"Caught Up In The Vine"

YOUTHHOUSE MESSAGE

Intro:

YOUTHHOUSE how we doing this morning?!

I before we get into the Word I do want to take a moment to give honor where honor is due and thank Allie and the team for having me tonight. And You need to know that what God is building here is NOT normal. God is building a community of young people who are passionate for the things of God and passionate to reach our city! So we are thankful that you a part of this family. And I think we should give honor where honor is do and give up for Allie and all of these amazing youth leaders. If you are thankful for them can you give it up for them?!

SCRIPTURE:

Jesus and his disciples are walking and he begins to describe this illustration to them. This passage is also the last of the great “I Am” statements.

John 15:1-8

NLT

I am the true grapevine (Jesus), and my Father is the gardener (Farmer, the one tiling the ground) . 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you (The disciples) . 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

TITLE: Caught Up In The Vine

PRAY: alive active powerful sharper than any two edged sword. Its the only weapon we need.

STORY:

Talk about asking Mal to be your girlfriend...

Yes there was a connection people. Ya boy soon knew how to catch her eye…But before there was a connection between the two of us there was a connection we both had individually. It was a vertical connection with Jesus.

But the most important thing was keeping God at the center of our relationship. Before this point I was in relationships for the wrong reasons and tried to rely on the person that I was in relationship with instead of FULLY relying on Jesus. In previous relationships I was too distracted by love instead of giving God all of my attention. God was still in my life but he wasn’t in the center of my previous relationships. But this time it would be different. We kept God at the center of our lives and in the center of our relationship and that’s what caused our relationship to bloom.

But in this scripture we see Jesus teaching this allegory. about the vine and the branches. Jesus refers to himself as the true grapevine and His father is the gardener.

***

So tonight I want to give us a couple points to help us grow good fruit in our lives and today!

POINTS:

Purpose is found in our connection to Christ

Embrace your need for the vine because our purpose is found in a person and His name is Jesus

John 15:4-5 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 15

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

I’d love for you to write this down...

<Severed from the source keeps us stagnant>

<Connected to the source causes us to thrive!>

GROWTH, GUIDANCE, PURPOSE

Yes we can grow more than we ever have in Christ but He can do a way better job leading us through life then on our own. The more you stay connected to Jesus the more you are connected to the spirit of God which is our greatest advantage in life. It’s Holy Spirit. He guides us but also leads us to our purpose.

2 Timothy 1:8–9 ESV

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

He has called us to a holy calling! Not by our works but by his own purpose and grace!

But lets be real, distraction is one of the biggest roadblocks when remaining in the vine. Distraction always causes disconnection. so I wanted to give us some things to look out for that could distract us if we aren’t intentional with remaining connected.

- Replacing first place with stuff that isn’t God. In today’s society if we don’t keep God in first place then distractions will pull us farther away from God.

Here is a little list of things that can climb to first place if we aren’t careful...

Your phone.

I will say, social media can be a tool used for good but it can consume you. I always want to use it as a tool not let it use me and take up my time and distract me.

A relationship.

If we aren’t careful our love for someone can creep up to first place when that spot should only be available for Jesus.

Popularity.

Our desire to be liked can cause us to forfeit the importance of keeping God in first place and next thing we know we compromise just to fit in with a certain group of people because they are popular. Listen no level of notoriety by your peeps is ever worth compromising your pursuit of Jesus in life.

Money.

The bible talks about how the love of money is the root of all evil.

If you want to stay connected we must stay focused on Jesus. It’s in him that we found our true purpose

When I think about being distracted, I think about Peter and Jesus.

Matthew 14:28–31 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 14

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

So Peter wanted to imitate Jesus by also walking on water. Jesus calls him out to meet with him. Which deserves some credit because Peter did start with faith. He stepped out of the boat.

“But when he saw the strong wind and waves”…That was the point of distraction for Peter. They were in the middle of a storm and he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves that surrounded them. A lack of faith developed.

Keeping a steady focus on Jesus will grow your faith and grow your life!

Purpose is found in our connection to Christ

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Improvement is found in the pruning

We are never shooting for perfection but instead the goal is progression. But in order to improve, in order to grow, in order to change, and in order to progress..the pruning process is required! Pruning is mandatory maintenance done on the vine so that it can grow at its most optimal level.

And when we abide in the vine then God can start to work on us. The pruning process begins. As we embrace our need for the true vine then God begins to cut back some things that were never meant to be there in the first place.

John 15:2 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 15

2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

***It requires us to be dependent on Him. And dependence means we will need to surrender ourselves to the true vine.

The pruning is for our benefit. Sometimes we are afraid of the pruning process because we are comfortable with we know as familiar. But God wants to prune you to give you something new and something better than what you have had in previous seasons!

Take about Moses

Exodus 4

God reveals himself through a burning bush

Exodus 4:10-12 NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 4

10 But Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

11 Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Moses was so focused on his lack, his inadequacies, he was so distracted by his inability that it left no room for his surrender and dependence on God. Eventually Moses went and did amazing things through God****

Moses had get uncomfortable and step out in faith. There was a pruning process taking place.

God will prune you in the right timing if we stay connected to the the true vine!

***I remember hearing a person explain the significance of a dark room one time and it always stuck with me. Back in the day in order to develop photos you would have to send a roll of film to a dark room in order to eventually receive a stack of pictures. Photos were not always made digitally..You use to be where you had to have a film camera. It was a process.

And no one can see very well in the dark room. Not your friends, or your crush, or parents, or your high school coach…Its not flashy or attractive but there is one that see..the one working on you in the dark room..God is pruning in the place where not many will see but man will it be worth it!

Word of encouragement: Don’t skip the process. The process is where development occurs. It’s where improvement starts. It’s where growth takes place. Pruning isn’t enjoyable to endure but it is necessary for growth and it’s ALWAYS worth it. It’s worth it because we have the best vinedresser pruning our branches, our Heavenly Father.

improvement is in the pruning

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SALVATION MOMENT:

We’re singing about the father’s heart for you. The reference of the of the pride of the father means that you are His pride and his joy. He is pleased to be your heavenly Father. But God loves you because he sent His son to die for you. so you..could have

The best person you could spend time with is Jesus. The one relationship that will cause your life to change forever. Jesus had an amazing plan and purpose for your life