John Chapter 15:12-16

This is a commandment is not a suggestion but hey, if this is convenient if you can work this in your schedule. If they don't look at you wrong or say something silly or do some the hurt your feelings and love peace and love is a commitment. Do you have that commitment to your brothers and sisters. If you don't, may I suggest according to the words of Jesus need to do a hardship understand this is challenging and this is convicting. These are the words of Jesus less water in red. If you've got a red letter about what that means you got a red letter about the words of Jesus are in red and he say look this is the deal. This is what love looks way down one's friends, friends, welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today were blessed to have pastor DA Brown with this one of David McGee's associate pastors. What does it take to be a friend of God Bob in the Bible it says that greater love has no one than this, and to lay down one's life for his friends. Today pastor Dave explained that Jesus showed the greatest love doing just that as he continues in the Gospel of John chapter 15… And David McGee continues with part two of his teaching joy and love John chapter 15 verse 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you with the bars definitely get listed in this first Jesus before has told us to love one another, but here he adds this love one another, even as I have loved you even as I have loved you how to Jesus love us halfheartedly that he love us when it was convenient when he had time to glad God doesn't have voicemail voicemails, a very cool thing.

It's a very nice thing to have to stay in communication with people but would not put you off a little bit of you know you were trying to pray you are in the spot you said God God's not in right now. If you leave a message when you hear the tone he'll be sure to get right back to his love is constant. He's always want to hear from us listen to us on the amazing thing now verse 13. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends we know, in hindsight, what Jesus is saying here that he is getting ready to do just that. To lay down his life for his friends.

Another thing is what is the present day application of this. How is this personal chances are no monies going to come to you after service and say like I got this cross these nails and these hammers and guess what you're working on now you to the cross and crucify, that's probably not going to happen. So what does it mean to lay down our lives for one another. Well me give you this clue happens all the time here when you come in and there's somebody trying to help you park in greeting. That's them laying down their life for you because chances are no he went to him say what would you really like to do with your Sunday marks.

I like to stand out in the parking lot and unit wave, a flashlight of people who occasionally got irate with didn't say that.

Surely they finally got better things to do, but they want to lay down their life for you guys you want to help people get in here and have a good experience. The people in the children's ministries spent Friday and Saturday doing what together the lessons while they were bored. They didn't have anything else to do there, looking for now, let's not in their laying down the last one to love your cats love your kids so that they will know the truth, they will know the love of the Lord is a real practical way of laying down your life for people and so when we look at just don't take into some far-off state and think what you what does that look like that's what it looks like doing things that you wouldn't normally do that possibly aren't convenient that aren't on the top of your priority list what to lay down your life for somebody else to be a picture of Jesus. Somebody else and again I see that going on here. The life lesson here is we are living the tell what he died to say we are living to tell what he died to say in when we lay down our lives for people that communicates what Jesus died to tell you know I care. Love you. I love the saying that people won't care how much we know until they know how much we care. So there's practical ways of walking this out and live in and out and showing what this looks like now it's interesting in the new living translation.

These verses 12 and 13. It reads, I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you and here's how to measure the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. Thank you. Notice it's a commandments not a suggestion, it's not. Hey, if this is convenient if you can work this in your schedule. If they don't look at you wrong or say something silly or do some the hurt your feelings and love somebody said he say love is a commitment. Do you have that commitment to your brothers and sisters that are gathered around you right now if you don't, may I suggest according to the words of Jesus need to do a heart check say no I'm not really doing some this is understand. This is challenging and this is convicting. These are the words of Jesus less water in red.

If you've got a red letter Bible.

That's what that means you got a red letter Bible, the words of Jesus are in red and he say and look this is the deal.

This is what love looks like in the lay down one's life for his friends misunderstand something we look back and Jesus and we know what's about to happen. He's about to be crucified and so weak how that person with the fact that Jesus is laying down his life. In other words, he's willing to die.

He's going to put aside whatever self-centeredness that he might engage in. It's a sobering word, but the reality is that's what Jesus is challenging us to do is to die to lay down our lives for one another. John Knox, a man who ministered in Scotland. He prayed a prayer for many years that he prayed like this. Lord, give me Scotland or alt. He prayed that repetitious sleep time and time again and then the Lord spoke to me and said you die and I'll give you Scotland. In other words, lay down your life, all that you think should happen all that you think would happen, and watch what I will do so through you see this is what were supposed to be doing. This is the stuff this is the real deal.

This is the good that we lay down that way… To ourselves.

The challenging thing. Jesus is telling us to do here.

It's very challenging must be hopelessly honest.

Let's be real about. There's no projected that this is a constant way really to live in obedience to the Lord and in every now and again all talk is my go you know I'm kind of hoping that you know it's a poster about your hope that I'm left behind song serve God in the tribulation during the tribulation will go serve God. Claimant if you can't serve God now when there's not a tribulation going on, how do you think you're going to serve God during the tribulation. See we we do that if this occurred then I would really begin the serve the Lord and I love this quote is what we do in the here and now that will make a difference in the then and there that what we do in the here and now affects people's eternal destiny. That's reality we all want to belong to something that's bigger than us, and that's the whole concept.

That's the whole vehicle of the church in general. Man did not come up with the church. God is the one who instituted the church and yes, it's been imperfect. It's you know that the church is what it is it's it's not a perfect vehicle in a now as a young believer used to argue with people and they started discussing church history and you know all know that was really like that are no they didn't really do that or you know you know the more I grow in the Lord the market and that off. We need like a Savior. Some in verse 14, you are my friends if you do whatever I command you know it's amazing work all called a lot of different things in the world.

Some of you wouldn't want to repeat the church. Look what God calls because his friends and amazing.

He says if you do these things if you understand these things and you do these things your my friends and cause enemies.

The fact is we were enemies of his at one time before we hear the relationship was built upon the forgiveness of our sins.

We were not his friends, but we are now. What an amazing thing that we are friends of God see when you asked the Lord to forgive you of your sins doesn't just stop with forgiveness. There's the adoption. He causes his children. There's this part where causes his friends mean it would be one thing if were like friends with the president and their friends with the king of England or whatever, but to know that were friends with the king of all kings while when an amazing thing and it's not like this is a friend that you gonna pull the wool over their eyes.

They don't really know you, they don't really know about shoe and you could put on, you know, nice little space there for five minutes every other week or something and you call them friends that this is somebody that knows you inside and out. Somebody that knows you more than anybody else. Somebody that knows things about you that nobody else knows and he decides to call your friend. What an amazing thing. It's a privilege that we that I don't deserve and yet he's willing to extend that friendship to us with what an amazing thing. Verse 15. No longer do I call you servants for servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends for all things that I've heard from my father I have made known to you now understand were still to serve when he says you're not just a servant.

It's not that we no longer serve the sin you are a servant, but you are also my friends just like if if we were under a king, and in that we were called to serve him.

But now the king says hate your my friend, you're my friend and he'll tell us what he's doing. Understand that's part of prophecy spray prussic and many men, brilliant men have set out to disprove the Bible and begin to look through prophecy and you know many of them have been converted because, as they look through here in so many prophecies of come to pass that there like that, statistically, this is impossible why God's told us what is going to. He shared that with this lot because he says here that were his friends.

You're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge. He'll be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be safe. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's work from here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love that needs know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones.

What an awesome way to bring your love ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a minute to pray for seven cities in our listening audience. Walker, Michigan, Brainerd, Fergus Falls and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Biloxi Friars pointe in Meridian, Mississippi, Lord. Thank you that Raber broadcast in the cities.

Thank you for your good news which will not return void order pray for everyone listening right now that they would be encouraged today recognize that you love them greatly, and you have a good plan order pray for anyone in their lives who they been trying to reach out to really been trying to share the gospel with we list those up to you now. We pray that you would convince and convict and even encourage them to put their trust in order pray for protection safety in the cities. Did the police officers wisdom, the fire department wisdom. The town councils and mayors. Everyone in leadership give them wisdom helped in the love one another, and Lord. We trust you that you do a great work in the cities. In Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 16 is an amazing verse. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain that what ever you asked the father in my name he may give you we have answered prayer in there and noticed in his name drawn.

If you will, on his account see it if you went down to you went down to Walmart and you spent hundred thousand dollars trip and then you gave him a check that had my name on it yet. That's not going go up. What's my point.

It's whose account and whose name is on that account makes all the difference. See Jesus is saying, you know, if you ask in my name on my account in my name's on the anything's possible.

Anything's possible that amazing.

We often think in terms of our abilities are or what we can do this, not the picture anymore is what God can do through us.

There's a lot of stuff I can't do you know what God does through me. There's a lot of stuff that maybe you can't do what God will do through you and it says you did not choose me now. This term theologically is called the doctrine of election God chose you, and again he knew you. It wasn't like you fold him.

You know that some of those prayers we pray many of us pray those prayers must be honest God. If you get me out of this. I'll never do this again and it was like a week later, maybe doing the exact same thing and you thought you had them full for a week is really believing I wouldn't do that again you didn't have him full for a week. You can have them pulled for a day or even from even when you break that very thought this can be like six days due to near future as they make. He knows us and he's well chose size. He still shows us to know many of you might be sitting here this morning a woman on and I actually chose him. Did you really did you really only have a member of this meeting know where I came forward and in China chose God chose God really missed question how long did God chase you before you chose him. You see, we use this term. I found God and it's an interesting term because when you found out God wasn't lost. See you were the one who actually didn't know where you were or what you were doing and he still chose you still chose me at that down.

It's hard to get my mind wrapped around it and it certainly people I grew up with and went to school and and occasionally see Smiley go so what are you doing now. I am pastor is your pastor, pastor, God chose me chose me. The fact that your heart responded to a talking was part of that choosing, perhaps even some of you this morning are filling a tug on your heart going lava never heard about this love and the possibility for to be forgiven and choosing and he doesn't look at go on the boy does not work out without I'm only going to choose the people really have it together in some way the gospel works. Here's the interesting to me the intriguing part of this verse Jesus is saying when he chose you. He appointed you that you would go and bear fruit. That tells me how and when we meet we talk about believing in God and we should talk about believing God is really important.

Sometimes I think we get a little mixed up because of you asked for my hey are you going to heaven.

Everybody in the South thinks are going out.

I was born and raised here, that's no offense, but you ask anybody all yeah I'm going to have why you 20 think that will because I believe in God circling this book that's not good enough we mean what this book and in in the book of James says that the demons believe, and tremble. So if you're using that believe in God is is what it is to get to heaven and be a Christian. Guess what demons are Christians and are going to have in half don't think so is really bad theology. We talk about believing in God and that's a good thing. But here's here's an incredible thing about this verse God. Jesus says when he chose us.

He knew that we would go forth and bear fruit to understand what this is really slip into hold on with me, Jesus is saying he believes in you, he believes you can do the things he's talking about in here means loving one another like that.

He thinks you can do it means laying down our lives think she can do that mean being his friend by being obedient yet he thinks are able to do that and keep in mind this isn't just somebody that doesn't know you that saying that you are capable of these things. This is Jesus Christ who knows everything about you. This is Jesus Christ who looked at a lame man and told him to get up and start walking Jesus Christ.

Total blind man to see who told a man who was to come out of the tomb, and now he looks at us and says one should bear fruit.

So you may think it's impossible and truly in our efforts in our strength these verses that were looking at. They probably are impossible.

But Jesus is saying you can do these things. Not only can you do these things, but if you follow me, if you hold close with me you will do these things.

So even it was a regret these things and probably everybody in this room thought, how do you do that is that possible it's more than possible you're able to do it one through him who strengthens you see with you with man. None of this is possible but with God all things are possible.

As I read through the Scriptures, and in many of us have thought how you do that and he lay down your life how you love other people, even as Jesus loved us. Jesus tells us in the midst of you, and I chose you. I knew you could do it clad you're sitting down I knew you could act like me, Jesus, things we can act like you. What an amazing thing.

What an amazing thing, and why we should doubt our abilities and our strengths. You should never doubt his abilities or his strength, and when he says you can do it. That means you can do it now. We need to understand that for some of us there's a thing that's in the way that's called sin. Everybody ascend everybody is falling short of the glory of God were told the book of Romans and there's only one way to do this. There's only one way to take care of it. It's not hoping that your good is going to outweigh your bad snow and that your good will never outweigh your bad in understanding that Jesus died for you.

You're the reason he lay down his life walk because he knew no matter how hard you try that you would never achieve perfection. See. Somehow we've gotten confused about Christianity and we think is you know what we cannot be good enough or long enough and God accepts us.

That's simply not the good news. The good news.

The good news starts with the bad news. Even the best of his younger stent Billy Graham Pastor Greg Laurie Pastor Chuck Smith, all the all these guys.

They are dependent upon the grace of God to be forgiven and every one of us is dependent upon the grace of God, not because you've earned it, but because he loves you so much he wants to give it to see none of us in here perfect if if you're in here this morning you perfect you're in the wrong church and probably some other places you could be.

But if you're willing to say this morning. You know I'm not perfect. I need forgiveness I need help in this area like every one of us to think God will honor that and forgive you of your sins of you asking for is the way that everyone of us started our relationship with him because until you deal with that. That's a golf that can't be. You can't fix. You cannot fix the gulfs you do not have the cure, but Jesus Christ is secure and I'm not to sit back and go well. Is there only one cure. Why can't there be many cures now I'm just grateful for the terminal disease of sin that I have there is secure that cure is Jesus. And once that happens, then God will begin to do these things through your life just so incredible things you never imagined.

He wants to use you in ways that you just can't sit here and think about beyond what you're able is what the Bible tells us, but that first step has to be years friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life now done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend.

If you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations Springer just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge.

Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading and the thought to meditate on. Throughout today from the heart. David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com.

Thanks again for listening and join us next time.

As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God