Stay Put

John 15:1–4 The Message

1 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. 2 He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. 3 You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. 4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

Introduction

For those who train dogs in obedience, “Stay!” is a key command. It requires the dog to stand still, “stay put” and not change its position, for as long as the trainer wishes. This takes discipline on the dog’s part; some never learn to do it, even after years of training.

Jesus tells Christians to “stay put” in him—that is, to maintain dependence on him for vision, goodwill and wisdom to act, and help as they act.

He compares this connection to a branch of a vine, drawing nourishment from the main stem, because as vintners want many grapes on their vines, so the Father and the Son want much fruit from our lives

Production of fruit requires pruning

Pruning chapter of Jeff Cox’s book: “From Vines to Wines, 5th Edition: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine.

A vine grows primarily from buds on last year’s wood. Without pruning, it soon becomes a chaotic tangle of geometrically multiplying canes and buds.

Sometimes new shoots will give rise to branch or lateral shoots. These laterals will seldom, if ever, be fruitful in the following year and are routinely removed. Removing them helps keep the canopy open and directs growth into the main cane, which will then grow a little longer. If you have the time and inclination, especially in the first year, look for these lateral branches as they arise and pinch them off to keep growth in the main cane.

Pruning an Established Main Cane

Any flower clusters that show during these first two years should be taken off with clippers or a thumbnail. These are the years when proper training is much more important than whatever small fruit yield the vine will bear. Since fruit yield and vegetative growth compete for the vine’s resources, allowing fruit to develop will slow down the training and you’ll get less fruit in the long run.

Pruning Mature Vines

There are two kinds of buds on a grapevine: those that give rise to shoots that bear fruit, and those that do not.

The best time to prune is when the buds start looking plump, but before they swell rapidly toward bud break.

You’ll be able to easily tell last year’s wood from older wood. Last year’s canes are smooth with obvious buds, below which are the scars of last year’s leaves. The bark on older wood is shaggy and stringy. The best canes for fruit production are those that received good sun exposure in the previous season and are between the size of a pencil and a little finger in diameter, depending on the inherent vigor of the vine.

Scientists have found that the fruitfulness of particular buds is dependent on their distance from the trunk, and temperature and light conditions. In the East and North, for example, fruitfulness increases as you go out the cane, away from the trunk,

Fruitfulness in buds closer to the trunk is enhanced by higher temperatures and intense sunlight — the kind of conditions found in California.

A common mistake made by new grape growers is pruning and tying their vines in the spring and then letting them grow as they will during the year.

Overcropping in a given year reduces the fruitfulness of buds in the subsequent year. So the best way to guarantee that your vines produce adequately year after year is to prune them properly year after year.

Depending on the fruiting capacity of the vine variety, your training system, and your growing conditions, you will prune this season’s fruiting wood (generally the 1-year-old wood) to spurs (with 2 to 5 buds) or canes (with 6 to 12 or more buds).

Balanced Pruning

The most important relationship in pruning is between crop and vegetative growth. One is grown at the expense of the other. If you overcrop by leaving too many fruitful buds, the next year’s vegetative growth, including fruiting canes, will be weak and depressed and the fruit inferior.

If you overprune, the crop will be reduced, but the vegetative growth will respond with increased vigor. The idea is to find the right balance that allows the vine plenty of wood, where its food resources are stored, and a moderate crop. Grapes of moderate crops are of a much higher quality than those from overcropped vines.

Transition To Body- Jesus’ Self-identification and self-revelation as the True Vine

The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit

Isaiah 5:7 ESV

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Matthew 3:7–12 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Body- Stay Put Because

Authenticity of Jesus & Authority of the Father

John 15:1 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Illustrate: Many other vines can grow up but only one survives the harsh winters and environmental conditions

Isaiah 64:8 ESV

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Romans 9:20–21 ESV

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

God the Father is the Gardener

Illustration: Father’s who do the gardening- gardening conversation with two other fellow fathers regarding correcting, pruning our children.

Power of the Word to Reveal and Refine

John 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

John 15:2–3 ESV

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.

prune- cause something to become clean, make clean

to remove superfluous growth from a plant

superfluous- exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : EXTRA

not needed : UNNECESSARY

Illustration: Regarding a saying in our household to our children and ourselves. Doing your best to the glory of God comes from 1 Corinthians 10. Ask the question, are you doing your best? You can always do better and get better. God is continually cultivating or challenging us to do better to become better.

Illustration: Church members and leaders wanting the church to grow but being unwilling to receive the Lord’s pruning in order for us to grow.

The Lord must cut away our ego, our arrogance, our sins, our self reliance, that we may receive the pure spiritual milk of God’s Holy Word and bear fruit that will last.

Immanence of Jesus For Godly Glorification

John 15:7 ESV

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

abide= remain, stay

Immanence, in philosophy and theology, a term applied, in contradistinction to “transcendence,” to the fact or condition of being entirely within something (from Latinimmanere, “to dwell in, remain”).

Colossians 1:17 ESV

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 3:11 ESV

11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Acts 17:28 ESV

28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Experience Word Inspired Power of Prayer

John 15:7 ESV

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:8 ESV

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Demonstration of Obedient Godly love

John 15:9–10 ESV

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.

Sustenance of Inexhaustible Joy

John 15:11 ESV

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

aliment, food, nourishment, pabulum

Tree bark provides deer with sustenance in periods of drought.

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart to stay

I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus Down in my heart (where?) Down in my heart to stay

Jesus is All by Fred Hammond

Jesus is all the world The world to me He is my life He's everything that I've hoped for He's everything that I need When I am lonely He gives me comfort When I'm sad he cheers me I wanna let you know If I should fall He lifts me up And When I am empty He fills my cup, yeah

Expression of Sacrificial Love One Another

John 15:12–13 ESV

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.

Transition To Close- From Vines to Wines

Cox, Jeff. From Vines to Wines, 5th Edition: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine

To produce great wines, the vines must suffer, rather like athletes.

The trigger mechanism for flower bud formation is sunlight, with heat also a factor.

John 15:14 ESV

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

John 15:15–17 ESV

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.

Close

Isaiah 40:28–31 ESV

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 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.

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 ESV

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.