THE JOY OF THOSE WHO ARE FRIENDS OF JESUS
JOHN 15:11-17
Introduction:
You know that good friends are hard to come by. Solomon said in Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Being friendly with the Lord Jesus brings the blessings of God into our lives.
I. THE JOY IN KNOWING JESUS CHRIST
A. Jesus had great joy in pleasing His Father by living a FRUITFUL LIFE, Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
1. Jesus came TO DO His Father’s WILL, John 5:30, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
2. Jesus DID NOT COME to PLEASE HIMSELF, Romans 15:3, “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
B. The PURPOSE of His teaching is to give man an ABUNDANT life, NOT a JOYLESS EXISTENCE, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
1. He came to SAVE LIFE, John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
2. He ENCOURAGES and HELPS the believer, Ezekiel 34:16, “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.”
C. The commands for His disciples to obey, are for THEIR JOY, John17:13, “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
1. Unity in serving the Lord brought GREAT JOY, Acts 2:46, “And THEY, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”
2. The REPORT of the CONVERSION of the Gentiles brought REJOICING, Acts 15:3, “And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.”
II. THE JOY OF LOVING ONE ANOTHER
A. This was NOT a request, but a COMMAND, v. 17, “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
B. The STANDARD for that love is Christ’s EXAMPLE, v. 12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
III. THE JOY OF BEING THE FRIEND OF JESUS
A. Jesus DEMONSTRATED His love, v. 13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
B. God called Abraham “MY FRIEND”, Isaiah 41:8, “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.”
C. Like close friends, Abraham and God COMMUNICATED well with each other, Genesis 18:17, “And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;”
IV. THE JOY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FRIEND JESUS CHRIST
A. A SERVANT does NOT know his master’s business, v. 15, “Henceforth I call you NOT SERVANTS; 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.”
B. We are servants who WILLINGLY and lovingly OBEY our Savior, Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
C. Jesus reminds us that disciples generally choose their teacher, but in our case HE CHOSE US, v. 19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
1. He chose His disciples for a mission, Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
2. The Father would answer their requests in order to accomplish that mission, John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
3. Whatever you ask in Jesus’ name WILL BE DONE to fulfill the Father’s will, John 16:23-24, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
CONCLUSION:
There is joy in serving Christ ONLY when the believer is CLOSE TO HIM. His joy reaches us through our fellowship with Him in His service.
Solomon said “there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”