So, we've been looking at what does it mean to be ministry-minded?
What does it mean to serve?
And it all starts, doesn't it, with the servant king, the Lord Jesus, the son of man who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
And then we looked at what does it mean to serve as sons of the Father.
And then last week, as the bride of the king, and this morning I want us to look at what does it mean to serve as friends of the boss.
I look at John 15 and verse 15.
It's a remarkable verse.
John 15 and verse 15.
Jesus says, no longer to his disciples do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing.
But I have called you friends.
I've called you friends.
It's the ultimate name-dropping, isn't it?
To call Jesus friends.
Or to say we are not only friends of Jesus, but that Jesus regards you and I as his followers as his friends.
It's the ultimate in name-dropping because his name is above every name.
And so if you know someone who's got a really well-known name, you'll know people like this.
They drop it, don't they, into every conversation.
Some of you will remember Dan Quayle.
It's ancient now, but he was the vice president to George Bush Senior.
I think I've got that right.
And in their kind of vice presidential debate, Dan Quayle, who was not short on confidence, compared himself to John F. Kennedy.
And Lloyd Benson, who he was debating, came back.
And Lloyd Benson said this, Senator, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.
And Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.
That is very clever.
It's a double whammy, isn't it?
Because in one breath, this guy was able to tell the nation I was friends with John F. Kennedy.
And at the same time, he made Dan Quayle look like a dirty name.
He made a fool of him.
And name-dropping, there's a real skill to it.
There's a way of doing it.
Somebody has said drop names are like toupees, you know, a wig.
And badly done, they are obvious and show bad taste.
Carefully deployed, they weren't wonders.
They're kind to laugh.
But I want us to think about this morning what a great privilege it is to have the name of Jesus associated with our name.
I want you by the end of this sermon to be bold enough to name-drop.
To drop the name of Jesus this week, wherever you go.
And so let's explore, what does it mean to be friends with Jesus?
To have Jesus as your friend?
And not only to call him friend, but to have him call us friends, which is not quite the same thing.
I no longer call you servants, but friends.
I don't know how many friends you've got on Facebook.
Maybe hundreds.
Some of you might have thousands.
But in real life, you don't measure friends by quantity, do you?
There's a proverb that's 3,000 years old.
It's a proverb of Solomon's.
It's very up to date.
It says this,
A man of many companions may come to ruin.
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
How many friends do you have on Facebook?
Probably lots.
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
And Jesus is that friend.
And I no longer call you servants, he says to his disciples, but friends.
And not to have a friend is really important, isn't it?
To have a friend is important.
Some of the saddest words I've ever read were by John Paul Getty.
He was one of the richest men in the 20th century.
He was a multi-millionaire many times over.
And he's reported to have said at the end of his life,
I've never known love.
I've never known what it is to have a friend.
And I think that shocks us.
I hope it shocks us.
It saddens us.
For a human being, at the end of their life,
no matter how much money they've made,
how much they've managed to accumulate for themselves,
the fact that they never had a friend, it's tragic.
And why do we find it tragic?
We find it tragic because my first point is this.
We were made for friendship.
In the book of Genesis,
in the account of how God created the world,
we're told that human beings, you,
every human being that's ever been made,
has been made in God's image.
You have been made in God's likeness.
That's the explanation for who you are.
We've been made in God's image.
And God is the three-in-one God, isn't he?
Look at verse 9 of John chapter 15.
Look what it says there.
Can you notice there are three loves
intertwined in verse 9.
As the Father has loved me,
Jesus says,
so have I loved you.
Abide in my love.
As the Father loves me.
That is the love of the Father for his Son.
As the Father has loved me,
and then there is the love of Jesus for his disciples,
so I have loved you.
And then there is the love that you and I
are to have for one another as Jesus' disciples,
which we are to remain in.
And it's all bundled together in that one verse, isn't it?
A three-fold cord is not easily broken.
So as the Father has loved me,
Jesus says, that's where it all begins.
In the beginning, God.
Before the beginning was God.
There was something before there was anything.
God is not some solitary God.
He's not like Allah on his own,
like Muslims believe.
But in the beginning, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
That's what we mean when we talk about God being love.
You see, before the beginning,
before there was anything,
there was God,
there was friendship,
there was relationship.
There was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Do you remember how John puts it in John 1?
That great passage, he says,
in the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was God,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word there is literally towards God.
There was a relationship,
a face-to-face relationship in God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There was a living,
and a loving,
and a delighting in one another.
Face-to-face,
they were planning,
and communicating,
and sharing with each other.
In the beginning,
there was friendship.
It's at the bottom of everything.
It's at the roots of all reality.
It's why in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 8,
there is this jarring note.
We read through the early chapters,
and Genesis 2 verse 8 is shocking,
because in Genesis 1,
when there's an account of creation,
we're told that it was good
at the end of each day.
It was good,
it was good,
it was good.
And then you come to Genesis chapter 2 verse 8,
and it was not good.
And you haven't got to the fall yet.
Sin has not entered into this world
and ruined creation.
It was not good,
Genesis 2 verse 8,
for the man to be alone.
It was not morally wrong for him.
The fall hasn't happened yet.
It was not evil.
It was not sinful.
That hasn't happened yet.
But we are told
it was not good for the man to be alone.
Adam was lonely.
And he was lonely,
not because he was sinful.
Sometimes we are lonely,
aren't we,
because of our sinfulness.
And we can't live with one another
because of our selfishness.
But that wasn't why Adam was lonely.
He wasn't lonely because he was selfish,
or sinful.
Adam wasn't lonely because he was imperfect.
Adam was lonely because he was made
in the image and the likeness of God.
And he needed someone to love.
He needed someone to share his life with.
He needed someone to talk to.
He needed someone to work with.
And it's important for you and I to see that.
So it may be this morning,
if you are lonely,
it doesn't necessarily mean
that there's anything wrong with you.
It's because you've been made for friendship.
We need friends because we need God.
And we've been made in the image and likeness of God.
And Jesus here invites us into that friendship.
No other religion does this.
No other deity does this.
No other God invites you
into friendship
and into relationship.
But as the Father has loved me,
Jesus says,
so I have loved you.
And I want your joy to be complete.
I want you to remain in this kind of relationship.
This kind of friendship
that creation demands.
But the cross defines.
Look at verse 13.
Greater love has no one than this.
That someone lay down his life for his friends.
Not only is it that we were made
for friendship,
but the second point is this.
Christ died
to give me that friendship.
It's what Jesus died for.
So don't forget the context here.
Don't forget,
this is the night before he goes to the cross.
And Jesus is facing up
to what he's about to go to.
It's staring him in the face now.
He knows what is going to happen.
And it's something he doesn't go into stoically,
does he?
He cries and cries out to his Father.
He sweats blood in contemplation
about what's about to happen.
Why should he go through with that?
He's about to make the supreme sacrifice.
Greater love has no man than this.
That he lays down his life for his friends.
And you are my friends,
he says to his followers.
And tomorrow I'm going to go out
and I'm going to lay down my life
in the most gruesome and violent
and awful way.
And isn't this the most amazing thing?
Death usually ends a friendship.
Isn't that why it's so, so painful?
Death normally ends a friendship.
But in the case of Jesus,
his death secures the friendship.
It's interesting, isn't it,
when you compare this passage
with Romans chapter 5.
And in Romans chapter 5,
Paul says,
it was while we were his enemies.
Jesus says to,
Jesus says in John,
we are his friends.
You've got to hold both those things together.
We are his friends.
That greater love than this.
There is no greater love than this.
That a man lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends
and I'm going to lay down my life for you.
Paul says,
it was when we were powerless.
It was when we were sinners.
It was when we were his enemies
that Christ laid down his life for us.
There's no contradiction there.
Because the reality is this,
Jesus actually makes us his friends
by laying down his life for us.
Is it the truth of Christianity
that God turns his enemies
into his friends
through the cross of his son?
That's the way it works.
There's so many examples we could use.
Maximilian Colby,
he was a Catholic priest
who died in Auschwitz.
And near the end of his time
in that prisoner of war camp,
a prisoner had apparently escaped,
if you know the story.
All the people in the camp
were paraded in the blazing hot sun.
And one man from each line
was selected at random,
including a sergeant
whose name I can't pronounce.
And apparently this man,
as he was singled out to be executed,
he just cried out,
he cried out,
I've got a wife,
I've got children,
I'll never see them again.
And at that moment,
a man stepped forward from the ranks
and offered to take that guy's place.
He was prisoner at 16670,
Father Maximilian Colby,
a Roman Catholic priest
and an elderly man.
And he was towards the end of his life
and the SS commander in charge,
Butcher Fritz,
as he was known,
didn't care who went to the bunker,
as long as there were 10 of them.
So he just nodded
and Maximilian Colby
laid down his life for this man.
He just swapped places with him.
Greater love has no man.
It's such an inspiring story.
But Maximilian Colby
was an old man
who was going to die anyway.
You don't want to detract
from his heroism.
And it's a great
and inspiring story
for you and I.
For Maximilian Colby
to give his life
for someone else,
but it's only anticipating
what is going to happen anyway.
We're going to die, aren't we?
We're already dying.
In fact, Jesus Christ
is the only one
who's ever lived
who did not have to die
and yet he chose to.
Greater love
has no man than this
that he laid down his life
for his friends.
And so this friendship
that Jesus is talking about
is what we were made for.
And it's what Jesus died
to bring us into.
And so this,
at the very heart
of our Christianity
is to have this
kind of relationship
with God.
He died to make
his enemies
his friends.
I want to give you
four points
of application
to explore
what does it mean
to have Jesus
as your friend.
First thing to say is
that Jesus is a loyal friend.
Jesus is
the kind of friend
who lets you in
but never lets you down.
Does that make sense to you?
Jesus is the kind of friend
who lets you in
but never lets you down.
You are my friends
verse 14
if you do
what I command.
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 I
all that I have heard
from my father
I have made known
to you.
You see
this relationship
is not the kind
of relationship
that you might have
with your boss
at work.
A servant
does not know
his master's business
does he?
You don't know
probably
what your boss
is thinking
lots of the time
what his plans are.
He doesn't let you in
just tells you
what to do.
And Jesus says
I am not going to
call you servants
I am going to
call you friends
because everything
I have learnt
from my father
which again
is an amazing
expression
I have made known
to you.
So here is
the friend
who sticks closer
than a brother
he is loyal to us
he lets us in
so that we can
share confidences
we can unburden
ourselves to him.
He lets us in
which is
isn't it
a very dangerous
thing to do.
To give someone
that amount
of information
at work
you might have
done that
and you found
yourself stabbed
in the back
you can't be
totally free
in the workplace
out there
in society
in general.
But here is a friend
that you can be
totally free with
you can share
confidences
with him
he lets you in
on all the secrets
all the things
that the father
has shared
with him
he shares with us.
and we can
share our secrets
with him
we don't have
to stand
on our
P's and Q's
we don't have
to go through
the protocols
we don't have
to make an
appointment
with his PA
to get him
he says
I no longer
call you
servants
you are
friends.
It's a lovely
little story
in one of
Gordon MacDonald's
books
about a monk
and his
apprentice
and the
monk and
the apprentice
are travelling
to an
abbey
in a nearby
village
and at the
city gates
they part
for the evening
and they say
we'll meet
the next
morning
according to
plan they
meet the
next morning
and they
begin the
long walk
back to
the abbey
and the
monk
notices
something
about the
apprentice
there's
something
in the
atmosphere
he notices
that the
young man
is unusually
silent
there's
certain
vibes
coming off
his friend
and he
asks the
apprentice
is there
anything
wrong
what
business
is it
of yours
comes the
terse reply
and the
monk is
sure that
his brother
is troubled
but he said
nothing and the
distance between
them as they
began to walk
increased and
the apprentice
walked slowly
as if to
separate himself
from his
teacher and
when the
abbey came
in sight the
monk stopped
at the gate
he waited for
the student
to catch
up and
he said
this he
said tell
me my
son what
troubles
your soul
the young
man began
to react
again but
he saw
the warmth
in his
master's eyes
and he
began to
melt and
he says
he said
after a
great deal
of silence
I've
sinned
greatly
I've
sinned
greatly
last night
I slept
with a
woman and
abandoned
my vows
I'm not
worthy to
enter the
abbey at
your side
the teacher
put his
arm around
the student
and said
we will
enter the
abbey
together
and we
will enter
the cathedral
together
and together
we will
confess your
sin and
no one
but God
will know
which of the
two of us
fell
isn't that
lovely
that's the
kind of
friend we
have in the
Lord Jesus
he is the
friend of
sinners
he became
sin for
us
he identified
himself as
the sinner
at his
baptism
what is
going on
there
he stands
in the
place of
sinners
and he
puts his
arms around
us
and we've
all got
skeletons in
the cupboard
haven't we
and we've
all got
things that
we don't
want people
to know
even the
youngest
of us
here
and Jesus
knows
because there
are no
secrets
with him
and he
is the
one to
whom the
secrets of
our hearts
they are
an open
book
and he
comes to
you and he
puts his
arm around
you and he
says come
on
let's go
and confess
this together
and no one
will know
which of us
is a sinner
he was
made
sin
for us
he who
knew
no sin
that we
might be
put right
with God
you see
he lets
us in
but he
never
lets us
down
Jesus
will never
use
that
information
against us
the devil
well yeah
he's the
accuser
of the
brethren
he will
remind you
all the
time of
your sin
but Jesus
is the
friend of
sinners
and he
lets us
in and so
we can
share
confidences
we can
unburden
our hearts
we can
confess
our sins
to him
and he
will never
use that
information
against us
not ever
even on the
great day
of judgment
when the
books are
open and the
secrets of my
heart is
revealed
my friend
will be
there
and all
of my
sin he's
taken
and if
anyone dares
on that
day to
accuse us
or to
dredge it
up he is
there
by our
side even
at the
great day
of judgment
he lets us
in but he
never lets us
down he's a
loyal friend
why wouldn't
you want a
friend like
that
there aren't
too many
people around
like that
are there
and so
one of the
really hard
things about
growing up
particularly in
our culture
today for
the children
that are here
you children
look up for a
minute
friendship is
difficult isn't
it
particularly as
you get into
teenage years
and you have
friends and
sometimes those
friends turn out to
be very very
different than you
thought and it
breaks your
little heart
you struggle
with that
and you think
well can I
trust this
person or you
might think
I'm all alone
in school
I'm all alone
but here is a
friend who
will never
break your
heart
here is a
friend who
is loyal
wouldn't you
want a
friend like
that
the second
thing I want
to say about
Jesus'
friendship is
it's a
productive
friendship
it's a
fruitful
friendship
look at
verse 16
it says
this
you did
not choose
me
but I
chose you
and appointed
that you
should go
and bear
fruit
and that
your fruit
may abide
my last
Charles Kingsley
is the author
of Watership
Down
he was once
asked what's
the secret
of a happy
and buoyant
life
he simply
said
I had
a friend
I had
a friend
Solomon
in Ecclesiastes
chapter 4
says two
are better
than one
and he
gives us
all sorts
of reasons
why that
is so
it's a
lovely
little
cameo
picture
of
friendship
he says
two are
better
than one
so you've
got a
good return
for their
work
that kind
of relationship
it's a
fruitful
relationship
it's
productive
there was
research
done on
social
incentives
in the
workplace
that was
the title
of the
research
paper
it was
published
in the
review
of
economic
studies
and it
looked at
the productivity
of fruit
pickers
and the
networks
of friends
that they
form
on the
farm
so workers
were named
asked to
name up to
seven friends
and what
they did
is they
watched
and observed
on the
days that
they worked
alone
to estimate
their average
productivity
and then
that was
compared
with the
performance
when they
worked with
their
friends
and one
of the
authors
of the
researcher
prophet
LSE
said our
research
suggests that
getting people
to work with
their friends
could be one
way for
companies to
motivate their
workers without
necessarily paying
them off
it seems to
work doesn't
it two are
better than
one
two are
better than
one they
have a good
return for
their work
Jesus says
I no longer
call you
servants
I no longer
call you
employees
you no longer
have to clock
in and clock
out
I no longer
call you
servants
you are my
friends
and I've
chosen you
you didn't
choose me
I chose you
and I
appointed you
literally the
word there is
I ordained
you
I set you
apart to go
and bear fruit
and so
what's the
purpose of
this friendship
why has
Jesus made
you his
friend it
would be
that you
go and
bear fruit
for service
what kind
of service
no Christian
was ever
chosen by
Jesus to
stop and
to stand
around and
watch
Jesus said
I choose
you and I
have set you
apart and I
want you to
go to go
that's what
happens at the
end of our
meetings isn't
it the
benediction is
sending you
out with
God's blessing
we gather
on the
Lord's day
to scatter
during the
week
Jesus says
let me let
you into
my father's
business secret
that you
would go
into the
world
and that
you would
bear
fruit
now what
kind of
fruit are
we talking
about
are we
talking about
character
and conduct
or are we
talking about
converts
and there's
a bit of
disagreement on
that
I've appointed
you to go
and bear
fruit I
think
suggests
converts
I wouldn't
want to
drive a
wedge between
the two
because godly
character
fruitful
character
does
attract
doesn't
it underwrites
our testimony
but I
think he's
speaking here
about the
actual
going
and bearing
fruit
and can
you just
see
look what
it says
there
it says
fruit that
will
last
and my
father
and
my father
and
Claire's
dad
is
writing a
book on
eldership
and I'm
helping him
a bit
on it
and
this is what
I read
this week
in it
he says
this
I cannot
guarantee
my children
will be
converted
but in the
grace of
god I
expect them
to be
converted
god has
been merciful
to me
in my
house
I can
trace my
believing
family line
back to
at least
1790
and that
is exceedingly
precious to
me
if I bring
this up to
the present
that represents
eight generations
of believers
brackets
all
Presbyterians
isn't that
amazing
after my
mum and
dad
my mum and
dad are the
first generation
of Christians
in their
family
so ours
goes back
to 1940
but in
Claire's
1790
there was a
moment in
1790
when god
reached down
from heaven
and broke
in
isn't this
what it's
all about
that when
the gospel
breaks into
a family
there is
the kind
of gospel
fruit
that lasts
for generations
it's not our
testimony for
so many of
us
so what
is the
kind of
thing that
will transform
Ealing
in West
London
well it
is this
friendship
with Jesus
I've chosen
you for a
purpose
and so
you mums
isn't it
what you're
doing is
that you
are sending
the gospel
out
in your
children
and your
grandchildren
that they
may bear
fruit
fruit that
will last
so that
people will
see lives
transformed
and so
there will
be little
communities
little houses
of light
all around
this area
and further
afield
not only
in our
children's
lives
but in
our
grandchildren
our
great
grandchildren
it's an
exciting
thing
I think
that Jesus
shares
with us
his
friendship
is a
loyal
friendship
he lets
us in
but he
never lets
us down
his
friendship
is fruitful
and productive
and it's a
shared
friendship
that's the
third thing
it builds
community
it's not
virtual
community
but it's
real
three
dimensional
community
I like
social media
I waste
ridiculous
amounts of
time on
it
but it's
with people
you never
see isn't
it
or people
that came
once and
you kind
of connect
in that
way
it's a
phantom
community
it's not
real
community
you see
with couples
sometimes don't
you when they
get together
and they turn
in on
themselves
and no one
can get in
no one
can get in
that's not
what friendship
with Jesus
is about
it's not
like that
friendship
with Jesus
is a
shared
friendship
it builds
community
and so the
Christian life
is not all
about just
you and
Jesus
me and
Jesus
it's not
some nice
glowing
relationship
between me
and Jesus
to be a
friend of
Jesus
is to be
a friend
of mine
that ought
to be our
slogan
it would be
a great
mission statement
for the church
you know
those
you meet
with those
people
and you say
well I know
that person
and they say
to you
if you're a
friend of
them
you're a
friend of
mine
it's a
great thing
and Jesus
says I've
chosen you
to be my
friends
and you are
no longer
servants
you are my
friends
and any
friend of
Jesus
should be
a friend
of mine
there's a
lovely little
verse in
1 Thessalonians
come with me
to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4
1 Thessalonians
chapter 4
I always find
Thessalonians
hard to find
strange
Thessalonians
I found it
there you go
1 Thessalonians
chapter 4
and let me read
you verses 9
and 10
look what he
says about
this church
he says
Paul says
about this
church
now concerning
brotherly
love
you have
no need
for anyone
to write
to you
for you
yourselves
have been
taught by
God
to love
one another
for that
indeed is
what you
are doing
to all
the brothers
throughout
Macedonia
but we
urge you
brothers
do this
more
and more
what do
friends of
Jesus do
they love
one another
and that's
what he
commands
in John
15
verse 12
this is my
commandment
that you
love one
another
as I
have loved
you
verse 17
these things
I command
you
so that
you will
love one
another
friends of
Jesus
love each
other
they're not
just friends
on Facebook
as good as
that is
they're
friends in
real life
so look
around
look around
go on
don't be
shy
look around
know who
these people
are
know the
empty seats
and the people
that they
should be
here
and these
are people
from Christ
died
and they
are his
friends
and any
friend of
Jesus is
to be a
friend of
mine
that's my
command
Jesus says
11 commandments
we believe
in don't we
as the
father has
loved me
so you
should love
one another
so put
yourself out
for one
another
lay down
your life
for one
another
and as
the father
has loved
me
so I
love you
Jesus
gave his
life
but tragically
we don't
sometimes give
each other
the time
of day
the last
thing I
want to
finish with
is if
you're a
friend of
Jesus
gives you
permission
to use
his
name
look at
verse 16
he gives
you permission
to use
his
name
so
whatever
you ask
the father
in my
name
he may
give it
to you
Jesus
says
feel free
to use
my
name
and that
means
doesn't it
reflecting on
what you
want
if you're
going to
use
Jesus
name
if you're
going to
ask
in
Jesus
name
it
means that
you're
going to
think about
what you're
asking
for
don't
come to
me
after the
service
and say
well I
asked
that I
win the
lottery
in Jesus
name
and I've
never done
it
or something
ridiculous
like that
or I
asked that
I pass
my exams
without doing
any work
in Jesus
name
and that
didn't
happen
that's
not what
it's
talking about
if you're
going to
ask in
Jesus
name
it means
that you're
going to
think about
what you're
asking
and Jesus
says
when you
come to
the
father
use
my
name
by
all
means
and you
can
ask
whatever
you
want
but you
need to
think
about
what you
want
Thomas
Merton
wrote this
he said
this
why do
we have
to spend
our lives
striving
to be
something
that we
would never
want to
be
if only
we knew
what we
wanted
why do
we waste
our times
which are
just the
opposite
of what
we were
made
for
and so
we need
to reflect
on what
we want
don't we
to pray
in the
name of
Jesus
is to
want
what
he
wants
and so
what does
he want
for you
it's not
what I
want
for myself
but what
does
Jesus
want
for me
what are
these
good works
that he
has prepared
beforehand
for me
to walk
in
and not
only that
to pray
in Jesus
name
is to
recognize
Lord I
need you
I need
you
to help
me
fulfill
this
commandment
you've
given
you told
us
that as
your
friends
we love
one
another
and quite
frankly
that is
hard work
sometimes
so Lord
help me
and give
me direction
and give
me help
and empower
me to do
this
and that is
what it means
to use
Jesus name
use my
name
Jesus says
by all
means
and not
only in
prayer
but in
everything
remember
what
Paul says
in Colossians
he says
whatever you
do
whether it's
in word
or deed
do everything
in the name
of the Lord
Jesus
and to be
a friend
of Jesus
means
that you
are Jesus
representative
you bear
his name
in everything
you do
and it means
wanting to
honor his
name
every Christian
stands for
Christ
every Christian
is a
representative
of Christ
every one
of us
is an
advert
for or
against
him
and we
either
commend
him to
others
or we
repel
them
from him
so it's
a great
privilege
isn't it
to have
his name
to be
able to
drop his
name
into
conversations
but let's
not do it
in a way
that embarrasses
him
you know
what it's
like
isn't it
you're
cut up
by some
driver
that's
got a
fish
on the
back
of their
car
there's a
joke
isn't
there
why do
people
say they've
got a
friend in
Jesus
find it
hard to
make
friends
with
anyone
else
we
bear
his
name
what
about
if
you're
not
a
friend
of
Jesus
says
if
you're
not
with
me
you
are
against
me
and I
suspect
as I
finished
this morning
in this
room
I
doubt
that there's
anybody
who's
rabidly
anti-Christian
furiously
anti-Christian
but maybe
apathetically
so you're
not against
him
but you're
not for
him
and your
heart isn't
head over
heels in
love with
Jesus
and he's
not what
you think
about during
the day
and you're
not eager
to follow
him
and you've
got no
interest
really in
his plan
for your
life
and you're
not for
him
you put up
with a bit
of church
but you're
not for
him
and Jesus
says if
you're not
for me
you are
against me
and so let me
encourage you if that is you
name drop
because the bible says all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved
and let me encourage you if you've not done that this morning do it now
and to come to God in the name of Jesus to use his name and wonderfully doors open don't they
it's amazing if you drop the right name it gives you access use the name of Jesus this morning and what you'll find there is a father's welcome and forgiveness for all your sin and access to the father's heart
i no longer call you servants i call you friends greater love has no man than this that he laid down his life for his friends and you are my friends so use my name by all means
you