Growing On The Vine

Growing on the vine

John 15:1-8

Prayer-

Introduction-

Good Morning

We have been talking about connections.

Connections to God and connections to each others.

Connections to your family and connecting with your church.

Connecting is especially hard during a period of time where it is hard to stay connected.

Each connection is important because God has designed us to need relationship to Him first and foremost and then we need to connect with each other.

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-

I want to tell you something…God is in control no matter who is going in or coming out of the Whitehouse.

Situations never catch God by surprise because God never says now what I am going to do?

We (As a nation) will be much better and much happier if we are seeking Him (God) and walking with Him (Lord) and put people in leadership who match up with God’s written word.

VOTE-VOTE-VOTE- Your voice is important and if you don’t take the time to vote, then don’t be complaining because you choose to be silent.

The only way America is great is when God’s people are following, living, and attached to the life that the Lord calls us too.

When we reconnect with our creator and we connect back with each other, we will see the power of God working through us and in us to accomplish all that He wants for us.

We do not have to agree with each other on every issue but if we want to see the blessing of the Lord in our life and in our country, we need to agree on the things that the Lord has given us answers for.

Hear the words of Jesus this morning about connection.

John 15:1-8

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.

Infact, 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.

At the close of the message, I want to show you that John 15:1-8 is Jesus instructing us to model Him and verse 9-17 is the mirror of Jesus modeling God the Father.

Christ is the life-giving vine, and we are the branches that God the Father has grafted into him.

If we are connected to him, we bear fruit. If not, we are dead because our strength and faith can’t live without him.

Our relationship with Jesus is unlike anything else. When it is good it is like nothing else. When it is bad, we struggle and feel disconnected. Anybody relate?

Scripture uses many metaphors to describe our relationship.

He is the King and we are his subjects.

He is the shepherd and we are the sheep.

He is the head and we are the body

If you abide in me, you have life. Apart from me, you will die.

If you allow me to prune and correct you, you will bear much fruit.

If you do not, you cannot do anything apart from me. (That is bigger than yourself.)

That is where I want to spend a few moments this morning. Being connected with Him and bearing much fruit.

I want you to see something here.

They believe that Jesus said these words to his disciples as he was in the upper room before Judas betrayed him. Jesus was warning them that to be disconnected from him in the future would be a disaster for their relationship with Him.