We are accustomed to thinking of Jesus as our friend, and we
express this thought with the hymn, “What
a friend we have in Jesus, All of sins and grief’s to bear,” But
friendship, as we know, is as two-way street. Not only is Jesus your friend,
but you are the friends of Jesus also. Jesus would say to us this day, You are
My friends!
What does it mean to be friends of Jesus?
- You have the privilege of
friendship.
A.
Christ has chosen you in grace. (v.16) You did not choose me, but I chose you. This
had to be done all by grace for by nature we are blind, dead, and enemies of
God. We cannot free ourselves from our
sinful condition.
1. We
were not able to choose Him. (All of us
also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by
nature deserving of wrath Ephesians 2:3; The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from
the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them
because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14)
2. He
chose us purely out of grace. For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves, it’s a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
B.
Christ has opened Himself to us. (v.15) I no longer call you servants, because a
servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you
friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.
1. He
shares with us the truths regarding His redemptive work, our regeneration in
Baptism and the blessings of His body and blood in Holy Communion. Then Peter
said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children. Acts 2:38,39
2. He
has divulged to us the precious truths of His Word. You are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have out on Christ. (Galatians 3:26,27)
C.
Christ has promised to give us what we ask in
His name. (v.16) You did not choose me,
but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit
that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give
you. We need to continue to be a house of prayer.
1
Don’t we need patience, love, and perseverance?
2
Aren’t there fellow Christians whose needs we
can bring to Christ?
3
Don’t our home and church have needs?
4
This is why we pray and what our Savior has promised
to hear and to answer.
Transition: We have the privilege of friendship with
Jesus. Along with privileges come responsibilities.
- We have the
responsibilities of friendship.
A.
We are to do what He has commanded (v.14) You are my friends if you do what I command.
1. We
bind ourselves to the sound doctrine of His Word. We are hearers of God’s Word
but also doers of His Word as well. The faith is taught but it is also taught.
2. We
practice what accords with sound doctrine no matter how the world reviles us. (If the world hates you, keep in mind that it
hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its
own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world. That is why the world hates you.
Remember what I told
you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed
my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:18-20)
B.
We are to love one another. (v.17) This is my command: Love each other.
1. We
are commanded to love even as Christ loved us. There is no other option. Jesus
has given us His command – Love each other!
2. We
do this through fervent and persistent prayer. We do this by caring for each
other, upholding one another. We do this by taking our needs and each other’s
burdens joys and sorrows to the throne room of grace. Being thankful as the
Savior answers each petition.[1]
Overlooking each other’s weaknesses, forgiving them as God in Christ has
forgiven us.
C.
We are to bear abundant fruit (v.16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so
that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
1. We
show genuine concern for our brothers and sisters no matter what the
circumstances or how we feel. It’s so easy to show genuine Christian compassion
when it’s convenient and when it’s easy, say on Mother’s Day. It’s quite
another thing to show genuine care when it can’t or won’t be returned so
easily.
2. As
the farmer is promised an abundant harvest at planting time - there will be
abiding fruit - when we support the faithful preaching of the Word and the
right administration of the sacraments. As the Lord has connected us to these
means of grace, we have the promise that by these means, as humble as they may
be, will produce great and mighty works. We might not always see it. In fact
you never really do. Seeds planted a few weeks ago have started to sprout.
Those seedlings will be knee high in four to six weeks. Then they will tassel
overnight. As the corn grows, so does the faith, gradually, over time, and
usually, without much fanfare. And yet, there is consistent growth.
3. The
church exists locally wherever Christ's people gather around His Word, and
Sacraments. They are sacred and holy sheep listening to the voice of the
Shepherd. Thus, we gather to worship, to be fed, to receive holy absolution, to
be strengthened, to intercede for one another, to bear each other’s burdens
only to enter back into the world to be salt and light. We use the gifts, talents,
and abilities the Lord has given us in our various vocations to be witnesses of
the Savior. It is a serious task, as the Savior speaks quite specifically about
those who lose their saltiness and whose light goes out.
4. The
Scriptures speak of community. Zion Friedheim congregation is a parish of some
600 souls who come from different backgrounds, ages, economic advantages and
disadvantages, vocations, political affiliations, allegiances, etc. We are
united only in Christ. Last names cease when we enter the church door. We come
to a worship service and then in service we witness for Him. We enter back into
the world to be witnesses of the Savior.
Our desire is for others to embrace and cherish our
Friedheim family as they become connected to Jesus Christ. Do we always get it
right? Not always. Are we perfect? Hardly! Do we stumble, fumble, flop and
fall? Certainly! Yet, in spite of our many flaws, the Lord uses us in various
ways, often to our amazement! We enter into a sacred space only to enter back
into the world.
“You are My friends!”
Jesus said. Are you enjoying your great privileges? Are you carrying out your
holy responsibilities? Good for you! The Lord is pleased with your
faithfulness! Blessed are you, friend of Jesus!
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