READ: John 15:1-8 (Text: v7).
[Read v7 again]. What EXACTLY does this verse mean? What is being promised here? It appears to be a kind of "BLANK CHEQUE" that God has signed for us, so that we can have whatever we want; but is that really the case? If it IS a "blank cheque", then why have I prayed prayers that have gone unanswered?
I believe that God answers prayer. I believe in a God of the miraculous who supernaturally intervenes in the affairs of men in RESPONSE to prayer. But I do not believe that prayer is a means of "twisting God’s arm" to get what WE want! God is NOT some "genie of the lamp", who we can conjure up to do our petty bidding. I CANNOT CONCEIVE OF A GOD WHO WOULD ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE MANIPULATED BY HIS OWN CREATURES LIKE THAT!
On the other hand, however, this verse is not just vain words either. It’s not some half-baked promise that Jesus made with no intention of really keeping in a practical way. MEN SPEAK LIKE THAT - GOD NEVER DOES! This is the SURE WORD of God, and you can stake your life on it being fulfilled!
One factor which gives me great confidence that Jesus isn’t just speaking "off the cuff" - an insignificant "maybe" kind of promise - is that He clearly states it three times in this one conversation with the disciples. Here we are at the occasion of the last supper, and Jesus says ... [READ 14:12-14, 15:7-8, and 15:16]. Three times He makes the promise! [RE-READ text v7 for emphasis].
BUT, we need to look at what our text verse says. It is essentially an "IF ... THEN" statement. "IF you abide in Me, and IF My words abide in you, THEN you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." There are a number of unconditional promises that God gives us in Scripture - this is NOT one of them.
Jesus, then, categorically states that SUCCESSFUL, EFFECTIVE PRAYER is contingent upon a relationship of "ABIDING IN CHRIST". This may sound, at first, like God has provided Himself with a "LOOPHOLE" - but I assure that that is NOT His intention. This verse is intensely practical, and God desires that every believer be in this relationship of ABIDING, and He has every intention of keeping His promise to answer every one of your prayers. This morning, God is extending to you "The Master Key of Prayer". He would have us all to continually dwell in this relationship of ABIDING in Him, that He might pour out an abundance of blessing that we won’t be able to contain it! This morning I want to address this subject of "The Master Key of Prayer: Abiding in Christ".
Before we continue, however, let me preface my remarks with this word of encouragement. The term "abiding in Christ" can (if it is unqualified) have a certain "vagueness" about it. This has lent itself to some people giving the impression that "abiding" is some MYSTICAL STATE that might be achievable to you if you’re faithful for the next 35-40 years. That can be very discouraging can’t it. But I want to assure you today that this "abiding in Christ" is a very practical process, and Jesus qualifies for us exactly what it involves. YOU can go out from this place today "abiding in Christ", and continue to do so. The most wonderful thing about God’s Word is its SIMPLICITY - a child can understand it, and apply it. God makes His requirements very plain. God deals in REALITY, not in the "nebulous never-never"; and He loves you too much to play games with you. We’re going to look at this together now.
OK, we have a condition to be fulfilled. "IF you abide in Me, and My words abide in you". Let’s look at this "ABIDING".
1. The CONDITION: "Abiding".
Notice with me, firstly:
A. The EMPOWERMENT FOR Abiding in Christ.
[READ v4-5]
The whole point of this picture that Jesus draws for us of the vine and the branches is that He is our LIFE-SOURCE. The branches cannot live, and they most certainly cannot be fruitful, unless they are connected to the main vine. The vine is the root and stock - the branches depend upon it for everything. Jesus says "without Me you can do (precisely) NOTHING".
"IN HIM we live and move and have our being", Paul writes. In 2 Cor 3:5 the same apostle writes: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, BUT OUR SUFFICIENCY IS FROM GOD."
If you want to abide in the vine, Christ Jesus - if you desire to be a fruitful Christian - you must put away all thoughts that you can achieve this on your own steam. The vine must support the branch - Christ alone must be your source, your life force.
Is there someone, this morning, you’ve come into this place searching for reality and peace. You’ve tried endlessly to be a good person (even a Christian), but you can’t maintain your commitment. You need to understand that you cannot succeed in your own effort. You must be grafted into the vine, Christ Jesus, by God the Master-gardener! And you must place your faith in Him alone to keep you in that relationship.
SO, the EMPOWERMENT for abiding in the vine is the Vine Himself. Christ holds us to Himself, and maintains us in that blessed union.
SECONDLY, notice:
B. The ESSENCE OF Abiding in Christ.
(AND HERE WE COME TO OUR REAL FOCUS THIS MORNING)
[READ v7a ("and MY WORDS abide in you"), and v10]
Here is the real bottom-line; the ESSENCE of abiding in Christ! And as I said earlier it is INTENSELY PRACTICAL and MEASURABLE! Jesus says: "If you keep My commandments YOU WILL ABIDE"!!!
Nothing mystical about that is there ?! Oh, there may be some mystery about how we are grafted into the vine - how Christ comes to live in the believer’s heart - that is a glorious mystery! BUT THERE IS NOTHING AT ALL UNCLEAR ABOUT HOW WE ARE TO ABIDE IN THIS RELATIONSHIP - it is by keeping His Word and commandments! [READ 14:21-24].
Do you want to know how to "abide in Christ"? Go to His Word, seek out what He requires of you, AND DO IT WITHOUT HESITATION! "Oh", but you say, "Pastor, I try! But I find it so hard. I keep messing up!" BUT REMEMBER - we’ve already established that the EMPOWERMENT for this life of abiding is CHRIST! If you’re struggling in your Christian walk then you need to RELY more on His power. Pray, and be honest with God. Tell Him that you find it hard, and you want to obey Him but you need HIS strength. Let HIM be your sufficiency!
HERE’S THE PICTURE THEN. We are grafted into this vine (Christ) by God (the gardener). That happens when you come to Christ and are born again. NOW, attached to the vine, we have Him as our life-source to provide us with all we need to be FRUITFUL branches. And God says ... ABIDE! That is, seek out His requirements and His perfect will AND DO THEM (through His power).
SO, we see the EMPOWERMENT FOR Abiding - Christ. We see the ESSENCE OF Abiding - keeping His commandments. FINALLY, notice:
C. The EVIDENCE OF Abiding.
[READ v5]
You’ll know when you’re abiding in Christ. And OTHERS will know too, because there is a clear evidence - your life will bring forth an abundant crop of fruit.
What is this fruit? Well, usually it’s taken to mean that we’ll be bringing people to Christ - that we will be productive in the Kingdom of God. And I’m sure that that’s part of it! BUT I believe that this fruit-bearing is even more basic than that. When we read in the New Testament about Christians "bearing fruit" it is talking about the fruit of the character of their lives! [READ Galatians 5:22-23].
And it’s important that we remember that these are the fruits that God is primarily concerned about in our lives. God is more concerned about what we are than what we do.
So, we have the EVIDENCE OF Abiding in Christ - FRUIT.
NOW, at the outset we spoke of "Abiding in Christ" as a prerequisite to effective prayer. [RE-READ text - v7]. But before we go on I just want to make this point - ABIDING IN CHRIST IS MORE THAN JUST A MEANS TO AN END! We don’t just seek to abide in Christ so that we’ll get all our prayers answered (you’ll NEVER experience this relationship thinking that way). NO - This "Abiding" is the end in itself! "Abiding in Christ" is THE ULTIMATE for Christians. SPURGEON wrote of this passage:
"Live near to Jesus, Christian, and it is a matter of secondary importance whether you live on the mountain of honour or in the valley of humiliation. Living near to Jesus, you are covered with the wings of God, and underneath you are the everlasting arms. Let nothing keep you from that hallowed relationship, which is the choice privilege of a soul wedded to the WELL-BELOVED."
NEVERTHELESS, having made that point, our subject is PRAYER, and "Abiding in Christ" WILL produce effective prayer. IN FACT, it is ONLY in this relationship that consistently effective prayer becomes possible.
2. The RESULT: Effective Prayer.
Our text says: "ASK WHAT YOU WILL". That is, ask whatever is your heart’s desire - whatever your heart is set on - ASK FOR IT!
"WOW! Is that for real?" You better believe it! It’s the sure promise of God. "So, do you mean that I can ask God for a Mercedes Benz and He’ll give it to me?" Sure thing. IF YOU’RE ABIDING IN CHRIST and that is the desire of your heart go ahead and ask. BUT you know it’s a funny thing how when you truly begin to "Abide in Christ" - when you become at one mind with your Lord - you lose your appetite for material things. You become caught up with God’s desires - what He wants becomes all-consuming to YOU. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM in the light of His glory and grace."
In Psalm 37:4 we read: "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." There’s another one of those blank cheques! You see, God can trust that kind of open promise to those who meet the qualification - THEY THAT DELIGHT THEMSELVES IN THE LORD!
But this is no "trickery" on God’s part. He’s not "tongue- in-cheek" making promises that He knows He won’t have to keep. NO! God wants to raise us up with Himself - to draw us up to be seated with Him and see things from His perspective. He wants us to be living at a much higher level than the mediocrity of this world. A place where we live for eternity. A place where we think eternal thoughts; dream eternal dreams; AND PRAY ETERNAL PRAYERS!
Oh, that we all may be such people! That we might Abide in Christ - knowing and doing His perfect will. WHAT PRAYING WE WOULD DO, AND WHAT ANSWERS WE WOULD SEE! Note the assurance of this verse: "Ask what you desire (what is the cry of your heart) and it SHALL be done!" Hallelujah! WHEN we are abiding - when we are in the place of obedience.
And here is the whole point of asking "IN JESUS’ NAME". [READ 14:14, and 15:15]. Have you ever thought about that? What was Jesus saying? Are they like "magic words" (like "abra cadabra") that we put on the end of our prayer and then it will work? I don’t think so - I think it’s far more significant than that! (After all, have you noticed that when Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray He didn’t even use the words?) There IS power in the name of Jesus (DON’T GET ME WRONG), but the power is in what that Name represents.
To throw some light on this, let me read you the words of Dr.D.A.Carson which have been particularly helpful to me:
"Jesus’ name is not an occult formula given to satiate our every whim ... what does praying in Jesus’ name mean? At very least, prayer in Jesus’ name is (1) prayer in accord with all that name stands for; (2) prayer that seeks God’s glory; and (3) prayer which is consciously uttered under the Lordship of Christ."
Some prayers may have "in Jesus’ name" at the end, but if the pray-er is not seeking God’s glory, and not themselves under the Lordship of Christ - if what they’re praying isn’t in line with what Jesus’ name represents - then the prayer is not "in Jesus’ name" at all - they might as well put their own name at the end of it!
TRUE prayer "in Jesus’ name" is that which is prayed by ones who are "ABIDING IN CHRIST"; ones who are living under His Lordship.
CONCLUSION:
What about YOU? Are YOU abiding in Christ? Are YOU trusting in Him alone as your total resource; your sufficiency? Are you living daily in search of His requirements and will, and seeking to do them without question ? Are you seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your life more and more?
Oh, don’t be discouraged and think that this "abiding in Christ" is unattainable! Look to Jesus! He is able to empower you if you will trust Him. If you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
Finish by reading the hymn "Christ for Me":
My heart is fixed, Eternal God,
Fixed on Thee,
And my immortal choice is made:
Christ for me.
He is my Prophet, Priest and King
Who did for me salvation bring
And while I’ve breath I mean to sing:
Christ for me.
In Him I see the Godhead shine;
Christ for me.
He is the Majesty Divine;
Christ for me.
The Father’s well-beloved Son,
Co-partner of His royal throne,
Who did for human guilt atone;
Christ for me.
In pining sickness or in health,
Christ for me.
In deepest poverty or wealth,
Christ for me.
And in that all-important day,
When I the summons must obey,
And pass from this dark world away,
Christ for me.
Let others boast of heaps of gold,
Christ for me.
His riches never can be told,
Christ for me.
Your gold will waste and wear away,
Your honours perish in a day,
My portion never can decay;
Christ for me!
AMEN!
