INTENTINAL LIVING –
Introduction: John 15:1
A doctor, an architect, and a lawyer were arguing over who had the oldest profession. The doctor said, "Well the first operation was performed on Adam, so the medical profession is the oldest."
"No," said the architect, "Architectural planning and design was needed to create the earth and the universe out of chaos, so I represent the oldest profession."
"Where do you think the chaos came from?" asked the lawyer.
One of the most difficult things in life is prioritizing “MAKING SENSE OF ALL THE CHAOS”. That is distinguishing the difference between WHAT IS IMPORTANT and that, which is UNIMPORTANT. It is possible to spend much of our time “MAJORING IN MINOR ISSUES AND MINORING IN THE MAJOR ISSUES”. They say that people who suffer from stress spend 80% of their time worrying about things that will never happen to them.
One of the things that the Bible reveals about God --- Is that he does everything with an intention and for a purpose. Creation was not cosmic accident – It was a creation – Gen 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” . God made covenant with man intentionally … He sent his son Jesus Intentionally, He chose us the church intentionally
1. GOD INTENDS FOR US TO BEAR MUCH FRUIT -John 15:1-2
In this chapter our Lord gave instructions concerning how His disciples could maintain fellowship and fruitfulness in the difficult days which lay before them. The nature of the relationship between Christ and His followers was to change from a physical one to that which was spiritual, and the means of sustaining this kind of relationship are described for us.
When Jesus spoke of the vine it was a very striking illustration because the area where the Jews lived – Palestine was right among many vineyards. He was making the contrast between Israel a vine that God planted that proved to be unfruitful and between himself a fruitful vine.
(Isa 5:2). “He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.” .
Jesus is saying that whereas the vine was a picture of Israel in the Old Testament, He is the fullest realization of Israel’s hope, of their expectations, of what God intended her to be as her Messiah. Israel, as a vine, was an utter failure; it never achieved its goal. Our Lord Jesus Christ who came, as the True Vine would accomplish all Israel failed to do.
The Interesting thing about Israel is that God was looking out for them the whole time. His eye was upon them; Israel was his chosen people out of all the nations. He watched over his vineyard to see that it prospered. But Israel was unfaithful and unfruitful
This is the reason that God allowed disaster to come upon Judah and later Israel was because they didn’t produce fruits of righteousness.. Amos spoke to Judah.. You will be the first to go into captivity.. Amos 6:12 “you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness- NIV
It is possible for something that God intended use to be fruitful to end up being totally unproductive….
Christ is the main Vine the true source of LIFE…
AND GOD IS THE GARDENER WHO PRUNES EVERY BRANCH THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT. This a point that some preachers and church members have TRIED to play the Gardener… Maybe we don’t think that God is capable to do the work in peoples lives so we take the responsibility of the Gardner to expose faults in others!!!!
He is the Gardener.. He prunes (cleans) away branches/ saplings that stunt the growth of the branch. These branches give the appearance of Growth but nothing is really happening inside of the branch. Jesus said to the Pharisees “You are like whitewashed tombs, which looks beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
1. WE MAKE AN INTENTIONAL DECISSION TO LIVE IN CHRIST
When I married Pam – “It was a conscious decision” done intentionally and deliberately. In fact it was a series of deliberate actions… It started by taking the courage to introduce myself to her… Then to try to, “coincidentally” bump into her as frequently as possible. To plan a date…and finally to ask her to marry her. I didn’t land up on the alter on our wedding day by accident.
We cannot live for Christ unless we deliberately take steps to do it. . . For most us , It will mean arranging our life, arranging prayer, arranging silence in such a way that we come in contact with Jesus. One thing that amazes me is that I never forget to feed myself when I am hungry, yet how easy it is to neglect my spiritual man when he is starving.
Vrs 5 The result of Abiding in Him – Is that Christ will lives in us…
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world NIV
PRAYER IS ANSWERED BECAUSE YOU PRAY IN ACCORDANCE TO THE WILL OF GOD BECAUSE HE IS IN YOU!!!
Jesus made the same promise to His disciples in John 14:13–14. He said, "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." The promise is made to those who remain in Him and His words have a permanent residence in the believer. Eternal life and resurrection power are always available to the person who has faith in Christ.
You will demonstrate Christ–likeness (v. 8).
It is not activity that glorifies God, but a Christlike character. You may be bedridden, or suffering from some debilitating disease and you can manifest a Christ–like spirit. You are demonstrating discipleship. That is all He asks of you. You abide; He will produce His character in you. In this vital union there is much fruit bearing. We will "keep on bearing" much fruit.
WE ARE TO REMAIN IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST
You will have a growing experience of Christ’s love (vv. 9–10).
What is your response to God’s love? There must always be a response if love is to grow. When love is responded to it grows deeper and richer. If you are not feeling the depths of God’s love you are not responding to it. You are not loving Him back. You have to feed any relationship to make it grow. Relationships don’t grow automatically. Love has to be responded to.
"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love" (vv. 9–10). Our love for Christ is the result of His sacrificial love for us. Are you growing deeper and deeper in God’s love?
Abiding in Christ is an intimate walk with Christ. We are enriched with by Christ. In verses 10 and 11 He adds, "my love," "my joy" and "my peace."
You joy will be full (v. 11).
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full" (v. 11). It is creative joy. It is the joy of a finished work. Jesus calls us into His joy. We can have Christ’s permanent absolute joy in our lives. It is the fruit of His life in us.
Where is God at work in your life?
Are you in the middle of a pruning process? Where is God cleansing in your life? Is the Father using the sharp knife of circumstances to sanctify you with His Word? Are you going through changes where you are being forced to rely upon Him? Is He working on some old habits, behaviors or attitudes that have to go? Don’t resist the Vinedresser’s knife. Yield to Him, and allow Him to do His deep work in your life.
What kind of fruit are you producing? Are you beginning to look and smell more like Jesus? Is there a cluster of riche beautiful spiritual fruit that is looking more and more like Christ? Are your lost friends and family beginning to see God’s love demonstrated more than ever before? Do you bear a resemblance to your Savior?
How are you abiding? Did you notice that abiding in Christ is a matter of trust and obey? It is trusting our Lord and obeying His word. There are no special techniques or spiritual formulas. It is an intimate walk with Christ moment by moment. Most of us are preoccupied with performance and all that God asks is for us to be preoccupied with the person of Jesus Christ.
