Opening illustration: Use an electric appliance to show how its connectivity to power, keeps it working well.
Introduction: Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples, led them through a final meal, instituted the Lord's Supper, and now walked with them to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he will soon pray, and later be arrested. By the time the sun finds its way to mid-day, the very next day, Jesus will be on a cross.
Jesus knew the timetable. He was using care with every word. And just here, just then, he used an object lesson from the garden. Amidst the olive trees was a grape arbor. The vines of that day were just beginning a season of growth. The signs that a gardener, or a vinedresser, had been there, however, would have been clearly obvious. The vines would have been tended, pruned, cleaned, and tied to the arbor. The season of growth would have been a season of care, and would have been a prelude to the season of harvest.
What does being connected to Jesus do in your life?
1. Builds our RELATIONSHIP with THE FATHER (v. 1)
Jesus came to restore our broken and failed relationship with the Father. This could only be done through Him as He and the Father are one. Jesus prayed to the Father for you to have unity in your relationships. (John 17:22-23) “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: {23} “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” In a good relationship, with Jesus in the middle, each person is coming closer to Jesus becoming one with Him and thus one with each other.
Many relationships go bad because people leave Jesus out of the relationship and give their heart to another person instead of God. This will always lead to disaster. Whoever you give your heart to, is your God. People do this out of ignorant selfishness, seeking to get their needs met through another person, which is impossible. Only God can give us the love, joy, and peace that we all are seeking. When you keep Jesus in the middle of the relationship, you will maintain your inner source of love, joy and peace, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Even if the relationship with the other person does not work out, you will have inner stability, because God is your source, not the other person.
Relationships go bad because one or both people lose their focus on Jesus in the relationship. When this happens selfishness takes over, instead of caring about the benefit of God and the other person. The greatest relationships are when two people come together in the name of Jesus. In such a relationship both people have an inner source for love, joy, and peace so that they are both free to be givers to each other, because God is their source of happiness and not the other person.
A personal relationship with God begins with knowing His Son Jesus Christ. Our earthly relationships change. You and I are destined for change. But Jesus is changeless. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When you draw near to Jesus Christ, you will be changed.
2. REPRODUCES FRUIT (vs. 2-5)
(a) The Fruitless Branches Are Removed - "My Father," Jesus declares, "is the gardener." This is the Greek word georgos, which means "earth worker" (the word from which we get the name "George.") That is the Father's work -- he is the "vinedresser," the gardener who takes care of the vineyard. In Verse 5, Jesus clearly identifies that believers are the branches of the vine: "I am the vine, you are the branches." Further, he indicates there are two kinds of branches -- fruitless branches and fruitful branches. Thus right at the beginning of this teaching there is a clear indication that there are two kinds of believers. The difference between them is whether they produce fruit or not.
Illustration: At the Elim House vineyard we remove all the dead branches and suckers because they will never bear fruit. They will grow leaves abundantly, but they will never produce fruit. If allowed to remain, these shoots will actually sap the life of the vine and greatly reduce the quantity of fruit it will bear. The first work of the vinekeeper is to totally remove fruitless branches.
(b) The Fruitful Branches Are Pruned - ". . . every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:2b). The branches that are doing well, those that best convey the life of the vine, get the knife. Anyone who has ever driven through the great northern California vineyards understands what the Lord is talking about. In the winter all you see for miles is bare, twisted trunks. But in the summer, what meets the eye are endless rows of lush green grapevines expanding their foliage so fast you can almost see them grow. Their health is directly proportionate to their pruning. A grapevine will never produce anywhere near its potential without being pruned! Spiritual fruit is produced and maximized in your life over time through the process of spiritual pruning.
3. Brings a REALITY check so that we become RESPONSIBLE (vs. 6-8)
When we think about fruit bearing, we draw back, thinking that it is hard and that we cannot do it. Many believers think that fruit bearing is for the “super saints,” and for those who “have arrived.” In truth, bearing fruit for the Lord is not difficult at all! In fact, it is one of the simplest things any believer can do! I will go a step farther. Fruit bearing is an absolutely passive activity. If you will do one thing, then fruit will happen in your life!
What is that one thing? It is mentioned 6 times in the verses. The one thing required of the branches in order for fruit to be a reality is for them to “abide” in Jesus. If the branches will abide in Jesus, they will bear fruit for the glory of God. The only thing the Lord requires of the branches is for them to rest in Him and to draw their life strength from them. If this happens, fruit will always be the result!
If I want to be a fruitful branch for the glory of the Lord, I must learn the secret of fruitfulness. I must learn to abide in Him and draw my life from Him. Otherwise, there will never be any fruit from my life. Without Him, you and I can bring nothing spiritual to pass, John 15:4. But, with Him, we can be used in a mighty way, Philippians 4:13.
Just a thought before we move on in the passage; every genuine branch wants to honor the Lord. Every person who is truly saved by grace has as his or her first priority the glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31. Jesus tells us plainly in verse 8 that our bearing “much fruit” brings glory to the Lord. If that is really your heart, then learn the secret of abiding in the Vine. Allow Him to live His life through you and watch Him use you to bear much fruit for His glory.
The quality of that fruit is not my responsibility. I am simply to abide. He will bring the kind of fruit through me that pleases Him. The quantity of that fruit is not my responsibility. My duty is to abide in Him. He will produce the quantity of fruit from my life that pleases Him. If we could ever grasp the truth that being a fruitful Christian is about abiding, it would make a world of difference in our lives.
Illustration: Before we go to God's pictures of the church, I want to point out some of the false pictures that some people have of the church today. As we get rid of the distortions, we'll be ready to receive the truth. Tom Nelson, who serves as a pastor in the Free Church, has identified four distorted images.
First, the church as a gas station. For some people today, the church is a place where you fill up your spiritual gas tank when you're running low. Get a good sermon, and it will keep you going for the week.
Second, the church as a movie theater. For many people, the church is a place that offers entertainment. Go for an hour of escape, hopefully in comfortable seats. Leave your problems at the door and come out smiling and feeling better than when you went in.
Third, the church as a drug store. For other people, church is the place where you can fill the prescription that will deal with your pain. For many the church is therapeutic.
Fourth, the church as a big box retailer. Other people see the church as the place that offers the best products in a clean and safe environment for you and your family. The church offers great service at a low price—all in one stop. For many people, the church is a producer of programs for children and young people.
You won't find any of these pictures of the church in the Bible. All of them are distortions, ...
Application: Have the Gardener been performing His purifying and pruning ministry in your life? If He has, remember that it is because He loves you and that He has a wonderful plan for your life. Why not get before Him today and thank Him for not letting you “run to leaf,” and for caring enough about you to reach into your life to touch you and draw you unto Him? Are you connected to Jesus? Perhaps you realize that you’re disconnected, far from him. You need to be plugged in, grafted on. Look at the cross, and discover his great love for you, to lay down his life for you.
