ABIDING IN CHRIST

JOHN15:1-17

Augustine said, “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”

In the Old Testament, God spoke of the vine as a symbol of Israel (Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:1–2, 7; Jer. 2:21). In John 15 Jesus expanded the analogy. As the fulfillment of the Lord’s purpose for Israel, identifying himself as the vine and his followers as branches. If you like to look for key words in Bible study, note the eleven occurrences of “remain” in 15:4–10.

This chapter emphasizes two great truths—our personal relationship with the Lord and our divinely appointed mission to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.

The allegory or parable of the vine, spoken to the disciples in a serious context, offers a word picture of the life of Christians.

Let us Pray

John 15:1–17

“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.

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. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

I. Abiding in the Lord (15:1–8)

A. Components of the analogy (15:1–4)

1. The Father’s care—v. 1. Christ the true vine, the Father the vinedresser.

Israel would know this analogy – Psalm 80:14-15 - Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself”

2. The Father’s concern—v. 2. The Father purges and takes away that which hinders spiritual growth

He prunes the fruit bearing branches so they will produce more fruit

He also removes every branch that does not bear fruit

DA Carson says The transparent purpose of the verse is to insist that there are no true Christians without some measure of fruit. Fruitfulness is an infallible mark of true Christianity;

If you are a Christian, there will be fruit.

Billy Sunday said it this way, Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.

2. Remain—v. 4. Remain/abide occurs 11 times between this verse and verse 10. Pay attention when Jesus repeats Himself.

Kenneth Gangel says it this way - All believers must give up the idea that true Christianity emphasizes memberships and associations rather than life in Christ through the Spirit. True believers, demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit because the Spirit of God lives in them and are pruned so their fruit will increase.

If the Holy Spirit is in us –

He will convict us – when we walk away

He will convert us – born again

He will cleanse us – making us a new creation in Christ

He will control us – guiding us and producing fruit

He will complete us – filling the God sized – God shaped hole . in our heart

Abiding in Christ means we have fellowship with Christ

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

and we wait before God in prayer—

Isaiah 40:31 – but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

B. Complications in the analogy (15:5–8)

1. Dependence—v. 5. Depending upon God. Without Him we can do nothing. With Him, we can do all things through Him who strengthens me—Philippians 4:13.

The fruit of the vine – is Christlikeness – being shaped in His image.

Paul reinforces this idea in Galatians 5:24-26 – And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

2. Destruction—v. 6. Those who don’t produce fruit are cast into the fire. “Christians” like Judas Iscariot who are not genuinely saved –

I heard it once said, I will not be surprised so much by who I see in heaven but more by who I don’t see in heaven. Remember Billy Sunday.

What issue results from remaining in Christ? Joy, and a lasting friendship with Jesus. Up to this point in Scripture, only Abraham had been called God’s friend; but now the circle widened and the Lord invited eleven disciples in. Notice again the emphasis on love. Described in an earlier chapter as a testimony to the world (13:35), love now becomes an absolute command for believers, the chief fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), and the essential quality for all ministry. When we ABIDE IN THE LORD it results in AFFECTION IN THE BODY.

II. Affection in the Body (15:9–17)

A. Friends of Jesus remain in his love (15:9–11)

1. Promise—We abiding in Him and He abiding in us.

2. Power—Ask what we need, and He will give it to us.

3. Pleasure—v. 8. The Father is glorified when we produce fruit

4. Steadfast love—v. 9. Continue in His love. Abide in Him.

The Father has LOVED me, so I have LOVED you, ABIDE in my LOVE,

REMAIN in my LOVE.

The Father LOVES

The Son LOVES

We are to LOVE

5. Sure love—v. 10. If we keep His commands, we abide in His love. Compare with John 14:15 – If you love me you will keep my commandments – now if you keep my commandments you remain in my love

6. Successful love—v. 11. Obedience brings joy. Many Christians are not happy because they do not fully obey God!

And what are His commandments – LOVE GOD LOVE OTHERS

B. Friends of Jesus obey his commands (15:12–14)

1. Surrendered love—v. 12. Love others as Christ loved us.

2. Measureless love—v. 13. The love of Christ was manifested by His death on the cross.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 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.

3. Method of love—v. 14. We are friends of Christ, if we do what He commands. Words are not enough. HE REQUIRES OBEDIENCE!

Love God Love Others

Roman 5:8 – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

C. Friends of Jesus love one another (15:15–16)

1. Friends—No longer slaves, but friends. A slave was not close to his master; his work was a duty. We follow Christ because we love Him. What a comfort, knowing Christ is OUR FRIEND!

No one since Abraham was called a friend of God, now Jesus calls us friend.

2. Fellowship—Fellowship with God helps us to know many of the secrets of the future. A slave didn’t know much about his master. However, we may know Christ in a personal way.

3. Chosen — “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.”

“And have appointed you.”

He appointed us to go and bear fruit – to go and love.

American churched have forgotten this,

The fruit of the Spirit is love and loves produces joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

We were appointed to go and bear fruit –

Bear the likeness of Christ

Love others as Christ loves us

Allow people to come as they are – we are called to be a hospital for the sick not a museum for saints.

Our churches are weak and empty because of this.

As the result of weak churches, sin has taken over the world!

WE HAVE ONE JOB TO DO AS CHRISTIANS! — BEAR FRUIT!

Everything we could argue and debate about fall under Bear Fruit –

Doing God’s Will

Making Disciples

Evangelizing

Serving the needy

Taking care of widows and orphans

Bear Fruit is to be made in the likeness of Christ and if we bear fruit, are in Him, in the Vine – we are bearing the likeness of Christ – all of those and more happen.

To close –

Specifically speaking, how do you abide in Christ?

Why Allow Yourself to be pruned? –

CEO of Matthiasson Wines said – Why do we prune? Because if the vine is not pruned it reverts very quickly to its wild nature, climbing everywhere with its long, sinewy trunk and tiny, scraggly bunches of uneven grapes. Every year we need to assess the growth of the vines, and decide whether to prune them back harder, or to let them grow a bit bigger, or return them to the same size and shape they were the year before.

Part of the pleasure of pruning is that it is pure craftsmanship, like woodworking or ceramics, a blending of form and vision, assessing the vine’s growth and adjusting the pruning cuts to its individual differences. It’s also a tactile relationship with nature, the living vines that could easily grow wild guided by our hands to line up in vineyard rows ready to bear another crop of wine grapes for our pleasure and nourishment.

If we prune correctly the vine will be balanced. That means it will grow just enough. If it grows too much, the resulting wines will be thin and simple. If it grows too little, the wine will be bitter and hard. The right amount of growth — what we call “balanced growth” — results in balanced wines that are delicious and show the terroir (environmental factors).

How is God guiding your growth, perfect and balanced so that His workmanship shines through?

The Holy Spirit prunes us so we don’t go back to our wild nature, chasing every wind that comes along –the Holy Spirit is pruning in your to prevent you from returning to what? What fleshly desire, old way or habit is He trying to keep your from returning to in your life?

Pruning – to reduce by removing or targeted removal of superfluous or unwanted parts specially to increase fruitfulness and growth.

What is God pruning, in your life or trying to target removal of, to increase your growth and fruitfulness?

What fruit do your bear that as Jesus said, “By this my Father is glorified, bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples!” how does your fruit Glorify God?

Let Us Pray!