I AM THE VINE: John 15:1-17 (Updated)
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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 go from just barely making it in our relationship with Jesus to thriving…or to put it in the form of a question...
What are the symptoms of both a thriving and merely surviving Christian?
Read Text First, then go back through!
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
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: What are the symptoms of a thriving Christian?
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. (have a grape and a 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.
And so what are some of these hindrances and what do we need to do about them?
Hindrance: You know Cole, I want to abide in Christ, but I don’t want to be disciplined in reading my Bible!
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!
Hindrance: You know Cole, abiding sounds nice, but I just don’t have enough time to pray and read the Word...
2. You need to stop posting and start praying
a: 1:1 ratio of time spent on social media or your phone to your prayer life…BOOM life changed! Revival breaking out!
Hindrance: You know Cole, I want to be fruitful and used by God, but I just wanna be low key about it you know, I don’t want it to cost me too much...
3. Stop treating the Great Commission with indifference and apathy and start approaching it with urgency and intensity!
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.
Hindrance: You know Cole, I want to abide in Christ, but I’m really focused on trying to find someone right now, so when I get engaged and married, I’ll really start to focus on Jesus…
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!
Hindrance: You know Cole, I just don’t understand how I’m supposed to abide in someone that I can’t see, so I think I’m gonna pass on this sermon...
Response: Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit that has the same spiritual DNA of Jesus inside of us. We abide in Christ by the HOly Spirit abiding in us…and check out what happens when we bear fruit through the Holy Spirit…
I think a great picture of this reality is in Galatians 5:22-24
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.
HONESTY TIME: IT IS VERY OBVIOUS WHEN COLE RHOADES IS ABIDING IN CHRIST AND WHEN HE’S NOT...
WHEN I’M NOT ABIDING IN CHRIST...
Not in the Word , Not praying, apathetic about personal holiness and sharing the Gospel..
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 annoyed, Not quick to forgive, Judgmental
Not living with purpose, just going through the motions
Fruit of abiding in Jesus: Totally different!
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.
Living with purpose and intentionality
And it’s by abiding in Christ that this is possible.
Now, does anyone else’s life look like mine when I’m not abiding in Christ (hands raised?)
Now, with raise of hands, who wants their life to look like someone who IS abiding in Christ?
I think it’s obvious: If we want to thrive, we’ve got to abide!
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.
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!
God can see the symptoms and evidence 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!
God can 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 truth:
-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!
Closing remarks:
Friend, do you resonate with this? do you feel like you’re just barely making it?
When it comes to your relationship with Jesus, 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.
Stop merely surviving and start abiding.
Let’s pray.