Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Sunday, August 29, 2010Sunday, August 29, 2010

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

John 15:15John 15:15

XI. Slavery vs. XI. Slavery vs. FriendshipFriendship..

1. “No longer do I call 1. “No longer do I call you slaves.” you slaves.”

The Slave isThe Slave is::

• Limited in rights and privileges, Limited in rights and privileges, thinking and actions.thinking and actions.

• Carries out the will and purpose Carries out the will and purpose of and depends on others to pro-of and depends on others to pro-vide protection and sustenance.vide protection and sustenance.

2. “For the slave does not 2. “For the slave does not know what his master is know what his master is

doing.”doing.”

A slave does what he is A slave does what he is told without understanding told without understanding

his master’s mind or his master’s mind or business.business.

““Knowledge is power!” Knowledge is power!” The more knowledge you The more knowledge you

have of God and His Plan for have of God and His Plan for your life, the more power you your life, the more power you will have over your own life, will have over your own life, your sin nature and Satan’s your sin nature and Satan’s

Cosmic System.Cosmic System.

3. “But I have called you 3. “But I have called you friends.”friends.”

LEGO - Perfect, Active, LEGO - Perfect, Active, Indicative: “to say or address”. Indicative: “to say or address”.

Because of the relationship Because of the relationship Jesus has had with them, they Jesus has had with them, they

are currently are currently designateddesignated as as “His friends.” “His friends.”

PrinciplesPrinciples: : 1) The privilege of friendship 1) The privilege of friendship is being made acquainted with is being made acquainted with the plans, wishes, and desires the plans, wishes, and desires

of your friend.of your friend.

2) The traditional Greek 2) The traditional Greek concept of friendship concept of friendship emphasized equality emphasized equality among companions.among companions.

3) Friendship includes loyalty 3) Friendship includes loyalty (sometimes to the death), (sometimes to the death),

equality and mutual sharing of equality and mutual sharing of all possessions, plus an all possessions, plus an

intimacy in which a friend intimacy in which a friend could share everything in could share everything in

confidence.confidence.

4) Friends love each other 4) Friends love each other and help each other. and help each other.

5) The obedience that Christ 5) The obedience that Christ asks from us is not that of asks from us is not that of the slave, but of the friend. the slave, but of the friend. Because we are His friends Because we are His friends and abide in Him, we know and abide in Him, we know

His will and share His His will and share His secrets.secrets.

6) Jesus called His disciples 6) Jesus called His disciples friends as a result of making friends as a result of making

them acquainted with the them acquainted with the reasons why He was about to reasons why He was about to

leave them, and with His leave them, and with His secret (mystery) doctrines for secret (mystery) doctrines for

the Church Age. the Church Age.

4. “For all things that I have 4. “For all things that I have heard from My Father I heard from My Father I

have made known to you.”have made known to you.”

4. “For all things that I have 4. “For all things that I have heard from My Father I heard from My Father I

have made known to you.”have made known to you.”

A reference to the thinking of A reference to the thinking of God that Jesus learned in His God that Jesus learned in His humanity and revealed to His humanity and revealed to His

disciples.disciples.

GNORIZO. Aorist, Active, GNORIZO. Aorist, Active, Indicative. “To come to know, Indicative. “To come to know,

disclose, to make known.” disclose, to make known.”

The Ingressive Aorist The Ingressive Aorist emphasizes emphasizes entrance into the entrance into the action or state. He began to action or state. He began to

make known the whole make known the whole realm of mystery doctrine realm of mystery doctrine

for the Church Age. for the Church Age.

John 15:15, John 15:15, “I no longer designate you all bond-“I no longer designate you all bond-servants, for the bond-servant does servants, for the bond-servant does not know what his master is doing. not know what his master is doing. To the contrary, I have designated To the contrary, I have designated

you all friends (loved ones). For you all friends (loved ones). For everything I heard from My Father everything I heard from My Father I have begun to make known to you I have begun to make known to you

all.”all.”

PrinciplesPrinciples::1) This is similar to what is 1) This is similar to what is

said of our Lord’s said of our Lord’s relationship with Moses in relationship with Moses in

Ex 33:11.Ex 33:11.

Ex 33:11,Ex 33:11, “Thus the LORD used to “Thus the LORD used to

speak to Moses face to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks face, just as a man speaks

to his friend.”to his friend.”

2) The disciples were, (and 2) The disciples were, (and you and I can be), friends you and I can be), friends of Jesus Christ, because of of Jesus Christ, because of the Lord’s disclosure of the the Lord’s disclosure of the

thinking of the Father.thinking of the Father.

3) Jesus Christ has 3) Jesus Christ has communicated to them communicated to them Bible doctrine and also Bible doctrine and also desires to communicate desires to communicate

His doctrine to us.His doctrine to us.

4) GAP was designed by 4) GAP was designed by God so that Jesus Christ God so that Jesus Christ could communicate His could communicate His

thinking, His Word to us. thinking, His Word to us. 1 Cor 2:16; 2 Cor 4:71 Cor 2:16; 2 Cor 4:7

5) The reason why He called 5) The reason why He called them friends was that He had them friends was that He had now treated them as friends. now treated them as friends. Therefore, it was proper that Therefore, it was proper that He should give them the title. He should give them the title. He desires the same for you He desires the same for you

and me.and me.

Grace OfferingGrace Offering

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

Sunday, August 29, 2010Sunday, August 29, 2010

Tape # 10-094Tape # 10-094

Friendship with God, Part 8 Friendship with God, Part 8 Upper Room Discourse, Part 408Upper Room Discourse, Part 408

John 15:15; Ex 33:11; 2 Cor 4:1-12 John 15:15; Ex 33:11; 2 Cor 4:1-12 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010