Relationship Opportunities
The Endless Journey - John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Reading:
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Introduction:
Last week John 14: Jesus promised to send the helper after He goes home.
He is called the Paraclete, who’s coming impacts our spiritual position and affects our whole being.
Mentally we can have the mind of the Lord in a sinful vessel.
Physically we are joined with all other believers into one body-The Church.
Spiritually we are sealed for our eternal position in His presence and spared from Hell.
He doesn’t leave us alone to “figure it out” by ourselves..
He allowed that before when we could choose to live by our own consciences;
The result? The flood.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Thankfully the Paraclete brings permanent fellowship with Him; which grants us the ability to choose His will over our own; which is always perfect!
That is the loving direction from our Father that we often need.
Every other relationship in your life is downstream of your relationship with Jesus — and John 15 shows you what that looks like with Him, with each other, and with the world
The fellowship is our relationship with Him and that relationship spills over into all our other relationships.
All other relationships reflect the one we have with Him!
This is why it’s so important to cultivate that relationship with Him.
Every other relationship in your life is downstream of your relationship with Jesus — and John 15 shows you what that looks like with Him, with each other, and with the world.
Relationships can either grow, be stagnant, or wither and die resulting in broken relationships.
Jesus explains how the Holy Spirit works in us and through affecting all of our relationships.
He provides direction to maintain healthy relationships, how love can be cultivated and grow, even through the different seasons.
Jesus’ teaching at the close of chapter 14 urged the disciples to accept His peace as He leaves.
Peace comes from the condition to believe in Him and the comforter would come and guide them into a life that is worthy of Jesus.
A life lived well so the moment we see Jesus we hear: “well done my good and faithful servant.”
That kind of response is only possible if we first have a:
Relationship With Christ (1-11)
Relationship With Christ (1-11)
The spirit comes as the one who processes the adoption for our souls.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Which clicks with the Metaphor Jesus started with in John 15.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Jesus offers 2 points here.
We know the source; It’s Him!
We know the caretaker; It’s Him!
Both are working in tandem for those who are putting all their strength and effort into lifting up Christ as we are created to.
Make your dependance on Jesus and trust the Father’s will as the caretaker who sees the whole picture!
Note for the Journey: The process of growing isn’t always comfortable.
It is also measured.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
The process is kind of like growing tomatoes.
Illustration:
You can find a lot of opinions for how to get the most from your plants.
Some say to cut the sucker stems; some say no.
Some say cut all branches from the bottom up to 12”-18”
Some say cut the outer tomatoes from each branch
Some say when the plant is 12” tall push over the plant so more of the plant takes root for strength and resources to the branches.
There are a lot of different ways people “control” their yield.
What we can understand from peoples “way” is that the caretaker wants the best possible yield and has a process to achieve it.
The caretaker even controls the soil it is planted in so the source has the best nutrients.
In John 15 Jesus is the main stem and we are the branches connected to Him!
We only produce fruit because He provides and we are connected to the source.
He made us worthy to be connected to Him.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
He made us clean at the moment we accepted His gift of grace!
Like we learned last week there are conditional benefits from His love.
He provides how to utilize His resources to produce the most and best fruit:
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Jesus presents an action for us to choose found in the word: Abide.
Abide means: Remain, Stay (lodge with).
The implication or picture is dwelling, living, lodging; dwelling in abode or sharing quarters.
It is the home of another, the one staying is the recipient of hospitality.
We find that this action reflects a choice and the choice is ours to make.
Choose to abide with Christ and have fellowship with Him or choose to ignore the creator of everything His love being offered.
Illustration:
Katie and I were invited to a thanksgiving one time and when we arrived there were also some friends of the host.
The conversations and fellowship wasn’t really enjoyed as it wasn’t with us; it was with the friends and we were acknowledged periodically.
It felt like we were disturbing their thanksgiving together.
How long would you stay if that were you?
We did exit earlier than expected (quickly following dinner).
Connection:
If we treat Jesus like this how long do you think He will tolerate it or leave?
That’s the amazing part..
He is long suffering and patient - He will never leave even though we ignore Him or place Him in the back part of the house.
He patiently waits for us to come back to where we left Him.
Those are some choices we get to make which portrays freewill.
Verses 4-5 allow freewill to be front stage:
Point:
We can either do what He wants and His way or we can do things we want and do it our way.
Both will have a result; but only one produces righteous fruit.
Choose to dwell with Him as a guest in your home, that you give preference to in all things.
Fellowship with Him, and watch the fruit grow in your life that lasts into eternity!
Verse 6 Jesus offers a caution with the metaphor:
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
This past week I cut the lower branches of my tomato plants as they were a little spotted, and brownish yellow.
Guess what I did with them.
I didn’t replant them, I threw them out because they were of no use to produce tomatoes.
The removal of those dead branches, sucking nutrients away from the healthy branches, was necessary for the whole of the plant!
I want to point this out just in case you thought it:
This passage isn’t teaching the loss of salvation!
The context proves it:
The context is focused on Israel and those who don’t have faith in Christ but are associated with “church”.
Revelation says it best:
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
This was about the church at Laodicea.
In today’s world the Laodicean church are those who’s focus is building importance, money and prestige.
While forgetting Christ in the process.
Basically they use the platform of Jesus; but never lead people to Him!
Judas was a branch that fit this category.
One commentator said: “He had an attachment to the cause but not to the Christ.
Look at what he did when his cause collapsed: he sold Christ to death.”
Trust and know that no passages teach the loss of salvation; but many reveal a false faith!
The context also builds into the disciples purpose!
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.
Transition:
If we abide in Christ and our relationship is being cultivated and growing fruit where can that fruit be seen?
In our:
Relationships With One Another (12-17)
Relationships With One Another (12-17)
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
I’m not sure if this is a revelation to you or not; but your relationship with one another is a reflection of your relationship with Jesus.
If your relationships aren’t a good reflection then we need to get back to the basics..
What are we to reflect?
How did Jesus love the disciples?
We have left for us the record how He loved them.
He chose them from the strangest places to represent God to the World.
Fishermen
Tax Collector
Zealot
Not really the seminary or doctoral graduates that people expect now adays are they?
In our time: Jesus calls all who will follow.
Following only requires trust and faith in the leader.
Jesus loved them by:
personal care, teaching, humility, forgiveness, and sacrificial actions that modeled selflessness, unconditional love.
Is that how we love each person that is saved?
Can we say we love our family members that way?
That’s the goal for our relationships are set by Christ.
He gave us the greatest expression of love.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Illustration:
Bridger Walker, a 6‑year‑old from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
While playing at a friend’s house with his sister Brielle, a neighbor’s 1‑year‑old German Shepherd mix lunged at them.
Without hesitation, Bridger moved in front of his sister, shielding her from the attack.
The dog bit him on the cheek and face, he ran to Brielle, and got her to a safer spot.
This is love; that he gave up his safety for the one he loved.
The same types of stories can be found all throughout history, especially in times of war.
That kind of Love is what Jesus modeled!
He laid down His life for His friends.
He gave it all for a permanent relationship between man and God!
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
He also declared His friendship with a condition!
Do as He says!
It’s not control, it’s friendship.
Friends do things for one another.
Friends put themselves out for one another.
Why do we give Jesus less than that?
The one who gave His life for our eternity should get anything and everything we have to offer!
There are 2 words here that make a distinction to pay attentioon to:
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Servants do as their master tells them!
Friends do things because they care for one another!
Which are you?
Do you consider yourself a servant or a friend?
Do you believe the words you sing when you sing: “What a friend we have in Jesus”?
If you want to do something for Jesus: care for one another as He would’ve.
Look at the care He is taking to tell His plans to the disciples here in John 15, before being taken..
Being a friend of His, means that we are friends of all who love Jesus and abide in Him!
Point:
Are you cultivating relationships and do they reflect Jesus’ love as He teaches here?
If not you still have time to cultivate and mend it with others.
How to start? Start with opening the conversation door.
Then listen more than talking.
Accept responsibility for your failures and apologize.
Then move forward to rebuild...
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Transition:
We can only work on ourselves, we can’t control other people; but that doesn’t meant we have to stop trying.
That process can overflow from our personal relationships into the third relationship Jesus addresses, Our
Relationship With The World (18-27)
Relationship With The World (18-27)
Jesus understands everything we will encounter and He has prepared us for it, even how we view the relationships with those outside our faith.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
Well that isn’t reassuring.
This is a truth that sometimes we need to be reminded of especially when interacting with those who don’t believe in Jesus.
They are spiritually compromised, as we were before we were re-born.
Ephesians has a sobering reminder for us all about who we were before Christ.
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
That was each of us before salvation.
Don’t forget it, allow it to bring clarity for why the world acts the way they do. They don’t know any different!
They haven’t tasted of the saving water you have tasted and how it satisfies!
So knowing that those who hate you hated Christ first means they hate Christ in you!
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
There is a caution in this verse to consider:
If the world accepts you as one of them, are you really abiding in Christ or are you part of the Laodicean people who God is disgusted with?
We are called out to be separate from the world, it’s methods, and it’s beliefs!
Being separate will bring persecution!
Living in the world; but not being part of it isn’t easy.
How can we to do it?
Illustration:
There was at one point a christian fad.
Kids, parents, a lot of people would wear a bracelet as a reminder for how to handle living in a sinful world.
W.W.J.D. - What Would Jesus Do?
This little thing brought to the thought process: how would Jesus handle this?
The question brings a moment of clarity or thought into the situation.
Illustration:
We were around some horses last week and there was a whip in the riding stable.
(Explain the use of the whip - to distract from whatever prominent thought on the horses mind to come back to following directions from the rider)
Like a hunting dog in training that gets locked on a scent, the whip breaks their attention for a second allowing them to re-focus on the leader.
The W.W.J.D. bracelet or just the question itself get’s our attention long enough for us to focus back on Him!
This will reflect Him to others; but they don’t always like that.
Jesus tells us that they hate Him in us, that is why the world persecutes us.
This just means that our relationships with the world are difficult.
To be wise as serpents and harmless as doves would be the best description for how to live a life for Jesus in our fallen world.
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
It takes a lot to be consistent; but thankfully we find “sanctuary” from the fallen world in here together.
The place that we don’t always have to be on guard, as cautious while speaking or interacting together.
The place that we know others love us and pray for us, and are willing to pray with us.
John 15 compiles the 3 different relationships that Jesus asks us to maintain, nurture, and work at as we glorify Him.
Conclusion:
To those who don't yet know Christ:
Everything in this chapter assumes a connection to the vine that you may not have.
You can't abide in a vine you've never been grafted into.
The invitation is simple — Jesus is the vine, and He's inviting you to be joined to Him, not by effort, but by faith.
That's where every other relationship in your life can start healing.
To those who already abide in Him:
You don't get to choose which of these three relationships to work on. Christ, each other, the world — they're not separate assignments, they're one vine with three branches.
So ask yourself honestly:
Which one have you let go untended this week?
Maybe it's time alone with Him.
Maybe it's a relationship that needs the door reopened.
Maybe it's remembering that the hostility you meet in the world isn't really aimed at you — it's aimed at Him in you.
Whatever it is — abide. Stay.
Don't wander off to the back of the house.
He's not going anywhere, and neither should you.
-Pray!
