I heard it through the grapevine.

I AM

Today we will see the last of the I AM statements made by Jesus in the book of John

I AM:

The bread of life 6:35

The light of the world 8:12

The gate 10:7

The good shepherd 10:11

The resurrection and the life 11:25

The way and the truth and the life 14:6

Today

I am the true vine.

John 15:1–11 NASB95

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. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

The True Vine

Why the true vine? Is there another vine?

The imagery of the vine is common among literature from this region and this time period.

In the Old Testament Israel was the vine.

The only time it was used was to describe how they were not bearing fruit.

Jeremiah 2:21 NASB95

21 “Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

Or look at Psalm 80 .

Psalm 80:8–9 NASB95

8 You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground before it, And it took deep root and filled the land.

Notice that it is Isreal that is called the vine and God is the Gardner.

Psalm 80:14–19 NASB95

14 O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, 15 Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 O Lord God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

Where Israel did not do the will of God. Jesus says he only does the will of the Father.

True Vine.

The Vinedresser

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away.

In Me?

Jews- Once God’s vine, but rejected Jesus.

Apostate Christians. Problems with assurance that no one can snatch them out of my hand. If they ever boar fruit, they would have been treated differently.

Think Judas.

Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

Hebrews 12:4–11 NASB95

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Discipline sucks

Jesus knew the pruning discipline of the Father.

Hebrews 5:7–9 NASB95

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Does this mean he was ever disobedient? NO

From one level of obedience to another.

But this brings up an important point......

God’s discipline isn’t just to address bad behavior.

It also stretches us and broadens us in the things we are good at.

Navy Seal 40% rule......

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM BEING DISCIPLINED?

Are you alive?

Do you believe in God and His Son, Jesus?

Have you seen fruit in your life?

Your fruit comes from the Vine

John 15:4 NASB95

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.

He who abides in me you will bear much fruit, apart…you can do nothing.

What is the fruit?

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB95

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Consequences of not abiding in Christ

John 15:6 NASB95

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.

We all know someone to whom this applies.

It is their choice.

Have you done everything to share the truth and love of Christ with them, so that when they face judgement, they can’t say, “Why didn’t Todd tell me.....Danny, you knew, but you didn’t say anything.

God’s Glory

John 15:8 NASB95

8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

He will bring you JOY.

John 15:11 NASB95

11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Winner’s circle.