Called to be God’s Friends-John 15:15

John's Gospel, New Testament, Sermons

[Some points are from Tim Keller’s sermon: You Are My Friends.] “…a servant does not know his master’s business… I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (Jn 15:15). “…a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (Jn 15:15, NLT).

Question: How can you tell if God is your Boss or your Friend? Are you serving God like a good responsible employee or like a friend?

Statement: Love others–friends, fiends, family, fellows–by serving, supporting and submitting to them, not by using, misuing and abusing them.

In our sermon series on calling over the past month, we studied the process (Isaiah), the intimacy (Jeremiah), the habit (Ezekiel) and the priority (Mt 6:33) of calling. Today we discuss the friendship of calling.

Because I’m called by God by His grace, I’m the happiest and luckiest man in the world, for God opens my eyes to see him (Isa 6:1, 5), knows me intimately (Jer 1:5), gives me joy and delight in his word (Eze 3:1, 3), gives me the best motivation for life (Mt 6:33) and even calls me friend (Jn 15:15).

Intro: We Christians regard ourselves as servants of God, which we are and should be, like the apostle Paul (Rom 1:1). We usually do not think nor are we consciously aware that we are called into God’s inner circle of close and intimate personal friends (Jn 15:15).

“The Latin word for “church,” ecclesia, comes from the Greek ek, which means “out,” and kaleo, which means “to call.” The Church is the people of God called out of slavery to freedom, sin to salvation, despair to hope, darkness to light, an existence centered on death to an existence focused on life.” Henri Nouwen.

When friendships don’t work and why friendships don’t grow sweeter:

  • Think in terms of task: You should have done this. You should have done that. Rather than…
  • …think in terms of relationship: How can I know and understand you better?
  • Utilitarian/pragmatic/business view of others
  • Regard others for our use/how they benefit us
  • See others like servants or errand boys and girls or slaves
  • Critical of our “friends” because we have an agenda for them
  • Keep secrets from our “friends” (Ps 25:14)
  • Not H.O.T. (honest, open, transparent is not unloading on and blasting others)
  • Afraid of being vulnerable or appearing weak
  • More concerned about our own dignity/image
  • We expect conformity to what we prefer

Two Characteristics of Friends:

  1. Candor. They always let you in on the secret (Jn 15:15).
  2. Constancy. They will never let you down (Jn 15:13).

How can you know if God is your Friend or if He is your Boss/Master?

  1. Gospel Work–Why you work: If you’re working hard/serving God to be blessed/to get something, you’re an employee, not a friend.
  2. Gospel Identify–What you realize or who you are: If you don’t realize how much you are loved NOT because of you, you’re not a friend.
  3. Gospel Repentance–How you repent: If you repent out of fear and guilt, such repentance is before a Boss and will crush you, not before a Friend who loves you regardless of you–only such repentance melts and changes your heart.

John Wesley and Martin Luther worked hard (preaching, teaching, feeding the poor) as a servant. Only when they saw the One who died for them as their Friend, were they truly changed from the inside out.

Questions for reflection

  • Is God your best friend?
  • What difference does it make to you to regard God as your close friend?
  • Are you consciously aware that God regards you as His personal friend?
  • What do you think about being God’s personal friend, perhaps like being a close friend of some famous popular celebrity or rich billionaire?
  • Who are the friends of Jesus (Jn 15:13-15)? Of God (2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23; Ex 33:11)?
  • What is the difference between friends and servants/slaves/errand boys and girls?
  • What is the evidence that Christians are Jesus’ friends (Jn 15:16, 6:70)? On what basis (Dt 7:7-8, 9:4,6; Eph 2:8-9)?
  • What do friends want to tell other friends (Jn 15:27; Rom 1:13-16)?
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