Bearing Much Fruit!

If You Remain in Me

John 15:1-8

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

As time unfolds, providing us with the opportunity for retrospective contemplation over weeks, years, and decades, we often find ourselves questioning the impact we've had on the world around us. Do you remember the profound moment when you surrendered your life to Christ, when the old faded away, and the new emerged? Do you remember the exhilarating sensation of being sealed by the Holy Spirit, adopted into God's family for eternity? In that pivotal moment of transition from death to life, acquiring titles like royal ambassadors and priests, we felt destined to make a significant difference in God's kingdom. We engaged in worship with heartfelt praise, delved into His word seeking wisdom application, and prayed with such fervor that it seemed the Good Shepherd Himself held our hands, guiding our words through the Spirit.

Yet, with the passage of time, one may wonder if all we've gained is a collection of aches, pains, and a reliance on medications. In John 15, Jesus likens himself to the vine, with his Father as the gardener. He assures that if we abide in him, he will abide in us, leading to abundant fruit-bearing in his kingdom. While achieving much in God's realm is a shared aspiration among believers, it prompts reflection on the costs of true abidance. If the goal is to become more like Jesus, are you willing to invite the Gardener to scrutinize your soul, pruning away anything that competes for your heart's allegiance? Are you open to being crucified with Christ, allowing the self to die so that he may reign over your passions, goals, and dreams?

Meditating on God's word is one thing, but are you willing to let it be your guiding compass, obeying every word not just out of obligation but also as a demonstration of love, initially expressed by Him to you? To experience the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, cultivating an intimate, personal, and obedient relationship with Him is crucial. Imagine drawing so close to Jesus that His words, thoughts, and goals seamlessly merge with your own, transforming your prayers into prophetic utterances, consistently offered in His name and according to His will. Join me in turning to John 15:1-8 in our Bibles to explore how one can truly bear fruit in God's kingdom.

Remaining in Christ

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

After the Lord’s Supper in the upper room Jesus proceeded to prepare the disciples for His upcoming death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Jesus had already told them many things about His identity. He told them He was the “bread of life” (6:35), “the light of the world” (8:12), “the gate” (10:9), “the good shepherd” (10:11), “the resurrection and the life” (11:25), and “the way, the truth, and the life” (14:7). Now in His sixth and final “I am” statement in the Gospel of John He told the disciples that He is “the true vine” (15:1). Vine imagery was very common in the ancient world. In the OT vine was a “preeminent symbol of Israel.” The best-known passage being Psalms 80:8-10 that states, “You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.” Isaiah said that Israel was the vineyard of the Lord Almighty, and the people of Judah are the gardens of His delight (5:7). Though God had planted and tended the vine, His covenant people, to bear fruit (Hos. 10:1–2; Isa. 5:1–7; Jer. 2:21; 12:10–11), God chastised them for “running wild and producing sour grapes” (Isaiah 5:4), for persecuting the prophets, and for crucifying “God’s final messenger.” In the context of this metaphorical vineyard, Christ emerges as the true vine, surpassing the previous representation of the old Israel. This authentic vine is identified as the sinless Lamb of God who sacrificed His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). In His final teachings before the cross, Christ instructs the disciples that the path to God is not solely through the nation of Israel but through faith in His atoning sacrifice. The disciples' mission, symbolized by being "fishers of men," is an ongoing call to the world to be reconciled unto God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). It is emphasized that reconciliation and eternal adoption into God's family can only be achieved through Him, the true vine.