Part Two - The Vine and the Branches

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday we began a new sermon series titled, “Healthy Things Grow and Growing Things Change.” The aim of this series is to deepen our understanding of spiritual growth and hopefully motivate us to continue to cultivate our relationship with Christ. Last week we kicked off this series with a message titled, “Break Up Your Fallow Ground.” We discussed how to prepare our hearts for spiritual growth by (1) pulling the weeds of sin, (2) plowing the hard places that are not fully surrendered to Christ, and (3) preparing the soil so that the seeds of God’s Word can be planted in our hearts.

This week, we continue with Part 2 of this series with a message titled, “The Vine and the Branches.” In John 15, Jesus explains to His disciples how they are to be completely dependent upon Him for the spiritual nourishment required to produce spiritual fruit. He explains this using a metaphor of the vine and the branches. Let’s take a look at John 15:1-8.

SCRIPTURE

John 15:1–8 KJV 1900

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

MESSAGE

Having finished the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples leave the upper room where they were gathered and begin making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus will pray prior to being betrayed by Judas and arrested. Perhaps they passed by a vine as they passed through the City or as they approached the Garden. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach His disciples about the importance of their relationship with Him and spiritual growth.

Understanding the Vine, the Husbandman, and the Branches

Jesus is the True Vine

The 7 “I Am” Statements of Jesus in John.

I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)

I am the Gate of the Sheepfold (John 10:7)

I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

I am the True Vine (John 15:1)

Jesus is the Only True Source of Spiritual Nourishment

In biblical times, a vineyard was not made up of many vines.

There was only one vine.

All the branches, and therefore all the fruit, drew its strength and nourishment from one vine, from one source.

Jesus is the Only Source

We can do nothing on our own.

There is no other source.

We must depend on Jesus for everything we need, just as the branches depend completely on the vine.

Our Heavenly Father is the Husbandman

The Father has “planted” Christ as the True Vine.

In the Old Testament, Israel was described as the “vine.”

Israel was supposed to be the vine, or the example of God’s righteousness on the earth.

But Israel was not able to fulfill this responsibility.

So God replaced Israel with Christ as the True Vine.

The Father oversees the Vineyard

God desires for His vineyard to grow and thrive.

God is cultivating believers in Jesus to be fruit producers.

God is preparing a vineyard that will produce much fruit in these last days.

We as Believers in Christ are the Branches

The branches are “in Christ.”

The only way for one to be “in Christ” is to be born again.

We are then grafted into the Vine and begin to produce the spiritual fruit our Heavenly Father desires.

There are two types of branches:

Fruitless Branches

Fruitfull Branches

God the Father, as the Husbandman, deals differently with each type of branch

Fruitless Branches

“He taketh away.”

They once were “in Christ.”

But now they no longer drawing their life from Him because they have stopped producing fruit.

As a result, the Heavenly Father removes them from the Vine.

Fruitfull Branches

“He purgeth it.”

In other words, He prunes the fruitful branches so that they produce more fruit.

Pruning can either come through:

Experiencing hardships, or

Removal of undesirable qualities.

So congratulations, the reward of producing fruit is painful pruning.

But this pruning is for our benefit.

The Key to Spiritual Growth is Abiding in Christ

To “abide” means to remain, to continue, to dwell, to live.

It is not enough to just be “in Christ” in the sense of being saved.

Some think they are ok because they were once saved.

They think, I’ve prayed the sinner’s prayer.

So it doesn’t matter how I live.

It doesn’t matter whether or not I produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.

I’ll just make it into heaven one day as a lifeless, fruitless branch.

But if they have stopped abiding in the vine, they are in danger of being taken away.

We must continue to “abide” in Christ.

We “abide” in Christ by continuing to keep our faith in His death, burial, and resurrection as the only means of salvation.

John 6:56 KJV 1900

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

We no longer “abide” in Christ when we look to any other source of salvation.

Galatians 3:10 KJV 1900

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

We will never produce spiritual fruit without being connected to the True Vine.

Without Jesus, we can accomplish nothing.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 KJV 1900

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

But with Christ, we can accomplish all things.

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

The Benefits of Abiding in Christ

We are not like those who do not abide:

Jesus describes them this way:

They are removed from the Vine.

They wither.

They are gathered and burned.

In other words, they are not part of the Kingdom of God.

When we abide in Christ:

We have our prayers answered.

Jesus said in Verse 7, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

When we abide in Christ, our will will line up with God’s will.

We will not ask for things out of selfishness or greed.

We will ask according to God’s will.

And we have the promise that if we ask anything according to His will, He will do it.

1 John 5:14–15 KJV 1900

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

We bring forth much fruit.

Jesus said in Verse 8, “ye bring forth much fruit.”

Notice the progression in this section of scripture from “fruit,” to “more fruit,” and now to “much fruit.”

When we abide in the True Vine of Christ, continually draw our strength from Him, and allow the Heavenly Father to continue to prune and sanctify us, we will produce much fruit for the Kingdom of God.

We bring forth much fruit both in quantity and in quality.

We bring glory to God.

Jesus said in Verse 8, “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit.”

God’s name is glorified because the fruit we bear can only be the result of the work He has done in our lives.

Matthew 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We demonstrate true discipleship.

Jesus said in Verse 8, “so shall ye be My disciples.”

In addition to bearing fruit, we demonstrate true discipleship by:

Obeying His Word

John 8:31 KJV 1900

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Showing love to one another

John 13:35 KJV 1900

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

CONCLUSION

Are you “in” the Vine of Jesus Christ?

Have you been born again by being grafted into the True Vine of Jesus Christ?

Or do you need to commit or recommit your life to Him today?

Are you “abiding in” the Vine of Jesus Christ?

Are you drawing daily strength from Him?

Or are you trying to live in your own strength?

Are you a fruitless or a fruitful branch?

Are you producing the fruit that God desires to see in your life?

Or is there any evidence of your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Are there any areas of your life that need to be pruned?

Are you allowing God to increase the quality and quantity of your fruit by patiently enduring hardships and allowing Him to removed undesired areas of your life?

Or are you allowing sins and circumstances to hinder your growth?