“Friends of the King”

“Privilege with Responsibilities”John 15:12-1726 April, 2015

Last Week, Branches• Last time we talked about Jesus being the

“vine” and we the “branches”• Alluding to the fact that all our sustenance

comes from Him, total dependence on Him• And that we have the privilege of abiding• And the responsibility to bear fruit• As Friends, the two things we see differ…

As Friends…• We have privilege that bears responsibility• Responsibility of obedience to Him• Obedience brings its own privilege• Those privileges, however, may differ from

your personal definition• Privilege of fellowship and its byproducts• Which sometimes are painful…

100 years ago…• 1.5 Million Armenian

Christians were massacred by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire

• Marched into pits and slaughtered like animals

• Children taunted with a crust of bread

100 years ago…• Many more pictures of

bodies plied in mass graves

• Can’t even bear to show you the pictures I found

• The reason? They were infidels; Christians…

12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one 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 slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I

have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.”

John 15:12-17

Love one another…• Agapao, V 12• Really means grammatically,

“Keep on loving one another as I have been loving you”

• Not just family & friends but church family too

• He forgives as we fiorgive

Being God’s friend thru obedience…• Vv 13-14, this is why I use the

Armenian example today• We think of friendship like this pic• But sometimes forget the sacrifice• Jesus offers that friendship to us

with an open hand• The question is whether we take it

Being God’s friend thru obedience…• He can’t be our friend without a

response from us• It takes two committed individuals• If I do nothing to “be” your friend,

how can I say I ‘am’ your friend?• Awkward!• He demonstrated friendship already

From servanthood to friendship…• V 15, What a promotion! From

enemies of God to servants to friends!

• This may be a reference to the eastern traditions of the “friends of the king” group of societal elites

• They had unfettered access, though not heads of state

He chose us…• Vv 16-17, Salvation is not earned, a gift• Thru His infinite foreknowledge,

predestined people’s lives ac- cording to their own decisions to follow Him or not

• Because of this privilege we bear the responsibility of fruit

He chose us…• But there also comes a cost with

being chosen for friendship• Matthew 16:24

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:24

He chose us…• But there also comes a cost with

being chosen for friendship• Matthew 16:24• John 15:18

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”

John 15:18, NASB

He chose us…• But there also comes a cost with

being chosen for friendship• Matthew 16:24• John 15:18• This I think was the only reason

for the Armenian Genocide…

Some history…• Remember Thaddeus and

Bartholomew? • They brought the gospel to Armenia• Christianity became the national religion of

Armenia in 301 A.D.• 404 A.D.: Armenian alphabet created solely

to give them a Bible in their language(Mesrob)

Some history…• The Battle of Avarayr is the site in

southeastern Armenia where St. Vartan and 1,036 noblemen fell defending the Christian faith against the Persian Empire.

• Mt. Ararat, now in Turkey, but was once part of the ancient Armenian kingdom

Privilege and Responsibility• Paul counted it as a privilege to

suffer with Christ• Acts 5:41 – “So they went on their way

from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

Privilege and Responsibility“…but we also exult in our tribula- tions, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts…” Romans 5:3-4

Take Away…• Don’t be shocked when

suffering is heaped upon you• As a Branch, we are pruned

by the father• As Friends we are invited by

the Son