Stay Connected

Intro:

In today’s time and context there are a lot of things trying to attach itself to you. You have ideologies, theologies, and societal forces all fighting for a place in your mind and your life. Often times everything is saying they are the truth or the ultimate knowledge, but we discussed last week that Jesus is the way the truth and life. We are all busy or at least most of us not including these retired folks like Bruce Smith and Brother Hester who relish in the fact that they don’t have to do anything. For most of us that’s just not the case. We have jobs and or careers to work. We have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and little cousins who are playing sports. We have groups and or non-profits we work with or volunteer at. We have a lot on our plates, and sometimes these things overlap in our spiritual lives as well. A lot of sports want to have practice on Sunday. This used to not be the case as Sunday was considered the Sabbath set aside for church and family fellowship. Even concerts, shows, and such used to not book Sunday’s because they respected the ideal of church. We even have brunch now becoming more prominent than church in many cities. Now we have a world in which church seems to the last thing on the agenda for many especially in this post pandemic era. Even when we do come to church we are in a hurry to leave, because we have something else more important to do. Some of yall think I am talking to you, but I am preaching to myself too. We can’t let anything cause us to lose our deep, meaningful, real, powerful, and fulfilling connection with Christ. I don’t care what’s trying to take your time and attention STAY CONNECTED TO CHRIST! Tell somebody stay connected!

Text Work:

In the text today Jesus says I am the Vine. Letting his disciples know that he is the source of a full life. Jesus in chapter 14 starkly tells the disciples that time for him is winding up. He informs them that he will not be with them much longer, but he says don’t worry I won’t leave you comfortless. I will send my Holy Spirit who will dwell in you and give you peace within. A peace that man can’t even comprehend. He said to them in John 14:27 let not your heart be troubled neither be afraid, because he knew that their human emotions would immediately go there. After this tough conversation Jesus gets back on track with giving them what I call theological structure. I am the vine your are the branches. See the vine contains the root system and the stem in which everything is connected. The vine gives life and sustenance to the branches. The vine provides the necessary DNA that causes the branches to produce the right fruit in the right season. In order for us to truly understand what Jesus is saying in this text we must recognize who He is and who we are. We are not and never will be the Vine. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. In other words, you always need to know your place. The church and all in it gets in trouble when we get out of place or position. We can’t be judge Jesus is the judge. Everyone can’t be the pastor there is only one pastor. Everyone can be the minister of music there is only one leader of worship, but yet we are all connected to the same vine. If we are all connected to the same vine then we don’t allow division to come in the form of positions which then leads to hierarchy which then leads to jealousy which then leads to bitterness which then leads to death. Watch this now because a branch that is not fruitful is not worth anything to the Vine and is gathered and thrown into the fire. When we get out of place we get disconnected. When we get disconnected we become fruitless or we produce bad fruit. You know Jealousy, Envy, Strife, Hatefulness, Slander, Idolatry, and Sin. When this happens We are only good for the fire. Can I just be real this morning Hell is real and hot. God does not intend for any of us to go there, but if you find yourself in the afore mentioned area then you may want to repent and get it right before it is everlasting too late! If you are disconnected or if you see you are not fruitful repent and get Connected back to Jesus.

Close:

Church let me pause for a moment to suggest something. There is a difference between attached and connected. Can I talk about it real quick. Attachments can be temporary. When you see a truck and a trailer going down the road they are attached, and can be used to accomplish a task. Move furniture or heavy and large items from one place to another. However when you detach them they are still who they are. A truck and a trailer. They are attached when they need each other. That brings me to a quick point be careful with folks who are attached to you. Some folks are only hooked to you in order to get where they are trying to go, but as soon as they get what they want and/or need they are gone! Hello!!! Some of yall are mad about folks who were attached to you, because you couldn’t recognize the attachment, but God is revealing in this day and time folks who are attached to you and folks you should be connected with. Can help a few people in here!?!?!?!?! Some of us are the same way with church. We checking a church box on Sunday. We like and love church as long as it get me what I want or need, but as soon as church doesn’t hit the way I like then we detach ourselves from it. God is asking us a question today are we just attached or are we connected?

The last thing church is we need to be connected not attached. Connection is deeper than attachment. When something is connected it actual becomes what it is connected to. For instance this microphone works real good, but the only way it works is if it is connected. See the sound system has an amplifier the amplifies the signal, but the signal comes from the microphone. Unless the microphone pics up the signal the amplifier and everything connected to it is worthless. Connection is intimate in that that connection only produces what the signal puts out. Watch this now. If we are connected to Jesus then the only signal we should be picking up is Him. Sometimes there are interruptions in the signal. Other frequencies try to interrupt what God is saying through Jesus through the Holy Spirit because of the different filters in us, but when the signal is messed up the microphone is no good. Then we need to throw away the microphone and get a new one. Hold on a minute, but I found out something Church. Sometimes you need to hit the reset button! The reset button which means repentance will wipe out all the other frequencies and get back to the source! When we repent and ask God to forgive us then we get reset our connection to the source. Don’t miss your shout! That’s why Jesus says “7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” When you are connect to the Vine you receive direct benefit from the Vinedresser or the farmer who fertilizes and cares for the vine. When the branches are connected they have no other choice but to be fruitful, because they are connected. Look at your neighbor and say get connected! When you are connected you can received Salvation because Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except by me. When you are connected you can eat the good of the land, because Jesus said I am the bread of life! When you are connected you can rest in protection, because Jesus said I am the Good Shepherd because a shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. You can move forward when you are connected because Jesus said I am the light of the world. If your life your career your worship seems dead I got good news for you get connected because Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life! Even when you seem dead get connected and Jesus the true vine will give you new life.

Church let us be branches and let us be connected to the True Vine of Jesus. Branches are designed to spread out and that’s what Jesus wants us to do is to spread the gospel of good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose on the third day morning to reconnect us to the Father so that one day we can live in eternal rest with him.