JCSLK #69 In The Upper Room #4 Jesus' Commandment

 

JCSLK #69 In The Upper Room #4 Jesus' Commandment

John 15:9-13

Introduction:

Let me tell you a story about a young man in Bible college. It seems he met this beautiful co-ed and it was love at first sight. As they started visiting each evening, he wanted very badly to kiss her good night.

The only problem was that Bill suffered from a rigid legalism. He had to have a book, chapter, and verse to okay his actions. None came to his mind, so true to his conscience, he would simply walk her to her dormitory each night, look at her longingly, and then say “Good night.”

This went on for several weeks, and all the time Bill was searching the Scriptures, trying to find some verse to okay kissing Scotty goodnight. Finally, he came across the promising passage in Rom. 16:16 that says, “Greet each other with a holy kiss.” Bill thought, “At last, I have scriptural authority for kissing her good night.”

But just to be sure he went to his Bible professor to check it out. Unfortunately, he burst Bill’s bubble by noting that Romans 16:16 applied to a church setting and not to a dating situation. So it was back to square one again.

Well, that evening he walked her to the dormitory and once again stared longingly in her eyes. He was about to say “Good night,” when she grabbed hold of him, pulled him toward her, and planted a 10-second wet one right on the kisser.

At the end of the kiss, Bill gasped for air with his heart racing, he stammered, “Bible verse, Bible verse.” Scotty grabbed him a second time and just before kissing him again, said, “Matt. 7:12, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”

Review

The Christian way of life can be summed up with one word...love specifically the word agape, which means self-giving, self-sacrificing love. We can see this in John 3:16, the verse that encapsulates the Gospel. bringing it into crystal clear focus.

In our passage today, Jesus wants the apostles to fully realize this and as read from John 15 that truth is meant today for us. Yet it is a lesson most Christian never seem to learn. Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t feel love, or love the Lord but when it is most needed and could make such a difference in the world and especially in a church, the central tenet of the Christian faith fails in us.

The reason our love fails at critical times in our lives is found in the passage today, John 15.  In verses 1-8 of John 15 Jesus told us that He is the vine and we are the branches, that without Him we can do nothing. We cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Him. If we do not make abiding in Jesus, the most important part of our life then we are cast away and our worthless works, that we tried to do without abiding in and drawing from Jesus, are nothing better than fuel for a fire. We can do nothing without abiding in Jesus and it shows in our worthless works.

That is not what we want, not if we are truly the children of God and disciples of the Lord. We want to glorify our Father in heaven, not watch our works burn in a bonfire here on earth. The only way that is possible is if we abide in Christ.

In vss. 7-8 Jesus sums up the lesson which is abiding in Him then in vs 9 he goes on the second lesson which is all about loving one another.

Lets read vss 7-8 and see the connection between The Vine, Jesus; Us the branches and the first fruit love. John 15:7-8 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Abiding’s Firstfruit is Love - John 15:9-10

John 15:9-10 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

The Love of Jesus

In the center of abiding in Jesus, we also find God’s love. Christ exhorts the apostles to continue in His love. This love is the same love He shared with the Father and now He shares it with those who follow Him.

This is the second commandment found in chapter 15. The first we talked about in our introduction, “Abide in me. (vs. 7), now Jesus commands the apostles to love one another. He very clearly gives the parameters of that love, “As I have loved you.” We are to love each other as each of us is loved by Jesus.

The Love of the Father, Son In And Through Us

Even if we did not know that this is the word Agape we would still understand the extent of the love Jesus is defining. Jesus love was proven, seen and provided by His sacrifice on Calvary, His giving His life for those who would believe in Him. That is the kind of love we are commanded by Jesus to have one for another. No wonder we fail and we will always fail at such a cost of love, except with abide in Him. It is not possible any other way. It is too great a love, too great a demand for our normal kind of love.

Most times our idea of Christian love is really just fondness, cowmanship, friendship, the enjoyment of good people who share so much with us as fellow believers. That is not what Jesus commanded or described. That kind of love will fail every time it is put to the test. Jesus’ love, God’s love, true abiding in Jesus, Christian love will never fail.

Why doesn’t this love operate in us, completely and fully? First because we aren’t abiding in Christ. We aren’t paying attention to our spiritual sustenance and life being drawn from Jesus. This is not automatic, it is not passive, we must devote time, attention, effort and prayer to abiding in Christ.

Second, our love fails because we don’t obey. Jesus puts is plainly, “If you keep my commandments, then you will abide in my love.”

Just as God’s love to Jesus is passed on to us in that relationship we share, so also is this the key to real Christian love, keep my commandments. The word here is the same as precepts, it means the things that Jesus has instructed, taught and told us to do.

Pretty simple if I obey Him, love flows all the way from Heaven’s throne, the Jesus the Vine and into us the branches. If I don’t obey, then I hinder or cut that vital supply line and the love I need the most will fail when it was needed the most.

Abiding’s Second Fruit: Joy John 15:11

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The Joy of Jesus

Jesus says, “These things have been taught so that his joy might remain in them and that their joy might be full. What things was Jesus referring to? If we go back and just do a quick review in our minds we’ll remember. Jesus has told them about His going away but more importantly His coming back for them. He spoke of a dwelling place in heaven, the coming of the paraclete, the Comforter and lastly of Himself as the true vine.

These things He taught for the purpose of His joy remaining in them and that their joy would be full. Joy in Greek is xara and it has exactly the same meaning for us and for them. Joy, gladness, cheerfulness, glad heartedness.

It was Jesus’ gift to the apostles through His words and it was meant to grow into full joy in their hearts.

It was a joy that could not be fulfilled now because soon they would have grief greater than they have ever experienced but it was a joy that would bring them through the grief and would grow and become stronger and stronger, being more and more real, full and enriching in each trial and victory.

The Joy of Jesus

Earlier in this discourse Jesus had gifted the apostles Peace, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you… After peace he then gifted them with His love and now He gives them His Joy. Not only are these the gifts of Jesus to us as believers they are also the fruit that identifies us as believers. What were His gifts become our fruit. Fruit that can only grow in our relationship to Christ. (Giving a way a seed or a graft of a plant.)

I don’t think it is a coincidence that Paul begins his fruit of the Spirit with the same three gifts and attributes that Jesus speaks of. In Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law

Joy is like happiness, the words in and of them selves have no real difference in their meanings, but we often think of happiness as the outward condition of the Christian’s life while joy is inward foundation of that life. The foundation of Joy is one that cannot ever be swept away and that we know by Jesus’ own promise, will always remain in us if we remain in Him.

Look at a favorite verse of mine and LeeOra’s Psalms. 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

I can’t count the number of times that LeeOra and I have turned to that precious promise of God’s word. The same promise Jesus gives to all those who trust and abide in Him. No matter what is happening in our lives now, no matter how difficult, how overpowering, who unpredictiable are those outward conditions of my life, the inward foundation of my life is the Joy of Jesus. His joy will always be there when the morning comes, joy will rise as surely as the Sun.

If we have Jesus and abide in Him we have His gift of Joy in us and we will show the fruit of joy in our lives. 

Abiding’s Proof; Obedience - John 15:12

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

The Commandment Of Jesus

Jesus is not telling them something they had not already heard and been told to do, many times before now. It is especially needed now, because of what will happen once Jesus is arrested, tried and crucified.

Now Jesus is telling them here is the proof of My love in you, your obedience to this commandment, love one another as I have loved you.

Earlier Jesus had told them that this was a new commandment, John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

This isn’t new in the sense of never before being given. Many times, Jesus had told the disciples they need to love one another, especially when they had been fighting over who was the greatest or who would sit at Jesus right hand when He comes as King.

This idea of new is New in the same sense as a New Covenant, New Testament. It was to be the mark of their new lives without Jesus, the core tenant of the church age. A New commandment to replace all the old commandments, Love one another as I have loved you.

He qualifies and quantifies this proof by again repeating what He has told them in verse. 9. This is the love that Jesus shares with the father, the same kind of love He has always shared with them, now they must share that same love with one another.

The same love that sent God’s own son into the world to die for us. The same love that took Jesus to the cross to die for us, is the same love we are to have in this New Age of Grace.

Proving We Are His

Jesus’ command is to love one another as He loves us. If we fail in this commandment, then we failed in everything we are supposed to be and do as followers of Jesus.

We could build a thousand churches, baptize a thousand converts, send a thousand missionaries and still we fail as Christians if we fail to love one another as He loved us.

Paul clearly shows this in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 1 ¶ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape love, charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

What kind of love is this? Jesus makes it very plain in John 15:13 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Laying down His life is what Jesus would do on the cross the very next day and for Him it was literally the proof of His love. He showed the world, He showed us that He truly loved us by dying on that cruel, blood soaked cross of Calvary.

For us that degree of proof probably won’t be called for, though it has in the past and in the present is happening in many countries around the world today. For us here and now how can we show, how can we prove by our love that we are followers of Jesus? The priniciple of laying down my life for the life of a friend still applies shouldn’t it. Sacrifice still applies, Giving what is mine for the sake of others still applies. It may call for my physical life but it always calls for my emotional life, my financial life, my pride of life, my time, my goals, my service. All the things that make up what we would call our life must still be laid aside for the love of my brother or sister in Jesus.

And here is where we so grievously fail. When agape love was needed the most, when it was so vital that I give proof of my relationship to Jesus, that I show the love of Jesus in me for another child of God, I buckled and folded. The fondness, companionship, and affection I had in me was never a replacement for the love of Jesus through me. It failed, I failed because I did not abide in Christ and then when His love was so desperately needed it wasn’t there and I could not obey Him and love one another. 

But what a proof the world sees when we do love one another, when we forgive one another, when we bear the burdens or let ourselves be hurt for the sake of our brothers and sister in God’s family, and in the Lord’s church.

Let me close with this illustration.

Conclusion

John Fawcett was born in born 1740 and died 1817.

He was orphaned at just twelve years old. He was apprenticed to a tailor and set about educating himself. One day he went to listen to the voice of the Great Awakening, George Whitefield and was gloriously born again at the age of sixteen. He felt God’s call and began preaching soon after. In 1765 Fawcett was called to a small, poor, Baptist country church in Wainsgate, Yorkshire, England. It was a fruitful time and Pastor Fawcett was noticed by other churches. Seven years after coming to Wainsgate, he received a call from the large and influential Carter's Lane Church in London, England. Fawcett accepted the call and then preached his farewell sermon to his brother and sisters of his small flock. Then came the day of departure. Fawcett, his family and all they owned were loaded up on carts for the journey to London. The entire congregation came out to see him off but soon then began to ask and then to beg him not to leave. They loved him and they knew he love them. Please they asked him reconsider, don’t leave, stay with us. John Fawcett, his wife and children looked at loving church and the love and tears prevailed, Fawcett told the men to unload the wagon, the love of his people was too strong they could not leave. Fawcett sacrificed the prestige, the pay and the power of a London pulpit for the love of his poor but devoted flock. Fawcett continued to serve in Wainsgate and in the nearby village of Hebden Bridge for the remainder of his active ministry.

This song was written by Fawcett and it is attributed to that day and the proof of the love of Christ in that little Baptist church in Wainsgate, England.

Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

When we are called to part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
our courage by the way;
while each in expectation lives
and waits to see the day.

 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin, we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity. - John Fawcett, Birth 1740 - 1817