Some time back I spoke on the topic that your joy might be full. I used the verse found in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Now I would like to show you what it takes to have your joy full.

John 15:1-11,  1 “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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have 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 remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

I.       Look at verse 1, I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

A.    Jesus is the vine.

1.     The Jews way of thinking was that the Nation of Israel was the vine.

a)     You have heard the term “I am of my father Abraham.

b)     To the Jews Abraham was the vine.

2.     Paul comes and tell them no it is Jesus who is the vine.

a)     They are to be identified with Christ.

b)     Christ is the genuine vine.

B.    God is the Vinedresser.

1.     God is called the husbandmen.

a)     One who keeps the vine, a farmer.

b)     As the husbandmen, God is the owner.

2.     Jesus is the vine and God being the husbandmen takes care of the vine.

a)     All through the New Testament we see God taking care of Christ.

b)     In Matt 3:17 and Matt 17:5, God tell us “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

II.     Verse 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

A.    We are the branches.

1.     As God takes care of the vine, He will also take care of the branches, which is us.

a)     When we look back in scriptures, we see how God took good care of Christ the whole time He was on earth.

b)     Last week I talked about all the time Christ and God talked to each other in prayer.

(1)   They were having fellowship or a relationship.

2.     Every branch must be connected to the vine to live and to bear fruit.

a)     Here in verse 2, God tells us that every branch that is in Christ is saved.

b)     When we get saved the Holy Spirit come into us. We become one with Christ.

(1)   1 Corinthians 6:19-20, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

(2)   The Holy Spirit brings us into Christ.

B.    Now in verse 2 God is talking about bearing fruit.

1.     So what is bearing fruit?

a)     It is not soul wining.

b)     It is our Spiritual growth.

(1)    Galatians 5:22-23,22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(2)   When we are growing all the things I just mentioned will start happening.

2.     So bearing fruit is our spiritual growth that takes place as we feed ourselves each day.

a)     And because of our spiritual growth, we become better at praying, we become natural soul winners.

b)     Everything about us becomes better. We have joy in our lives, because we realize Christ is in control and will take care of us.

C.    Verse 2 now says if “every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit”.

1.     The more you grow the more God blesses us.

2.     I can remember playing hookey from school when I was a boy. We left our books at school and took off for the creek and went fishing. Although we didn’t catch any fish, we had a lot of fun. We came in about the time school was out to get our books before going home so our parents wouldn’t suspect that we had played hookey. The principal of the school figured we would do this, and when we walked into the room, he walked in right after us and said, “Boys, I’m glad to see you.” We had to go to his office and wait while he got his switches. (We’d been through this before.) One of the fellows with me had been through this many times, and he gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever had. He said that when the principal started switching, we should move a step closer each time instead of backing off. The closer we were to him the less it would hurt. So the first time he hit me, instead of stepping back, I moved right in close to him, and I got so close I was where his fist was, and he wasn’t hurting me at all. I have learned that is really good advice when the Lord chastens us also. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. His chastening is not a sign that He is against us; He is trying to get fruit out of our lives. We tend to complain and move away from Him, but if we draw close to Him, it won’t hurt nearly so much.[1]

III.    Turn to verse 3, How powerful is the Bible?

A.    Hebrews 4:12,12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

1.     God tell us here that the Bible pierces the inner most parts of our spiritual selves.

2.     Even to the joints and marrow.

a)     Marrow if I understand it correctly is the innermost part of the bone, where we get the core of our blood.

3.     God tell us the Bible is sharper than any two-edged sword.

B.    We don’t change ourselves; it is God that does a good work in us.

1.     Psalm 119:9-11, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

2.     This is why it is so important to take time each day to read the Bible. It is that important to our well being.

C.    God lets affection come into our lives to help us look to Him for help.

1.     “I believe that the people who are really dangerous are the ones who are as active as termites in our churches but who are reluctant to study the Word of God. I consider them the most dangerous element against the Word of God and the cause of Christ in this world”.[2]

2.     Psalm 119:67, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

3.     Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

4.     The Psalmist tell us that affection help bring him back to God.

IV.    Turn to verse 4, God tell us here to abide in Him.

A.    This becomes a continual act of cleaning.

1.     We must abide continually in Christ. Why?

a)     Luke 22:31, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

b)     As long as we are connected to the vine, which is Christ, we remain strong in Him.

c)     Remember, the word of God goes to the very core of your bone to work a good work in you.

d)     Isaiah 55:11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

e)     God’s word will work in you, that is why we must take the time to read it. It is that important.

f)       There is a story about Spurgeon who stopped in the middle of the street, removed his hat, and prayed. One of his deacons saw this and asked him about it. Mr. Spurgeon said that a cloud had come between him and his Lord and he wanted to remove it immediately; he had stopped to confess his sinful thought. [3]

g)     When the word of God cleanse us, we become more sensitive to God.

V.     In verses 5-9 is a repeat of what was said earlier.

A.    Anything God repeats needs to have special attention.

B.    God warns the disciples against presumption. Jesus as the vine will fulfill his part of the relation as long as the branches keep in vital union with him.

C.    In verse 7 it say if we are in the closest union possible with Christ, ask what you will and He will answer it.

1.     If we are that close to God, we will only ask what would be in His will. Just like Christ did when He was on earth.

D.    Than in verse 8 God shows us we will bear much fruit.

1.     In this sense our lives will be changing to the good. All the joy, peace, which we read back in Gal 5:22 will become a by produce for us.

2.     Remember God gave everything for us.

a)     Christ (God in the flesh) took on a body for us.

(1)   Hebrews 2:9, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

(2)   Christ did not have all His power that He had in heaven.

b)     Christ and God broke fellowship for the first time in all eternity and will never happen again.

c)     Is it asking to much for us to give our all to God.

VI.    Now lets look at verse 9.

A.    How much did God love Christ?

1.     John 17:23,24,26 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

2.     Ephesians 3:18-19,18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

3.     1 John 3:16,16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

4.     John 15:13, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

B.    And because of this love, we can have a fruitful life.

C.    If we don’t, God discards us and our life is full of problem. We don’t have the answers to our prayers and we become down and out.

1.     Lets take a look back in verse 6.

2.     The branches that produce no fruit is collected and brunt.

3.     When a branch is broken from a vine the first thing that happens it start to wither away.

a)     The branch is not being feed by the vine.

b)     And the same happens to us.

c)     We are still saved, but our life is one of unhappiness, problems that we can’t solve. We have an unfruitful life.

4.     1 Corinthians 3:15, If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

a)     Think about this, before you came here, where was you life? Where is it today?

b)     Think about this, if you double what you are doing, how much more would your life be? It goes on and on.

VII.  Verse 10.

A.    If we work at keeping God’s commandments, He will bless our lives.

B.    Remember, we can’t keep the law ourselves, only going to Christ and asking for help to obey his law can we do it.

1.     Phil 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which does the work in us.

C.    Remember, when we stop God stops.

1.     We start God starts.

2.     God does not like us being tossed back and forth.

3.     James 1:6-8,6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

D.    You know what the greatest thing about this is? Christ never stop doing his Father’s will and God continued to bless Him every moment He was here on earth.

1.     And the same can happen for us. God will be there every moment we need Him if we are doing our part.

2.     Here is our example:

a)     Philippians 2:8, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

b)     John 4:34, Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

c)     John 8:29, And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

VIII. Now lets look at the Conclusion of the whole matter is in verse 11.

A.    That Christ’s joy might be in us.

1.     John 17:13, And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

2.     If we are growing in Christ, we will be obeying His commandments and thus we have the same joy Christ had.

3.     When we obey Gods commandments, it gives Him great joy.

a)     Think of it this way, when our children are obeying us, doesn’t it give us great joy?

B.    That our joy might be full.

1.     Psalm 36:8, They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

2.     2 Corinthians 7:4, Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

a)     Paul is saying that he is happy in all things no matter what they are.

3.     Philippians 4:11-13,11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

4.     As our relationship with Christ grows so does our love for Him.

a)     1 Peter 1:8, Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

b)     John 17:13, And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

C.    Through trials and tribulation we can be happy.

1.     2 Corinthians 7:4, Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

Conclusion:  In conclusion, Romans 14:17, For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

What I showed you these passed weeks are not just words, but the truth and in John 8:31 it says;

John 8:31-32,31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I will end with this, John 8:36, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Sunday Morning Biker Services 11/1/05-12/11/05

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[1]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[2]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[3]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville