John 15: 1-8

True Vine: A relationship

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

Our relationship with Jesus is He is the vine and we are the branches—this is how we are to relate to Him.

As kingdom singles we have to focus on our relationship with Christ

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary B. Final Teaching (13:31–16:33)

Jesus frequently used agricultural imagery in his teaching. On this occasion he told his disciples, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. But he didn’t pull this imagery out of thin air. The prophet Isaiah had spoken of Israel as the Lord’s vineyard. God expected his vineyard to bear fruit, but it produced nothing but worthless grapes (see Isa 5:1–7). In contrast, the Son of God came as the authentic vine, perfectly obeying the Father and revealing his will to the people.

In John 15 Jesus says “I am the true vine…”. If He says He is the TRUE vine, then there are FALSE vines people attach to, producing works of the flesh (false productivity).

1. What false vine have you/we attached ourselves to?

What relationship/activity is producing works of the flesh? If the fruit of the Holy Spirit according to Galatians 5:22–23 are “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The opposite would be the works/fruit of the FLESH! This is false productivity

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (IV. Freedom to Love, and Walking by the Spirit (5:1–6:10))

“Works are something that you do, motivated by your flesh. But fruit is something produced through you by the Spirit as you respond to his urging. While the works of the flesh destroy, the fruit of the Spirit provides life and refreshment.

Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1212.

Being involved in drugs, alcohol, immoral relationships, even avoidance are all ways of attaching to false vines/works of the flesh. It’s trying to meet a legitimate spiritual need illegitimately (in a way God never intended the need to me met). Works of the flesh are attempting to meet a need without God. Fruit of works of the flesh lead to destruction.

2. When the branch produces fruit, the branch doesn’t eat/consume its own fruit—The fruit is for the benefit of others.

Ex. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control—are all for the benefit of other people. To show them the character of Christ. On the other hand, false fruit/produce not only hurts destroys other people, but it harms the branch itself.

For example: the opposite of love is hate—hatred leads to bitterness which opens the doors of bondage and gives the enemy legal access to terrorize the branch. Joy is śimḥâ, verb śāmēaḥ, which imply also its outward expression (cf. the Arab. cognate, meaning ‘to be excited’). The opposite of this is to be sullen, stoic, devoid of joy.

3. Branch is your identity

What you are attached to gives you your identity. If you’re attached to an orange tree, you will be an orange and bear oranges. If you’re attached to a false vine you will have a false identity.

The identity-giver is also the purpose giver. If you are attached to a false vine having false fruit you will have a FALSE PURPOSE—one that was never intended for you to have.

You either get your identity from the Vine or the world, and that’s where your purpose originates from. DON’T LET THE WORLD GIVE YOU A PURPOSE!

<Vs. 2 removes>

Question: What identity have you take on? What purpose have you received?

4. Pruning process—to be pruned — verb. to be cultivated, tended, and cut back, in order to grow healthier or to produce more fruit. Another term says “to be reduced” “to thin out”.

When you’re producing fruit you get pruned so you can bear more fruit. God’s goal for us is to produce MUCH fruit vs 5. The pruning process feels like loss—growing and producing but still cutting off.

Practically pruning can look like-(Sometimes when you’re doing well/succeeding can make you not rely on God)—He has to decrease you so He can increase, thereby growing more fruit in you.

He will prune out pride, self-righteousness and anything

We have to be intentional about our relationship with God. If neglected you get weeds—they are indigenous to wherever they grow. They were always there you just don’t see it. When we are neglectful they come out and grow. This is why you have to always pull weeds. Weeds are your default/natural habit response to things. Allow God to prune the weeds in your life,

Question: How have you been pruned by God?

VS 6 is about Judas