Joy like Jesus

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 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. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 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. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

NIVAC: “With Christ there is a relationship of remaining (15:1–11)”

NIVAC: “Fruit-bearing is not a test; that is, a branch does not have to demonstrate a level of productivity to be safe from destruction. Rather, fruit-bearing is a byproduct. “Apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5b). To be connected to the vine means that the life of Jesus is flowing through us, and this leads to fruitfulness. Fruitfulness will be the inevitable outcome of an interior spiritual life with Jesus (cf. Gal. 5:22–23).”

NIVAC: “Jesus desires “that my joy may be in you” (italics added). It is likewise a gift of the Spirit, a gift of Jesus dwelling within, that makes this joy supernatural and substantial. Jesus’ joy has come through his reliance on God and his obedience to his Father’s will. We inherit not only his joy but the capacity given through the Spirit to enjoy God in the same manner. The theme of joy will return in the discourse (16:20–24; 17:3) and will remain a personal emphasis for John (1 John 1:4; 2 John 12; 3 John 4).”

How was Jesus joyful?

Joy vs. Bliss

Joy vs. Happy

Jesus=Vine

v. 8:

Jesus: I am the Vine and my Father is the Vine-Dresser

Christian Discipleship Ground rules:

To be a producing Christian, you got to abide/remain in Jesus

v.4: To abide in me, and I in you

v.5: Without abiding in the vine you can do nothing

v. 7: Ask and it will be given

v. 8: Purpose of being a producing abider is to glorify God.

What does a Producing Christian Look like?

v.9: As Father loved Jesus, so I have loved you: Abide in my love

v.10: Keeping commands= abide in love (just as Jesus kept the Father’s commandments and abide in his love)

John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 13:34-35: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

I John 3:16: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Bi-Produce of Abiding in love= Joy!

That my joy may be in you and that your love may be full

Fruit= “Every product of effective prayer, including obedience to Jesus’ commands (v.10), experience of Jesus’ joy (v.11- as earlier his peace, 14:27), love for one another (v.12), and witness to the world (vv.16, 27). This frit is nothing less than the outcome of persevering dependence on the vine, driven by faith, embracing all of the believer’s life and the product of his witness.” (PNTC)

“Lest the constraints of the unqualified obedience mandated by vv. 9-10 seem grey and joyless, Jesus insists that his own obedience to the Father is the ground of his joy; and he promises that those who obey him will share the same joy- indeed, that his very purpose in laying down such demands is that their joy may be complete. (I John 1:4). What is presupposed is that human joy in a fallen world will be at best be ephemeral, shallow, incomplete, until human existence is overtaken by an experience of the love of God in Christ Jesus, the love for which we were created, a mutual love that issues in obedience without reserve. The Son does not give his disciples his joy as a discrete package; he shares his joy insofar as they share his obedience, the obedience that willingly faces death to self-interest (12:24-26).”

Introduction:

https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/poll-americans-are-the-unhappiest-theyve-been-in-50-years/19146541/

As I’m reading it, the video commercial was promoting Pampers diapers, just exasperating my own sense of unhappiness as we potty train our youngest… I’m probably at my most joyless state of the day changing a diaper...

But seriously, this data is important...

Discontentment and Thanklessness:

Jerry Bridges wrote ‘Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate’

“Discontentment… most often arises from ongoing and unchanging circumstances that we can do nothing about.”

An unfulfilling or low-paying job

Singleness well into midlife or beyond

Inability to bear children

An unhappy marriage

Physical Disabilities

Continual poor health

Other areas of life:

Valuing personal opinions before the unity of the church

How we talk about social issues, or politics.

Prejudicial perspectives towards people outside our own tribe

Our inability to purchase things others can readily afford

Debbie Downer Preaching

End of the world is just around the corner

Thanklessness

Thankless people: Sense of entitlement

Entitlement vs. Stewardship

Discontentment and Thankless= Respectable Sins

We put up with them.

Trendy rather than sinful

Joy in all circumstances is a way to follow suit...

Need for Christians to be joyful within our current environment

Joy Like Jesus?

v.11: These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

What does ‘my joy’ mean?

How did Jesus experience joy?

Ministry:

First miracle: Wine for a wedding party

Successful Mission of the 72, Mission= Satan’s fall from heaven

Luke 10:21: In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit… (‘much’ ‘jump’)

Abiding and Obedience

v. 10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

“Abiding in his love”

v. 1: Vine and Vine Dresser

Way to understand Jesus’ relationship with the Father:

Son abides as one who belongs to the Father

Father tends to the Son. Ensure the Son is protected.

v. 10: Abide in his love

The Son is content just abiding or remaining in God’s love.

Just abiding brings joy- a resting, and soaking in of the Father’s Love

Window to peek into the Mystery of the Trinity

Summary: This abiding in the Father’s love brought joy to Jesus.

Abiding: Being and IDENTITY

Obedience of the Father’s Will

Producing and doing

John 14:10-11: Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Abiding automatically leads to producing: HE DWELLS IN ME DOES HIS WORKS.

Wine and vineyards in the Synoptics: (Mt. 21:23–41; Mk. 12:1–9; Lk. 20:9–16; Mt. 20:1–16; 21:28–32; Lk. 13:6–9). Contrast: No plot and rather than Israel being vine, Jesus is!

Work unique to him as the Son of God!

Isaiah 5:7: 7  For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

“I AM the VINEYARD”

Last of the 7 “I AM statements

Mission: To be the life source of the church, the course of power for fruit for believers.

Follow Suit:

v. 10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

Joy= Part of what courses through us as Jesus followers

Joy= Abiding “in me”

Pruned= kathairo

Cleaned= Katharos

Pruned/cleaned by Jesus’ words

Prayer: “Those whose lives are so in harmony with Jesus will find their prayers controlled by his word, and such prayers will be answered and bring added glory to God.” NIVAC

Prayer conforms us to Father’s Will

Different type of abiding than Jesus abiding with the Father. Jesus is shaped by the Father because the Church is grafted into Jesus. Jesus abides with the Father as a vine abides with a fruit farmer, while we abide in Jesus as a stem is grafted into the vine.

Joy= Doing “through you”

Warning! Evidence=Fruit “Fruit-bearing is not a test; that is, a branch does not have to demonstrate a level of productivity to be safe from destruction. Rather, fruit-bearing is a byproduct… Fruitfulness will be the inevitable outcome of an interior spiritual life with Jesus.” NIVAC

v.7: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Power and life supply comes from Jesus!

In order to be productive, you need to abide.

Church: You think you’re doing good, but not connected to Jesus.

Application:

Discontentment

Thanklessness

Do you have friends you would die for?

Gospel: Do you have enemies your would die for?

Romans 5: