Friendship with Jesus

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Friendship with Jesus

John 15:12-25

May 1, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • John 15:12–25

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: John 15:12-25

It is a privilege to call Jesus our friend—to know Him intimately as a close companion. John 15:12-25 highlights five things about our friendship with Jesus: what it means, and what it makes of us.

First, friendship with Jesus elevates us.

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Simply being His servant would be an honor. But friendship with Jesus lifts us to a level we could not reach without Him. We didn’t choose Him; He chose us (see John 15:16).

Adrian Rogers says, “A man is known by his friends; if you’re a friend of Jesus, you’re somebody.”

Friendship with Jesus also enlarges the company we keep.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Friends of Jesus become friends with each other; He is our common bond. Because we love Him, we love one another, and the circle grows.

But we must also remember the cost of friendship with Jesus.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Real friendships are expensive, but they are worth it. The highest service is when we serve because we want to, not because we have to. Serving and obeying Jesus does not earn us His friendship; it proves our friendship.

However, friendship with Jesus still enriches us.

Healthy friendships with good people sharpen us and make us better. On the contrary, unhealthy friendships make us dull and drag us down. Friendship with Jesus, who is the Vine, makes us fruitful.

Finally, friendship with Jesus means entering inevitable conflict with the world.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Just as His friends become our friends, so do Christ’s enemies become our enemies. But it is an honor to be counted worthy of suffering as Jesus suffered.

Our deepest need is to have someone who understands us, and Jesus does; He is all we need.

Apply it to your life

Are you friends with Jesus? Have you made friends with His friends and seen His enemies rise against you? Consider your relationship with Jesus today.

The Magnificence of Mercy

May 16, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:7

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:7 Matthew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy is not just softness or mere sentiment; it is compassion in action. And the magnificence of mercy is that those who have received it will show it. Mercy is a godly characteristic, one that resides in the hearts and minds of those who have accepted salvation from Jesus Christ. And it actively reveals itself as compassion for others. First, consider the beauty of mercy: it is godlike. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.” Every morning, we get to wake up and greet the mercy of God, which is faithful and fails not. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan and reveals the symbolism of salvation. When others passed by us in our despair and need, Jesus rescued us, healed and cleansed us, and covered our debts. After He told this story, Jesus called us to do the same for our neighbors. He explained that when we are merciful, we are godlike. (Luke 10:37) Second, consider the basis of mercy: truth. Psalm 85:10 says, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." To show mercy is not to minimize sin. There can be no mercy without truth, which is that the justice of God says our sins must be punished. When we show mercy, we withhold judgment; when we withhold judgment, it implies judgment was deserved. But thank God that He doesn’t give us what we deserve! Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn't deal with us on the basis of fairness; God deals with us on the basis of mercy.” We are not forgiven because we show mercy; rather, we show mercy because we are forgiven. This is the magnificence of mercy: The more mercy we show, the more mercy we get. Apply it to your life Do you have a heart full of compassion in action? If God has forgiven us, how much more should we forgive one another? Remember this beatitude, today: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

The Secret of Satisfaction

May 15, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:6

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:6 The word “blessed” means to be satisfied. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the secret of satisfaction. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Many of us think of righteousness as something to do. But in the Bible, righteousness is wrapped up in a person, and His name is Jesus. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we are actually hungering and thirsting after Jesus Christ. Jesus is Our Spiritual Sustenance In the material realm, food and water are necessities, not luxuries; if we don’t eat or drink, we will die. And so it is in the spiritual realm: Jesus Christ is not some luxury; He is a necessity. Without Him, our spirits will die. We should desire Jesus preeminently, above all other things. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Jesus will not work in second place. A lack of joy, peace, or fulfillment is a symptom of unrighteousness. When we hunger and thirst after Jesus, we are blessed, but it is crucial to remember that the blessings are just a by-product. Jesus is the cure; not the joy, peace, and fulfillment that comes with Him. Adrian Rogers says, “You’ll never go beyond Jesus: you may only go deeper and deeper into Jesus.” We should seek Jesus passionately—with a huge appetite. A hungry man is interested in one thing: food. If he is hungry enough, he will go anywhere, do almost anything, and pay any price. Likewise, our quest for Jesus Christ should be marked by deliberation, determination, and desperation. Jesus Satisfies the Strongest Appetite Finally, we should enjoy Jesus perpetually. Adrian Rogers says, “I don’t know how much of God you have, but you have all you want. Shallow thirst equals shallow satisfaction; small hunger equals small satisfaction.” Contrary to popular belief, we don’t lose the good things of life when we come to Jesus. In fact, we enjoy things more in the context of righteousness. In Jesus, we are completely, continually, and certainly satisfied. Apply it to your life A person who is hungry and thirsty for righteousness is on a deliberate, determined, desperate quest for Jesus Christ. Do you seek Jesus Christ as a starving man would seek food?

The Mighty Meek

May 13, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 5:5

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:5 Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed that it is not the mighty men who are blessed; it is the mighty meek. Meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek, yet He was a strong man. To be meek means to be yielded, to have a compliant spirit. Meekness is strength under control. When we were created, God put certain drives, instincts, and ambitions into our very natures. These are not evil in themselves, but they must yield to the Holy Spirit so that we may bring Him glory and honor. While some believe releasing or restraining our strength will lead to control, true meekness comes after we see ourselves as poor in spirit. Once we are broken over our condition, we can develop strength under control. Step One: Submit to the Son of God. Matthew 11:28-30 says: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Jesus offers our wild spirits rest and invites us to submit to His lordship and learn true strength from Him. Step Two: Receive the Word of God. We cannot snatch pieces of the Bible to feed our pride or our opinions. Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not meant to be interesting; it’s meant to be disturbing.” We must welcome the Word into our lives with humility, reaching out to Jesus Christ with both hands, letting Scripture be our bridle and bit. Step Three: Be Filled with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God produces meekness in us; we simply bear the fruit of it. When we are meek, we will receive our inheritance. This dynamic is explained in 2 Corinthians 6:10, which says, “...as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Apply it to your life Have you yielded to the Holy Spirit and developed a meek spirit? Take these steps today: submit to God, receive His Word, and be filled with His Spirit.