The True Vine Part One Series

The True Vine Part One

John 15:1-8 (9-17) 2

Good Morning everyone- Glad that you have joined us

If you would turn with me to book of John chapter 15

Jesus own words on being the True vine.

In some bibles, these words are in red, Jesus telling us the truth, we should be writing it down because it is IMPORTANT

Prayer-

We have just come out of a series on the armor of God- knowing what the armor is, how to wear God’s armor, who can even have the armor of God because it is for believers to fight off the enemy.

This month we begin a series on connecting with God called “The True Vine” probably 3 Parts

Connection with God

Connection with each other.

Connection with your family and your Church

Each vital connection is important and has its place in our lives.

Illustration-

Years ago in Texas history, towns grew because of the oil business. They were called “boom towns”. They started quickly because of oil strikes in uninhabited areas of Texas and people flocked to get there hoping that they would strike it rich. One boom town outside of Beaumont Texas had four main roads which the oilmen named “That way” “This way” “any way” and “His Way.” The oil dried up and thousands of people flowed out of the town. Many people took “That Way” others took this way, some choose any way and a small group of people chose His way.

In our world today, many are going this way, that way, any way, and few are going His way-

The only way we will go His way is to be intentional and seeking to be connected with Him.

John 15 reveals to us what it is to be connected to Jesus and the importance of being connected.

John 15:1-8 Read from Bible

We know Jesus is the vine, the source the power, the life source

We are to be the branches connected to the vine

God the Father is the vine dresser or gardener or the one who will prune us depending on translations. He prunes the dead stuff away and at times new growth so that the branch will have its source concentrated on the areas of grapes to give and bear much and the best fruit.

We see that the vine in the OT was God and being disconnected from the vine was Israel in disobedience to God.

Jesus in the NT says that He Himself is the vine and believers need to be connected to Him to be able to do the things that He commands us to do as followers of Christ.

Being cutoff (v2) is his judgment should we stay off the vine and do our own thing.

Pruning on the other hand is allowing God to cut out things in your life while being on the vine so that you can bear “much fruit.”

Remain in me is a warning that apart from the true vine you will not bear fruit.

In fact, apart from the vine you will die a spiritual death.

A branch away from the vine is lifeless.

His repetitious wording shows us urgency and necessity to being on the vine where we receive life so we will not die apart from it.

“I am the Vine” (John 15:1) is the last of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel.

These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. Jesus said, “I am the True Vine” to the closest people gathered around Him.

It was only a short time before Judas would betray Him; in fact, Judas had already left to do his infamous deed (John 13:30).

Jesus was preparing the eleven men left for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for heaven.

He had just told them that He would be leaving them (John 14:2). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this metaphor of the Vine as encouragement.

Jesus wanted all of us, not only the original disciples, to know that He was not going to desert them.

Even though He was leaving, He would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while they develop their fruit.

Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem.

Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as (what) we “abide” in Him.

Jesus went on to remove any misunderstandings (John 15:4).

He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself.