Characteristics of a Disciple – Part 4

CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISCIPLE IV

John15:14-17

Jhn 15:11  I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.

Jhn 15:12  “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.

Jhn 15:13  No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.

Jhn 15:14  You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you.

Jhn 15:15  I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you[My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.

Jhn 15:16  You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you.

Jhn 15:17  This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

 

Many people claim to follow Jesus, but few truly live as His disciples. In John 15, Jesus gives His disciples a clear vision of what true discipleship looks like—it is not based on emotions, convenience, or personal ambition, but on obedience, purpose, fruitfulness, prayer, and love.

Discipleship is not an accident—it is an intentional calling from Christ Himself. It is a relationship of friendship with Jesus, but that friendship comes with expectations. It is a journey of bearing lasting fruit, not just temporary spiritual highs. It is a position of prayer power, but only when our prayers align with God’s mission. And above all, it is a life defined by unselfish love, the ultimate evidence of a true disciple.

We will explore essential truths about discipleship from John 15:14-17

  1. We are called to friendship – But friendship with Jesus is only for those who walk in obedience.
  2. We are chosen and appointed – Discipleship is not random, but a deliberate act of God’s calling.
  3. We must bear lasting fruit – Our lives should not be marked by temporary success, but by eternal impact.
  4. We have power in prayer – But this power is only unlocked when we pray in alignment with Christ’s will.
  5. We are commanded to love – True discipleship is not proven by knowledge or gifts, but by selfless love.

This is not an invitation to a comfortable Christianity. This is a call to a life-changing discipleship that requires full surrender to Christ.

  • Jesus is showing that true discipleship is about intimacy, trust, and revelation.

 

 Are we merely serving Jesus, or are we truly friends with Him?

Servants (Doulos)                                                     Friends (Philos)

Obey out of duty                                                         Obey out of love

Do not understand the Master’s plans              Know the Master’s heart and purposes

Relationship is task-based                                     Relationship is intimate and personal

Rewarded by service                                                Rewarded by friendship with Christ

Servants receive commands                                 Friends receive revelation

How Do We Move from Servants to Friends? 

  1. Obey out of Love, Not Obligation “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
  2. Seek Deeper Revelation – Spend time in prayer, Word, and fellowship to know God’s heart.
  3. Live in Daily Relationship with Jesus – Friends abide (John 15:4-5), not just serve.

 

  1. True Disciples Are Chosen and Appointed by Christ (John 15:16)

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and appointed you.”

The Divine Initiative in Discipleship

  • The calling of a disciple is not based on human choice, but on divine election. 

Mat 22:14  For many are called (invited, summoned), but few are chosen.”

Rom 8:29  For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.

Rom 8:30  And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].

  • The Greek word for chosen (eklegomai – ἐκλέγομαι) means to be selected for a specific purpose.
  • John 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
  • Ephesians 1:4 – “For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”

Appointed for a Purpose, Not Just Privilege

  • The word appointed (tithēmi – τίθημι) means to be set in place, positioned strategically for impact.
  • Jesus is not merely calling us into salvation, but into a life of mission and fruitfulness.
  • Paul was not just saved; he was appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16).

Appointment Means We Are Set Apart from the World

  • Jesus chooses and appoints His disciples out of the world to live differently.
  • John 15:19 – “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
  • Being appointed means we will not fit into the world’s system because we have a higher purpose.

Appointment Leads to Opposition and Testing

  • Those whom God appoints often go through seasons of testing before stepping fully into their calling.
  • Acts 9:15-16 – “This man (Paul) is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”
    • Joseph was appointed for leadership in Egypt, but first endured betrayal, slavery, and prison (Genesis 50:20).
    • Moses was appointed to lead Israel- But first he needed to be an orphan floating down the nile.
    • Peter was Called to preach and lead-He needed to deny the Lord
    • Jesus Himself was appointed as Savior, but He endured the cross before being exalted (Philippians 2:8-9).
  1. True Disciples Bear Lasting Fruit (John 15:16)

“So that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting.”

The Command to Bear Fruit

  • Jesus connects divine selection with divine expectation—disciples must bear fruit.
  • This is not an option but a result of abiding in Christ (John 15:5).

Matthew 7:16-20 – Mat 7:20  Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

What Is “Fruit” in Biblical Terms?

  1. Christlike Character – The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
  2. Obedience and Righteousness – Fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:11).
  3. Discipleship and Evangelism – Making other disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
  4. Good Works and Service – “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father” (Matthew 5:16).

Fruit That Remains—Eternal Impact

  • The fruit Jesus demands is not temporary excitement but lasting transformation.
  • Many ministries produce hype, but Jesus calls for true discipleship that endures generations.
  • 1 Corinthians 3:12-14 – “Only what is built on Christ will last.”
  1. True Disciples Have Authority in Prayer (John 15:16c)

“So that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you.”

Prayer Aligned with God’s Will

  • True disciples don’t just pray randomly—they pray as Christ’s representatives.
  • 1 John 5:14-15 – “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
  • James 5:16 – “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

The Power of Representation

  • The phrase “in My name” is not a magic formula, but signifies alignment with Christ’s will and mission.
  • Jesus always prayed in unity with the Father (John 11:41-42, Matthew 26:39).
  • True disciples pray with kingdom purpose, not selfish ambition (James 4:3).
  1. True Disciples Walk in Love (John 15:17)

“This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.”

Love Is the Core of True Discipleship

  • Love is not a suggestion—it is a command.
  • John 13:35 – “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
  • 1 John 4:7-8 – “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Unselfish Love—Seeking the Best for Others

  • The Greek word for love here is agape (ἀγάπη), meaning sacrificial, unconditional love.
  • True disciples do not serve for recognition—they love even when it costs them.
  • Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but consider others more important than yourselves.”

Jesus directs us to love unselfishly. 

Loving unselfishly means:
Sacrificing for others.   jn.15:13
Forgiving freely.  Col.3:13
Serving without recognition.  Mk.10:45
Speaking truth in love.  Eph.4:15
Loving even when inconvenient.  Gal.6:9-10
Loving the undeserving.  Lk.6:35

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