Servants or Friends

God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility:

15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

True Disciples:

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Servants or Friends:

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

World will Hate:

18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

World will Persecute:

 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.

World will Reject:

 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures[a]: ‘They hated me without cause.’

The Role of Holy Spirit:

26 “But I will send you the Advocate[b]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.

The Role of Servants or Friends:

 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.

After restoring Peter with the words, “Feed My sheep,” Jesus immediately revealed the true cost of discipleship. He told Peter that while in his youth he lived freely, a time would come when others would “stretch out his hands” and lead him where he did not wish to go — signifying the manner of his death that would glorify God. Through this, Jesus showed that following Him meant total surrender, even unto suffering and death. Yet, after revealing this cost, Jesus lovingly reaffirmed the same invitation He gave at the beginning: “Follow Me.” Verses: John 21:18–19

Peter’s journey came full circle — from a fisherman called to follow, to a shepherd called to lay down his life. True discipleship, as Jesus taught Peter, is not about comfort or control, but about faithful obedience that glorifies God even in sacrifice.

God’s heart is not hidden from those who walk closely with Him.
To the prophets, He reveals His plans; to the reverent, He shares His secrets; and like true friends, He opens His heart. To know God’s heart is the highest privilege of faith — it comes through obedience, intimacy, and friendship with Jesus.

“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” — Amos 3:7 

From the beginning, God has chosen to make His heart known to those who serve Him faithfully. He does not act in secrecy but delights in sharing His divine purposes with His people — those who listen, obey, and walk in reverence.

“The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant” — Psalm 25:14

To “fear the Lord” is not to cower in dread, but to honor Him deeply. God reveals His inner thoughts to such hearts — He shares His covenant secrets with those who seek purity, humility, and devotion. Intimacy with God grows through obedience and reverence.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” — John 15:15–16

Jesus takes this relationship even deeper — from servant to friend. Through Christ, we are invited into divine friendship, where revelation flows from love. Those who remain in Him bear fruit, because they live in continual awareness of His will and heart.

From Enoch’s walk to Noah’s obedience, from Abraham’s friendship to Moses’ service, from David’s passion to Daniel’s revelation, and from Job’s endurance to the prophets’ reflection, each of these men teaches that intimacy with God grows through faith, obedience, and purity of heart.

Throughout Scripture, God revealed His heart to those who sought Him with faith, obedience, and intimacy. Each of these men reflected a unique dimension of walking with God — from pleasing Him to understanding His mysteries.

God still reveals His heart today — not to the proud or distant, but to those who walk closely, listen deeply, and live faithfully before Him.

Jesus’ journey from Gethsemane to the cross shows that waiting in faith is not passive — it is powerful.

He taught us 

• to watch while waiting through prayer, 

• serve while waiting through love, and 

• hope while waiting through surrender.

Every disciple is called to practice this same faith — 

• to wait with eyes on God, 

• hands ready to serve, and 

• a heart full of hope in His resurrection power. 

Faithful & Wise Servant: Mathew 24: 45-51

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food [i]in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 

Evil Servant:

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying [j]his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 

Judgement:

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Approved and Disapproved Workers: 2 Timothy: 2:14-26

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [d]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [e]idle babblings, for they will [f]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [g]Christ depart from iniquity.”

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, [h]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

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