Jesus is our Strength

Pastor and Mrs. Davidson

Introduction

Thank you worship team for coming in and blessing us with the music.

Thank you everyone who has tuned in online and watching our livestream this morning.

This morning we are beginning a new series that will lead us into Easter called “Jesus Is...”

It’s important for us to understand who Jesus is everyday but I thought it would be prudent for us to especially understand Jesus during this time.

Today I want us all to see how Jesus is our Strength.

Open your Bibles or Bible Apps to the book of .

We will be reading verses 1-5 this morning for our text.

To set the stage for you this morning in Chapter 14 Jesus is in the upper room with the disciples and in verse 31 he says

John 14:31 KJV 1900

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Arise and let us go hence. They have left the upper room and are making their way to the Garden of Gesthemane. This is where Jesus will be taken and carried away by the soldiers.

On their way there they go through a place called the Kidron valley. In this valley it is beleived there are vineyards that Jesus pointed the disciples to as He began speaking here in chapter 15.

Follow along with me as I read

John 15:1–5 KJV 1900

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

PRAY

Jesus, knowing He is about the leave the disciples through his death burial and resurrection. He has told them already that it is good for Him to leave them because when He goes the comforter will come. That Comforter is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the one who resides in us after we trust in Jesus as our Savior.

Jesus the Son of God, He is the vine we read about here. Even when He is not here He is working within us and connected to us as branches.

Notice with me the source of our strength

I. The Source of Our Strength

A. The Vine is the Source

In verse 1 Jesus said I am the TRUE vine.

The adjective true there is speaking to how He is the one, He is the only.

We live in a world where there are many religions, there many people that have faith. Some of faith in science, some have faith in buddha, but Jesus said I am the TRUE, the only, Vine…the only object of faith.

This is how Jesus speaks of himself in other parts of scripture as well. He refers to himself as the true light, or the true bread, and here again as the true vine.

It’s important to understand this: While all roads may lead to Rome, all faiths to not lead to Heaven.

The object of your faith is more important than your faith

Jesus is telling His disciples your faith in me connects you to me.

He tells them you are no longer connected to Israel you are no longer connected to the Jewish race, you are connected to me. Just as we are Connected to Christ.

Christ is the vine and we are the branch and the Branch is the Servant.

B. The Branch is the servant

He is the source of life for a believer. Sometimes we like to act as though we are the vine. We make decisions, we live our lives as if it should be our own but Jesus said we can do nothing except through him.

We need to stop going about our lives acting like the vine, and allow Jesus to be our vine.

When we do, we will see that He is not only the source of our strength but He is also the one that is sustaining our strength.

II. The Sustaining of our Strength

Jesus wants our lives to have fruit in them.

Have you ever had a garden? Maybe you have had a vineyard or worked around something like that.

Have you ever not tended your garden? What happens when we just let vines grow? Or a garden untended to? It will eventually die.

As Jesus refers to the branches and vines he also refers to the father as the husbandman.

If you have, then you should be familiar with the term “pruning”

The husbandmen is the one who will tend to the vineyard to ensure that the branches are producing the most fruit.

That’s done by first pruning.

A. Pruning

God purges two kinds of branches. F

John 15:2 KJV 1900

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

God prunes two types of branches, first you’ll notice he prunes branches that don’t bring forth fruit.

1. Branches not bringing forth fruit

There is an important fact to understand about these branches. These branches are in christ according to v 2. Jesus is referring to His disciples as those branches and also to Christians. When we are pruned we do not lose our salvation.

The branches that

The purpose of pruning a plant is not to kill it or remove it from the garden, it is to allow it to bear more fruit.

The second type of branch that is is pruned are the branches that are bringing forth fruit.

2. Branches bringing forth fruit

A Branch bringing forth fruit may look like an individual that is living the Christian life perfectly. Yet just like those that are not bringing forth fruit they are pruned.

They are pruned for the same purpose, to produce more fruit.

Pruning is the same as purging. The greek word for Purging here is

kathairō—to cleanse, of filth impurity

This is not punishment or chastening, this is to help us grow.

This can happen through a sermon, through a time of prayer and repentance, could be a through an accident.

Pruning is ultimately a time when we realize it’s not about me, it’s about Jesus.

“The branches of the autumn will well repay each stroke of that keen edge with fuller, richer fruit. So we gain by loss; we live as we die; the inward man is renewed as the outward decays.”—F. B. Meyer

Jesus sustains our strength by pruning and removing things from our lives to bring more of a focus on Him to produce more fruit.

Then we see there is a cleansing

B. Cleansing

Jesus said “Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

We live in a dirty world. I don’t just mean smog and pollution. I’m speaking of the world’s systems and ideals. When we get out in the world we are subjected to cursing, angry people that fight over toilet paper...

If we are to be a people that are attached to the true vine we have to be cleansed by the Word of God.

Our strength is sustained through the renewed hope we find each time we open scripture and see the greatness of God and His love displayed to His people.

If we are not purged and cleansed we will end up like the vines of a vineyard that have gone untreated. We have dross and dead brancehs with insects and disease all over us.

That’s what happens when we get to a place where we are neglecting the Bible, where we neglect prayer and time with the Lord, we find ourselves dieing spiritually and bearing no fruit.

During this time of social distancing and remaining indoors we can either grow spirtually or we can begin to decay. Just because we can’t enter the doors of the church doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be consuming the word of God and serving others.

Jesus is the source of our strength and God sustains us by pruning and cleansing us so that we will bear much fruit.

Lastly we see that Jesus is the Stability of our Strength.

III. Stability of our Strength

Our own Strength is up and down. Physically and spiritually. However Christ is the same today, tomorrow, and for eternity.

Abiding in Him brings Stability

A. Abiding Brings Stability

Jesus said Abide in me

As Americans we are not very good at Abiding.

We go home from work, we eat dinner, we sleep, and then we go back to work.

We go to work and think about what we are doing when we get off. Even now you may be thinking of what’s coming next on your agenda as you sit in home that could be called “forced abiding”

We typically spend a lot of our time thinking about what happens next, I know I do.

But abiding with Jesus is to rest in, to continually walk with and talk with Christ.

Unfortunately it usually takes something to get our attention. An unplanned trip to the hopsital. Maybe a virus to disrupt our entire lives?

I’m sure, like me, your prayer life has increased over the last few weeks. You’ve went to God and guess what, He’s been there for you. He didn’t say “well where have you been? Why haven’t I seen you in forever?”

No, He opened His arms and recieved you like His own child. He listens to your prayers and loves speaking with you. He wants to abide with you always. We need to learn to abide with Christ.

That begins with learning to pray.

In 1934, Mordecai Ham preached in Charlotte, North Carolina and a great awakening took place. A farmer was deeply concerned about the meetings so he invited a group of his Christian friends to come spend a day in prayer at his farm. As they prayed, they felt compelled to ask God to raise up a man from their city to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. Although they didn't see an immediate answer to their prayer, the great awakening had begun. The farmer's teen-age son was converted during the crusade and that boy has indeed carried the gospel to the ends of the earth. (Slide) His name was Billy Graham! Good thing that farmer took time to pray for revival!

What are you praying for? I’m sure your praying for healing for those affected by this virus. Your praying for our nation, your praying for your kids and your family.

Are you praying for a revitalization of the Christian faith amongst believers? Are you praying for anew life to be breathed into Christianity to reach those who don’t know Jesus.

What’s the focus of our prayers? Our will or His?

I’m not telling you not to petition God for the things going on around us, I am saying to include in your prayers a request that God would help us to better focus on Him and bring forth much fruit.

“What does it mean to “abide”? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit.” —Warren Wiersbe

How can we abide in Christ?

Three ways first we must understand we are secure in His Salvation

1. Secure in His Salvation

When Jesus us tells us to abide we are not being told to keep ourselves saved. We are permanently saved in Jesus Christ and nothing can change that.

Ephesians 1:13–14 KJV 1900

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Are you sure of your salvation? The Bible says we are sealed with the spirit. When we trust Christ as Savior we are then indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God.

It’s a one time thing. When I was a little boy I trusted in Jesus as my Savior and my only hope for Heaven. Right then the Holy Spirit came into my life and sealed me for eternity. It’s that hope, it’s that security that gets us through difficult times.

It’s how we as christians can have joy and faith in the face of fear.

We abide with Christ by being secure in His Salvation and by Remaining in His love

2. Remain in His Love

John 15:9 KJV 1900

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Our abiding in Christ does not deal with our relationship, whether we are a part of God’s family or not. Rather, it deals with our fellowship—if we are walking closely with the Lord each day.

God doesn’t just want us to love Him the day we get saved. God doesn’t just want us to love Him on the day we get baptized. God wan’t us to love Him daily and adibe in that love as we have a relationship with Him.

Our abiding in Christ does not deal with our relationship, whether we are a part of God’s family or not. Rather, it deals with our fellowship—if we are walking closely with the Lord each day.

We are secure in his Salvation, we can remain in His love, and we are to remain under His leading.

3. Remain under His leading

It’s through the Holy Spirit that Christ abides with us.

Romans 8:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Abiding in Christ brings stability and abiding brings fruit.

B. Abiding brings fruit

Our Union with Christ is a living union that is meant o bring fruit.

It’s not our fruit though, it is His fruit.

The branch by itself cannot produce fruit, it needs the vine.

Not every Christian bears fruit in the same way or at the same rate.

I’ve talked about bearing fruit throughout this message but haven’t really desciribed what that fruit is.

There are two types of fruit that we enctouner in the New Testament.

the first is the fruit of the Spirit.

1. The Fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

These are not attributes that we manifest ourselves or conjour up because of how good we are.

These manifests themselves as by-products of our relationship with Christ and our desire to follow hIm more. As we walk with him and live our lives focused on Him, He works in us and brings about these various attributes.

Again, this will most not likely be an immediate thing.

Think about this. Fruit starts out as what? As a seed. That seed is planted and it must be tended to and pruned. It must be worked in order to develop into a tree that produces the end product of fruit.

Have you ever prayed for patience? Most people I ask that question to say yes. When they do I then ask what happened?

They were quickly given the opportunity show their patience.

What does that mean? I believe, It means that has we seek to have God develop those attributes through us we are given the circumstances to work and tend to the seeds that need to grow.

The other type of fruit that we find in scripture is the fruit of souls

2. The Fruit of Souls

God’s plan is for us to produce much fruit.

John 15:8 KJV 1900

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

If we are abiding in Christ, if we are spending time with it, it should not be awkward to talk about Him to others.

Some of us can get so caught up with the latest TV show, Netflix special, Stock market ebb and flow, or sports happenings that we will talk to everyone about it. Why? because it can consume us, because we are so familiar with those things that we can talk about them.

How familiar are we with Christ and the gospel?

Christ will prune and cleans so that we will produce much fruit. We must abide in Him to do so because as Jesus says in verse 5 “Without me, you can do nothing”

That’s what lead Paul to write “I can do all things through Christ”

You say “I can’t live the Christian life” Your right…neither can I.

But Christ can as He lives through me.

Conclusion

We each have a decision to make this morning.

Christians, those who know who jesus is, those who know jesus is our strength, will you settle down and abide with Christ?

Will you listen to Him? Will you talk with Him? Will you shift your focus from the things happening around us that is an ever fluid situation to the constant one who is always there for us?

Don’t allow social media or the news media to drive your feelings towards the events of our day, abide with Christ and find joy, hope, peace, longsuffering, meekness, kindness, against such there is no law.

You may be watching this and not know who Jesus is. The things I’ve said today could be foreign to you. You didn’t realize how great a relationship with Jesus could be.

You thought you had to be good enough, you thought you had to do certain things in the church or say certain words.

I hope this morning you’ve realized that slavation and a relationship with God through Jesus christ isn’t depending on any of those things. It’s based upon your faith in Jesus Christ.

The Bible says in that God loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for your sins. In that same verse Jesus said that whosoever believes on him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Eternal life in Heaven with Jesus is based upon your belief in Jesus’ death burial and resurrection paying for your sins.

It’s that simple. Believe on Jesus…have a relationship with Him.

If you made the decision to trust in Jesus this morning I want to invite you to confirm that with prayer. The words of the prayer mean nothing if you don’t believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead.

If you want to make the decision to trust Jesus as your savior this morning please pray after me

“Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, I believe you came to die on the cross and rose from the dead. I put my faith right now in you and ask you to come into my life and change me from the inside out. Amen.”

PRAY

Announcements

Faith promise cards

Easter Egg Hunt cancelled

Easter service-drive in, egg bags for kids, eggs will be properly disinfected and handled

We will be hosting our Easter service outdoors whether the restrictions are lifted or not. We will have a tent set up for our musicians, and myself so we can go forward rain or shine.

Exit out side door

Closing Song