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e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good morning everyone welcome back and special welcome to the visitors amongst us this morning at free race Baptist Church we look forward to worshiping with you only announcements for this morning is this evening service usual time 5:00 p.m. and then Wednesday night bible study is on again on Wednesday evening we're going to move right into worship by turning to our call to Worship in Psalm 33 Psalm 33 we'll read through verse 12 beginning at verse 1 Psalm 331 rejoice in the Lord oh you righteous for praise from the upright is beautiful praise the Lord with the harp make Melody to him with an instrument of 10 strings sing to him a new song play skillfully with a shout of joy for the word of the Lord is right and all his work is done in truth he loves righteousness and Justice the Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord by the word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth he gathers the Waters of the sea together as a heap he lays up the deep in storehouses let all the Earth fear the lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him for he spoke and it was done he commanded and it stood fast the Lord brings the counsel of the Nations to nothing he makes the plans of the peoples of no effect the Council of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart to all generations blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the people he has chosen as his own inheritance amen we're going to stand and sing together Psalm 9 2 a from our Suter Himel 992a is in Alpha and let us rejoice in the Lord this morning as we sing prise [Music] sing of what you all s the mul for [Music] th I see and the me by by the [Music] Lord and [Music] seated let's turn to the Lord Our God In Prayer gracious Heavenly Father we thank you for this beautiful day beautiful day outside and beautiful day here where we get to gather with your people once again to worship you corporately this is a tremendous privilege and we give you thanks for it we thank you that you have called us blessed in the scripture we've already read read it says blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the people he has chosen as his own inheritance and Lord we know that every person in this place that has put their faith in ch Christ and been saved is part of that Nation we know that even under the old Covenant there were those in the nation of Israel who were idolators who had no faith in their heart who are not in heaven at this day and there are others true Seed of Abraham who are rejoicing before your Throne this day we thank you that we are part of this nation whose God is the Lord and Lord we pray for everyone in this place this morning if there are those sitting amongst us who have not yet embraced the truth not yet tasted and seen that the Lord is good may your spirit draw them by Sovereign Grace this morning to yourself and give them the faith that they need to believe that Christ has died for them as well Lord we thank you for this opportunity to worship it is a tremendous privilege we thank you for the freedom that we have in this nation we know that there are many places on the face of the Earth where congregations cannot gather openly like this we pray for our brothers and our sisters that are being persecuted we pray for those that are in hiding this day as they worship you and those that are suffering in prison because they will not recant their faith be merciful to your people oh God and help us not to forget their plight help us Lord to pray for them as if we too were in Chains we thank than you for the mercy that you have afforded us and Lord we pray that you would bless the church in our nation our nation has fallen on hard times when it comes to uh the the impact of the Gospel in our magistrates and in the on the street we see all around us the results of departure from faith and we pray oh God that you would have mercy upon Canada not because we deserve your blessing but because you are a gracious and a merciful god who Delights to save Sinners we pray that the gospel would go forth all across this nation this day that you would cause preachers of the Gospel in pulpits to Proclaim boldly the word of God and Lord we do pray that you would turn the nation around that the church would again be Salt and Light here and abroad we pray for our sister churches that you would bless the congregation that's meeting this morning there in Su bless the church there at Armstrong bless our Brethren out in dren Ontario we pray oh God that you would bless these ones and others that we have close fellow fellowship with and the churches in this city that we know are preaching the gospel we pray oh God that you would bless them as well cause a great multitude of people to be drawn to yourself This Day and encourage your Saints we pray and Lord for those amongst us that are struggling be it physically spiritually emotionally those who are not able to join us this day or who are away we pray you'd bless them as well on this Lord's day we ask this in Jesus name amen amen we're going to stand again to sing him number 450 from our Himel 450 Jesus Lover of My Soul stand with [Music] the still the receive my soul and [Music] father my his I from the I Mighty the sh [Music] ofr PR the all [Music] is all of I am of Tru and PR [Music] all my the [Music] take all et you may be seated for our New Testament scripture reading this morning we're turning to Mark 5 and we will finish the chapter that was begun last week Mark 5 beginning in verse 21 Mark 5:21 now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side a great multitude gathered to him and he was by the Sea and behold one of the rulers of the synagogue came Gus by name and when he saw him he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly saying my little daughter lies at the point of death come and lay your hands on her that she may be healed and she will live so Jesus went with him and a great multitude followed him and thronged him now a certain woman had a flow of blood for 12 years and had suffered many things from many Physicians she had spent all that she had and was no better but rather grew worse when she heard about Jesus she came behind him in the crowd and touched His Garment for she said if only I may touch his clothes I shall be made well immediately the Fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of the Affliction and Jesus immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out of him turned around in the crowd and said who touched my clothes but his disciples said to him you see the multitude thr wronging you and you say who touched me and he looked around to see her who had done this thing but the woman fearing and trembling knowing what had happened to her came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth and he said to her daughter your faith has made you well go in peace and be healed of your Affliction while he was still speaking some some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said your daughter is dead why trouble the teacher any further as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken he said to the ruler of the synagogue do not be afraid only believe and he permitted no one to follow him except Peter James and John the brother of James then he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly when he came in he said to them why make this commotion and Weep the child is not dead but sleeping and they ridiculed him but when he had put them all outside he took the father and the mother of the child and those who who were with him and entered where the child was lay lying then he took the child by the hand and said to her talita Kumi which is translated little girl I say to you arise immediately the girl arose and walked for she was 12 years of age and they were overcome with great amazement but he commanded them strictly that no one should know it and said that something should be given to her to eat amen couple of comments on this chapter uh I would like to ask the question why did Jesus go with Gus why did he raise her daughter from the dead why did he heal this woman who came up behind him and touched the Hem of His Garment what was his motivation Jesus was not akin to a modern tele evangelist that was looking to put on a Big Show and Dazzle people in fact he said right here that they were strictly no one should know it he wasn't there to Dazzle people he wasn't there to build a name for himself he was there we know this from elsewhere in scripture to do the will of his father John 4:32 my f my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work the will of his father was his sustenance that's what motivated him and propelled him on and we know as well that Not only was he doing the will of his father because he was God God himself God incarnate as a man he had the scriptures just like we have the scriptures and he was fulfilling Prophecy of the Old Testament in Luke 4:18 Christ in the synagogue reads from Isaiah the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set at Liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord that's from Isaiah 61: 1 and 2 and if Christ had continued to quote Isaiah he would have also said to comfort all who mourn he was there to comfort gyrus and his wife and how better to comfort them than to raise their daughter from the dead amazing what Christ did not only to fulfill the will of his father which was his will as well but to pour his love upon lost Humanity one other comment I want to make here in verse 41 then he took the child by the hand and said to her talita Kumi which is translated little girl I say to you arise isn't it interesting that God that that Mark under the inspiration of the spirit wrote exactly the words that Christ spoke in the language that he spoke them and then translated it for us well he didn't translate it into English someone else down the road did but aren't you glad that Christianity is not a religion limited to one people group or to one tongue that you don't have to learn Arabic to become a Christian or to understand what the holy scriptures say that Christ in his wisdom in building the church has also decreed that the scriptures are to go forth in the vernacular in every language and there will be people from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation every tongue every language that worship before the throne we know that faith comes by hearing and hear hearing by the word of God if I were to speak to you all day in Aramaic or in Greek or in Latin or in Hebrew and you didn't understand a word you there' be no way that Faith could take hold of your heart from what I'm saying but Christ Christ is building his church and in the Christian religion he's also uh inspired men to go and translate into the vacular the scriptures we forget that our forebears it's so common to have the scriptures on our lap in our own language we forget that that men like hos and Tindale and Wickliffe Luther risk their lives to translate from Latin or from Greek or from Hebrew and some of them were burned at the stake for doing just that and there are still peoples and Nations all over the face of the Earth that need the scriptures so you know uh missionary work has fallen on Hard Times in North America and Europe in our day and age we're not living in the days of William KY when men had a burning desire there are some obviously God is still building his church Christ is building his church we don't see the waves of missionaries going forth from North America and Europe that once did doesn't mean that missionaries aren't going forth Maybe God will use the church in China or in India to send forth missionaries but we do know that there will be people from every tribe tongue people and nation that stand Before the Throne on that day and worship the lamb who was slain amen let's pray gracious Father in heaven we thank you that you are building your church we thank you that you have sent forth the gospel and continue to send it forth you continue to send men forth to carry the gospel to every corner of the earth Lord we know that you will still raise up more men and cause them to do a work under the inspiration of your spirit to call men to yourself Lord we pray that the gospel would continue and that the scriptures would continue to be translated into every language on the face of the Earth be with us this day as we continue to worship Lord I pray that you would bless Pastor Butler as he comes give him unction and and Clarity the ability to speak to us and to not hold back from declaring the whole counsil of God we pray in Jesus name amen for our final hymn we're going to sing 104 so that's Psalm 104a as in Alpha we'll sing the last four stanas stanza 8 through 11 104a as an alpha Earth is of all your creatures with heart and all your Crees to you waiting you creatures you your to your the glor the etal pr the GL in all his mighty and glorious he on hising Earth to sh all the of Lord my God with all my and all my my him for all s the wicked bless the Lord my soul my well you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of John as we continue to move our way through the fourth gospel we're in John chapter 15 our Focus this morning will be verses 12- 17 specifically I mentioned last week that verses 9 to1 17 are a unit so we looked at part one last week verses uh 9 to 10 or 9 to 11 uh basically Jesus emphasizing the love of the disciples for Christ and in this section verses 12 to 17 they're love to one another and this isn't the first time in the fourth gospel that he has mentioned this we know it's very important as we read our Bibles in fact in John 13 He says by this all men will know that you are my my disciples if you have love for one another so we're going to look at the disciples love to one another in verses 12 to 17 but I'll read the unit beginning in verse 9 as the father loved me I also have loved you abide in my love 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 these things I have spoken to you that my joy May remain in you and that your joy may be full this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends you are my friends if you do whatever I command you no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing but I've called you friends for all things that I have heard from my father I have made known to you you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the father in my name he may give you these things I command you that you love one another amen well let us pray our gracious God and our Holy Father we thank you for the Lord's day we thank you for your house we thank you for your people and the Glad occasion of worshiping our gracious God even Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray that your Holy Spirit would work in our hearts now that we'd approach you as that that high and lofty one who inhabits eternity but that one who looks upon those who are lowly and of a contrite heart and God we know that's not us by Nature so we praise you for that Grace we praise you for the power of the holy spirit for that conviction of sin wherein you showed us our our our need for the Savior and directed us to the Lord Of Glory we pray father that you would be merciful to any and all here this morning that are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them we pray that Christ would be altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 and that they would believe on him for salvation may you encourage and may you build us up may you strengthen us in our faith may you cause us to truly Express that love for one another that is symptomatic of the people of God forgive us now for all sin and all unrighteousness and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well as we have noted several times moving our way through this section of scripture we call it the upper room discourse or some have called it the farewell disc course because it's Jesus addressing his disciples prior to his death resurrection and Ascension on high one of the primary themes that he sets before them by way of encouragement is who God is he mentions the doctrine of the Trinity not in those particular words but certainly the substance concerning Father Son and Holy Spirit and here we see he is getting very practical with the disciples not only again in terms of their love for him and obedience to him but also their love for one another which is an expression of their love for him and obedience to him so as we investigate verses 12 to 17 under the general heading the disciples love to one another we'll notice four things first there's a command in verse 12 secondly a pattern in verse 13 a privilege in verses 14 and 15 and then finally a reminder in verses 16 and 17 so we'll look first at command in verse 12 very simply this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you now in terms of this particular command as I mentioned it's not the first time it comes in John's gospel it's not the first time it comes in the Bible and it's probably pretty Elementary in terms of people that have been saved for any amount of time well of course we know that we're supposed to love one another but the attention that Jesus gives it the emphasis that the Bible shines upon it recognizes that obviously at some point or at some level the people of God may actually struggle with this remember we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love remember there is the reality of remaining corruption according to Romans 7 and Galatians 5 so constant recurring reminders in scripture they're not Superfluous they don't just sort of fill up the white space in the pages but rather it is is something that is intrinsic to Christian discipleship so with reference to this command in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you I would suggest first that the command to love is a summarizing statement remember that we are still connected to verse 10 Jesus says if you keep my Commandments you will abide in my love so he stresses there how they are to abide in his love it is by commandment keeping so that he refers to commandment keeping here in verse 12 shouldn't surprise us but as I suggest this is a summarizing statement to say love one another is to summarize the entirety of God's law love to God and love to man summarizes the Ten Commandments the decalog in Protestant interpretation we refer to the two tables of the law the first four Commandments are our duty toward God and the latter six command Commandments are our duty toward man and love your neighbor as yourself love one another as I have loved you summarizes the entirety of that second table you can turn to Matthew's gospel to confirm this in Matthew chap 22 the Lord Jesus Christ is questioned specifically at verse 34 when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they gathered together then one of them a lawyer asked him a question testing him and saying teacher which is the great commandment in the law Jesus said to him you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind this is the first and great commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets so in our immediate context when Jesus stresses commandment keeping in verse 10 as a recognition of his love for them and as an expression of their love to him him it is commandment keeping so when he gets specifically in verse 12 to say that you love one another he's summarizing the entirety of the second table as well this command to love is a comprehensive statement turn over to the Book of Romans Romans chapter 13 where the Apostle invokes the second table of the law as that standard by which love for one another is to be measured notice in Romans 13 specifically at verse 8 he says ow one owe no one anything except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled the law for the Commandments you shall not commit adultery you shall not murder you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness you shall not covet and if there is any other commandment are all summed up in this saying so it's a summary statement love your neighbor as yourself love one another as I have loved you but it's a comprehensive statement our love for one another is to be expressed in terms of what God commands Us in that second table we're not supposed to commit murder against those we love we're not supposed to commit adultery against those we love we're not supposed to steal from those we love we're not supposed to lie about those we love we're not supposed to covet or Envy or engage in that kind of mindset with those we love notice his summary statement verse 10 love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the Fulfillment of the law so when we see in the upper room that he says if you AB uh keep my Commandments you will abide in my love Commandments there plural are summarized by this statement in verse 12 this is my commandment singular that you love one another why because it summarizes the entirety of the second table and it's a comprehensive statement concerning the love that we are supposed to have with one another but then notice in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another not the way that Hollywood defines love not the way the popular romance novels Define love not the way our Godless christ-hating abortion loving old people killing child mutilating Society wants to dictate what love looks like no love is expressed declared manifested and revealed by our blessed savior so notice in verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you now with reference to the love of Christ we know that love of Christ is self-sacrificial in Matthew's gospel in chapter 20 the disciples are jockeying for position the Lord Jesus reproves that and then the Lord Jesus summarizes his argument by saying just as the son of man did not come into this world to be served but rather to serve and to give his life a ransom for many or in the word of God revealed to us by the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians there's a general statement in Ephesians 5:2 we're to walk in love just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us and then the Apostle moves from the general to the very specific in terms of Christian marriage husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her so when we ask the question what does it mean to love one another it means means to Love Like Jesus Does with reference to his people so that love is self-sacrificial I would suggest as well that that love is constant turn back to chapter 13 in the upper room specifically at verse one now before the Feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the father having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end so when he calls upon us to love one another just as I have have loved you certainly self-sacrificial certainly constantly but I would suggest thirdly the love of Christ is toward Sinners we are never told in the Bible love the object your supposed to love in so far as they are lovely we look for conditions for our obedience well you don't know what my wife is like you don't know what my husband is like you don't know what my parents are like if you knew what they were like then you would excuse me in my sinful Rebellion wherein I don't love them as I ought God demonstrated his own love toward us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us these men in the upper room were not perfect men they were Godly men they were upright men they were Faithful Men they would prove to be very useful men in the extension of the kingdom of Christ on Earth they were not perfect men and yet Christ loves his own even to the end Brethren our love for one another is not to be conditional our love for one another isn't to be predicated upon their good behavior well you've earned my affection this week by 15 units of compliance husbands if you love your wives that way you need to repent and forsake your wickedness if any of us love that way in light of this passage or in Ephesians 52 wherein we're to walk in in love just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us we need to repent that doesn't mean we excuse their sin it doesn't mean we're not hurt by their sin it doesn't mean we don't reprove them of their sin but it doesn't mean that the love stops it doesn't mean that you're dead to me I have no use for you anymore because you've crossed the boundary and you have offended the holy me you're not supposed to live that way you're supposed to be like our lord Jesus in the presence of men that were not perfect he loved them and he loved them to the end so the Commandment in verse 12 I think is very simple at least in terms of understanding it's a little bit more difficult in terms of application and the fact of its reput uh repetition throughout the Bible should cause us to reflect upon its importance again verse 17 that's how this section or unit is capped off these things I command you that you love one another go back to John 13 specifically in verse 34 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another it's not new in terms of wow we never heard this before but new in terms of standard new in terms of demonstration new in terms of Revelation as Christ loved us in other words we now have the embodiment of the Divine word showing us in demonstrating what love looks like on Earth as I have loved you that you also love one another by this all will uh by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another the teaching of the Apostles we've seen that in Romans chapter 13 you see the great love chapter by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 why do you think Paul writes 1 Corinthians 13 because this is intuitive on the part of the people of God if if you read the preceding chapters in First Corinthians you'll know why he comes to write First Corinthians 13 cuz if I could put it in the vernacular the church in Corinth was a mess you know we get get these people today we got to get back to the early church the first century Church really Corinth was pretty messed up it's actually reported among you that a man has his father's wife not sure I want to get back to that uh meat sacrificed to Idols to the point where people were stumbling in terms of their their their godward focus the the the great abuse at the supper of the Lord's table the halves excluding the Have Nots so when Paul comes to deal or finish that particular unit and he comes with 1 Corinthians 13 he's underscoring the Primacy of Love amongst the people of God that will facilitate their able or their ability rather to deal with one another in a gracious god-honoring glorifying way you've got Ephesians 5 you've got the parallel in Colossians 3 you've got it riddled all throughout first John how do we know that we have passed from Death To Life John asks because we love the Brethren at one point we didn't love the Brethren at one point the Brethren irritated us at one point we didn't quite appreciate the Brethren at one point the Brethren were obnoxious as far as we were concerned but by God's grace we passed from death into life and what does that then end in it ends in love for the bre you've got the teaching of the Old Testament I think Leviticus 19 is the Old Testament counterpart to First Corinthians chapter 13 when you think of the Book of Leviticus do you think of love chapter probably not you think of blood and gore and Tabernacle and priesthood and lots and lots of legislation about sores and leprosy and houses being under the ban and all kinds of odd things for our 21st century minds but listen to Leviticus 19:18 which is paradigmatic or foundational for New Covenant ethics it says but you shall love your neighbor as yourself I am the Lord this is not a new thing this isn't something that is peculiar to New Covenant teaching this is something that was to characterize old Covenant participation but of course it didn't but why because there there wasn't an assurance of Salvation built into the old Covenant that is not the case in the New Covenant when the prophet prophesies concerning New Covenant reality he tells us what that Covenant Community is going to look like they will know the Lord they'll be forgiven of their sins they'll have the law of God written on their hearts what will be the automatic reflex and terms of their lives they'll love God and they'll love one another so the Lord Jesus Christ underscores what has always been an emphasis in terms of our relationship one to another notice secondly in our particular section the pattern in verse 13 so verse 12 is the command verse 13 gives us the pattern note the Declaration he says greater love has no one than this than to lay downs uh down one's life for his friends we'll look at that latter part in just a second but but just think about this Greater Love greater love seems to indicate or suggest that our love for one another ought not to be static well you know I love this guy because I haven't killed him okay you're doing great champ but maybe you could probably Excel still more greater love Wonder at times do we pray God help me me to love the Brethren more we probably pray God help the Brethren to love me more but do we always pray God help me to love the Brethren more increase my love for Christ increase my love for his people increase the demonstration of that in my life not so I can get kudos or points or you know ring the bell of success in terms of sanctification but because it's right greater love seems to imagine or seems to imply a growth in this particular aspect of our Christianity greater love in our marriages greater love to our children Greater Love from children to their parents greater love one to another amongst our our our friends Greater Love within the context of the local church greater love to to the world outside Greater Love such that by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another shouldn't be hard to discern the love that we have for one another it shouldn't be well I I think it's there I I hope it's there let me throw it on the torture rack and start to spin the wheel and see if it pops out Greater Love is what Jesus envisages for his people in the context of the local church I just mentioned a few sample passages in the New Testament I didn't even mention Peter didn't mention the others didn't mention the other gospel narrative what's the overarching concern in fact Peter says above all things have love or put on love for one another love is that wonderful demonstration that the people of God are living like the people of God so notice with reference to the Declaration he says in verse 13 greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends now we know that Jesus does this right we know where the narrative is going we know where the passion weeks with Christ on the cross crying out to the father my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me they should have known because this wasn't the first reference or Illusion to his self-sacrificial love amongst them but in the original setting what would they have heard they would have heard greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends sure they would have thought oh that's what Jesus is going to do that's what Jesus shows in terms of love for us but they would have also heard this is what I need to be doing for these guys remember the disciple group is sitting together they're in the upper room they're discoursing and what would they think I need to have that kind find a greater love for this group of brothers that is sitting here with me I need to have a self-sacrificial mindset to be willing to die for them and that's what the New Testament again everywhere puts forth as the standard and as the habit of God's people the self-sacrificial element involved with reference to love greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends this is the Supreme demonstration this is the Supreme example if in another few years government agents are in the parking lot and they lob grenades in here it'll be curious to see how we respond if everybody bolts out that door then we've all failed according to Paul in Romans 5 but if we dive on that grenade I'm not necessarily recommending this as a course or habit of choice but that's the demonstration don't we read stories of Valor and military history and the man who jumps on the grenade what do we say we say he really loved his fellows he was really self-sacrificing he really gave to the end for them and this is the standard the love that is set forth here greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends turn over to Romans chapter 5 Romans chapter 5 and note the the argument that the Apostle uses I think it's a lesser to the greater argument the greatest being of course that God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us but notice in verse six for when we were still without Strength In Due Time Christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one die the Apostle's a realist he knows the heart of man for scarcely one out of a 100 but then he goes on to say yet Perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die you'll always have that guy that's going to jump on the grenade and Paul recognizes that for the most part people aren't jumping on the grenade but there are those blessed exceptions to that rule wherein some do jump on the grenade they make it into our history books well not necessarily our history books that they but they should there scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet Perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still Sinners so we weren't righteous men we weren't deserving men we weren't worthy men the emphasis or the accent falls on the self-sacrificial nature of Christ's love Christ died for for us so going back to the upper room when the Lord Jesus issues the command in verse 12 he then sets forth the pattern in verse 13 it is to be self-sacrificial it is to be others minded I often encourage people as they get married you don't enter enter into a marriage relationship first and all first and foremost seeking what you get it is to seek rather what you can give I want to get married because it's going to be nice I'm going to have a wife she's going to make me walk she's going to rub my feet it's going to be wonderful it's at this point I respond like that and laugh and tell them you'd have no clue young man what what what lies ahead in your future but but we're mercenaries aren't we we go into something for what we get sign me up for all the benefits I want all the assets I don't want any liabilities or responsibilities you go into marriage to give you have a relationship with one another in the life to the church to give now it's mutual it's reciprocal there's all that give and take to be sure but the mindset indicative of our culture and our world is give me give me give me Solomon said the leech has two daughters give give it's the basis of the advertising industry today it ought not to be the basis for Christianity in terms of discipleship relative to our blessed savior who love loved us and gave himself for us self sacrifice in terms of love for one another that brings us then the privilege in verses 14 and 15 notice there's a declaration in verse 14 and then an explanation in verse 15 note first the Declaration in verse 14 you are my friends if you do whatever I command you that sounds a bit harsh usually in our friendship we don't say look I I'll keep you on the line as long as you do whatever it is that I command you you might be tempted to say well I'm not so sure I want to be your friend anymore but with reference to this the place of obedience and friendship it's not outlandish I mean if I call you hey friend come over and wash my car because it's quite dirty and if you don't you're no longer my friend now that's an abuse to be sure but obedience servanthood willingness to give that's not outlandish in Friendship that's perfectly consistent with friendship giving deferring giving preference to others that is most certainly part and parcel of friendship what Jesus is saying here he's not saying this is conditional as long as you wash my car I'll call you my friends but say it's not outlandish because good friendship good relationship again is a reciprocity of give and take giving usually involves some sort of obedience some sort of servanthood but as well there's a specific theological order that we cannot forget as we navigate through this section of scripture we're not saved because we obey we're not saved because we do what he commands we obey and we do what he commands because we are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ I feel that is very important and very much necessary to stress as we move through narrative passages which people can say wait a minute that sounds a bit awkward it seems to present a challenge to the doctrine of justification by faith alone The Sinner is Justified freely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ obedient is a consequence of that as our confession speaks concerning good works it says these good works done in obedience to God's Commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and Lively Faith they're the fruits and evidences not the cause of Salvation so again Jesus is talking to people that have been Justified freely by Grace the Believers obedience is not what makes them friends it is rather what characterizes them as his friends I stole that from da Carson not the specific quote but the theme listen again the believer's obedience is not what makes them friends it is what characterizes his friends that is crucial to get so that you don't end up with a conditional approach to Salvation as long as I obey the Savior then I can call him friend or he'll call me friend no you're saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ The Consequence the fruits the Lively evidences of that is your obedience to him what happens when I'm not perfectly obedient we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we don't enter into heaven because of our obedience we enter into heaven because of his obedience because of his doing his d his Rising we go because of God's grace the Apostle says in Ephesians 1 in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace we're not saved by works we're saved unto works and Jesus affirms that everywhere in these narrative discourses with his disciples so it's not a condition if you obey me then I'll keep keep you around no because I've saved you this is what is the case with those I've saved they obey they follow do they do it perfectly no that's why I'm their Advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous that's why he ever lives to make intercession for his people so don't mess up theology when you read through these sections and say wait a minute it sounds like our Lord is being very conditional in terms of his friends verse 14 you are my friends if you do know uh do whatever I command you verse 15 he sort of expands it now or amplifies it or explains it he speaks of their former status and he speaks of their present status and again what is owing to the change of status their obedience their wisdom their Ingenuity their choice for Jesus they're signing the card their altar call no it's the grace of God and Jesus is going to make that abundantly clear in 16a you didn't choose me you didn't raise the hand at the tent meeting and say I have decided to follow Jesus you didn't choose me I chose you this is the same theology you find throughout the rest of the Bible the condition is not there by way of do this to be saved it is rather do this because you have been saved so note their former status according to verse 15a no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing I don't call you servants anymore again brethren in the grand scheme of things Christ at the right hand of the father dispatching his disciples out into the then Known World to engage in the Greater Works he tells them to do in 14:12 yeah they're serving him but their status relationally to him is as friends in Romans chapter uh 8 the Apostle says for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba Father in a more close context look back at John chapter 8 as Jesus is mixing it up with the religious leaders the unbelieving Jews look at how he deals with them in 8:31 to 36 he acknowledges that they are the ones in slavery they are the ones in bondage and that those those who are in Christ are free men they are free women notice in 8:31 then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him if you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed and you shall excuse me know the truth and the truth shall make you free they answered him we are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone how can you say you will be made free Jesus answered them most assuredly I say to you whoever commits sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever but a son abides forever therefore if the son makes you free you shall be free indeed so back to John 15 specifically at verse 15 no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing he just works the grinder he just rows the ship he just shovels the coal he just engages in those activities without any sight whatsoever into the mind of the master but differentially notice what he goes on to say in verse 15 but I have called you friends for all things that I uh that I heard from my father I have made known to you now Brethren this language of friend of God has a rich Heritage in scripture Abraham was a friend of God according to 2 Chronicles 20 Isaiah 41 in James 2:23 Abraham was called the friend of God and Moses in Exodus CH 33 specifically at verse 11 God spoke face to face with Moses as a man speaks to a friend I think those two images or those two men rather should help inform us as to the rational there in verse 15b so notice again he says but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you so revelation of divine truth to the disciple is a blessing so brother mentioned in the scripture rated we ever Ponder how we got this Blood Stained book the the the Great Lengths that men went to the Great Lengths that that that women went to the Great Lengths that people went to so that we could have that written word of the Living God and now that it's in our laps that it's on our phone that it's all over our bookshelves and our homes do we bless God for the privilege of Revelation this is one of the end games of the Incarnation practically speaking in the prologue in John 1118 no one has seen God at any time but the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father has declared him so what separates the servants on the one side and the friends on the other side it's divine revelation it's faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of Christ it is the recognition that foul I to the Fountain fly Wash Me savior or I die it's the recognition that Christ is allog together lovely and chief among 10,000 that it's he alone that has the ability to save it's he alone that speaks John 6:37 all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out it is the recognition of the glory of of a John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Brethren do we count ourselves blessed as the recipients of divine truth not just externally yeah I own a Bible or five but internally by the power of the Holy Spirit who's opened our hearts as the hymnwriter says reflecting I think the Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32 was Grace that taught My Heart To Fear Brethren if we have that revelation we understand the glory of God not that we can explain successfully every jot and tit of the Christian faith but that we know him the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent that's where our friendship or where our our our status as friend is recognized the servant just does what he does there's no mind of the master that is actuating him but the S uh the friend we know what the master wants we know what the master has has come to do we know what the Master's intentions are so we are not on an equal level with him may it never be but we are subordinate but nevertheless friends the idea that you can't have a subordinate that's a friend is completely contrary to what we find in this particular passage of scripture one man Edward Clank makes the observation it is knowledge that distinguishes a friend from a slave and this knowledge is reflective of relationship right you you many people know your spouse but they don't know your spouse the way you know your spouse many people know other people as as well but there's not that intimacy that that people have in a marriage well many people have a concept of deity God out there but not knowing the master not having that status of friendship they don't have that relationship of friendship so this is a wonderful explanation on the part of our Lord in the larger context of the upper room as an impetus for these men to go out and do what he says to do in 14:12 you've got to do Greater Works and this Greater Works isn't the grinder it isn't the shoveling of the coal it is out of love for Christ and out of love to your fellow men that you go therefore that you make disciples of all the nations and that you baptize them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit these brothers needed impetus they needed encouragement the world is about to collapse all all around them they're going to see their savior mocked they're going to see their savior crucified they're going to see their savior buried they're going to see their savior raised again and ascended on high to be sure but at this particular Vantage Point what is it that they need in terms of motivation to go and engage in those Greater Works they need all that Jesus is telling them you ever hear those questions could God do this and could God do that God does all his holy will and God as he speaks to us in scripture there might be enigmatic portions that means puzzling portions to you the Book of Leviticus I've already mentioned that yeah you got to deal with this SAR and this scab with this hair in it in this particular way and quarantine this particular facility if this kind of stuff you know modern readers read that they go what it just seems so foreign it seems so far in fact most people not most I would imagine some they I'm going to read the Bible from cover to cover Le Leviticus is probably the great rock that levels a few of them I'm just not sure I can make it through Leviticus is all about Jesus I know that sounds odd I think you see it in in in many many ways Leviticus 16 and the day of atonement Leviticus 21 and 22 or 20 and 21 the fitness of the priest and the fitness of the sacrifice but but with reference to script scripture when it comes to these particular things when we Ponder these particular things we ought to remember that our gracious God has brought us into this position of friendship revealed to us these things and called us to function in a capacity that is consistent with his mind revealed to us in the word so Jesus comes along to these disciples to to encourage them to to help them along to be a blessing to them not a harsh task Master snapping the whip but he comes to speak to them in a way that moves them from the upper room to the then Known World to take the gospel to all the places in the earth and then that brings us finally to the reminder notice in verses 16 and 17 he emphasizes Sovereign Grace you did not choose me but I chose you I I think this this functions in a particular way and I'll speak to that in just a moment but the nature of his choice the well what did he choose them for he chose them for apostleship we know that from Matthew 10: 1 to4 and the parallels that you find in Mark and Luke he chose them for apostleship he didn't have you know signups today if you want to be my Apostle you know come and and you know do your thing and show me that you're one that ought to be included in this Apostle group no he doesn't do that but not just to apostleship in gener uh uh specifically but to Salvation generally you didn't choose me I chose you Ephesians 1:4 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him he doesn't choose us because we are holy and Without Blame he chooses us so that will become holy and blameless as John Gil rightly says election does not find men in Christ but it puts Man in Christ so I think Jesus is doing something here in terms of showing them privilege you didn't choose me but I chose you showing them privilege I don't call you servants anymore but I but I call you friends but he's doing it to encourage that that intimacy that he has with them that relationship again when these guys go out into the world to preach the gospel and and Brethren notice in verses 18 to 25 that's where the accent Lay You Know believe it or not going to let you in on something according to 14:12 Jesus is going to send these men out to do Greater Works when these men go out to do Greater Works believe it or not the world's not going to like it they're not you look around today and you say wait a minute why is it that Christians are persecuted throughout the Earth well why do we just spend a part of the prayer meeting this morning praying for six different countries or maybe two of them were the same country but six different instances of Grievous suffering among the people of God because the world hates Christ and the world hates Christ's people I I really don't know how to make that more of a simple proposition so so what is Jesus saying to prepare them for the eventuality of 18 and following know that when you go out into the Roman Empire and you preach another King Jesus the world's not going to be happy of course God Saves out of the world Those whom he has chosen from before the foundation of the world there will be receptivity there will not be an extinguished Church of the Lord Jesus Christ it will March onward the gates of Hades shall not Prevail against it but in your own lives in your own experience in your own doings within the Empire you're going to end up in jail you're going to end up before magistrates you're going to end up dead but be mindful of this I call you friends you didn't choose me but I chose you I I chose you for this privileged position to go out and die for me I chose you for this privileged position to go out and suffer for me and say well Butler that's a stretch read the book of Acts after the apostles are scourged after they are beaten they leave from that place not to go call their lawyer they leave from that place rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name it is a privilege to suffer for the cause of God and truth it is a privilege to follow the land wherever he bids us go this is the way 20 centuries of Christ Church has interpreted it but in this 21st century well you know that just doesn't fit into our lifestyle we can't actually go against governmental decree we can't actually go against the norm we can't actually take a stand upon the holy word of God Brethren 20 centuries before us saw it as their great privilege to take that stand the Lord Jesus Christ is calculatedly fitting his disciples for service in a John 1518 world he says if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world the world would love its own own yet because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you before moving on and we're going to close close this soon I think that this statement as well you did not choose me but I chose you should at least through the back door serve as a check against our pride what does privileged status often yield in the privileged Pride arrogance I'm a friend of the master I'm a servant in the the functional term of the master you didn't choose me I chose you it's like that scene in Ezekiel chapter 16 when God is rehearsing the founding of Israel when I came to you you were like a baby lying there in its blood your father was a hittite your mother was a hivite and I came to you and I said live live and then I picked you up I cleaned you off I decked you with ornaments I set you on the path that you're on Brethren I think again through the back door this should serve to check our pride our arrogance I'm a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ owing to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ not owing to your good decisions or to your works or to your lawke keeping or to your Merit so the Lord Jesus is encouraging and he is helping the disciples to go into the then Known World so from verse 16 you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit this appointment as I mentioned earlier is in Matthew chap 10 the appointment to the apostolic Ministry and then the purpose for that appointment is to go not to stay but to go the disciple group here specifically to go in the to the lost sheep of the House of Israel that is the Matthew 10 specifics and then of course in Matthew 28 there's expansion go to the uttermost parts of the earth go to All Nations Make Disciples of all Nations so you see Jesus appointment of these men is with the specific task of extending his church of extending his kingdom of extending the salvation of God to the uttermost parts of the Earth again as our brother was mentioning every tribe every tongue every people every nation this is the purpose of the Savior relative to the missionary Enterprise notice specifically then the provision or I'm sorry the the mission for the disciples follows I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain this is a connection to the unit in verses 1 to8 here in chapter 15 he gives the the the the the meaning of who he is as the True Vine and then what does he say you're your branches in the vine and my father pruned you so that you're fruitful so that you get the sap and the nutrients you get the nourishment and the the satiation so that you can go out and and actually bear fruit you see that's what he wants from his disciples I I I appointed you to this particular task and and I I I I want you to to to bear fruit and and I want that your fruit should remain that was our brother again picking on Mark here he he started off the the the the statement with I I want to ask a question I want to ask a question did their fruit remain you better believe it did you better believe their fruit remained what was the complaint of these men or about these men in the book of Acts they turn the world upside down isn't that wonderful isn't that glorious isn't that blessed and amazing that a handful of men from different backgrounds different walks of life United in God's Grace under the headship of their friend the savior go and turn the the Roman Empire upside down it probably seem like an impossible task it probably seemed like there there's nothing that's going to stop the Roman Empire yeah there is it's God most high who rules and Reigns at the right the Lord Christ most high who rules and Reigns at the right hand of God and then notice vision from Christ that whatever you ask the father in my name he may give you he's already said this in vers in chapter 14 he'll repeat it again in chapter 16 they're supposed to be doing Greater Works 14:12 those Greater Works are going to requ require great resources and so when he says whatever you ask the father he's not saying if you want summer homes if you want a new boat you want a new job you want a new this you want a new that that whatever you ask in my name is conditioned by the Greater Works of 1412 always governed by the will of God itself when we pray we're not praying to change God what a miserable approach to prayer boy I just want to go change God no God in infinite wisdom has everything under perfect control he governs all his creatures and all their actions the primary focus in prayer is to align our will under his will so that whatever you ask in my name are the resources necessary to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the the Earth and I would argue specifically the holy spirit in light of 145 to18 and Luke 119 to13 it's the holy spirit in these men with these men empowering and enabling these men Illuminating these men teaching these men bringing all things to remembrance to these men that will be the grand impetus is for them to go out to proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus to make those disciples and to baptize them and then the text or the unit ends with a reiteration in verse 17 these things I command you that you love one another importance comprehensiveness and then the power of obedience to that command by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another and then I would suggest as we move into the next section this is the ne Neary help that obedience to the command affords there needs to be a community of love when we live in a world that is filled with enmity I mean if just that alone is a reason to come to church and I'm not suggesting that alone is the reason to come to church but but that's a good one six other days that you live if you have any contact with social media any contact with at least understanding what's going on in terms of the political realm you probably have discovered that they hate you there's a lot of hatred out there for Christ and his church a lot of hatred out there for the Commandments of God so so we come in here and at least for an hour 15 going to push it to 20 we're not hated expressly this is a Safe Haven at least for an hour 15 again I think there's a myriad of other reasons why you should come to church but that's certainly a good one a community of love that is planted in the midst of the enmity of the world how is it that we go out and face the battles of this current generation we find impetus from our blessed savior and from one another prayer meetings are very helpful for that midweek meetings are very helpful for that just imagine soldier that never has any re reprieve the soldier who never gets a good hot meal one of the military leaders said that a that that an army is basically fueled by its stomach remember that scene in in in King Saul's Reign where he forbid everybody to eat not a genius move when you're going into battle Saul Jonathan comes and he tastes the honey and his countenance shines and then of course Saul wants to kill his own side because he broke the oath or broke the vow thankfully the people of uh people of Israel intervene see we need that no man is an island unto themselves the god haters have that they certainly have their rallies and their times together and they have all their their points wherein they get encouraged to go out and do their horrible and vicious Deeds yet for some reason the people I don't need church again if it's an hour and 15 where people aren't screaming insults at you it might be a good thing sometime in the future Brethren this is the community of Love within the enmity of the world so in conclusion we need to count ourselves as privileged by Christ we are loved by him we have communion with him we get to obey him prior to conversion you probably thought obedience to God was probably the w w obedience to God but as converted men and women isn't OB obedience to God a the the the the the recognition that that's what we were made for True freedom is doing what God made you to do not rebelling against him we have joy in Christ we are friends of Christ we have been chosen by Christ we are empowered by Christ so let us count ourselves a blessed lot the Privileges are manifold we have been richly smiled upon by our king of Grace and let us live in a manner that is consistent with his revealed will to us as his friends let us love him as his friends let us love one another with a self-sacrificial love with a constant love and with the love that doesn't demand that you better clean up everything in your act before I'll convey love to you you got to love people where they're at now again help them to be somewhere else or better if where they're at isn't necessarily good and if you're not a Christian here this morning may you just may I just emphasize this this Lord Jesus Christ this one who always did what the father commanded as I mentioned earlier hopefully you heard it we don't enter into into heaven because of our obedience we enter into heaven because of his obedience notice what he says in 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 why did Jesus Keep The Commandments of God because it was necessary for us men and for our Salvation without that righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone with that forgiveness of sins that we get through his Precious Blood we would never enter into heaven the way of Salvation isn't leave here and try to be a better you the way of Salvation is to look onto the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and he will save you by his grace well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for this section of Holy Scripture and the the wisdom of our Lord Jesus and encouraging and and and helping his disciples along as they leave that upper room and as they go into the the Roman Empire with the gospel of Salvation may we receive these things as well may you encourage our hearts may you increase our faith or our love for the Savior and our love for for one another and we ask in jesus' name amen well by way of doxology we'll stand and we'll sing number 569 569 in our hym books and we'll praise God together and Holy Ghost Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen please be seated for a brief time of meditation e e e