John #13

Northside Church

The Gospel of John

Dec 12th , 2021

John #13 Jn 15:1-11

Jamey Mills

Good morning, My name is Jamey. I am the lead pastor here at Northside… I'm so excited to be with you guys today…

We have been going through the gospel of John… looking at this unique biography of Jesus' life… and today is the day we get to look at my favorite passage in John.

Ministry is such an interesting thing…

Sometimes it's incredibly hard and other times it's inexplicably wonderful…

You're not going to believe this, but pastors are real people.

Sometimes it's easy to back up and sort of ask… are we making any difference at all? Is anything we are saying or doing getting through?

I firmly believe that there is power in hearing God’s Word… but I also believe what is says in James… that we are created for so much more than just hearing. That God’s Word demands a response from us and in us… that the real power comes from stepping out in obedience to what it is He says.

There is more to it than just listening. I want that for you. Not because I think your horrible sinners… but because I believe that the power of the Word of God in the ears of someone who is willing to do whatever God says… is really where life is found.

One of the hardest things about ministry is watching people walk away from that truth… or choosing others… life taking things… and then in watching our their lives play out.

But one of the greatest things I get to be a part of… is watching people discover what it means to have a relationship with Jesus… That begins to apply what it is that God says and watch it transform their hearts and minds and schedules… to see it produce real and lasting fruit in their lives.

And God has allowed Brandi and I to play a very small role in some pretty amazing stories… and there is NOTHING better than that. Just a couple weeks ago one of my past students came to Northside… she was visiting home… and told me how God used Brandi and in powerful ways in her life… and that even now she’s in another state… active in her Church… and there is nothing better than that. When God allows you to see the fruit of it… the years of ministry that I had no idea even existed.

It’s that sort of thinking that caused Fransis Chan to hold up this book and say… Are we missing it? Why am I not seeing the kinds of things this book talks about in my life? In my family? In my Church?

And it reminds me of our passage today…

John 15:1–11 NLT

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 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. “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. 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. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

(NLT)

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 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 (disciples) have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 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.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

On several occasions the bible refers to Israel as God’s vine… and each time the understanding is that God expected them to produce good and lasting fruit, but over and over again, they were simply unable to.

And that is likely the context in how they heard this… that Jesus is the vine that Israel failed to be… that we cannot be… and we learn a ton from this…

Bearing fruit is a part of a Christians life.

These words were directed at his disciples… people who had heard the message of Jesus, who saw the “signs” and believed what He said… That He really is the way, the truth and the life….

Two types of branches are mentioned… those that don’t bear fruit and those that do…

And it doesn't go well for those that don't.

To be a believer… is to bear fruit in our lives… it is a sign of a true disciple (vs 8)

Bearing fruit is a sign of a true disciple.

Bearing fruit is this idea that our lives are producing something…

And I personally believe that every single one of us do… we are producing something, and it's a question worth considering…

What is my life really producing? Am I content with it? More importantly, is God content with it?

I’ll give you a moment.

Two things worth thinking about…

I’m not sure we think about it enough… we don’t look at it enough… but what Jesus is saying is that godly fruit… is the evidence of, the footprint of God in our lives.

I’m not sure we know how to identify godly fruit in our lives…

Partially because we often don’t look at it the right way… and it might sound silly, but I actually think it's important… one example would be for our kids ministry leader volunteers.. Do you simply work with kids or have you allowed yourself to see it for what it is… that you have a ministry to kids and here is what that means…

When we learn to see it and call it what it is… I think we often engage differently. Sometimes I think we are slow to identify godly fruit and call it what it is in our life…

To the point of missing so much of what God is doing in and through us and has for us in that process.

Knowing what fruit is matters…

Fruit doesn’t mean an easy life where everybody loves you and you’ll get everything you want…Jesus isn’t saying… good Lord produce something… ANYTHING…

He has something in mind!

In vs 8 it says that producing fruit is one of the signs that we are true disciples… that we truly know and follow Jesus… and if that is true, the fruit we produce reflects it.

Part of the fruit in our lives is becoming more and more like Jesus…

Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

(NLT)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Anybody killing it in these areas? Jesus is the perfect picture of these things… and it's part of the fruit that God develops in us… and Gal tells that no one argues… there isn't anyone that looks at those things and says… yea no thanks or how dare you… grow in love. The fruit that God wants to produce in you… is truly good… it truly equips you reflect the reality of who He is to the world around you.

It also means growing in our passion toward the things that Jesus cares most about… not as a cheerleader… but as an investor of our time, energy, prayer, and resources. We engage in the purposes of Christ… the things that He cares about.

Vs. 16 tell us that that He chose you… appointed you to produce good and lasting fruit.

The progression we see in Jn 15 is… bearing fruit, bearing more fruit, much fruit and then lasting fruit. This is a growing part of who we are in Christ…

God grows us through pruning.

This is definitely one of those things that at least at first glance I wish wasn't there…

Don’t you wish it said that those branches that do bear fruit… get brisket or something like that…

But no… its pruning.

Pruning is fascinating stuff. They don’t just send any farm hand, but someone they trust... who knows what they’re doing… knows the desired results… knows just where to cut and when… who can think years down the road… who is aware of the surroundings and the environment… and even the soil… A master gardener’s timing… is perfect… and it leads to maximizing potential.

Do you trust God’s pruning in your life? Do you trust He knows when, where and what to cut away in your life?

Pruning sounds and often is incredibly painful… but it’s never aimless. It’s all leading somewhere… vs 2 says that

God’s pruning leads to even more fruitfulness.

… it leads us more and more into the very character of Christ and more and more into investing ourselves into those things that He’s passionate about… into living our lives on Mission mission for Him…

Do you want that? Do you want that sort of growth in your life, because you need to understand it will involve pruning.

Inside of pruning God is

What does God’s pruning accomplish?

Cutting away unhealthy things that don’t belong in us.

Cutting away what isn’t fruitful

He’s making room in our lives for healthier things

Cutting away things so we stop wasting time, energy and resources

And He’s shaping us…

I don't know if you caught it, but it seems like there really are only two options… cutting away… because of fruitlessness…. Or pruning toward growth.

Pruning is part of any true authentic christian experience.

You weren’t created to sit it out… to disengage with a world that needs Jesus or with His Church that loves Him.

I’m not sure where we get the idea that the christian life is one without struggle, suffering, hardship and at times doubt…it’s not found in scripture. Nor does it always mean you’ve messed up.

God prunes toward growth… but isn't it interesting that God’s discipline and His pruning… ar pointed at the same thing.

If there isn’t any evidence of pruning in your life?

… of God’s shaping… It's not a good sign. Without it… fruitlessness isn't far behind. PRAY about it. I’ll pray with you.

If you do see it… I am in one minor sense sorry you're facing it… but one major sense so excited to see what God is doing in you.

I left for bible college as a non christian and you can imagine… It was hard. Surrounded by people who were serious @ studying for ministry… and I was… well… not. It was one of the hardest years of my life… in a word, I felt completely and totally alone... and though I’d never want to go through it again, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. I am so thankful for what God cut away… it's not always bad things… sometimes it's things that are simply in the way of better things.

… so that real life could grow… and that I met my super hot wife.

Anticipating… watching for… learning to trust Him...and even leaning into the pruning of God in your life can be a powerful thing… I think it allows us to partner with Him in what He’s doing…

The key to bearing fruit is abiding in Christ.

Bearing fruit… and the wisdom and strength to endure the pruning of God in our lives comes from Abiding in Jesus.

The word abide is used over 10 times in this passage…

It literally is the point of this passage.

What does it mean to abide?

Abiding is one of those words we don’t use much… it means to stay, remain, to dwell with, to be present with… to not go back or to not wander.

And what Jesus is saying is… we draw everything we need to live godly and fruit filled lives from having a sure and true connection with Him.

The picture of a branch connected to the vine… it's the only place we receive what’s needed for life, health, growth, and fruitfulness… It’s through remaining in… this daily relationship with Jesus that is characterized by trust, His truth, pruning, and obedience.

Jesus reminds us that we are apart from Him… we can’t do anything… Trying to produce fruit like that on our own is as silly as putting a branch on our table… and expecting it to produce anything… what will it do? DIE?

NT Wright says that the type of fruit we will produce in our lives is inseparably connected to the vine from which we draw life from. Godly fruit… lasting fruit… growing fruit only comes from our ability and willingness to Abide in Him.

Matthew 7:16–17 ESV

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

Matthew 7:16–18 (ESV)

Says that we are recognized by our fruit… that our fruit is determined by what it is we are connected to… thistles bushes don’t produce olives… or figs…

If your life is connected to… or drawing from the wrong things, it’s impossible to bear the fruit and see the growth that God desires.

Bearing good and godly fruit is 100% dependent on it…

For believes it carries this idea of resting in, refreshing in, and drawing near to Jesus.

It reminds me of the Sabbath, which is often viewed as just at OT thing…

What is Sabbath really about?

Sabbath is day day were we step back and rest… where we connect with, reflect on and abide in Him.

It goes all the way back to creation when… in 6 days God created it all and on the 7th day He rested… why? Was He winded and worn out? God was modeling a truth that you were designed for… Sabbath meets a created need in you.

Mark 2:27 NLT

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

(NLT)

27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

One author suggests we often read this passage wrong…

Vs 10 seems to suggest obedience = abiding…

But the actual point of this passage… is REMAINING… in Him. Staying in Him. Not going back to the way things were before we knew Him…

Our obedience is informed, impassioned, and empowered by our growing ability and desire to abide in Christ.

Abiding leads to obeying, which leads to greater fruit which leads to pruning, which leads us to trust, which leads us greater and deeper abiding which leads to more fruit…

His point is… it starts with truly dwelling with Jesus.

Invite worship team and Mark up.

CONC:

Do you want to be fruitful? Who doesn’t?

Jesus says that we are true disciples if we bear much fruit…

And this is not a produce or your out statement…

This is a statement about where life, truly good and godly fruitfulness and the growth God desires for you comes from.

The KEY that sort of growth and fruit in our lives… in our relationships… in all that we do is truly abiding in HIM. Resting in, refreshing in, drawing from HIM…

Is more than simply making Him a priority… it's more than making room in an already busy life… the best picture of this that I can think of… is literally dwelling with… doing all of life with Him.

There is nothing more important on your schedule… or more valuable and life giving on your horizon…

I feel like a huge part of what God calls me to do is keep this in front of us as a Church.

This… more than any other thing… is my prayer for Northside.

It’s greater than any plan, any program, any strategy or any system.

That we… as a Church would be found abiding in Jesus… and in that, growing in taking on His character… in our faithfulness to Him, and in our ability to find joy and purpose in His pruning, learning to rejoice in the fruit that He provides.

The only way Northside will be a church like that is if it’s filled with people who abide in HIM.

Abiding… making your home in Him…

Is an intentional decision to draw near to… rest in… refresh in… and respond to Jesus.

Intentional inactivity with Jesus…

With intentionally connecting with and serving His body.

Through connecting with Him in unhurried prayer.

Through connecting with His word/His truth with hands and feet that are ready.

What is your life producing? What is one thing… you want to start doing daily or weekly that will lead to a greater abiding in Him?