More Than Servants

John 15b Testimony Part 3

In verse 15, Jesus says, “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.”  How wonderful it would be to be called “friend,” by Jesus. I think I would not know how to really respond. I remember there was one night around 2010 or 2011 when Roberto, another shepherd, and I were pulled over by cops outside of Missionary John’s house. They were asking Roberto questions as we tried to explain that we were going to our pastor’s house to pray. The guy did not believe that we were doing that because we did not get his full name right. But, then Mary saw us and told Missionary John. He came out and tried to explain to the cops from his front yard that he knew us. He shouted, “Those are my friends!” When I heard that I was really surprised. I had never heard Missionary John call me friend, but on hearing it, I was happy, and whatever the cops were asking Roberto seemed secondary. Eventually the cops let us go. At that time Roberto was dropping me off to pray and they were going to go home, but after that they came with me to pray as well.

Then at my marriage when Missionary John called me his comrade, I was again stunned and happy. If I was so happy at Missionary John considering me his friend and comrade, then I wonder how it would be if Jesus says it to me. I would probably be so stunned that I would not be able to move, and everything around me would just seem frozen in time. Yet I see that if I want to be called Jesus’ friend, then I must invest my time and energy into learning his business. I did not come into the soul saving business on my own, but Jesus took an interest in me and hired me by sending his servant, who taught me the Bible and led me to the fall conference. Before this time, I did not really know too much about what Jesus was doing around the world, let alone what he was doing on my campus or in L.A. Even when I came into the business of serving college students the word of God, I still did not know. In a sense I was just happy to be hired, to have something to work and live for.

Yet God continued to teach me the Bible and show me more and more of his plan so that I would continue to go out and search for new disciples. I hit many walls and dead ends, yet whenever I regrouped with his people, he helped me to pick up new vision and passion. Now, as I come to prayer for my sheep, I really want to know his plans for them. I want to know how to help them specifically. I want to work together with the Holy Spirit in doing this work of raising up shepherds among college students. I do not just want to teach them to only see them fall away, but to have the aim of raising them up as Bible teachers, as shepherds. I want them to meet Jesus personally and have life together with him. I want to help in finishing his work. I want to experience that joy of raising and establishing powerful disciples who would grow up to do even greater works of God then me. It sounds exciting and wonderful and I pray that I would see it happen this year. I learn that I cannot be lazy in this matter, but I have to be hard working. I have to really commit myself to this mission even if it means going to the point of collapse. Somehow, I want to do it together with Jesus. My aim really is to be a friend of Jesus, to know his joys and his pains and his frustrations and wanting to carry even a small fraction of that burden and to be a source of joy to him. I pray that the Holy Spirit may continue to work on my inner character and that I would continue to work to expand his kingdom.

One word: Love each other and be a friend to Jesus.

Joy and Obedience Go Together

Love is Not a Fairy Tale