Our Obligations, Duties & Expectations as JESUS’ Friends John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command you.
INTRODUCTION: THE UPGRADE FROM SERVANT TO FRIEND
On the night before the Cross, in the Upper Room, JESUS pulled His disciples aside for His final words. John 13 to 17 is called the Farewell Discourse
.In John 15:15 He says something radical: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my FATHER I have made known to you.
”Think about that. The King of Kings calls dust and clay friends.
The Bible shows us 3 levels of walk with GOD. First is Servant. A servant obeys because he must. Luke 17:10 “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Second is Son or Daughter. A son obeys because of love and identity. Romans 8:15 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Third is Friend. A friend obeys because of intimacy, trust, and shared purpose. John 15:15 “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my FATHER I have made known to you.”
Friends are let into secrets. Amos 3:7 “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.” JESUS is restoring us to Eden friendship. Genesis 3:8 “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD GOD as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day”
1. THE FOUNDATION: WHAT MAKES US HIS FRIENDS:
Friendship with JESUS does not start with us. It starts with Him
A. CHOSEN BY HIM, NOT US
John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.” Ephesians 1:4-5 “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through JESUS Christ” James 2:23 “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed GOD, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.” Friendship begins with election and grace.
B. COVENANT THROUGH THE CROSS
We were enemies. Romans 5:10 “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son” But the Cross made peace. Colossians 1:21-22 “Once you were alienated from GOD... But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death” John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He proved His friendship in blood so we could walk with Him again.
C. CONDITION: OBEDIENCE FROM LOVE
John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” This is not salvation by works. This is salvation that works. 1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as JESUS did.” 1 John 5:3 “In fact, this is love for GOD: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” A friend’s heart says “Yes LORD” even when it’s hard. Not perfection, but direction.
2. OUR OBLIGATIONS AS JESUS FRIENDS
These are the non-negotiables. If we are His friends, this is what marks us.A. OBLIGATION TO OBEY HIS COMMANDS John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My FATHER will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” What are His commands? John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” Matthew 22:37-39 Love GOD, Love neighbor. John 8:31 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”
B. OBLIGATION TO ABIDE IN HIM
John 15:4-5 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.” Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ JESUS as LORD, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him” How do we abide? Psalm 1:2 Delight in the Word day and night. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. John 6:56 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.”
C. OBLIGATION TO BEAR FRUIT
John 15:8 “This is to my FATHER’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:16 “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last” Fruit is character: Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Fruit is also converts: Daniel 12:3 “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
D. OBLIGATION TO LOVE THE BRETHREN John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: JESUS Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Ephesians 4:2-3 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Friends of JESUS don’t fight each other. They wash each other’s feet.
3. OUR DUTIES AS JESUS’ FRIEND
Duties are the work we do together with our Master.
A. DUTY TO KNOW HIM INTIMATELY Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true GOD, and JESUS Christ, whom you have sent.” Psalm 25:14 “The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.” Duty: Open the Bible, get on your knees, listen in silence. Friends talk.
B. DUTY TO REPRESENT HIM TO THE WORLD 2
Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though GOD were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to GOD.” Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses” A friend speaks for his friend. We are His voice, His hands, His feet.
C. DUTY TO SUFFER WITH HIM
John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of GOD and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” 2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ JESUS will be persecuted” Friends don’t run when it gets hard. They stay at the Cross.
D. DUTY TO GUARD HIS GLORY
John 15:8 “This is to my FATHER’s glory, that you bear much fruit” 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of GOD.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the LORD.” A true friend protects the name of the one he loves.
4. OUR EXPECTATIONS AS JESUS’ FRIENDS
Friendship with JESUS is not one-sided. He gives back more than He asks.
A. EXPECT ACCESS TO THE THRONE Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” John 16:23-24 “In that day you will ask in my name. Very truly I tell you, my FATHER will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
B. EXPECT HIS ABIDING PRESENCE Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
C. EXPECT HIS CONFIDENCE AND REVELATION John 15:15 “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my FATHER I have made known to you.” John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” Proverbs 3:32 “For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into His confidence.”
D. EXPECT HIS LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS John 15:9 “As the FATHER has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of GOD that is in Christ JESUS our LORD.”
E. EXPECT REWARD AND HONOR John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My FATHER will honor the one who serves me.” Luke 12:37 “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” Revelation 3:21 “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my FATHER on His throne.”
5. OLD TESTAMENT PATTERNS OF GOD’S FRIENDS
GOD has always been looking for friends.
Adam walked with GOD in the garden in the cool of the day. Genesis 3:8 Noah walked with GOD and was warned of judgment. Genesis 6:9, Hebrews 11:7 Abraham believed GOD and was called His friend. Isaiah 41:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7, James 2:23 Moses spoke with GOD face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Exodus 33:11 David was a man after GOD’s own heart. Acts 13:22
JESUS is restoring what sin broke. Hebrews 8:10 “This is the covenant I will establish... I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”
6. WARNINGS: WHAT BREAKS THE FRIENDSHIP
A. FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against GOD? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of GOD.” 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world.”
B. DISOBEDIENCE AND HYPOCRISY Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘LORD, LORD,’ and do not do what I say?” 1 John 2:4 “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person."
C. SHAME AND DENIAL Mark 8:38 “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His FATHER’s glory with the holy angels.” 2 Timothy 2:12 “if we disown Him, He will also disown us”
CONCLUSION: THE HIGH CALLING OF FRIENDSHIP
John 15:14 is both an invitation and an examination. As His friends we are OBLIGATED to Obey, Abide, Love, and Bear Fruit.
John 15:10, 12, 16 As His friends we have the DUTY to Know Him, Represent Him, Suffer with Him, and Glorify Him. Philippians 3:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20 As His friends we can EXPECT Access, Presence, Confidence, Love, and Eternal Reward. Hebrews 4:16, John 15:15, Revelation 3:21
Proverbs 18:24 “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” That is JESUS. He laid down His life for us. John 15:13 Now He asks us to lay down our lives for Him.
The question is no longer “Do you go to church?” The question is “Are you walking with Him as His friend?”
Final Prayer:
“LORD JESUS, thank You for calling me friend. Thank You for the Cross that made it possible. Forgive me for the times I treated You like a stranger. From today, I choose to abide, to obey, to bear fruit, and to represent You. Fill me with Your Spirit that I may do what You command, not out of fear, but out of love. Let the world see that I am Your friend. In Your mighty name, Amen.”
