John 15:12-17 Theme: Friends with the Master

All right. Good morning. It's good to see everyone who is able to be here this Lord's.

Day. I know I woke up this morning and saw snow and thought, oh, boy. But thankfully in this area, the roads were clear. There are some members whose roads were not so clear. And so let's keep them in prayer for those who are unable to be here, whether it's from traveling, whether it's from sickness or whether it's just from a little ice on the road.

We like to begin each and every Lord's Day by going over one of the four ecumenical creeds. And for this month is the Nicene Creed. And we will read that together. We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,.

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father, begotten of the Father, born of the Mother, light of life, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance, with the Father, in whom all things were made.

Who for us, for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was imparted by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made again, and was crucified also in His own consciousness. He suffered and was buried.

On the third day, He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven. He sits at the right hand of the Father, and He shall come again to glory, to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the liver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophet.

And we believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the.

Lord to come. Amen. Amen. Again, it's good to see everyone who is able to be here today, and let's continue to remember those who are not able to. In order to follow along with our service, you will need a bulletin, and the bulletins are found on our information table as you walk in through the door.

We plan on having also the same information table in both entrances on these side rooms as well. I got the tables and the offering boxes for those, but I haven't had the time to get those up. But also back there, as I mentioned on the information tables with the bulletins, is a designated spot for giving.

So if you're here today and you are prepared to give, there's two ways to do so. One is through that box, and the other way is through our new website, crbctalahoma .org. But as always, your being here is a gift, and we're so grateful that you're here today.

Again, also back there on the information table, but the one on the other side would be, let me see, David and Donna's membership papers. So if you're a member here, make sure to grab their membership papers and read over them.

That way, I think it's next week, we'll welcome them into membership. And also back in the foyer, we have a cry room slash changing area for babies. So if you have a young one and you need to take them there.

Bathrooms, we have four bathrooms, two for men, two for women, upstairs and downstairs. You have to exit through these doors to get to them. I know it's a lot of announcements. I'm trying to figure it out.

Hopefully within the next month or so, I have all this stuff memorized. I won't have to be stumbling as much. Women's Book Club has started. Evangelism, I think me and Red, weather permitting, we're going to start back up, not this coming Saturday, but the following Saturday we will get back doing regular evangelism work.

So if you're interested in joining that endeavor with us, please see Red. And we have started a three-year Bible reading plan as the church. If you want to jump on board with that, it's not too late.

And we do have a Wednesday night prayer meeting that meets in the fellowship hall. Also in the fellowship hall, after the service, we will have a fellowship meal together and it would be a joy to see every one of us back there for that.

Now, if you would please take your copy of the bulletin and we will go over together our call to worship. Our call to worship is taken from Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name. Our God and father, Lord, we do come to you in the name of your son, Jesus of the Christ.

And Lord, we come to you through his name, emboldened by your spirit, who has proceeded from both you and the son. And in the name of the son, Lord, the name of Jesus, we ask that you be with us today.

We know that you are here. You embody the believers through the Holy Spirit. And the word tells us in the book of Revelation that you walk among the lampstand. Lord, we pray that as you walk among us, as you are here with us, Lord, that you make yourself evident to us and our worship to you.

Lord, we love you and we thank you for allowing us to gather this day to corporately sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to you and to devote ourselves to the teachings of the apostles and to and to break bread and to fellowship with one another.

And Lord, we ask that as we meet together to do these things that you have commanded, that you bless us, but not only us, but all true churches around the world who gather together for the same purpose.

And now we pray the way our Lord himself taught us to pray. Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom.

And the power and the glory forever. Amen. Amen. He's risen. Yes, let's stand and we'll sing.

Psalm chapter 106 verses one through five. We'll sing it to the melody of amazing grace.

Oh, praise the Lord. Oh, thank the Lord for bountiful is he. Because his loving kindness lasts through all eternity. Or who can fully praise the Lord or count his deeds of might. How blessed are they who justice keep and always do what's right.

Remember me with favor, Lord, which you your people show. Oh, come to me, draw near that I may your salvation know. That with your chosen ones I may enjoy prosperity. And may with your inheritance in you boast joyfully.

Amen. Mighty Fortress is our God. Hymn 114. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear. Psalm 46, one through two.

A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never fail. Our helper he amid the flood. A port of ills prevailing. For still our ancient foes he to worked us bold. His craft and power are great and armed with brutal fate.

On earth is not his seat. Did we in our own strength combine? Our striping would be losing. Not the right man on our side. The man of God's own to be seen. Just as good that may be. Christ Jesus it is he.

The Lord of hosts his name. From age to age the same. And he must win the bat. And though this world with devils fill. Should threaten to undo. We will not fear for God hath built. His truth to triumph through winds of darkness.

God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.

All right, amen. Behold our God.

Who is like the Lord our God. Who is enthroned on high. Who looks down to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.

Psalm 113, five through six. Who has held the oceans in his hands.

Who has numbered every grain of sand. Kings and nations tremble at his voice. All creation rises to rejoice. Come let us adore him. Behold our king. Nothing can compare. Come let us adore him. Who has given counsel to the Lord.

Who can question any of his words. Who can teach the one who knows all things. Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds. The God seated on his throne. Come let us adore him. Behold our king. Nothing can compare.

Come let us adore him. Who has felt the nails upon his hands. Felt the guilt of sinful man. God eternal humble to the grave. Jesus savior risen now to reign. The God seated on his throne. Come let us adore him.

Behold our king. Nothing can compare. Come let us adore him. You will reign forever. You will reign forever. Reign forever. Reign forever. The God seated on his throne. Come let us adore him. Behold our king.

Nothing can compare. Come let us adore him.

Let's be seated.

Morning beloved. Is this okay? I have to make sure the acoustics in here are so much different. If you would, we are going to be going through our Old Testament reading. Genesis chapter 25 verses 1 through 18.

As Genesis chapter 25 verses 1 through 18. I'll be reading out of the NASB. Genesis 25, 1 through 18. Now Abraham took another wife whose name was Keterah. She bore him Zimron and Jokshem and Medan. And forgive me on the names.

And Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshem became the father of Sheba and Daban. And the sons of Daban were Asheram and Lutsam and Laman. The sons of Midian were Ephaph and Ephur and Hanak and Abadah and Eldah.

All these were the sons of Keterah. Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward to the land of the east.

These are all the years of Abraham's life. They lived 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age. An old man is satisfied with life. And he's guided to his people. Then his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him in the cave of Mephilah.

In the field of Ephron, the son of Sahar and the Hittite facing memory. The field which Abraham purchasing from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with Sarah, his wife. It came after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac.

And Isaac lived by Bir Lahai Ruh. Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael. Abraham's son, whom Hagar, the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names in the war of their birth.

Nabioth, the firstborn of Ishmael and Kadar and Hadbil and Misbim and Mishim and Duma and Masa. Hadad and Tima and Jeter, Nefesh and Kedema. These are the sons of Ishmael. And these are their names by their villages and by their camps.

12 princes according to their tribes. These are the years of the life of Ishmael. 137 years. And he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people. They sell from Havilah to Shir, which is east of Egypt.

As one goes towards Assyria, he settled in defiance of all his relatives. This is the word of the living God.

Let's our bulletin once again as we review our catechism. Question number three. Question three. How many persons are there in God? Let's pray a prayer of confession together. Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings and our offenses against you.

You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry for all we have done to displease you.

Forgive our sins and help us to live in your light and walk in your ways for the sake of Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen. And if your faith is in Jesus Christ, then I can assure you based on the promise of the word that your sins are forgiven.

Let's stand once again. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. In the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2 20.

Strange and divine, I can sing, all is mine, yet not I, but through Christ in me. The night is dark, but I am not forsaken, for by my side the Savior he will stay. I labor on in weakness and rejoicing, for in my need his power is displayed.

To his side holds my shepherd will defend me, through the deepest valley he will lead. Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome, yet not I, but through Christ in me. No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven.

The future sure, the price it has been paid, for Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon. And he was raised to overthrow the grave. To his side holds my sin has been defeated. Jesus now and ever is my plea.

Oh, the chains are released, I can sing, I am free, yet not I, but through Christ in me. With every breath I long to follow Jesus, for he has said that he will bring me home. And day by day I know he will renew me, until I stand with joy before the Lord.

To his side holds my hope is only Jesus. All the glory evermore to him. When the race is complete, till my lips shall repeat, yet not I, but through Christ in me. To his side holds my hope is only Jesus.

All the glory evermore to him. When the race is complete, till my lips shall repeat, yet not I, but through Christ in me. When the race is complete, till my lips shall repeat, yet not I, but through Christ in me.

Amen. Let's be seated.

Good morning, beloved. Today's New Testament reading will be Mark chapter 1, verses 16 through 20. I'll give you all a moment to get there. Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

And Jesus said to them, follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were in their boat, mending the nets.

And immediately he called to them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hard servants and followed him. This is the word of the Lord.

All right. You have your copy of the scriptures. Please turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 15. The Gospel of John chapter 15. We will consider verses 12 through 17. The Gospel of John chapter 15, verses 12 through 17.

And this is message number 94. Message number 94. Let me open this up in prayer. Our glorious God in heaven, you who hold all things in your hands, you who rule all things, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Lord, we acknowledge that you are the one true God and that you have revealed yourself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Lord, we could not keep your covenant, and therefore we deserve your wrath. But you sought fit to send Christ, the Messiah, the seed of the woman, the seed of the woman who will live the life that we could not live and to take our punishment that we deserve in our stead.

And Lord, you have sent to us your spirit. And I pray, Lord, that your spirit will speak forth through me to your people who have your spirit. And for those who do not, Lord, that today you will grant to them salvation.

Lord, that this message will comfort the believers and convict the sinner. That, Lord, you will use me in this endeavor. And I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Who in here would willingly choose to become a slave, to be in bondage?

If I left it there, those of us in our right mind would say, no, absolutely not. No one would willingly enter into slavery. And yet that's what the Christian life is all about. Have you ever heard this statement?

If Jesus is not Lord of all, then he is not Lord at all. Anyone ever heard that before? This is a very popular statement in what's called the lordship salvation controversy. The lordship salvation, this controversy really took root in the 1980s.

John MacArthur wrote a book fighting what's called easy believism as he popularized the concept lordship salvation in a book called The Gospel According to Jesus. And up until our day, we have what's called the lordship guys versus the easy believism guys.

If you haven't dove into that controversy, it's all over YouTube. I've heard this prior to me becoming a Christian. I was aware of these two sides of supposed Christians fighting among themselves. Easy believism would say something like this.

All a person has to do in order to become a Christian and stay a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ. Meaning they do not have to live for Jesus. They only have to believe. And if I left that there, you should be able to see why this controversy took place.

John MacArthur is quoted in saying this. In fact, in the back of a Rari study Bible, it says false theories add to the doctrine of salvation, repentance, confession, and the lordship of Christ, end quote.

Meaning that a person does not have to repent, does not have to confess, and does not have to live under the lordship of Christ. Again, if I just left that there, you could see why this lordship controversy took place.

Now, what hurts the lordship controversy, in my opinion, is that they say that you have to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Like this is your responsibility. This is something that you have to do. And I'm sure some of you have heard that before.

They may have even said that before.

I have.

I've said that. The reformed position fights against both the lordship salvation and easy believism. The reformed position would say, we do not make Jesus Lord because Jesus is Lord. He is Lord. Whether you like it or not, Jesus Christ is Lord.

And there's nothing you can do about it. We do not put him on the throne, my dear friends. He's on the throne. He's ruling and reigning, and he's putting all of his enemies under his feet. And if you're here today and you are a Christian, you are an enemy who has been footstooled because of the rule and reign of the Lord, the master, the king.

Now, I know they would probably say, well, that's not what we're saying. Well, dear friends, that's what people are hearing. And that one cannot believe outside of repentance, right? Repentance, the Greek word metanoia, you've heard me say this before.

When I'm up here preaching, I'm parched, I'm thirsty. My hand can't grab the bottle of water and twist the knob without my brain sending signals to my hand. My body does not act without my mind telling my body how to act.

This is repentance. It's when your body follows your mind. This is why repentance is so important because in Ephesians 2, it says that the unbeliever who is dead in their trespasses and sins, that with their bodies, they're carrying out the desires of their mind.

As Christians, our bodies need to be carrying out the desires of our mind. And it is impossible to believe in Jesus Christ without first turning from that which you trusted in prior. You cannot just believe.

You must first stop believing in what it is that you had your trust in in the first place, which is why believing, just believing doesn't work. There is no believing outside of repentance. You cannot walk in one direction and all of a sudden walk the other direction without deciding to turn around and walk the other direction.

That's repentance. You cannot believe. I could not trust in Christ without first stop trusting in myself. Because I was who I worshipped, that ugly guy that stared back at me in the mirror, right? That's who my trust was in.

I had to first stop trusting in myself. Look to God by putting my faith in Jesus Christ. And one cannot be saved outside of confession. Romans 10 9 -10 says this, because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. And yet they say you do not have to repent, you do not have to confess, nor do you have to live under the Lordship of Christ.

And as we've been studying, one cannot be a Christian and not keep the commandments of Christ. John chapter 14 verse 15 says, Jesus says this, he says, if you love me, you will live how you want. No, that's not what he says.

He says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Meaning that those who do not keep his commandment, the commandments of Jesus, they do not love Jesus. You want to know if you love Jesus? Do you keep the commandments of Jesus?

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? If you don't, you don't love Jesus. Luke chapter 6 verse 46, Jesus said this, he said, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?

You feel the weight? The Greek word for Lord is Kyrios, which means Lord or Master. Jesus is Jesus Kyrios. Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not Lord. Jesus is Lord. He is Lord. And this word, which means Lord or Master, it speaks to whom a person or a thing belongs to.

To call Jesus Lord, you're saying that you belong to him. This is the language of a master in a slave. This language, this core tenets of Christianity is one of the reasons why the gospel is foolishness in the context of Scripture as well as in the context of our day.

Because we believe in a man from the first century, born in Nazareth, who was a carpenter, that he is Lord and Master, that he is God in flesh, that he came into time, he lived the life that we could not live, and he took the punishment that we deserve in his death, that he was buried, and then on the third day, he rose again from the grave, that he ascended into heaven, that he's ruling and he's reigning right now.

That he's on the throne of David. And then he's coming back again. Now, he is King of Kings, and he is Lord of Lords. He is Master of Masters. And it's not just foolishness right now, people. It was foolishness at the time of this letter being written.

Our theme for this Lord's Day is friends with the Master. My proposition is this. This is what I hope to prove to you today. That the friends of the Master are the obedient slaves. Join me as I read for us our text.

John chapter 15, verses 12 through 17. Jesus speaking, he says, This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends. For all that I have heard from my Father, I made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask my Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you so that you will love one another.

In our outline, we're going to see that slaves of Jesus keep the commandments of Jesus. They are friends with Jesus and they are chosen by Jesus. So point number one, slaves keep the commandments of Jesus.

Amen. Point number two, slaves are the friend of Jesus. And point number three, slaves are chosen by Jesus. Pretty simple. As we transition, Judas has left to betray Jesus, and Jesus with the remaining 11 disciples have left the upper room and they are walking to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus will pray to his Father.

Jesus had just told his disciples that he, not the nation of Israel, but he is the true vine and that his Father is the vine dresser. And that those that are his, those vines that are his are the clean, I mean, those branches that are his are the clean branches.

And to those clean branches, the Father prunes in order to bear fruit. The clean branches here are those that are Christians. These are the believers that are branches that have been born again. They're not connected to Jesus in a way that there is no connection.

They're connected in a way that there is the connection. They don't just look like they're a part of something. They are a part of the something, something which is the vine. And that his branches, these are these clean branches, are to abide in him.

We are to abide in him and by keeping his commandments. And they've been going over those commandments, right? And it boils down to our believing in Jesus Christ and our loving one another. The commandments were to love God and love neighbor.

You love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all of your strength, how? By believing in the name of Jesus Christ. And those that believe in Jesus, guess what we do? We love our neighbors.

In the context, it's really not so much talking about your nearest neighbor to your house. First, you want to, it's broken down to your household, your family, your wife and your kids. Second, it's talking about those in the household of God, if you want to get particular about it.

Your brothers and sisters in Christ. That the world is supposed to look at us and see our love for one another. And that is supposed to be a witness that we are who we say we are. I say that I believe in Jesus and I treat every one of you like you don't matter to me.

And guess what they see? A hypocrite. You say, well, anyone that sins is a hypocrite. No, my dear friends, that's not true. It's not true. A hypocrite is someone that says they believe in Jesus Christ and they do not love their neighbors.

That's a hypocrite. You're professing something that you're not. It's a believer in Jesus Christ. Because those that believe in him love their neighbors. Yeah. Point number one, for those of you who are taking notes.

Slaves keep the commandment of Jesus. We're going to see this in verses 12 through 13. But I want to back up a little bit and I'm just going to read verses 12 through 9. Chapter 15, beginning in verse, excuse me, verses 9 through 12.

Did I say that backwards? Yeah, that's the dyslexia. Look at verse 9. As the father has loved me, this is Jesus speaking. As the father has loved me, so I have loved you. So with the same capacity that the father loves the son, the son loves the direct context, his disciples, but you and I as well.

He says, abide in my love, just as I abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. So how do you abide in his love?

Keeping his commandments, believing in Jesus and loving one another. Verse 11, these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full, that it should be our joy to believe in Jesus and to love one another.

Verse 12, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. That don't put weight on you. You don't have a pulse. Jesus is calling us to love one another with the same capacity as the father has loved him and he has loved us.

We are to love one another. And to understand this, we must understand first that this is not a new commandment. I mean, that this is a new commandment, excuse me. In Leviticus 9, verses 9 through 18, it reiterates to us the law of God, the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue.

But in verse 18, he gives to us this commandment. Leviticus chapter 19, verse 18 says this. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people. Speaking of the Israelites.

But you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Jesus here in this gospel, the gospel of John is strengthening. He's strengthening the law of God. And one could even say that he's using general equity from my general equity theonomist out there.

He's using general equity by applying the standard of the love of the father to him and his love for his disciples to us. He's strengthening the law that's given in Leviticus chapter 19, verse 18, verse 19.

And we have seen him do this before. We've seen him do this in Matthew. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5. We're going to read verses 27 through 28. Matthew chapter 5, verses 27 and 28.

This is Jesus speaking. He says, you have heard that it was said. Here's the commandment. You shall not commit adultery. That's a part of the Decalogue. That's the big 10, right? This is number seven of that commandment.

You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intention, intent, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Guilty, right? Every one of us have with our eyes mine, our mind's eye, I said that backwards, have looked at someone with lustful intentions.

I've never committed adultery. You're a liar. Every one of us by way of general equity, meaning the application of the moral principle of the law of Moses, Jesus applies the 10th commandment. You shall not commit, you shall not covet.

He applies covetousness to the 7th commandment. You shall not commit adultery. He uses general equity. He strengthens the 7th commandment by applying the 10th commandment to it. You see that? In the old covenant, we are called to love one another as we love ourselves.

However, in the new covenant, we are called to love one another in the same capacity, with the same capacity as Jesus has loved us. You see the strengthening of it? It's not just good enough that you love your neighbor.

It's not just good enough that you love them as you love yourself anymore. We're to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We're to love one another in the same way that the father loved the son and the son has loved the disciples.

Amen. You feel the weight? Is your heart saying guilty?

I haven't done this. Mine is.

I hope I'm not in a boat by myself.

This is what's new about the commandment. We're to love one another the way that Jesus loves us.

Now, how much did he love us, you ask? Go back to our text, John 15, and look at verse 13. It says, greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. I wonder who's done that.

Does anyone come to mind?

Like, can you think of anybody who has laid down their life for the friends?

Anyone come to mind?

Turn with me to 1 John 3, and we'll look at verse 16. 1 John 3, verse 16. This is the same author of the Gospel of John. 1 John 3, verse 16. John writes, by this we know love. So what he's about to say is how we know what love is.

By this we know love, that he, speaking of Christ, speaking of Jesus, laid down his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brothers, for one another. That's what love is. You feel the pressure yet?

Are you at the boiling point? Now, we in here today will probably never, notice what I'm about to say, get the opportunity to lay down our lives for one another. Notice the word opportunity. We will probably never get the opportunity to lay down our lives for one another.

But we do have the opportunity to live for one another, to live for one another. Christianity is not done in a vacuum. Christianity is done collectively. It's done collectively. We cannot keep God's commandments without one another.

Because if I only believe in Jesus without expressively showing my love to my brothers and sisters, I'm a hypocrite. I need you guys in the gathering in order to show you I love you. Point number two.

Well, let me just say this real quick. Don't tell me that you will die for the faith, but you will not die for the faithful. And don't tell me that you will die for the faith and the faithful, but you will not live for them.

You know, I just, like, I'm really not hearing that, right? It's all got to be true. We are called to carry our cross. We're called to carry our cross. Point number two. For those of you who read, who are taking notes, slaves are the friend of Jesus.

Slaves are the friend of Jesus. And as we read verses 14 and 15, I want to point out something real quick. Your translation of scripture might say servant. The Greek word here is doulos, and it means slave.

I'm sure you can understand why translators today do not prefer to use that word, but that's what it means. And I'm going to read it in that capacity of what it means, of what it actually should say. Verse 14.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I call you friends for all that I have heard from my father. I have made known to you.

Now, let me begin by pointing two things out concerning the word slave here. Slavery in the context of scripture is not like the horrific slavery that took place in America, as well as other places in this world.

Slavery in the context of the ancient world was different. And that's what we find ourselves in concerning this word. And we spoke about this before when we came to a verse that we needed to walk this out.

In the context of our text, if you were wealthy enough to own a slave, you would most likely spend most of your time with your slave. You would spend more time with your slaves, especially if they were trustworthy than you would your own family, your wife and your kids in the ancient world.

And it was not uncommon for the master to befriend their slave, especially if their slave was trustworthy. The master would befriend them. The slave would be a friend of their master. He was someone that he could trust, confide into.

With that said, the master would have to befriend the slave. The slave could not befriend the master. It was not that way around. The master would be the one to befriend the slave. Slaves did not befriend their master.

This was seen as the greater befriending the lesser. Now, I'd like to give you a little illustration of this. As y 'all know, I know James White. It's kind of like a big name in the reform community, right?