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
I. ARE YOU CONNECTED?
SOME OF YOU CARRY TWO CELL PHONES WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. BECAUSE ...DIFFERENT PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF YOU AT ALL TIMES.
SOME OF YOU HAVE BLACKBERRIES, PAGERS.
WE WOULD NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT OUR PHONES BEING CHARGED, IF THERE WAS A CHANCE IT WOULD NOT MAKE IT, WE WOULD BRING THE CHARGER WITH US. SOME OF US WOULD GO BACK MILES TO THE HOUSE BECAUSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN OUR PHONES, JUST IN CASE SOMEONE COULD CALL.
WE UNDERSTAND BEING CONNECTED. ARE YOU THAT CONNECTED TO JESUS ? CAN HE GET A HOLD OF YOU AT ANYTIME? CAN HE INTERRUPT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND YOU ANSWER HIS CALL? ARE YOU PLUGGED IN?
BATTERIES MAY BE EVER READY, BUT THEY ARE NOT EVER LASTING LIKE JESUS
GAL. 2:20-“ I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST AND I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. THE LIFE I LIVE IN THE BODY, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD.”
JOHN 15:7-8- “IF YOU REMAIN(ABIDE) IN ME AND MY WORDS REMAIN IN YOU, ASK WHATEVER YOU WISH, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN YOU. THIS IS TO MY FATHERS GLORY, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES.”
PSALM 42- “AS THE DEER PANTS FOR THE WATER BROOKS, SO PANTS MY SOUL FOR YOU O GOD”
IS THAT HOW CONNECTED YOU ARE TO JESUS?
WHEN YOU READ YOUR BIBLE
DO YOU SAVOR GOD’S WORDS LIKE A TREASURE.
APPLY IT TO YOUR LIFE AND PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES...BECAUSE YOU WANT TO STAY CONNECTED
WHEN YOU PRAY, ARE YOU CONNECTED THAT YOU ARE TALKING TO A TRUSTED FRIEND
ABLE TO SHARE YOUR REQUEST
ABLE TO GIVE YOUR WORRIES
CAN YOU BE HONEST
CAN YOU PRAISE AND THANK HIM
QUESTION 2
II.ARE YOU BEARING FRUIT?
FRUIT THAT IS CONNECTED ON THE VINE WILL BE THE BIGGEST AND THE SWEETEST FRUIT GROWN.
IT WILL BE THE OUTWARD SIGN OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE INSIDE
WE WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE VINE DRESSER TRIMMING AND PRUNING US WHERE NEEDED BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ALL GOD INTENDS US TO BE
APART FROM THE VINE- WE ARE GOING TO DIE. WE ARE CUTOFF FROM THE LIFE SOURCE.
ABUNDANT LIFE IN JESUS OVERFLOWS, IT WILL BE A SURPLUS OF JESUS IN OUR LIVES.
THE PERSON WANTING TO BEAR FRUIT UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE PRUNED AND TRIMMED. IF NOT, THEY GROW LARGE LEAVES BUT BEAR NO FRUIT. THEY REALIZE THAT THEY ARE NOT CHASING MIRAGES. THEY WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN THEIR LIVES. THEY TELL THEMSELVES THAT THE PAIN INVOLVED WILL BE WORTH IT AND THEY WILL ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING FOR GOD. NO CHRISTIAN HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO LIVE THEIR LIVES...OF THEMSELVES “WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING ”
CLOSING;
CHRIST IS THE VINE- EVERYTHING FLOWS FROM HIM
AS A BRANCH CAN ONLY RECEIVE FROM THE VINE, SO WE CAN ONLY RECEIVE SPIRITUALLY FROM CHRIST. IT IS LIKE BITING ON PLASTIC FRUIT. IT LOOKS REAL, BUT IT IS NOT
FOR SOME THIS MORNING, WE NEED SOME MIRACLE GROW IN OUR LIVES. OUR GROUND IS NOT AS RICH AS IT NEEDS TO BE.
DAILY COMMUNION WITH THE LORD IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.
OUR BELLY BUTTONS ARE A REMINDER THAT WE ALL STARTED OUR LIVES CONNECTED TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
SPIRITUALLY WE NEED TO CONNECT OR MAYBE RECONNECT WITH GOD FOR A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
JESUS SAID ‘I AM THE VINE, HE IS THE ONLY WAY
YOU WANT MORE OF GOD, YOU WILL HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH GOD
ALTAR CALL.
