John 15:1-25: Remaining in Christ

Let’s Pray

Introduction

Everything is about measuring productivity. We want to write goals…achieve the goals…and reap the benefits…

the fruit that Jesus is going to call us to produce today is not something that you measure or something that is going to lead to a happier life with all the comforts of the world.

1. Remaining in Christ 1:1-8

2. Remaining in Love 15:9-17

3. Remaining in the World 15:18-25

Open Bible’s/App’s

I. 15:1-8 REMAINING IN CHRIST

TRANSITION SENTENCE: Jesus is going to show that believers remain in Him through connection, care, and communion.

a. 1- Through connection (unity)

At the end of chp. 14 Jesus says: Come now, it’s time to leave.

So- the disciples are walking and it’s safe to assume that their is probably a grapevine in sight.

I like to picture this as them casually walking along, talking about something random

… and then Jesus sees a grapevine and boom. just drops another one his bombs out of no where.

It’s like……oh hey look at that……by the way….

…vs 1..“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener”

Now to us at first glance- a vine doesn’t mean a whole lot.

But to the Jew- a vine was an integral part of their culture- a symbol of their nation and central to everyday life in Israel.

The grapevine was such a precious symbol to Israel and is mentioned 188x’s in scripture-> which is more than any other plant in the entire Bible.

In the OT, God referred to Israel as the vine..

But…the prophet Isaiah makes it clear that Israel keeps producing bad fruit.

and bad fruit reflects the vine…which means, that the people of Israel made a crappy vine…

But Jesus..the TRUE VINE….had come…

By starting with this statement- the disciples ears would have perked up as Jesus continued.

Jesus points out that each person needed CONNECTION to the life source- connection to the true vine.

Jesus…and through connection with the vine…you would also then be connected with God the Father- who we learn in vs 1, is the gardener.

Through connection with the vine you are given a new identity..

you become a part of something bigger than just yourself.

You are no longer dead and you receive life because your source is rooted and when they tried to be the life source on their own…they failed every time.

So Jesus is the TRUE vine and he reveals God the Father as the gardener…

The vine is the source and sustenance for the life of the branches.

DISCUSS CONNECTION OF Jesus and God the Father here

Jesus’ connection to God the Father is one

So while Jesus provides the life for the branches, God the Father While God is the gardener……

b. 2-6- Through caring (a gardener cares for his branches by pruning/cleaning/etc.)

TRANSITION SENTENCE: In vs’s 2-6 we are going to see how a gardener’s care for his vineyard is representative of God’s care for his people.

Starting in vs… 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Branches that bear no fruit are dead- there is no life them and therefore- they are cut off.

Let’s be clear, Jesus is NOT saying that true believers can lose their salvation.

You cannot read this verse in isolation without reading the rest of John’s gospel. John is perfectly clear that no one can snatch believers out of the Father’s hand.

Believers are eternally secure.

Therefore, the branches that are being cut off may look like the vine- but the life of the vine is not in them.

They are dead..and therefore, cut off.

For the nation of Israel, many believed that because they were Jewish…that their nationality automatically made them right with God.

In the same way- today- the church is full of people who may look like the vine on the outside..they go to church..read their bibles..give money to the right places..but there is no inner connection to the vine…which means- there is no life in them.

But for those who ARE CONNECTED to Jesus…they experience the care provided by God, the gardener.

Now, Grape vines require more care than any other plant.

Typically, 70-90% of new growth on the vine needs to be removed in order for it to produce fruit.

It also requires balanced pruning….which means a gardener needs to balance what was pruned last year with what to prune the next year.

This takes careful consideration from the gardener to know what to prune and when so that the branch can be in it’s most healthy state in order to produce the best and most abundant fruit.

We often think of pruning as discipline.

And yes- that is definitely a part of it- Just like a loving parent disciplines their children, God does discipline believers as part of his loving care for them.

But the word translated here for “prune” also means “to clean.”

Vines naturally grow in any and all directions.

If left to their own- they will grow along the ground and grow up whatever it is they run into, they become fifthly and full of who knows what, and then any fruit that they produce will instantly become bad as if it can even grow at all.

The more foliage that exists, the less likely fruit will grow.

But pruning is about lifting and cleaning and pointing the branches in the right direction so that the fruit can grow and flourish.

So as the gardener cuts and pulls off all the things that don’t benefit the branch- he then lifts it up-because it is no longer weighed down by all those things that do nothing but bring harm to it- he points it in the right direction and then, as the fruit begins to grow it does not spoil- but becomes ripe and useful.

Only until the next round of pruning begins. Where again- the gardener will come and carefully balance what was pruned before with what needs pruned now.

In fact- did you know that the most mature vines often require the most pruning.

So, how have you felt God’s care for you as he has pruned you?

and how might God be pruning you right now?

Is there something he is pulling or cutting out of your life that doesn’t belong- that is keeping you from Him?

Is he pointing you in a different direction?

Is he lifting you up out of the dirt and the mud?

Pruning can be painful- but also an encouraging reminder of God’s intimate and personal care for you.

In vs 3…Jesus gives us a clarifying statement here as he looks at his disciples- he knows them intimately and knows that each of them are true believers…they are a part of the vine so he says…

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

In other words- the pruning is nothing to be afraid of.

Just a few weeks ago we saw Jesus say almost the exact same thing as he revealed Judas as his betrayer, but there he stated that not everyone of them was clean on the inside.

But here- Judas is gone- Jesus is speaking with the 11 remaining disciples, so unlike in John 13 where not everyone was clean…here, Jesus says- you all are clean because I am in you.

If you are a true believer-connected to Jesus..the TRUE vine- then you are already clean on the inside because Jesus has wiped away your sin and His life is flowing in you.

The pruning is not a sign that you are separated from Jesus or that God is upset with you, but instead a sign of your connection to Him..

In our children and student program we talk a lot about Redemptive Discipline- which is a fancy word for pruning..

See- Our culture typically ranks a child as good or bad based off of their behavior.

But at BSF we EXPECT every child who walks into our classrooms to need discipline in some way.

Children are not bad kids and God is not displeased with them because they didn’t listen perfectly or always share perfectly or keep their hands to themselves at all times.

They need pruning..someone to lovingly and tenderly care for them- to help to clean them and lift them up…

Our teachers are not back there working on behavior modification that perfectly good citizens walk out of bsf…only for them to turn around and be weighed down again by the world…the goal is lasting heart change…

But the heart change..is God’s work..not ours…so at BSF…whether you are a an 85 year old woman sitting in a discussion group or a 7 month old baby in our youngest classroom….our goal is to make room for the spirit of God to work in your heart…to share truths about God as revealed in his word…in our classrooms we provide a place where the gospel is shared and modeled over and over again.

Let me just tell you that those women teaching your children are not babysitters..we don’t offer childcare..

We long and desire to offer heart care for each and every child and for each and every one of you and your leaders and myself are included in this- we all need God’s pruning.

c. 4-8- Through communion (abide word/pray)

In vs 4-9. Jesus gives a command:

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you.

The word remain is also translated in some versions as abide.

10x’s in 10 verses Jesus uses this word.

Remain in me…

abide in me…

What Jesus is calling us to here is not our union or our connection to Him.

It is assumed at this point that the connection already exists..

Here Jesus is talking inviting you- commanding you- to come into communion with Him. It’s about growing, cultivating, and deepening your relationship with Him.

In order for a vine to produce a flower, which will bud and turn into fruit- it needs continuous nourishment…

without continuous nourishment- the plant will struggle…no plant can receive nourishment on it’s own. It must come from the vine.

But we so often try to be our own vine…we look for nourishment in things that leave us with nothing but wilting leaves.

Only Jesus can give us what we need- if you are a part of His vine then you are dependent on Him.

Remaining is not an emotion or an experience….It is a FIXED REALITY…

Where we place recognize our DEPENDENCE on the vine.

You remain as you come to Jesus for EVERYTHING….and you come daily..

You bring your whole- messed up self and return day after day…you ALLOW Him to clean..you ask Him to prune…you come walking…running…or even crawling but you come…you remain..

come to his words…

come to him in prayer..

thos

In the same breath that he commands you to remain- he also reminds you that He is REMAINING IN YOU…he isn’t going anywhere…

Just like when we abide with Christ- we can find deep and lasting joy as we commune with Him and find security and intimacy with him.

Jesus says remain with me…hang out with me…get to know me…because a part from me you can do nothing….

in vs’s 7-8 Jesus says..if you remain…my Father will be glorified…you will bear fruit…and the world will know you are mine.

No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

FRUIT BEARING:

These verses tell us that the purpose of the branches is to bear fruit.

So what is fruit!

Well…since we are all about agriculture today..let’s go basic here. ready.

An apple tree is going to produce what type of fruit….APPLES

Cherry trees will produce…CHERRIES…

Orange trees will produce…ORANGES..

What determines the type of fruit created by the tree….the branch..the trunk…the roots….the core...

in the same way…the fruit produced by those connected to JESUS are going to reflect Him

Romans 1 tells us that we are fruitful as others are brought to Christ through our witness and words.

Romans 6 tell us that that we bear fruit as we grow in holiness and obedience to God

and Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self Control.

notice here it’s not the fruits- plural- of the spirit….its the FRUIT of the spirit.

Apple trees make apples..orange trees make oranges…grapevines make grapes…

if Jesus is your vine then by being connected to Him- the FRUIT you produce is going to be a reflection of Him…

Fruit is not plural…Galatians doesnt give us the fruits of the spirit….you can’t grow in patience with someone if you don’t also grow in love for them….if you aren’t kind you most likely are not gentle…

And your gardener- cares so perfectly for you he knows exactly where and when and how much to prune you and how much so that the FRUIT will grow out of you and be good.

It’s no accident that last week we started talking about the work of the Holy Spirit- are now talking about remaining in Christ- and then next week going back to talking about the Holy Spirit.

He does the work in us.

The fruit is not 1 specific thing- it is the result of Christ’s character flowing out of us as we glorify God and make Christ real to those around us.

The fruit isn’t about you…It isn’t something you produce and then grab and take home.

The fruit of a branch is never for the branch itself, but always to benefit another.

And as Christ’s character grows in you and then flows out of you will produce fruit….fruit that has the life seeds in it for more fruit….

nothing manufactured on it’s own can reproduce themselves.

Fruit is simply the result of a life that abides in Christ.

Are you more focused on the fruit than on the abiding?

Are you aimlessly striving for patience in your life without turning to the one who gives it through the Spirit?

Are you hyper focused

Remember- Jesus has already pointed out the importance of the connection to the vine…so AFTER there is connection…then there is this

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

i. DOCTRINE: Church?

Principle: Only by remaining in Christ can believers produce spiritual fruit.

Application:

We don’t strive to be fruitful…when we FOCUS on communion- on remaining- on abiding- THEN fruit is the result. It’s a natural result of Christ growing in and through us.

As his sap oozes out over our lives

II. 15:9-17 REMAINING IN LOVE

TRANSITION SENTENCE: In vs’s 9-18 Jesus here transitions to talking about what it means to remain in his love. He is going to show us that we can remain in his love through following and through fellowship.

a. 9-12- Through following (love leads to obedience & sacrifice)

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

b. 13-17- Through fellowship (love leads to identity as friend-relationship building)

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

i. DOCTRINE: Church

Principle: By remaining in Christ’s love, believers live in intimate relationship with Jesus.

Remaining in Christ’s love results in loving obedience and intimate fellowship with Christ.

Application:

III. 15:18-25- REMAINING IN THE WORLD

TRANSITION SENTENCE: In vs’s 18-25 Jesus shows that while a believer remains in the world physically…they can remain in Christ through separation and through persecution.

a. 18-19- through/despite separation (not your home)

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

b. 20-25- Through/despite persecution (they hate you because they hate Jesus)

20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

Principle: Remaining in Christ brings expected separation and persecution from the world.

it’s about relationship..not the fruit…

if you are STRIVING for fruit…you will come up short..

but if you strive for relationship

……

daves vines?

Abiding is like a tea bag…in and out…it is immersed……

By identifying himself as the TRUE vine he is implying that there are false vines.

It’s like if someone dies and there is a LARGE inheritance to be collected but thousand’s of people come forward to claim the inheritance…Jesus says- I’m the TRUE vine

in other words,.the path to God is not through the nation of Israel..being a jew doesn’t save you…the path is through me.I am the TRUE VINE……

“Cuts off” when translated in the Greek can mean takes away OR lifts up…

Branches in a vineyard need lifted up- they become large and heavy and if they touch the ground, the fruit that they bear is worthless

What SIN is dragging you down?

God doesn’t prune you to drag you down, but to lift you up! He encourages you, motivates you (through his word and through the people of God)

Go from…no fruit…to some fruit…to much fruit (vs. 2-vs.5)………