I AM THE VINE: John 15:1-17
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Be A Grape, Not a Raisin // John 15:1-17
Be A Grape, Not a Raisin // John 15:1-17
Intro: Last week of “I am” Tonight, we will look at the last I Am statement.
We have to try and learn how to look for symptoms the past 2 years or so haven’t we? Sneezing/coughing in a public place in 2021 is the modern day equivalent of walking into a store only in your underwear right? Everybody is staring, judging you, mom’s are hiding the sight of you by covering their children’s faces and running out of the store…It’s just a fun time. And really, all that was actually going on is that you live in Lubbock, tx with wind, dust and dry weather so you just perpetually have a sinus infection and that’s life ha.
Connection: There are symptoms that we can see in our lives to point toward us not doing well physically of course, but also spiritually. And in the life of a Christian, we want to be spiritually healthy. For those that don’t know Jesus, one fact from scripture is that that spiritually they are dead and only Jesus can make them alive. There are all kinds of symptoms when we don’t have a solid relationship with Jesus.
And in tonight’s text, we’re gonna get a lot of help in figuring out how we can not just barely be making it in our relationship with Jesus, but actually be healthy.
Another way of saying it is what is the difference between thriving in a relationship with Jesus, and just merely surviving.
And John 15 is going to help us to actually see what those symptoms are…so here’s our question...
What are the symptoms of both a thriving and merely surviving Christian?
Read Text:
1 “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.
A thriving Christian welcomes God’s sovereign pruning
A merely surviving Christian complains about the pruning process
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
A thriving Christian believes only Jesus can take their sin and make them clean
A merely surviving depends partially upon their own ability to make themselves clean
What does clean mean, and what does word mean? They go together. The Word is the Gospel, in which the sacrifice of Jesus’ death takes our dirty sin, and through His blood we are made white as snow, ie, clean in the eyes of God.
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.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
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.
A thriving Christian lives in obedience to Jesus, in the power of Jesus to the glory of Jesus!
A merely surviving Christian wants to benefit from Jesus without obeying Him.
v.6 is dangerous bc true Christians will thrive and persevere, and those who aren’t genuine Christ followers will be like severed branches.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for 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.
A thriving Christian prays according to the will of God which is informed by the Word of God
A merely surviving Christian prays according to their own desires and will.
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.
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.
A thriving Christian loves God through obedience
A merely surviving Christian believes they can love God without obeying Him.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
A thriving Christian is full of joy
A surviving christian is at best an emotional rollercoaster
John 15:12–13, 17(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.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
A thriving Christian sacrificially loves their brothers and sisters in Christ
A merely surviving Christian loves others only when it’s convenient
BIG ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
A thriving Christian abides in Christ
What does abide mean?
Abide means to remain, to dwell, to stay, to make yourself at home with Jesus. It’s coming into Jesus’ house, unpacking your luggage in the dresser, hanging up your shirts, and telling Him, I’m gonna live here from now on. I’m gonna stay attached and connected to you. I need you like the branches need the vine: with you I can have a fruitful abundant life, without you, I can’t do anything spiritually meaningful!
Abiding in you, i’m a grape. Apart from you I’m a sugar free raisin.
So...
A thriving Christian abides in Christ
A merely surviving Christian only affiliates themself with Christ
The thriving Christian is saved by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, follows Him and calls Him Lord and King
The merely surviving Christian wants Jesus to give 100% of Himself to them while they only plan to give about 3% of themselves to Him.
In other words, the thriving Christian is following Jesus, the merely surviving so called Christian might be on a path to a place that has hot weather year-round…you tracking with me?
So, because of the truths of John 15, we see that we are to abide in Christ. We know what it means to abide. So now we need to take these powerful truths of Jesus and say “How would my life look different if I began to apply these truths?”
But what you should know, is that abiding in Christ is NOT easy. There are a lot of behaviors, mindsets, attitudes, and things we even believe about God and the Christian life that are severely hindering us from abiding in Christ the way He has called us to.
So in order to apply the teaching of Jesus in John 15, we need to STOP doing some things, and start doing other things. There are ways we think, behaviors we have, and even beliefs that we have that need to be corrected to cultivate a heart, mind, and lifestyle of abiding in Christ.
And what we’re about to dive into I think are some of the most common hindrances and applications that we see in the lives of adults from age 18-24, ie, those people in this room! There are temptations that detach you from the Vine of Christ and intentional steps you can take to make sure you keep yourself attached to the Vine.
So, the difference between a thriving and merely surviving Christian is abiding in Christ.
What do we need to stop doing to abide in Christ and what do we need to start doing? Let’s go…
To abide in Jesus ...
1. You need to stop flirting with the Word of God and commit already
I mean resolve in your heart: Is this God’s Word or just a book with some cool stories? Is is powerful or just merely helpful? Is is God-breathed, holy, inspired, without error, able to instruct you in all the essentials you need to know in order to follow and abide in Christ, or is it just a book to put next to all the other religious books?!
Psalm 19:7 is very clear: The Word of God brings revival to our souls.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
Some of you are content with mere survival, when God is calling you through the power of His word to revival!
2. You need to stop posting and start praying
two fold:
a: 1:1 ratio of time spent on social media or your phone to your prayer life…BOOM life changed! Revival breaking out!
B: You pray like you scroll. You give him about 3-5 seconds and then move on to the next thing. Dwell with Him. Stay for a while. New to this? Set a timer for 5 minutes and just pray to God. Use a prayer acronym: Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield (commit to obey). still 3 minutes left. Go read a Psalm. Today is Oct 26, so go read Ps. 26! (repeat #2 point
3. Stop treating the Great Commission with indifference and apathy and start approaching it with urgency and intensity!
4. Stop trying to find a spouse and start trying to find a disciple maker!
Some of you couldn’t care less about who you marry as long as they’re hot and they have some sort of affiliation with Jesus. And how hard is it gonna be to abide in Jesus when you’re married someday and none of your give a rip about glorifying Jesus! And you’ll teach your kids to do the same thing and you’ll be responsbile for raising up yet again another generation that by and large doesn’t make disciples. If your current relationship or your future marriage isn’t purposed so that God’s name might be glorified all the more, then you can guarantee that marriage or dating relationship falls into the category of a severed branch: it’s good for nothing except to be burned up. It’s useless to God.
But the other side of that friends, is when you are seeking to date and marry a disciple maker, someone wholeheartedly following after Jesus and leading others to do the same, you are better together, and you become a mighty force for the kingdom. And guess what? Marrying someone like that will help cultivate in you a strong inclination to abide in Jesus!
Objection: Cole, I’ve heard this before, but it just seems so foreign to me. How would I be able to truly know if I was abiding in Jesus or not? It seems good in theory, but what would the evidence be if I was truly doing this?
Response:
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
This passage rings true in my life…I was thinking about things I start to see in my life when I’m not abiding in Christ, not bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the contrast when I truly am…here’s what it looks like...
Fruit of not abiding in Jesus:
Not in the Word
Not praying
apathetic about personal holiness
apathetic about lost people who don’t know Jesus
disengaged when I’m at church during worship, the preaching and small groups.
chronically anxious, depressed or just in a bad mood like a cloud is lingering over our heads.
Easily angered or bothered by things, rather than patient.
Not very loving toward others
Not quick to forgive
Judgmental
See people as a means to an end rather than a soul created in the image of God. When they don’t advance my agenda, they’re not valuable.
Very selfish. Cannot get enough “me time.” Bc the “me time” I get isn’t spent with The Vine, it’s spent trying to draw nutrients from myself as if I’m the Vine.
Start spending time doing other things and thinking about/cultivating a heart that treats lesser things as the Vine. Before I know it, I have an idol on my hands.
Loss of work ethic. Everything is draining and exhausting. It’s as if I can’t do anything without it taking a toll on my energy and eagerness to accomplish my priorities and responsibilities.
Detached from my purpose in life. Kind of doing things robotically, without joy, vision, and excitement about what might be accomplished now and in the future.
Not available to people in my life: family, friends, church members
Fruit of abiding in Jesus:
Perseverance and a joyful outlook on most days
Hunger and thirst for time in God’s Word
Consistent in prayer, and quick to pray throughout the day
Serious about personal holiness and pursuing Christ
Passionate and urgent about sharing the Gospel with lost people and those around the world who don’t know Jesus
Engaged at church with my community of brothers and sisters, dialed into the sermon, heartfelt in my song of worship to God…
Generally in a better mood, more loving, more patient with others, quick to forgive when I’m wronged knowing the grace that has been given to me.
I’m very nurturing and encouraging toward others, with my wife, Eleanor, Journey staff, and very welcoming at church and uplifting out in the community, praying for my waiter/waitress/cashier, etc.
Good at listening and seeing people as created in the image of God, showing grace even when it’s hard and seeing more of the good in them than the bad.
Craving extended amounts of time with Jesus, not just general alone time.
What I think about the most tends to be things that Jesus prioritized. My mind’s attention and heart’s affection are more in line with godly priorities.
Intensely focused upon my purpose, goal, and mission in life, dialed in and excited about what God will do through me and through others around me each day.
Hard working, seeing my life as a living sacrifice to God, given first to Him and His glory, my family, this church, and the spread of the Gospel to all nations.
Make myself open and available to others gladly and willingly, just as Christ did.
And it’s by abiding in Christ that this is possible, and I would just ask you, don’t you want your life to look like this? To Stop merely surviving and start thriving? The secret is in Jesus being your Vine.
Closing: As we close out this series I’d like for you to turn to John 3:36 with me...
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
This is where all of our talk meets a point of necessary action. This is decision time. What John 3:36 presents is a simple reality: You either have the love of God abiding in you or the wrath of God. You are either with Jesus or against Him. You are either saved from hell or headed right toward it. You are either bound to an eternity with God forever in perfect paradise or bound to an eternity apart from you with unfathomable suffering.
Heaven and hell hinges on this one thing: Have you believed in Jesus? Is He your Vine that you say: Apart from you, not only can I do nothing, but I don’t want to do anything apart from you. To where else would I go. Jesus, I believe in you, I’m all in!
I can see the symptoms in the room tonight of those that have never trusted in Jesus and said “you are the Vine, I am the branch, and I want to abide in you!”
There are some severed branches in this room. And the wrath of God is abiding in you right now and yet He is inviting you to believe in Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins, restoration to Him, a relationship with Him and to remain with Him, as a branch on the Vine.
and I just want you to know that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what you’ve done, John 3:36 and John 3:16 is true which says
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.
I plead with you, friend, listen to the call of God from His Word tonight and believe in Jesus! Leave your life of mere survival to join a life of thriving, abundant soul revival in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I can also see the symptoms of Christians who have wandered away, not abiding in Jesus, and have lost that closeness and fellowship that they know they should have...
There are Christians in this room who have not been abiding, and you have been miserable, you’re exhausted, you’re anxious, depressed, you have little motivation to live for Jesus, and if you’re honest, it’s kind of a miracle that you even drug yourself here tonight. And if that’s you or if any of tonight resonates with you, I want to free you with a few truths:
-Jesus already knows that you haven’t been abiding. You can’t hide anything from Him, so you might as well confess.
-Jesus would be most qualified to say “you know, I’m tired of you having this rollercoaster of commitment to me, this time, I’m not gonna let you return to abiding in me.” Yet, He receives us again with open arms every time...How do we know this:
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confess your sins, your wandering from His loving and abiding Vine, and walk into the incredible right here, right now experience of grace through His faithful forgiveness and cleansing you from the sin that severed your closeness and fellowship with Him!
Thrive by Switchfoot:
No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
A steering wheel don't mean you can drive
A warm body don't mean I'm alive
No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feels like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive
Friend, are you tired of just surviving and want to begin thriving?
Do you feel more like a raisin than a grape?
Listen once more to the word of Jesus...
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.
How can I thrive and not just merely survive?
Abide in Jesus.
Let’s pray.