Sermon Snippet – A Person You Should Know – Because That Person Is You
INTRODUCTION – During the night before Jesus went to the Cross, He spoke of many things to His disciples. His statement to them in John 15:16a is a statement to all believers in Christ: “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
1. EACH OF US IS ORDAINED
We tend to think of ordination in a technical sense. Paul, for example, was “ordained a preacher, and an apostle” (I Timothy 2:7a). However, the word “ordained” means “set in place” – set precisely in place. Just as Jesus has “chosen” us to be members of the eternal family of God, He has “ordained” us to serve Him in a multitude of ways. Certainly this divine ordination implies an obligation. It also promises positive outcomes (“fruit”). Perhaps we are discouraged by the lack of obvious, visible results at times. Jesus said that this “fruit” will “remain” – that is, that it will last. We do not see everything: rather, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). Our steady movement in the right direction does matter. One thoughtful scholar wrote, “The Christian presents his faith within the context of his daily life.” Jesus may well have “ordained” us to work and live in difficult circumstances and amongst people who are spiritually insensitive or even insensate. We may not see that we make a difference, but Jesus says that we do.
2. EACH ONE OF US IS PLACED IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
I Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” “Set” is the same Greek word as “ordained” in John 15:16. Thus, Jesus not only has ordained us to bring forth fruit but also has specifically ordained each one of us to fulfill certain rules. A body of all noses (even attractive noses) would be a monstrosity! Again, this placement into the body of Christ places us under obligation – to our Savior God and to fellow believers. None of us can long endure being put into a position of failure. If others will not use their gifts for the glory of God, we may find ourselves flailing about unsuccessfully as we endeavor to fill in the gap. We should note that it pleased God when we serve Him as we should. He is good to us and encourages us to press on where He has placed us.
3. EACH ONE OF US IS NOT APPOINTED TO WRATH
I Thessalonians 5:9 proclaims, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Appointed” is the same Greek word found in our previous passages. The context is the coming time of Tribulation, from which Christians will be kept (Revelation 3:10). As such, it is also a picture of our eternal deliverance from judgment to life in heaven with our Savior.
CONCLUSION – John 15:13 also uses the same Greek word: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” It is Jesus Who set His life in place for us on the Cross. He ordained our salvation there. May we trust in Him for eternal life, and may we love to serve Him as He ordains.