Oct. 26, 2003 John 15
“Ow! That hurts!”
Introduction
Indian Jones and the Last Crusade is one of my favorite movies—it’s great entertainment but it packs a powerful punch of a message about finding happiness and joy. In the climactic scene of the movie, Indiana Jones is grasping for the Holy Grail even as he is about to plunge to his death. His father implores him, “Indiana, let it go.” All too often it is not what we lack that inhibits us from experiencing abundant life: what keeps us from experiencing life abundant is the stuff of earth that we do not want to let go of or to lose. Jesus said that he came to give life, and give it abundantly. If that is the case, then we have to seriously talk about what keeps us from experiencing the life abundant that Jesus came to give us. Here’s a clue: The things that inhibit us from experiencing life abundant on earth today and in heaven to come are the things we refuse to let go of.
Vine – Jesus – provides resources
Gardener – Father – prevents problems
Branches – Us – produce fruit
Gal. 5:22-23 “fruit of the Spirit” Titus 3:14 “good works...not unfruitful” (KJV)
1. Pruning is cutting.
Cut out things that are destructive
Cut out things that are distractive
“The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but...the message is crowded out by the cares of this life...so no crop is produced.” Matthew 13:16 (NLB)
“...let us throw off everything that hinders...let us fix our eyes on Jesus...”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...” Matthew 6:33
Example: JOB
People (relationships)
Possessions (i.e. rich young ruler – “Go and sell all that you have”)
Position (to the disciples, Jesus said, “Come, follow me.”)
Power / influence (“Blessed are the meek...”)
2. Pruning is painful.
“For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.” Hebrews 4:12 (NLB)
Everyone has their own idea of what they look like – both in their character and in their appearance. “Pastor, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it." The pastor replied, "Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake."
The Bible describes itself as a mirror (James 1:23). It not only shows you your sin, but it also shows you your self. One of the most painful things you will ever do is to get an accurate picture of yourself.
Pain causes us to resist God’s work. Anybody here enjoy pain? I’m talking about enduring pain not inflicting pain. A lot of us enjoy inflicting pain.
Pain enables us to recognize God’s work. The pruning is happening at the point of pain.
Pain helps us to respond to God’s work. It’s hard to ignore.
Object lesson: Type up the following saying and seal it in an envelope along with a $20 bill. Ask for someone in the congregation to be willing to give you $10 for the contents of the envelope. Play it up as if the only thing in the envelope is the answers to the next fill-in on the note sheet. By giving up a $10 bill for the envelope, they will have gained a $20.
“If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” Matthew 16:25 (NLB)
3. Pruning is perplexing.
Since both punishment and pruning involve PAIN, how do you know which one you are going through?
Biblical examples – pruning or punishment: [mention these examples to the congregation and get them to tell you whether it was punishment or pruning that the person was facing]
Jonah in the belly of the whale – PUNISHMENT
Joseph in Potiphar’s house and then in prison – PRUNING
Abraham having to leave behind his family – PRUNING
Ananias and Saphira when they pretended to give more than they really had to the church – PUNISHMENT
Why is it relatively easy for us to look at the events of these biblical characters’ lives and tell what God was doing when we have such a hard time distinguishing the same things in our own lives? The advantage that we have with their lives is that we get the whole picture. We see things from the perspective of the outsider. We know what came before and how the story ends. In the life of Job, it’s pretty obvious – at least to us – that he was going through pruning. But Job’s friends couldn’t see that. They thought he was being punished. So when it comes to your own life and your perspective is blinded by the pain, how do you figure it out?
5 STEPS
a) Acknowledge that God is trying to get your attention
b) Trust that God has a purpose that He will reveal
c) Ask the Lord to show you any sin
d) Pray, Lord, I want to know. If you do not show me within a week from today that it is discipline, then I will take it by faith that it is pruning.
e) Respond properly – either repent or release.
CAUTION #1 – It is all too tempting, convenient and easy to identify our suffering as pruning when in fact it is discipline.
CAUTION #2 – Misinterpreting pruning as punishment can lead to a break in our relationship with God. If we find and confess sin and are still going through suffering, then we might turn around and get mad at God and start to live in rebellion against God. Rebellion is what? SIN. Sin leads to what? Punishment or discipline. This almost happened in Job’s life. He started to get angry at God for sending so much pain into his life without explaining what was going on. In chapter 40 of Job, God lets Job know that He is getting angry at Job for making accusations against God and saying that He’s being unfair. So our misinterpretation of God’s actions in our life can lead us right back to the fruitlessness of the empty basket.
Even though pruning can be confusing, it can also help us to MAKE SENSE of PAIN in our lives.
The pain that makes no sense to us – the pain that will not cease even after we have searched our hearts, found and confessed every known sin – may be the pain of pruning. Not every pain in our lives is God’s intentional pruning, but every pain carries with it the opportunity for us to respond with faith and trust in God.
I believe that the truth of this message is a vital truth for every Christian to hear. It helps to explain why bad things happen to good people. It’s not because God is mad at us or isn’t paying attention or is failing to keep His promises. It’s because He is trying to shape us to just the right image.
4. Pruning is productive. “more fruit”
It removes our problems. [illus. – a surgeon comes to us with a sharp knife. His incision will hurt, but it will remove the cancer that is killing us.]
It makes room for God’s provisions. What is the significance of holding up our hands in praise to God? Simply this: we recognize that all we have belongs to God and that He has the option of taking it back at anytime. We cling to nothing. But it also is a recognition of the fact that God can’t fill hands that are already full.
5. Pruning is professionally done.
Not by me (out of DESPERATION) – In your desperation to become fruitful for God, you might start to indiscriminately whack away at relationships and activities in your life. In so doing, you might whack off something that was just about to bear fruit for God’s glory.
Not by you (out of JUDGMENT) – others can be helpful though in being God’s voice to you on some things that need to be let go in your life. They might have a perspective that you do not.
But by the Father (out of His LOVING PLAN)
“We go through long seasons in our faith walk when we’re unable to answer questions like Why? and How long? We only know Who – our loving Father – and He has proven worthy of our trust. He asks us to let go of reasons, of rights, of fears, and simply throw our arms around His neck. At those times we can pray: ‘Father, I’m hanging on to You. You can do whatever You want. Just carry me through.’” – p. 81
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:28-29 (NIV)
CONCLUSION
“This is it guys!” he shouted as the Piper bounced onto the beach. They’re on their way!” Lunch over, the men busied themselves fixing up a miniature “jungle” and model house in the sand, with the intention of demonstrating to the savages how to build an airstrip, should they be interested enough to want the white men to come and live among them. Then the five missionaries sang together, as they had so often done spontaneously and joyously.
Committing themselves and all their carefully laid plans to Him who had so unmistakably brought them thus far, they waited for the Aucas. Before four-thirty that afternoon the quiet waters of the Curaray flowed over the bodies of the five comrades, slain by the men they had come to win for Christ, whose banner they had borne. The world called it a nightmare of tragedy. The world did not recognize the truth of Jim Elliot’s credo: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
SOURCE: "Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot" by Elisabeth Elliot
INVITATION
1. Get out your calendar. List all the things that you do in a normal week.
2. Get out your contacts. List all the people that you relate to on a weekly basis.
3. Take a look at your surroundings. List all the possessions that you have.
4. Pray, “Lord, what needs to go. What is necessary for you to cut out of my life in order for me to be fruitful for you? Whatever it is Lord, it’s yours.”
