Abide

Introduction to 40 Days of Prayer

Today marks the day that we, as a church, are embarking on 40 days of prayer.

During these 40 days we want to see God do something unique, something powerful, something that, without prayer, would never have happened.

But I want to be honest. I have a fear.

My fear is that this 40 days of prayer will LOOK like nothing more than a programatic campaign of the church.

That it will SOUND like nothing more than background noise to the other things in our lives.

That the busyness of the week will relegate it to something we only remember and think about on Sunday.

My fear is it will make no difference at all. This is not a fear for me but a fear for us.

I have said I have no interest in attending let alone pastoring a church that makes no difference in my life, in your life, in our neighborhoods, and in our world.

I don’t want to play Christianity.

We often attempt to work without prayer.

Comfort breeds complacency.

“Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”

—Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Amen?

How many would say they could use more than a little improvement in their prayer life?

What we need in prayer is not more discipline; it is more desperation.

Reality: When life throws us into desperate situations is when we become most prayerful. But that is something we expect from God — to keep us from desperate situations.

Maybe some of you are dealing with a desperate situation right now:

In the middle of a health crisis or a health scare

You’re experiencing a loss of relationship and the feeling of being alone has left you feeling desperate.

Your finances or your job is in such a state that, to be honest, if prayer doesn’t work, your not sure what will happen next.

If that’s you then stay tuned, we are about to embark on a journey where we will learn how to pray and watch God answer

But for many of us, things are going ok. Here is where danger lies.

God often works on the heels of prayer.

Hannah prays and God gives her a son.

Joshua prays and the sun stands still.

Elijah prayed and fire consumed the sacrifice.

The church prays and Peter is set free from prison.

That’s the kind of Christianity I want to be a part of. That’s the kind of prayer I long to see. And that is what this 40 days of prayer is all about.

What I want to do today is lay the groundwork for this series and for the next 40 days.

What I want us to see today from our passage today is:

Being saturated in God’s Word and prayer are (together) the key to real and lasting change in our lives.

The more saturated we are in Jesus’ words, the more prepared we are for prayer that makes a difference.

Context of John 15:

John 14:31 (ESV)

31but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

John 13 is in the upper room, this may signal Jesus and the disciples leaving the upper room and making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane.

John 15 is at the heart of what we call the Farewell Discourse of Jesus and contains the final of Jesus’ seven I AM statements. Was this section a new literary segment or does it follow chronologically? We don’t know, but we do know that John wanted it understood to be some of the final words of Jesus in his Gospel.

John 15:1–8 (ESV)

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. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

The goal of your life is to bear fruit.

Jesus using agriculture imagery that would be very familiar to first-century Jews.

Jesus is true vine - Israel is vine that failed - according to Jeremiah only produced wild grapes.

Father is the vinedresser

Action happens to the branch based on its fruitfulness. Because the purpose of the vine is to produce fruit. (as opposed to plants that have the job to just look nice)

Notice the Father does two things:

Removes dead branches (unbelievers)

Prunes living branches (believers)

It is important to note the Father wants to help bear fruit

Pruning:

parts of the plant that are hidden from the light

shoots going in the wrong direction (may actually be healthy but not focused on where the Father knows is the most fruit)

Where is the Father pruning in your life? Do you resist or invite?

What is the fruit?

Galatians 5:22–24 (ESV)

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.

These are things that are not simply spiritual but affect every aspect of your life.

better mom / dad / husband / wife / student / employee / boss

How much better would your life be if you were more . . .

Fruitfulness, then, is adding lasting value to things that will last.

My relationships

My walk with Christ

My witness at work

Things done for God’s kingdom and not my own.

You can be busy but not fruitful apart from Jesus.

Busyness does not equal fruitfulness.

There are few things more frustrating than being busy at something meaningless.

ILLUST - Severance - spend their work day busy at moving numbers but none of them know why they do it

We can do nothing fruitful apart from 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.

“Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Not true. I can do a lot of things apart from Jesus - I can be selfish. I can be prideful. I can look out for my own interests rather than others. I can lie, cheat, steal all in my own strength (although even that is an exaggeration because I even need the common grace of God to rebel against God!).

Jesus is not saying we are unable to do anything — any work at all apart from him.

But to accomplish anything of LASTING VALUE — to be the person you want to be, to do what God has called you to do cannot be done without abiding in Jesus.

We must continue to abide in Jesus to be fruitful.

Abide used 7 times

What does it mean to “abide?”

It means to be in a life-giving relationship with Jesus.

First, you are in relationship with Jesus.

I can’t expect an oak branch to produce an apple even if it is glued to an apple tree. Eventually it will be fruitless and die.

Second, you continue to draw life from Jesus

Believing, receiving from, trusting in Jesus.

— i.e. You are living a Jesus-first life.

It means to be connected to Jesus every day and in every way

It means living a Jesus-first life.

ILLUST - plant vs. growing crystals.

There is a difference between growing organically and culturally

Growing organically describes internal change.

Growing culturally describes only external change.

plant vs crystals

Both grow but

plant is attached to life- giving nutrients that help it grow from inside out

crystals grow only because of the environment or culture they are in. they are not living.

Soaking in God’s Word prepares you for fruitful prayer.

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

The more saturated we are in Jesus’ words, the more prepared we are for fruitful prayer that makes a difference.

This is a conditional clause with two conditions and one result.

IF you abide in me

IF my words abide in you

If you seek Jesus as your source of life - not your job for identity or relationships for security

because then prayers will be aimed at fixing things that aim you away from Jesus

If you are soaked in Jesus’ words — what he says shapes your life.

ILLUST - “Dippers and Soakers” of tea

You can’t dip in and out of the Word and expect transformation

Jesus is not looking for dippers.

The more we are soaked in the Word, the more our prayers will be answered.

THEN your prayers will be aligned with things that will last and they will be answered.

You’ll know you are fruitful when it leads to worship and witness.

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

Bearing fruit ultimately brings God glory — he is the vinedresser. He gets the congratulations on the grapes.

Isaiah 27:6 ESV

6 In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.

When we abide in Christ we receive his life, his love:

John 15:9 (ESV)

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

and his 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.