Pruning

Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!

This evening we are going to continue preparing our garden as we have been doing the last few weeks.

And we will be doing so on the backdrop of John 15, if you would like to start turning there in your Bibles.

If you recall, we started this short series discussing the sowing of seed and how the sowing of the seed plays a large role in whether our seed will be successful and grow or whether it is going to wither and die out.

Then last week we moved into the different roles and responsibilities we all have in tending to the garden.

We looked in 1 Corinthians at the problem that Paul was confronting the Church with, namely their inability to see past their own personal preferences and personalities and actually hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them through all of the different servants of God in their midst.

We talked about how Paul planted the seed and then how Apollos watered it.

But the ultimate point was that it didn’t matter who did the planting and watering, only God can make things grow.

Only God can help us get to where we need to be.

And our role and responsibility is being obedient to God and actually going about doing the things God has called us to do.

Because it really doesn’t matter so much who is sharing the Word, what matters is whether or not we are listening to the Holy Spirit speak through the Word and then responding to that prompting from the Holy Spirit.

So, tonight we are going to push forward just a little bit on the subject of gardening.

Because it is all a process.

We plant, we water, we sow, but if we really want a good harvest, we must do a bit of pruning don’t we.

Think about your fruit trees.

What would happen if never did any pruning whatsoever?

What would eventually happen?

They would stop growing, stop bearing good fruit and may even die out all together.

And our Christian walk with God is no different.

We are designed to grow and not stay the same.

And if we want to really grow into the people God has called us to be, then we also must be pruned a little from time to time.

And that is what we are going to get into tonight.

So, if you have found John 15 in your Bibles, I’d invite you to stand with me as we read, starting in verse 1.

Paul writes . . .

Scripture Focus

John 15:1–8 NIV - Anglicised

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Why Are We Pruned?

So, what we see here is this very concept of pruning.

And the concept is not introduced by Paul or any of the other disciples.

The concept is introduced and explained by no one other that Jesus Christ Himself.

And it was important that Jesus be the one that teaches us this, because let’s face it, when we are pruned it’s not an easy process.

Because pruning actually involves losing part of ourselves.

The pruning removes the “bad” or “undesirable” things that God sees fit to remove from us.

But it is still losing something that we have been holding onto, sometimes for a very, very long time.

And the process of losing those things hurts and is painful.

But we need to also remember that God does not prune us because He is angry with us or wants to punish us.

It is actually the opposite of that.

God prunes because God loves us and because God wants us to experience real growth.

A few scriptures to prove this point.

First, the extent to which God will go to prune us is outlined in 2 Peter 3 . . .

2 Peter 3:9 NIV - Anglicised

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

And because God wants all to come to repentance, to come to Him, and to remain Him, then God is also willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to make this happen.

Also, in Romans 8:28 . . .

Romans 8:28 NIV - Anglicised

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

All things include the pruning as well.

And finally, Hebrews 12:1 . . .

Hebrews 12:1 NIV - Anglicised

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

And the reason, I point out Hebrews here is because it is the very definition of pruning.

The actual definition out of the dictionary states pruning is, “to trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.”

And our “throwing off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us” is simply us allowing God the access to our hearts to reveal to us those things that do hinder us and hold us back.

Those things that prevent us from experiencing the growth that God intends for us.

And allowing us the opportunity to allow God to prune us of those things, even when we don’t like it very much.

It is really keeping that end game in mind and keeping our eyes on the prize before us.

But again, it is absolutely necessary.

The Vine and the Gardener

So, let’s look at what Jesus says about all of this

Staring in verse 1 He says . . .

John 15:1 NIV - Anglicised

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

So, we see two people represented here.

First Jesus Christ, the Son as the vine.

And then God, the Father, as the gardener.

And the significance here goes right back to what we talked about last week with regard to Paul and Corinthians.

It doesn’t matter who the person delivering the message is, only God can make things grow.

And now we see how God makes things Grow.

God, the Father, as the Gardener, makes us grow by pruning us.

Think of God as the orchastrator and author of all things.

And Jesus here represents the actual vine.

And the vine is significant because that is where we receive all life and nourishment from.

Think about it, how can a grape grow without a vine?

Or, us Kentuckians, how can a tomato grow with no vine?

It can’t happen.

The tomatoes hang on the vine and receive support from the vine.

They receive all life and nourishment from that vine.

And the same thing is true for us.

All life and nourishment comes from Jesus Christ.

But when we choose to start refusing nourishment from Christ, some things begin to happen.

John 15:2 NIV - Anglicised

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

He again, is referring to God the Father.

And look at what Jesus says here.

It actually has a double meaning.

First, anything within us that that would prevent our growth, God will prune it away.

But there is another part of this as well, Jesus says, he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.

And if we are the branches, then if we continually bear no fruit and continually refuse the nourishment of God, then guess what, we get cut off.

And we have a perfect example of a parable of when this very concept is put to the test.

In Luke 13, Jesus shares this with us . . .

Luke 13:6–9 NIV - Anglicised

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig-tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

And in this parable we see the mercy and grace of God by giving the tree (us) one more chance in hopes it will bear fruit.

But ultimately there comes a point when we are either going to do as the Lord says or we are not.

Which also goes back to our passage in 2 Peter 3 . . .

We read verse 9 already . . .

2 Peter 3:9 NIV - Anglicised

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Which is the encouraging verse, but the encouragement also comes with a warning . . .

2 Peter 3:10 NIV - Anglicised

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

And finally a question for us all the ponder . . .

2 Peter 3:11 NIV - Anglicised

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

So never be fooled into thinking that all we have to do is come down and recite some magical prayer and that is it.

No, there has to be a transformation, a change in our heart.

And that change prompts us and plants the desire in us to bear fruit—to bear good fruit.

But what happens though if we continually refuse the nourishment of the vine, we begin to dry up and die.

And when we are dead we are cut out.

Because of what Jesus tells us in verse 4 . . .

John 15:4 NIV - Anglicised

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

And He is not talking to the ones who have not accepted Him.

He is talking to His disciples.

He tells them to remain in Him.

You have to BE in Him in order to REMAIN in Him.

Also, in verse 3 He says . . .

John 15:3 NIV - Anglicised

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

So he is warning them to be careful and to be mindful of Him.

Pruned Branches Burned Away

And then Jesus begins to wrap up this discussion by reiterating some important points.

First in verse 5 He says . . .

John 15:5 NIV - Anglicised

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

And I was going to ask whether we had ever seen anybody who tries to do “Church work” apart from Christ.

On their own, their own way.

But I think we need to make it a bit more personal.

How often have we been guilty of this?

How often have we set out, even with good intentions, but it was under our own power and our own authority and not God’s.

What typically happens?

It flops, because apart from Jesus Christ, we can accomplish NOTHING.

And that doesn’t mean nothing gets done, that means nothing fruitful and lasting is accomplished.

But if we can remain in Christ then we will bear much fruit!

And He goes on to talk about what happens to those branches that are cut away . . .

John 15:6 NIV - Anglicised

If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what fire Jesus is referring to?

The eternal fires of Hell.

But on the flip side . . .

John 15:7–8 NIV - Anglicised

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Altar/Challenge

So, the altar call is actually very simple.

What kind of branch do we want to be?

A fruitful one or a dead one?

And I’m sure we will all say “a fruitful one,” which is great.

Are we willing to put in the work though to do that?

That is really the question.

Are we going to allow God the access to do the pruning work?

So, let’s pause just for a moment and let God speak to us.

And don’t just hear God, respond to God.

Let’s pray . . .