The Badge of Discipleship - Part 1 of 2

Will you will find them, and shall share Bradley Junior inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace and all a and a and we have a and and he and many years ago, men came to my study and said that he was representing the Christian emblem league felt that would be good if Christians could be encouraged to wear this emblem on their lapel or wherever the when they would cheat other they would recognize it and say here's a question and therefore it would draw them together for fellowship. Explain some of the details of the little bandage and had various colors and shapes and others may inquire as to what that's all about.

That will give you opportunity to give a testimony concerning Jesus Christ. Red would speak of his blood in the blue of his royalty and so made an interesting presentation for 20 concluded I said really your little behind the times because Jesus gave his disciples a badge a long time ago. I'm going to read about it in our text this morning from our studies in the Gospel of John. John chapter 13 reading of the 33rd verse, little children, yet a little while I am with you, you shall seek me, as I said unto the Jews. Whether I go you cannot come. So now I say to you a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another, you see the bands of discipleship that Jesus gave to his followers a long time ago is not something that you wear on your lapel. It is something that you do it as a way of life. Jesus had spoken of the fact that the time for him to be glorified. Arrived he would soon be going to the cross by his sacrifice at Calvary, the great work for which income would be accomplished. Judas had been identified as the trigger and had now departed.

So he speaks to those who remain in very endearing terms little children. I just want to be with you for a little while and where I'm going, you cannot come but this time, but he says a new commandment I give unto you these disciples could easily have become cynical at this point thinking that here was one of their own number they had associated with Judas for these three years of Jesus ministry they had interacted with him. They had never been suspicious of him but now it is revealed that he has betrayed Jesus Christ to we had professed to follow and the love they could then have become suspicious of each other on one of our number could fall so terribly. If one could have misrepresented himself in this manner.

How can you really trust anybody in the can become hardened and love disappeared.

So Jesus says a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you in the same way as I have loved you in the same manner you are to love one another. So the first thing we see in this passage is a commandment commandment to love one another and it is a commandment not a suggestion that Jesus says it would be a noble thing.

Commendable thing to love one another, but I command you I command you to love one another. It is a commandment that indeed originated in olden times in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse five the commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, heart, soul and strength in Leviticus chapter 19, then this love for one's neighbor is laid out verse 18 thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but now sent love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the Lord. Then Jesus confirm these commandments in the book of Matthew chapter 22 verse 37. The question was asked Master which is the great commandment of the law. Jesus and the him bounce up. Love the Lord thy God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Now some love thy neighbor as thyself on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So when we read that these two commandments are found even in the Old Testament and the part of it which says are to love your neighbor is confirmed by Jesus. How is it that he calls it the new commandment.

Well, Jesus is now elevating that commandment. It was a commandment that was given under the law in olden times.

They love their neighbor, but that is involved.

People of their own nationality.

People with whom they were acquainted people with whom they may have been well related you to love your neighbor, but now Jesus says I want you to love one another.

This expands it because those who are his followers were from a variety of background and a certain element to what he says I want you to love one another as I have love you. What a remarkable love. How amazing to see the love that Jesus Christ had for his disciples, and I want you to love one another.

In like manner, Arthur W. Pink quotes a writer named Scott who expresses it this way. Love was now explained with new clearness enforced by new motives and obligation illustrated by a new example and obeyed in a new matter. So from that standpoint it is new because it is greatly expanded.

It is lifted up to new heights and that this love is to be in the same manner in which Jesus loved his own.

In fact, this love is possible only by the work of the indwelling spirit in God's people now August and there is unnatural love, even among unbelievers is a love that of husband and wife may have for each other. Love the parents have for children without that natural love society could not exist, but this is something far deeper love one another. How can I do that, say, some people are just not easing along with some people have difficulty liking much less loving. But here's the command given by Jesus. Romans chapter 5 of the fifth verse says, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts with the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

This is what makes the difference. This is a love that can only be experienced for the child of grace is because the love of God is put in the heart and is shed abroad by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Galatians chapter 5 verse 22.

Love is described as being the fruit of the spirit that here we find something quite interesting. People have a tendency to go to one side of the other. Instead of embracing the balance of truth is laid out in Scripture person reads that love is the fruit of the spirit, so they say. What can I do about it. I don't happen to love this person. I don't have a lot of love in my heart that's just my makeup. I guess if God wants me to love more. I'll have to wait until he moves upon meeting with the Holy Spirit and that fruit is born, but right on the other side of the register is the command. Jesus says this is a new commandment I command you to love one another as I have a hard time putting those together that comes back to the same concept we talked about the matter of prayer. If God is sovereign in God's promise something a person why pray with a reason to pray because God said to pray his divine providence on God's work. On one hand, here's our accountability and responsibility. On the other that we are to pray without ceasing. It is a fact that if this love is fully manifested in the believer's life. It will be the result of the work of the Holy Spirit, and yet you are commanded to love.

Love one another. It is a command that is given by our team, King Jesus as King. He has the right to give us such a commandment.

This isn't some kind of a rule that might be arbitrary rule but Mike be satisfactory in one setting and not in another. This is Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of lords, giving us a commandment that we are obligated as his followers to overlay first John chapter 3 verse 23 and this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and to love one another as he gave us commandment. And that's an interesting point. He is telling us to love and at the same time he says to believe on the name of the son, we know that if indeed a person believes on the name of the Sunday does so because he had been given faith. Faith is the gift of God, but nevertheless here is a commandment to believe on and if you love you love the cause of the working of the Spirit in you and yet here is a commitment, love, King of the kingdom then has given us this commandment is not something that we can ignore is not something that you can just say, well, I wish I had more love. I wish I was a better person and then go on your way. Merely forgetting about no if you're a follower of the king. If you're a part of his kingdom. He commands you love one another.

First Peter chapter 1 verse 22 seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth of the spirit onto the thing love the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently it'll just love one another and maybe get some expression of it from time to time. Your tongue love fervently. This is something of which are to be consumed gets to be a way of life is not just a kind gesture periodically. That's the way you think it's the way you live is the way you treat other people that you are to love toward us commandment given by the king and then it is commandment given by our Savior as Savior. He came to save us from our sin. If we fail to love were sitting there opposite of love is hate. Of course now somebody might tell I would go so far to say I hate anybody you at the same time. Can't say I love failing to keep this commandment is a sin. Titus chapter 2 verse 14 Titus chapter 2 verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, peculiar people, zealous of good works here then is our Savior who came to redeem us who came to save us from our sins as our Savior as one who has us from the depths of iniquity, he says we are to love so this gives great importance to the whole matter that Jesus Christ, the one that we claim to be following the one who is our king, the one who is our Savior says here's my commandment, you are to love one another. First John chapter 3 verse 14 we know that we have passed from death on the life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abided in death. Here's the evidence that we passed from death on the life here's evidence that your child of God that you love one another and the one who does not love his brother abided in death makes it a pretty serious matter is not.

It's a defining matter as to whether one is indeed a true follower of Jesus Christ.

So we first see a commandment. Secondly, we see an example Jesus is the example he didn't just give us a command to love people to show us how to do it because he says I want to love one another as I have loved you, isn't the situation where you can just write down certain concepts about what it means to you to love. Now he is the example.

Now Jesus loved so much in depth so sincerely that he loved, by serving others.

Matthew chapter 20 verse 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for he came to give himself. He came taking upon himself the form of a servant, and just prior to this account in the 13th Of the gospel of John.

He had displayed that by watching his disciples feet. Think of it, the crater of the world, King of Kings and Lord of lords came here in humility came here as a servant. So if we're going to love as love we going to have to have the mind and attitude of a servant hood have to be concerned about other people interested in their welfare willing to minister to them.

Jesus set a high standard. He loved his disciples intensely showed constant concern for their welfare.

He was interested in every detail of their life. Interested to know what they were thinking what their interests were what their questions were love them.

He love them so he instructed them he was constantly taking time to teach them to train them to counsel them when they drew the wrong conclusions he confronted the situation they can ignore it didn't have this attitude that sometimes people develop that if I really love somebody I can never confront them know if they're going down the wrong path. I need to be lovingly confronted and Jesus set that kind of example he prayed for them.

You have the time that he told them to get on board the ship although he knew that they were going to face a storm. He had a purpose and all that but while they were out on the sea, being tossed about the angry waves.

Jesus is back on the shore doing what praying for them.

He prayed for them. He prayed with them demonstrating genuine love. He was patient with them when they did not understand something that happened rather frequent.

In fact, in the very next chapter. Here we find one of the examples of a chapter 14 of the gospel of John. Verse eight Philip saith to him, Lord, show us the father and it suffices us. Jesus saith to him, have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Philip, he that hath seen me hath seen the father and how sayest thou then, show us the father is like to say this.

I've been with you all this time I been teaching you and do you not realize that when you see me using the father but each patient with it continues to love them and as John 13, Juan said, having loved his own.

He loved them to the end. He didn't give up on them because of their failures and shortcomings because their misunderstandings and their incorrect conclusions. He continued to love them.

John Newton who wrote amazing Grace was known as a man of tremendous love and great patience. I suppose the realization that the Lord had rescued him from such a terrible pit of sin made him forever grateful and extremely kind and generous to others. Nothing about being patient did not find it difficult at times to be patient with those who disagree with you is a lot easier to feel good about somebody feel good about your friendship with them. If you are on the same page. Great that's great.

What's your spirit and attitude toward those that might hold another point of view. John Newton penned these words, I have been 30 years forming my own view and in course of this time some of my hills have sunk and some of my values have risen, but how unreasonable within me to expect all this should take place in another person and that in the course of a year or two, surely we can join with him when we look back over our struggles in life and think how many times we may have come to realize that we held the position that was not valid is not the sound we had to make some adjustments. It will happen. We expect that everybody that we meet is going to immediately be on the same page with us about everything as though we can't be patient knowing it's taken us a while to get where we are is no doubt still things we have to learn the errors that we have to refute old to have that kind of patience Christ example is repeatedly set forth for us, not just for the words we find in our text, but throughout the New Testament want to know how to love you look to Christ who is the example Ephesians chapter 5 verse two. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us enough given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor to walk in love, live by the principle of love, understanding that Christ loved us. He gave himself for us. He was a sacrifice offered of the God is a sweet smelling savor. So that's on the basis of his offering his sacrifice that now we are accepted by God.

What love is.

This verse 25 of the same chapter he says. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

Once example how how is it that you are to love. Love, even as Christ loved the church how much he loved the church and gave himself for it. It would willing to go to the cross laid out his life suffer the pain and anguish was imposed upon them at Calvary. This is the kind of love is talking about Colossians chapter 3 verse 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye heirs example you are to be a forgiving person while anytime somebody said well I guess I just can't forgive. In this instance, I been so deeply hurt. I been harmed so terribly. I have been dealt with unfairly have been slandered cannot forgive when a minute. How has God forgiven you, as God just selected certain sins that were not so terribly offensive and say I will forgive you those, but I'm holding the others against you know, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us.

We are to forgive others.

You can't say that you love, you can't say that you're following the pattern.

An example of Christ.

If you harbor bitterness and resentment and failed to forgive and move on long will love all is in when we consider the love of our Savior Jesus Christ and how amazing his grace really use that he forgives us has fallen ruling washes us, cleanses us, puts our sin away, but certainly Ben should make easy to forgive those who are forgiven people don't like to forgive others way we wear that bad of discipleship displaying love to those about how to we greet you again next time the suit was Sarah Bradley, Junior, saying that God richly bless you know you and