Abide in the Vine of Jesus
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 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. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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. 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. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Abide in Jesus
Abide in Jesus
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. 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. 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.
Abide- continuously dwell
Live our lives connected to Jesus drawing strength and life from him as a branch does from the vine.
Without the vine a branch withers and dies and a person without Jesus is just as dead.
To bear much fruit
To bear much fruit
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. 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. 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.
Jesus here describes two people christains connected to the vine and Non-christians those who are not connected to the vine.
Notice that the Christians bear much fruit
what fruit are we talking about
First consider that Jesus stresses abiding in his love, that we love one another, greater love has no one than this that they lay down their life for a friend.
Love is clearly a fruit Jesus wants us produce
Second comes from John 4:35-36
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
You see Jesus also describes soul-winning as fruit.
Indeed in John 15:16
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.
I propose that that Jesus has the same fruit in mind here in John 15 as in John 4. The fruit of leading others to Christ.
Yet these two are not mutually exclusive but rather two parts of the whole for without first tasting of the love of Christ through us none would desire to be saved. It is our love for them that draws them to Salvation where they to might be joined to the vine and receive the love of Christ directly.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Notice also that we are to bear much fruit and in so doing we accomplish two things
The father is glorified
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit apart from the vine we cannot love or win others to Christ without the power of God. Thus every act of love and every soul brought to Christ displays the glory of God for all to see.
Second we prove we are the disciples of God
Again love is a mark of Christianity a proof of our relationship with God but now Jesus ties in our leading others to him. This is not simply a job for the pastor or the missionary or a evangelist though these may be more gifted in doing so. It is the role of every Christian to share the Good news of Jesus.
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.
Furthermore Jesus says he desires maximum fruit bearing and thus he prunes away the ineffective parts. I myself have had some pruning done lately as Jesus challenged me as to how effective my ministry is and reminded me that the call on my life is to the pastorate that my primary responsibility is to my family and this church and thus things that take away from these must be pruned. I have to let some good things go for the better things. Thus I am stepping out of the celebrate recovery meetings that I can better serve here. I do this because I believe I will be a more effective fruit producer here than there.
The rewards of the Branches
The rewards of the Branches
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
First Jesus says That He will give us his joy and it will be full. There is no greater joy than knowing the love of God and watching someone else experience the love of God for the first time, especially knowing you had some part in it. I firmly believe this is our greatest joy when we lead someone else to God. I also believe Satan knows this and strives hard to cause us to feel afraid ashamed and unable to share our faith so that we will not experience that Joy.
yet if we abide in the love of Christ we have no reason to be afraid or ashamed and he will enable us to share our faith he promises to be with us every step of the way. The question is do we really want the greatest joy or will we settle for second best.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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.
the second reward is that Jesus calls us his friend.
It is one thing to be a servant but another to be a friend.
A servant simply does what he is told.
A friend knows you and loves you
You can share anything with them your plans your life your fears.
Oh what a friend we have in Jesus He knows our every care our every sin our every step our every failure and success And he loves us in spite of them all. What a blessing to call God our friend.
Invitation
Invitation
Are you abiding in Christ
Do you know his joy
Can you call Jesus your friend
If not why are you waiting come today and experience the love of the Lord. Accept his offer of forgiveness and make him Lord of your life, Join us on the vine of Christ, Taste of his joy and love yourself and see that it is Good.