Witness – we are God’s light in a dark world

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear (Produce) much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV

Bearing fruit what is that?

Many think it is soul winning, bringing them into the kingdom. That is definitely a result of fruit bearing, but is it the fruit?

I will look at two analogies today. Fruit and Light. Look at John 15:9-17 with me.

John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed 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. 13 Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his 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 to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. NIV

Here we can see a few things.

Remain in his love by obeying the command to love.

Remain in him too.
Love each other as I have loved you.

Attain a complete joy

His joy will be in us.
Love one another as I have loved you

Maintain a friendship with Jesus

You are my friends if you do what I command.
Love one another as I have loved you.

1 John 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our (your) joy complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. NIV

What I am about to tell you will cause you to Remain, Attain and maintain. It will cause you to understand the deep things of God.

· Remain in his love by obeying the command to love.

V:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

· Attain a complete joy

V:4 We write this to make our (your) joy complete

· Maintain a friendship with Jesus

V:3…our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

The light that the world needs to see is our love one for another. They cannot understand our love for an invisible God, but they can understand the love that they see between us.

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. NIV

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” NIV

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (The God of unconditional Love)