He is the Vine - We are the Branches - Abiding in His Love part 2

Well, go ahead and take your Bible and turn this morning to John chapter 15. John chapter 15 should be very well-worn by now, because we have gotten almost halfway so far. We'll be over halfway after this morning's message. Now, this morning we will cover verses 14 through 17, and we will really finish a portion of Scripture that stands together. And last time we were together in the Gospel of John, we started this portion, and like I said, we will finish it this morning. Now, you know the series that we're in here in the Gospel of John. The title of this series is "Christ, the Son of God, Believe and Live." This is a very evangelistic book.

The purpose in the Apostle John's writing was that those who would read would seek Christ as the Son of God, deity in the flesh, and that they would come to know Christ. Now, you know we transitioned in this study of the book. We are in what Bible commentators call the farewell discourses. Jesus is right before being arrested. He's almost at the cross, and He is preparing His disciples for that time. Now, we have had three messages so far in chapter 15. We covered verses 1 and 2, and then verse 6 in our first message. This was really an introduction to the analogy that is in this chapter, the analogy of the vineyard and the vineyard keeper.

We covered verses 3 through 8 in our second message. Now, in these passages, we saw how Jesus taught the disciples from the analogy. The analogy was given to be a teaching tool, a teaching platform. And then in our last message, which was from verses 9 through 13, we had teaching that I say came out of this analogy. Now, I want us to see how all of these passages relate to the analogy. This is kind of big picture. Every now and then, I do that for you. I want you to be able to look at a chapter or a portion of Scripture and really get your mind and your heart and your thinking around it. So let me help you with this.

If we look at the chapter, and if we look at verses 1 through 8, we can say that these verses are centered on the analogy of the vineyard. Remember, in the beginning, Jesus starts to teach through this example of the vineyard. There is the vineyard, within the vineyard there is the vine, which is Christ. There are the branches, which are those who are supposed to be in Christ. Then there's the vineyard keeper, which is God the Father. And these verses, verses 1 through 8, are centered on this analogy of the vineyard. Now, verses 9 through 17, they come out of this teaching.

From verses 9 through 17, we do not see a direct reference to the vineyard, but we know that this is part of that teaching. Now, this is why I've used the same title throughout this portion of chapter 15. Verses 1 through 8, we had "He is the vine, we are the branches." Of course, that was a part 1 and a part 2. And then, last time we were in John, we had "He is the vine, we are the branches, abide in His love." And so that theme of abiding in His love goes from verses 9 to verse 17. Now, I don't know how you handle your copy of God's Word, if you write in God's Word or in your copy of God's Word.

You can note that, verses 1 through 8 are centered on the vineyard and the analogy of the vineyard. And then, verses 9 through 17 are really together, and they come out of that teaching, but it's still part of this body of material that Jesus is using to build up and prepare and persevere in His disciples. Now, like I said previously, last time we were in John, we covered verses 9 through 13. And this teaching really centered around Christ encouraging and commanding them to abide in His love.

Now, real quickly, I want to give a review, because the last message we had in chapter 15, and this morning's message, is really one message that needs to be understood together. Back in verses 9 through 10, we learned that Jesus was inspiring the 11 disciples. He was encouraging them to abide in His love. Now, in application, we learned that we cannot lose sight of the love that God has for us. This is encouraging. This does inspire us when we see a fresh and a new, the love that God has for us, the love that God has for our brothers and sisters, and He has for the church. And then we learned that we must comprehend this fact.

There are people that have a hard time understanding that God does love them. So we learned that we must be encouraged and inspired, much like the disciples, to abide in His love. Then in verse 11, we learned of the wonderful joy that comes from this abiding. This is part of the fruitfulness which comes from this abiding. Remember all through these verses, Jesus is saying, "Abide in me, and I will abide in you." This is the mutual abiding.

He's saying, "Abide in my word or my commandments." He's saying, "Abide in my love, abide in my Father's love." And out of that abiding, there is a joy that comes into our lives, and that joy transcends circumstances and feelings, and no matter what may come our way. But the key is abiding. We can't have that joy, that increasing joy, unless we are abiding. And we must get to the place where we have that joy and our walk with Christ, no matter what might come our way.

And then in verses 12 through 13, we learned again, and I emphasize this word again, this "commandment of love," just like in chapter 13, verse 34, Jesus commands his disciples to love one another. And if Jesus is repeating himself in this area, maybe he is really, really trying to tell his disciples something. And in application for us, maybe he's really trying to tell us something as well, that we must love one another. Now that leads us to the title of this morning's message, and we will have a part two again. This is, "He is divine." We are the branches, "Abide," or "Abiding in his love," part two.

Now you see how we're going to divide these verses? We will look at a new relationship verse out of verse 14 and 15, a sovereign choosing out of verse 16, and then a familiar command out of verse 17. So let's read our verses. I'm going to start in verse 9, although we will pick up in verse 14, and then go on down to verse 17. Verse 9, "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 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." Verse 11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." And here's where we'll start this morning, 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 the master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all things I have heard from my Father, I have 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 shall remain.

That whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you." And then verse 17, "This I command you, that you love one another." So you see how we're going to divide these verses? So let's look at our first major truth, and that is a new relationship. That is a new relationship. Go back to verse 14 and 15, "You are my disciples." We know this is the 11th. Judas, traitor Judas, has gone out from their midst. "You are my disciples, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for a 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." So what we see out of these verses is a new relationship. Now we know that the disciples did have a unique relationship with Jesus. Of course, their relationship to him was completely different than all of those Jews who followed him, but fell away. Those of you who've been on this journey through the Gospel of John, you know that great crowds followed Christ and professed to know Christ, but many of them fell away. Jesus' relationship, or the disciples' relationship to Jesus, was different than those individuals.

These 11, they had a different relationship with him, even from those who were very close to him. If we go back to chapter 11, we will see that family that was very close to Jesus. Remember, there was Mary and Martha, the two sisters. Remember, it was Martha that had the tendency to be the servant, the physical servant, where Mary had a tendency to seek to be at his feet, and they had a brother. And remember, they lived in Bethany, and many times he would go and visit them in Bethany. We know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and he was very close to this family.

But Jesus had a different relationship with the 11, even from those who were very close to him. And I want us to see that these 11 entered into a new relationship with Jesus. Now, I want to make these observations out of verse 14 and 15, and we're going to break down this new relationship. And I want us to see three observations here. First of all, Jesus declares they are His friends. Go back to verse 14, "You are my friends if you do what I command you." Now, here in verse 14, Jesus plainly states that they are His friends. Now, it was very rare for a man to have this type of relationship with God.

Both Old Testament figures, Abraham and Moses, were said to be friends of God. Isaiah 41, verse 8, and James 3, 23, says that Abraham was a friend of God. Exodus 33, 11 says that Moses would speak with God as a man would speak with his friends. Now, in Luke 12, verse 4, Jesus alludes to this special relationship that He would ultimately have with His chosen. But I want you to notice the second portion of verse 14. Go back to the verse, "You are my friends if you do what I command you." Notice that portion of the verse. Now, if we're not careful, we can assume that this friendship was conditional.

That Jesus' acceptance of His disciples as friends depends on them being obedient. Now, think here with me for a moment. That would make Jesus' acceptance of them in this unique relationship solely dependent on them and their actions. And that is not the case. That is not the case. Here is how we must understand this verse. Because they were true converts, and verse 3 tells us that's the case, they will continue in Him. They will abide in Him. They will abide in His commandments and in His love. Thus, they will walk in obedience to His commands. This is the true test of their discipleship. We know that Judas would not.

He was a false follower. But these 11 will. So let's say it another way. Because they are true disciples, they will abide in Him. And His commandments, therefore, Jesus declares them friends of God. And that is exactly what took place in Abraham and Moses. So we see that Jesus declares that they are His friends. Second, I want us to see that Jesus declares that they are no longer slaves. Look at the first part of verse 15. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know his master and his doings." Here in verse 15, Jesus brings up a subject that to most of us is very offensive. And that would be slavery.

Now slavery was a part of the Jewish culture. And it was not seen in such negative terms in that day. In fact, many honorable men in the Scriptures were openly identified as slaves. Now I ran across a list, and I will give you this list. It will show us just how many prominent men of God were openly identified as slaves. First, I want to give you some Old Testament figures. Moses, the great patriarch and man of God, who led the nation of Israel, the Jews, out of Egyptian slavery, in Numbers 12, verse 7, says that Moses was a slave. And then there's Caleb. Many of you might not be familiar with Caleb.

I love the story of Caleb because when they went into the Promised Land, Caleb declared he would take the most difficult land that was before them. And then in Numbers 14, verse 24, Caleb is mentioned as a slave. Then there's Joshua. Joshua was the great leader who succeeded Moses. And Joshua is listed as a slave in Joshua 24, 29. Then there's Job, the great man of God who suffered so much as a part of God's sovereign will for his life. Job chapter 1, verse 8 says that Job was a slave of God. Then there's David, King David. Remember David was a man after God's own heart. And 2 Samuel 7, 5 says that he was a slave.

And then there's the great prophet Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 20, verse 3, lists Isaiah as a slave of God. Then we move on into the New Testament. Paul identifies himself in Romans 1, 1 as a slave of God. Then there's James. James identifies himself as a slave of God in James 1, 1. Then there's Peter, the apostle Peter. He identifies himself as a slave in 2 Peter 1, 1. And then there's Jude who wrote the little book of Jude. And he identifies himself as a slave in Jude 1, 1. And then there's John, the apostle John, the one who lived the longest of all of the chosen disciples. In Revelation 1, 1, he identifies himself as a slave.

So we see that slavery was common in their day. And these great men of God were identified as slaves of God. But we need to examine this particular word in verse 15. Go back to the verse. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing." And we need to see this particular word. This word slave is used here only, it only refers to slavery and never a servant in the New Testament. Never a servant. It was used almost 150 times in the New Testament and spoke of one who was totally submissive to a master.

And in that culture, a slave was bought, a slave was owned, and a slave was subject to a master and his will. The slave lived in total submission to the purpose and the pleasure of a master. And that is exactly how these mentioned lived in their day. Moses and Caleb and Joshua and David and Paul and Peter and John, they lived for their master. They lived for his purpose and his pleasure. But Jesus declares them no longer to be slaves. Let's move on. Notice, Jesus declares that they know the master's will. Go back to the verse. "No longer do I call you slaves, the slave does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends.

For all things I have heard from my father, I have made known to you." Here Jesus begins to explain that they will relate to him and his will, not as a slave, but as a friend. Within that culture, a slave was property. A slave was an instrument. A slave was a tool. The slave did not enter intelligently into the will and the purpose of the master. But not here. Jesus is saying that they are moving into a new position and into a new understanding. Here we see that Jesus not only reveals an intimate relationship, but he reveals an intimate access to the knowledge of true kingdom work. So notice this new relationship. Go back to the verse.

No longer... Or verse 14. "You are my friends, if you do what I command, no longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what the 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." So in summary, out of these two verses, what are we seeing? Jesus is taking the disciples into a new relationship. He tells them in verse 3 that they are clean. They are converted. He calls them in these verses to abide in Him, to abide in His commandments, and to abide in His love. And now He teaches them that He is relating to them in an entirely new way.

As friends, He would reveal to them true kingdom work. And we know that this revelation is being called to participate in kingdom work as the chosen apostles. Now, I ran across this progression in this real short, and I adapted it to help us understand. Notice the progression. Not only were they slaves, but they were disciples. They attached themselves to Christ as He called them. So not only were they slaves, and not only were they disciples, but they were friends. You see that new relationship? Now, how do these two verses relate to you? How do they relate to us?

We're not these disciples, these chosen apostles, but how do we relate to these verses? First of all, we must see that we are bought with a price if we are in Christ. If we are converted of God, born from above, as we've learned in John 3, we were bought with the price of Christ's blood. And we have a new master. Slave is not our master. Sin is not our master. But Christ is our master. He is Lord and master and boss of our life. And we are to subject ourselves as slaves. Our purpose is His purpose. Our pleasure should be His pleasure. His will should be our will.

That is what all of the great men and women of God who love God in the Word of God lived their life. And then we are to be disciples like the disciples. These 11 were. We are to be attached to Christ. We are His students. We are to learn from Him how we would live our life. We are to learn from Him from the Word of God. And then, then we relate to Him as friends. You might say, "Pastor, how in the world can we relate to Him as friends?" Because just as those 11 knew the will of the Father for their life and kingdom life and kingdom work, we can know kingdom work.

See, collectively, as God has called us, as He has redeemed us, as we have been born of God, God has brought us here as a New Testament church. We are the called out ones, and God the Father can make known to us His will. Now, what is God's will in our day? The most treasured institution on the face of the earth is the church. The church is the instrument that tools the people whereby God wants to evangelize the nations, redeem men and women and young people, and get glory on the face of the earth. The church is the institution whereby God wants to work, and the church is the institution that God's coming back for.

So we are His friends, because we know the will of God. We know the purposes of God, and the purposes of God have been entrusted to us, just like the purposes of God were entrusted to those 11. And so we have a new relationship. We must see that we relate to Christ, yes, as a slave, yes, as a disciple, but as friends. Now, I want to get a little more specific with some of you and some of us, those of us who have been here at Nola Baptist Church. Brother Keith and I, in our prayer for our church and your life and the direction that we would go, we see that we're really in a pivotal year.

If you pay attention, there are many times we're rather full. If you look around you, there are many times where it's hard to find a seat, especially on Wednesday night. We must decide what the Lord wants us to do with our facility, with our properties. How are we going to reach more young people, more teenagers, more families? We believe that there is a new vision and a new direction, and whatever that is, God will entrust that to us. What am I trying to show you? God works through the leaders that God has put here in the church to do what? To lead the church, to do God's will for His glory.

And we can do that because we have a new relationship to Christ. Let's move on. I want us to see our second major truth. I want us to see a sovereign choosing. Look at verse 16. "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." So here in this verse, we will see that Jesus, He cuts against the norm of the Jewish religion in their day. Now you've got to see and understand that these 11 were Jews. They were born-again Jews. Now normally, a studious Jew would attach themselves to a Jewish rabbi or teacher of choice. That was very common.

And so they would have understood that a Jew would attach themselves to a teacher and follow that teacher. And not only is this contrary to the Jewish norm, this is contrary to human nature as well. Naturally, man tends to feel as though they are making the initiative with Jesus. The disciples were no doubt the same. Now I want us to examine this choosing out of verse 16, and I want to make three observations here. Now the first observation is, Christ chose them in salvation. Christ chose them in salvation. Now I know that salvation is not mentioned in the verse. And we know that these men were saved.

These 11 were converted because Jesus had plainly stated that in verse 3. But this choosing in verse 16 needs to be seen after we understand how they received their personal salvation. Their salvation was not from any merit of their own. Let me state it another way. Nothing about them or their behavior warranted or earned them their salvation. Let me say it again. Another way, they had nothing in them from their character or indeed which allowed them to attain salvation. Their salvation was all of God. Now I'm going to give you some verses here that will help you see and help us see this very plainly.

If we go back in our study of John, John 6, verse 44, what does Jesus say? No one that's all inclusive can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. So those disciples could not come to Christ unless the Father chose to draw them. And then John 6 verse 65 says, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." The King James reads, "Except it was given by the Father." So again, what do we see? No one, even these 11, can come to Christ unless the Father chooses to draw them. We see that in the days of the apostles. In Acts chapter 13 verse 48, when the gospel and given to the Gentiles.

What do we see? And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. So we see the sovereign choosing the working of God there. Paul declares this in Galatians 1.15, "But when he who had set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace." What is grace? It is a gift. Nothing that he earned. And so Paul understood that he was set apart even before birth.

Ephesians 1.4 says, "Even as he chose us in Christ or in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Then there's 2 Thessalonians 2.3, 13, 2 Timothy 1.9, 2 Timothy 2.10, 1 Peter 1 verses 1 through 2. All of these verses state that the disciples' salvation did not begin with them, but it came from God. They could not take any credit for their conversion. And we must see that because they had God's salvation, not man's. Now the second observation does come out of the verse, and that is Christ chose them for service. Now I'm going to go from the beginning of the verse to the end of the verse.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and I appointed you." And then the second part of, or the last part of verse 16, "That whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you." So here we see in this verse that they were appointed or called to service. Here in this verse, we see the word appointed. The King James reads, "ordained." This word means to be set apart. It means to be set apart for a special task or a special service or appointed. This speaks of their appointment to the office of the apostle.

They were to be the church fathers, those who would take the gospel around the world and begin this thing called the New Testament church. So we see that God chose them for service. But notice the last part of the verse. "That whatever you ask in my name, he may give you." Here, Jesus again mentions prayer, answered prayer. We learned this earlier in verse 7, and then back in chapter 14 verse 13. This speaks to His work, which is kingdom work. This speaks of proclaiming the gospel and the conversion of souls and the building of His church. What? Those prayers would be answered according to that work that was given to them.

So they were appointed to, chosen for a particular service. And then third, the third observation, Christ chose them to bear fruit. Look at the middle part of the verse. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you." Here's the part. "That you should go and bear fruit that your fruit should remain." Here we see Jesus tells the disciples that He has chosen them. He has appointed them to bear fruit and a fruit that remains. Of course, we know that this speaks of true Christian character, but this also speaks of the fruits of their apostolic ministry.

This fruit would be the salvation of sinners and the building and the establishment of the church. This fruit would come from their participation in true kingdom work. Now, what do we see here? In summary, just out of this one verse, "Everything these disciples were, everything that these disciples would be, was not from anything that they earned." These men were chosen by God and they were appointed by God for kingdom work. You could say that evidence of this divine choosing was from their fruit. In other words, the fruit proved that they were His chosen ones. Now, in application, what can we learn out of this verse?

The first thing that I think of in applying this verse to us is I would ask you, "Where did you acquire your salvation?" Was your salvation something that you did? What was your salvation of your own works? When our friend, Brother Ed Lacy, was here, he taught us the difference in a man-centered gospel, in a man-centered approach to conversion, in the biblical, the Christ-centered approach to salvation. And what I've just given you is the fact that no man, no woman, no young person, can ever be converted unless God draws them. Can you attest to the fact that God brought about the supernatural work of the new birth in you? Go back to John 3.

What does Jesus say to Nicodemus? You cannot even see the kingdom of God unless you're born from above. That is what only God can do. Is that the salvation that you have? Or do you have a mere profession of faith? And in that profession of faith, you've never been living a life of abiding in him, abiding in his word, abiding in his love. You don't live a life where Christ abides in you. You might have a decision. You might have a time where you pray. But do you have a salvation that comes only from God? Now, the implications are great here because we are ministering to our own children. We're ministering to our teenagers.

We're ministering to our family and our friends and our neighbors. And let me tell you, if we miss this, we blow it all because we will lead people down the road to hell. And broad is the road. Broad is the path that leads to destruction. So my question for you is this. Where did you acquire your salvation? And look, whether you're educated or not, newly converted or having been walking with God for 30 years, you will attest to a work that only God can do being born from above. But I think about this in a different way. Remember, they were chosen and appointed for his works. Isn't that what that verse says?

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would bear fruit and then he says that you would receive whatever you ask in my name. That is their apostolic work. So we must ask ourselves, what has God chosen us to do? We have been entrusted with the work of the church. We have been entrusted with the New Testament church and we must do this thing called the church according to God's word. Forget everybody else's opinion. I don't care what I was taught years ago, if it's contrary to the word. I really don't want to know what your opinions are unless they line up with a word.

You don't want to know my opinions unless they line up with a word. God has entrusted the work of the church to us. He has chosen to give us the gospel, the proclamation of the gospel around the world, the building of the saints, and to get glory for him and his name in the church. What has he chosen us for? Sad to say, there are a lot of churches. If you ask them what they're chosen for, you would have to say they are chosen for one or two particular families to just rule and dominate this thing called the church.

There are some, they would answer by their actions, that they are chosen for entertainments and to make people feel good and just bless their life. See, there are many reasons why people say that they are chosen to be the church, but I'm only interested in God's way. God has entrusted the gospel message to the church. I want to be the church that God has called and equipped and enabled to take the gospel around the world to see young people and children and adults converted and grow into to be the saints of God and that our children will be used for his glory and everything that we have will be used to build up the church.

That's exactly what those disciples did. They were chosen for his work and we are chosen for his work. Now let's move on real quickly to our third major truth. That's out of verse 17. Notice, I call this a familiar command. Just one short verse. This I command you that you love one another. Here we see this teaching and this teaching should be ringing in the ears of the disciples. Jesus had commanded them to love one another all the way back in chapter 13 verse 34, again in chapter 15 verse 12 and again here in verse 17.

They probably could have raised their hand and said, "Jesus, you've already told us this." Now quickly, I want to go back to these verses. I want to call your attention to what Jesus is teaching again. Jesus is repeating himself and if he is repeating himself, then we need to examine this love again. Three observations I want to make here. Notice this is a sacrificial love. This is a sacrificial love. If we go back to chapter 13 verse 34, what does he say, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another." Before when we covered this verse, I said if Jesus would have paused there, they could have puffed out their chest in pride.

"Oh, I love my brothers." But he humbled him by saying what? "Even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." Look at chapter 15 verse 12. What do we see in that verse? "This is my commandment that you love one another." Continue, "Just as I have loved you." Jesus did not simply command them to love. He commanded them to love the way he had loved them. It was a perfect sacrificial love. Christ gave all for them and he expected them to sacrifice all for each other. This is a sacrificial love. Then second, I want you to see, this is an evangelistic tool. Go back to chapter 13 verse 35.

"By this, all men will know that you are my disciples." If you have love for one another, Jesus says to the disciples that the lost world will know that they are his true disciples because of this love. John MacArthur calls this Christian apologetics. Another word is giving proof that Christianity is real to the lost world. And then third, the third observation, this is the greatest love. Look at verse 12 again. "This is my commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, greater love," verse 13, "has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends." I call this the greatest horizontal love.

This is the greatest love on earth between mankind because it is between more than just man. It's between brothers and sisters. Now I want to ask you a question. Go down this road with me if you would. Why would Jesus teach and reteach and reteach? Why would he command and recommand? Why would he go over and over this love? Why? I think we can answer this question from speculation and observation. We got to be careful when we speculate, but I think you can go with me here in this speculation. Here's my first speculation. First, I think that Jesus is repeating this command because he knows they will have a tendency to forget it.

He knows them perfectly. He knows all humanity perfectly. He knows, I believe, that they will have a tendency not to love one another. He knows, I believe, that he has to pound this in their mind, pound this in their thinking over and over and over. Second is the observation. Bible scholars call this verse here a transition verse. It is attached to what has been previously taught, but it is also connected to the remainder of the chapter. Now, if you look to what Jesus is about to teach them, verse 18 starts a teaching which is about the world hating them. What does Jesus say? The world hated me, hates me, and the world will hate you.

And he knows they will need this Christ-like love for each other, not just to survive, but to be successful in his work. So in summary, what are we seeing here? Jesus is commanding them again. They must love one another. And they desperately need this love to rule in their lives. An application, how might this apply to us? I guess I apply this with a question. First of all, do we forget that we desperately need to love our brothers and sisters? Are we like the disciples? Now, this is speculation. We don't know, but I speculate the disciples were prone to forget this. They were diverse. They were different.

They had completely different personalities. They were sinners like you and I. And we're all different. We come from different backgrounds. And do we need to be reminded because we can easily forget to love one another. When we live close to each other, we get to know each other. We begin to see each other's faults. We begin to see each other's sins. We begin maybe to grate one another with our personality hang-ups of the things we do. But you know, if you're my brother and I'm your brother, if you're my sister and I'm your brother, no matter what, I have to love you and you have to love me.

And when we get in this thing called life, I think we need to be reminded because we are prone to forget that we must love one another. And do we see the need? Do we see the importance of this love? Because the world is becoming increasingly wicked. The world is becoming increasingly hostile, increasingly against God's Word and His church and true Christians. Listen, I believe the day could come when the world is so against us that we are all we have. Now, as I close, I want to close quickly by taking a step back from this portion of Scripture. What do we see? Verses 1 and 2 and verse 6. I call them the major characters, the analogy.

We see the vine, the vine dresser. Jesus is the vine. Those who are supposedly following Christ are the branches and those who are lost and they are false vines, they're cut off and they're judged, they don't remain. But those of us who are in the vine, He works enough to make us more fruitful. The husbandman, the vineyard keeper, the father works that we will produce fruit. And then in verses 9, verses 3 through 8, we see these commandments, these encouragements. What does Jesus say? Abide in me and make sure I'm abiding in you. Abide in my love, abide in my Word, abide in my Father's love as I have abided perfectly in my Father.

Verses 3 through 8 are full of commandments and encouragements. And then in verses 9 through 17, what do we see? Continue to abide in my love. Now here's my challenge to you as we close. What have we been looking at? He is the vine, we are the branches, abiding in His love. My challenge for you is that you would study through these verses and know, know that you're abiding in Him and He is abiding in you. And listen, if you're abiding in Him and He is abiding in you, there's no apathy in your life, there's no disobedience in your life. You're striving to abide in His love and you have sweet communion with Him.

Listen, if that's the case, these other things will fall into place. And the world will know that you are His. And the world will know that we are His. Let's pray and then we'll dismiss.