"Living my Best Life"

John 15:1–8 CSB

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

Introduction

The Shop, a talk show created by Lebron James invites the biggest names in sport and entertainment to share in the uniqueness of the Black barbershops experience.

Black barbershops are long known as a place of refuge, cultural commentary, and candid conversations. On the latest episode, Keegan - Micheal Key, Carmelo Anthony, Jack Harlow, and others discuss their professional journey in comedy, music, and sports. Although the guests work in different industries they share a common expectation — That expectation is to replicate success on a daily basis.

Each are professionals in their own craft. They are paid to tell stories and bring excitement to their fan base. Yet, they all struggle with the excitement of live performances and the problems that await them following the show. Whether it be mental health challenges, career success, or simply quiet time during the day each celebrity is fighting for their peace.

Carmelo Anthony made a striking statement that sheds light on the misconceptions of fame. Carmelo believes every professional athlete suffers from depression because of the unending expectations of success. Coaches, fans, and family members expect excellence on a daily basis. Anything less is cause for immediate backlash.

Often times celebrities aren’t given the space to celebrate their accomplishments or lament their loses. Their primary focus is replicating their success day in and day out. There is no off-season. Everyday is game day.

However, hidden behind the public displays of success is a desire for something more. Liz Cambage, a WNBA superstar continues to battle teenage trauma. She admitted to having panic attacks and throwing up in the middle of basketball games because of stress and anxiety. And the reality is success and fame can’t heal emotional distress.

Magazine photoshoots weren’t enough.

Percs and Xanny’s weren’t enough.

Olympic medals weren’t enough,

and WNBA championships aren’t enough because career success doesn’t promise internal peace.

Even Jason Sudeikis talked about the pressures of successful sketch comedy. As a Saturday Night Live mainstay he’s got to execute every segment with precision.

Stutter saying his lines and he kill’s the timing. Forget one word and the joke goes over different. Miss a facial expression and the audience doesn’t feel the mood. Every second, every word, every movement counts. Because he’s got to replicate his success one sketch at a time.

Even Christ discusses the importance of replicating success. In our text, Jesus is teaching the disciples about spiritual excellence. However, there’s a key distinction between the two discussions. Spiritual success hinges upon a person’s relationship with Christ, while personal or professional excellence is determined by public opinion.

Spiritual excellence is anchored in Christ. Celebrity and fame is anchored in fan approval.

Now, this isn’t a sermon to dismiss or shame anyone for career success. God calls everyone to work to the best of their ability. However, we cannot assume spiritual excellence whenever we encounter public success. Spiritual excellence concerns your character. That’s what Christ reveals in this parable.

According to the text --- living your best life means consistently replicating good character and glorifying God with your actions. Jesus teaches us that spiritual excellence transcends social acceptance, because how you live takes precedence over what you’ve gained.

So you maybe thinking to yourself --- why is character more important than accomplishments.

Transition Sentence : Because Christ set a standard.

Spiritual excellence requires character transformation. Look at verse 2 — God prunes every branch that produces fruit so they will produce even more. God doesn’t want you display good character sporadically.

God wants to develop who we are on consistent basis. We can’t dink and dunk our way to a thriving relationship with Christ. No, spiritual excellence requires consistency.

Consistent prayer.

Consistent devotion.

Consistent service.

Consistent growth.

And We’ve got to be lifelong learners. We’ve got to embrace a journey of growth, because the standard isn’t mediocrity. God’s standard is excellence. And in order for us to meet God’s standard we’ve got to embrace the transformation process.

Christian Hip-Hop artist Propaganda released a book titled Terraform. His book is part commentary, part poetry, and part devotional. Prop is challenging the reader to transform their view of creation and neighborliness. How we interact and care for nature has as much to do with how we interact and care for one another. So readers are challenged to embrace nature in a way that increases our love for others.

The book is timely because it connects our current racial, political, and environmental issues to character transformation. How can someone love their neighbor if they constantly ignore their story? How can the government reform harmful policy when partisan loyalty matters more than the call to public service? And how can we limit environmental based illnesses and global warming with poor infrastructure and rapid gentrification?

Considering all of this, I leaned into one of his challenges and begin gardening. One day I went to the feed store and bought a few succulent plants. The sales woman taught me which soil to use, which pots to buy, and how often they need to be watered. After 3 months the plants have experienced exponential growth. Now that I’ve gotten into a rhythm with my first set of plants I’ve expanded into vegetables.

I’ve got okra, cucumbers, and brussels sprouts chilling on my balcony. Every morning I check my plants before I leave for class. When I checked the plants Tuesday evening the vegetable soil was a little dry. It didn’t receive enough water to withstand the Texas heat. So, Wednesday I doubled the water intake. Thursday morning, when I checked my plants they looked different than the day before. Their leaves were brighter. Their branches stood a little higher. And the seeds started growing new plants.

On Tuesday my plants were on the verge of dying. By Thursday new leaves started popping up from the soil. I’m growing multiple plants from the same soil, because the primary plant is producing more seeds. That’s the standard God has set for us.

Once you overcome one habit, God wants you to overcome another. Once you forgive one person, God wants you to forgive another. Once you grow in patience at home, God wants you to grow in patience at work.

Spiritual growth and transformation never end. They don’t have an expiration date. They don’t go out of style. And they aren’t subject to time or education. We ought to be always learning and always growing, because God’s standard is excellence.

Transition Sentence: Along with God’s standard of excellence is the necessity of relationship.

Living in spiritual excellence requires an active and committed relationship with Christ. Look at verse 4. Jesus says Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

My translation says remain and yours likely says abide. To remain or abide means to take up residence in a space. Christ is telling his disciples he wants to live in them forever. He wants to live rent free in their heart and head. He wants to consume every space in their being.

Spiritual excellence requires you to submit every area of your life to God. God wants to be present in your finances. God wants to be present in your career. God wants to be present in your relationships. God wants to be present in your hobbies. God wants to be present in everything you do.

Often times people pick and choose where they invite God into their life. They may pray for discipline in finances because they want a new home, but reject counseling and assistance for their anger issues. Yet, God wants to be involved in the planning process for your new home and healing the trauma that puts a stronghold on your emotions.

There shouldn’t be any area of your life that’s off limits to work of God. When Christ remains in you, He takes up every space in your life.

Not only does Christ live in you, You live in Christ. In verse 3 - Jesus tells the disciples they are already clean because of the word that was spoken to them. Christ is combining his spoken word and love for humanity. The disciples sanctification isn’t complete at the moment. That’s why it was crucial that they remain in Christ. There were some issues that God needed to weed out of their lives. Like the saying goes — God wasn’t through with them yet.

The disciples came to believe that Christ is the messiah. They started to trust God and were willing to make sacrifices for their savior. Even in their loyalty to Christ, there was a need for transformation.

Yesterday, the Young Adults went to the Grove for brunch. let me pause here to thank Rev. McFadden for the invite. We played a few games. If my memory serves me right — my team won culture wars. We had a good time hanging out.

When the young adult ministry decided to have brunch this weekend there was a planning process. One of the tasks involved selecting a restaurant. When they chose the restaurant they made a reservation. Reservations are important because it secures your seat at the table. No one can take your designated space at a restaurant when make a reservation. When someone confirms their reservation they are giving the restaurant a guarantee of attendance. And a reservation can only be cancelled with the permission of the person who secured the space.

That’s how redemption works. Salvation secures your relationship with God. Your relationship with God is secure unless God cancels it. Since God doesn’t cancel out our relationships it guarantees our place in eternity.

After we’ve been saved there’s some work we must do to experience the full measure of relationship. The disciples are secure in Christ. However, there’s some work that needs to be done so they can fully embody the character of God. And the only way this can happen is to live in Christ.

Jesus tells the disciples they are clean because their lives will be transformed to God’s level of excellence. That’s the process of pruning to us. God wants to transform our lives in such a way that fully reflects God’s character. But we cannot experience this level of transformation outside of a relationship with Christ.

Iyanla can’t fix your life better than God can.

Horoscopes can’t align your relationships they way God can.

Sage doesn’t defeat evil the way God has.

Oprah’s Soul Sessions can’t match God’s wisdom.

There is no substitute for relationship with God.

So Christ lives in us. We live in him. Through our relationship God transforms our hearts to reflect God’s character. Because relationship with Christ is essential for spiritual excellence.

Transition Sentence: So Christ sets the standard. That standard includes a relationship with Him. And our relationship come with benefits.

Reward cards are given to customers who frequent stores. Every time someone makes a purchase they accrue points. Points lead to discounts, free items, and special access to events and services. The more points a person saves their greater the benefits.

Banks and Retailers offer reward credit cards. Reward credit cards work the same way as your local retail rewards card. If you were to receive an airline credit card the more you fly the more points you gain. The more points you gain the more flight rewards you are eligible for. If you fly often you’re likely to earn VIP status and free trips. Who doesn’t like VIP and free trips.

The point of rewards cards are to provide benefits to loyal customers. The more you access the store or service the greater your benefits. However, you have to read the fine print, because those benefits come with an expiration date.

The text paints a similar picture. The more you access God the greater your benefits throughout the relationship.

Dr. Tony Evans said it well: I hear people say, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian,” and they are absolutely right. But you don’t have to go home to be married, but stay away long enough and your relationship will be affected.

The less active you are in your relationship with God, the less you experience God’s benefits.

Here are three benefits of an active relationship with Christ:

You produce more fruit.

You experience rapid character transformation.

God will grant your requests

In verse 7 Jesus tells the disciples to ask whatever they wish and it will be done for them. Someone reading this verse might be inclined to think that Jesus will answer every prayer in the affirmative regardless of the motive and intent of the prayer. I want to caution everyone listening not to take this promise out of context. To better understand this promise you’ve got to understand the character and nature of Christ.

Christ will never give approve anything that goes against His will. Sometimes we experience things God disapproves of. Other times God chooses not to intervene because we reject God’s word.

It’s easy in a culture that challenges truth to view God as a sort of servant or handmaid to humanity. Yes, Christ came to serve humanity. However, Christ’s service ultimately glorified God. Jesus fleshes this promise out in John 14. He says:

John 14:13–14 ESV

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

In chapter 15, Jesus reiterates what he already promised a chapter before. This promise is contingent upon your relationship with Christ. The deeper you grow in relationship the more you experience Christ’s character. Jesus is telling the disciples — anything you ask for in my name will be done. So they caveat to this promise is the character of Christ.

d. If you want God to respond to your prayers in a way that affirms your request, then you’ve got to know what the Bible says about God. Because God responds when we pray in Jesus’ name. Praying in Jesus’ name means you are praying with the authority of Christ. You are now an authorized user on Christ’s account.

I remember picture days in school. Whether it was elementary, middle, or high school my mom had a lot of input on my appearance. She wouldn’t let me take school pictures without a new haircut. My parents would buy a new outfit or tell me to dress business casual because I couldn’t look any kind of way. I may not have cared for my appearance, but my parents cared because I represented them. I needed to look a certain way, because my pictures represented my family’s values.

The same principal is working here. The results of your prayers represent the truth about Christ. Affirming your prayers, affirms God’s character. Denying your prayers, means your request rejects God’s character. And if God says wait there’s something else God has in the works.

Ultimately, to ask something in Jesus’ name is to ask for HIs sake. It’s to align your plans, ideas, and desire with God’s purpose and plan for your life. So anything that challenges what God wants to do isn’t given by God.

Here it is: Sometimes stern rejection does more for your good than passionate acceptance.

Closing:

So, Christ sets the standard for spiritual excellence. God’s desire is for every Christians to live fruitful life. You can rise about average. That doesn’t have to be your life’s story.

However, We cannot experience spiritual excellence apart from a relationship with Christ.

Living your best life transcends material gain, social status, and personal affirmation.

So, I hope this sermon serves as a reminder that God wants the best for you.

God wants you to experience all the goodness of life. God wants you to experience success in your endeavors.

God wants you to experience healthy relationships. God wants you to grow personally and professionally.

God even wants your dreams to come true as long as your life brings glory to God.

Because God wants you to live in spiritual excellence.

Anything less misses the mark. But here’s the good thing about God’s standard --- we can meet God’s standard of excellence through our relationship with Christ.

So, If you’ve been doubting your self-worth — God has an answer. If you are doubting whether or not your life has meaning --- God has an answer. if you are struggling to see the benefit of being a Christian --- God has an answer. And if you’re struggling to see the goodness of life --- God has an answer.

The answer to your worth. The answer to life’s meaning. The answer to promises of God. The answer to goodness of life --- is found in Christ.

Because Living your best life — is a life that’s anchored in Christ. Let’s pray!!