John 15:9-17
We are called to be his
friends. What an intimate way of communication!
Yet, we need to be standing
firm with our FRIEND, Jesus Christ.
Who can his friend be?
Who am I to become God’s
friend?
All of us are called to be
his friends, once we open ourselves to him.
Friendship is a two-sided
(mutual) relationship. God can offer a lot to us as friend. But what can we
offer to Jesus?
We can not offer wealth.
We can not offer prestige.
Can we offer him political
power?
How about advice? Does Jesus need
our advice?
It seems as if we do not have
much to offer in our friendship with Jesus.
I think the best think we can
offer and that is OURSELVES. We can
offer our LOYALTY.
Jesus doesn’t need us, but he
wants our companionship. Do you
recall in the last days of his ministry he went to the garden to pray, and the disciples
were with him? He urged them to be with him. He urged them to stay awake. But
alas they were sleeping.
Jesus wants us to be there when no one is interested
to be there.
Have you had any friends who
could not give you prestige, wealth or material things, but they were present with you, especially when things went bad in your life.
When Jesus was being
crucified and tortured, John and Mary were there. They could not do much, but
they were there.
Sometimes I feel so hopeless
when I visit someone who is dying. But I hear from the family: “Badveli, thank
you for being here. We need you. Be here...”
We are called to be his friends. And you know I mentioned in the Armenian sermon that
we are chosen to bear fruits:
We read in verse 16: “You did not
choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that
will last. “
HOW? WHY?
Jesus says in verse 11-13
“I have told you this so that my joy may
be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each
other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down
his life for his friends.”
We are chosen to have JOY, AND
LOVE.
JOY, SPECIAL JOY, “YOUR JOY MAY BE
COMPLETE.”
Paul in Galatians 5: 22 talks
about the Fruits of Spirit. The
first two are LOVE and JOY.
Do you see church people who do
not have JOY? Yes, many
unfortunately. A gloomy Christian is
contradiction of terms. Sometimes I look to your faces and I do not see the
Joy of God. The Joy of God is not just a superficial smile on your face. No, the
Joy of God is deeper. It is your being reconciled with God, who gives you
purpose to live your daily life. It is a purposeful life. It is a life of
Christian priorities: living in Him, with Him, towards Him, with the Joy of
abiding in Him daily.
The second Fruit that Jesus talks about is Love.
It is not emotion, it is not a romantic
movie, it is action and decision.
We confuse love with the word
emotion. Jesus said: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you.”(12)
Then he adds the test of Love:
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his
life for his friends.”(13)
Jesus is asking us to be a friend
that knows how to love. I mean being sensitive to hurts and joys, to needs and
frustrations.
Let me give you an illustration: Once a theology professor writes of a
Swedish woman who aided prisoners and orphans during the First World War. She
ended up in a concentration camp herself because she gave aid and comfort. The
professor writes: "It is a rare gift to meet a human being in whom
love—this means God–is so overwhelmingly manifest. It undercuts theological
arrogance as well as pious isolation. It is more than justice and greater than
faith or hope. It is the very presence of God in the form of a human being. For
God is love. In every moment of genuine love we are dwelling in God and God in
us."
We need to read the prayer concerns printed in our bulletins. I am not
sure how many of us take it seriously to pray for the needs of each other. These concerns need to go with us to our
homes.
It was interesting news from ABC
Friday night when they were talking about the person of the week: Chris Ochoa. They showed him graduating from
When I said love, I meant action.
Love in the real, practical sense.
Jesus is calling us Friends. Another expression of true LOVE.
Paul uses the word doulos. Doulos means a slave of God. In the OT
Moses was called the doulos of God (
Deuternomy 35:5); Joshua (Joshua
24:29);
so was
David (Psalm 8:20).
Paul used it as an honoring title,
not everyone can be a slave of God.
So Paul used that title describing himself (Titus 1:1), so did James (James
1:1). I believe it has strong meaning
to be a servant and slave of God. You see Jesus is saying you are more than a slave: you are a friend of God. A slave cannot choose what he/she wants to do. We are more than slaves; we are friends. Jesus will tell me: “I chose you to be my
friend and you responded to be my friend. So let there be joy and love on your
heart and your joy and love will be complete.”
Jesus is my friend. He is calling
me to be his friend. Am I Jesus’ friend? Am I opening my heart to him? Am I
abiding in him daily?
Prayer
LEADER: We, who so often take the wonders of creation for granted,
welcome the opportunity to make a joyful noise before you, O God. We come here
this morning to worship and to praise you, glad that we live in this country
filled with such diverse and beautiful examples of your creation. Yet, joyful
noises are not easy for everyone to make, as we come from differing situations
and lifestyles. Some are burdened down with the stresses of daily living and
all that involves; some wearied from tasks of serving others; some worried over
the state of the world and where that is all leading. Speak to us all, O God,
in the stillness of this time and remind us of Jesus' willingness to take our
burdens upon himself and to learn from him - to experience his gentleness and
steadfast love for all. Jesus also offers us his joy so that our joy might be
complete.
PEOPLE: Confident in these promises, we offer this time of worship to
God, praying that it may reflect our praise and thanksgiving for the gifts of
creation and for all that Jesus has done for us. This we pray in his name. Amen