Practicing the Way: Remain/Vine
Practicing the Way • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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What do I believe God wants us to know? To remain in Him to become like Him and to do as He does
Why? WE long to be connected to God through Jesus that gives us life
What do I believe God wants us to do? Remain/abide
Why? It connects us to Jesus and gives us life
ME/WE
One of the TRUTHS of life that we have learned over the last week in Cleveland is the vital importance to being connected to power
Without power we start to lose SIGHT as the SUN goes down and YES flash lights and phone lights work but not to the degree that our SUN’s POWER of ELECTRIC LINE POWER HAS
Without power lose COMMUNICATION and CONNECTION with those around us as our CELL
We start to lose personal energy because OUR COFFEE MAKERS DO NOT WORK
Our food supply starts to run low because our FOOD IS going bad…STARBUCKS, McDonalds, Dunkin
And We start to lose ENEGRY and FOCUS because sleeping becomes much more difficult without FANS or AIR
Then some people get more anxious of when is the power going to happen
MANY OF US HAVE BEEN THROUGH A CHALLENGING WEEK
WE HAVE RELEARNED OR LEARNED WITHOUT POWER
THAT OUR LIVES START TO FALL APART….WE IN AMERICAN IN THE CLEVELAND HAVE LIVES THAT ARE MADE TO BE CONNECTED TO POWER
In a similar yet different way I WOULD LIKE TO CONTEND WITH US TODAY THAT OUR SPIRITUAL CHRISTIAN LIVES ARE MADE TO BE CONNECT TO POWER, NOT A HIGHER POWER, THAT SUBJECTIVE, BUT TO THE POWER OF GOD
WHEN WE ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE POWER OF GOD, PLUGGED INTO GOD
WE IN S SIMILAR YET DIFFERENT LOSE SOME OF THE SAME THINGS
Our ability to HEAR from God, starts to become less and less..THIS MEANS WE STOP HEARING TRUTH, LIFE GIVEN WORDS
Our ability to SEE God starts to fade away…OPPISITE OF COL 3
Our ability to be ENERGIZED by the JOY of God is and ANXIETY, FEAR AND DEPRESSION INCREASE
We start to become LESS AN LESS LIKE JESUS
and We become hopeless, helpless
quite simply our LIFE starts to have LITTLE to KNOW LIFE
WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT DO I DO?
HOW DO WE GET PLUGGED IN
I HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS WE DO NOT WAIT FOR A POWER COMPANY TO COME FIX OUR POWER
WE CAN GO RIGHT TO THE SOURCE TO GOD, FREELY
HE IS NOT DISTANT OR A MYSTERY
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
This was a offense to the religious leaders of the day
WHY?
Israel was known as the VINE
JESUS WE ARE THE VINE
In the OT God calls Israel the Vine,
But the problem was that Israel didn’t produce GOOD GRAPES BUT WORTHLESS GRAPES
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
Jesus says I am the VINE, I am the fruitful VINE, good vine that produces good fruit
Those who are connected to me the good VINE will be FILLED WITH GOD’S POWER AND FRUITFULNESS
LOOK WHAT GOD DOES DOES TO THE BRANCHES IN THE VINE
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.
Every branch that does not bear fruit…Jesus does what? Takes away…so if you are not fruitful Jesus cuts you off…WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS …that sounds like works righteousness....hmmmm what do we do with this? We look at the Greek Word and see it is airo and it can mean “take away” or “lift up”
Do you think our Father as His children says oh you are not fruitful so I will cut you off, take you away ....or is it more likely that He lifts us up????
GOD IS THE LIFTER…WHEN YOU ARE CONNECTED TO GOD HE LIFTS YOU UP
Then Jesus says I am going to prune those who are FRUITFUL....why would you do that?? THERE SOMETHINGS IN OUR LIFE THAT ARE NOT GOOD FOR US, DEAD TO US THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE LIFE TO AND THEY ARE SUCKING THE ENERGY OUT OF US
I want you to be more FRUITFUL
I am going to prune BAD THINGS and we say yes…SIN AND GOOD THINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR US
Jesus says I am going to prune that…no not that
SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE POWER
PRUNING FOR POWER
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
v. 3 you are clean, saved rescued, redeemed but God wants you not just to saved, rescued, redeemed, He wants you to be fruitful
Then Jesus says let me tell you your role
THEN JESUS SAYS I AM GOING TO READ THIS WHOLE REST OF THIS SECTION AND HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS
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.
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.
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.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I 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 be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
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.
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.
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
THE THEME JESUS SAYS HERE IS ABIDE, REMAIN IN MY ME, IN THE POWER OF GOD, AND YOU WILL HAVE POWERFUL LIFE OF GOD AND FRUITFULNESS OF GOD
ANOTHER WAY TO SAY IT
BE WITH JESUS
TO BECOME LIKE JESUS
TO PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF JESUS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REMAIN, ABIDE?
Comet to church on Sunday, that’s it!?!
MY WIFE ONE DAY A WEEK
NO
This is not a perfect example, but it works on some level
We does it meant to REMAIN a BROWN’S Fan? BE a BROWNS FAN?
DOES IT MEAN ONLY WATCHING OR GOING TO “CHURCH” ON SUNDAYS IN THE FALL?
NO
IT MEANS BUYING THE GEAR
TALKING ABOUT THE BROWNS IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON
IT MEANS LISTENING TO RADIO SHOWS AND PODCAST
TO ABIDE MEANS WE ARE SEEKING TO DAILY, HOURLY SEEKING TO BE WITH GOD
HOW? WE ARE GOING TO WALK THROUGH THIS OVER THE NEXT SEVEAL WEEKS
SABBATH
PRAYER
FASTING
SOLITITUDE AND SILENCE
GENEORSITY
SCRITPURE
COMMUNITY
SERVICE
WITNESS
WHEN WE DO WE BECOME LIKE JESUS AND PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF JESUS
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ABDIE WITH JESUS THIS WEEK?