Where do you live?

Passage: Jn 15:1-25

Welcome, everyone! For those I haven’t met, my name is Michael Wood, and it’s a tremendous honor to have a few moments with you this morning to explore the greatness of our God! For those who are new to Selah Hills, welcome! We are so glad you have joined us this morning. We are a body of believers with a deep reverence for the Scriptures, and this morning we will dive into a passage of the scriptures to learn more about the One who deserves our love. If you need a Bible this morning, please raise your hand and someone will bring one to you. We encourage you to search the Scriptures yourself to find the Truth of the Kingdom, and this is just great practice. When you have your Bible open, let’s turn to John 15.

While you’re turning, I’ve just started a book on the life of Paul by F. F. Bruce entitled: Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. The book is a history of the life and times around Paul, but the text really showcases how unique Paul was in ancient literature. He, more than nearly any ancient writer, called for us to live a life of freedom in Christ. I’m very early in the book, so I’ll refrain from commenting too much, but it’s amazing how we can’t overstate how counter-culture it was for Paul to say things like he did in Galatians 3 when he said:

The New King James Version Chapter 3

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Rome was a massive slave culture and there were no influential ancient writers who called for cross cultural unity, much less for equality between the sexes. He was, frankly, one of the most influential writers in the world.

So, that has almost nothing to do with what I want to talk to you about this morning! As much as I admire what Paul says here, we are not followers of some guy named Paul, but rather, the One the convicted him on the road to Damascus. The Christ in the center of Paul’s writing is who we follow. I am not of Paul. Nor am I of Peter, or John, or Apollos. I’m of Christ, amen? What triggered me in passages like this was the phrase “in Christ.” The more that I dig into what it means to be “in Christ,” the more I zero in on Christ Himself (less Paul, more Christ), and His repeated calls to abide in Himself. This morning, I’ll invite you to explore a passage in John where Jesus calls us to abide in Him. He calls us to seek Him, to find our life in Him, to produce fruit in Him, and to relate to each other and the world in Him. What does that mean? Are there benefits of living my life in Him that aren’t found in the world? Where do you live? When you lay down at night, are you resting in the world, or in Christ? Or do you just visit Christ occasionally? I would make the argument this morning that you are more like the places you live than what you say or where you visit. Shall we explore?

Alright, let’s read the opening passage and we’ll pray.

John 15:1–5 NKJV

“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.

<pray>

Alright, so if we were in the middle of a series walking through the book of John, we’d be in something like week 20, so let me summarize what we would have learned in getting here. The gospel of John is often referred to as the “non-synoptic gospel.” John writes this account later than the others, and discusses different miracles, and he does not follow a chronological plot to his retelling. His focus is more on who Christ was and is. His book has a very poetic opening, John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”John does not leave anything to the imagination for anyone who might be skeptical of who Jesus was. He comes right out and establishes Jesus as God. The rest of the book reinforces Jesus’s identity as the Christ.

If this was week 20 of our study in John, we would have walked through numerous stories that reveal more of who Jesus is to us. He was in the beginning with God, and sustains all things. He came into the world as the Light of the world that was rejected by the world. John the baptizer introduces us to our main character and gives a witness of the Christ. Christ calls disciples, turns water into wine at a wedding, Jesus cleanses the temple, He witnesses to Nicodemus (giving us our famous 3:16 moment), he visits the woman at the well, He declares Himself the Light of the World, declares Himself the Good Shepherd (hearkening back to prophesies in Zechariah and Isaiah), He raises Lazarus, and many more events. I mean, John is such a fun book!

Coming into Chapter 15, we are very close to the end of Jesus’s ministry. Mary has anointed Jesus with a year’s worth of salary (preparing Him for burial), He preaches some of His last words to the masses and sends Judas on his way after some bread and wine.

Now Jesus is speaking intimately with His disciples, patiently answering their questions. Let’s reread the opening passage, and this time continue down to verse 11.

John 15:1–11 (NKJV)

“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. 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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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.

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

So let’s work through this passage. In context, Jesus is very near the end of His ministry. Judas Iscariot has been outed, and soon Jesus will be taken away. So in His final moments with His disciples, He is imparting important Truths as the disciples question Him. He has been discussing topics on how to see the Father and how to follow Him. Peter asked at the end of chapter 13 why he can’t follow Jesus, and Jesus says “ you’ll deny me before the rooster crows.” Frustrating answer. Jesus is kinda saying “you don’t even want to go where I am going” … yet. Peter would get there, but not at this moment. Let’s visit that moment very quickly to impart a little Bible study tip. Flip back a page or so to Jn 13:36-38

John 13:36–38 NKJV

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

Now when we are reading to the end of a chapter, we may think that was the end of the conversation. This is one of those chapter breaks that I am glad I read through. John 13 ends on a rather chilling note as the Christ tells Peter a hard truth. Not only are you not going with Me, Peter, your going to humiliate yourself before the Father instead. Has Jesus not said that those who glorify the Father, the Father glorifies? And hasn’t He said the opposite is true? I’ve learned over time, however, to read the first couple of verses of the next chapter before closing the Book. John 14 opens with this: John 14:1-4

John 14:1–4 (NKJV)

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

So, the conversation continued! Peter, not only won’t you die for me, you’ll act like you don’t even know me before the night is over, but “let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” So, first thing here is that Jesus doesn’t leave Peter to his misery even knowing this is a future event. The second thing to know is that this statement by Jesus leads to a robust debate. The disciples are suddenly focused! Wait, where are you going? You’ll come again? You said we know the way? I know I don’t know the way. Maybe we should ask for some clarity.

So, Thomas asked Jesus how the disciples will know the way, and Jesus answered, in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” I expect that may have been a frustrating answer. I mean, c’mon, Jesus! Your talking about leaving us and sending us the Holy Spirit. What we want to know is how to follow you when we don’t know the way. And you say you are the Way? How do I follow that? What does that even mean?

Perhaps in frustration, Philip asks Jesus to just show us the Father, and we’ll call it good, and John 14:9–12 “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Then Judas (not Iscariot) , maybe thinking he’ll take another angle to get at what the disciples really want to know, tries to frame the question differently.

Their asking how do we follow you? Where are you going? How can we see the Father? And now Judas’s question. John 14:22 “Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?””

The disciples still lean towards Jesus as the one to overthrow Caesar. So, in all likelihood, the disciples are hoping to here a data and time for the revolt. The disciples know He is ruler of all, but the world needs to know it. How better than through conquest? Right? What’s the most powerful nation in the world? How do we know? They are mighty! They dominate the scene! They spend more on military power than the next 10 countries combined! Right? We see it. In the flesh. POWER!

So, Judas asks why don’t you show yourself to the world, and Jesus answers: Jn 14:23-28

John 14:23–28 (NKJV)

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. 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.

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 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. 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. 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.

Was that a dodge? Imagine you asked someone this question. What will you look like in 10 years? And they answered “If you love me, and listen to what I say, then you’ll know my Dad loves you...” Um, that’s not what I asked. How will the world know you if you’re not gonna go out there and take it by force?!? Answer the question!

Pilate was similarly confounded by Christ when he interrogated Him. In John 18:33-37 they have this exchange:

John 18:33–37 (NKJV)

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

So, Pilate is asking similar questions to the disciples. Where is this Kingdom you reign over? Are you going to cause trouble? “What have you done?” Pilate says. And Jesus just says those who hear my voice are my Kingdom. One not of this world, or my followers would fight.

Paul picks up on this in 2 Cor 10:3-6

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (NKJV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

So the argument Jesus is making seems to be that the world sees the Father through those who hear His voice, and obey His commandments. His Kingdom is not of this world … it is not made of flesh and bone which perish and pass into dust … rather, His Kingdom is one of Truth - those that hear Jesus’s voice bear witness to a new Kingdom.

Now all of this leads us to our passage. How does the world see the Father? In Jn 15, Jesus switches to parable to help His disciples understand. Jesus is the true vine, He says. If He is the true vine, what is the false vine? Certainly the world, but anything that is not Christ. The Jewish listener would almost certainly recall Ps 80:8-19 And those that are grafted into Him will produce fruit. While those that play at being in Christ will bear no fruit and will be cut off. A cut off branch produces nothing. If you are producing fruit, you will be pruned.

Psalm 80:8–19 NKJV

You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

And those that are grafted into Him will produce fruit. While those that play at being in Christ will bear no fruit and will be cut off. A cut off branch produces nothing. If you are producing fruit, you will be pruned.

Now, there is a bunch to dig into here. First, what fruit does a branch produce? It produces whatever the vine it is grafted into produces. It cannot help but produce. But the Father is a winedresser. He has a vintage wine that he wants to make out of your life. In order to produce that vintage, he will prune you. Many people interpret the application of this passage as removing sin from your life. I don’t think so. A grafted branch produces fruit, but to get the best fruit, you need pruning in your life.

How many of you have had to learn to say “no” in your lives? This has been a real challenge for me. My ministry is as a technical leader in business. But I want to help everywhere all the time. If I say “yes” to everything, am I producing good fruit? Ideal fruit? The best fruit? Or does the Father need to say no to fruit producing things in my life so that I can focus and produce the best my life can produce? If you are in Christ, expect to say no to works in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your path and prune your works.

Now into the passage that led me to this title: John 15:4 “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.” You will produce the fruit from what you are grafted onto. In fact, you can only produce the fruit you abide in. How is applied in our lives.

Well, let’s say all week, you watch a news channel, or go down youtube rabbit holes, until you are so angry you just have to go to bed, and that is the world where you live, then what comes out of you when you are pushed is what? In counseling training, we used the example of a cup. If all week, the cup is filled with anger and resentment and feelings of being oppressed, then when someone comes along and pokes that cup, what spills out?

But is you abide in Christ rather than the world, then when that cup gets poked, Christ pours out, then your world changes.

Then Jesus elaborates: Jn 15:5-8

John 15:5–8 (NKJV)

“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. 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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Remember, Jesus is still teaching after the question of how Jesus will manifest His lordship in the earth. First, those who abide in Christ make an impact in their world. Those that live in Christ, not just visit Him occasionally. Jesus spent some time on this idea in Matthew 7:24-26

Matthew 7:24–26 (NKJV)

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

What is Christ questioning? He’s asking what you built your house on. Where do you live? In what do you rest? Interestingly, the common thing between both builders is that the storms come. The witness to the strength of our God is whether or not we can stand in a storm.

But how is Christ showing himself to the world? Fruit.

Our passage this morning tells us that without Christ, you can do nothing that advances the Kingdom of God. If you are not in Christ, then you go through the fires of Christ - when the Kingdom is not in you, then it is the world in you.

Look, think about what we see all around us. If you sink yourself into a world of victim-hood. You don’t believe that He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. You believe there is a man made structure that holds you back. You believe the world is one of oppressors and victims. You don’t believe you are bigger than this system, you don’t trust anyone, and you feel you are the judge who knows who deserves wrath and who doesn’t. What kingdom do you advance when you encounter others? Does this belief-system edify you? Are built up to be your best self? Or are you constantly looking to hurt people because all you see is a world defined by power and privilege? Does your life produce “good fruit” when you only want to burn others down? What does the Scripture say about what you sow?

Galatians 6:7–10 (NKJV)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

So, if you are looking to burn people down, what can you expect in your life?

Jesus Himself cautioned Lk 6:37-38

Luke 6:37–38 (NKJV)

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Does that sound like being cut off and thrown into a fire? If you give fear, judgement, hatred and violence, what gets measured back to you? Pressed down, shaken together, and running over? As Christ followers, we seek to sow the Kingdom of God, a.k.a. Christ, so that what we reap is also Christ. Bearing much fruit as His disciples. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to produce the kind of fruit that leads to more suffering.

Let’s look now at Jn 15:9-11

John 15:9–11 (NKJV)

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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.

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

Christ’s love is not subject to situation. The Father loves Christ through sin on the cross, and He loves us so much, that even when we were yet enemies, He died for us. Jesus is saying to live there. Live in My love. Hear His voice, and do what He says, and you will live in His love. When you live in His love, His joy remains in you and your joy is full.

Paul would say it this way: Philippians 4:8–9 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

To come closer to Jesus’s discussion on where you should live, Paul is saying to live in the good things of life. To go back to my previous example, if you watch Fox News until you are so fed up you have to go to bed, are you following Paul’s instruction here? I love the stretch Paul makes: “if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy” - live there. Don’t let it go.

In marriage counseling, we will often ask, “what made you fall in love with your spouse in the first place?” One of the reasons for this is to meditate on things of good report, of virtue … praiseworthy. If, when it comes to your spouse, you only dwell on how things go against you, where they fail you, how dumb their decisions are. If that’s where you make your home, rather than dwelling in all of the praiseworthy, the lovely, the pure - which “vine” will produce delicious fruit? Which will produce fruit that makes you sick? Living in joy by remaining in Christ produces something different than living in the world.

Now the passage turns to how where you live shows the Father to other believers. Read with me Jn 15:12-17

John 15:12–17 (NKJV)

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

This section of Scripture is very on brand for the apostle of love. How will the world know you are my disciples? Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus is speaking of His imminent departure, when He issues His “New Commandment.” Jn 13:34-35

John 13:34–35 (NKJV)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When you live “in Christ” we are characterized by what He is, and He is love. I kind of giggle when I hear the “new commandment.” Back in Leviticus, the second commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. Peter saw love as proof of obedience to the Spirit. 1 Peter 1:22-23

1 Peter 1:22–23 NKJV

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

When we obey the Truth, we love one another fervently. Why do we love one another fervently with a pure heart? Because we are born again into living Word. We are grafted into Christ’s life. As we live in it, love is produced. Going back to Jesus’s illustration, we produce the fruit of the true vine.

Paul indicates

And the last passage we’ll review answers the question Judas asked. How will the world see you, Jesus? Why not show yourself to them? We’ve been working through Jesus’s answer, and now Jn 15:18-25

John 15:18–25 (NKJV)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

So, what is Jesus saying? Abide in Him. Live out His Word, and the world will persecute you. I’m sure you’ve seen this out there. Being a Christian and actually living out your faith will likely get you “noticed.” But we are called to let that go. If they hate you for Christ’s sake, then they hate Christ, then they hate the Father. It is not on you. after all, a servant is not greater than the master, and we submit to the authority in our life. Where we submit to the authority of heaven, those in the world will submit the the authority they recognize. Maybe that would be the natural world and what we can observe. Maybe it’s the government and an overwhelming desire to see everyone controlled by human masters to bring about a utopian dream state. Whatever it is, their faith is necessarily counter to the love we hold in Christ.

If you believe, for example, that the government should force us to behave a certain way, and you run into a Christian who says, “my loyalty is to Christ alone,” then you can imagine you are in a clash of visions. Relax, you do not need to change them, or argue, or fight. They may hate you for refusing to believe as they do, but they hated Christ without cause.

Luke 16:14–15 (NKJV)

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Let us not be those who seek to justify ourselves in the eyes of men. Rather, lead a life where you live in Christ, knowing you are whole and complete in Him.

We don’t live for “likes” in social media. We live in Christ. Assured of the love He has for us. Content even if people leave negative comments because of Christ.

So as we close, let’s consider the application of this passage. Jesus is telling His closest friends why He must go, and His disciples can’t seem to get a straight answer to a question. Why do you only reveal yourself to us and not the world? And Jesus teaches us about vines. As you leave here this morning, I’ll leave you with a few questions.

Where do you live? where do you rest your head?

Are you just visiting Christ, or do you live out of the vine?

House plant Christianity

What comes out of you when pressed? Do you lash out? Or does peace and love flow out of you?

Is God pruning you?