Sermon Tone Analysis

Here we are in the middle of winter.

It is that time of year when there are no leaves on the trees and no budding flowers in bloom outdoors.

There are no apples growing on the trees in the orchard and no ears of corn forming on cornstalks in the fields.

Even so, I am starting us off in a new sermon series with a passage about growing plants and fruit.

But I also think this time of year during the winter provides a good observation that trees and flower bulbs in the ground are not dead just because there are no blooming leaves at this exact moment.

All summer long the leaves on a tree take the sunlight and carbon dioxide and together with water pulled up from the roots turn that into glucose which feeds the tree and gives it the nutrients to survive.

During the winter months trees keep thriving off those stored up nutrients tucked down underground in the roots.

And in the springtime, when the weather turns warmer again, the roots send those nutrients back up the branches so that the tree can bud new leaves and start the process all over again.

Roots are the essential part of the plant.

Branches and limbs that are broken off cannot continue to grow and thrive.

But it is amazing how a tree can be completely cut down at the trunk, but after some time that trunk in the ground begins sprouting up new branches—the roots survive and keep growing.

There are nutrients for a plant that come from being rooted which cannot come from anywhere else.

Let’s take a look in these coming few weeks at what it means for us to be people who have a faith that is rooted.

And there is no better place for us to begin than the words of Jesus about growing vines.

John 15:5–17 (NIV)

Fellowship Church is beginning a process called the Church Renewal Lab.

It is a two-year process and we have put together a team that is a few months into the beginning steps.

The Church Renewal Lab is a collaborative program, which means that our team is paired together with eight other churches throughout North America all going through this renewal process at the same time—we learn from each other as we consider what renewal means and looks like each in our own individual context.

semper reformada — that we are people always being reformed; that God is continually working and moving in our hearts through the Holy Spirit to mold and shape our lives more and more into the image of Christ

This is a good time of year for me to turn and focus our attention as a congregation on this idea of renewal.

People often use the start of a new year to make resolutions and consider ways they might make improvements in life—whether it is to get in shape with a little more exercise, or developing some healthier eating habits, or picking up a new hobby, or planning a trip to take in the coming year.

Many of us tend to give at least a little bit of thought and attention towards some kind of renewal at the start of a new year.

So, let me take us through some considerations in these coming weeks on the topic of a renewing faith-life in the context of a renewing congregation.

It is famously said of the Reformed tradition of the church using the Latin words semper reformada that we are people always being reformed; that God is continually working and moving in our hearts through the Holy Spirit to mold and shape our lives more and more into the image of Christ.

often renewal takes the form of change

Now then, often renewal takes the form of change.

We make New Year’s resolutions because we see parts of ourselves that we would like to change.

And there is no way of getting around the reality that churches in North America today need to change in order to effectively accomplish the mission Christ gave for the church.

Our Renewal Lab team here is currently reading a book about the explorers Lewis and Clark who were tasked with going up the Missouri River to find the fabled Northwest Passage—a waterway route that would lead to the Pacific Ocean.

Lewis and Clark began the journey with boats only do eventually discover the Rocky Mountains.

They had to change their methods in order to keep going because boats were useless for crossing mountains.

They stayed focused on the mission, but the surrounding context of their landscape meant they necessarily had to change and adapt their methods in order to keep moving forward.

values we see in scripture which remain constant, features of our faith together as a church which do not change — things that keep us rooted

But here is the thing I want us to consider in these coming weeks; what must remain the same in order for renewal to work and be effective?

Change just for the sake of change does not accomplish much of anything—it is not sustainable.

There are a handful of values we see in scripture which remain constant, features of our faith together as a church which do not change.

Or in other words, things that keep us rooted.

abide — embrace a certain dedication that does not give up; to remain in one place or consistently moving in one direction

The feature I want us to consider today that keeps us rooted is the value of abiding.

Author and theologian Eugene Peterson wrote a book about this idea of abiding in our faith, and the title of the book says it well.

Peterson titled the book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.

To abide means we embrace a certain dedication that does not give up.

Abiding means we see it through to the end.

It means we stay with a project until we see it completed.

It means you stay in the game and keep giving it your best.

And those of you who play on sports teams know that sometimes the game does not go your way and it becomes clear a particular game will be a loss.

But to abide means you see that game through to the end without quitting, still giving your best because you know there will be other games that go better.

story of remaining in the vine teaches us about abiding in faith

In John 15 Jesus tells a story about a vine and branches which teaches us something about a faith that is abiding.

The English word we see over and over again in this passage which tips us in that direction is the word “remain.”

What does Jesus mean for us to understand about remaining in him?

And what does this teach us about the value of abiding?

There are some clues right in the words of this passage.

Take a look at exactly what Jesus instructs his followers to remain in.

Verse 5 – remain in me — abiding in Jesus

connection to our savior Jesus cannot be understated

Verse 5 – remain in me.

Connection to our savior Jesus cannot be understated.

Jesus himself uses imagery in this passage to describe it well.

It is like the branch of a vine connected to the root.

The only way that branch can thrive and grow fruit is by continual connection to the rest of the vine all the way down to the root.

Jesus states this in a way that is non-negotiable.

Being connected to Jesus is not just a suggestion to either choose or ignore.

No, it is clear in these verses that the only way a follower of Jesus is able to thrive and grow spiritual fruit is by remaining connected to Jesus.

Gods is the source of our spiritual nutrients; and only a connection through Jesus brings that spiritual growth into our life.

judges — tendency to only turn attention to God in desperate moments when it is needed; and then completely disconnect from God once it seems convenient to go their own way

I wonder in our world how often we fall into seeing this connection more like a gas station than a growing vine?

What I mean is, doesn’t it seem in our world like God is the place to go only when the fuel in your spiritual tank begins to feel empty.

And then once you check in with God and feel your spiritual strength replenished, then it’s back off on our own way again until the next time we need to refuel.

This seems to be the way many people in our community go about their spiritual lives.

There are people who will only ask for prayer when some circumstance arises and they really need help.

And once the crisis subsides, they turn attention away from God and go along their own way.

But of course, it’s not just our world.

Look at the Old Testament book of Judges.

This was the pattern over and over again with God’s people in Israel.

People all throughout history have had the tendency to only turn attention to God in desperate moments when it is needed; and then completely disconnect from God once it seems convenient to go their own way.

remaining continually in Jesus opens a path of spiritual growth that produces the kind of spiritual fruit God intends for our lives

Verse 7 – if you remain in me, my words remain in you — abiding in scripture

This is where the value of abiding shows up.

Remaining continually in Jesus opens a path of spiritual growth that produces the kind of spiritual fruit God intends for our lives.

That leaves us with a question though.

How do we remain connected continually to Jesus?

What does that abiding look like for us?

The words of this passage help us here as well.

Verse 7 – if you remain in me, my words remain in you.

Abiding in Jesus is directly connected to abiding in the Word of God.

We cannot abide in the Word of God unless we read and know the Word of God.

This is about spending time reading your Bible, plain and simple.

There is no one right way to do it.

You can have individual devotions by yourself; you can be part of a Bible study group that meets; you can join an online Bible reading plan with others.

Abiding with Jesus begins by being in God’s Word as a regular part of your day and your week.

Verse 9 – remain in my love — abiding in obedience (love others)

Verse 9 – remain in my love.

Abiding in Jesus is directly connected to abiding in his love.

Making the most of every opportunity to echo the love of God in the way we live with one another keeps us connected and rooted in Jesus.

Verse 10 goes on to explain that the one who remains in God’s love keeps his commands.

This may seem like a tall order (because the Bible is filled with so many commands—more than we could ever keep), but twice Jesus says in response that his command is one thing: love each other.

All the commands of the Bible are meant to point us in one direction towards one thing: to love as God loves.

Abiding in Jesus never goes wrong when we follow the way of God’s love.

“if” (Greek ean) — are these conditional statements?