I Am The True Vine

Title: Jesus said: “I am the true Vine” Type: Series

Scripture: Jn. 15:1-17 Where: Navigators UI 10-10-24

Intro: Pastor Simala Grant asks: How many of you know what you are supposed to do when you get lost in the woods? (answer: remain where you are until somebody comes and finds you). Have any of you ever tried to do that? Can you imagine how difficult that must be? To simply remain in one place, waiting, passive, hoping someone will find you? Many people don’t remain in one place – instead they decide to try it on their own, to try to find the way back themselves. They get tired of doing nothing, get sick of waiting, they panic and try to get themselves out of the trouble they are in. And they end up making the situation worse – they end up getting even more lost and decreasing the chances of rescuers will find them. Illust – Me in SC deer hunting Fall of 1992. No cell phones. Friend finally found me… “Where did you go? I came looking for you. All had to do was abide. Wait. “Abiding” is the key to fruitful discipleship found in John 15:1-8. That is the idea I want to look at today – what does it take to be a fruitful disciple, and how do we do that?

Prop: What did Jesus mean for us when He said He was the “true Vine”?

BG: 1. In this allegory Jesus again makes a statement of comparison, here it is “I am the true vine”. 2. If you are keeping track, 14:31 Xst and remaining disciples leave upper room and they go out to what will take them to Mt. of Olives, the Garden, and ultimately Christ’s arrest.

3. 7 “I Am” statements in John. Are 3 key words/ideas repeated in this allegory: abiding, obeying, bearing, each is important in the concept of bearing fruit.

Prop: Let’s look at John 15 to see what Jesus meant when He declared Himself the “True Vine”.

I. 1st We See: The basis of Bearing Fruit. Vv.1-6

A. Bearing Fruit is based on a Relationship with Jesus Christ.

1. Conversion is the first step in the process of bearing fruit for the Lord.

a. v.3 – “You are already clean because of the word…” Rom. 10:17 – “So faith comes from hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.” Who does John 1 say is the Word? Christ! Conversion is a work of Christ. Solely. Illust – I have witnessed the birth of all 5 of my children. I can say authoritatively, no is born clean! Nurse has to clean up child. No one is born spiritually clean either. Need Christ.

b. Let me ask you, are you trying to earn favor with God? Are you trying to do things for the Lord? If you are not yet a Christian, let me tell you that you need to let Him do something for you! You need to repent of your sins and by faith receive His free gift of salvation.

2. Why did Christ use the figure of a Vine to illustrate the point? Illust- If I asked what is the symbol of Israel today: Star of David. The grape vine and olive tree were the traditional symbols of Israel – Ps. 80:8-18; Is. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21; Ez. 19:10-14; Hos. 10:1. So what is it that Christ is saying in v. 1? “I am the true Israel of God.” Being in a proper relationship to God has nothing to do with your ethnic birth origin, rather, it has everything to do with your 2nd birth in Christ.

B. Bearing Fruit is Conditional Upon Being in Christ

1. Christ’s allegory of the Vine teaches the Christian a lesson in producing fruit.

a. Jesus is the whole vine, not merely stem, so that as branches, those who believe in Him are not merely connected to Him, they are absorbed by Him.

b. Illust- My wife’s grandfather was a very godly man. Left MIT in the late 1920’s to go to Bible college and mission field. Nearly every letter wrote he signed: Gal. 2:20 “I’ve been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me…” Recognized that this commitment to Christ didn’t mean some cheap brand of spiritual fire insurance, but rather, that it changed entire way live life. Illust- Do you know old Russian proverb when person became Christian, detractors used to say: “Those who have the disease called Jesus will never be cured.”

2. What is the condition of the Unfruitful branches?

a. Who are these “unfruitful branches”? Different opinions. Peril of false or pretend believers.

b. The unfruitful branches at one time were attached to Christ. There was a time, a point, when they began to bud and sprout. They even grew into branches. They listened to Jesus and the Gospel. Possibly they made professions of faith. Possibly were baptized, seemed capable of bearing fruit. Yet, concerns and cares came and choked away life. (Illust: Isn’t that exactly what Jesus said in Mt. 13 – 4 types of soils and yet only one soil was fruitful.)