Sunday Service

dear heavenly father we come before you this morning just so incredibly grateful we can because that are connected to you said with an ongoing flow of nutrients that come from you. Or let us always recognize our utter dependence on you Lord as we come into this time of studying your word. we just ask as your word says not by might but by your spirit Holy Spirit, we pray that you will. Fill me to preach your word effectively and accurately that you'll fill us that we might hear it properly. Be drawn more deeply. To you than ever before we might drink more deeply of your blessed supply of spiritual nourishment for our souls than we've ever done before we pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. So as we continue our study through the Book of John and pick this back up, we're going to be in John chapter 15 verses 1 through 8, and I've titled this the True Vine. We are very blessed to live in a place where there is. Often an abundance of food. Just think of how much food we even throw away. Hunger is a major issue amongst many in our community. But what if there was some massive shortage of food and no longer could we go to the store to buy food? And we were very limited on what we could make or grow in the ground. That's our physical Life Source with no food. There's no nutrition and we die. How would that change your lifestyle? Would you still speak luxurious once when your needs were lacking or when your neighbor looks like a skeleton from starvation everything would change you would live where you could get food more readily I once once you learn how to make it yourself and yet see other people literally starving to death all around you you would set out. If you're a decent citizen you would set out and tripped a train and influence other people to learn what you know about getting the necessary nutrition for life. You commit yourself to the groups in the entities that get you fed and trained you to make food and provide resources to train your neighbors.

We look at this and think it sounds perilous.

But the reality is that we live in the same situation right now, spiritually not a perfect illustration. Of course, you can grow as close to God as you want to grow. But we're entirely unable to provide life for ourselves.

It's been provided for us by Christ. most people don't know

has finding life and spiritual nourishment in him change the way that you live. Does it affect your decision-making does is affect where you choose to live? How about how you spend and invest your money? Is one who starving to death spiritually who was starving to death spiritually. Do you commit yourself to teaching your neighbor your family and others where to find food for their soul since you found it the gospel?

If this doesn't describe you it's because you're not recognizing the Peril that you were in or maybe are in and you starve yourself with the nourishment of Christ sitting right in front of you. So you allow yourself if this is you to wither away and die rather than grow spiritual fruit that brings life and vitality to yourself to your family to your community and Beyond and so here in John chapter 15 verses 1 through 8. Jesus describes himself as the vine that indwells and Carries nourishment to all of the branches that are inwardly connected to him. As soon as we walked in this text. The main point is this every person that is saved by Christ recognizes our total Reliance on him and will bear some sort of lasting spiritual fruits. Let me read with you John 15 verses 1 through 8. Remember even the thief on the cross bore some fruit and a story still told today. Let me read with you John 15 verses 1 through 8. I am the True Vine and my father is the vinedresser 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 already. You are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you 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's thrown away like a branch and Withers and the branches are gathered thrown into the fire and burns. If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you wish and it'll be done for you by this. My father is glorified that you bear much fruit. And so prove to be my disciples. So as we walk through this text Point number one comes out of verses 1 through to every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Look at first one. I am the True Vine the True Vine that's key and my father is the vinedresser. It was very common in ancient agrarian societies to use a Vine or Vineyard as an illustration. And so Jesus lived in this world. It makes sense that he did this in a variety of ways and we see him doing it several times as we read of his Parables of The Vineyards and here we read this metaphor. But Jesus goes beyond merely explaining this to relate to a local context more importantly what he's doing is he's relating this metaphor into a Biblical context many picks up on the Old Testament abundant illustrations of Israel as a fruitless Vine and describes himself as the True Vine. One such instance is what we read. When we open the Service here is another one Psalm 80 and I'll give you a few of the highlights verses 7 through 8 of Psalm 80 restore us or God of hosts. Let your face shine that we may be saved you brought a vine out of Egypt you drove out the nation's and planted it. It continues verses 14 through 17 Psalm 80 turn again. Oh god of hosts look down from heaven and see have regard for this Vine the stock that your right hand planted. And for the son whom you made strong for yourself. They've burned it with fire. They've cut it down. May they perish at the rebuke of your face, but let your hand be on the man of your right hand the son of man whom you've made strong for yourself is real came out of Egypt like a Vine that was to bear fruit to know. The Nations that the world might know God. But Israel, utterly failed to produce fruit and the Old Testament repeatedly uses the vine illustration to highlight Israel's failure to produce fruit and judgement coming as a result. But Christ States here that he is the true vine the True Vine that also came for the Exile in Egypt at the oppression of King Herod. He is the true is real. That would bear the life-saving fruit for the Nations.

Here we see the end of a beautiful chain of I am statements that work through this book drawing off of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus. 3:14 where God said to Moses. It says I am who I am and he said say this to the people of Israel I am has sent you. Spencer Jesus repeatedly shows I am the same God that was at the burning bush and John highlights these in a chain of statements. I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world fear not I am I am the door. I am the Good Shepherd before Abraham was I am I am the resurrection and the life you call me teacher and Lord and you were right for so I am I am the way the truth and the life no buddy comes to the father except through me as we saw a few weeks ago and why Because the final I am I am the True Vine the true Israel. It is real itself was not the True Vine because it did not abide in the Lord and produce fruit. The True Vine is Christ who his real was pointing to Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit leading up to this text. He speaks of himself as the True Vine and the father is the vinedresser bring engrossed and multiplying fruit. The Greek word here for vinedressers is ghee orcas. What are the farmer? Your got literally farmer here. We see a picture of Jesus's subordination and obedience to the father. Producing the fruits that the father has sent him to produce.

The promises of God, but God is given to Israel. Is depicted as we saw on Psalm 80 as a son to God along to Christ the true Son of God. punishment of Israel on the world fell on Christ when he boarded on the cross in perfect innocence the perfect sacrifice the perfect righteousness verse 2 every branch in me that does not bear fruit. He takes away and every branch that does not bear fruit. He prunes that it may bear more fruit and John 14:20 Jesus already spoke of his indwelling with the believer saying you're in me and I am in you and now the same truth is Illustrated with this Vine imagery Christ's followers in dwell together with and become a true part of the True Vine. Christ is the vine and Christians are the fruit bearing branches. And if a branch doesn't bear fruit, what's the problem? It's a branch that's not alive with the vine. It was created by the vine and it might kind of look like part of the Vine. But it didn't receive the nutrients in life from the vine like the living branches inwardly. It's empty. It's cut off. How do you know the difference the true branches are connected to the vine inwardly and receive the flow of nutrients so they bear fruit.

Jesus exposes false teaching in Matthew 7:20 saying verse you will recognize them by their fruits. A christian-based spiritual fruit and we know them by their fruits and people that do not bear spiritual fruits. How can you say their Christian people?

Are dead branches? Not a true part of the Vine. Father Illustrated is a farmer does a two-fold job here first? He cuts off the branches that do not produce fruit. Notice that these are not branches that represent a person who's been made new in Christ there dead branches. They're not part of the true branch is here for the branches the n-word Lear. not connected There's not that flow of nutrients.

So it is with those who do not abide in Christ.

Person who surrenders their life to him becomes a part of the vine and receives nutrients from Christ causes a yield of spiritual fruit in your life. Those who attempt to describe the dead branches as people who were once Christians and turned away. Push this illustration way too far and fail the realized how Jesus is illustrating himself as the true Israel drawing this off of Old Testament metaphor and symbolism and at the true branches or those who have been made one with him. What's the True Vine and the rest are dead would they will be trimmed out and burns? And those who never produce fruit or not part of the vine, even if they appear to be associated with even if they were created by the Vine.

You're cut off inwardly from God. How can you bear fruit, how can you be a true branches? That was obstinate Israel Jeremiah 510 says go up through Irvine Rose and Destroy but make not a full end strip away her branches for they are not the Lord's. I was also Judas Iscariot.

That's also a lot of people in our churches Salata people on membership rolls in churches

If never born fruit for the Lord never shown any interest in the things of God.

And we should see as a church. What a church made piece of paper says about a person's membership in the kingdom of God might not be the way that God defines a person's membership in the kingdom of God, and that's something the church has to work on.

The second part of the farmers Duty does the father's duty is the farmer Illustrated is a farmer here is he prunes fruit bearing branches that are truly part of the vine so that they can produce more fruit. Randy Hicks taught me a lesson about this one time. We were out messing with the food plot and he was pruning the trees. I knew nothing of pruning trees. I've never die. My green thumb is the deepest shade of brown you could imagine. Okay, and so he was teaching me about prune these things and I was watching this and thinking she going to kill the tree but then I found out he worked for years in the nursery to get through school and I knew exactly what he's doing to start explaining this whole process. I thought man that pruning process looks brutal on that tree. The pruning process is unpleasant at times. It's unpleasant at the time that it's happening and it doesn't look pretty. But it's done out of love and care for that tree for that branch and the vine dresser knows the health and the Vitality that it'll bring to the branch in the long run. So it is with us God knows the health in the Vitality that you're suffering is going to bring to you in the long run as he prunes you and if God is pruning you you you can rest assured your his child. You're his branch that he is pruning and growing to Bear more fruit Hebrews 12 7 through 8. It's for discipline, but you have to endure God is treating you as Sons what's son is there whom his father does not discipline. If your left without discipline in which all of participated then your illegitimate children about Sons. Flies in the face of the name it claim it gospel verse 10 and continues for they disciplined us for a short time speaking of Earthly Fathers as it seemed best of them, but he disciplines us for our good speaking of God that we may share his holiness.

Being in Christ is not a path of Muir health and wealth. the path full of discipline and pruning that we might be made more. Holy. the Christian Bears the fruit of holiness How much fruit for how little Fruit Juicy Fruit of Holiness changed desires God word desires? And as we grow and as we're prunes and as we receive more Life Giving nutrients. We received more fruit. You may see a tree. That's Branch produces what Apple? That's a true branch and you may see one that produces 10 apples at 10 apple trees a blessed tree, but that one apple tree still true tree still true apple tree. But that one's got to grow. It's got to be more proved. It's got to continue producing fruit. But God does with us. We suffer as Christians. We know it's not in vain. God's telling us. I love you and I'm proving you to make you bear more fruit and life than ever before you watch me prove my love for you to help sleep. I'm making you have faced. I've overcome the world. And that brings us as we move to the next versus out of verses 3 through 8 number to every Christian is totally reliant on Christ. We've seen this over and over through John our utter desperation for Christ's until we understand our desperation for him. We don't understand salvation. verse 3 already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. So Jesus's teaching is already taken hold in their lives. So we saying look I'm going to cut you off. You're not the dead branches because of the word has been spoken into your life. You've been made clean your true branch and the proof of that is you're going to go through. So it is with Christians the proof is you're going to bear fruit.

Teachings taken hold in their lives leaving their salvation. They've been made clean. The life of the vine is flowing into the branches these disciples. Fruit will come because they've been given life and that life will not go away. first four 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 can't take not going to do it, but I could take a branch set it down that grow me fruit will never grow fruit to dead Branch. It's cut off. But a tree Might Miss canera Branch is connected to the tree into the vine a branch is nourished by the vine because it abides in the vine. So there's a flow of nutrient that comes its way. Your yield will increase your Holiness will increase the more richly you abide in Christ, and we have a responsibility to care for the flow of nutrients that comes to us from Christ because that's our only means to produce Holiness in our lives and if Holiness isn't your greatest desire

Then how much fruit if you produced are you producing fruit? Are you a true Branch Holiness is not your great desire.

The branch that can not bear fruit. It can never bear fruit unless it's connected with life to the vine and neither. Can we buy any fruit unless we're in Christ. We are utterly dependent on him and the more we nourish our relationship with him through spiritual discipline. The more fruit. We will bear legalism attempts to bear fruit by ourselves like a dead Branch laying on the ground floor like a dead branch that has no nutrients coming to it from the vine because it's trying to make the food happen all by itself with no source to produce the fruit are sources Christ. Because of the Cross because of his resurrection.

That's how we overcome sin. Leaving by his crossed pleading for his Mercy. I'm disciplining ourselves in godliness as we grow in him and our desires change more towards him.

See Godly discipline unlike legalism Godly discipline prunes and grows us to recognize our utter desperation for Christ to make us and our inability to do it ourselves First Timothy 4 7 through 8 have nothing to do with the Reverend myths rather discipline yourself for godliness for what bodily training is of some value godliness is a value in every way is a holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come live by the first discipline yourself for godliness is where we get our English word gymnasium. It's discipline with the idea of physical exercise for a bodily training is of some value is a play on words. You want to become more Godly. You're totally reliant on Christ. So go to the gym and exercise your faith build up your relationship with Christ through spiritual discipline. We see several spiritual disciplines in the Bible that grow us and Holiness, but the two that we are commanded to do on a daily basis in order of importance is intake of God's word and prayer and what do we see Jesus doing here interpreting the Old Testament scriptures throughout this whole metaphor giving them God's word and then he highlights prayer in the next versus verses 5 through 6

I am the vine going to highlight prayer here in just a little bit. The first is going to restate this what we've already seen but more specifically where is five and six. I am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears fruit for apart from me. You can do nothing if anyone does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and Withers and the branches are gathered thrown into a fire in burnt. Space versus repeat what we've seen but without mentioning the vinedresser and Norris pruning. So Jesus rephrases this to point out a clearly-defined contrast between those who are in him and those who are dead branches. One remains in the vine and is fruit bearing. And the other is dead and thrown away and burns. It's not wise to try to reduce when we're thinking of what kind of fruit does it produce. What what kind of fruit is a talking about? It's not wise to reduce it to looking at a specific type of activities such as the fruit of obedience the fruit of soul-winning because Jesus isn't being that specific. It's a broad statement. You will bear spiritual fruit to be Holiness, which all of that is apart of

It just says fruit, you will bear spiritual fruit in the next versus show that it's proof that comes through prayer in Jesus's name and it comes to bring glory to God the Father. We seeing this at the fruit is the outcome of the continued lasting dependence on the vine. Is driven by faith in Christ?

And that Faith saturates all of the Believers life. Christ is not a part of a mirror part of your life is your life if you are a Vine if he's a Vine and you are a branch. He's not Amir part of you Heath is your life. When you're faced in him should saturate finish should motivate and it should dictate everything that you do it every category of your life.

In the vine that would rather be nourished rather not be nourished in this way. It would rather not be nourished in this way is good for nothing but fire. Is Jesus shows? The new in the New Covenant the same and imagery with the same warning of the zekiel 15 verses 5 through 7. It all the supplies today says behold when it was whole it was used for nothing how much less when the fire has consumed it and it is chard it can never be used for anything. Therefore thus says the Lord God. Like the wood of the vine among the Trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel. So will I have given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will set my face against them know they escaped from the fire the fire shall yet consume them and you will know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them. Although the vine imagery is symbolic is Jesus alludes to several Old Testament passages. The fire is taken by John and his readers as literal. Matthew 13 verses 41 through 42 cuz Jesus speaks of this repeatedly John speaks of it in Revelation. Jesus says Matthew 13 41 through 42. The son of man will send his angels and they were they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. And in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Verse 7 says but if you abide in me. And my words abide in you. Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. If you abide in me and my words abide in you noticed that you abide his word abides in you mutually and dwelling here and you see the Jesus and his words are inseparable. If Jesus is honest and perfect that is words or so consistent with his character that we cannot separate following Christ from following his work because if you're following his word, you will be following Christ. But if you say you followed his word, but you don't follow Christ you were in other Rebellion to everything that he said, And if you say you follow Christ and you don't treasure his word. You don't treasure him. Following his word means following him following him means following his word. In any of us who are in Christ, you show me a person's love for scripture and I'll show them that you'll see a co-relation of his love to God. Do you love God you will abide? The instruction he gives for biting is his word. He says ask whatever you wish. This abiding proves itself effective in prayer. the growth comes effective prayer Notice, he's not talking about prayer like a genie where you saying ask me whatever you want and I'll give it to you. He's talking about bearing fruit. You want to buy fruit you abide in me and you will bear fruit ask me ask me. Whatever. If it's what's going to be a prude, you got it.

See a biting and being nourished by Christ changes our desires to his desires and our primary motivation, then becomes Holiness and growing in Holiness. So we find ourselves asking for the things that he desires to happen in our prayers to become much more highly effective because we ask for the right things with the right motives. Isaiah 59 1 through 2. It says behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save or his ear dull that it cannot hear but your iniquities have made the separation between you and your God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear are you frustrated that you're not hearing God's voice and that you feel isolated from him?

Let me tell you something. The problem isn't God. The problem is not God. God's hand is not shortened and his ear is not Dull. It may be that you need to check your own heart and motives. It may be that your Rebellion is hindering your prayers or it may be that without realizing it even maybe you're trying to do the right thing. But without realizing it you're asking with wrong motives and wrong perspective abide search your heart and set your motives on his glory. And when you find need for repenting repents. With the Promise This Promise of fruitful prayer might be yours. Reverse Sage continuing along here by this fruit-bearing prayer fruit-bearing increasing through Prayer by this. My father is glorified here. We see the purpose of it all by this. My father is glorified that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. The glory of God is the end goal of all of our fruit. Being fruitful to the glory of God is our purpose dating back all the way to the garden. Are Spiritual fruit as a result of Christ's Redemptive work in his death burial and resurrection that makes the way for Jesus to bring life to us like a Vine does two branches and our fruitfulness is a result that comes through our prayers and that's our fruitfulness brings glory to God the Father through Jesus.

Are fruit that grows from our relationship in Union with Christ is part of how Christ brings glory to the father. So when we Rebelle We're not only hurting ourselves. We rob God of his highest valued purpose in creating his glory.

So, how can we expect His blessings in Rebellion? Fruitful are fruitless living is about far more than our Eternal salvation or our Eternal burning. It's about whether or not you will give to God what is rightfully his it's all about him. It's all about his glory. All of our life is about his glory. All of our work is about his gourd. All of our fruit. All of our Holiness is about his glory is about God's glory. What excites you most about heaven?

It's not bad to want to see relatives or see friends or see loved ones in heaven. But if that's the thing that excites you most your eyes, but I fixed on God's glory because heaven is not about you getting to get the things that you lost on her. It's about being able to glorify God in a pre Fallen state. What the curse of sin no longer on Earth. It's all about God. It is all about God's glory.

And if you don't desire your life to be all about God here then what do you have to look forward to in heaven? Because that's what it's all about. What motivates you? Are you motivated by God's glory or by living for yourself? Do you want to be described as a branch that bears fruit? Christ has given us the way to do that through his death on the cross his resurrection into new life. And he provides the only way for us to become one with him grafted together with him as his true branches if we surrender Our Lives to him and to his control. And we can drink from his eternal supply of life-giving nourishment for our souls through his word and through our prayers. 9 bites you to pray now and surrender your life to him if that's something you want to do. We're going to close in prayer have a moment to reflect and then sing a closing him and I invite you to come Surrender Your Life to him that you might exchange fruitlessness and inner deadness for fruitfulness and life and vitality in Christ. Let me pray with you.

Heavenly Father we Come before you today. So incredibly grateful the year chosen to be a vine. The provides nutrients provides life and vitality for us. We just pray that you will send.

Increasing abundance of life and vitality into this church, then you'll see sends life and vitality. in the dead Souls Let's hear this message dead souls in our community that we can take your gospel to and pretty things in Jesus name. Amen.

Houston