United With Christ As A Vine! Series

“United We Stand!”

United With Christ As A Vine!

John 15:1-8

Introduction:

1. Exploring The Doctrine Of A Christian’s Union With Christ!

- IE: “Clue” - Searching Through The Mansion Of The Entire New Testament, Gathering From Room To Room Clues About The Mystery Of Our Union With Christ!

- Going Through The Mansion, We Come To A Room That Gives Several Key Figures / Illustrations That Reveal Certain Aspects Of Our Union!

- Answer: “What Is It Like To Be United With Christ?”

- Remember, They Are Figures Only! They Cannot & Do Not Reveal To Us Everything That Our Union Consists Of – It Is Still A Mystery!

2. First Figure: According To Ephesians 2:19-22:

- Your Union With Christ Is Like A Building!

- What Is It Like To Be United With Christ?

- You Are Part Of The “Household Of God!”

- You Are Built ON Jesus Christ!

- Because Jesus Christ Is Your “Cornerstone!”

- You Are Built IN Jesus Christ!

- To Join Closely Together - To Bond So Tightly As To Become One!

- You Are Built BY Jesus Christ!

- Very Personal Process!

3. According To John 15:1-8: Your Union With Christ Is Like The Union Between A Vine And Its Branches! (Read Passage)

4. IE: Throughout His Ministry, Jesus Christ Used Natural Objects To Illustrate Spiritual Truths - He Uses The Figure Of A Grape Vine To Illustrate The Union Between Jesus Christ & Christians!

- Jesus Christ Is The “True Vine” (v. 1)

- More Genuine Than Even Grape Vines In The Garden!

- All Other “Vines” Are Pictures – Object Lessons Of This “Union With Christ” God Has Ordained For His People!

- Christians (The True Church) Are The “Branches” (v. 5)

- The Term Used For This Union Is To “Abide!”

5. Are You Abiding In The True Vine?

- Look At The Answer To Two Questions:

- Why Should You Be United In The True Vine?

- How Can You Be United In The True Vine?

I. Why Should You Be United In The True Vine?

A. The Vine Uses The Branches!

- A Grape Vine Uses Its Branches To:

- Grow To Completion & Maturity

- Display Its Glory & Beauty - Leaves & Flowers

- Produce Abundant & Delicious Fruit

- Though God Could Have Raised Up Stones To Fulfill His Purpose In This World, He Has Chosen Christians To Do So!

- The True Vine Uses His Branches (Church) To:

- Grow To Completion & Maturity!

- Ephesians 5:26 - “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

- His Sanctifying & Cleansing Work Is Not Completed Until You Are Completed! And This Will Happen!

- Philippians 1:6 - “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ!”

* God Is Using Your Union In Christ To Complete You & His Church!

- Display His Glory & Beauty!

- Ephesians 5:27 - “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

* God Is Using Your Union In Christ To Display His Own Glory For All The World To See!

- Produce Abundant & Delicious Fruit!

- Philippians 1:9-11 - “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

- God Is Using Your Union In Christ To Bring Others Into Union With Him!

- Just Like Fruit Bears The Seed In Itself To Produce More Fruit!

- Recognize The Purpose God Has For You In Being United In Jesus Christ, The “True Vine!”

- But, In Order To Fulfill These Purposes, You Must Also Realize That:

B. The Branches Need The Vine!

- A Branch (Of A Grape Vine Or Any Plant) Needs & Uses Its Vine (Or Trunk) As Its Ultimate:

- Source Of Life - The Stem Or Vine Works “Like A Straw” - Transporting Water & Mineral Salts To The Branches In Its Sap

- Just As “The Life Of The Flesh Is In The Blood” (Leviticus 17:11), The Life Of The Plant Is In Its Sap!

- Source Of Strength

- Along With The Root System, Anchors The Plant & Its Branches!

- Source Of Growth

- Pushes The Plant & Its Branches Closer To The Sunlight - Another Important Source Of Energy & Nutrients!

- Christ’s Branches Need & Use The “True Vine” For Their: