weekly sermon
10-14-07
WHO YOU ARE!
For the past several weeks or even months, we have talked about how to live a
Christian life. Last week I asked if you knew who you were. We talked about the
power and authority that God has given you, the relationship you have with God,
and how you are A son of God. I talk about this Christian life because it is so
important to us to receive the gift of an everlasting life. I can not stress
enough how important it is for us to look at our lives and really know how we
are to live, and make sure we are living in the manner that would be exemplary
of what God expects.
I look around at the world today, and do not understand how, with everything
that is going on, that anyone could not believe in the Almighty. I see it
through emails that pour in, through the news, or even through the news of the
legislation, that there is so many that would love to take God out of our whole
lives. Why is it that it takes something drastic to make us want to put God back
where He belongs? If folks could just understand that they have so much
authority given to them by God. If they could figure out how to unleash that
authority, they would understand the true meaning of power. The world today does
not understand that the thing they believe is power, is nothing but a worldly
possession. Worldly possessions will stay in this world, whereas if you put your
faith on the power that God gives you, then you have power that is literally out
of this world. A power that can not fail you, nor will it ever fade away. It is
an eternal gift that God has promised.
Turn with me to John 15:15-16. "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. (16)Ye have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall
ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Let us look at a few things when we break down these two verses. First thing we
notice is, we get to come in the front door of the house. What did I just say?
We do NOT have to use the servants quarters. We can walk right in the
front door as if we own the place. The first thing the first verse here tells
us, Jesus does not call us servants, but friends. This is why we are allowed to
walk in the front door. For us to be called friends by Jesus we must look at
verse 14 where it says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
If we do what Jesus tells us then we are called His friends. If we do not do
what Jesus commands, then we will not be called His friends. This may sound a
little childish, but it must be this way so that we fully understand what He
commands of us and use these commandments to do the same will that He came here
to do, that of His Father.
Jesus says He will not call us servants but that He will call us friends, true
partners and His personal representatives on earth. He came to bring forth fruit
that we would go and bring forth fruit just as He did. It says in chapter 17:18,
"As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the
world." This is Jesus talking to God, saying, you sent me to bring them and I
sent them to bring others. This is the will of God for us, to go and gather His
flock unto Him. This is why Jesus called us friends instead of servants. Friends
He could ordain to perform His work. Servants He could only command to perform
certain things, but not ordain and make partners with Him.
Servants do not speak unless spoken to, nor do they hold just casual
conversations with their masters. This tells us that they ONLY know what
the master wants them to know. They are not privy to all information of the
household that they serve. I bring this up because just as it states in the first
verse here, Jesus has made known ALL things of His Father. This means
that everything that there is to know about God, what He expects, and how we are
to be as Christians, is now made known to us. We have the power to know all
these things, if we will just believe, and put that power to use for the will of
our Father.
The next thing that we would notice is that you do NOT have to chose God,
He already chose you. If you do not understand this, ask a few pastors,
missionaries, and Christians that were abruptly called to do the will of God.
They will tell you that just out nowhere, they could not understand why they
were doing the things they were being made to do. The reason for this is because
they did not chose to do these things. What I mean is that the folks did not
chose to be the things they are, God chose them for the position they are in or
to perform the duties they are performing. So just as verse 16 says, you did not
chose Jesus, He chose you. You have been ordained by Jesus Himself to do the
will of His Father. The word ordained means, to confer holy orders upon, to
invest with ministerial or priestly authority, or to order by virtue of superior
authority. You see it says that to be ordained means to have authority. This
authority was given that we might do the will of God. Here we see that the will
of God is to go and bring forth fruit.
It tells us, in verse 16, 3 things we are chosen and ordained to do. Go and bring
forth fruit, to produce eternal works, and get an answer to every prayer. It
says He ordained us that we should go and bring forth fruit, then that our fruit
should remain, being the eternal works that we are to produce, and finally that
whatsoever we ask in His name, God would give it to us, or the answer to every
prayer.
We have looked at these 2 verses in depth to show one thing, that God has given
us authority to be friends, ordained to be ministers for Christ, that we should
do His will. To have this type of relationship with God we must be true to Him.
To be true to Him we must be, united to the vine, verse 5, "I am the vine, ye
[are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.", chosen of God to the work, just
as it says in verse 16, Ordained of God, as it says in verse 16, laborers to
bring forth fruit, and not be idlers, verse 16, goers to the work, not waiters
for the work, 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. Amen.", preservers of
the fruit, not destroyers of it, in verse 16, prayers that get results, verse
16, and finally, lovers of all men, verse 12, "This is my commandment, That ye
love one another, as I have loved you."
If you love God the way I love God, then you will gladly look at these two
verses, and with a joyful heart, you will, do the commandments here that Jesus
has commanded of you.
Last week, I asked you who you were. This week I told you who you are. You are a
friend to Jesus, NOT a servant. You were chosen by Jesus to be joint
heirs to the throne of God, but to receive this, your chosen right, you MUST
perform the duties that Jesus has laid out in these two verses.
If you do not know Jesus as your friend and would like to know Him, please go to
him with the prayer that always gets results.
Dear Lord, come into my life and forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of
everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received
salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our
link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few
things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone