The Apostle Paul calls us Jars of Clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). As followers of Jesus we must allow the Word of God to fill us with it's message of Truth and Grace. In this way, we become a "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Monday, December 5, 2016

The Vine - December 4, 2016 sermon






By Pastor Greg

Little Johnny wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he confided in his teacher: “Look,” he said.  "I don't want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don't get better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking."
Little Johnny didn’t realize who was responsible for his grades – who was responsible for his results. And sometimes Christians struggle with the same thing.  They don’t realize who is responsible for bearing fruit in this world.
Seven times in John’s Gospel, Jesus described Himself by saying, “I AM.”  I am the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, the Gate, and The Resurrection and the Life.  In these examples, Jesus says He is the source of life, He watches over believers; He protects them, and provides for them.  However, in the last instance, His role surrounds a believer’s ability to bear fruit.
 (John 15:1-8)  1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.  5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.  7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.[1]
This discussion about Jesus being the vine and Christians being the branches is all part of the Lord’s answer to Judas.  Remember how Judas asked who was going to reveal Jesus to the rest of the world (John 14:22)?  Well, the Lord says those who bear fruit in the world are those who abide in Him.  Jesus tells the apostles that to complete the task they have been given, they must work to keep the relationship open.  Even though Jesus is going away, they cannot simply forge ahead on their own.  Their lives must remain rooted in Him and in what He taught.  They must worship, pray, and meditate on God’s Word (compare Acts 6:2).
Okay, great.  I think I’ve got this.  If a Christian is to bear fruit in this world, then they will need to abide in Jesus.  Does that sound about right?  Yes?  Then if “abiding” and “fruit” are so important, how can I tell if I am bearing fruit or “abiding in Christ?”  I mean, wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of test we could take that lets us know where we stand?  Alright then, let’s take a moment and talk about abiding and bearing fruit.
First, to be an authentic believer, we must make a choice in where we abide.  Yes, it is true.  Abiding is not a salvation term.  You see, abide is a relational term.  Before we met Christ, we were attached to (or Abiding in) the “vine of the earth” (see Revelation 14:18).  We depended on the things of this world for sustenance and satisfaction.  However, once we accept Jesus as our Lord, we must learn to rely on (or Abide in) Him.  And what many don’t realize is that it takes effort on our part to attach ourselves to the “Vine of Heaven.”  We must work to keep it alive.
Former Back to the Bible General Director Warren Wiersbe says certain things happen in our life when we abide in Christ.  “For one thing, when you are abiding in Christ, you produce fruit (John 15:2). Also, you experience the Father’s “pruning” so that you will bear more fruit (John 15:2). The believer who is abiding in Christ has his prayers answered (John 15:7) and experiences a deepening love for Christ and for other believers (John 15:9, 12–13). He also experiences joy (John 15:11)”.[2]
By abiding in Christ, we bear fruit.  And by fruit the Lord means we lead others to a saving relationship with Jesus (Romans 1:13), we grow in holiness and obedience (Romans 6:22 - this is what it means to be pruned by the Father).  We give financially to the ministry of the Church (Romans 15:28), our character is changed (Galatians 5:22-23), and we are willing to serve (Colossians 1:10).  Even the praise from our lips is fruit from a life that abides in Christ (Hebrews 13:15).
So, a true believer (a branch that bears fruit) is someone who maintains an active relationship with Jesus throughout their life.  They help spread the gospel of Jesus and remove any habits and attitudes within them that hinder their Christian witness.  These Christians surrender their lives to the work of God’s Kingdom.  Their attitude and personality are transformed.  These are the believers who truly represent Jesus in this world because they draw their life from the Lord.  And the Lord works through these Christians to transform the world.  The believer who abides in Christ is the one who makes this world a better place.
But … don’t some non-Christians work to make this world a better place?  Yes, they do.  Even people who are not attached to the Vine give to others and make sacrifices in their lives to help the oppressed and the outcast.  It seems their results are similar to those who abide in Christ.  However, please remember that there is a big difference between results and fruit.  Man-made results are dead and cannot reproduce themselves.  Their works do not have within them the seeds to bear more fruit.  But Spirit produced fruit will go on reproducing from one life to another.  A person might earnestly labor to change their community or even change a nation.  And their work and sacrifice might result in better living conditions for those who suffered a tragedy.  But this is not the same as bearing fruit.  A church might organize and plan to get more people to attend.  And their labor and efforts might result in more members.  But this is not the same as bearing fruit.
Jesus says that bearing fruit ultimately leads another individual to the “Vine of Heaven.”  You see, the fruit of a branch benefits others, not the branch itself.  Which means, to successfully bear fruit, we help others to do the same … meaning, they too have attached their lives to Jesus.
Bearing fruit means that our labors for Jesus reproduce.  We bear fruit when we help someone else learn to abide in Christ.  This is the task Jesus has given us.  “I am the Vine, you are the branches,” says Jesus.  It is the branch’s responsibility to bear fruit.  I suspect most of us realize this, but unless our work as a Christian leads other to the Vine, our labors are fruitless.




[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 15:1–8). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 15:1–11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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