A Charge From The Lord Christian Living         Bobby Stafford

A Charge from the Lord

Introduction:

When a person is given a “charge”, he is given a task or a responsibility.  In our Biblical text, Jesus charges His disciples with a responsibility by giving them four commands.

Text:  John 15:1-25

Body:

I.            Abide in Me 

John 15:1-8  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  3 You are already clean because of the word which  I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” NKJV 

·       Vinedresser – An expert in caring for vineyards.  God the Father is the one who prunes each branch.  “An untrimmed vine will develop long rambling branches that produce little fruit because most of the strength of the vine is given to growing wood.”  Tenney

·       Vine – Jesus is here called the vine.  The “true” one which implies there are false ones.

·       Branches – Disciples [not various denominations]  These are “in Christ.”  The only way to get into Christ is by being “baptized into Christ.”  (Romans 6:3) “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? NKJV  (Galatians 3:27) “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” NKJV  Many who believe themselves to be Christians are not really branches at all!  Note verse 3.  “You are already clean because of the word.”  One is cleansed by believing and obeying the word.

·       Fruit – Beautiful branches are worthless unless they produce fruit.  [New converts, fruit of the Spirit, good works. . .]

·       One important lesson from these first eight verses is that the Lord expects Christians to bear fruit.  This is how a person is known or identified.  (Matthew 7:20) “Therefore by their fruit you will know them.” NKJV  Unless one bears fruit, eventually they will be cast into the fire – eternal separation from God.

·                 Another vital lesson is that one must be connected to the vine to bear fruit.  Whenever a branch is cut off from the tree, it will soon wither and die.  Just so Christ is the source of our spiritual life.  (John 14:6) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV  To remain in Christ one must remain in His teachings.  Therefore one may choose to leave Christ – leave the vine. 

II.          Abide in My Love 
John 15:9-11  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  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.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” NKJV

·                 Abide in His love means that we can leave His love.  Note Jude 21. “keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” NKJV  What is this particular Love?  McGarvey and Pendleton suggest it is that “inward bond of union which is the cause of fruitfulness. . . It is kept active and vital by obedience to commandments.”  See verse 10.

·                 Joy results from bearing fruit.  It results from serving the Lord. 

III.        Love One Another 

John 15:12-17  “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 have called you friends, for all things that I 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.” NKJV

·       What kind of love?  Emotions and feelings cannot be commanded.  This love is an act of the will, a dedication to a cause.  (John 13:34) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as  I have loved you, that you also love one another.” NKJV

·       We are to love each other as “He loved us.”  He was about to lay down His life for them.  See also I John 3:16. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” NKJV  A person becomes a friend of the Lord by obeying His commands.  One must consistently obey, not occasionally. 

·        Jesus made a special relationship with Him possible – friends, not slaves.  (II Timothy 2:10) “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” NKJV  (II Thessalonians 2:13-14) “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” NKJV 

IV.        Know that You Will Be Persecuted 

John 15:18-25  “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.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” NKJV

·       Jesus had already told His followers they would be persecuted.

 (Matthew 10:22) “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.” NKJV  They may not have experienced much persecution yet so He tells them to remember His words.

·        The world here represents everything at odds with God, all that is against godly ideas and practices.  (I John 2:15-17) “Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” NKJV

·       We should not expect better treatment than Jesus received.  Has the world become more Christian or Christians more worldly?

Closing:

·       To reject Jesus is to reject life itself.

·       To reject Jesus is to reject His gospel.

·       To reject Jesus is to reject His invitation to be saved from your sins.

Jesus wants you to come. 

Thanks to Earl Edwards from which much of this material comes.

Bobby Stafford 

July 1, 2018