I. EXORDIUM:
What will you choose? to be cut-off or prune?
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that pruning is more to be chosen than to be cut-off
IV. TEXT:
John 15:2 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
V. THESIS:
Cut-off stops you from bearing fruit while pruning enables you to bear more fruit.
VI. TITLE:
Cut-Off vs Pruning
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger brother of James.
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
B. Date and Setting:
Written between a.d. 85–90 from Ephesus, after the destruction of Jerusalem (a.d. 70) and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
C. Audience:
New Christians and searching non-Christians.
—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
D. Purpose:
John 20:31 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. GOD, the Father cuts off those branches which does not bear fruit
"He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit,"
1. Cut-off - is to clean the tree from useless branches.
Matthew 21:19-20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
The LORD JESUS CHRIST same with GOD does not want abnormal growth, as here the fig tree has grown abnormally because it has only leaves but no fruit. Many leaves shows the tree with fruits, leaves are a signal that the tree is fruitful, but not in this case, that's why the LORD JESUS CHRIST have cursed it and GOD, the Father, upon seeing an unfruitful branch will have to cut it.
2. The word "cut-off" or "taketh away" came from the Greek word:"airo" meaning to life, to take away, keep in suspense, sail away, expiate, loose, remove, take up.
It's very impossible if you are near GOD to not bear at least a fruit among the list of fruits found in the Bible, because GOD, the Father Himself will enable us to bear fruits, and this time it's not our own selves, it does not come from our own human effort that is failing. For example, fruits of righteousness came from GOD, while our own righteous deeds came from ourselves, the latter was rejected because it's not of GOD.
Hebrews 12:11 (New King James Version)
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
James 3:18 (New King James Version)
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Isaiah 64:6 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
B. GOD, the Father prunes and cleans every branch that bear fruit
"He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. "
1. Pruning - is to clean the branch from useless leaves to enable it to bear more fruit. Useless leaves are guilty consciences.
2. The word "fruit" came from the Greek word:"karpos" meaning fruit. It comes automatically.
3. The word "pruning" or "purgeth" came from the Greek word:"kathairo" meaning to cleanse, to prune, to expiate
Hebrews 10:2 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
Cleansing here used the same Greek word:"kathairo", meaning we are pruned, if we belong to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and are one with Him, we are cleansed from guilty consciences. It's not acceptable if we would clean our own selves from guilty conscience, because we would appear as hypocrites before GOD who really knows our hearts like the Pharisees, but it will be acceptable if we let GOD cleanse us from these guilty consciences, like in Adam and Eve can't take their guilty consciences after eating the forbidden fruit, that's why they have dressed themselves with leaves (which is acceptable to them) but as we know leaves are temporary and not reliable clothing as the skin of animals are more permanent.
John 9:41 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
Genesis 3:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:21 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
So stop working on our own efforts to reach GOD and be right with GOD, take His system of getting approved that is the way of the LORD JESUS CHRIST by sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb not with temporary human-effort leaves.
Revelation 17:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”
Revelation 19:7 (New Century Version)
Let us rejoice and be happy and give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready.
Romans 9:1 (New Century Version)
I am in Christ, and I am telling you the truth; I do not lie. My conscience is ruled by the Holy Spirit, and it tells me I am not lying.
2 Corinthians 1:12 (New Century Version)
This is what we are proud of, and I can say it with a clear conscience: In everything we have done in the world, and especially with you, we have had an honest and sincere heart from God. We did this by God’s grace, not by the kind of wisdom the world has.
3. Fruits in the Bible are:
a. Result of repentance (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8)
Matthew 3:8 (New King James Version)
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Luke 3:8 (New King James Version)
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
b. Imitates the tree (Matthew 3:10, Matthew 7:16-17)
Matthew 3:10 (New King James Version)
And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:16-17 (New King James Version)
You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
c. Influenced by the ground (Matthew 13:8, Mark 4:8)
Matthew 13:8 (New King James Version)
But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Mark 4:8 (New King James Version)
But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."
d. Comes from the womb (Luke 1:42)
Luke 1:42 (New King James Version)
Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
e. Other Gentiles or people or souls (Romans 1:13)
Romans 1:13 (New King James Version)
Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
f. Resulted to holiness (Romans 6:22)
Romans 6:22 (New King James Version)
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
g. Product of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9)
Galatians 5:22 (New King James Version)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Ephesians 5:9 (New King James Version)
(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
h. Comes from labor (Philippians 1:22, 2 Timothy 2:6)
Philippians 1:22 (New King James Version)
But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
2 Timothy 2:6 (New King James Version)
The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
i. Righteousness (Hebrews 12:11, James 3:18)
Hebrews 12:11 (New King James Version)
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
James 3:18 (New King James Version)
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
j. Lips praising and thanking GOD (Hebrews 13:15)
Hebrews 13:15 (New Century Version)
So through Jesus let us always offer to God our sacrifice of praise, coming from lips that speak his name.
Hebrews 13:15 (New International Version)
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
k. Comes from the earth (James 5:7, James 5:18)
James 5:7 (New Century Version)
Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. A farmer patiently waits for his valuable crop to grow from the earth and for it to receive the autumn and spring rains.
James 5:18 (New Century Version)
Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down from the sky, and the land produced crops again.
IX. CONCLUSION:
It's more resting and relaxing if we depend on GOD for our own fruits rather than on our own human efforts.
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