Chapter 3 - Abiding - Staying Connected with the Living God

Sermon Outline – Reverend Samuel Nandakumar - used by permission

Abiding – Staying Connected With the Living God

by Reverend Samuel Nandakumar - chapter 3 (to copy text, select starting at the bottom of the page going up, then paste into your word document)

Text: John 15:1-8

Topic: Staying Connected

Big Idea: Jesus is interceding for us all the time, stirring up the waters of faith and life for us to step into

Keywords: Abiding, Small Beginnings, Fragrance of Christ, Do-Able Prayers

SERMON OUTLINE POINTS – chapter 3

(Based on the book: Do-Able Prayer by Ginny Kisling - includes optional group study guide at the end of each chapter)

Abiding: Staying Connected with the Living God

Introduction: Observations:

• It describes a life of a believer after placing trust in Jesus.

• The main subject is abiding in Christ.

• Be careful not to read into every detail for symbolic meaning.

Abiding in Jesus, the true vine (vv.1-3)

•The image of a vine and vinedresser illustrated God’s special care for the nation of Israel.

•The symbolism of the Vine and branches is similar to that of the Head and the body; we have a living relationship to Christ and belong to Him.

•As “branches”, we have the privilege of sharing His life, and the responsibility of abiding.

Abiding in Jesus’ love (vv.4-7)

•The word ‘abide’ is used eleven times in vv.1-11.

•Abide means to keep in fellowship with Jesus so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit.

•Branches that do not receive nourishment from vine cannot produce fruit.

•God, the vinedresser “takes away” or “prunes“ the branches so they will produce more fruit.

•Note the progression: no fruit (v.2), fruit, more fruit, much fruit (vv.5,8).

•“Abide in Me,”(vv. 4,6,7) reflects the positional truth and identity of a believer. This identity is eternally secure for the believer.

The purpose: Believer’s fruitfulness (v.5)

•The purpose of every branch and every vine is to produce fruit (v.2).

•The subject of fruitfulness is not salvation but vitality as a believer; the fruit proves the identity of a plant and reveals its state of health- Chuck Swindall

•The main point of this illustration is the fruitful life of a believer; just as an unfruitful branch is useless, so an unfruitful believer.

The Result: Fruitfulness to prayer (vv.7-8)

•As the believer abides in Christ, he or she begins to assume a Christlike character; transformed from inside out; our mind is in tuned with God’s thoughts.

•“As we think as God thinks, we ask for what is consistent with His plan, which results in His giving what we ask.”

•A truly obedient believer proves effective in prayer, since all he or she asks conforms to the will of God.

•Through such fruitful prayer life bring glory to the Father through the Son.

•Remember that fruit that produces out of our obedient faith-union with Jesus lies at the heart of how Jesus brings glory to his Father.