A DESIRE TO REPRODUCE
John 15:1-9 June 6, 2010
Introduction:
I have a really difficult question I want to ask you this morning. And it’s not one of those rhetorical ones, but one I would really like you to consider deeply. Here it is…
“Can you become a Christian and have no desire to share your faith?”
Can you make a commitment to be a disciple of Jesus and have no real desire to reproduce other disciples of Jesus?
I ask this question honestly because I know each and every one of us have different personalities and gifts. I know some of us are extroverts and find talking with people and sharing ourselves with people an easy thing, while others of us are much more shy and introverted and the thought of speaking to people creates a fear beyond explanation.
I mean it’s an important question, is it not? And the answer is not so simple, but it’s really important.
Jesus begins our text: “I Am the true vine and my father is the gardner. He cuts off every branch on me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Disciples relate to Jesus as a branch relates to a vine. Without the vine the branches are useless…without Jesus disciples have no power to serve Him or to bear fruit.
Here’s what Jesus seems to be saying here in answer to our question: “The church is composed of people bound to Christ in faith for the purpose of bearing fruit for him.”
God intends for his children to reproduce other disciples and it’s only possible for believers who live in constant prayerful relationship to His son. It doesn’t give an exemption to the shy or a special emphasis to the bold. It even emphasizes that God the gardner will prune and shape each branch individually so that they will be capable of producing the most fruit possible.
Here’s the most important concept of John 15…Branches exist to produce fruit. Disciples of Jesus exist to make more disciples.
And our text begins by letting us know.
I. Jesus Christ Is the Source of This Power
When we examine the early church we see all kinds of personalities:
Peter, the bold, speak-his-mind extrovert; Paul, the driven type, an educated Pharisee; John the beloved compassionate, prayerful leader; Barnabas the encourager who did not mind being second; Aquila and Priscilla a discipling couple gently teaching others the way; Lydia a successful woman reaching her family; Philip called “The Evangelist.”
What they all had in common was a real connection to the vine. Different in personalities, but absolutely focused on a singular purpose…”Go and make disciples.”
Each of them understood who they were and why they existed. They were branches that existed to bear fruit…and the power for them to do this was only possible because they had been miraculously connected to the Vine.
It is imperative that we understand that when Jesus calls us to salvation He is also calling us to be conduits of that salvation for those people who are part of our lives. It’s no coincidence that the Philippian jailer immediately leads his family to salvation, and Cornelius introduces his whole household to God’s grace in Acts 10, or that the Samaritan woman runs back to her town to introduce her community to the Messiah.
You see, what I’m sharing with you is that our decision to be saved cannot just be about personal rescue from hell, but the love of Christ must also compel us to be messengers of this salvation to others. Paul says we become ministers of reconciliation.
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15)
Our view of the people around us changes the minute we are connected to Jesus. His love compels us to become externally focused instead of internally selfish. Here’s how 2 Cor. 5:16-20 records this miracle of evangelism.
2 Cor. 5:16-20
This is so essential in the lives of real disciples that failing to do this has serious consequences.
II. God the gardner cuts off and prunes for one reason
God gave His son for one reason...to save this world.
Jesus came for one reason “that the world might be saved through Him.”
Calvary was where the vine was planted, the empty tomb was where it sprang to life, the Holy Spirit grafted the Apostles’ roots to the vine as the original branches, and in turn each of us who have believed their message, God’s plan…the vine is the source of eternal life, branches are connected to the vine for one reason…to produce fruit. And if they do not produce fruit…what good are they…they need to be cut off…if I can prune them to make them more fruitful I will.
No wonder Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Connection equals relationship!
God has made us clean through the message of Jesus. And we continually grow by remaining in relationship with Him through his word.
If you look at the most vibrant, growing people in the church it’s those who have committed themselves to this truth. Like the early church they have devoted themselves to Jesus’ teaching and to a fellowship with others.
Ask some of our Sunday school classes or small groups or ministry groups what is helping them remain in Christ and growing to the point of bearing fruit and they will tell you…I have a living relationship with Jesus that connects me vitally to others and gives me a burden for ministry.
And for those who are dying spiritually or bearing very little fruit…they have isolated themselves from this connection and the cares of this life are choking them out, making them unfruitful. And as they try to survive on their own they are “cut flower” Christians—they may look good for awhile, but the vital connection of life has been severed. And no aspirin on the rose will ever be enough.
So why does this happen so often? Why does this occur so often?
Well the first reason is we have made a decision about Jesus but never really made a commitment. Let me share with you what I mean…every couple I’ve ever married made a decision to get married, but not everyone of these individuals left that day with an undying commitment to remain in love with one another no matter what. 50% of marriages end in divorce…someone chose not to remain committed.
What happened? Who knows…things got in the way, priorities changed, lukewarmness replaced passion. The connection severed and like a cut flower the relationship began to wither and eventually to die. Whose fault? His? Hers? Both…probably.
But in our marriage relationship with Jesus, He will never sever the connection. He will never become lukewarm in His passionate love toward us. It will always be our lukewarmness that causes the problem, our refusal to remain…Never His! But John 15 is an essential warning for the bride from the groom.
Verses 4-6
Please hear these final words I speak this morning. They are words I’ve thought long and hard about. It’s a question:
Are you letting the things of your life choke out your relationship with Jesus?
Jesus tells a parable about sowing seed in Matthew 13. You remember it’s about a farmer who scatters seed. Some fall on the path and the birds eat it, some fall on rocky soil and it grows quickly but dies when the sun shines down because it has no roots, and other seed falls among thorns that grow up and choke the plant. And some falls on good soil where it produces an abundant crop.
Francis Chan in “Crazy Love” said, “Don’t assume you are good soil. I think most American church goers are the soil with thorns that choke the seed making it unfruitful. Thorns are things that distract us from God. It’s when we want God and a lot of other stuff, that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow where money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments we piled on top of it” (pg. 67).
You see, most of us try to make God fit into our lives and our schedules. So I’ll challenge you again: Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? Do you see evidence that the kingdom of God is first in your life? Or are you choking it out with the thorns of this life?
You know what lukewarm is? It’s in the middle. It’s neutral. It’s not passionate love or brutal hate. It’s warmth…not fire. It’s average. It’s a C grade. It’s safe and comfortable. It describes the average American church goers’ faith. Here’s the problem. Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other! So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15, 16)
You don’t get lukewarm immediately. It takes a while for the coffee to get to room temperature. I’m not sure how long it has to sit on the shelf, but eventually the heat dissipates and you raise the cup to your mouth and instead of something pleasant you have something nauseating. (Only once is “spit” used in the New Testament and it means “retch, gag, vomit”).
Here’s my point. Why does our commitment to God sit on the shelf? For the same reason our coffee does. We get distracted with emails, a phone call comes in, we are getting stuff done, and all the while it sits there.
And we do that with our eternal, Holy, passionate God who is a consuming fire. “God, wait on that shelf until I finish my stuff; God I’ve got activities to do; I’ve got an agenda to accomplish.” The only difference…he doesn’t become lukewarm…we do. Satan is not only a liar and murderer—he is the great distracter.
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
