Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 70, 1911

Sermon/Thoughts on John 15

Los Angeles, California (Carr St. Church)

April 22, 1911

Previously unpublished.

John 15:1, 2. So when the pruning comes it is a trial that will in some way lead you to God. You will find out in regard to Him, and will have an improved experience. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 1

Verses 3-5. It is impossible to abide in the vine and not bear the same fruit that the vine bears, and the evidence that you can give that you are abiding in the vine is to study the Word of God diligently and draw from the throne of grace that power and strength that Christ alone can give you. You cannot cease your prayers in private and yet be nourished so that you will bear the fruit that the vine bears. So we shall every one testify by our words, by our influence, by our works, if we are in the true vine. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 2

Verses 5-7. Now if you are fruitless, you see that you alone are to blame because you do not take the advantages that are within your reach. You let other things take your mind and absorb your thoughts. You cannot afford it now because Satan is working with all his power to divert your minds, and you cannot afford to lose any opportunity to strengthen the spiritual powers and to draw from the Source of all strength day by day. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 3

Verse 7. Here is your strength. Here is the promise of the Father and of the Son; here are the Father and the Son that work harmoniously to perfect the character of every living soul. Then understand that when temptation comes you are not to yield to it, but turn in the opposite direction. What a promise! God help us to take it in. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 4

The Lord help us to praise His holy name as we understand that promise. And then you go before God, and you educate yourselves in the faith, so that you may fulfill the requirements of God, and so that if you have children you may exert an influence that is in harmony with Christ’s teachings, to educate and train and discipline your children. Why, you are accountable for the souls of your children. It is to educate them, to train them, to watch for them; it is to keep you own hearts in the love of God, and more than this, you are not to let a hasty word nor an impatient action be seen by your children, because you are their directors. You are educating your children for that life which measures with the life of God. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 5

God wants every father and mother to take their children and train them and teach them patiently. Not a passionate word is to be allowed to escape your lips. The tone of your voice is to be under the discipline of the Spirit of God. There is to be no quarreling with your children. There is no sense in it. You just take them before God and talk with them and plead with them. I have felt that if I should get in a passion before my children I should be worse than they, very much, because parents are educators. You want to so discipline your children that they will understand that “mother know all about it, and father knows all about what I need spiritually.” If they are Christians they will understand. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 6

Not an impatient word should go from the lips of father or mother. If they hear impatient words from father and mother, they will feel that they are justified in their impatient course of action. You cannot afford it. There is too much at stake. The eternal life of your children is hanging in the balance. Who is prepared to lay hold of the divine power that He has promised to give to those that shall walk faithfully and do His work? What is a greater work any parent can do than to give the children an education in regard to their future immortal life? What can be greater? And do you think they will love you any the less? They may think that you require too much of them, and they may at times get impatient. But you stand right to the truth of God as He has told you, to bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is the nurture and the admonition that blend and do the work. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 7

It is the nurture the children should have, and then the admonition, and yet you can kneel right down and pray with them, and you should, every time that they do wrong. Take them right away by themselves and let them see that mother knows they need help. And many times, when you have to correct your children, they will break right down, as those that I have taken to discipline and brought up and fed and clothed. Just tell them that the Lord Jesus knows all about what they are doing. Fathers and mothers themselves need the discipline of patience and kindness. It will do a great deal more than the rod if you just show that you want to help and bless them. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 8

Fathers and mothers have a wonderful responsibility. You cannot afford to spend your time in idle talk with visitors. The children are not to be neglected, for they are the very ones that need your encouragement or reproof, not in anger, but to tell them there is One that sees all they do. There is One that knows all that you think, and now you want to so conduct yourselves that the Lord can look upon you and bless you, and can look upon me as having discharged my duty to my children. Now this work is so neglected that I felt that if I ever spoke here in this church again I would certainly present some of these things to you. And then, let me tell you, when you speak so patiently and kindly, and when your tears flow, it melts the heart. Fathers and mothers never need to discipline or correct in anger. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 9

Children, I speak to you, dear children, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that Christ gave His precious life that you might perfect a Christian character and that you might be welcomed at last into the city of God. Why, there is a city waiting for you. There is a kingdom and there is a crown and there is a harp, and you are to sing to the Redeemer’s praise. It is a wonderful preparation that God has made for you, children. And the parents should be diligent not to allow an evil habit to be encouraged in their children. Ask the Lord to let His blessing rest upon the children that you love so well, but never take them and shake them as I have seen done right in meeting. It is a wicked thing. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 10

Verse 7. What greater promise can we have than this, to bring it right to the Lord, and tell Him you read it in His Word. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 11

Verses 7-11. If you follow on to know the Lord, you shall know that His going forth is prepared as the morning. More and more, brighter and brighter, will be your experience. And as far as the giving way to passion is concerned, why, you would feel that that would imperil the welfare of your children. You give them an example which it would be very sad for you to see the outcome of. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 12

Verse 8. And if we not seek God now, when we can have His power and His grace and the wisdom that He will impart to us, we shall be deficient in experience in every line. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 13

Verses 7, 8. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, “so shall ye be my disciples,” and the children will learn of the parents. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 14

Verse 9. What a comparison! 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 15

Verse 10. Wonderful representation! Some may say it is not possible. I know it is. I have taken the children who had nothing but the rod put to them, and I want to tell you that I know that if the right influence was exerted there would be many more Christian families than there are today. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 16

Verse 11. And if we were all full of the joy of Christ, what an influence should we exert in the world. What an influence should we exert in the church! What we need is religion, Christian righteousness. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 17

Verses 12-14. Now bear that in mind. There is an “if” there. Have you made known to your children all the impressions and light that God has given you to carry you through with your management of your children? If you have not, do not leave it for another day. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 18

Verse 15. He is talking with His disciples, and of course that testimony should be brought right into our household. Not a passionate word is to pass our lips, because the devil is standing right by to take advantage of it and to make impressions upon the minds of our children if we speak unadvisedly. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 19

Verse 16. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 20

Now it is the fruit that God is looking for, to be produced wherever you are. In whatever city you are, you are to bear fruit. There is to be not a passionate word, and more than this, you are to encourage godliness and you are to represent Christ in words and character wherever you are. There is no need for you to feel that it is a hardship if you have to control an ugly temper. Ask the Lord to give you patience. And then the children can tell their parents that they have displeased the Lord and displeased them, and ask the Lord to forgive them. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 21

What a work could be done in our cities if this work was carried on in our homes. The children could work with the parents, and then you would have a message that would be of value to speak to those assembled together. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 22

Verse 17. Who is it that commands this? The One who gave His life for the saving of souls. Now He says, “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 23

Verses 17-19. Yes, the young people will have companions that will be very much displeased if they will cling to principle, if they will not give up principle, if they will hold fast to principle. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 24

“If ye were of the world, ... therefore the world hateth you.” [Verse 19.] Why? Because you will not do the very things that would win your souls away from truth and righteousness. You cannot afford it. You are working for a crown. You are working, every one of you we hope, for a crown, for an immortal crown that shall be given you when the gates of the city of God shall be swung back upon their glittering hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth shall enter in. Each of us is to work out our salvation with fear and with trembling. You cannot allow this precious time to pass and you not be laying up a hope big with immortality and full of glory. It is your privilege now. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 25

Verses 19-27. Now, this is the fifteenth chapter of John, and we want you to take it in. I will not follow along these subjects, because I think I have said enough. But I want that the words that I have spoken shall make some impression on the human mind. I want that the light of heaven shall so illuminate the mind that the soul is uplifted and strengthened. God is glorified by your obedience, by your words, by your works. I want you to examine this chapter, and I want you to plead with God for His converting power to rest upon your minds. Who is impressed today with the words that the voice of the feeble instrument has presented before you? It is the Bible, but who, I ask you, will pledge themselves that they will look upon conversion in a different light; conversion from sin, conversion from all that is evil, and place themselves where the light of heaven can be reflected upon them and they can reflect the same upon others? 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 26

We do plead with you that you shall make a decided influence. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and all the children are to work harmoniously. For what?—for an entrance. “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” [2 Peter 1:11.] Now I want to ask, Who will begin here today? How many will from this day forth make a determined effort that they will win heaven at the loss of all things, that they want eternal life above everything else? We have not a minute to lose. Who will pledge themselves to make a decided effort to follow on to know the Lord, that they may know that His going forth is prepared as the morning? Whoever will do this understandingly, will you please stand upon your feet? (Congregation arose.) 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 27

[Prayer:] Heavenly Father, we come to Thee at this time, and we ask Thee that this manifestation of those who have risen to their feet that they will seek the Lord in accordance with the testimony Thou hast given me to bear—I ask Thee, Lord, to give them strength. I ask Thee, Lord, to let the heavenly power make the impression. Encircle them in Thy wondrous grace, and may they recognize that Christ has given His life that they might be partakers of the divine nature and have a right to the tree of life. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 28

Wilt Thou bless this congregation this morning. Wilt thou bless, this morning, and wilt Thou give grace that we every one of us need to perfect a Christian character. Wilt Thou open our understanding that we may see light in Thy light, and that we may carry on a work of reform. They never, never will be ashamed of it when they come up to the city of our God, but will look up and see what they promised by this upstanding vote. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 29

And now we ask Thee that these may give their lives wholly to God, and Thou wilt accept them. Let them see and understand, and may their hearts be all broken before Thee, and the light of heaven shine into the hearts of the parents and the hearts of the children and of brothers and sisters, that the whole household may be a household that fears God and will not abuse the mercies of God, for the converting power of God is seeking for their reformation. Lord, bless them here today, I pray Thee, and Thy blessed name shall have all the glory. Amen. 25LtMs, Ms 70, 1911, par. 30