Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)

Ms 141, 1908

Sermon/Lessons from John 15

Healdsburg, California

November 15, 1908

Previously unpublished.

John 15:1. “Purgeth it.” Now consider this, how they come in their order. Verse 2. What does He mean by purging it? He permits trials to come to these very ones that they shall seek Him in their trials, and that they shall have the refinement and purification of His Holy Spirit. He says He purgeth it. He causeth some trial to come upon them. He taketh away anything that would seem to be a hindrance, that they think is an advantage. Sometimes we think that things are an advantage when they are not. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 1

Verses 3, 4. Now let us bear that in mind, abiding in Christ, seeking to understand His will, that you may do His will. If we will abide in Him, then He will give light, He will let them discern what the hindrances are to prevent their abiding in Him so that they will be very careful of the privileges that God is giving them. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 2

Verses 5-7. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord for this advantage, for this promise. And be sure and not forget it, because when we get into some trial we frequently lose sight of the precious promise. Now, we want to keep in view every word of encouragement that Christ was giving to His disciples just prior to His leaving them, and prior to His great affliction. He does not keep before them all the time the great sufferings He was going to go through, but He was gathering all the comforts, all the blessings that He could bring before them, that they shall bring to their minds the last lessons that He gave them. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 3

Verse 7. Precious, precious promise. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 4

Verse 8. The fruit bearing. Now we want to be sure that we are bearing fruit to the glory of God. We do not wish to consult our own feelings; we do not wish to be depressed if we feel that a discouragement comes upon us. We are not to allow ourselves to be depressed, because the promises are for us, and we are to take them. We are to rejoice in the promises, and we are to be made glad in Jesus Christ. Why, it is everything to us whether we are in a living connection with Jesus Christ, or not. It is everything. And if we do not always feel that we are in an exalted position of enjoyment, that is no evidence that we are not the Lord’s. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 5

Trials will come upon us. Others’ trials will come upon us; as we see that there is danger, any danger to any of Christ’s disciples, we shall feel sad, we shall feel grieved and distressed. But we can go to them just as Christ has told us in the early part of the history, and just tell your difficulties or tell how you feel between Him and you alone. And then you may be reconciled to your brother or your sister, and they to you. You may remove a great difficulty out of their way by a little explanation, so that you can be in harmony. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 6

Verse 8. Now what is our fruit? Our fruit is to reveal an abiding Christ in our hearts and [to have] His works revealed in our characters, that we are in harmony with Christ and that His blessing is resting upon us. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 7

Verse 9. Just see the comparison. The Father loving the Son. Now such words of instruction as these should be of great importance and value to every soul. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 8

Verses 9, 10. Now you see, He keeps Himself ready as it were, that we must be right in harmony with His experience, and He is telling you what His experience is and we must appreciate it, and we must consider these lessons of the highest value to us, and that we may know what course to pursue when tried and tempted and afflicted. Here we have our lessons. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 9

Verse 11. O, how careful He was to guard every point of the union of the disciples with Him, and the union of Christ with His disciples, and how precious these things are to be to us when we come and ask the Lord for the very things that we need. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 10

Verse 11. And if Christ’s joy remains in us that which rejoiced His heart is upon us, that your joy might be full. It is a living connection with the living, tenderhearted God. Jesus Christ is our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the Father with us. God is the Father, and there is the link of the chain brought right down to bind His children in connection with the Father. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 11

Verses 11, 12. What a representation is that! Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 12

Now the main thing in all this chapter is that Christ has died on the cross of Calvary to save the perishing that they might have eternal life. Just let us consider these things. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 13

Then it means a good deal what we are doing day by day. We are to watch the tone of our thoughts, and we are to watch the words that we speak. We are to watch unto prayer. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 14

Verses 15, 16. Now here He is trying to bind us up in the faith through Jesus Christ and obedience to His requirements. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 15

Verses 17-19. Why? Because they will not follow in the path of transgression and disobedience so as to offend God. They hate the disciples. There are those that do have hatred in their hearts. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 16

Verses 20-23. Now here He gives the portion of His work. Verse 24. Because they are one, and we are to be one in Christ, through Christ in God to do that obedience that Christ has given to the Father, to have that honor that the Father giveth the Son. Verses 25-27. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 17

Now here we have a chapter that we would do well to practice. We shall walk humbly with God. We shall not be exalted. We shall not climb up, climb up on our own merits, but we will hide our life Christ Jesus, and when we see how He walked in this world, we need make no mistake. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 18

Now, I want that every one of us in this church shall understand their responsibilities to God. I want everyone that is here to feel whatever the circumstances are, if you be broken up, or whatever the circumstances are, we are to put our trust in God. He will care for us. And we must have a living experience in the things of God every day. It becomes us to hang our helpless souls upon Jesus Christ, and unless we do that, then we shall certainly fail. He says in this chapter, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman, every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.” Verses 1, 2. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 19

Now, we want a living experience in the things of God. We want all the mists and clouds of darkness swept away. We may be a people that shall be tried, but in the trial, whatever character it is, we are not to lose our hold on God. No. We are to remember that God lives, that He is our Helper, that He is our strength, that He is our Friend, front guard, and our rereward. We want in every way possible to keep the truth in circulation, and to have our minds uplifted to God. He knows every sorrow. He knows what produces it. He know every grief, and He knows what causes that grief. Then can we not cast our helpless souls upon Him? He loves us with a love that is infinite. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 20

The first night that I came here, I had been riding all day, and I was up. I could not sleep after half past two in the morning, and after riding all day, I lay down to sleep. This cheekbone set up. I had an accident years ago with that cheekbone, and the suffering that I have endured at times, I thought had left me. It came on at once upon me, and it seemed to me I should go frantic. I thought I would call Sara, and then it came to me, what can she do for me? She can do nothing for you. Then I knelt down and I told the Lord all about it, and I asked Him to relieve that terrible nervousness, and twitching, and that He would give me relief, for it seemed as though I should lose my senses. I lay down, thinking that perhaps I should not sleep a wink all night. The next morning I woke up; there was a little soreness, but the pain was gone. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 21

Now, the Lord heard my prayer. Just as much had I gone to Sara, I might have thought it was something she had done. But the Lord wanted me to know that He was a living God, that He was my helper, and I want to say to every afflicted soul that is here today, do not lose your hold of the only One that can understand your case, and that can bring you through every trial. I know that the Lord is our God and He wants us to do all that we can. We are to be in communion with God. Ye are laborers together with God. Now let us bear that in mind. All our sorrows, all our griefs, all our perplexities, it is laid upon the Burden-bearer. He gave His life for us, and He wants us to just trust in Him as One that can help us in our necessities. I have felt it decidedly time and again through the years that are past, and I know by experience that I have a living Helper. I know that He will be a Helper to every one of us if we will trust in Him. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 22

Circumstances will occur that we cannot hinder. It seemed as though the enemy was determined to cut us right off from having faith in God. God lives. God reigns, and that which we think may be the most terrible calamity may prove a blessing in the end. Now we want to have that tenderness, that compassion, that Christ had. And we want to love Him and we want to serve Him and we want to bear testimony for Him. We want to honor His name. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 23

Now we are going to pass through I do not know what. In changing the school we do not know what trials may come. But they will come just as sure, they will come. Now put on your armor. Just have a spirit of prayer, and believe that the Lord God is our helper. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 24

Time is very short. We can see by what is being transacted that the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from men. Just in the last paper you see there an attempt to kill one while they were in the trial halls in the court. Anywhere you are, the Spirit of God, unless it restrains the human agent, may reveal to us the dangers and the sufferings that will come. Now let us put our whole trust in God. And let us praise Him for His goodness and His mercy and His longsuffering, and His compassion, and if we do this, we shall see of His salvation. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 25

Now I want others to bear their testimony here, that are here today, and I pray God that when our school [is moved], if God opens the way that it shall be moved—every one will need to pray—that He will take charge of every movement. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 26

I have not been able to sleep nights, considering how we should move, and what we should do. Night after night I cannot sleep after one or two o’clock. And then my time is spent in telling the Lord of our necessities as a people, and begging of Him that not one will fall out by the way. We are His people; we are His children, and therefore we want to glorify His name upon the earth. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 27

Now perhaps there are some here that would like to bear testimony. Here is W. C. White and here is Dores Robinson and here is a people that love God and keep His commandments. We want to draw nigh to God. We want Him to draw nigh to us. We want a living religion, and to act as though we had a Saviour that could sustain us in every trial and in every difficulty. We cannot see the end from the beginning, but God can. And we want to know that He will not afflict us willingly, nor grieve the hearts of the children of men. “Behold what manner of love ... as he is.” [1 John 3:1, 2.] As a living Saviour, He will reward every man or woman according to their works. Then let us be careful what our work shall be. God help us. But we want to remember what manner of love the Father has bestowed us that we should be called the children of God. 23LtMs, Ms 141, 1908, par. 28