CHOSEN FOR FRUITFUL LIVING
Study Text: John 15: 1 - 16
Joh 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Joh 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.
Joh 15:9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Joh 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Joh 15:16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.
Introduction:
- In John, chapter 15, Jesus says that fruitfulness is a must. In fact, the theme of John 15 is that Jesus wants you and me to live fruitful lives!
- In verse #16, Jesus said, “16You 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.” Then in verse #17, He simply said, “This is my command: Love one another.”
- When God speaks in His Word of a fruitful life, He means active, joyful mindsets. I.e.: “I am determined to do it!”
- The passage of Scripture that deals with the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, is the premier passage on fruitful living.
- The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
- We shall discuss the study under two sub-headings:
I. The Potentials for Fruitful Living
II. The Partern for Fruitful Living
I. The Potentials for Fruitful Living:
- Jesus gave the principles for fruitful living in verses 1-10.
1. Our potential for fruitful living is unlimited because of our source.
- Jesus starts by saying, “I am the true vine” [verse #1]. Jesus is our source!
- When we really come to grips with that, then we understand why Paul could say, “I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength” [Philippians 4:13].
- We become fruitful when we tap into the right source!
- When we begin to catch a glimpse of the unlimited resources at our disposal, - the power of God, Himself, - then, and only then, will we sense the assurance that we are fully equipped to do whatever it is that God calls us to do.
- Like David, who said, “The battle is the Lord’s” [1 Samuel 17:47], we need to realize that Jesus is our Source. As such, we can be directly connected to Him! Our power source is crucial. Also, we need to consider:
2. Jesus shows that we have potential for fruitful living not only because of our source but also because of our care.
- Just as Jesus is the source, the Father is the gardener. The gardener takes care of the vine.
- Here in this passage of Scripture, he is the owner. When you think of the owner, you think of personal interest. You think of commitment… something more than knowledge or skill.
- As branches, we not only have our source from the vine, but we also have God Who oversees us. He takes care of us. He prepares us to be fruitful and productive.
- When you are the property owner, you naturally take a certain pride that a mere observer never has. When He looks at our lives, God looks at us not as an observer, but as an investor.
3. Our potential for fruitful living is great because Jesus is our source. The fact that God is our caretaker and owners adds to that potential. One of the things that God does as the gardener is to purge us!
- His purging greatly increases our potential for fruitful living. “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.”
- As the gardener, God removes everything that hinders our usefulness.
- Productive people are continually being pruned. It is going through the process that God uses to make you and me more fruitful.
- God knows exactly what to prune from our lives. He cuts away that “sin that so easily entangles us” [Hebrews 12:1]. He cuts away whatever it is that keeps us from becoming the persons we really want to be.
4. Our potential for fruitfulness is also tremendous because of our partnership.
- In verse #4, Jesus talks about out partnership, “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.”
- We see the words “remain” or “abide” 10 times in verses 4 through 10. Basically, Jesus is saying, “Connect with the vine and everything will be just fine!”
5. We also have potential for fruitfulness because of the promise given to us in verse #7, “7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”
- Let’s make two observations here:
a. The promise is conditional… If we remain in Him.
b. Our asking needs to be according to His Word. If we remain in Him, our delight will be in Him, so much that we will ask things according to His will and His Word! Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
- Delight comes before desire. If I delight, what I delight in determines what I desire. If I delight in God, my desire will be to do things according to His will and to ask according to His will.
6. Our potential for fruitfulness is great because of the purpose in our lives.
- We see that in verse #8, “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
- Simply to the point, we are created to be fruitful. That is our purpose. In verse #16, Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit – fruit that will last.”
- God has chosen us. Why? He has chosen us “to go and bear fruit.” We have been chosen. God has appointed us.
7. Our potential for fruitfulness is tremendous due to our obedience.
- In verses 7 and 10, Jesus stated that if we remain in Him and if we keep His commandments, wewill be fruitful.
- Jesus is saying that if you and I are going to be fruitful, it’s going to be up to you and me!
II. The Partern for Fruitful Living:
- Jesus gives us three words that are very important to our fruitful living:
1. Remain. Throughout John, chapter 15, Jesus tells us to remain.
2. Receive. Jesus said that if we remain in Him, we would begin to receive certain things. What we’ll receive is good, fruitful living!
3. Reproduce. If we remain in Him, we’re going to receive what He has for us. Then and only then we will begin to reproduce in our lives.
- Faithfulness in exhibiting these active attitudes on a daily basis in our hearts and lives, will make God to be glorified in our lives.
- When we put these little attitudes together, we find:
1. Positive results – happen due to your faithfuness to these partern.
2. Positive relationships – happen as you produce fruits, your life become very pleasant and a channel of blessings to many.
3. Positive reactions – occur especially in those areas that were previously tough for you. As you share the attitudes as outlined in today’s Scripture, you receive more positive responses from others.
4. Positive reinforcement – These attitudes will make you stronger and better in the Lord to fulfil His purpose for your life.
5. Positive rejoicing. In verse #11, Jesus said, ”I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Conclusion:
- If you want the joy that only comes from Jesus, then we need to put these principles to work.
- The joy and peace as described here is a natural result of simply doing that which is right!
- It is when we live by the right principles that we begin to love the right principles.
- It is when we learn what’s right and live according to it that we begin to want to be right Then we begin to have the by-product, which is joy.
- You don’t have to be an expert to begin sharing your life with others in fruitful outreach. If you have the hunger and thirst, the driving desire to share your faith with others, God will enable and equip you.
- As you read the Bible, prayerfully and diligently seek God’s will, and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit’s saving and sanctifying love and grace, He will enable and equip you for life and service.
- Even if you’ve walked with the Lord for many years and haven’t become the fruitful Christian that you’d like to be, simply start where you are, today.
