Jesus I Am The Vine Series

Video Transition: I am video then play I am the Vine video

Series: Jesus the I Am of Renewal!

A Survey Of 7,000 People, Contributed by Charles Wilkerson on sermoncentral

“A survey of 7,000 people, conducted by the sponsorship Research International in six countries found that the Shell Oil logo, the Mercedes badge and the five Olympic rings were recognized far more widely than the Christian Cross. McDonald’s golden arches and Shell’s glowing yellow shell were recognized by 84% of those questioned; while a mere 54% could identify the Cross.”

Youthwork - September 2004 quoted on site http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/keyquotes/ accessed December 9, 2004

I think this shows us as Christians we still have a lot of work to do for the Kingdom of God – we still need to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God and get the word out about Jesus!

Review of the “I Am” Statements:

I AM the bread of life – Jesus said I am the one who can and will satisfy your eternal

hunger.

I AM the light of the world – Jesus points us to the light which will lead us out of the darkness of this world.

I AM the door – Jesus said I am the door there is no other door to Heaven and I am the one who opens and closes this gateway to eternal life.

I AM the resurrection and the life – Jesus said I am the one who brings dead people back to life and let’s them live forever. I am the one who defeated death by the power of my resurrection.

I am the Good Shepherd - "I am the good shepherd... The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

I am the Way, The Truth and the Life - Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus is the only entrance to Heaven - When you meet Christ you will see He is the way. It becomes very clear through His personal touch on our lives. Once you have met and get to know Christ, you become aware of truth, what it looks like, what it sounds like, how it functions, what it does and does not do. The final point Christ makes here is once you accept Him as the Way, you find direction, this direction leads you into truth, on the discovery of truth you learn the meaning of life and this life is everlasting.

T.S. – Today we are exploring the 7th “I Am” statement of Jesus!

Sermon: Jesus I am the True Vine!

Thesis: Jesus said He is “The True Vine” and He is the one that gives life, He is also the one that enables a vine to produce fruit. Without Him we can do nothing, so it is imperative that we stay connected to the true vine to live a fulfilled and meaningful life.

Illustration: A Couple Of Years Ago, Newsweek Magazine Ran An Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 6, 2005: A couple of years ago, Newsweek magazine ran an article on “Faith and Healing.” The article began with this unsettling story: “On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Ming He, a fourth-year medical student in Dallas, came across a man dying in the VA Hospital. Suffering from a rare cancer and hooked up to an oxygen tank, the man, an Orthodox Jew, could barely breathe, let alone speak. There were no friends or relatives by his bed to comfort him. When the young student walked into his room, the man looked at her and said, ‘Now that I’m dying, I realize that I never really learned how to live.’ Ming He, 26, had no idea how to respond.” Those who know Jesus know exactly how to respond. They have found healing and they have experienced life, because they have come to know the Creator of life himself. They did nothing to deserve this except to hold out their hand and believe that his hand would be extended in response. The Bible says, “Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all” (Luke 6:19).

Visual Illustration: I have a vine from the garden! Notice what has happened to this branch which is not connected to the vine. It is dead and brittle. It will never produce fruit because it is not attached to its life source the vine!

Text: John 15

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He 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. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will 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.5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.