03-Vine

The Vine

The Power of the

 “Four Spiritual Secrets”

Introduction - Welcome

A.   Review

1.    Moses

a.     Periods of Life

1)    You’re nobody – Tried and failed at delivering Israel

2)    You’re Somebody – Because God is with you

3)    What can God do with Somebody who knows he’s nobody – Delivered Israel

b.    Discussion with God

1)    I’m nobody

a)    Moses – Who am I

b)    God – Doesn’t matter, because I AM

2)    I can’t

a)    Moses – They won’t believe me

b)    God – They’ll believe me

3)    I don’t want to

a)    Moses – Send someone else

b)    God – I’ll send you help (that you don’t need)

4)    I didn’t

a)    Moses – Couldn’t deliver Israel (Pharaoh and Red Sea)

b)    God – Delivered Israel

2.    Spiritual Secrets

a.     I’m not but He is. And I am in Him, and He is in me

b.    I can’t, but He can. And I am in Him, and He is in me.

c.     I don’t want to, but He wants to. And I am in Him, and He is in me.

d.    I didn’t, but He did because I was in Him and He was in me

B.   Today – How does God work through us

1.    Contextual Setting

a.     Upper Room Discourse

1)    Last Christian retreat

2)    Main Points

a)    Jesus was preparing them for the end

b)    Jesus washed their feet

c)    Jesus predicts coming events

a-    Judas – Betrayal

b-    Peter - Denial

d)    Commands them – Love one another

e)    Jesus shows them the Father

f)     Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

g)    Jesus gives them peace

b.    Relationship is the Key

1)    God and Jesus – Seeing one is seeing the other

2)    Jesus and Us – Same relationship as Father and Son

3)    God and Us – Not with us, in us

4)    Off to the vineyard

2.    Reading – John 15

I.     The Teaching (What does it say?)

A.   The Characters

1.    The Vine

2.    The Branches

3.    The Fruit

4.    The Vinedresser

B.   Their Functions

1.    The Vine – Provides the life that produces fruit

2.    The Branches – Provide the conduit for producing fruit

3.    The Fruit – The goal

4.    The Vinedresser – Prunes the branches and promotes productivity

II.   Why be Fruitful? (What does it mean?)

A.   What is Spiritual Fruit?

1.    Word of God

2.    Work of God

B.   Why be fruitful?

1.    There is no such thing as a fruitless disciple - 2

2.    How we show the world we are His disciples – Credentials - 8

3.    That’s how we glorify God – obsessed with the work of God – 17:4 Eph 2:10

4.    That our joy may be full – 11 - Galatians 6:4

5.    Christ chose us to be fruitful – 16

a.     Strategically placed

b.    We didn’t choose Him, He chose us

6.    Because He is the vine and we are the branches

a.     He’s chosen to work only through us

b.    If we don’t do it, it won’t get done

C.   Consequences of being fruitful

1.    Will be pruned – 2

2.    Will be clean – 3

3.    Prayer will be answered – 7

4.    We become friends – 14

5.    We will be hated – 18

6.    We will testify - 27

D.   Consequences of not being fruitful - 6

III.         Are we being Fruitful? (What does this mean to me?)

A.   Christ is looking for disciples

1.    Are we willing to commit to that?

2.    Are we willing to be conduits of His power to bear fruit?

B.   What is God’s plan? - It is the plan of God to use the power of God in the people of God to accomplish the purposes of God because that is the will of God.

Conclusion

A.   Review of Truths

1.    Christ’s disciples must be fruitful

2.    Christ produces the fruit

3.    God prepares us to be fruitful and enhances our fruitfulness

B.   Assignment – John 21