another.

  132. Face-to-face,

  133. they were planning,

  134. and communicating,

  135. and sharing with each other.

  136. In the beginning,

  137. there was friendship.

  138. It's at the bottom of everything.

  139. It's at the roots of all reality.

  140. It's why in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 8,

    Genesis 2 chapter mention

  141. there is this jarring note.

  142. We read through the early chapters,

  143. and Genesis 2 verse 8 is shocking,

    Genesis 2:8

  144. because in Genesis 1,

  145. when there's an account of creation,

  146. we're told that it was good

  147. at the end of each day.

  148. It was good,

  149. it was good,

  150. it was good,

  151. it was good.

  152. And then you come to Genesis chapter 2 verse 8,

    Genesis 2:8

  153. and it was not good.

  154. And you haven't got to the fall yet.

  155. Sin has not entered into this world

  156. and ruined creation.

  157. It was not good,

  158. Genesis 2 verse 8,

    Genesis 2:8

  159. for the man to be alone.

  160. It was not morally wrong for him.

  161. The fall hasn't happened yet.

  162. It was not evil.

  163. It was not sinful.

  164. That hasn't happened yet.

  165. But we are told

  166. it was not good for the man to be alone.

  167. Adam was lonely.

  168. And he was lonely,

  169. not because he was sinful.

  170. Sometimes we are lonely,

  171. aren't we,

  172. because of our sinfulness.

  173. And we can't live with one another

  174. because of our selfishness.

  175. But that wasn't why Adam was lonely.

  176. He wasn't lonely because he was selfish,

  177. or sinful.

  178. Adam wasn't lonely because he was imperfect.

  179. Adam was lonely because he was made

  180. in the image and the likeness of God.

  181. And he needed someone to love.

  182. He needed someone to share his life with.

  183. He needed someone to talk to.

  184. He needed someone to work with.

  185. And it's important for you and I to see that.

  186. So it may be this morning,

  187. if you are lonely,

  188. it doesn't necessarily mean

  189. that there's anything wrong with you.

  190. It's because you've been made for friendship.

  191. We need friends because we need God.

  192. And we've been made in the image and likeness of God.

  193. And Jesus here invites us into that friendship.

  194. No other religion does this.

  195. No other deity does this.

  196. No other God invites you

  197. into friendship

  198. and into relationship.

  199. But as the Father has loved me,

  200. Jesus says,

  201. so I have loved you.

  202. And I want your joy to be complete.

  203. I want you to remain in this kind of relationship.

  204. This kind of friendship

  205. that creation demands.

  206. But the cross defines.

  207. Look at verse 13.

  208. Greater love has no one than this.

  209. That someone lay down his life for his friends.

  210. Not only is it that we were made

  211. for friendship,

  212. but the second point is this.

  213. Christ died

  214. to give me that friendship.

  215. It's what Jesus died for.

  216. So don't forget the context here.

  217. Don't forget,

  218. this is the night before he goes to the cross.

  219. And Jesus is facing up

  220. to what he's about to go to.

  221. It's staring him in the face now.

  222. He knows what is going to happen.

  223. And it's something he doesn't go into stoically,

  224. does he?

  225. He cries and cries out to his Father.

  226. He sweats blood in contemplation

  227. about what's about to happen.

  228. Why should he go through with that?

  229. He's about to make the supreme sacrifice.

  230. Greater love has no man than this.

  231. That he lays down his life for his friends.

  232. And you are my friends,

  233. he says to his followers.

  234. And tomorrow I'm going to go out

  235. and I'm going to lay down my life

  236. in the most gruesome and violent

  237. and awful way.

  238. And isn't this the most amazing thing?

  239. Death usually ends a friendship.

  240. Isn't that why it's so, so painful?

  241. Death normally ends a friendship.

  242. But in the case of Jesus,

  243. his death secures the friendship.

  244. It's interesting, isn't it,

  245. when you compare this passage

  246. with Romans chapter 5.

    Romans 5 chapter mention

  247. And in Romans chapter 5,

    Romans 5 chapter mention

  248. Paul says,

  249. it was while we were his enemies.

  250. Jesus says to,

  251. Jesus says in John,

  252. we are his friends.

  253. You've got to hold both those things together.

  254. We are his friends.

  255. That greater love than this.

  256. There is no greater love than this.

  257. That a man lay down his life for his friends.

  258. You are my friends

  259. and I'm going to lay down my life for you.

  260. Paul says,

  261. it was when we were powerless.

  262. It was when we were sinners.

  263. It was when we were his enemies

  264. that Christ laid down his life for us.

  265. There's no contradiction there.

  266. Because the reality is this,

  267. Jesus actually makes us his friends

  268. by laying down his life for us.

  269. Is it the truth of Christianity

  270. that God turns his enemies

  271. into his friends

  272. through the cross of his son?

  273. That's the way it works.

  274. There's so many examples we could use.

  275. Maximilian Colby,

  276. he was a Catholic priest

  277. who died in Auschwitz.

  278. And near the end of his time

  279. in that prisoner of war camp,

  280. a prisoner had apparently escaped,

  281. if you know the story.

  282. All the people in the camp

  283. were paraded in the blazing hot sun.

  284. And one man from each line

  285. was selected at random,

  286. including a sergeant

  287. whose name I can't pronounce.

  288. And apparently this man,

  289. as he was singled out to be executed,

  290. he just cried out,

  291. he cried out,

  292. I've got a wife,

  293. I've got children,

  294. I'll never see them again.

  295. And at that moment,

  296. a man stepped forward from the ranks

  297. and offered to take that guy's place.

  298. He was prisoner at 16670,

  299. Father Maximilian Colby,

  300. a Roman Catholic priest

  301. and an elderly man.

  302. And he was towards the end of his life

  303. and the SS commander in charge,

  304. Butcher Fritz,

  305. as he was known,

  306. didn't care who went to the bunker,

  307. as long as there were 10 of them.

  308. So he just nodded

  309. and Maximilian Colby

  310. laid down his life for this man.

  311. He just swapped places with him.

  312. Greater love has no man.

  313. It's such an inspiring story.

  314. But Maximilian Colby

  315. was an old man

  316. who was going to die anyway.

  317. You don't want to detract

  318. from his heroism.

  319. And it's a great

  320. and inspiring story

  321. for you and I.

  322. For Maximilian Colby

  323. to give his life

  324. for someone else,

  325. but it's only anticipating

  326. what is going to happen anyway.

  327. We're going to die, aren't we?

  328. We're already dying.

  329. In fact, Jesus Christ

  330. is the only one

  331. who's ever lived

  332. who did not have to die

  333. and yet he chose to.

  334. Greater love

  335. has no man than this

  336. that he laid down his life

  337. for his friends.

  338. And so this friendship

  339. that Jesus is talking about

  340. is what we were made for.

  341. And it's what Jesus died

  342. to bring us into.

  343. And so this,

  344. at the very heart

  345. of our Christianity

  346. is to have this

  347. kind of relationship

  348. with God.

  349. He died to make

  350. his enemies

  351. his friends.

  352. I want to give you

  353. four points

  354. of application

  355. to explore

  356. what does it mean

  357. to have Jesus

  358. as your friend.

  359. First thing to say is

  360. that Jesus is a loyal friend.

  361. Jesus is

  362. the kind of friend

  363. who lets you in

  364. but never lets you down.

  365. Does that make sense to you?

  366. Jesus is the kind of friend

  367. who lets you in

  368. but never lets you down.

  369. You are my friends

  370. verse 14

  371. if you do

  372. what I command.

  373. No longer

  374. do I call you servants

  375. for the servant

  376. does not know

  377. what his master

  378. is doing.

  379. But I have called you

  380. friends

  381. for I

  382. all that I have heard

  383. from my father

  384. I have made known

  385. to you.

  386. You see

  387. this relationship

  388. is not the kind

  389. of relationship

  390. that you might have

  391. with your boss

  392. at work.

  393. A servant

  394. does not know

  395. his master's business

  396. does he?

  397. You don't know

  398. probably

  399. what your boss

  400. is thinking

  401. lots of the time

  402. what his plans are.

  403. He doesn't let you in

  404. just tells you

  405. what to do.

  406. And Jesus says

  407. I am not going to

  408. call you servants

  409. I am going to

  410. call you friends

  411. because everything

  412. I have learnt

  413. from my father

  414. which again

  415. is an amazing

  416. expression

  417. I have made known

  418. to you.

  419. So here is

  420. the friend

  421. who sticks closer

  422. than a brother

  423. he is loyal to us

  424. he lets us in

  425. so that we can

  426. share confidences

  427. we can unburden

  428. ourselves to him.

  429. He lets us in

  430. which is

  431. isn't it

  432. a very dangerous

  433. thing to do.

  434. To give someone

  435. that amount

  436. of information

  437. at work

  438. you might have

  439. done that

  440. and you found

  441. yourself stabbed

  442. in the back

  443. you can't be

  444. totally free

  445. in the workplace

  446. out there

  447. in society

  448. in general.

  449. But here is a friend

  450. that you can be

  451. totally free with

  452. you can share

  453. confidences

  454. with him

  455. he lets you in

  456. on all the secrets

  457. all the things

  458. that the father

  459. has shared

  460. with him

  461. he shares with us.

  462. and we can

  463. share our secrets

  464. with him

  465. we don't have

  466. to stand

  467. on our

  468. P's and Q's

  469. we don't have

  470. to go through

  471. the protocols

  472. we don't have

  473. to make an

  474. appointment

  475. with his PA

  476. to get him

  477. he says

  478. I no longer

  479. call you

  480. servants

  481. you are

  482. friends.

  483. It's a lovely

  484. little story

  485. in one of

  486. Gordon MacDonald's

  487. books

  488. about a monk

  489. and his

  490. apprentice

  491. and the

  492. monk and

  493. the apprentice

  494. are travelling

  495. to an

  496. abbey

  497. in a nearby

  498. village

  499. and at the

  500. city gates

  501. they part

  502. for the evening

  503. and they say

  504. we'll meet

  505. the next

  506. morning

  507. according to

  508. plan they

  509. meet the

  510. next morning

  511. and they

  512. begin the

  513. long walk

  514. back to

  515. the abbey

  516. and the

  517. monk

  518. notices

  519. something

  520. about the

  521. apprentice

  522. there's

  523. something

  524. in the

  525. atmosphere

  526. he notices

  527. that the

  528. young man

  529. is unusually

  530. silent

  531. there's

  532. certain

  533. vibes

  534. coming off

  535. his friend

  536. and he

  537. asks the

  538. apprentice

  539. is there

  540. anything

  541. wrong

  542. what

  543. business

  544. is it

  545. of yours

  546. comes the

  547. terse reply

  548. and the

  549. monk is

  550. sure that

  551. his brother

  552. is troubled

  553. but he said

  554. nothing and the

  555. distance between

  556. them as they

  557. began to walk

  558. increased and

  559. the apprentice

  560. walked slowly

  561. as if to

  562. separate himself

  563. from his

  564. teacher and

  565. when the

  566. abbey came

  567. in sight the

  568. monk stopped

  569. at the gate

  570. he waited for

  571. the student

  572. to catch

  573. up and

  574. he said

  575. this he

  576. said tell

  577. me my

  578. son what

  579. troubles

  580. your soul

  581. the young

  582. man began

  583. to react

  584. again but

  585. he saw

  586. the warmth

  587. in his

  588. master's eyes

  589. and he

  590. began to

  591. melt and

  592. he says

  593. he said

  594. after a

  595. great deal

  596. of silence

  597. I've

  598. sinned

  599. greatly

  600. I've

  601. sinned

  602. greatly

  603. last night

  604. I slept

  605. with a

  606. woman and

  607. abandoned

  608. my vows

  609. I'm not

  610. worthy to

  611. enter the

  612. abbey at

  613. your side

  614. the teacher

  615. put his

  616. arm around

  617. the student

  618. and said

  619. we will

  620. enter the

  621. abbey

  622. together

  623. and we

  624. will enter

  625. the cathedral

  626. together

  627. and together

  628. we will

  629. confess your

  630. sin and

  631. no one

  632. but God

  633. will know

  634. which of the

  635. two of us

  636. fell

  637. isn't that

  638. lovely

  639. that's the

  640. kind of

  641. friend we

  642. have in the

  643. Lord Jesus

  644. he is the

  645. friend of

  646. sinners

  647. he became

  648. sin for

  649. us

  650. he identified

  651. himself as

  652. the sinner

  653. at his

  654. baptism

  655. what is

  656. going on

  657. there

  658. he stands

  659. in the

  660. place of

  661. sinners

  662. and he

  663. puts his

  664. arms around

  665. us

  666. and we've

  667. all got

  668. skeletons in

  669. the cupboard

  670. haven't we

  671. and we've

  672. all got

  673. things that

  674. we don't

  675. want people

  676. to know

  677. even the

  678. youngest

  679. of us

  680. here

  681. and Jesus

  682. knows

  683. because there

  684. are no

  685. secrets

  686. with him

  687. and he

  688. is the

  689. one to

  690. whom the

  691. secrets of

  692. our hearts

  693. they are

  694. an open

  695. book

  696. and he

  697. comes to

  698. you and he

  699. puts his

  700. arm around

  701. you and he

  702. says come

  703. on

  704. let's go

  705. and confess

  706. this together

  707. and no one

  708. will know

  709. which of us

  710. is a sinner

  711. he was

  712. made

  713. sin

  714. for us

  715. he who

  716. knew

  717. no sin

  718. that we

  719. might be

  720. put right

  721. with God

  722. you see

  723. he lets

  724. us in

  725. but he

  726. never

  727. lets us

  728. down

  729. Jesus

  730. will never

  731. use

  732. that

  733. information

  734. against us

  735. the devil

  736. well yeah

  737. he's the

  738. accuser

  739. of the

  740. brethren

  741. he will

  742. remind you

  743. all the

  744. time of

  745. your sin

  746. but Jesus

  747. is the

  748. friend of

  749. sinners

  750. and he

  751. lets us

  752. in and so

  753. we can

  754. share

  755. confidences

  756. we can

  757. unburden

  758. our hearts

  759. we can

  760. confess

  761. our sins

  762. to him

  763. and he

  764. will never

  765. use that

  766. information

  767. against us

  768. not ever

  769. even on the

  770. great day

  771. of judgment

  772. when the

  773. books are

  774. open and the

  775. secrets of my

  776. heart is

  777. revealed

  778. my friend

  779. will be

  780. there

  781. and all

  782. of my

  783. sin he's

  784. taken

  785. and if

  786. anyone dares

  787. on that

  788. day to

  789. accuse us

  790. or to

  791. dredge it

  792. up he is

  793. there

  794. by our

  795. side even

  796. at the

  797. great day

  798. of judgment

  799. he lets us

  800. in but he

  801. never lets us

  802. down he's a

  803. loyal friend

  804. why wouldn't

  805. you want a

  806. friend like

  807. that

  808. there aren't

  809. too many

  810. people around

  811. like that

  812. are there

  813. and so

  814. one of the

  815. really hard

  816. things about

  817. growing up

  818. particularly in

  819. our culture

  820. today for

  821. the children

  822. that are here

  823. you children

  824. look up for a

  825. minute

  826. friendship is

  827. difficult isn't

  828. it

  829. particularly as

  830. you get into

  831. teenage years

  832. and you have

  833. friends and

  834. sometimes those

  835. friends turn out to

  836. be very very

  837. different than you

  838. thought and it

  839. breaks your

  840. little heart

  841. you struggle

  842. with that

  843. and you think

  844. well can I

  845. trust this

  846. person or you

  847. might think

  848. I'm all alone

  849. in school

  850. I'm all alone

  851. but here is a

  852. friend who

  853. will never

  854. break your

  855. heart

  856. here is a

  857. friend who

  858. is loyal

  859. wouldn't you

  860. want a

  861. friend like

  862. that

  863. the second

  864. thing I want

  865. to say about

  866. Jesus'

  867. friendship is

  868. it's a

  869. productive

  870. friendship

  871. it's a

  872. fruitful

  873. friendship

  874. look at

  875. verse 16

  876. it says

  877. this

  878. you did

  879. not choose

  880. me

  881. but I

  882. chose you

  883. and appointed

  884. that you

  885. should go

  886. and bear

  887. fruit

  888. and that

  889. your fruit

  890. may abide

  891. my last

  892. Charles Kingsley

  893. is the author

  894. of Watership

  895. Down

  896. he was once

  897. asked what's

  898. the secret

  899. of a happy

  900. and buoyant

  901. life

  902. he simply

  903. said

  904. I had

  905. a friend

  906. I had

  907. a friend

  908. Solomon

  909. in Ecclesiastes

    Ecclesiastes 4 chapter mention

  910. chapter 4

  911. says two

  912. are better

  913. than one

  914. and he

  915. gives us

  916. all sorts

  917. of reasons

  918. why that

  919. is so

  920. it's a

  921. lovely

  922. little

  923. cameo

  924. picture

  925. of

  926. friendship

  927. he says

  928. two are

  929. better

  930. than one

  931. so you've

  932. got a

  933. good return

  934. for their

  935. work

  936. that kind

  937. of relationship

  938. it's a

  939. fruitful

  940. relationship

  941. it's

  942. productive

  943. there was

  944. research

  945. done on

  946. social

  947. incentives

  948. in the

  949. workplace

  950. that was

  951. the title

  952. of the

  953. research

  954. paper

  955. it was

  956. published

  957. in the

  958. review

  959. of

  960. economic

  961. studies

  962. and it

  963. looked at

  964. the productivity

  965. of fruit

  966. pickers

  967. and the

  968. networks

  969. of friends

  970. that they

  971. form

  972. on the

  973. farm

  974. so workers

  975. were named

  976. asked to

  977. name up to

  978. seven friends

  979. and what

  980. they did

  981. is they

  982. watched

  983. and observed

  984. on the

  985. days that

  986. they worked

  987. alone

  988. to estimate

  989. their average

  990. productivity

  991. and then

  992. that was

  993. compared

  994. with the

  995. performance

  996. when they

  997. worked with

  998. their

  999. friends

  1000. and one

  1001. of the

  1002. authors

  1003. of the

  1004. researcher

  1005. prophet

  1006. LSE

  1007. said our

  1008. research

  1009. suggests that

  1010. getting people

  1011. to work with

  1012. their friends

  1013. could be one

  1014. way for

  1015. companies to

  1016. motivate their

  1017. workers without

  1018. necessarily paying

  1019. them off

  1020. it seems to

  1021. work doesn't

  1022. it two are

  1023. better than

  1024. one

  1025. two are

  1026. better than

  1027. one they

  1028. have a good

  1029. return for

  1030. their work

  1031. Jesus says

  1032. I no longer

  1033. call you

  1034. servants

  1035. I no longer

  1036. call you

  1037. employees

  1038. you no longer

  1039. have to clock

  1040. in and clock

  1041. out

  1042. I no longer

  1043. call you

  1044. servants

  1045. you are my

  1046. friends

  1047. and I've

  1048. chosen you

  1049. you didn't

  1050. choose me

  1051. I chose you

  1052. and I

  1053. appointed you

  1054. literally the

  1055. word there is

  1056. I ordained

  1057. you

  1058. I set you

  1059. apart to go

  1060. and bear fruit

  1061. and so

  1062. what's the

  1063. purpose of

  1064. this friendship

  1065. why has

  1066. Jesus made

  1067. you his

  1068. friend it

  1069. would be

  1070. that you

  1071. go and

  1072. bear fruit

  1073. for service

  1074. what kind

  1075. of service

  1076. no Christian

  1077. was ever

  1078. chosen by

  1079. Jesus to

  1080. stop and

  1081. to stand

  1082. around and

  1083. watch

  1084. Jesus said

  1085. I choose

  1086. you and I

  1087. have set you

  1088. apart and I

  1089. want you to

  1090. go to go

  1091. that's what

  1092. happens at the

  1093. end of our

  1094. meetings isn't

  1095. it the

  1096. benediction is

  1097. sending you

  1098. out with

  1099. God's blessing

  1100. we gather

  1101. on the

  1102. Lord's day

  1103. to scatter

  1104. during the

  1105. week

  1106. Jesus says

  1107. let me let

  1108. you into

  1109. my father's

  1110. business secret

  1111. that you

  1112. would go

  1113. into the

  1114. world

  1115. and that

  1116. you would

  1117. bear

  1118. fruit

  1119. now what

  1120. kind of

  1121. fruit are

  1122. we talking

  1123. about

  1124. are we

  1125. talking about

  1126. character

  1127. and conduct

  1128. or are we

  1129. talking about

  1130. converts

  1131. and there's

  1132. a bit of

  1133. disagreement on

  1134. that

  1135. I've appointed

  1136. you to go

  1137. and bear

  1138. fruit I

  1139. think

  1140. suggests

  1141. converts

  1142. I wouldn't

  1143. want to

  1144. drive a

  1145. wedge between

  1146. the two

  1147. because godly

  1148. character

  1149. fruitful

  1150. character

  1151. does

  1152. attract

  1153. doesn't

  1154. it underwrites

  1155. our testimony

  1156. but I

  1157. think he's

  1158. speaking here

  1159. about the

  1160. actual

  1161. going

  1162. and bearing

  1163. fruit

  1164. and can

  1165. you just

  1166. see

  1167. look what

  1168. it says

  1169. there

  1170. it says

  1171. fruit that

  1172. will

  1173. last

  1174. and my

  1175. father

  1176. and

  1177. my father

  1178. and

  1179. Claire's

  1180. dad

  1181. is

  1182. writing a

  1183. book on

  1184. eldership

  1185. and I'm

  1186. helping him

  1187. a bit

  1188. on it

  1189. and

  1190. this is what

  1191. I read

  1192. this week

  1193. in it

  1194. he says

  1195. this

  1196. I cannot

  1197. guarantee

  1198. my children

  1199. will be

  1200. converted

  1201. but in the

  1202. grace of

  1203. god I

  1204. expect them

  1205. to be

  1206. converted

  1207. god has

  1208. been merciful

  1209. to me

  1210. in my

  1211. house

  1212. I can

  1213. trace my

  1214. believing

  1215. family line

  1216. back to

  1217. at least

  1218. 1790

  1219. and that

  1220. is exceedingly

  1221. precious to

  1222. me

  1223. if I bring

  1224. this up to

  1225. the present

  1226. that represents

  1227. eight generations

  1228. of believers

  1229. brackets

  1230. all

  1231. Presbyterians

  1232. isn't that

  1233. amazing

  1234. after my

  1235. mum and

  1236. dad

  1237. my mum and

  1238. dad are the

  1239. first generation

  1240. of Christians

  1241. in their

  1242. family

  1243. so ours

  1244. goes back

  1245. to 1940

  1246. but in

  1247. Claire's

  1248. 1790

  1249. there was a

  1250. moment in

  1251. 1790

  1252. when god

  1253. reached down

  1254. from heaven

  1255. and broke

  1256. in

  1257. isn't this

  1258. what it's

  1259. all about

  1260. that when

  1261. the gospel

  1262. breaks into

  1263. a family

  1264. there is

  1265. the kind

  1266. of gospel

  1267. fruit

  1268. that lasts

  1269. for generations

  1270. it's not our

  1271. testimony for

  1272. so many of

  1273. us

  1274. so what

  1275. is the

  1276. kind of

  1277. thing that

  1278. will transform

  1279. Ealing

  1280. in West

  1281. London

  1282. well it

  1283. is this

  1284. friendship

  1285. with Jesus

  1286. I've chosen

  1287. you for a

  1288. purpose

  1289. and so

  1290. you mums

  1291. isn't it

  1292. what you're

  1293. doing is

  1294. that you

  1295. are sending

  1296. the gospel

  1297. out

  1298. in your

  1299. children

  1300. and your

  1301. grandchildren

  1302. that they

  1303. may bear

  1304. fruit

  1305. fruit that

  1306. will last

  1307. so that

  1308. people will

  1309. see lives

  1310. transformed

  1311. and so

  1312. there will

  1313. be little

  1314. communities

  1315. little houses

  1316. of light

  1317. all around

  1318. this area

  1319. and further

  1320. afield

  1321. not only

  1322. in our

  1323. children's

  1324. lives

  1325. but in

  1326. our

  1327. grandchildren

  1328. our

  1329. great

  1330. grandchildren

  1331. it's an

  1332. exciting

  1333. thing

  1334. I think

  1335. that Jesus

  1336. shares

  1337. with us

  1338. his

  1339. friendship

  1340. is a

  1341. loyal

  1342. friendship

  1343. he lets

  1344. us in

  1345. but he

  1346. never lets

  1347. us down

  1348. his

  1349. friendship

  1350. is fruitful

  1351. and productive

  1352. and it's a

  1353. shared

  1354. friendship

  1355. that's the

  1356. third thing

  1357. it builds

  1358. community

  1359. it's not

  1360. virtual

  1361. community

  1362. but it's

  1363. real

  1364. three

  1365. dimensional

  1366. community

  1367. I like

  1368. social media

  1369. I waste

  1370. ridiculous

  1371. amounts of

  1372. time on

  1373. it

  1374. but it's

  1375. with people

  1376. you never

  1377. see isn't

  1378. it

  1379. or people

  1380. that came

  1381. once and

  1382. you kind

  1383. of connect

  1384. in that

  1385. way

  1386. it's a

  1387. it's a

  1388. phantom

  1389. community

  1390. it's not

  1391. real

  1392. community

  1393. you see

  1394. with couples

  1395. sometimes don't

  1396. you when they

  1397. get together

  1398. and they turn

  1399. in on

  1400. themselves

  1401. and no one

  1402. can get in

  1403. no one

  1404. can get in

  1405. that's not

  1406. what friendship

  1407. with Jesus

  1408. is about

  1409. it's not

  1410. like that

  1411. friendship

  1412. with Jesus

  1413. is a

  1414. shared

  1415. friendship

  1416. it builds

  1417. community

  1418. and so the

  1419. Christian life

  1420. is not all

  1421. about just

  1422. you and

  1423. Jesus

  1424. me and

  1425. Jesus

  1426. it's not

  1427. some nice

  1428. glowing

  1429. relationship

  1430. between me

  1431. and Jesus

  1432. to be a

  1433. friend of

  1434. Jesus

  1435. is to be

  1436. a friend

  1437. of mine

  1438. that ought

  1439. to be our

  1440. slogan

  1441. it would be

  1442. a great

  1443. mission statement

  1444. for the church

  1445. you know

  1446. those

  1447. you meet

  1448. with those

  1449. people

  1450. and you say

  1451. well I know

  1452. that person

  1453. and they say

  1454. to you

  1455. if you're a

  1456. friend of

  1457. them

  1458. you're a

  1459. friend of

  1460. mine

  1461. it's a

  1462. great thing

  1463. and Jesus

  1464. says I've

  1465. chosen you

  1466. to be my

  1467. friends

  1468. and you are

  1469. no longer

  1470. servants

  1471. you are my

  1472. friends

  1473. and any

  1474. friend of

  1475. Jesus

  1476. should be

  1477. a friend

  1478. of mine

  1479. there's a

  1480. lovely little

  1481. verse in

  1482. 1 Thessalonians

  1483. come with me

  1484. to 1 Thessalonians

    1 Thessalonians 4 chapter mention

  1485. chapter 4

  1486. 1 Thessalonians

    1 Thessalonians 4 chapter mention

  1487. chapter 4

  1488. I always find

  1489. Thessalonians

  1490. hard to find

  1491. strange

  1492. Thessalonians

  1493. I found it

  1494. there you go

  1495. 1 Thessalonians

    1 Thessalonians 4 chapter mention

  1496. chapter 4

  1497. and let me read

  1498. you verses 9

  1499. and 10

  1500. look what he

  1501. says about

  1502. this church

  1503. he says

  1504. Paul says

  1505. about this

  1506. church

  1507. now concerning

  1508. brotherly

  1509. love

  1510. you have

  1511. no need

  1512. for anyone

  1513. to write

  1514. to you

  1515. for you

  1516. yourselves

  1517. have been

  1518. taught by

  1519. God

  1520. to love

  1521. one another

  1522. for that

  1523. indeed is

  1524. what you

  1525. are doing

  1526. to all

  1527. the brothers

  1528. throughout

  1529. Macedonia

  1530. but we

  1531. urge you

  1532. brothers

  1533. do this

  1534. more

  1535. and more

  1536. what do

  1537. friends of

  1538. Jesus do

  1539. they love

  1540. one another

  1541. and that's

  1542. what he

  1543. commands

  1544. in John

    John 15:12

  1545. 15

  1546. verse 12

  1547. this is my

  1548. commandment

  1549. that you

  1550. love one

  1551. another

  1552. as I

  1553. have loved

  1554. you

  1555. verse 17

  1556. these things

  1557. I command

  1558. you

  1559. so that

  1560. you will

  1561. love one

  1562. another

  1563. friends of

  1564. Jesus

  1565. love each

  1566. other

  1567. they're not

  1568. just friends

  1569. on Facebook

  1570. as good as

  1571. that is

  1572. they're

  1573. friends in

  1574. real life

  1575. so look

  1576. around

  1577. look around

  1578. go on

  1579. don't be

  1580. shy

  1581. look around

  1582. know who

  1583. these people

  1584. are

  1585. know the

  1586. empty seats

  1587. and the people

  1588. that they

  1589. should be

  1590. here

  1591. and these

  1592. are people

  1593. from Christ

  1594. died

  1595. and they

  1596. are his

  1597. friends

  1598. and any

  1599. friend of

  1600. Jesus is

  1601. to be a

  1602. friend of

  1603. mine

  1604. that's my

  1605. command

  1606. Jesus says

  1607. 11 commandments

  1608. we believe

  1609. in don't we

  1610. as the

  1611. father has

  1612. loved me

  1613. so you

  1614. should love

  1615. one another

  1616. so put

  1617. yourself out

  1618. for one

  1619. another

  1620. lay down

  1621. your life

  1622. for one

  1623. another

  1624. and as

  1625. the father

  1626. has loved

  1627. me

  1628. so I

  1629. love you

  1630. Jesus

  1631. gave his

  1632. life

  1633. but tragically

  1634. we don't

  1635. sometimes give

  1636. each other

  1637. the time

  1638. of day

  1639. the last

  1640. thing I

  1641. want to

  1642. finish with

  1643. is if

  1644. you're a

  1645. friend of

  1646. Jesus

  1647. Jesus

  1648. gives you

  1649. permission

  1650. to use

  1651. his

  1652. name

  1653. look at

  1654. verse 16

  1655. he gives

  1656. you permission

  1657. to use

  1658. his

  1659. name

  1660. so

  1661. whatever

  1662. you ask

  1663. the father

  1664. in my

  1665. name

  1666. he may

  1667. give it

  1668. to you

  1669. Jesus

  1670. says

  1671. feel free

  1672. to use

  1673. my

  1674. name

  1675. and that

  1676. means

  1677. doesn't it

  1678. reflecting on

  1679. what you

  1680. want

  1681. if you're

  1682. going to

  1683. use

  1684. Jesus

  1685. name

  1686. if you're

  1687. going to

  1688. ask

  1689. in

  1690. Jesus

  1691. name

  1692. it

  1693. means that

  1694. you're

  1695. going to

  1696. think about

  1697. what you're

  1698. asking

  1699. for

  1700. don't

  1701. come to

  1702. me

  1703. after the

  1704. service

  1705. and say

  1706. well I

  1707. asked

  1708. that I

  1709. win the

  1710. lottery

  1711. in Jesus

  1712. name

  1713. and I've

  1714. never done

  1715. it

  1716. or something

  1717. ridiculous

  1718. like that

  1719. or I

  1720. asked that

  1721. I pass

  1722. my exams

  1723. without doing

  1724. any work

  1725. in Jesus

  1726. name

  1727. and that

  1728. didn't

  1729. happen

  1730. that's

  1731. not what

  1732. it's

  1733. talking about

  1734. if you're

  1735. going to

  1736. ask in

  1737. Jesus

  1738. name

  1739. it means

  1740. that you're

  1741. going to

  1742. think about

  1743. what you're

  1744. asking

  1745. and Jesus

  1746. says

  1747. when you

  1748. come to

  1749. the

  1750. father

  1751. use

  1752. my

  1753. name

  1754. by

  1755. all

  1756. means

  1757. and you

  1758. can

  1759. ask

  1760. whatever

  1761. you

  1762. want

  1763. but you

  1764. need to

  1765. think

  1766. about

  1767. what you

  1768. want

  1769. Thomas

  1770. Merton

  1771. wrote this

  1772. he said

  1773. this

  1774. why do

  1775. we have

  1776. to spend

  1777. our lives

  1778. striving

  1779. to be

  1780. something

  1781. that we

  1782. would never

  1783. want to

  1784. be

  1785. if only

  1786. we knew

  1787. what we

  1788. wanted

  1789. why do

  1790. we waste

  1791. our times

  1792. which are

  1793. just the

  1794. opposite

  1795. of what

  1796. we were

  1797. made

  1798. for

  1799. and so

  1800. we need

  1801. to reflect

  1802. on what

  1803. we want

  1804. don't we

  1805. to pray

  1806. in the

  1807. name of

  1808. Jesus

  1809. is to

  1810. want

  1811. what

  1812. he

  1813. wants

  1814. and so

  1815. what does

  1816. he want

  1817. for you

  1818. it's not

  1819. what I

  1820. want

  1821. for myself

  1822. but what

  1823. does

  1824. Jesus

  1825. want

  1826. for me

  1827. what are

  1828. these

  1829. good works

  1830. that he

  1831. has prepared

  1832. beforehand

  1833. for me

  1834. to walk

  1835. in

  1836. and not

  1837. only that

  1838. to pray

  1839. in Jesus

  1840. name

  1841. is to

  1842. recognize

  1843. Lord I

  1844. need you

  1845. I need

  1846. you

  1847. to help

  1848. me

  1849. fulfill

  1850. this

  1851. commandment

  1852. you've

  1853. given

  1854. you told

  1855. us

  1856. that as

  1857. your

  1858. friends

  1859. we love

  1860. one

  1861. another

  1862. and quite

  1863. frankly

  1864. that is

  1865. hard work

  1866. sometimes

  1867. so Lord

  1868. help me

  1869. and give

  1870. me direction

  1871. and give

  1872. me help

  1873. and empower

  1874. me to do

  1875. this

  1876. and that is

  1877. what it means

  1878. to use

  1879. Jesus name

  1880. use my

  1881. name

  1882. Jesus says

  1883. by all

  1884. means

  1885. and not

  1886. only in

  1887. prayer

  1888. but in

  1889. everything

  1890. remember

  1891. what

  1892. Paul says

  1893. in Colossians

  1894. he says

  1895. whatever you

  1896. do

  1897. whether it's

  1898. in word

  1899. or deed

  1900. do everything

  1901. in the name

  1902. of the Lord

  1903. Jesus

  1904. and to be

  1905. a friend

  1906. of Jesus

  1907. means

  1908. that you

  1909. are Jesus

  1910. representative

  1911. you bear

  1912. his name

  1913. in everything

  1914. you do

  1915. and it means

  1916. wanting to

  1917. honor his

  1918. name

  1919. every Christian

  1920. stands for

  1921. Christ

  1922. every Christian

  1923. is a

  1924. representative

  1925. of Christ

  1926. every one

  1927. of us

  1928. is an

  1929. advert

  1930. for or

  1931. against

  1932. him

  1933. and we

  1934. either

  1935. commend

  1936. him to

  1937. others

  1938. or we

  1939. repel

  1940. them

  1941. from him

  1942. so it's

  1943. a great

  1944. privilege

  1945. isn't it

  1946. to have

  1947. his name

  1948. to be

  1949. able to

  1950. drop his

  1951. name

  1952. into

  1953. conversations

  1954. but let's

  1955. not do it

  1956. in a way

  1957. that embarrasses

  1958. him

  1959. you know

  1960. what it's

  1961. like

  1962. isn't it

  1963. you're

  1964. cut up

  1965. by some

  1966. driver

  1967. that's

  1968. got a

  1969. fish

  1970. on the

  1971. back

  1972. of their

  1973. car

  1974. there's a

  1975. joke

  1976. isn't

  1977. there

  1978. why do

  1979. people

  1980. say they've

  1981. got a

  1982. friend in

  1983. Jesus

  1984. find it

  1985. hard to

  1986. make

  1987. friends

  1988. with

  1989. anyone

  1990. else

  1991. we

  1992. bear

  1993. his

  1994. name

  1995. what

  1996. about

  1997. if

  1998. you're

  1999. not

  2000. a

  2001. friend

  2002. of

  2003. Jesus

  2004. Jesus

  2005. says

  2006. if

  2007. you're

  2008. not

  2009. with

  2010. me

  2011. you

  2012. are

  2013. against

  2014. me

  2015. and I

  2016. suspect

  2017. as I

  2018. finished

  2019. this morning

  2020. in this

  2021. room

  2022. I

  2023. doubt

  2024. that there's

  2025. anybody

  2026. who's

  2027. rabidly

  2028. anti-Christian

  2029. furiously

  2030. anti-Christian

  2031. but maybe

  2032. apathetically

  2033. so you're

  2034. not against

  2035. him

  2036. but you're

  2037. not for

  2038. him

  2039. and your

  2040. heart isn't

  2041. head over

  2042. heels in

  2043. love with

  2044. Jesus

  2045. and he's

  2046. not what

  2047. you think

  2048. about during

  2049. the day

  2050. and you're

  2051. not eager

  2052. to follow

  2053. him

  2054. and you've

  2055. got no

  2056. interest

  2057. really in

  2058. his plan

  2059. for your

  2060. life

  2061. and you're

  2062. not for

  2063. him

  2064. you put up

  2065. with a bit

  2066. of church

  2067. but you're

  2068. not for

  2069. him

  2070. and Jesus

  2071. says if

  2072. you're not

  2073. for me

  2074. you are

  2075. against me

  2076. and so let me

  2077. encourage you if that is you

  2078. name drop

  2079. because the bible says all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved

  2080. and let me encourage you if you've not done that this morning do it now

  2081. and to come to God in the name of Jesus to use his name and wonderfully doors open don't they

  2082. it's amazing if you drop the right name it gives you access use the name of Jesus this morning and what you'll find there is a father's welcome and forgiveness for all your sin and access to the father's heart

  2083. i no longer call you servants i call you friends greater love has no man than this that he laid down his life for his friends and you are my friends so use my name by all means

  2084. you