All That Remains
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
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, 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, 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, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 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.
Let Us Pray.
Give a background on The Gospel of John.
The definition of abide means: to remain and to continue. In the Greek context here in John 15, it means to dwell in a dwelling place.
There are so many angles this can be preached from, but the way the Holy Spirit gave this to me this week was to take it head on. So let’s start with verse 1:
Point 1: HE IS THE TRUE VINE
Point 1: HE IS THE TRUE VINE
Why do you think He would make it a point to say True Vine? This would imply that there is a false vine or a counterfeit source of strength and energy.
So often we find ourselves attaching to the wrong source and trying to find strength in the wrong thing:
Imagine two water pipes. One is connected to nothing and has no water, the other is connected. Does it matter if you have the best fittings and connectors on earth if you connect to the one with no water? You see.. everything is dependent on being connected to the RIGHT source.
John 15 is the 7th “I AM”statement “ in the Gospel of John. John’s Gospel is arguably the most theological of all the Gospels.
I AM the:
Bread of Life
Light of the World
Door of the Sheep
Good Shepherd
Resurrection and the Life
Way, Truth, and the Life
True Vine.
In each one of these I AM statements, Jesus gives an explanation so it is made clear. Once the nature of Jesus is searched out, our instructions become clear.
Have you reflected on who Jesus is ?
To give you a little background on what is happening here: These are Jesus’ last documented teachings before going to the cross. Jesus is speaking things to them that are going to be confirmed later while at the same time preparing them for the new protocol
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.
We must realize that all roads point to Jesus. He is the only source that can sustain us. He is the True Vine. To understand that He is the True Vine is to understand that He is our sole source of strength. Aside from Him we can do nothing.
Point 2: Aside from Him, we can do nothing
Point 2: Aside from Him, we can do nothing
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Just as we learned above about plugging in to the true source, we can also learn that many of our problems in life come from relying on our own strength. We must be constantly connected to God through Jesus Christ.
Just as we learned above about plugging in to the true source, we can also learn that many of our problems in life come from relying on our own strength. We must be constantly connected to God through Jesus Christ.
In fact, Biblically we are called to rely on God’s strength, not our own.
In fact, Biblically we are called to rely on God’s strength, not our own.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”
Do you remember Paul’s Dialogue with Jesus?
Do you remember Paul’s Dialogue with Jesus?
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We must be connected to the source regularly—not just intermittently—utterly dependent on God alone.
We must be prepared to be pruned.
Point 3: Pruned if You do, Pruned If You Don’t
Point 3: Pruned if You do, Pruned If You Don’t
A vinedresser is one who cultivates and prunes grape vines. Pruning is the process by which the vine is clipped for it’s own good to produce more. A vinedresser is an expert at making cuts with a surgical precision in such a way as to maximize the production of fruit.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
What is the requirement for those in Jesus?
What is the requirement for those in Jesus?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We are to bear MUCH FRUIT. What then is fruit?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Notice, fruit is SINGULAR. It is not FRUITS. You are to manifest and show all of these.
If you do not produce, you will be taken away:
10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
We will be pruned for our own good to strengthen us that we may produce much fruit. If we do not produce fruit, God will take us away and most times this looks like captivity.. We studied this two weeks in a row.
Remember the good figs and the bad figs?
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 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.
If we abide in Christ, His words abide in us and what we ask that we desire (remember when we have the Holy Spirit in us, our desires change) will be done for us, and by this, God is glorified that we bear much fruit and we are truly Jesus disciples.
Altar Call.