The life that Counts
John 15:7-11
Introduction
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, and wait. Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, and discovers its location inside the coconut.
The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasp the orange, and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the orange won’t come out; it’s too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger he is in. While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in and capture the monkey by throwing a net over him.
As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped. It’s too bad-the poor monkey could save its own life if it would let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can’t have both the orange and its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly trap. The world sets traps for you that are not unlike the monkey trap.
You hear constantly that if you just have enough money, enough stuff, enough power, enough prestige-then you’ll be happy. Under that illusion people spend their whole lives thinking you must have it all. The call of Christianity is unlike that of the world. The world focus’ on what you and get out of life. A Christian should focus on what they can give.
Tonight from this passage of scripture I want us to learn, not how to make our life count from a worldly perspective but from a more important spiritual perspective.
Read Scriptures: John 15:7-11
I. The life that counts is a Christ Centered life.
Vs. 7 "If ye abide in me…"
The life that counts is not a self-centered life, it is not about me. One of the biggest problems in churches today is self-center ness, rather than Christ center ness.
Churches split up over carpet colors, over music style, when someone makes a comment life that old traditional hymn stuff, I just can't worship to that, or that new contemporary stuff, I just can't worship to that, well when your thoughts are on self of course you can't, however when you focus is on worshipping Jesus and nothing else, and your focus is on pleasing Him, it really doesn't matter what style of music is being played, we should be able to worship with no music, when we are living the Christ centered life.
The Christ centered life, is about me getting me out of the way, and letting a living Jesus live though me.
II. The life that Counts is a Bible anchored life.
Vs. "…My word abides in you."
So often as a Christian I live an experience anchored life, rather than a Bible anchored life. In order for me to live a Bible anchored life, I must learn three things.
1. Learn it. The Word cannot anchor my life, if I don’t learn it, if I don't spend time in the word.
2. Live it. If I do spend time in the word, and I don't put it to practice in my life, then I am accomplishing nothing.
3. Love it. If I am not in love with the Word of God, then I will not stick to it, I will not stay in it long enough to learn it, and live it.
III. The life that Counts is a Prayer supported life.
Vs. 7 "Ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done."
The bible says "you have not because you ask not." Listen prayer is more than just giving my laundry list of wants to God and then expecting to jump when I call, it just doesn’t work that way.
A true and authentic prayer life is key to living a truly victorious Christian life. If we have never cultivated a vital prayer life with God, then it will be just what we put into it, dead.
There is no way that we can live a life that counts for Jesus on this earth, without a true prayer supported life.
IV. The life that counts is a Fruit Bearing life.
Vs 8 "Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my disciples."
If we have any hope of honoring God in this life, and with our lives, then we must live a fruit bearing life, what is a fruit bearing life. When you walk up to an apple tree, do expect to find oranges, no. When you walk up to an orange tree, do you expect to pick apples, no.
With our lives, when someone walks up to us, should they expect to hear things of the world, on our speech or in our actions, or should they hear Godly things, in our speech and in our actions.
A Godly fruit bearing life, will be characterized by exalting Christ with our words and our actions.
V. The life that counts is a Love motivated life.
Vs. 9 "…Continue in my love."
As a follower of Christ everything that I do and say, should be motivated by love. We should hate the sin, but love the sinner. The Bible says that we are known as Jesus' disciples by the love that we show for one another. The bible teaches us that we are to "love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, and strength".
We are to love the Word of God, because it is the very Word of God, given to us to live by. We are to love the Church, not matter what nationality or worship style we to love the Church, because the Church is God's idea for spreading the gospel on this planet.
Conclusion
Are you living the life that counts?
Are you living the Christ centered life, the bible anchored life, the prayer supported life, the fruit bearing life, the love motivated life. If this does characterize you life, then praise God, and persevere to the end.
If not we have an altar, and you can come tonight, and confess your short comings before the Lord, and let Him lead you in the ways that you should go.
