WHAT MUST I DO? REMAIN IN THE VINE
JOHN 15:1-17
INTRO
We are asking ourselves “What Must I Do?” and looking at the New Testament for answers. We have discovered that “Whatever God’s Word says I MUST do, God knows I CAN do!” and it is with that confidence that we approach these Biblical charges.
Today we will read John 15:1-17. You will notice the “Must” statement that is found in verse 4; “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.”
John 15:1-17
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Show the 2011 Volkswagon commercial of the little boy trying to be Darth Vader and start the car. Only the participation of his daddy (unbeknownst to the boy) made him successful.
In a similar manner it is our relationship & dependency on God that make our endeavors fruitful.
To remain in Christ is:
1. TO STAY ATTENTIVE TO HIS WORD (7)
The Bible Outsells “Fifty Shades of Grey” in Norway
The Christianity Today Blog, “First Things” is reporting that a new bible translation has become a surprise bestseller in Norway, where only one percent of the population regularly attends church:
It may sound like an unlikely number one best-seller for any country, but even more so in secular Norway. Yet the Bible, printed in a new Norwegian language version, has outpaced “Fifty Shades of Grey” to become Norway’s most popular book, catching the entire country by surprise.
The sudden burst of interest in God’s word has also spread to the stage, with a six-hour play called “Bibelen,” Norwegian for “the Bible,” drawing 16,000 people in a three-month run that recently ended at one of Oslo’s most prominent theaters.
Officials of the Lutheran Church of Norway have stopped short of calling it a spiritual awakening, but they see the newfound interest in the Bible as proof that it still resonates in a country where only one percent of the five million residents regularly attends church.
{Source” http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/06/06/bible-outpaces-fifty-shades-of-grey-to-become-bestseller-in-norway/}
Again, there are signs that those who do not have the word hunger for it while many, who have easy access to it, neglect it!
The Coal Basket
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. First, it was saturated with water. The basket was retaining water – the fibers were full of water – so much so that you could almost wring it out. There was not water “in” the basket but the basket itself had become permeated “with” the water. Second, instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. The black residue of the coal was washed away.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.
That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day.
This saturation and cleansing that God’s Word brings only comes as we choose to “remain” in the vine. God’s Word, residing in our hearts:
• Is the key to fruitfulness (v. 7-8)
• Is reflected in obedience (v.10)
• Is the source of Christlikeness (v. 11-12)
To remain in Christ is:
1. TO STAY ATTENTIVE TO HIS WORD (7)
2. TO STAY ATTACHED TO HIS LOVE (9-11)
The Horse Whisperer
His name is Monty Roberts. Monty was raised in the horse business. He learned there was one way to train horses: by "breaking" them. Through domination and force, which at times included striking the horse with whips or even tying and suspending the horse's feet and legs, a trainer would impose his will upon the animal until it reached the conclusion that total submission was the only way to survive.
In his early teen years Roberts began to study the behavior and communication patterns of wild mustangs in the badlands of Nevada. He took note of the nonverbal communication among the horses …. Drawing on this observation and his firsthand experience with horses, Roberts developed a breakthrough training technique he first called "hooking on" as opposed to "breaking down" the horse's will. This new training method was based on a cornerstone concept he eventually trademarked called JoinUp®. Join-Up not only stopped the "breaking" norms of traditional horse training, it showcased how to cooperate with the horse's own spirit, innate ways, and means of communicating as a member of the herd.
The personality and full potential of the horse emerge through loving freedom and desire rather than domination …. The Join-Up technique invites an untamed horse that has never been ridden to willingly accept the saddle, bridle, and rider. It is a thing of beauty to watch. Monty Roberts enters a round pen with a wild horse. In as little as half an hour, he'll be riding the horse.
Roberts creates an atmosphere of mutual respect that communicates, "I'm not going to hurt you, and you don't have to follow me if you don't want to." After a brief period of introducing himself and interacting with the horse … Roberts turns his back to the animal and walks away.
At this point the horse trains her eyes on Monty with all-out intensity and attention. She is asking herself, "Where is he going?" and "Do I want to stay by myself?" The horse must choose: "I want to be with you. I want to join up and follow you on the way." She quickly decides, "My safe place is with you." Dropping her head (equine language for "I submit to you") and trotting to Roberts's side, the horse says, "I choose to follow. I want to be with you." {Source: Leonard Sweet, “I Am a Follower” (Thomas Nelson, 2012), pp. 63-65;}
This is a wonderful picture of God’s love! He shows us that he knows us fully, that he loves and respects us and then we must make the choice to follow Him … to remain close. As we submit to God and follow His call he experience a lifetime of communion and love. It is a choice we make when we choose to “remain” in the vine.
To remain in Christ is:
1. TO STAY ATTENTIVE TO HIS WORD (7)
2. TO STAY ATTACHED TO HIS LOVE (9-11)
3. TO STAY ADJOINED EACH OTHER (12-17)
Our affinity for each other reflects the same principles of love as God’s love for us. This is how we learn to love in a way that transcends the world’s works-based / worth-based love (v. 9). It is our connection to Christ that makes our association with each other possible.
I know you can say this by heart by now but never forget, every Christian needs three kinds of relationships.
1. We need a mentor who has travelled the path ahead of us and can wisely help us on the journey
2. We need a fellow traveler to share the journey with
3. We need a mentee that we can help in a similar manner as our mentor is helping us.
In his book, “Imagine Your Life Without Fear” Max Lucado gives some significant insight when he says, “Questions can make hermits out of us, driving us into hiding. Yet the cave has no answers. Christ distributes courage through community; he dissipates doubts through fellowship. He never deposits all knowledge in one person but distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When you interlock your understanding with mine, and we share our discoveries, when we mix, mingle, confess and pray, Christ speaks.”
Google Word Search Shows the Rise of Individuality
A few years ago, Google released a database of over 5 million books published between 1500 and 2008. You can now type a search word into the database and discover how often words have been used over the centuries.
Based on this data, The New York Times columnist David Brooks offers what he calls the "story of the last half-century." The first part of this story is the rise of individualism. In the past 50 years, "individualistic words and phrases increasingly overshadowed communal words and phrases." For instance, the following individualistic words have been used more frequently: "self," "personalized," "I come first," "I can do it myself." In contrast, the following communal words have been used less frequently: "community," "share," "band together," "common good."
The second part to the story Brooks sees is the decline in moral virtue. Certain words were especially hard hit, including words associated with courage or gratitude. But all of the following words have dropped in usage: "modesty," "humbleness," "discipline," "honesty," "patience," "faith," "wisdom," and even "evil."
Brooks offers his interpretation for these trends:
So the story I'd like to tell is this: Over the past half-century, society has become more individualistic. As it has become more individualistic, it has also become less morally aware, because social and moral fabrics are inextricably linked. [The first two trends] have led to certain forms of social breakdown, which government has tried to address, sometimes successfully and often impotently.
{Source: David Brooks, "What Our Words Tell Us," The New York Times (5-20-13)}
Love for others is a core expression of our devotion to Christ. It is the fruit of remaining in the vine. The Bible is too clear on this to try and refute. Our individuality (and flesh) wants to reject this – to look only to our personalized relationship (with Jesus) for answers but the truth is God is love and those who are in God will love one another (and our enemies) as well as God.
A personal relationship with Jesus Christ never remains purely “personal” – it always becomes communal.
WRAP-UP
To remain in Christ is:
1. TO STAY ATTENTIVE TO HIS WORD (7)
2. TO STAY ATTACHED TO HIS LOVE (9-11)
3. TO STAY ADJOINED EACH OTHER (12-17)
In recent leadership meetings (and other venues) I have been sharing with our congregation the three part challenge God has given me for us, His church. It will only happen as we remain in Him … as we depend on Him and look to His Spirit and Word.
The three parts tend to line up with these three points we see in John 15.
1. We must make the Great Commission our top priority
It is the Great Commission (making disciples) by which God will judge His church; selectively and collectively. We would like to change the standard – make it something else but everything else about us (holiness, love, etc.) is designed to help us fulfill the Great Commission. It is imperative that we keep the main thing the main thing!
Have you sold any cars today?
In James Harnish’s book, “You Only Have to Die” he tells the story of Mr. Ferman, a Chevrolet Dealer in Tampa Florida. He is retired now but every day he still walks through the dealership and he asks everyone the same question he asks them while working there: “Have you sold any cars today?”
It did not matter whether the employee was a janitor, clerk or an actual salesman he asked the same question because he wanted them to understand that selling cars was what everyone was there for.
Jesus asks us a similar question.
• “Have you introduced me to anyone today?”
• “Have you helped anyone know me more fully today?”
Let’s keep the main thing the main thing!
2. We must all begin using the gifts the Holy Spirit has imparted us.
I will Serve Thee because I Love Thee
I remember an old Maranatha! Music song that said, “I will serve thee because I love thee. You have given life to me.” That is our motivation … we love Him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). And our loved is expressed in service.
God has given every member of His church spiritual gifts or strengths that are designed to guide them and equip them to serve him in the manner He has chosen for us. The gifts He has given us are how we reflect Him in this world … how we serve Him and His church.
Too many times we fail to understand that God will hold us accountable for using the gifts He has endowed us with. That is why we are offering spiritual gift workshops and encouraging / expecting all of you to attend one. So you can discover (or have re-affirmed) the gifts God has given you and then find the best way to use them for his glory.
3. We must nurture our relationships with each other.
A healthy church is filled with healthy relationships. If we have healthy spiritual relationships we will have a sense of spiritual wellbeing.
Truth be told folks, we don’t do this well. The individuality of the North Country is a cancer in Jesus’ church and if there is any place where we should be counter-cultural and show our community a better way to live it is this sense of interdependency and community.
It is a problem we much each address in our lives. I was called on this a few months back and shown my own tendency towards independence. As many of you know I hurt my back pretty bad in June. This has never happened to me before and I ignored the warning signs but low and behold it all came crushing down early one morning (a little after dawn) when I was playing my morning round of Golf (it is my exercise, I walk 9 holes most mornings). My back gave out and I was stranded on the golf course --- with no one else around. I had to crawl and hobble (and carry my clubs) back to my truck. It was excruciating.
It is interesting that just a week or so before I had preached on the need for us to be less individualized and isolated – the need for us to depend on each other a bit more. And David *, one of my regular golf partners and members here, remembered that. He simply asked me, “Why didn’t you call somebody? You obviously needed help.” My answer was simple “I took care of it” but the truth is, David was right. I had a cell phone and I really needed help. I took that to heart and have recently reached out a bit more.
I tell you that to let you know that I, too, am vulnerable to this weakness. But truth be told … we need each other in our lives and we are better off, even enriched, when we join our strengths and merge our lives together. It is part of being the people of God.
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This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
