Abiding In Jesus

Abiding in Jesus

Is everyone still keeping their New Year’s resolutions? Did you even make any resolutions?

Anyway, Valentine’s day is almost here so I wanted to bring a sort of Valentine’s day message. Of course I’m weird so I didn’t choose 1 Corinthians 13 - the love chapter, nor did I choose some other typical love verses. Instead, I chose John 15 because it shows a unique relationship that we must maintain between us and Jesus.

John 15:1-9 - The true vine and the branches

15 “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 bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

V1. Jesus is the true vine - the Father is the vinedresser

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

v2 . We are the branches and our job is to bear fruit!

He prunes us so that we may bear more fruit.

Have you ever seen a pruned plant? It looks horrible, right?

Don’t be upset when you are pruned. He’s doing it to help you be a better fruit bearer!

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

V3. Talking to saved people - you are already clean. You are not a branch if you are not saved. Get saved first.

Trust in Jesus without any works. You can not earn.

Eph 2:8-10 - Not by works - appointed to good works

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [l]this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Do you believe in what God has revealed?

You must believe that He is.

Commandment that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a command!

Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

A total dependence on Christ.

Accept Him as Savior, Lord, and master! First in every area of your life!

4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

V4-v5. Remain in me - and I in you - You can’t bear fruit without the vine!

V5 If you remain in Jesus you will bear much fruit. (flip side, if you don’t remain in Him, you won’t bear much fruit) - You will know them by their fruits!

Abide in me, Stay in me, Remain in me. The branch can not bear fruit by itself unless it abides in Me. Neither can you.

We must have contact everyday. We must abide in Him.

Without Him we can not bear supernatural fruit. You will know them by their fruit.

Matthew 7:15-20 - you will know them by their fruits

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.