Life On The Vine

LIFE ON THE VINE

JOHN 15:1-8

INTRO-

JOHN 15:1-8

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT RELIGION IS PRIVATE, AND THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. THIS PASSAGE IS JESUS TALKING TO HIS DISCIPLES AND I BELIEVE TO EACH ONE OF US THIS MORNING.

WE CAN GATHER SOME IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS AND DIRECTIONS FROM THIS VERSE.

JESUS IS THE VINE

FATHER(GOD) IS THE GARDENER OR VINE DRESSER

HE (GOD) CUTS OFF BRANCHES THAT DON’T BEAR FRUIT

THOSE THAT BEAR FRUIT- WE GIVE HIM PERMISSION TO PRUNE SO THAT WE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT.

IF WE ARE GOING TO PROFESS WITH OUR MOUTHS THAT WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST, THEN WE HAVE TO BE CONNECTED TO JESUS. CHRISTIANS(CHRIST FOLLOWERS)

SOME TODAY WANT WHAT THE CHURCH OFFERS, BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO THE CHURCH. SOME WANT THE BLESSINGS OF JESUS, BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO THE THINGS THAT JESUS TAUGHT. THEY WANT TO BE SECRET CHRISTIANS, CONVENIENT CHRISTIANS ,OR AT LEAST DISTANT CHRISTIANS. JESUS CLEARLY STATES THAT IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE VINE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAR FRUIT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE LIFE SOURCE OF THE VINE. IN OUR QUEST TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT TODAY, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIND GOD WITHOUT GOD., NOT WILLING TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT WE MUST ALWAYS SOFTEN BUZZ WORDS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS.

EXAMPLES:

PEOPLE ARE NOT GARBAGE MEN- THEY ARE SANITATION ENGINEERS

PEOPLE ARE NOT SHORT, THEY ARE VERTICALLY CHALLENGED

ATHEIST RUN AROUND THIS COUNTRY AND SAY THAT GOD DOESN’T EXIST. YET THEY ALSO SAY THEY WISH HE (GOD) WOULD LEAVE AND LEAVE THEM ALONE. (HUMMMMMM....) IT’S GOOD WE HAVE THE GIRL SCOUTS WITH US THIS MORNING., THEY COME FROM SOME DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS OF FAITH. HERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN AGREE UPON:

JOHN 14:6- JESUS SPEAKING, “ I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME”

1 TIMOTHY 2:5- “FOR THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS”

PEOPLE TODAY HAVE A HARD TIME CONNECTING AND STAYING CONNECTED TO ANYTHING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

MARRIAGE- AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS

WORK PLACE- HAVING STABILITY

HOLDING UNTO OUR INTERESTS....

.I LOVE ......SO AND SO, AND THEN THEY WITHOUT MUCH NOTICE MOVE UNTO SOMEONE ELSE.

I CANNOT DO WITHOUT SUCH AND SUCH, AND THEN IT SITS AND GETS DUSTY.

QUESTION- WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVE 30 SECOND COMMERCIALS? BESIDES THE COST, THAT IS ABOUT HOW LONG PEOPLE WILL GIVE THEIR ATTENTION.

WE NEED TO SEE THIS PASSAGE IN THE CONTEXT THAT JESUS MEANS IT. JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES JUST LEFT THE UPPER ROOM. THEY HAVE HAD THEIR LAST SUPPER TOGETHER, JESUS TAKES THE TIME TO WASH THEIR FEET AND EXPLAINED WHAT IT WAS TO BE A SERVANT. HE EXPLAINS TO THEM THAT ONE OF THEM WILL BETRAY HIM AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM SOON. THEY ARE WALKING TOWARD GETHSEMANE AND WALKING THROUGH GRAPE VINEYARDS AND JESUS GIVES THEM ONE LAST PARABLE OF HOW THEY WERE GOING TO STAY CONNECTED DURING THE TOUGH TIMES. JESUS USES SITUATIONS THEY UNDERSTOOD. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROCESS OF GRAPES TO MAKE WINE. IT WAS THEIR CULTURE. THEY HAD TERRIBLE WATER, THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROCESS BETWEEN NO FRUIT AND BEARING MUCH FRUIT. JESUS WANTED THEM AND WANTED EVERY BELIEVER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO LIVE AN OVERFLOWING LIFE AND UNDERSTOOD THAT GOD WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN. CHURCHES TODAY HAVE ALLOWED MEDIOCRITY TO CREEP IN , SOME OF THE 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES ARE EXPERIENCING GOD IN A POWERFUL WAY AND LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED. SOCIETY TODAY HAVE DISCONNECTED AND THEY WONDER WHY THEY ARE NOT GROWING AND ARE GOING BACKWARDS. MAYBE , WE WOULDN’T BE SO IMPRESSED WITH THE GOOD OLD DAYS IF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD WAS FRESH AND NEW TODAY.

JESUS TALKS ABOUT ABUNDANT LIFE- HE TELLS US THAT IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH HIM. THE DEVIL COMES TO KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY...JESUS COMES THAT WE MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY. THAT IS A FACT IT IS THE WORD OF GOD, AND IT IS GOD’S NATURE.

TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US

ACTIVELY EVERY DAY BE A PART OF IT

TWO QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES

1. ARE WE CONNECTED? ARE WE A PART OF THE VINE THAT GIVES US LIFE

2. ARE WE BEARING FRUIT? MUCH FRUIT ACCORDING TO JESUS

EACH ONE OF US NEEDS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITHIN OURSELVES. THE PURPOSE OF THE VINE IS TO BRING NOURISHMENT SO THAT WE MIGHT PRODUCE FRUIT. LET’S TAKE A MINUTE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS