Fruitful Faith
Notes
Transcript
Up to this point, the disciples have been with Jesus 24/7. As Jesus is teaching, preaching, healing, serving, and doing the Jesus things they’ve been with Him. But as John’s gospel moves to the climax, He continues to prepare them for His departure. The Farewell Discourse still have much to teach us.
John 15 is a wonderful chapter as it presents another stunning analogy to depict God’s relationship to His people. In other places we have the following:
He is Father, they are His children and members of His household;
He is the King, they are his subjects,
Creator/creatures,
Shepherd/Sheep,
Builder/building,
Master/slaves,
Husband/bride,
Head/Body.
Here Jesus is depicted as the Vine, and believers are the branches. Just as the branch relies totally on the Vine for nutrients, life, and sustenance, followers of Jesus must rely totally on the Lord Jesus as their source of spiritual life and joy.
What does it look like to follow Jesus? How can you be a disciple after the cross?
The text breaks this down into two categories:
The Vine, the Farmer, and the Branches - Remaining in Jesus brings life revealed by fruit. (15:1-6)
The Spiritual Fruit & Blessings of Abiding in Christ - (15:7-17)
The Vine, the Farmer, and the Branches
The Vine, the Farmer, and the Branches
Jesus begins with the 7th and final “I Am statement in this Gospel.
“I am the bread of life” - 6:35
“I am the light of the world” - 8:12
“I am the gate” - 10:9
“I am the good shepherd” - 10:11
“I am the resurrection and the life” 11:25
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” 14:6
“I am the true vine.” 15:1
Overall God the Father is the Gardner, Vinedresser, or Farmer…MAHI’ AI (Mah-HEE-I)
You should understand that as Jesus calls Himself the “True Vine” that of course He is indicated there are “false vines.” Can you identify a false vine? Well, there are multiple times in the OT where Israel is called God’s vine. Isaiah 5 tells a story about a vineyard planted with love and care. But instead of growing good grapes, the vineyard grew inedible grapes. That vine is identified as Israel. Israel was tasked with being the mouthpiece for displaying God’s glory to the world…but the world really took over Israel with her many false gods and sinful lifestyles.
Here’s the point…the path to God doesn’t go through Israel, it goes through Jesus. He is the True Vine. Jesus is simply saying here, YOU need to follow me.
Being united with Jesus by grace through faith, a connection to the True Vine, is the only way to please the Gardener. Faith in Jesus is the first distinguishing characteristic for membership in the Family of God.
Let’s look at this from the point of view of the branches that Jesus provides for us.
The Branches
You’ll notice there are two types of branches. Represent two types of disciples that, at least on the outside, profess some kind of attachment to Jesus. There are the genuine branches that remain in Him, and those that do not. The analogy also speaks to an important doctrine, the perseverance of the Saints.
There are three distinguishing marks of the true branches that really stand out:
They bear fruit. (2, 4, 5, 8) - This is the one that certainly distinguishes them the most.
They abide/remain in Christ love (9)
They obey the source of life, the Vine (10)
We can consider these living disciples vs dead disciples, living branches and dead branches. Jesus came to bring life, and those who follow Him having been born again are certainly alive. Anyone who is dead is not a true disciple and has never exercised saving faith. Consider Judas Iscariot who spent time with Jesus, physically followed Him around, and was exposed to His truth, but remained hardened in his heart and was not a genuine follower.
Jesus is divisive. There will be a separation some day and it’s going to divide families, friends, co-workers, and nations. For now, His presence divides true disciples from false disciples.
Certainly there are moments in our lives where we need the kindness of the shepherd, but he didn’t come to coddle false disciples. He came to save people who are lost and dying in their sins. Can you tell if you are a living branch or a dead one?
1 John has much to say about the differences that will help you determine where you are on the Vine:
Believers Confess their sins (1:9) - Unbelievers do not (8,10)
Believers Obey (2:3) - Unbelievers do not (2:4)
Believers Demonstrate love for others (2:10) - Unbelievers do not (2:9-11)
Believers have Patterns of Righteousness (3:6) - Unbelievers do not (3:9)
Of course those in the church slip up from time to time, and sin. That is why this moment of truth given by Jesus is so vitally important for the church today.
Do you remember the church of Ephesus? Loadicea? Lost your first love? You’re luke warm…Do you remember the church of Philadelphia? “You have little power, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” There is MUCH in this for the church today. We must CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN HIS WORD AND IN HIM.
Listen, the pressure is mounting in the United States politically and socially to relax our stance on the Word of God. It isn’t new, it’s been coming for generations. But the temperature is rising. It’s coming, and you’re going to find out if your as connected to the branch as you think you are. How do we know?
You’ve got to evaluate the fruit - There is fruit, or is there? If you are connected to the Vine, God is doing and will do everything He can to cause you to bear fruit.
But If you’re not producing fruit, then you will be removed. Take it from the Word of God, there will be no dead branches, false disciples in Heaven.
Now, one way to know if you are a solid fruit producing branch or not is this…Is the Farmer leaving you alone?
He “prunes” you, trims you up. Why? Because He is making you into something. He doesn’t seem to be content with just a little bit of fruit. Hebrews 12:5-7 reminds us of this pruning as a display of God’s love. He does so because He loves you. He wants you to grow and flourish. He is determined to make you to look like Christ…One Pastor said it best regarding this truth, He said, “God’s commitment to your fruit bearing is greater than your commitment to comfort.”
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him,
6 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.
7 Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?
Strangely enough, that hardship you’re living each day may well be an act of love and kindness of God. He loves you, and He is shaping you, which means there are going to be pieces of your sinful life that need to go away in order for you to keep growing.
We love to quote Romans 8:28, “He works all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” We love that verse when we are comfortable and I’m afraid we loathe it when times are trying.
But beloved, when you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, that’s not the time to hang your head in sorrow and bitterness, it’s the time to lift your eyes to Maker, the Healer, the One who is pruning you for His glory and your good. It is precisely at this moment that you are prepared for producing fruit!
How does He prune?
His Word. Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
For Disciples/Branches, There are two truths we must grasp in this passage if we are to bear fruit.
1) If we abide in Him then we produce fruit. Verse 5
Though we might turn it into an emotion or experience, Jesus is rather talking about abiding as a FIXED REALITY. True disciples are connected to Jesus. The illustration of the vine and branch helps us to understand this truth.
What does it look like to REMAIN, or ABIDE?
A branch only remains alive if the sap flows from the trunk to the branch. Without that nourishment, it will die.
Those who abide, produce fruit. There are no fruitless branches/Christians.
Matthew 7:17-20
17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
We get our life from Him, from the connection to Jesus, we are united to Him by faith, and through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to live in a way that pleases Him.
2) We do not produce fruit on our own. (4-5) “You can do nothing without me.”
Don’t get me wrong here…we can do churchy things in our power. We can sing, give money, answer questions, hand out bulletins, etc.
But the life of Jesus flows through every Christian. Apart from His life, we can do absolutely nothing.
We can try, but the reality is if we are not in Christ, abiding in Christ, we we are doing is in our power and effort and will yield only earthly fruit with is not going to last…actually we are fruitless.
THE KEY TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS CHRIST’S LIFE IN THE CHRISTIAN. Let me try to illustrate what Jesus is talking about here:
I’ve got three envelopes: a big one, a smaller one, and a smaller one yet. I’ve also got a slip of paper. The Bible says that we are in Christ and that Christ is in us.
The smallest envelope has “Chris Irving” written on it.
The slip of paper has “Jesus” written on it.
The Bible says that when Chris Irving trusted in Jesus Christ, Christ came inside of Chris Irving.
Christ, the slip of paper, is inside the envelope that represents Chris Irving, but not only is Christ in Christ Irving, but Chris Irving is in Christ.
The slip of paper Christ is in Chris Irving, but when Chris Irving trusted Christ, Chris Irving came inside of Christ.
I put the Chris Irving envelope into the Christ envelope.
Now, the Bible says that Christ is in God. So we’re going to slip the Christ envelope into the God envelope.
So in order to now get to Chris Irving, you’ve got to go through God, and then you have to go through Christ, and after you’ve gone through God, and gotten through Christ, then you get to Chris Irving.
However, when you’ve gone through God, and gotten to Christ, and think you’ve have gotten ahold of Chris Irving, when you open up Chris Irving, he’s full of Jesus Christ.
So I am in Christ, Christ is in me, Christ is in God, God is in Christ, so I am well covered by Jesus Christ and His heavenly Father.
Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 301–302.How do we identify the fruit of a Disciple?
Popular misconceptions abound when we think fruit here relates to outward success. External religion, superficial righteousness…The Bible never equates fruit with outward rewards.
Verse 8 is the standard - The fruit should glorify God.
So does fruit present itself in a growing ministry, popularity, successful programs? Or does the Bible define it different?
Jesus points out several fruits here in this passage, and then I’ll show you a few more in the NT.
Answered Prayer
Verse 7 & 16 - Defined upon the relationship between the vine and the branch, the relationship is maintain through communication.
Jesus primarily communicates through His Word and we respond in prayer. (7)
We receive the Scripture (His Word) - It informs us, instructs us, commands us, corrects us...
In response to the Word, we say, “Yes Lord” and we pray. Our requests are shaped by the truth of the Word.
I so appreciate Erin Urabe’s leadership in our ASK prayer meetings. It’s guided by Scripture.
God hears our prayer and responds to the request as they are offered up in obedience to His Word.
There are 3 Conditions here on Prayer:
Offered in His name - Consistent with His person and will.
Only those who abide in Him
Words Christ abide in the person.
The Spirit begins to form us from the inside out and begin to pray about the things God cares about.
PRAYER SHOULD BE AS NATURAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS AS BREATHING IS YOU AND ME.
Obedient Love
God loves Jesus, and Jesus in turn loves us with the same type of love. Verse 9
Our response to Him is to love through our obedience. Verse 10.
We abide in Jesus by remaining in His love, and the way we remain in His love is through obedience.
Obedience doesn’t earn love, it is the evidence of love.
Remember what James says, “Faith without works is dead.”
Kind of sounds demanding…but look at this. Jesus doesn’t treat us as slaves. (Verse 15)
He treats us as friends.
Jesus has revealed everything to his disciples, everything the Father wanted them to know, they know.
He’s inviting you in to the inner circle. His friendship, this peace with God, invites obedience as delightful, not burdensome.
Unending JOY
His joy will fill you. It is an unmistakable mark of a genuine disciple.
It doesn’t mean that every day is easy, comfortable, filled with laughter, but it does mean that is marked by a confidence in Jesus Christ as the greater and more satisfying truth and source of life than anything this world has to offer.
Sacrificial Love
Look at 15:13 - No one has greater love than this - to lay down his life for his friends.
No One - His love is unique
has - It’s his, no one else possesses it
Greater love - helps define the dimensions of His love
than this - defines His unique love.
He’s essentially commanding us to love the brothers and sisters in the church as He has loved us. It is a call to lay down your life for others.
Galatians 5:22-23 defines at the Fruit of the Spirit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
Hebrews 13:15 says it is the Praise offered to God.
15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Romans 1:13, and Rom 16:5 all point the multiplication of disciples
13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles.
5 Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.
Conclusion
As much as we are called to go, there is just as much a call for the church to remain, abide in Christ. We find our existence and meaning in Christ. Abiding in Christ quickly makes you aware of your own insufficiency and dependence upon Him. That isn’t popular today, and the world has been trying to tear that truth down from day 1. But it’s true.
But this is not a burden because Jesus is where we find life. In Christ, this is the opportunity to dwell with God through Christ and by the Spirit with an even more perfect place to come. By remaining in Him, we remain in His grace and love.
Yet as we remain in Him, we bear fruit. Our purpose is not just to sit still and exist taking up space, or to find enjoyment in some moral life-style, or programming of the church…but rather God calls us as disciples to join Him in the fruit bearing work. We are called to join and participate in the mission of God through the church and out to the world as we remain in Christ.
So, ABIDE IN CHRIST, THE TRUE VINE BECAUSE HE IS THE SOURCE OF FRUIT AND TRUE JOY, AND THE PATH BY WHICH THE LOVE OF GOD IS EMBODIED IN THE CHURCH AND PROCLAIMED TO THE WORLD.