Text: John 15:1-8, Title: The Vineyards of Tifton: The True Vine, Date/Place: NRBC, 7/8/13, AM
A. Opening illustration: the Piedmont Ecology class that I used to teach at BJP at NC Weslyan, Sept vines
B. I want to begin a three (or maybe four) part mini-series through this power-packed passage that Jesus gives on the vine and the branches. It is called the Vineyards of Tifton, and it will focus on the three main aspects of this teaching—the Vine, the Vinedresser, and the branches. The passage is rich, as so much of this “farewell address” has been, and so we will mine it for the truth about who these three metaphors represent, and what roles they all have in the kingdom and in our lives.
C. Background/Overview to passage: Having just taught on the coming of the Holy Spirit as the Strengthener that would come alongside the disciples and be there other Jesus, He tells them they are leaving the upper room because the evil one is coming. But the “farewell address” as we know it is not finished, in fact we have two more chapters to go (keep in mind Jesus wasn’t speaking in chapters). So they begin walking, probably out of the city toward the Garden of Gethsemane, where chapter 17 and the great “not my will, but thine” passage would take place. While passing through this way, they would have come alongside olive groves and grape vineyards that would have been the physical backdrop for the teaching presented in John 15. The spiritual backdrop is that, as we know and as He has mentioned over and over, He is going away, and the Spirit is coming. But there is much work to be done, and He wants to maintain the relationship that He has with them through the indwelling Spirit (remember He and the Father will make their home in believers through the Spirit), so Jesus knows that this relationship needs to be nurtured once He’s gone, and so He gives us John 15, and the analogy of the vine to express that. So don’t miss the point, which we will focus on more in the last of this three part series—this is how we walk with Jesus and bear fruit to the glory of God. But there is so much to learn about this teaching, it would do the Word of God a great injustice for us to proceed too quickly through it. This is God speaking! Are you ready? Did you come prepared? I also heard a great message week before last about how we approach the preaching event from a church/congregational/believer standpoint called, The Cross and Christian Preaching, and it was awesome in its application. Jim Shaddix, preaching at Brooks Hills Church in Birmingham, AL.
D. Main thought: Today we are going to look at Jesus as the vine
A. He Just Is (v. 1)
1. Jesus begins this teaching with the final of the seven famous “I AM” statements of the book of John. And although there are seven main ones, there are several more in the gospel and in other books of the NT. Read some of Tozer’s thoughts from his chapter on why it is important to think rightly about God. So for a moment or two, let’s think about Jesus. Let’s raise our thoughts about Him. He is the incomprehensible, self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite, immutable, omniscient, omnipresent, all-wise, all-powerful, absolutely faithful, absolutely good, completely just, fully merciful and infinitely gracious, holy, sovereign, majestic, most loving, most lovely King of kings and Lord of lords! He is higher than the highest thoughts that you can think. He just is! Shear, absolute reality!
2. Illustration: “We tend to be disquieted by the thought of One who does not account to us for His being, who is responsible to no one, who is self-existent, self-independent, and self-sufficient…To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for “where” has to do with matter and space, and God is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made” –Tozer, flipping channels the other night saw the end of this guy’s interview of America’s Got Talent, gay guy singing opera, and the standing ovation that he got before he was even finished
3. He is! “The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of 10,000 temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters that at the most cannot concern him for very long; but even if the multiple burdens of time may be lifted from him, the one mighty single burden of eternity begins to press down upon him with a weight more crushing than all the woes of the world piled one upon another. ” But don’t think that the purpose of thinking about God is to be relieved of problems. The purpose of dwelling upon the True Vine is to find your joy! See verse 11. Lose yourself in the person of Christ, in the depth of His majesty, in the wonder of His being, so that your joy in God would be supreme, and the world might know that He is the greatest treasure in all the world. Deuce’s experience in the Sugar World
B. He Is Life (v. )
1. Jesus says that He is the Vine. In this text He is also the power, the cleanser, the commander, and the lover of our souls. You find those, not now. The other I AM statements speak of His sustaining power, light, salvation, protection, substitution, triumph over death, etc. But let’s focus on the vine. This demonstrates the vital connection required for Jesus to maintain His relationship with these men. In John 10 Jesus taught about the loving relationship of the Good Shepherd laying his life down for the sheep, but this picture is more intimate that that because of the mutual indwelling. He is the source of life for the branches. One writer refers to Him as the pulsating life for the branches. He is the connection to the earth for nutrients and water. He is the sustainer of their life. They are in Him to the point that ripping must take place to remove them. He says that without Him they can do nothing. They have the ability, the power (literally) to do nothing. They could hang on the trellis, or the tower, or the oak tree (like the trumpet creeper does near the garden), but if there was no connection to the vine, there would be no flower, no fruit, no leaves, the tendrils would dry up and fall. He is the only reason flowers or fruit is produced on the vines.
2. 1 Cor 15:10, Mat, 10:20, 2 Co. 3:5, Gal 2:8, Eph 3:7, Phil 2:13, 4:13, Col. 1:28-29
3. Illustration: paraphrase of Carson – “growth in the Christian life in not inorganic, external growth, like snow that just falls and piles upward in your yard; but it is organic, internal growth, driven by the pulsating life of the vine in the branch, and only this kind of growth produces fruit…The Christian who expands only by external growth merely stumbles along aimlessly at good conduct or witnessing, but is not stuffed, injected, and impelled by the life of the vine from within, brings for dead works, not real fruit.” Stalagmites growing externally
4. He is our/your/my source of life. Physical life, yes—he keeps your heart beating, your lungs working, your cells dividing. But spiritual life is what is in view. He is your vital connection with everything that you need spiritually to be alive. He has given you life. He is your life. In the previous point, we spoke of the theological truths about the being of God, and endeavored to present Him as One whom we forget to stand in awe of; and my prayer is that we would again as a people. But here we see an intimate, life-giving, internal relationship that you and I have with Jesus. Here we see love divine. The Christian life is about light AND heat. Up there was the light. God, open our eyes to who You are! Here is the heat. Jesus, set our hearts ablaze with your life indwelling us. Give us passion for you. How is your intimacy with Him. How’s your connection with the Vine? Is the flow good? Remember that 97.7% (if you are here 4 hours a week) is lived outside of here. The trellis is not at this building! The Vine goes with you everywhere. Everywhere you go your intimacy with God should grow, b/c He’s there! Do we want revival; do we want more power in our life or in our worship services? Do you want Him? Let the life flow from the Vine into you. Your intimacy with Christ must soar and deepen somewhere besides here. And I am so thrilled when I hear of those of you who are connecting with Him in your personal time, or with your family worship time, or in the word daily. Some of you come with testimony, some with prayers answered, some with questions and things God has revealed or spoken to you about. Thrilled.
5. Remember too that we can do nothing without Him. This is so a reminder of our absolute dependence upon Him for every aspect of our walk. Our prayer life is not dependent completely on our will and determination to pray more, we depend on the Vine. Without Him, we do not have the dunamis (the power) to do anything! Whatever you do to serve Christ in this church, you don’t just volunteer because nobody else does, and show up when you can, and do a little if you feel like it, then feel guilty, and try to work harder. You depend on Him. Without Him you can do NOTHING. Story of my dependence on Him for preaching. Your ability to overcome sin, nothing without Him. Your witnessing to a neighbor, nothing without Him. Your giving to the church, it’s not because you work, make money, and are spiritual, it is only because He enables you.
A. Closing illustration: video - SM Lockridge – That’s My King 2:43-to the end
B. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
1. I AM the Bread of Life – John 6:35
2. I AM the Light of the World – John 8:12
3. I AM the Door of the Sheep – John 10:7
4. I AM the Good Shepherd – John 10:11
5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25
6. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life – John 14:6
7. I AM the True Vine – John 15:1
○ I AM the One who testifies about Me – John 8:18
○ If you do not believe that I AM you will die in your sins – John 8:24
○ Before Abraham was, I AM – John 8:58
○ I tell you these things so that you may believe that I AM – John 13:19
○ I AM the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End – Rev 1:8
○ I AM the Root of David, the Bright and Morning Star – Rev 22:6
