Untitled Sermon (34)

Take a moment and poke yourself in the bellybutton (I’d tell you to poke your neighbor, but that might get us into trouble!) Our navel is a constant reminder that we all started life connected to another human being (Dr. Richard Dobbins, founder Emerge Ministries). We spend all of our lives trying to get reconnected to someone

If a branch abides it receives all that that the vine has to offer

Branches with no fruit

Now, I want to show you something here that is not completely clear in our English text- especially in the NIV if that is what you are using. If you are using a modern translation your Bible probably says that the gardener cuts off any vine that does not bear fruit. Well the word that Jesus uses here is αἴρει (eye-row) which can either be translated thrown out or it can also be translated picked up. In fact, some of your Bibles might have a footnote saying “Greek can also mean pick up” my ESV does. For example this same word is used when Jesus said “Take my yoke upon you for my burden is easy” and it is the same word used when we read that the angel “rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb.”

In v6 we are told that branches that are not connected to Christ are thrown out and burned- again the word is different here. Here Jesus used the word ballow- which always means to be thrown or cast away.

You see, we are talking about 2 different things in v2 and v6- two different kinds of people.

In v6 the branch that is thrown into the fire and burned is the one that is disconnected from the vine- the person who is not connected in to Christ. When we disconnect ourselves from Jesus or we never connect our lives to him in the first place, that is when we are in danger of being cast out.

But v2 is talking about someone completely different; v2 is talking about a person who is in Christ.

So if you have not connected your life to Christ today, dont wait, make today the day- connect yourself to Jesus so that you may live!

But maybe you are connected to Jesus today; maybe you have been following him and you are in a season or in a place where you are not bearing a ton of fruit right now; can I encourage you today? You have a vinedresser who knows what you need to produce fruit. You have a vinedresser who care about you and wants to see you thrive.

At the beginning of the year it is so easy to hear people say what they are going to do to make this year better- go to the gym more; take more time with their family; save money; but what if as Christians, if we are feeling fruitless the first thing we did was ask our vinedresser to do his will in us. Jesus what do you need to change in me? Do you need to reposition me or re-prioritize my life? What if instead of being the vines trying to tell the vinedresser what to do, we asked him to work in us?

Branches with some fruit

We have all heard it, maybe we have all even said it= if some if good than more is better! Well. that could easily be a motto for spiritual fruit. Maybe you have some fruit in your life; you have grown in love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self control; but you know there is more. Maybe you have been sharing your faith more, or your prayer life has deepened, but you know there is more.

Well that is where pruning comes in. Jesus told his disciples that for those who had some fruit- they would be pruned. Pruning is necessary and should be expected to happen in the lives of any branch connected to Jesus. Friends, we should not be surprised when Jesus begins to work in our lives and he begins to prune things to bring us more alive in his kingdom. Therefore, our reaction to this pruning is part of our faithfulness to the work of the Kingdom of God in our lives.

Second, just because something is pruned does not mean it is inherently bad. There are things in our lives that are bad, and they lead to problems in our lives that Jesus cuts out.

But there are other things in our lives that might not be bad, but Jesus asks us to make changes in order for him to have more room in our lives or give us what we need to be more fruitful. For example. I used to listen to a particular sports podcast almost everyday and there was a season in my life when God began to nudge me that I should instead reallocate the 30mins to listen to a Bible Study podcast instead. Does that mean listening to sports podcasts is sin- no. Does that mean I now need to tell every Christian to stop listening to daily sports podcasts and only listen to Bible studies- no. Does that mean I no longer listen to that podcast anymore- no I do from time to time; it means that Jesus pruned something in me for my good so that my branch would bear more fruit. o-[/

Third, pruning is about production, not punishment. Notice that Jesus says that the gardener prunes the branches so they will bear more fruit. Jesus does not take from us to punish us. If we have a relationship that does not honor Christ he prunes it for us to grow.

Friends, if you are like me I have to discipline my kids from time to time, and part of that punishment sometimes calls for taking away a privilege; that is a form of consequence or punishment we use to discipline our kids. But that is not why God prunes things for our lives friends.

Branches with lots of Fruit

Have you ever met a fruity person? A person whose life just seems to be so full of Jesus?

Now mind you, the way we define a person full of Jesus matters. What does a life full of Jesus look like?

Well, some may think it a person who has material blessings from God; but there is little to no Scripture to support that.

Some others think that someone who seems ultra-spiritual and uses all the Christianese phrases must be full of God- but there is little to no Scripture to support that either.

Some might even think that it is someone who has power or influence in the church must be full of God- but there is not Scripture to support that either.

So what does the Bible say a life full of the Spirit looks like?

John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

The amount and quality of fruit in our lives can also be impacted by our motivation. John 15:8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

The motivations of our hearts can impact the fruit of our lives.

Warren Wiesbe t is possible for the old nature to counterfeit some of the fruit of the Spirit, but the flesh can never produce the fruit of the Spirit. One difference is this: when the Spirit produces fruit, God gets the glory and the Christian is not conscious of his spirituality; but when the flesh is at work, the person is inwardly proud of himself and is pleased when others compliment him. The work of the Spirit is to make us more like Christ for His glory, not for the praise of men

It’s hard to believe, but true that some people serve Jesus for their own glory.

Someone who is a deacon, not to serve the body of Christ, but to maintain influence in the life of the church or to have some kind of status in the community.

Someone who goes on the church board merely to influence the decisions of the church in ways that they want.

Someone who becomes a pastor not to grow disciples, but just to have a job.

And these things happen all around the world.

The Bible tells us that the point of Spiritual fruit is to bring glory to Jesus- not to us.