I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Part Four

On February 10, 2013, a fire broke out in an engine room of the Carnival cruise ship, Triumph. The fire knocked out the ship's power, leaving the vessel drifting in Gulf of Mexico currents. The more than 4,200 passengers and crew were left in limbo. The lost power made it impossible to operate the flush toilets, keep cool in the un-shaded waters of the deep sea, and preserve and cook all the perishable food on board. Passengers reported long lines for food, shortages of fresh water, illnesses, and widespread boredom. Many passengers slept in hallways or outside to escape the odors and heat below decks. CNN dubbed the Triumph "the cruise ship from hell."

The ship finally ported safely in Mobile, Alabama on February 14, 2013 at 9:00 P.M. News crews riding in helicopters followed the ship, and watched passengers beg for help. The ship's loss of power wasn't just a tragedy for the passengers. Carnival expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars due to this incident.

Apparently, Carnival learned their lesson. In June 2013 Triumph set sail once again, but this time it was outfitted with new emergency power capabilities. Carnival knows that when the power goes out, the party is over.

Possible Preaching Angles: Holy Spirit; Prayer; Abiding in Christ—In the same way, when followers of Christ aren't connected to our Power Source, things quickly deteriorate.

Brian Kohout, Louisburg, North Carolina; sources: Susan Candiotti, 'Investigators find fire clues aboard crippled Carnival Triumph," CNN (2-18-13); Thom Patterson, Carnival Triumph Returns to Service," CNN (6-13-13

This true story illustrates what happens when there is a loss of power due to being disconnected from the source of power.

Continuing our study John and finding a cure for troubled hearts, today, we will see a pair of commands, the first of which is to Abide in Christ.

Before we get there, a review….

Review

BIG IDEA: Christ gives the cure for troubled hearts. – Vs. 1

So Far…

Christ gives nine cures for troubled hearts.

An Imperative – Believe in God – Vs. 14:1

A Promise - Future Home with Christ – Vs. 14:2-3

A Way - To the Father –Vs.14:4-11

An Assurance and Provision - To do the work of God – Vs. 14:12-14

An Abiding Presence – Vs. 14:15-31; 16:4-15

Holy Spirit- Helper

Himself

Body

A Pair of Commands – Vs. 15:1-17

I Am the True Vine

15 “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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and 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 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I 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, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

A Command to Abide – 15:1-11

I Am the True Vine

Likely they were passing by vineyards are their way to the garden of Gethsemane. End of chapter 14 has them leaving upper room and moving to garden.

Final, I am Statement…

Build picture…3 parts of the picture….vine, vinedresser, and branches.

Vine Defined; Vs. 1 - True Vine- True (unfeigned, trustworthy, true); Vine (a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground; also : the stem of such a plant)

Ex – Grapevines; Vines in Lyn’s Backyard.

Vine – OT imagery for Israel (frequent but use following)

Psalm 80

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it;

it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,

the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 It sent out its branches to the sea

and its shoots to the River.

Other places, vine imagery used to describe the failure of the nation of Israel.

Is 5:3-5 (TURN TO AND SHOW)

Is 51:1-8; 27:2ff

Je 2:21

Ezekiel 15:1-8; 19:10-14

Ho 10:1-2

“I Am the TRUE VINE” - Jesus is the true vine which replaces or supercedes vine of Israel

OT – had to be connected to Israel

Through Israel world would be blessed

Messiah would come

Israel was Vine through which the knowledge of God and the blessing of God came.

Those who were friends to and peacable with Israel, prospered. Those that did not….not so much.

Don’t think believing Gentiles HAD to convert to Judaism (NT references God-fearing Gentiles) but they were somehow connected to Israel.

Christ is the true vine to which Israel pointed, no longer through Israel but through Christ. You must be connected to Christ Himself.

NIV Application - …In his final “I am” saying in this Gospel, Jesus declares that he is the true vine (15:1). That is, in this ancient imagery he has taken the place of Israel as God’s true planting. The new concept is that God’s vineyard holds one vine and Israel must inquire if it is attached to him. No longer is Israel automatically seen as vines growing in God’s vineyard. Men and women are now branches growing from one stock.

Vs. 1 - Vinedresser (a person who cultivates and prunes grapevines; GREEK – Farmer, one who works the farm and crops.)

Vinedressser is God the Father

Vs. 5 – Branches

1 : a natural subdivision of a plant stem; especially : a secondary shoot or stem (as a bough) arising from a main axis (as of a tree)

2 : something that extends from or enters into a main body or source: as

We are the Branches

Picture – Christ is the Vine (the source from which all else comes; Branches cannot exist apart from Vine; Get their life, fruitfulness from the vine.); God is the Vinedresser (the one who tends to the vine and the subsequent branches); We are branches, flowing from the vine.

Vinedresser [God] prunes (Vs. 2). Two things…

Prune – Removal of any superfluous or extra material; cut back

Removes (vs. 2) and is thrown away, withers, and is burned those who don’t bear fruit(Vs. 6)

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Who does not abide – Verb, Present, active, Subjunctive (continuous action) (Define more later)

Fruit – natural product of something that is alive.

Throw – Put out, cast, to lay, spew, etc.

Away – out of doors, outer, external, foreign, not belonging to one’s community,

Withers – Dries up.

Burned – Consumed, burned up.

Inherent in abiding (which is our key word) is bearing fruit. Failure to bear fruit reveals they never were abiding.

So intricately connected. Bearing fruit is evidence of abiding.

Problem words – “in me” – Sounds like loss of salvation.

Understood in three ways: 1. Loss of salvation, which contradicts much of scripture (esp. John 6), 2. Loss of rewards for believers (but imagery is dead branches) and 3. Professing Christians who never truly embraced Christ in salvation and is in word only.

A statement of loss of salvation would directly contradict 6:37

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Vs. 2 – Every branch in me that does not bear fruit – does not imply loss of salvation, having belonged and threw that away by failure to abide but rather revealing that casual connection to Christ is not sufficient. Being a Jew, being part of Israel, being part of the church, etc, is not sufficient. Casual connection is not sufficient

True abiding means you are close enough to the source that there are changes and physical evidences of your connection to the source!

True abiding is personal faith, personal repentance, personal FRUIT that reveals the evidence of being rightly related and connected to the true vine, Jesus. If that is not present, they never were connected to Christ.

Fruit bearing is not a test but rather is a byproduct. Now matter how connected you think are you are to Christ, if your fruit does not confirm it, you are not abiding BUT for the sake of the picture and imagery, Christ uses this expression.

For us, simply belonging to the church, to a Christian family is not enough!

May have had superficial connection, such as Judas or the nation of Israel by being part of Israel, but more is required.

If you don’t move beyond casual connectivity, the warning is the vinedresser, who knows, will remove you and burn you up. Casual connection does not equal salvation and will still result in dead.

Casual connection won’t cut it. ABIDING is the command.

The first thing the vinedresser does is removes the pretenders and casual connectors. Secondly, He prunes those who do bear fruit.

Prunes to produce more fruit

Prunes – (Webster - to reduce especially by eliminating superfluous matter , to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth; (Greek) to clear, cleanse from sin, make expiation.

Pruning is necessary to make room for the fruit to grow.

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing

Pruning may be difficult and painful but necessary.

Reminiscent of Hebrews 12:4-11, just put in different imagery.

4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God the Father is the Vinedresser who prunes, disciplines, molds, and shapes us so that we produce more fruit.

Having referenced Hebrews, know this, discipline for sins and poor choices is pruning, yes. But pruning is more than that. Circumstances, hardships, trials, even blessings (and how we respond to that and what those responses teach us about ourselves) are God’s pruning.

The product of our abiding, our relationship with God is fruit. It is the natural result. No true abiding without.

God will prune, through whatever means necessary to help us produce more fruit in our lives.

Now the command….Abide (Key to this whole passage)

ABIDE in me – Vs. 4, 9

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

Abide - Imperative

What does Abiding mean?

Abide – To stay, to continue, to dwell, to remain, to lodge – basic sense, to stay or remain.

Vs. 10

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.

Keeping His commands is a means of abiding. Again, not earning his love but God’s reciprocation when we evidence our love through obedience.

I would also assert it is a the product of abiding.

John emphasizes this concept of abiding in his epistle; the disciple whom Jesus loved…

1 John 2:28-3:10

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Abiding is marked by such a close fellowship and intimacy with God that righteous living (rejection of sin) is reflected in your life (one way is by love for others).

1 John 2:6 supports this statement…

6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Abiding is imitating Christ.

Imitation, the sincerest form of flattery; glorifies and exudes worship for the one being imitated. Abiding in Christ is to be so immersed and overcome by the person of Christ, that you want to be like Him and do everything your power and ability to be like Him.

Remind what John said in chapter 6

Also John 6:53-19

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

Eating His flesh and drinking His blood, not literally, but in finding our life, our satisfaction, our fulfillment, our everything in HIM.

Abiding, then is maintaining and strengthening one’s fellowship and devotion to God so that we believe, think, feel, and act like HE does and we live according the righteous standard that He exemplifies.

We strive to know and be like Him. Waging war on all that gets in the way.

How do we abide? How do we get to know Him and deepen our love for and intimacy with Him? Put it in terms of human relationships – EG Husband and Wife

Talk; talk about everything and every topic

Ask questions; Get to know likes and dislikes

Spend time with; Do things together you enjoy; Do things you know your spouse will enjoy even if you don’t

Pray with and for; There is intimacy in prayer

Share joys and blessings

Share hardship and struggles

Date nights; protecting time together

Serve and care for needs of each other

Practical Ways to Abide in Christ….

Talk to Him; talk about everything and every topic

Ask questions; Get to know God. Read the Word to know who He is and what He is like.

Spend time with; Walking and talking to him. (EG – Sitting in Kayak on Bear Lake Monday night with kids)

Prayer – Not simply requests but adoration, praise, thanksgiving; even writing them out

Scripture reading – Slow, deliberate, reading for conviction and comprehension

Scripture memory and mediation – Not rote, empty recall of words, but passionate understanding, application, and appreciation.

Studying attributes of God

Writing poetry or songs reflecting the person and work of God

Sharing in community with others about who God is, what God has done, and allowing true intimacy, fellowship, and accountability to flow from a shared love of God

Passionate worship in song and music

Journaling – not details of day but spiritual insights, thoughts, and conversation with God.

Self evaluation, open evaluation by spiritual and godly mentors, family, friends, to focus on areas of sin or weakness

Repentance and sorrow over failures and sins – Appropriate steps of reconciliation and restoration.

Abiding is about entering into true, sincere, and deep intimacy with God the Father VS. casual, superficial, and comfortable relationship.

All hinges on relationship.

As we do this, our relationship to Christ will strengthen and our lives naturally bear fruit.

In the same way my life reflects the fruit of my relationship to my wife – EG – My patient and compassion towards others.

Abiding is about maintain intimacy and fellowship with the person of Christ.

As we do this, several things will happen….

Conclusion:

Alternatives to Abiding in Jesus

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If I'm not abiding in Jesus, then where is it that I abide? I once asked myself. I began to notice that when I was tired or anxious, there were certain sentences I would say in my head that led me to a familiar place. The journey to this place would often start with me walking around disturbed, feeling as if there was something deep inside that I needed to put into words but couldn't quite capture. I felt the "something" as anxiety, loneliness, and a need for connection with someone. If no connection came, I would start to say things like, "Life really stinks. Why is it always so hard? It's never going to change." If no one noticed I was struggling or asked me what was wrong, I found my sentences shifting to a more cynical level: "Who cares? Life is a joke." Surprisingly, by the time I was saying those last sentences, I was feeling better. The anxiety was greatly diminished.

My comforter, my abiding place, was cynicism and rebellion. From this abiding place, I would feel free to use some soul cocaine—watching a violent video with maybe a little sexual titillation thrown in, having more alcohol with a meal than I might normally drink—things that would allow me to feel better for a little while. I had always thought of these things as just bad habits. I began to see they were much more; they were spiritual abiding places that were my comforters and friends in a very spiritual way.

The final light went on one evening when I read John 15:7 in The Message. Peterson translates Jesus' words on abiding this way: "If you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon." Jesus was saying in answer to my question, "I have made my home in you, Brent. But you still have other comforters you go to. You must learn to make your home in me."

Brent Curtis and John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997)

Beware the danger of finding comfort, finding solace in other people or things. Beware of abiding in others rather than abiding in Christ.

Next week, we will consider the results of what happens when we abide. When we obey this command, what happens?

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