`“The Chosen Ones”
November 28th, 2010
John 15:9-17
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 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. 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. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”
How much do you think God the Father, loves Jesus, His Son? A lot? A WHOLE lot? Ya know, I don’t think we can even comprehend how much love God can love. John said, “God IS love!” God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is more than the epitome of love – they ARE love! Multiply how much you love you mate or your children or grandchildren a trillion times – and that doesn’t begin to touch how much love God is. Only Jesus could even begin to understand how much God loves Him. Jesus says the Father loves Him – then He says one of the most amazing things in the Bible. He says, “As the Father has loved me – so have I loved you.” Jesus loves you as much as the Father loves Him!
That ought to blow you away – if you can wrap your mind around it. God loves you as much as He loves Himself! And God IS love! Think of that. Most of us have grown up loathing ourselves. We are too short or too tall. We are too fat or too skinny. At one time we must have been perfect because we went from too skinny to too fat and most of us missed it! Instead we loath ourselves for being too thin – then one day we realize we are too fat and loath ourselves for that. Some don’t like their appearance. The pimples; the dimples; the skin; we can’t win! Somehow we got an unrealistic picture of the perfect US – and we can never achieve it. So we hate ourselves and hate God for creating us this way!
Relax! God created you just the way you are for a reason. There is no one in the whole history of the world just like you. Your fingerprints are different from anyone else. Your eyes are different from anyone else’s. Your voice is different from anyone else’s. You are as unique as a snowflake. There are a bazillion people out there – but none just like you. And God values you; God esteems you; God treasurers you. As much as the Father loves the Son – Jesus loves you!
You are pretty special! It’s a privilege for me to even know you! Thank you for blessing me with your presence! God knows you personally. The angels know you by name! God has chosen YOU! WOW! What an honor! He desires you to experience complete Joy! He calls you ‘friend’. He has given you tremendous power! Power we can’t even comprehend! We take it for granted or don’t realize we have it – but God has so valued us that we have mighty power in Him.
Does that build your self-esteem a little? Does that elevate your self-worth a little? It should! But let me tell you a spiritual principle. With privilege comes responsibility. We have just come through Thanksgiving – and we have so much to be thankful for. God has been so good to us. But with those blessings – comes requirements. The founder of the Nazarene denomination, Phineas F. Bresee, said:
“We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it"
Jesus said,
“…everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14
You have been tremendously blessed! You are fantastically privileged! Great honor has been bestowed on you! You have been CHOSEN by Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth! He knows your name! He knows how you think! He knows your weaknesses and your strengths. He knows your sins – except those you have confessed and asked forgiveness for. Those He has forgotten. He has cast those sins into the “sea of forgetfulness”. But still, with your fleshly desires and embarrassing temptations, and all your faults and failings – still He loves you and chooses you.
This morning I want to share three things you have been chosen for.
First of all, you have been chosen to obey. Let’s take a look at our Scripture again.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:9-10
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14
Do you understand that relationships are conditional? No matter how badly one individual in a relationship may want that relationship – if both are not in agreement – it can’t happen. Amos said, “Can two walk together unless they be in agreement?” (Amos 3:3) You can’t even walk together unless you are in agreement – let alone be married or work together or do anything else together.
I want you to know that Jesus is not judging us and saying, “Well, she isn’t worthy! She can’t be my friend! He isn’t living up to my standards – he can’t be my friend!” Jesus doesn’t do that. In fact, Jesus doesn’t sever the relationship –EVER! You and I do – when we sin. Sin is willful and conscience rebellion against the known will of God. Sin is disobeying on purpose.
When we willfully disobey – we take ourselves out of friendship with God. Our relationship changes from friend to foe; from saint to sinner. Jesus said, after telling us how much He loves us – as much as the Father loves Him – to ‘REMAIN’ in His love. He asked us to remain in His love – that means we can choose to NOT remain in it. We have that power. We have that privilege. We have a responsibility to keep ourselves in that love relationship. How do we keep in a loving relationship with Jesus? By keeping His commandments. Jesus has chosen us to obey. He said,
“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21
“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” John 14:23-24
Did you catch the responsibility of love? God’s love is unconditional. In other words, He loves everyone. He’s not willing any should perish. But a relationship with Him is conditional on our actions and choices. If we love Him and demonstrate it by obeying Him – the Father and Son, through the Holy Spirit, will come and live in their hearts. God can not do that in the disobedient heart. Paul said the Holy Spirit is ONLY given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:32) You have been chosen to obey.
Secondly, you have been chosen to “bear fruit”. Jesus said,
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…” John 15:16
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8
Nothing shows the power of God like a changed life. I am fascinated by the awesome power of God that is displayed in the heavens. On a starry night when I look up at the Milky Way and the constellations and maybe see a falling star, I am awed. I am awed by the moon so bright and big in the summer sky. When I see pictures of atoms and neutrons and molecules; when I see time lapse photographs of flowers growing or microscopic pictures of pollen and unseen virus and germs – it is awe-inspiring. We have no clue what God created all around us.
But that is not what makes the angels in heaven pause and give God glory – it is the miracle of a changed life. A life that once was selfish and bitter and hateful – that is changed into a fruitful, loving, tender human being is even more miraculous than heavenly creations. The change that has come into your life when you invited Jesus in – is much more awesome than the galaxies and the molecules and other created things. It is because OUR will is involved, as well as God’s will.
And you and I know how hard it is to bear spiritual fruit. The fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. Jesus said,
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” Matthew 5:46-47
Bearing fruit that glorifies God is to love the unlovable. Even when you don’t LIKE someone – to choose to love them or care about them is a miracle. It is spiritual fruit. To choose joy when you are sad or depressed is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. To be kind when you want to be mean; to be gentle when your flesh urges you to be harsh is spiritual fruit you can only bear with the Spirit’s help.
We have such addictive personalities. When we control our addictions and control our words, and control our thoughts – it brings God glory. It brings us a reward of peace and joy – but your changed life brings God glory. You have been chosen to bear much fruit. The Holy Spirit is available to empower you and make it possible – but you have to exercise your will and choose to produce this kind of fruit.
Lastly, we have been chosen to produce spiritual offspring. We have been chosen to make disciples. The last thing Matthew records Jesus as saying is,
“Therefore go and make disciples…” Matthew 28:19
Paul says, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
Did you catch that you have been given the job of taking God’s place? We are ambassadors. We represent God. We have His message. God is making His appeal to a lost world through us. What an awesome responsibility!
How are you doing at it? Are you using the gifts and talents God has given you to share the gospel message? You have been given directions. You know God’s will. He has given you tremendous power to accomplish the job. Believe it! Believe in yourself! You have the words of eternal life – and eternal life. That is awesome power. Don’t let someone spend eternity in hell because you neglected to share what was given you.
You have been chosen to make disciples. You have been chosen to bear fruit. You have been chosen to walk in obedience. Any of these three things is impossible in our own strength. We don’t have to power. We need God to accomplish what He asks us to do. All we need to do is to be willing. Are you?
God has chosen you – have you chosen Him? All it takes is a prayer like this.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for giving me power and purpose. Forgive me for rebelling against you and doing my own thing. Give me the power I need to be obedient to you. Give me the power to bear much fruit. I want to bring glory to you. Give me the will and ability to make disciples. Thank you for these privileges. Help me to be responsible in them.
“Be Unto Your Name”
