All right, back to John fifteen. John fifteen. This talk that our Lord had with his
disciples began back in chapter thirteen. I want you to look
back there first of all. Chapter thirteen, and this is
how it began. Verse one. Refresh your memory. The very first verse of this
is what's called a Paschal Discourse. talk our Lord had with his disciples,
this intimate conversation, begins this way. Now, before the feast
of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that
he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. This thing begins by
reminding us of his love for his own. His eternal love. Love them to the end. Then, throughout
these chapters, verses thirteen through sixteen, he keeps telling
us to love one another. Doesn't he? He begins it by reminding
us of how he loved us to the end. And then throughout these
chapters he reminds us over and over to love one another. Look at verse seventeen there
in chapter thirteen. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them. You remember last Wednesday night
we talked about love and joy, how joy would proceed from this
love. He said, love one another. Happy
are you if you do what I say. Verse 34, he says, this is what
I say, a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another
as I have loved you. How's that? To the end. Lay down your life. Look at verse
37. Peter said, Lord, I'll lay down
my life for you. Now, the Lord said in verse thirty-eight,
Will you? Will you? And he gently rebukes Peter and
says, Peter, you don't need to do that. But I sure need to lay
down my life for you. You don't need to lay down your
life for me, Peter. Won't do me any good. I better lay down my life for
you. I'm going where you cannot come. I'm going to do for you
what you can't do anything for me, but I must do something for
you. I'm going to go lay down my life for you. No need for
you to lay down your life for me, Peter. But I tell you what,
I want you to do. I want you to lay down your life
for your brothers." That's what he says. That's what
he says throughout these chapters. Verse chapter fifteen, look at
verse thirteen, it says, greater love hath no man than this, that
a man lay down his life for his friends. Greater love. In verse
twelve he said, this is my commandment, you love one another as I have
loved you. Now Christ, he laid down his life for his
friends. Huh? He laid down his life for his
friends. Look at verse fourteen. He says,
You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. You're
my friend if you do what I command you. You're my disciple if you
do what I say. You love me if you do what I
say. Lay down your life. Now, what does it mean to lay
down your life for your friend? What does it mean? We don't.
I really don't think there's any need that any of us or there's
any going to be any situation. At least anytime soon. We will
have to actually die. Save someone's life to save someone's
life lay down actually lay down our life for one another. In other words give up our life
to save your I don't I don't think. that will arise, that
situation. If it did, I hope we'd be willing. But that's not, John, that's
not, there is a way in which we, ways in which we can lay
down our life. We don't have to die for someone.
Here's what it means to lay down your life for someone. It means
to set aside your own wants, desires, in favor of their set is set
yourself aside. Just put your own all your own
needs and whatever you think is so necessary for yourself. Put it aside and look. See what
they need. It means to sacrifice your time
in our time is. It's precious to us that we have
so little of. So little of it, not all of us
here, everyone is. That characterizes this day more
than anything else. Busy. Busy, busy, busy. Henry retired. I said, Henry,
how are you enjoying your retirement? He said, I don't rightly know
if I have. I think it's because Roberta
has found a few things for him to do, see? that needed to be
done all these years he was at the station. Am I correct in
assuming that you're probably more busy at home now than maybe
you were at the station? Busy. Busy. It means to lay down
your life means to sacrifice your time to help somebody else.
That's what it means. To lay down your life means to
quit thinking about me and my problems. in my time and what's
so needful to me. And think about that. That's
what it means. Now, we can do that. We can do
that. Lay it down. Set aside self.
Think on the brethren. Didn't Christ do that? Didn't
he do that? Busy? running the universe, laid aside
his glory, laid aside his own happiness, didn't he? Laid aside
his own happiness to serve us thirty-three long years, long
years. Our God to whom time is nothing
bound himself by time. You think about how long the
time was for You see, our minds don't work. His mind didn't work
like ours. It's never an idle moment. No,
my every moment was filled with, I don't know if I'm going to
be able to say what I'm trying to say, but the fact that he
bound himself by time, thirty-three years to him was a long time,
a long time. And he and he actually laid down
his life. He didn't just. Set aside his happiness and start
thinking on another, not just that, but he literally laid down
his life for literally he laid down. He died. The scripture
says that we might live. Christ died that we might live. And now. Is that it? Once he died and went back to
glory, he forgot about us. No, Scripture says he ever lives
to make intercession for us. Christ has committed himself
to caring for us all the days of our life and throughout eternity. So he's not telling us something
that he himself did not do. Greater love. And now that's
love, isn't it? Herein is love. Herein is love. Right herein is love. that how
Christ loved us. Not that we loved Him, but He
loved us. Now look at verse 15. He says, he said, Henceforth
I call you not servants. Servant knoweth not what his
Lord doeth. I call you friends. I've called
you friends. For all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you. I don't call you servants,
but I call you friends. Mere servants, back when they
used to have servants, they didn't know what the master was going
to do. The master didn't let his servants
in on his secrets, did he? Oh, no, they were mere servants.
They were beneath. They were beneath telling the
secrets of the household, too, right? They had no business in
the master's business, right? They were mere servants. But
Christ said, I have let you know everything. I want you to turn
to Ephesians 1, Ephesians chapter 1. Our God has let us in on the
mysteries. Our God has revealed to us mysteries no less
so than he revealed to Moses. Remember when he took Moses up? Nobody else but Moses and Joshua.
He took them up on the mountain
and revealed all the blueprints of the tabernacle and the law
and all those things. God has revealed unto us more
than that. We think Moses was highly favored
of God. He wasn't. And he was. He was.
We more. We have been more befriended
by God than Abraham. Scripture says God Abraham talked with God as a
faith face-to-face as a friend talks with his friend. He was
called the friend of God. That's what Abraham was called
the friend of God. Abraham received the promises.
Remember how Abraham kept coming? God kept coming to Abraham and
telling him promises. Abraham sinned, you know, run
back to Egypt and sinned. God kept coming back to him and
reminding Abraham. Now, son, you're mine and I'm
going to give you seed. I'm going to give you an Isaac. We're no less a friend than Abraham.
I say more so. He's revealed more unto us. No
less than David. David was called a man after
God's own heart. David didn't know what we know. That's right. That's right. That's the reason
I say it. And we pray, Lord, what a privilege it is of ours
to be here, to have the gospel revealed unto us. Who am I? Like Omar Fibichet, when he was
brought in to sit at the king's table, we're not sitting at David's
table. We're not sitting at Solomon's
table. We're more highly honored than the Queen of Sheba. Wouldn't
you like to see what she saw? We've seen better than that. But we say with the privilege
of who am I and what is my house that you've brought me here?
Huh? Just where are we from, anyway? You told me one time where you're
from. Say it again. I'm so hard of hearing. Tell
me again. What? Corn Valley. Raise your hand
if you know where Corn Valley is. Not you all. Raise your hand if you know where
Corn Valley is. Nobody in here, raise their hand.
God went to Corn Valley and chose him a man and a woman
to reveal the mysteries of the universe to. He didn't go to Washington, D.C.,
Los Angeles, California, New York City, Corn Valley, my man,
Corn Valley. I'm not making fun of the place,
but I think it's wonderful. Where are you from, Nancy? Tell
me again. Elk Creek. Raise your hand if you know where
Elk Creek is. Not you, Nancy. Well, that must
be a big place. Four people know where that's
at. It's funny, isn't it? I tell
you, it's plum marvelous where he went to find his own. He said, I didn't call you because
you were greater, but you're less. He gets greater
glory this way, doesn't he? He takes a Cinderella from Elk
Creek and turns her into a princess. Oh, my! My, boy! Ephesians 1, that's what he says
here in Ephesians 1, verse 9, "...having made known unto us
Elk Creek women." corn-valley man, unto us the mystery of his
will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself."
Isn't that something? Isn't that something? And then
he reminds us, over here in the text here, he reminds us of verse
16. And how could we forget? He reminds
us. Verse 16, look at it. You have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you. He reminds us of that. Why do we preach election so
much here? Because the Lord did, that's
why. Because it's so, because it's marvelous in our eyes that
the Lord would go to the ends of the earth to find such as
we and choose us. He reminds us, doesn't he? Now,
remember this. We're going to remember this
for the rest of our days. We didn't choose him. He chose
us. Bless God for sovereign, electing,
choosing grace. What do you say to that, Elk
Creek princess? You don't mind if I call you
that from now on, do you? All right, verse 16, You have
not chosen me, I have chosen you and ordained you. Yea, he
has ordered all things concerning you. Oh, he has made with you
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and ordained you, ordered everything
concerning you. He worketh all things up to the
counsel of his will for your good according to his purpose. I can tell you that too, can't
I, Homer? That you should go forth and
bring forth fruit. I've ordained you that you should
go and bring forth fruit, and that it should remain, that your
fruit would remain. Your fruit would remain. And
that whatsoever you shall have, the fruit of faith, the fruit
of the Spirit, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in
my name, he will give it to you. Think about this. That you bring forth fruit. Now,
what's the first fruit? OK. Say it loud. You notice I'm hard
of hearing? I apologize. My wife, my nose wife, braided
him last, this week, and said, Everybody said joy, and you didn't
hear them. I'm sorry. Forgive me. What's
the second fruit? All right, the first fruit is
love, though, and Christ said, I have ordained you that you
should bring forth fruit. Love, what kind of love? Love
to the gospel, love to God, and love for others, love for his
people. And Ed, this is, he says, now
this is how you glorify the Father, love the brethren. And he says there, now look at
this, I'm bringing this up to show you something, that whatsoever
you ask of the Father in my name, he'll give it to you. Verse 16,
whatsoever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to
you. Do you remember that verse over in the Psalms that said,
if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me? Do
you remember reading that? Do you remember reading that? The thing he regards iniquity
more than anything else. is self-love, selfishness. So if we regard ourselves in
our hearts, he's not going to hear us. But if we regard others,
he'll hear us. Oh, yes. Christ is proof of that. Right? Well, remember when he
said, he said, I was naked, and you clothed me not. I was hungry,
and you didn't feed me." Remember that? And some of them said,
Well, when did we see you naked or hungry? He said, In the fact
that you didn't do it to the least of these, you didn't do
it to me. Or vice versa. So, that's serious, sober admonition
in it. Bring forth fruit, that when
you pray to me, I'll hear you. He delights, Jeanette, he delights
in his intercessory prayer more than any other. More than any
other. Don't just pray for yourself.
That's for no more. Pray for others and then he will
bless you for. That's the way he does things.
That's just the way he does it. Mention others more than yourself
and you'll be blessed. All right, verse 17. These things
I command you. He doesn't ask, does he? He doesn't
request, does he? He doesn't give counsel, does
he? He commands. I command you that
you love one another. Command you. Now, why does he
keep telling us this? Why does he keep telling us this?
How many times have we read this already? Why does he keep telling
us this? Well, let's see here. Let me
think. Well, Rick, there. How many times
do you have to tell your children, share? Anna, Michelle, share with your
sisters. How many times have you had to
tell them this? How many times have you had to tell them, quit
your fussing? Huh? Jenny, how many times? How often? Daily. Right? They're your children. You have
to keep reminding them. Share with your brothers, your
sisters or your brothers or whatever. Quit your fussing. Quit your
fighting. Quit that. Cheer up. Help your brother. That's why I keep telling them. He says to us again and
again, love one another. And I say this, we need each
other. We need each other because the
world hates true believers. Look at it. Verse 18. If the
world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. The world hates believers. This
is proof of discipleship. Verse 19. If you are of the world,
the world would love his own, but because you're not of the
world, but I... Here it is again. I've chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hateth you.
If you are of the world, therefore the world would love you, but
the world hates you. Do I have time? Yeah, I'm going
to make time. Luke chapter 6. Look over at Luke chapter 6.
I am determined to make this as short as I can tonight. Luke
chapter 6. I apologize for my windiness, but Luke chapter 6, here's some striking verses here.
Let me just ask you a question. Are you well thought of by most
people? Do most people think of you as
a good old boy or a good guy or a good gal? Look here at Luke chapter 6 verses
22 through 26. Blessed are ye when men shall
hate you and when they shall separate you from their company.
Or that is, they don't want you around. They shall reproach you and cast
out your name as evil for the son of man's sake. For Christ's
sake, rejoice ye in that day. Leap for joy. Behold, your reward
is great in heaven. For in the like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets. Oh, but woe unto you that are
rich, you have received your consolation. Woe unto you that
are full, you shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now,
you shall mourn. And woe unto you when all men shall speak
well of you. For that's what they did to the
false prophets. Isn't that striking? And nobody wants to be hated.
I confess, I don't want to be hated. I don't want to be rejected. I don't want to be treated like
an outsider. But the truth is, we are. You know what he said back in
the text there? You're not of this world. He
prayed that in John 17. They are not of this world, even
as I'm not of this world. We're not of this world. What
does that mean? We don't think like this world thinks. We don't
have the same thoughts that this world has. We don't have the
same principles this world has. They don't have any. We don't
have the same morals that this world has. We don't have the
same standards as this world. The world's standard is whatever's
new. Ours is the Word of God. And
it's increasingly becoming out of date, isn't it? I'm so conscious of the fact
when I say something about hell these days. You know, I'm real
conscious of that because it's so out of fashion. It's so old-fashioned, isn't
it? It's so archaic. It's just you don't hear it.
It's just people think, wait, hell and fire? You're kidding me. You don't
really believe that. Christ talked about it more than
anybody. We have different principles,
different standards, different goals than this world. This is
a dog-eat-dog world. Let the dogs have it. We've got a different God. Right
there is the root of it all. A different God. Different gospel. We're not of this world. We don't
like to be outsiders, but the fact is we are. The Lord says we're like him.
He said they'll hate you. Quickly, 1 John 4. John, the
apostle John, was right there when the Lord was saying this.
He learned it, didn't he? He learned what the Lord was
saying, didn't he? Because he just repeats it here in 1 John
4. Look at it. Very quickly. And
these are the verses talking about Antichrist. 1 John 4, he
talked about trying the Spirit, you know. Not every spirit is
a true one. Verses 4 and 5, when you are
of God, you got it? 1 John 4. If you've got a Bible,
why don't you look at it? He says, You are of God, little
children, and have overcome them. Who's that? The world. Because greater is he that is
in you than he that is in the world. They are of the world,
therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them."
We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us.
He that is not of God heareth not us. Now, I can turn back to John
15. We'll stay there. Can we say
with John here, that we're of God, and the whole
world lies in iniquity and wickedness. That's what he said later on,
didn't he, John? Can we say that we're of God, and anybody that's
going to hear us is going to hear what God says? Can we say that? Can we say with
the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1 that if anybody believes any
other gospel than what we believe, they're going to be damned for
it? Can we say that? Yes. And then, I meant for you to
look at it, but over there, the next verse there in 1 John, he
said, Brethren, love one another. That's the next verse, verse
7 there in 1 John 4. Brethren, better love one another,
because there ain't nobody else going to. That's why he's telling
us this, Joe. We better love one another. We're
going to need each other. Now, people, you are all the
family I've got here. That's just so. Literally. You're all the family I've got
within 300 miles of here. And this is an absolute fact.
If you were not my friend, I wouldn't have a friend in Franklin County. I'm just stating a fact here. I'm not bragging on myself, but
I'm just saying so. There ain't nobody in Frankie County
that I can call a buddy, friend, anybody that is inviting me over. But you. That's just so. You're all I've got. that you're all I want. We need
each other. One time the apostles asked the
Lord, said, Lord, we've left family, home and family, and
for you, what are we going to receive? He said, well. And then he went on listing all
those things. He said, oh, you will receive a hundredfold houses
and land and friends and family now in this life. I have one
father, earthly father, and one mother, but I've gained a lot
more since I've come here. Man, Nancy just insists on mother
and me, and others, and fathers, and brothers, and sisters. I've
got a brother, a flesh and blood brother, just saw him the other
day. Might as well not have, right, Mindy? Really, for all he cares about
me? It would have been no better
for having seen him. But I am better for having seen
you this day. I've profited, been edified. I got a bunch of sister in here. We need each other. It's all
we got. What about you? Got a bunch of
friends out there, fighting you over? to all their places? You
wouldn't want to go if they did anyway, would you? Huh? Well,
look at verse twenty now. He says, Now remember the word
that I said unto you, Servants not greater than his Lord, if
they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours. If they will listen
to me, they will listen to you. But they haven't, and they won't. Remember the word, they persecuted
me. They'll persecute you. People, mankind is not in a friendlier
mood toward God, are they? Rick, is the 20th century, nearly
the 21st, is it more in a friendly, is it more friendly toward God
and a little more receptive to the gospel now than it was then?
It's worse. It's worse. It's still in it. It still hates
the gospel worse than ever. Like I said, I'm so conscious
whenever I say anything, just any old fashioned truth. I'm
so conscious of the fact that, man, this is not being said today. Nobody's saying that. I mean,
nobody's saying this. Nobody, nowhere is saying that
God is God. Why, they've even plumbed, cast
out the wind of these creator. I mean, that's that's that's
the foundation. And they've all, everybody's
just about renouncing that. You know what I mean, don't you?
Huh? It still hates the gospel, still hates those who believe
it. This world still hates those who believe it. If you believe
it, they hate you. You declare it, they hate you.
Verse 21, all this, he said, all these things will they do
unto you for my name's sake, for his name's sake. That's what
we do. We do everything, say everything
for his name's sake. What does that mean, his name's
sake? The name Jesus means that. When
we say Jesus, we mean it, don't we Ed? When God named him that, that's
what it meant, didn't it? Call his name Jesus. Why? It means he shall say it. His people, His particular people,
His elect people, His chosen people, His foreloved, foreordained
people, His people, not all people, His people. He shall. He won't
try. He will. Jesus. Call His name Jesus. And when
we say that, we mean it. That's the reason we say this
other Jesus ain't Jesus. Right? for his name's Christ. He is Christ, the only mediator,
the only representative, the only intercessor, the only substitute,
the only way, the Christ, Lord, Jesus Christ the Lord. When we
say Lord, we mean it, don't we? Now, you say you make him Lord,
you don't know what the word means. Do you? Do you, John? You don't make an absolute Lord,
Lord. He just is. For his name's sake. You see what that means? For
his name's sake. Read on. Because they don't know
him that sent him. That's where it started. They
don't know God. Have you ever run into anybody where you finally,
both of you, came to that conclusion? We've got different gods. Have
you? I know you have. Some of you
told me that. But somebody, a woman, actually said that to you, didn't
you? We're worshiping different gods, aren't we? That's exactly
right. And I love this saying that,
you see, our God is God. There He just wants to be. He just wants to be. He can't.
Men won't let Him. But our God, nobody can let him
do anything. He just is. Don't you love that? Let me tear into that for another
hour. There's no subject that gives me greater pleasure dealing
with and hearing than that. Is it that our God reigneth? The theme of this book is what
that is. Our God reigneth. Now look at verse 22. They don't
know God. He said, verse 22, If I had not
come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. There that is,
they wouldn't have been exposed. Now they have no cloak, no excuse,
no covering for their sin. Like this morning, we read Matthew
23. Boy, the Lord doesn't pull, like
we say, pull punches, does he? Doesn't mince words, does he?
Huh? The old saying, call a spade
a spade. He did that, didn't he, Joe?
He said in one place, he said, You generation of vipers and
snakes, blind leaders of the blind, blind
guides, hypocrites. That's what he called people.
I like that. I like that. Christ exposes everything
that exposes it. gets to the root of it, exposes
it. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they could appear
to be what they're not, but now I've revealed what they are.
And aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? He did that
to us. Aren't you glad he exposed us to ourselves? Or else, Henry,
you'd still be thinking you're something when you're nothing.
Now you think he's everything. No, that's the only one that
we'll thank Christ is all, somebody who's nothing at all. Verse twenty-three,
He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. He that hateth me, hateth my
Father also. They hate both me and my Father.
I know they say they love God, but they don't. They love the
God of their imagination. I know they say they love Jesus.
You know, men love an impotent God, don't they? They do. They
love their God. They love their God whom they
control. Why, he's just an old gray-haired,
gray-bearded fellow up there, you know, like you see in a cartoon,
sitting on a cloud, and he's so lovable. Kind of like Burl
Ives or George Burns. Just a sweet old fellow who won't
hurt anybody. Loves everybody. Can't do anybody
any harm. Yeah, they love God like that,
but they hate a sovereign, omnipotent Lord on the throne. Men love
a baby in a manger, don't they, sweet Jesus? Oh, how everyone
loves Christmas time and gets so sentimental and so religious,
and they just love that baby named Jesus. Don't they? Why? Here he is. Here's our Jesus. He can't do anything unless we
let him. He's crying. He's a crybaby.
Crybaby Jesus. Isn't that right, Rick? Crybaby Jesus. Our Lord, and what they hate,
the Lord Jesus Christ sitting on a throne expecting his enemies
to be his footstool. I would say they don't. Let me
give you some proof that you don't think they do. Go to work
tomorrow and just stand up in front of one person and declare
God's rights. Not man's. Declare God's rights. Just declare God's rights. I'm
not saying that man has none. God's right to be God, to do
what he will with his own, to save, to damn, to kill, to make
alive, to wound, to heal, to be God. Just declare it. Watch
their jaws move. See that? That's teeth gnashing. That's what the scripture says
they'll do. They'll gnash their teeth out. Watch it. And you turn your back, John,
and if they had a dagger at that moment, and it were lawful, if
it were 1492, you'd be a dead man. Men are not different. They're no different. I know
they say they love Jesus and God, but it ain't so. It just
ain't so. Try it. and experience the blessedness
of persecution. Christ said, blessed are you,
didn't he? Woe is unto you. Everybody thinks you're a good
Christian. That means they think you believe
like they do. And I tell you what, if you experience
persecution, you'll also experience the consolation that Christ gives
his own. Peter and the boys took a whipping,
but went back, said they rejoiced, they were able They were counted
worthy to suffer shame for his name. Them? You. He'll convince you more than
ever, this is the gospel. In the face of all persecution,
in the face of a multitude of people out there that don't believe,
he'll convince you more than ever, hey, I know this is the
gospel. Read on it and you shall bear
witness because you've been with me from the beginning and you'll
be with me to the end. Christ said, You've been with
me from the beginning. Well, having loved his own, he loved
them to the end. And he said there in this next
prayer, John said, I will that they be with me. They were with
me from the beginning, with him in love, with him in purpose,
with him in his mind and heart. But he said, I will that they
be with me in the end, where I am, when it's all over. Now, these things I've spoken
unto you, don't be offended, don't be afraid, don't be troubled. You'll be hated, yeah. You remember
that verse I quoted to you from, where was it? In the book of
Mark, where he said that you'll receive a hundredfold in this
life, houses and lands. You know what he said right in
the middle of that verse? He said you'll receive houses
and lands and friends and family, and so, with persecutions. He added that right in the middle
of it. He said, that goes along with it. But that's all right. That's all right. It's really
nothing in it compared to what we did. I don't want the friendship of
this world, do you? Don't need it. With friends like these,
who needs them? All right, let's stand and sing
a hymn, a closing hymn. Maybe this hymn will mean more
to us. 188. Jeanette, if you'll come
up here and play this for us. 188. I love thy kingdom, Lord. The house of Idaho, the church
that blessed Redeemer's day, is always glad to go. I love thy church, O God, Her
walls we boldly stand, Dear as the apple of thine eye. For her my tears shall fall,
for her my prayers are saved. To her my cares and toils begin,
till toils and cares shall end. Beyond my highest joy, I prize
her in any way Her sweet communion smile