John 15:12-17: Christ’s Vision for the Church

Ephesians 4:1–6 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Election Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1–4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

But Proverbs 16:12 “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the [A King’s] throne is established by righteousness.

Proverbs 6:16–19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

As Romans 3:15 says (Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.”

God is sovereign

Daniel 2:21 he removes kings and sets up kings.

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Pray:

God would bring the most righteousness in this election.

Repentance and revival. That God would pour out His grace and turn hearts to Him.

That God would raise up the church as salt and light and a faithful witness.

Faithful pastors and that God would bless our efforts to carry out the Great Commission.

Intro

The Church is the Hope of the World.

For most of us… this church is a special place.

Its so central and important to most of our lives.

One of the greatest blessings God has given us is this church.

But here’s the question… are we what we should be.

What does Christ envision for His church?

What did Jesus want His church to be?

For all of us that love this church that should be the aim we are working towards.

What is Christ’s vision for the church so that we might be that church and honor Him and what is our part to play in it?

Christ’s vision for the Church is that we would love one another and proclaim His gospel to the world.

If we are to be a true church… a faithful church… the church Jesus Himself calls us to be… this is the target we must aim for.

Our life together and Christ’s mission entrusted to us depends on it.

John 15:12-17 speaks to our identity as a Church as beloved in Christ who laid down His life for us and paid for us with His own blood.

Our culture and life together as a church… love one another as Christ Himself has loved us.

And our mission to carry the gospel to the world.

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus commissioned the disciples and cast His vision for the life and ministry of the Church.

The Vision that should mark us as the body of Christ.

What did Jesus want His church to look like? What does Jesus want us to look like?

What should we be doing… investing in… and striving for as a church?

We are going to have two points today.

Christ’s Vision for the Church is that We Love One Another as He Has Loved Us.

Christ’s Vision for the Church is that We Carry Out the Great Commission to the World.

Let’s start with point number 1 with John 15 verses 12-14 where Jesus says His Vision…

I. Christ’s Vision for the Church is that We Love One Another as He has Loved Us

John 15:12–14 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.

The overall emphasis of John 15:12-17 is obviously that we would love one another.

That is the command that both begins and ends the whole passage.

This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Our love for one another is to be the distinguishing mark of our church.

In John 13:35 Jesus said By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

We cannot proclaim the love of God and the grace of Christ if we do not live out that love and grace in our love for one another.

Without love we are and we we have nothing.

Paul says If [we] have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if [we] have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, [we are] nothing. [And] If [we] give away all [we] have, and if [we] deliver up [our] body to be burned, but have not love, [we] gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2–3).

Our love for one another adorns the power and grace of the gospel to save sinners because before the gospel were slaves to various passions and pleasures… slaves to our sin and living only for what we want… passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another… that’s Titus 3:3.

Before the gospel we only lived for ourselves… Now we live to love God and love others.

A picture of God’s own gracious love for us.

Jesus says Love one another as I have loved you.

He sets His own love as the standard.

Its His love that should characterize the life and culture of a church.

Well what kind of love is that?

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Its a gospel love.

A sacrificial love.

One that lays down our life and dies to ourselves.

Christ’s Love

Jesus loved us with the greatest love anyone can have for any other person.

He laid down His life for us.

He died for us.

In John 10:11 Jesus used the exact same language to say I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is calling us to a laying down our life sacrificial love.

Jesus died in our place for our sins.

He laid down His life to save us from the wrath and condemnation our sins deserved.

He suffered the wrath of God on our behalf so that we might have eternal life, grace, and forgiveness.

And Jesus did this willingly… voluntarily… joyfully… out of His great love for us.

No one had to twist his arm.

Jesus died because He knew if He didn’t die… you would die and perish in all your sins.

This is the ground… this is the foundation… because we love one another out of the love Christ has for us.

We cannot know His love and experience that love… and not share that love with one another.

Friends

Jesus said Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for His… friends.

Literally, you could translate that as Beloved One.

A friend is someone you care for… you enjoy… you delight in.

The joy in friendship is a mutual enjoyment of and delighting in one another.

Its not a taking… its a mutual giving where the greater our friendship… the more we give ourselves to one another.

Proverbs says there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother… thick and thin… no matter what (Proverbs 18:24).

If you’ve ever lost a friend you know how precious this is.

And Jesus says if you trust in Christ… if Jesus died for you… Jesus calls you His friend… His Beloved One.

The Bible describes this kind of friendship as the souls of the two friends being knit together where each one loves the other as their own soul (1 Samuel 18:1).

This is our identity as a church… the Beloved Ones of Christ.

Friends of God!

We did nothing to deserve His love and grace… But Jesus is the best of friends who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

When we were dead in our sin, hostile in mind and enemies of God Christ died for us (Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10).

He laid down His life for us.

When we were no friend to Him, He was a friend to us.

Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

Jesus calls us His friends.

He laid down His life for us.

He suffered the physical agony of the cross… the inward shame and humiliation our sin deserved… and the wrath of God on our behalf.

He suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

He said My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.

He laid down His life and was forsaken because He refused to forsake us.

Out of His great love Jesus gave His life for His friends.

He suffered the full penalty, shame, and wrath our sins deserved that we might be friends of Christ and friends of God.

So the first thing you need to see in Christ’s vision for the Church… in Christ’s vision for us and our life together… is that we are the Beloved Church… the Beloved Friends of Christ.

Reconciled to God and saved from all our sins.

Who is the Church?

All those for whom Christ died.

And then Jesus points to that great love… His laying down His life for us… and says this is how you are to love one another.

Love One Another

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Just as Christ laid down His life for us, we are to lay down our lives for one another.

Now what does that mean?

We can’t die and lay down our lives for one another’s sins.

Only Jesus can do that.

We get a picture of it if we go back to John 13 where Jesus washed the disciples feet.

When you look at that passage as we did in comparison to Philippians 2:5-11… the Christ Hymn…

The washing of the Disciples Feet is a picture… a living breathing parable… of Christ’s love for us in the gospel… of Him laying down His life for us on the cross.

The passage starts off with saying Now Jesus loved His own and He loved them to the end (John 13:1).

He loved them to the fullest… to perfect completion… He loved them to the uttermost.

Well what did that look like?

John 13:3-4 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist (John 13:3-4).

Jesus took the posture of a slave.

The lowest of the lowest slave in washing the disciples feet.

Paul explains this theologically in Philippians 2:5-8.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant [literally a slave], being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So just as Jesus laid aside His outer garments and took on the clothes of a slave to wash the disciples feet… Jesus took on human flesh and humbled Himself to the point of death even death on a cross to wash and cleanse us from all our sins.

Now what does that mean?

Well after washing the disciples feet, Jesus returned to His place and said to them Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you (John 13:12-15).

In other words to love one another as Christ has loved us, we are called to humble ourselves… die to ourselves… lay down our lives… to use Paul’s language in Philippians 2 to count others as more significant than ourselves and count ourselves as a slave of all.

Whoever would be great among you must be your servant (Matthew 20:26).

The first will be last and the last will be first (Mark 9:33-35).

He must increase I must decrease (John 3:30).

Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:44).

The call to love one another is a call to humble ourselves.

To put Christ and others first and stop living for ourselves.

To lay down our lives for the good and blessing of others counting others more significant than ourselves and counting ourselves as slaves of all.

Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.

Application

Well what does that look like practically?

How do we actually live this out?

What does it look like to walk in love?

Membership

Well number 1… it looks like committing to one another in church membership.

Joining the church and continuing in the church.

Love one another happens in the context of church membership.

The Baptist Catechism says It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized, to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Question 100).

Every believer is called to be a part of a church.

The church is important.

You can’t follow Jesus fruitfully and effectively without belonging to a church and being invested in the life of that church.

Its only by being a part of a church that we can enjoy the blessings of love one another.

We get to worship God with the people of God.

Have pastors who love and care for us and watch over our souls…

That’s why Paul calls them a gift to the church.

If you’re not part of a church then you don’t have Pastors and are missing out on one of Christ’s gifts.

We get to enjoy the fellowship and blessing of other believers.

We have other people who hold us accountable and encourage us when things get hard and difficult.

But all those blessings only come in the mutual commitment of church membership.

The way some of you might need to apply this sermon today is by joining the church.

How can you love one another if you coming to church each and every Sunday while saying to all the other members of this body I have no need of you (1 Corinthians 12:21).

The New Testament has no concept of a Christian who does not belong to a local church a local body of believers.

So part of loving one another is committing to one another and then persevering in that commitment.

We keep going when things get hard.

So much of the New Testament teaching on the life of the Church is guarding against division and persevering in love with one another.

Colossians 3:12–15 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [that counting ourselves as a slave to all] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

Factions… divisions… quarrelling… fits of anger… strife… gossip, slander, and bitterness these are all the opposite of loving one another (Galatians 5:19-23).

Don’t Sin

Now obviously we should all strive to not sin against one another.

Paul says in Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

So what does it look like to love one another?

Honor your Father and Mother.

Do not murder… don’t hate your brother even in your own heart.

Do not commit adultery.

Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not Covet.

In other words, Love your neighbor as yourself.

Forgive

But when we do sin… forgive one another… and bear with one another.

We are to forgive as the Lord has forgiven you?

How many times to I need to forgive? 70 times 7 (Matthew 18:21-22).

As many times as they repent.

Who can count the number of the times God has forgiven you?

It doesn’t mean we don’t deal with sin.

Yes… sometimes we should just let things go because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

Sometimes you say you know what… don’t worry about it… that’s not characteristic of them… that’s not who they are… its ok.

But if they do sin, or they persist in sin then we work through Matthew 18.

You go to your brother and say I want to work through this (Matthew 28:15-20).

You don’t let the root of bitterness take root and grow in your heart.

When that happens it destroys churches.

Paul says we must be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

That means doing all that we can.

Striving as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18).

Why?

Because we are One Body.

Paul says there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

When we let divisions, factions, quarrels and bitterness to creep in to our body it destroys the gospel we profess to proclaim.

Are we not one body?

Are we not one family adopted as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ?

Are we not all friends of Jesus?

How can we all love Him and serve Him while at the same time we think its all fine bite and devour one another? (Galatians 5:15).

We must guard against division and bitterness.

Anytime there’s division you can bet that’s not of the Spirit.

The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

And these are opposed to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17).

Loving one another looks like dying to ourselves.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2).

Love bears offenses and says I will lay down my life for your good.

Love does not seek its own interests but the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).

Summary

What does love look like?

So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all and lay down your life for the good of others…for their blessing and their growth in Jesus Christ (Romans 12:18).

Put on compassionate hearts… kindness, meekness, humility, patience (Colossians 3:13).

Put away all anger… wrath… bitterness and malice (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8).

Lay down your life… die to yourself.

Count others more significant than yourselves and count yourself as a slave of all (Philippians 2:3).

Put on the love of Christ…

One that is kind… merciful… gracious and forgiving.

One that bears with and perseveres with one another as a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

What kind gospel are we proclaiming in our life together as a church?

The Love of Christ or the love of self?

And that takes us to point number 2…

The vision of Christ for His church is Number 1… that we love one another.

And Number 2…

II. Christ’s Vision for the Church is that We Carry Out the Great Commission to the World

John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Jesus not only died for us… He entrusted us with His life saving gospel.

When He says no longer do I call you servants He is saying He has brought us in to what God is doing… bringing salvation and blessing to all nations.

The Church is a part of that plan.

Matthew 28:18–20 Jesus… said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The church has been entrusted with God’s message of salvation and commissioned to take that message to the world.

Jesus did not save us and create the church to be a holy huddle and kumbaya…

He has sent us on a mission that His salvation might reach to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).

Earlier we looked at Jesus saying I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Well the Good Shepherd also said I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:16).

The Church is called to take the message of Christ, the good news of the gospel and through the preaching of the gospel gather the sheep into His fold.

Jesus says for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

This has been a major theme in the Gospel of John.

Jesus is God’s One True Prophet who alone reveals God and God’s will for our salvation.

In John 3:11 Jesus said Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen.

John 3:33–34 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God.

Jesus alone has a sure and true word of salvation.

God’s own will from God’s own mouth… the Word made flesh… for how we might be saved.

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known (John 1:18).

Now here’s what that means for us.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

Jesus is the way not a way and the only hope for the world to be saved is by grace through faith in Him.

And because we are entrusted with this gospel… God’s own sure and true Word of salvation… God’s own Word from heaven… we are not permitted to alter or tamper with the truth.

2 Timothy 1:14 Guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

We must hold fast to the trustworthy Word as taught and contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Titus 1:9, Jude 3).

We do not water down the Word of God or tamper with it but uphold and defend it.

We do our best to present ourselves as a workman approved no matter how much resistance or opposition we might face from the world because without the truth… the whole world would be lost (2 Timothy 2:15).

So one of the things we see is that part of Christ’s vision for the church is that we would hold fast to sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

That the Word of God would be our highest authority sufficient for all our life.

If we have a question… if we have a problem we go to the Word.

And no matter what goes on out in the world… we separate ourselves unto the Word of God and hold fast to what it says (Nehemiah 10:28).

And then Jesus says

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Where earlier fruit was used to talk about a general wholehearted devotion and obedience to God… here it specifically refers the work of the church and gospel ministry by the use of the word appointed.

That word is used throughout the New Testament to talk about being appointed or set apart for the work of ministry.

Jesus was specifically here speaking with the Apostles… the foundation of the church with Christ Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

The fruit that abides is the Church and eternal life for all who believe.

Just as fruit was wholehearted devotion and obedience to God… here it is wholehearted devotion and obedience to God in the conversion of sinners and the fruit that abides is faithful churches who love one another as Christ loved us as a manifestation and testimony of the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).

When Jesus says I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide He is promising the success of the Gospel in the world.

Its a commission and a promise: I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail… will not continue to stand… against it (Matthew 16:18).

Victorious Mission

We are not on a losing mission… we are on a victorious mission to proclaim the salvation and Kingdom of Christ.

I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.

We need this encouragement.

The disciples did to.

In the next few verses Jesus is going to say If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (John 15:18).

They were being sent on a mission to a lost and hostile world.

The same mission we are on today.

And no matter how dark the world might get… no matter how much the world might push back… Christ will build His church.

The Kingdom of heaven is like the grain of a mustard seed… It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the other plants in the garden.

Its like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour till it was all leavened. (Matthew 13:31-33).

The Kingdom of Heaven will grow…

Psalm 22:27–28 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

A life given to the church and the mission of the church is never wasted.

The Church is the hope of the world… its the pillar and buttress of the truth (2 Timothy 3:15).

Coming to church… sharing the gospel… being salt and light to the world is the mission of the church.

And to carry out this mission, we as a church need to be committed to Prayer… Preaching… and the Power of the Holy Spirit.

We looked at Preaching… holding fast to the trustworthy word as taught entrusted with the gospel.

Look what Jesus says in verse 16… so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you.

Prayer

Back in John 14 where Jesus said this same thing Jesus gave this promise in the context of ministry.

Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father (John 14:12-14).

These greater works included Jesus’ teaching and ministry.

John Calvin called them “wonderful conversion of the world.” (John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 89–90).

And we see Jesus fulfilling this promise in the Book of Acts as the Apostles carried out the Ministry of Jesus praying and depending on Him all along the way (Acts 2:42, 4:24-31).

This is to be our model for ministry… Preach the Word and depend on the grace and power of God in prayer.

Let me just tell you where this convicted me practically.

I think for most of us, we live as if we start the Lord’s Prayer with Give us our daily bread. (Matthew 6:9-13).

Prayer is about us… about me…

When our prayers should start Hallowed be your name… Let your name be worshiped and honored in all the earth.

How much time do I spend praying for our my needs versus praying Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Both as individuals and a church we should be praying for the growth of the Kingdom.

Is our life for the glory of God or is it about us?

Prayer changes our hearts and priorities.

The more we pray for God’s glory and His Kingdom the more we will live in light with that glory and His Kingdom.

Examples

How often do you pray God let our church be faithful to your Word?

God bless the preaching of your word.

God guard us from division and give us unity and peace.

Help us be salt and light.

God would you save our kids and the kids of all the members in our church.

God let your name be Hallowed in the world by first and foremost letting it be Hallowed in our church.

Whatever you ask the Father in my name… He will give it to you.

Prayer… preaching… the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Glory of God and the advance of the Kingdom.

Those are the priorities for every Christian church.

The vision Christ for us… His people.

They need to be our priorities as well as individuals, families, and as a Christian church.

The fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together (John 4:35-36).

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37).

Will we be a church that sits on the sidelines of the world or will we go out into the harvest?

Conclusion

The vision Christ has for the church is both an inward love and an outward mission.

Christ’s vision for the Church is that we would love one another and proclaim His gospel to the world.

Are these the things you are committed to and are these the things we are committed to as a church?

As the world spirals out of control the church is a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16).

A life given to Christ, His Church, and His Mission is never wasted.

You want to fight against the darkness?

You want to give your life to something that matters?… that has eternal weight and significance?… fruit that abides?

Give your life to the church and commit yourselves to the priorities of the church.

Love one another and make disciples.

Make the church central to your life and teach your children and your children’s children to make it central in their lives.

The Church is the Hope of the World.

Let’s Pray

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