John 15:9-17
The greatest decision facing the 21st-century church is whether it will function as a law-based community of faith or as a grace-based community of love. Will we be defined by some carefully articulated, theologically sophisticated, “Constitution?" Or will the church welcome its role as a living, breathing, healing, helping organism known for its "Acts of Love?"
The fact is: If we are genuinely to be the church; if we are to be a true Christ-led community of witnesses, we have no choice in this matter. Jesus did not command us to live a life of faith defined by rules and regulations. Jesus offered us only one great commandment -- "Love one another as I have loved you." We are called to be there, to come through, to care deeply, no matter who or what the circumstances. This congregation—I’m talking about YOU—this church is just FULL of love! I have felt it; I’m sure each of you has felt it and feel it. You are nurturers, lovers of Jesus and of each other. But what are you doing to fulfill that other part of our mission: “We seek to welcome everyone…?” What seeking to welcome someone have you done lately? Today’s scripture passage is the beginning of Jesus’ last words of instruction to his 12 disciples. We talked about the beginning of Chapter 15 of John last week, where Jesus uses the example of himself as a grapevine, the branches are us, the grapes on the branches are the fruit, and God is the one who keeps it all growing with nurture, rain, and sunshine.
Now the disciples have shared their last supper, left the Upper Room, and gone for a walk through the winding streets of Jerusalem toward the garden where Jesus will eventually be arrested. Jesus must have had so many things he wanted his disciples to remember when He would be gone! He stops and picks the grapevine and branches to show them a new way of looking at things.
This “Farewell Speech” rightly contains the important stuff, the reassurances, admonishments, and final reminders Jesus wanted uppermost in his closest friends’ minds, as well as ours, if we call ourselves his friends, too.
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” Verse 9, and that word, “abide,” again. The fact that Jesus is telling us to abide—to remain--in him, in his love, makes this command more emphatic.
Verse 10: If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. The results of keeping Jesus’ commandments will be to remain in his love. Jesus is urging us to stay in his love, not that we must keep loving him because of some law, but abiding in His love means remaining connected to him in love."
Verse 10 makes it clear that the way disciples can continue to remain in Jesus' love is through obedience to Jesus' commands. In this way, the disciples' relationship to Jesus may actually mirror the relationship between Jesus and the Father. In both cases, obedience leads to continuing love.
The church cannot count itself as one with the world. We must act differently because the church is grace-based, not law-based. Our community exists solely as a result of Christ's loving sacrifice for our sake and for our salvation. As disciples of Christ, we know that all Jesus required of his followers was one thing, and that one thing was everything -- that they love one another. When any of us falls short of that goal, as each and every one of us will time and time again, the only appropriate reaction on the part of the church is not judgment, not condemnation, but tears.
Jesus goes on in verse 11 in this 15th chapter of John, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Friends, how joyful are you today? Can you honestly say your joy is complete?
When things are going well, we feel joyful, don’t we. But when hardships, illness, cancer, legal problems, family discord, come along, are we joyful? Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ.
Too many Christians are standing in the shadows and finding it hard to obtain this complete joy. Like the disciples, some of us may have discovered that following Jesus has turned out far differently than we expected. Or maybe you call yourself Christian but never have truly “followed” Him.
That was me for too many years of my life—calling myself a Christian but not understanding. I struggled against God. Instead of joy, my life was characterized by disappointment, doubt, anger. I can see now that I wanted a God who would help me on my own terms. I was not abiding in Him or His love.
I thank Jesus today that He drew me back again and again into His circle of friends. Verse 13 says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He lay down His life for His friends—me. And you.
(PAUSE) But I think it takes the definition given in verse 14 to make us realize just how significant the label of "friend" is for Jesus. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” If we obey Jesus' command, we prove we are Jesus' "friends." In John's gospel there is no difference between remaining/abiding in Jesus' love and being Jesus' friend. Verses 15: I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” Jesus declares, "I have made known to you everything" -- all that the Father has shared with him, Jesus has now shared with his disciples.
Verse 16: “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”
"You did not choose me but I chose you." Wow. I remember clearly the moment when I first realized the truth of this statement. We don’t just decide one day, “I think I want to be a Christian,” and begin praying or going to church or whatever you define that word to require.
YOU DID NOT CHOOSE JESUS—HE CHOSE YOU! And I believe that each one of you sitting here this morning and many more beyond these walls who are NOT sitting in church pews right now were chosen by Christ himself to sit at His feet, to learn His teachings, to love and be loved, to set an example for the world!
Discipleship comes about by divine choice, not by your good works or actions. And I need you to listen closely now, because I am about to share the only reason Jesus chose you, calls you His friend, beckons to you and lay down his life for you. “TO GO AND BEAR FRUIT, FRUIT THAT WILL LAST…”
And the end of verse 16 tells us that the reason we are to bear fruit is “so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in (Jesus’) name.” People, as friends of Jesus, we have access to virtually unlimited power. All we have to do is to invoke Jesus' name, and God will respond.
I want to say, here, that bearing fruit does not just mean winning souls or bringing people to Christ. I have traced the words “fruit” and “good works” in the Bible and they’re used interchangeably. A good example of that is in Titus 3:14: “Let our people also maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” FRUIT symbolizes the best result or sweetest prize in life.
(I’D LIKE TO GIVE EACH OF YOU A SYMBOL OF THIS LESSON, THE ACTUAL FRUIT OF THE VINE, GRAPES.) EACH TIME I SAY THE WORD, “FRUIT,” I INVITE YOU TO PARTAKE OF ONE OF YOUR GRAPES.
FRUIT is good thoughts, a joyful attitude, or actions of ours that God values because it glorifies Him. You bear inner fruit when you allow God to nurture in you a new Christlike quality. Haven’t we all heard the verse from Galatians 5:22 about “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.”
FRUIT is when you allow God to work through to you bring Him glory. That would certainly include sharing your faith with someone. But it can also include mowing the grass for a shut-in, bringing food to a sick neighbor, and even reading your Bible every day, as well as spending a lifetime as a missionary in a jungle, if that’s where God leads you. FRUIT is a life of good works done in Jesus' name with the intent to bring honor to him. Those who believe in God’s Holy Words and are filled with the Holy Spirit are to make a difference in their world. Rick Upchurch, in his devotional called Devotionals For Living a Holy Life in a Postmodern Age, wrote, “If, somehow, Christians are not having a positive influence in our homes, schools, communities, workplaces, government and local congregations -- wherever we come into contact with the world, then there at least must be the suspicion that our claim to Christianity is self-deception at best, or an outright lie at worst. Holiness is a verb. The Spirit-filled life is not a philosophical belief as much as a lifestyle.... Too many who call themselves by the name of Christ know little of what it truly means to be in him.
“(Recently), I was at a conference where pastors and church leaders of many different denominations from all over had gathered. While there, I witnessed an exchange between one of those leaders and a lady taking orders for the material being promoted. I was shocked as I heard the dignified, well-dressed church leader respond with rude speech and an obnoxious attitude.
“We are the Highway of Holiness for the world. It is our lives, our service, our positive impact which points to Christ or validates the world's opinion that Christianity is a hoax and Christians are hypocrites.” (Rick Upchurch)
I read a quote one time that has stuck in my mind ever since: There are only two reasons a person is not a Christian: (1) they don’t know any Christians, or (2) they do know a Christian.” When we are somber and joyless, when we are self-righteous and smug or narrow-minded and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.
Forget your schedule. Forget your personal preferences. What are you doing to bring glory to God? Our dreams, like the disciples, are always too small. We are here to fulfill God’s dream—that we will bring Him glory through a remarkably abundant, fruitful life. That’s how we find our greatest personal fulfillment, now and for eternity. AMEN. Are you standing at the edge of your own greatness in Christ? Do you feel confused or disillusioned today? Or perhaps a sin is standing between your full spiritual fellowship with Christ? If you need to begin again, I invite you to come forward as we sing the last hymn for a special time of prayer.
BENEDICTION:
Come, Holy Spirit, remake our hearts. Soften them with agape love that burns for all in need. As friends of Jesus, we must heed his loving command. Only then, clothed in proper spiritual attire, may we reflect his love to all who come our way. Amen.
SOURCES:
Secrets of the Vine, Bruce Wilkinson
Devotionals For Living a Holy Life in a Postmodern Age, Rick Upchurch
Life Application Bible, New Revised Standard Version, study notes, p. 1857
