True and False Branches. Part 1

Intro

As we come to the text tonight, I want to point out that the content of Jesus’s words transcends beyond that dark night as He and His disciples left the Upper Room and made their way towards the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ would be arrested and shortly thereafter nailed to a cross for your sins and mine. He was an innocent man, who would bear the sins of the world. His words are of utmost importance, and they are for everyone here tonight and for everyone of all time. The point that He makes here is an alarming one. It is one that should cause every individual to self-examine themselves. Christ was and is the truth, His words are true, therefore what He said, regardless if one likes it or not, is the truth. My prayer tonight is that you would examine your own life and ask yourself what kind of branch you are. Secondly, I hope that you would also heed the words of Christ and consider those around you, specifically those whose salvation is questionable. But, I want to forewarn you, regardless of what you or anyone else may identify themselves as, the truth is literally on display or not on display in your life. We can fool ourselves and others, but we will never fool Christ. For, He is the True Vine, therefore He knows who is drawing life from Him and who is not. Let’s look at John 15:2-6 (READ)

Last week, we discussed that there were at least three types of fruit that is either produced or not produced by the branches we just read about in verse 2. There are those that bear fruit and those who do not bear fruit. Remember, the determining factor as to what kind of branch you or anyone else is, is based upon whether or not there is fruit. Let’s look first at the branch that does not bear fruit, we’ll call them false branches.

The False Branches

Now, as we look at verse 2, I want to first of all draw your attention to the fact that there are some who are labeled as branches but have no fruit at all. Jesus states that there are branches “in him” yet they do not produce fruit. There are a couple different interpretations that many good, solid Christians and theologians have come to, but truth be told, there can be only one. Jesus wasn’t speaking to confuse us, so the meaning of the phrase “in me” can be known. To gather the meaning of this, we need to keep what Jesus said in its context.

Context to Understand “in me”

Just prior to chapter 15, Jesus and the disciples were in the Upper Room, where Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ. At the end of chapter 14, Jesus and His 11 disciples left the Upper Room and walked out into the night. It has been said that where they were at, they would have walked by the temple where there was a beautiful carving of a vine over the temple entrance. Perhaps as they were making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, the moonlight shined upon this carving and it caught Jesus’ eye, which prompted Him to talk about what just happened and what would happen in the near and distant future. Using this image, He therefore began to speak of a vine, branches, and a husbandman who would take away branches that produced no fruit and prune the branches that did produce fruit.

Explanation of “in me”

So, as we look at the phrase “in me,” it's important to understand that there are some people who may be labeled as being “in Him” or “in Christ,” but they are not true branches, they are false ones. Judas Iscariot is a classic example of such a branch. He was “in Christ,” in the sense that He followed Christ for a period of time, then betrayed Him. You see, “in me” does not necessarily mean “in Christ” in the sense of having a relationship with Him. It can also mean having fellowship with or association with. There is a distinct difference between being associated with and having a personal relationship with someone.

ILLUST: The Apostle Paul speaks much of the latter meaning, namely having membership or a relationship with Christ.

Ex: Take for example 1 Corinthians 1:2, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.”

Ex: Ephesians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”

Those whom Paul wrote to were “in Christ” because they had a personal relationship with Him. They were not just associated with Him, but covered by the blood of Christ. They were in Him and He was in them. Such was not so with the first group of people who Jesus spoke of in John 15:2, which was illustrated by Judas.

Judas, as you may know, was one of the 12 disciples, chosen by Jesus, yet after three years of walking with Christ, He betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver, handing Christ over to the religious leaders. Judas, however, was not the only person in the Bible who has ever outwardly appeared to be a follower, only to show his true colors in due time. Besides Judas, there were also others who were labeled as “disciples,” during the public ministry of Jesus and beyond that time frame, yet there came a time when they stopped following Christ. We find an example of them in John 6. As we read this passage, I want you to take note how the people will demonstrate for us a group who we can refer to as false branches that are self-centered.

False Branches: The Self-Centered (Consumerism

Let’s look first of all at John 6:2 (Turn and READ). Here, John said “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” Then, in verses 5-14 we find Jesus feeding the 5,000+ people from 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish. Scan down at verses 25-26 and notice how Jesus responded to the people who followed Him across the sea to Capernaum; He said, “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.” If you continue to read verses 28-65 you will find there is this dialogue between Jesus and the Jews. They wanted to see a sign from Jesus, which they in turn would follow Him. They said that what He just did (feeding of the 5,000+) was no different that God feeding Moses and the Israelites manna from Heaven while they were in the wilderness. Jesus told them that His Father gives true bread from Heaven (speaking of Himself). Then in verse 35, Jesus made one of His “I Am” statements when He said “I am the bread of life…” anyone who comes to Christ will never hunger. Then down in verse 40, Jesus makes another strong statement, telling them that everyone who believes on the Son, will have everlasting life, and will be raised up on the last day. The Jews did not like this. Jesus went a step further in verse 51 when He stated, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then in verse 54, He said, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Now, we know He wasn’t speaking of eating His literal body and blood, He was simply making a point. Nonetheless, verse 60 tells us that “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it.” Then in verse 66, we’re told that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” Jesus turned to His 12 disciples and asked them if they were going to follow the crowd who left. Peter said, “Lord, to who shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (v. 68) Now, pay close attention to verse 70…Jesus said to them, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He was of course talking about Judas Iscariot.

Here is the point, there were people who were disciples (learners) that stopped following Jesus. Why? Because they only followed Him superficially. They were focused on their own wants and desires, and when they did not get what they wanted, they left. You know, this still happens today by the way. There are people who make a profession of faith in Christ, yet they have no true relationship with Him. They simply were testing the waters if you will. They came to Christ thinking that He would wipe away all their consequences from past mistakes only to find out that He never guaranteed He would do such a thing. When things in their life do not go the way they anticipate it should, they move on to the next “solution.” Or, people come to Christ thinking that He is going to bring them prosperity, but after a while, they find out that their presuppositions were wrong and so they walk away. You see, all it takes is a misfortune or some financial hardship to come their way and they’re gone. People also come to Christ and attempt to make a name for themselves in His name, but when things get rocky, they bail. You see, there are many who come to Christ for some self-centered reason, only to turn around and stop following Him. In reality, they never really were following Him, they were just feeding their self-interests and appetites, or at least attempting to do so, then they leave. They are the self-centered false branches.

False Branches: The Apostates

These are the people who have been scattered throughout history that have identified themselves as a Christian, perhaps for a season, then “left” the faith. We call them apostates because these individuals simply fall away from belief in God. At one time, they were vibrant in the church, seemingly eager to lend a helping hand, dependable, and they also appeared to be zealous for God. However, after some time passed, they eased off the scene. These are the ones that leave people wandering, “What happened to so and so?”

ILLUST: Billy Graham had a close friend in the ministry, Charles Templeton, who first professed faith in 1936 and became an evangelist that same year. In 1945, he met Billy Graham and the two became friends, rooming and ministering together during a 1946 YFC evangelistic tour in Europe. But, by 1948 Templeton’s life and worldview were beginning to go in a different direction than Graham’s. Doubts about the Christian faith were solidifying as he planned to enter Princeton Theological Seminary. Less than a decade later (1957), he would publicly declare that he had become an agnostic.

POINT: Templeton claimed to be saved in 1936, but 21 years later publicly denounced the Christian faith. How could this be? It is so because there are many who are like the seed that fell upon the stony ground (Matt. 13:20-21). They hear the word and immediately receive it with joy yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

APPLY: Mark it, there are some who may receive the Word joyously, but will not last. The time will come when they, like Templeton, will be as they once were.

One thing is certain, they will increase more and more as we draw closer and closer to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Something else that we need to know about those who simply leave the faith after a period of time is that they never really were in the faith. They may have seemed to be in Christ, but they too were not truly saved.

ILLUST: The author of Hebrews helps unveil the person behind the mask of Christianity by saying “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partners of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Heb.6:4-6)

POINT: Take note of what was said. It is impossible for the person who was once enlightened, experienced the heavenly gift of salvation, and partaking of the Holy Spirit (having received the Holy Spirit) to be renewed again once they fall away. They cannot claim salvation and then forsake it all. This is an impossibility

APPLY: There is no such thing as renouncing the faith, or forfeiting of one’s salvation, as some believe today. If they claim they did so, they never had salvation to begin with. It was never theirs to obtain it and of themselves, therefore it is not theirs to do away with.

False Branches: The Self-Deceived

So, there are those who hang around Christ for a period of time for their own self-centered reasons. There are also those who are apostates. The day will come when they will turn away from the faith, which will simply reveal that they were never truly in Christ. But, there are also people who say they are Christians today who in fact are not. These are those that I would like to classify as the self-deceived. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and from all different walks of life. Take for example those who fall in the generation known as Generation Z (those under the age of 25). This is the first generation that is raised in a “post-Christian” culture. This group of people are biblically illiterate. Many of them believe in God, but barely. They may confess that there is a God, yet they are not absolutely sure. You can call them agnostic, or whatever you want, but they are not certain of what they believe about God. The ideas and worldview of those in this generation are typically shaped by the media. People in this category may categorize themselves as Christians or at least fall into a category that the world calls Christians, even if they’re not. They claim to have the answers and need no one to guide them. They are the self-deceived.

False Branches: The Believers of Another Gospel

There are also people who claim to be in Christ, yet they have believed in another gospel or have created a “god” that is not the God of the Bible. They are closely related to the self-deceived. These too would classify themselves as Christians. They may give lip service to the need to place their trust in the finished work of Christ, but they add to it. They may think that you have to be a good person or do good things. Many people caught up in this movement typically distort the gospel by mixing into it some king of new age philosophy, social gospel, or some form of polytheism. or syncretism (assimilating differing or opposite doctrines and practices). I was talking to Shawn Holes last week and he told me that he is meeting so many young people on college campuses today that believe that their lives are the gospel. Essentially, they mean that they live out their lives in such a manner that they are loving and accepting of others, and by doing this, they are planting seeds and sharing the same love that Jesus shared to the sick and needy of His day. This is not what it means to be a Christian and what they believe is not the true Gospel. So, there are many who claim to be Christians but their lives have absolutely no evidence that what they claim is true.

ILLUST: Several weeks ago, Lady Gaga made a comment towards VP Pence on social media who recently defended his wife, Karen Pence's, new teaching position at a private school that bans LGBTQ employees, gay students and the children of gay parents. 

She said, "To Mike Pence, who thinks that it’s acceptable that his wife works at a school that bans LGBTQ, you’re wrong," she said. "You’re the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian.”

Lady Gaga continued: "I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice, and everybody is welcome. So you can take all that disgrace, Mr. Pence, and look yourself in the mirror and you’ll find it right there."

This reminds me of something I read recently about President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln had a great ability to challenge people through clear thinking and the clever turn of a phrase. On one occasion, frustrated that those with whom he was negotiating failed to see conditions as they were, he posed what seemed like a stupid question with an obvious answer: “How many legs does a dog have if we call it’s tail a leg?” After his companions dismissively pointed out that of course the answer was five, the president made his point: “No, it has four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”

POINT: People’s self-perception regarding their faith is similar to the dilemma pointed out by Honest Abe. Calling yourself a Christian doesn’t make you a Christian. Calling yourself good, doesn’t make you good enough for God.

APPLY: Being a Christian, a “little Christ” means there must be a connection between claiming the name and one’s lifestyle and choices.

There are many who are false branches who believe in another gospel.

False Branches: Those Associated with Christ

The final group that I want to mention are those who are “in Christ,” but they are only so by way of association, not because of a personal relationship. It is these individuals who in my estimation are the saddest of all cases of those who are lost. You see, it is one thing to consider that there are people who have always and will always blatantly reject Christ, and it is another thing to understand the sad reality that there are some who have walked with Jesus, such as Judas, yet will stand before God one day and hear, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” These are the ones who come to church and sit beside you their entire lives. These are those who have sat and ate with us Sunday after Sunday. These are those who fellowship with us and even identified themselves among the ranks of believers or with the church. But, regardless of them being present Sunday after Sunday, fellowshipping with God’s people, and identifying themselves as a believer, they are lost - they are the branch that does not bear fruit. I pray that no one here will ever face the reality of God casting them from His presence into eternal fire. But, there are people you know who will in fact face this reality one day if they do not accept the fact that they are sinners, have fallen short of the glory of God, and must place their trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. This should cause us to be restless and constantly in prayer for those who need Christ.

The Alarming Reality of the False Branches

The alarming reality about the false branches is that there are numerous false branches. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14,

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Then in Matthew 7:21-23,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Jesus provided us with a way of measuring who are the true branches and who are the false branches, at least as much as is humanly possible. He said a true believer, a true branch, produces fruit. And conversely a false branch does not. Now, what is to become of these false branches? What is their destiny?

The Destiny of the False Branches

Well, I’ve already alluded to what the destiny awaits those who are false, barren branches, and that is they will be “taken away and cast into the fire.” John 15:2 and 15:6 both talk about this reality. But what does Jesus mean when He said that the Husbandman “taketh away” and “cast them into the fire?”

It means exactly as it sounds. To “take away” has the idea of being removed from a fixed location. In verse 6 Jesus tells us that there will come a day when the branches that have no fruit at all are cut by the knife of the farmer and discarded into a pile, later to be burned.

ILLUST: This is a similar picture as is found in Matthew 13:41, 49-50.

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity…So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

All throughout the NT, there is a clear description of the punishment that awaits those who simply have a mere outward attachment to Christ but no true relationship. There will always be people like this and oftentimes, they are found in the church. They are:

The tares among the wheat (Matt. 13:25-30

The bad fish that are thrown away (Matt. 13:48)

The goats condemned to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:33, 41)

Those left standing outside when the head of the house shuts the door (Luke 13:25-27)

The foolish virgins shut out of the wedding feast (Matt. 25:1-12)

The useless slaves who bury their master’s talent in the ground (Matt. 25:24-30)

The apostates who eventually leave the fellowship of believers (1 Jn. 2:19

Those who manifest an evil, unbelieving heart by abandoning the living God (Heb. 3:1

Those who continue to sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth (Heb. 10:26)

Those who fall away from the truth to everlasting destruction (Heb. 10:39)

Close

We have heard the words of Christ concerning the branches that are in Him. Some, although they be associated with Him, are in fact lost and will suffer eternal fire. Others, are in Christ and produce fruit. If you fall into the first category, the false branch, you have been given a stern warning from Jesus Christ Himself. If you continue as a barren branch, the time will come when you will be cut off, discarded, and burned. We don’t know when that day will be, but rest assure, it will come.

For those who are certain that they are numbered among the fruit-bearing branches, well, praise God. However, you now have a little more understanding about those who claim to be saved, yet in reality are not. The challenge I set before you weeks ago for this year was to lead one person to Christ. As you endeavor to do so, pray for them, spend time with them, and look for opportunities to share the gospel with them. Maybe you have not identified that one person yet. Well, after tonight, perhaps a name has come to your mind. This may be the one you need to commit to lead to Christ this year.

May the words of Charles Spurgeon be ours and our actions, when he said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”