How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17 Friends, Not Servants Fruitful Christians Fruitful Prayers Fruitful Love

Friends, Not Servants  Friendship begins with open, honest, and real communication – verse 15  Friendship is usually a mutual choosing  Our friendship with Jesus is based solely on His choosing of us – verse 16  That we would bear fruit  That we would obey the command and love one another How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Friends, Not Servants  This is not how we think of friendships.  But this is not a friendship between two equals!  We are God’s friends by grace.  Therefore, we can’t approach God as an equal or dictate our terms to Him.  Instead, we must approach God in gratitude, remembering that friendship exists because He stooped to our status! How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Fruitful Christians  Having defined friendship, Jesus goes on to disclose the privileges of that friendship.  This shows itself in two purpose clauses marked by hina – “in order that”  In order that believers might be fruitful  In order that believers’ prayers might be answered – intercession How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Fruitful Christians  Here Jesus brings us the complete and fullest definition of fruit.  Verse 2 tells us of “fruit” – the first purpose of the vine is to bear fruit and so we must.  Verse 2 also adds “more fruit” – from pruning so we don’t become complacent or self- content like Laodicea.  Verse 8 adds “much fruit” – signifying abundance and to God’s glory!  Verse 16 concludes with “fruit that will last.” How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Fruitful Prayers  This second purpose seems to be out of place and already covered.  Is it repeated just because we need to hear it again for it to sink in?  The context seems to indicate intercessory prayer for others.  It follows that this should be a natural product of our relationship with Christ. How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Fruitful Love  Jesus concludes this section by leaving His disciples with the thought of true love for one another.  Jesus has already told us this – John 13:34-35 and again in John 15:12 How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

John 13:34-35 (NASB) 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 15:12 (NASB) 12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Fruitful Love  Jesus concludes this section by leaving His disciples with the thought of true love for one another.  Jesus has already told us this – John 13:34-35 and again in John 15:12  John repeats this in 1 John 4:7-12 How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

1 John 4:7-12 (NASB) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

Fruitful Love  Do we really love one another?  Do we really love one another within the bond of friendship created by Jesus?  Do we really love one another within the bond of friendship created by Jesus, according to His own love and standards  Do we really love one another within the bond of friendship created by Jesus, according to His own love and standards? How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Fruitful Love  So, what does this love look like?  Love prays for others – Job 42:10 How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Job 42:10 (NASB) 10 The L ORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the L ORD increased all that Job had twofold.

Fruitful Love  So, what does this love look like?  Love prays for others – Job 42:10  Love sticks close to the friend when the friend is in trouble – Proverbs 18:24; 17:17 How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Proverbs 18:24 (NASB) 24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother Proverbs 17:17 (NASB) 17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

Fruitful Love  So, what does this love look like?  Love prays for others – Job 42:10  Love sticks close to the friend when the friend is in trouble – Proverbs 18:24; 17:17  Love gives and gets – Luke 11:5-9 How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17

Luke 11:5-9 (NASB) 5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

8 “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Application Are you friends with Christ? In your love? In your giving? In your prayers? Is Christ at work in you? Or, is it just you working? How Is Your Fruit? John 15:15-17