November 12, 2017 Dr. Jim Cecy Dining With Jesus: Lessons from the Upper Room “The Chosen Friends of the King” (John 15:12-21) Our Series: Dining With Jesus: Lessons from the Upper Room (John 13-17) There were three kinds of people who inhabited the Roman Empire 1. The Citizens: “The People of Rome” 2. The Slaves: “The Speaking Tools” 3. The Friends of the King: “The In-Crowd” “If you release this man you are no friend of Caesar.” (John 19:12) John 15:12-15 “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. 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 have called you friends, for all things that 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 would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” Ten Privileges We Have as the Chosen Friends of the King Privilege #1. We are called to be Christ-like lovers • John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” Privilege #2. We are called to be sacrificial lovers • John 15:13 “ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Cf. 1 John 3:16-18 Privilege #3. We are called to be friends of Jesus • John 15:14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” Privilege #4. We are called to be informed friends • John 15:15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the 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.” cf. Lk. 10:23-24 Privilege #5. We are called to act like chosen ones • John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you...” cf. John 6:44; John 15:5; Eph. 1:3-8 • We are chosen to be children of God, to conform to His standards, to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ and to spread the good news of salvation to the world around us. Privilege #6. We are called to be appointed servants • John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you...” “appointed” = Greek: tithemi = set side for a special purpose/ordained as ministers Privilege #7. We are called to be fruitful disciples • John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain...” • ABIDING FRUIT = CONVERTS WHO HAVE A LIVING, ABIDING, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS CHRIST cf. Col. 4:2-3; Eph. 6:19

Privilege #8. We are called to be praying children • John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” cf. Prov. 5:8 Privilege #9. We are called to be obedient followers • John 15:17 “This I command you, that you love one another.” cf. Heb. 10:24-25 Privilege #10. We are called to be hated like Christ and persecuted for Christ

• John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘ A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” cf. Mt. 10:17-22 The Apostles gathered in the Upper Room didn’t fully grasp what Jesus was now saying, but they would. They would all suffer. In the first few centuries following there would be ten widespread persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire. Foxes Book of Martyrs: A History of the Lives, Suffering and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christians and Protestant Martyrs. The world hates Christians. Always has. Always will! • They hate us because they hate Christ • They hate us because we are different • They hate us because we are like Christ • They hate us because they are ignorant of God

Discussion Questions: Examine yourself as to how you are doing in regards to each of these privileges of being chosen as a friend of the King. Privilege #1. We are called to be Christ-like lovers Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #2. We are called to be sacrificial lovers Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #3. We are called to be friends of Jesus Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #4. We are called to be informed friends Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #5. We are called to act like chosen ones Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #6. We are called to be appointed servants Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #7. We are called to be fruitful disciples Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #8. We are called to be praying children Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #9. We are called to be obedient followers Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Privilege #10. We are called to be hated like Christ and persecuted for Christ Winning Struggling Losing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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