ABIDING IN CHRIST

INTRODUCTION

-Last week I was looking at some old pictures, and I got to thinking about all the different places that I have lived in my life. If I am remembering correctly, since I have been born I have lived in at least 20 different homes or apartments. And some of them I lived in more than once (like moving back in with mom and dad after college or living with the in-laws between houses). And that’s not counting the wonderful families here at Harvest that let me stay with them while we sold our house and got settled here.

~That means that about every 2.5 years I moved to a different location. It may have been in the same city, but it was a different place to live.

-When I put the numbers that way, I sound like some sort of roaming nomad. It almost sounds like I just can’t find a place and dwell for any length of time. I’m really not that restless, but it’s just the circumstances of life.

-When it comes our spiritual life, we aren’t called to be roaming nomads like that. We are told that we are to abide in one place at all times.

-To abide means to lodge, dwell, live or remain. It is where we decide to locate ourselves and settle down. And the passage we are looking at today says that we are to abide in Christ.

~So, abiding in Christ is a personal and continual choice to locate ourselves and settle ourselves in the person of Jesus Christ. Abiding in Christ means we see our own incompetence and our need to be in a place from which we draw our spiritual energy.

-Only when a lamp is attached to an outlet does it have power to shine—but when it is unplugged, it is as dark as the room which it is in—so it is with us—we are empowered to obey Christ and live the Christian life when we abide in Christ, we are the Christians we are meant to be when we abide in Christ; but when we are detached from Christ, when we choose our own independence, we are as dark as the world…

-So many people come to Christ for the certainty of heaven, but they live apart from him and accomplish nothing for Christ’s Kingdom because they aren’t plugged in so to speak; so many people think they are self-sufficient and have it all under control themselves—only when we abide in Christ are we more than conquerors and fruit-bearers

-So, today I want you to consider where it is you have spiritually settled yourself—where are you living/dwelling/abiding? In the world? In yourself? Or in Christ?

John 15:1–11 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. 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. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

-It is a very interesting picture that Jesus paints here, and it has several different elements to it. We won’t be able to mine the full depths of what’s here, but what I want to do is to look at the different parts of the picture and what it means for us. What’s going on with the vine and what’s going on with the branches? So, let’s first look at the vine and consider that it is:

1) The Source of our Supply

-To show our need to abide in Him, Jesus likens Himself to a grapevine (in vv. 1, 5)----In this metaphor, Jesus Himself is the main trunk and root of the plant of which we are the branches----Just as the vine supplies all the needs of the branches, so too Jesus supplies all the spiritual needs of His people

-There are 3 characteristics about this Source of Supply that Jesus tells about Himself

a) Legitimate Source

-In v. 1, when He describes Himself as the true vine, He does so to contrast Himself from all the other sources that the world offers as vines to satisfy our souls and empower us, but without a doubt will not do so—they are false vines

-There are many people or things in the world that try to entice us to attach ourselves to them, offering us life and fulfillment, yet these are empty promises because there is only one legitimate source from which we are to draw our life and power and essence

-These false vines could be something as small as the phone you constantly look at or the television in your living room that calls you to spend hours of idleness filling your minds with things that will not empower you or make you more than a conqueror----a little time on your phone or watching TV is not inherently wrong, but when we spend more time with it than with Jesus, there is a problem because that is where our souls are abiding and dwelling—it is where our souls are being fed and nourished (or malnourished…)

-There are also drugs or alcohol that promise to numb the pain and give you courage, but all they do is weaken you physically and spiritually, making you a coward rather than a conqueror

-There are numerous other things we could mention, but when you abide in them rather than Christ, you are abiding in the wrong places

~Jesus says he is the TRUE vine, all other vines are false—they are not able to nourish the branches…

b) Life-Giving Source

- vv.2, 4 and 5 make it clear that it is the vine, and only the vine, that has any potential of giving life to the branches

-Meaning, outside of Jesus Christ, there is no true spiritual life possible----Jesus alone is the Life-Giver=He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

-Believers who are NOT constantly abiding in Christ are like people who haven’t eaten or drank anything in over a week—they may be alive, but they are just barely holding on and have no energy to do anything of value

-Unbelievers, those who have never abided in Christ, I liken to zombies, sometimes called the living dead, or like the TV show the walking dead. Sure there may be movement, but they are dead. There is no life whatsoever because they have no relationship or connection to the life-giving vine

-But if we abide in the vine, we have life; not just any life, but abundant life---- Jesus said in John 10:10 .

John 10:10 (ESV)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

-I read a story about a special grapevine. In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine that is supposedly about 1,000 years old. This grapevine has one root that is at least two feet thick, and some of the branches are 200 feet long. Despite its age the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Although some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they still bear the sweet and delicious fruit because they are connected to the vine. Life flows from that single root and through out the vine bringing nourishment and strength to each of the branches. This solid vine still gives life to the branches.

-Jesus is the life-giving source where we get our spiritual power and sustenance—He is our source for all life

c) Limitless Source

-vv. 5 and 8 tell us that in Christ the branch can bear much fruit

-We draw upon the grace of God to bear much fruit, and the vine itself never dries up – Jesus throughout our lives will be able to supply the grace we need----in fact, it is an eternal supply, it is limitless

-Years and decades from now, we won’t have to worry if the supply of power and grace from Christ would dry up----as long as we remain attached to Him, we will always have what we need for as long as we need it

-Unlike sources of water on earth (like wells or lakes) that dry up to never give its supply again, our Lord’s supply of grace will never dry up – it is always there waiting for us, but we need to make the decision to Abide in Him

-The vine is the source for every spiritual supply we need. But now let’s consider the branches and their part in this picture; so, let’s talk about:

2) The Branches that Bear

-Jesus calls us the branches. The purpose of the branches is to bear fruit and branches can only do that if they abide in the vine – meaning if we as Christians are to bear spiritual fruit, we must abide in Jesus

-What does it mean to bear fruit in this sense?

-Spiritual fruits are the actions and attitudes that flow from the life of a true believer in Jesus Christ that show that he or she has had a born-again experience. Fruit is the natural extension of a relationship with the Savior.

-There are different types of spiritual fruit, too numerous to list them all, but probably the most famous listing of fruit is Paul’s Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 (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.

-Branches that bear fruit are those that are truly saved; but to bear such fruit, the branch must abide in the vine

-Let’s look at 3 characteristics about Branches that Bear fruit

a) They are developed

-v. 2 says that those branches that bear fruit (referring to those people who are true believers in Jesus Christ) He develops them by pruning them so that they may bear even more fruit than they have already been bearing

-In order for a branch on a grapevine to remain healthy, it needs to be trimmed and cleansed of everything that is hindering it

-In no way am I a gardener or an expert in plants. But I did read this one fact about grapevines: Grapevines would rather produce shoots and leaves than grapes. They end up looking lush and green, but ultimately they are only good for making decorations. Grapevines must be pruned radically in order to produce the optimal amount of fruit. The gardener must be merciless, cutting them back each year as far as he possibly can. Fruitful branches must be pruned back to produce even more fruit in the following year.

-The same thing can be said about the Christian. If we are truly branches that bear fruit, abiding in Christ, God will purge and clean us of everything that is preventing us from producing even more fruit

-This may sound painful, and it is; nevertheless it is needed and beneficial for the good of the branch

-How does God prune us branches?

-One way is through discipline. Just like a child who disobeys his parents is corrected, so God chastises us when we disobey Him

-God also prunes us through His Word

-v. 3 says “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”----If we truly read the Scripture for all its worth, and allow it to penetrate our hearts and minds, we cannot help but be corrected in the areas of our life that don’t measure up to what Scripture says

-Christians who bear fruit are developed through discipline and the Word, the pruning of the Lord

b) They are dependent

-This is behind the whole concept of abiding in Christ----Just like a branch cannot do anything apart from the vine, we are unable to live this Christian life or bear fruit in our own power

-vv. 4 and 5 make it abundantly clear that a branch without drawing nourishment from its source can do nothing----the more you try life on your own the more frustrated you will become

- Dwight L. Moody told this story: "A minister was one day moving his library upstairs. As he was going up with a load of books, his little boy came in, very anxious to help his father. So his father just told him to go and get an armful, and bring them upstairs. When the father came back, he met the little fellow about half-way up, tugging away at the biggest book in the library. He couldn't manage to carry it up. It was too big. So he sat down and cried.

"His father found him, and just took the boy in his arms, book and all, and carried him upstairs.”

-When we abide in Christ, it is He that does the work to us and through us—we are completely dependent on Him for everything

c) They are directed

-If we are truly abiding in Christ, our focus, our minds, our prayers, are given direction

-in v. 7 Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

-As one commentator put it:

“All things are possible to the one who fervently clings to the Lord and resolutely remains rooted in Christ throughout his life, nourished by the nutrients of grace, mercy, and truth that are provided by the stem. It would be impossible to remain rooted in Jesus unless His words remain rooted in the heart of the believer.”

-But now listen to this, if God’s words are in us and we obey them, we will always want what Christ wants----when we abide in Christ, He is the one that directs our desires, and He is the one that directs our prayers

-King David tells us

Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

-When we delight ourselves in the Lord, our thoughts and prayers will be directed by Him

-But I want to make one final quick point and talk about another aspect of the picture:

3) The Fuel for the Fire

-vv. 2 and 6 speak of those branches that do not bear any fruit----Here’s the thing, there are branches that may seem to be connected to the vine, but it is obvious that they are not being fed from the vine because they are dead branches – in sticking with the metaphor they represent unbelievers who may have the appearance of Christians, but were never truly saved=there is no fruit being born in their lives at all

-The famous preacher George Whitfield conducted outdoor evangelistic campaigns in the 1700’s during a period of revival called the “Great Awakening.” Thousands responded to his Gospel message. After one of his sermons, someone asked Whitfield how many people were actually converted. Whitfield replied: “We’ll know in five years.” In other words, the passing of time would show which decisions were superficial and which were genuine. Some would ABIDE, others would not.

-The sad thing is that there are people who may have gone to church all their lives, but they have never placed a saving faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior

-They may be relying on their church attendance or maybe on their good works to get to heaven. They may have come forward during a church service and have even been baptized, but they were never born again

-What does Jesus say happens to these branches:

a) Cut Off

-No, this is not teaching that someone can lose their salvation, these branches were never truly connected to the vine to begin with; otherwise they would have bore fruit

-But there are religious folks who think they have a claim to God, but they will be removed from God’s presence for eternity---There will come a time of separation for these folks----These are the people of whom Jesus spoke:

Matthew 7:21 (ESV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

-They may look religious, but they were fakes – nothing but fruitless branches

b) Condemned

-v. 6 tells us that these dead branches are good for nothing except to be thrown in the fire.

-They are withered, deprived of all the influences of God’s grace and Spirit---They are gathered together to be cast into the lake of fire to be burned----They will be in eternal torment, separated from God for eternity

CONCLUSION

-I’ll close with this—the famed missionary Hudson Taylor said this:

"The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; [the branch] rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.”

-If your life and ministry are filled with worry and anxiousness, it may be because you are working independently from Christ—so you may want to have a special time of prayer today and connect yourself to Him and receive His grace and power

-Still, though, there are others here today that are fuel for the fire because you have never attached yourself to Jesus Christ by turning from your sins and trusting He took your rightful punishment from God----I invite you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today and be saved…