God Chose Us While We Were Filthy Sinners — Santosh Poonen

Bearing Fruit That Remains

Turn with me to John 15. Jesus said that his desire for us was that we would bear fruit that would remain. We heard that also this morning. Fruit that would remain and it's very important what we heard today is very important that foundation and what we build with because there's going to be a fruit that won't remain.

Often we can look at you know there's there's three categories if I understand this correctly there's the tree that's not bearing fruit at all. Jesus spoke about the fig tree for example that didn't bear fruit it just had leaves.

And then there's two types of trees that's one category and then there's two other categories. Tree that is bearing fruit and tree that is bearing fruit. But one of that fruit is going to remain and one of the fruit is not going to remain.

So it's not just two categories of trees not bearing fruit and bearing fruit. It's not bearing fruit bearing fruit that will remain and bearing fruit that won't remain. And when you look at two trees that are bearing fruit you can easily think oh this is great we're bearing fruit.

I look at my life and see there's some fruit that's good but is it going to remain or am I going to get a shock and realize that over time I bore fruit once upon a time and now I'm not bearing fruit and that's a pretty serious warning that Jesus gives.

Jesus Chose His Disciples to Bear Lasting Fruit

And he says in John 15 verse 16 I love that he says this you did not choose me but I chose you. It's like we heard today the secret to bearing fruit that remains is recognizing Jesus chose me. You didn't choose me.

Jesus says I chose you. Peter couldn't boast about the fact that he was a disciple of Jesus compared to somebody else he couldn't boast about it. You just say Jesus chose me. I'm his disciple because he chose me.

You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you having chosen 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.

From Slaves to Sons in the Father's House

And I see that the secret to bearing fruit that remains is what he talks about earlier if you read the context where he says that verse 15 no longer do I call you slaves for the slave does not know what his master is doing.

But I've called you friends for all things that I have heard from my father I have made known to you. And if you read the other things that Jesus said and especially of his use of the word father that the contrast here is between a slave and a son and this is essentially what I see what it means to have fruit that remains.

How will I know that I am going to bear fruit in God's house forever is if I'm a son a slave an employee could be here today gone tomorrow. I'm employed by a company but there's no guarantee that I will always be an employee of the company that I'm a part of.

But you know what is a guarantee is I will always be the son of my father that's never gonna change. And that's the fruit that remains is an assurance a foundation that God is my father. He's chosen me.

I refuse to look at the circumstances of my life. I refuse to look at my own failure. I refuse to look at how things are right now. I'm grounded on the fact that God is my father. He is my father. He chose me in him.

I am that earlier in this chapter says I am the vine you are the branches. Jesus says just abide in me and you'll bear fruit by didn't mean you'll bear fruit. This mentality of a son and all the sacrifices you heard about all this the trials that that oyster goes through and the pain and the sacrifices and the trials that we go through a son or daughter thinks nothing of it because it's my father doesn't matter what he asked me to go through.

It's my father. An employee will complain. You know employees are watching the clock. See it's time for me to clock in. And the moment that second hand hits time I'm clocking out. I'm not even going to give you one second more because I'm an employee.

The New Covenant Gives Us a Son's Rest

We see this contrast in Hebrews 3. You know we heard from Hebrews 4 that is set before. He talks about this rest resting from your own works. What does it mean to rest from your own works. In chapter 4 before that he talks about Moses and Jesus.

Moses was a great man perhaps the greatest man in the Old Testament. He and Elijah got to come on the Mount of Transfiguration. I think that represents two of the greatest men before John the Baptist at least.

And the writer of Hebrews. As you know Hebrews contrast the Old Covenant of the New Covenant and we hear about that much. But what does it essentially mean. Under the Old Covenant you are an employee and you had every right to say well Lord I gave you my 10

You better fulfill your end of the bargain. You better make sure I don't have those diseases. Make sure that my fields bear fruit. And all these blessings that you promised. I can go back and quote it exactly from Leviticus and Deuteronomy etc etc.

I fulfill my end of the bargain. You have to fulfill your end of the bargain and bless me. And if you didn't get the blessing you could go to God and say well Lord I gave you 10 That would be like an employee going to the finance department payroll and say hey I put in my 40 hours.

Where's my paycheck. If that's the mentality with which we come to God and say Lord I've done this for you. What have you done for me. Why have you allowed me to go through this. Why aren't you doing that for me.

And under the Old Covenant that's all they could have. Under the New Covenant we have something better. We're sons. If you're a partner with your father in the business there's no question of payroll.

There's no question of when's my paycheck. You're the son of your father. You have the father like the father. The end of Luke 15 told his son you have me told of the older son you've had me. That was the difference between the older son and the younger son.

The older son said Lord I father I've done all these things for you whatever you done for me. Where's my fatted calf. Where's my party. And the father said wasn't I enough. Wasn't it enough that you are my son.

If you have me you have everything. In Hebrews 3 we read that you have a heavenly calling. Hebrews 3 verse 1 you're a partaker of a heavenly calling. You're not just an employee. You're a son. You're a partaker of a heavenly birthright.

Christ Faithful as a Son Over His House

It's not just something loose and low. So if you're one of those consider Jesus the high priest of our confession. He was faithful just like Moses was also faithful. They were both faithful. The employee didn't slack off.

He put in his 40 hours. But he put it in with the mindset of what am I gonna get out of this. Jesus wasn't looking for his own benefit says in Romans 15. He didn't please himself. He didn't think of how he would gain from coming down to this earth.

And to be a follower of Christ is to have that same mindset because it says verse 5 Hebrews 3 verse 5. Now Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later.

So he says here's the example of a servant. That's why the Old Covenant was given. But verse 6 Christ was faithful as a son over his house whose house we are. Then he talks about enduring until the end.

In verse 6 the last part of verse 6 and what it is. What is it. I was thinking about that sitting here listening. What is it that we're called to endure until the end. In Hebrews 3 verse 6 your confidence and your boast.

Enduring in Confidence and Boasting as God's Children

When you think of enduring until the end what do you think of like. I better make it. I better make it. I'm losing energy. I'm barely crawling in my Christian life. I better make sure I make it. Is that what you think of or do you think of confidence and boast.

And this is what I'm encouraged with this morning that God wants me at the end of my life no matter what the trial has been like that. I'm still boasting. I still have confidence. My head is held up high.

I'm not looking at the trial. I'm not looking at my failure. I'm not looking with regret of how much I could have done so much else differently. I'm confident. Why. Because I'm a son of my father. That's the confidence I have not.

Oh I messed up this week. I could have done better. Yeah that's true. But you're a son you're a daughter. There should be a boasting about the Christian now. You know we speak in this church often about a high standard.

And we there should we should never tolerate sin. There should be a hatred for sin. But let that always be put into perspective of a boasting and a confidence of the true child of God. One more passage.

Zechariah's Vision of Joshua in Filthy Garments

I'd like you to look at. I've been meditating on Zechariah chapter 3. This is our foundation. You've heard it often. God is your father. He loves you as he loved his son Jesus. You should be boasting.

See so often as Christians we're head down. I could have done this week better. I fell. I did that other thing wrong. And I sinned and all that. Yes mourn over your sin in secret. But he let there be a boast and a confidence.

And if you don't hold that boasting and confidence until the end then you may not make it so endure with confidence and with both. But in Zechariah 3 you know there's only three times in the Old Testament that Satan is referenced by name.

Only three times. The first is in First Chronicles 21. I think where David it says Satan instigated David to count to do a census. The second time is actually the first time that it occurred which is Satan coming to God and saying Job.

God permits Satan to attack Job. So there's Job first and Satan instigating David. And here's the third instance. A man named Joshua not the Joshua who was who took over from Moses a different Joshua who was a high priest.

And in this incident you see Satan coming Zechariah 3. He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Satan instigating David.

Satan accusing Job of things that weren't even true. And here see when Satan accused Job before God God said no he is a righteous man. He's God-fearing. And then Satan said yeah you're right. He is God-fearing.

But let me shake him and see he will be shaken. But here is a little bit different. Satan was accusing Joshua the high priest over something that was true. I want you to see verse 3 Satan was standing before God and saying have you seen Joshua your servant.

And God what did he have to say. What was true about Joshua. You see what was Joshua like now verse 3 Joshua was clothed with filthy garments full of sin. This isn't the Joe. Have you seen Joe. This is Joshua the filthy garment.

Joshua clothed with filthy garments and standing before the Lord. And Satan says see this is your servant full of sin. And look at what the Lord says to Satan. Now what what should. What would you do if you were there and somebody let's say somebody brought me my son or my daughter full of filth.

I would think well let me clean them up first. And then say hey see you know they're clean. I cleaned them up. No that's not how God operates before he cleans up Joshua. He says verse 2 the Lord said to Satan the Lord rebuke you.

God Chose Us Before He Cleansed Us

Yeah my son is filthy but he's my son. Yeah my daughter is filthy. But that's my daughter. So get away from him. That's what I would say if somebody comes to me and says look at your filthy son. Your filthy daughter says before I even clean with up I'm gonna deal with you.

Because that's my son. That's my daughter filthy as they are. That's exactly what happens here. Verse 2 the Lord rebuke you Satan. Indeed the Lord has chosen Jerusalem. This is my chosen son. How dare you accuse him before me.

How dare you accuse her before me. And long before God cleans you up. Long before God cleaned you up he chose you. The cleaning happened on Calvary. But the choosing happened long before that while I was still a filthy sinner while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and chose us.

And if you don't hold fast this confession that God has chosen you God loves you. And long before he cleans you up he's gonna deal with Satan and say the Lord rebuke you. The Lord has chosen Jerusalem.

The Lord who has chosen Santos rebuke Satan. Read that. I hope you see it in your Bible. Zechariah 3 verse 2 the Lord who has chosen Santos rebuke you. Satan. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire.

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. And then he spoke and said to those who were after Satan. Now what happens when the Lord rebuke Satan. He has to flee immediately.

Now Satan's out of the picture. And now it's the Lord and you and others around in the church. That's what you see here. He said to those standing before him. Satan's already been dealt with. Remove the filthy garments from him.

Verse 4 see again he says see I've taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes. And then there's Zechariah standing there in the in the midst. What did Zechariah say. Lord put a turban on top of his head.

Intercession That Restores and Blesses the Repentant

Bless him. Zechariah is not say but what Lord remember. He did that other thing and did that other thing and he backslid. Or he's proud or he back. You know lust all these things. No Lord you've dealt with Satan you've cleaned him up.

Now let's put honor on him. Let's let's strengthen them let's encourage him. This is the ministry of prophecy to build up the church. And I hope when when you know somebody who falls in a deep way and you see the Lord deal with Satan.

And then clean them up when they repent that you will come along says his Lord make it even better for him. Make his justification even more perfect. See I have taken your iniquity. And then I said the I in verse 5 is Zechariah I said let them put a clean turban on his head.

So they put a clean turban on his head. Do you want to intercede for your brother where God God is waiting for you to add a blessing to another brother or sister. How about your wife your husband in that moment of situation where there's conflict and your wife or your husband or your child comes to you and says I'm sorry I did what I did was wrong.

And your response is not well. Okay. I'll forgive you. Your response is I want you to be blessed even more. I want a turban on your head. Want the anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life. This is the ministry of intercession.

When we come back to Jesus what is he doing at the right hand of the father. He's interceding when the father says Jesus shall I forgive Santosh. Jesus says don't just forgive him. Lord pour a blessing on top of him.

Fill him with the Holy Spirit. Give him a double anointing. This is our father. This is our older brother.