Connected But Disconnected
John 15:1-7
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
In the world today, many are going this way, that way, and anyway, and continuously wondering why life is so complex and challenging. Many have even stated that I believe in God, so why is he not helping me out of this or that situation? So the question I must present today is: Are we Connected But Disconnected Spiritually in our lives? In this scripture, Jesus teaches about our connection to the Vine of life, Him. When we are connected to Jesus Christ, we produce more fruit, yet there are moments when we feel disconnected from the vine. In this message, we must learn about our spiritual relationship with God. In the Gospel Song Spiritual, the lyrics state you’re not a natural being having a spiritual experience, but you’re a spiritual being living this natural experience. See, this is what we call Spiritual Intelligence. So today, we will take a military approach to get a deeper Spiritual Connection with our Father in Heaven. Now in this training program, there are some key points that we must lay out for clarity.
1. God’s Connection with us - Genesis 1:26-27
2. Living a Surrendered Life - Matthew 3:8
3. Spiritual Intelligence - Galatians 5:22-25
It is crucial to clarify why we must gain a strong connection with God before we can press forward. Genesis 1:26-27 “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” From the beginning, God has always been our commanding officer of the entire creation, from the moon to the stars, the animals, and even mankind. Therefore, we must understand our position with God in this process we call Life. Church, allow me to explain it this way: Our boot camp training began from birth because God created us all in his image. Therefore, we are all in boot camp from childhood to adulthood at every stage of life. As the Scriptures in John 15:5 gives us a comparison of our relationship with God, we are connected by the Vine and also as soldiers in his army. The connection that God has created for us to have with him is deeply rooted in the foundation of the earth. For the vine is birthed from the earth, and we are his created branches, and as his branches and soldiers, we are to bear fruit.
The fact is this is our connection as Spiritual beings have a natural experience. The point is that God’s Connection is always with each of us; we are valuable parts of his masterpiece. Allow me to expound on Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. See, it is essential in this passage that we understand God’s Position as our Chief Commander, for he has all the power to command and can unleash or restrain at his will. God’s purposes may not be what we imagine, for our thoughts are not his thoughts. The point is to be connected to God; we must place him in his correct position. When we have that Connection, something happens when we call his name; his power shows up and out. All the life in the branch is in the vine, and the branch only receives it as long it is connected to the vine. Our Connection is our dependency on God, so never let go of your connection with God.
Understanding the trueness of our connection with God is not just being connected to the branch but also surrendering unto him. And yes, making this type of surrender is challenging. See, has there been a time when we felt that we were standing all alone? So tell me, who did you run to? Did you run to your family, or did you run to your friends? There is one you indeed can find your solution from Jesus Christ, and you can run to him, and he will reconnect you to the vine to nourish your soul and replenish you. Remember that Job was the one man who was a faithful servant of the Lord, and even in his darkest hours, he trusted in God with a no matter what attitude; that is how we stay connected to OUR FATHER. For Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. We must understand that God does not want just any part of you to be unsurrendered unto him. Therefore, we must surrender every part of ourselves unto Him, even our goals, desires, and dreams. So this connection is more than being connected but solidifying our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let me explain that the vine root system has multiple functions, such as the feeder root, which is at a lower level in the ground, and then there is the surface root, which supplies the nutrients from the minerals necessary for the vine's growth. Just as Jesus teaches us that he is the VINE, and we are the branches, we must have a solid Spiritual Intelligence in the Holy Word. And let it be our source for in Galatians 5:22-25, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. So if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. We must nourish our Spiritual Intelligence by planting seeds in our Christian walk.
If we are not bearing the fruit of the spirit in our life, pray and seek God to help us plant good seeds and remove any weeds from our Spiritual Garden. When we are connected to the source, we gain greatness in Him, for our soul is anchored. Yet when we are disconnected, we are walking in the darkness of this world. So if you want to be strong in Christ Jesus, Let your soul be anchored. See, to be clear, my brothers and sisters in Hebrews 6:19, That hope, firm and secure like an anchor for our souls, reaches behind the curtain. So when you feel that you are disconnected, keep in mind that you are a Spiritual being having a natural experience cause our GOD is:
On-time, Every time, Always there
Said you'll never leave us nor forsake us
So we stand, On your word; Brought us out of darkness into your light
By your power, We're set free; where two or three are gathered, you're there
In the midst, Thank you, Lord
So glad we know our...Soul's anchored
So now let us all anchor our souls in Christ Jesus, and when you feel disconnected from God, turn to his Holy Word and seek him to reconnect to your soul and give you strength, for he is our Anchor!
That is the Word of God!
