Next Thing you know
Open with the song- If you have some teens consider having them ham it up during the song-illustrate joy/happiness
Note: Several days before locate some kudzu or another plant and leave it somewhere that it will shrivel and die.
Why is my Kudzu Dying?
1. No longer connected to the vine
2. No water
3. The nature of it in a fallen world
4. Not connected to it’s source of nourishment
Other things to note
1. As I looked at this Kudzu I noticed it flourished.
2. Regardless of where you place this vine as long as it has a source of nourishment it seems to flourish.
3. But the further away the branches got from the source (Vine) the less they were nourished more frail they became.
What is required for kudzu or another plant to begin?
1. A seed
or
2. A piece of the source
Point 1 We were created from a piece of the SOURCE of Life.
1. Genesis tells us that we are made in God’s image.
2. Genesis tells us that God breathed life into us.-Greek Pneuma ( Breath)
a. English word "spirit" THE ROOTS OF ENGLISH (Latin SPIRARE) to breathe." Thus it equals both the Hebrew (RUACH) and Greek (PNEUMA) for "breath." The phrase "spirit of God" is reasonably rendered "Breath of God" or "Wind of God." The word "spirit"
Prior to God breathing life into us, we were nothing more than a lump of clay. Thus we have a piece of the source within us.
3. Apart from the source we are useless.
4. Apart from God we can bear no fruit.
5. Apart from God we die (permanently)
6. Look at Adam and Eve after the Fall
After the Fall…
1. God warned Adam & Eve to stay away from the one tree in the center but
2. NEXT THING YOU KNOW Eve was standing at the tree conversing with Satan.
3. After Adam and Eve sinned it cut them off from the source (God).
4. God Tells Adam and Eve as a result of your sin you will die.
5. After they were cut off from the source they began to die.
6. It didn’t happen immediately but slowly.
Point 2 The consequences of disconnecting from the source are not always immediate.
1. NEXT THING YOU KNOW it is showing up in other areas for Adam and Eve
a. Their lives were harder.
i. Labor in birth
ii. Adam had to Work the ground it no longer gave up its fruit voluntarily.
2. NEXT THING YOU KNOW it shows up in their children-their fruit was rotten.
a. Cain killed able
b. All humanity began to deteriorate from this point
c. All consequences of the fall and disobedience to God
God wipes the earth to cleanse it.- The Flood
1. Even after Noah-- Sin continues
2. Noah’s son gets him drunk and then calls in his other brothers to embarrass him
3. The result Noah curses the youngest son of Ham
4. Conflict continued with Jewish people for many generations
Finish this sentence for me
1. One Bad Apple spoils the Bunch .
2. What does this mean?
a. When one rotten apple is left for too long NEXT THING YOU KNOW an entire barrel of perfectly good apples are bad. Even the Good apples are affected and will eventually rot.
It is the same concept with Plants
1. We cut out the dead leaves and limbs because they take away nourishment from the healthy portion of the plant.
It is same concept with our bodies
1. Ask any medical professional why they do not leave a limb on the body that’s has no circulation and is dying?
2. It is even true about the inside of our body?
a. Why do they remove cancerous organs and cells?
b. It infects the other parts of the body.
c. Doesn’t it make sense that is it is true with every other living organism it is true of the spiritual side as well?
Point 3 Disconnecting from the source has implications beyond you and I
1. If the Branch is removed from the source it cannot bear fruit
2. If it does not bear fruit the Gardner removes it…why?
a. Because it does not serve its purpose
b. It takes away valuable resources from the branches that DO bear fruit.
3. Ask any family of an alcoholic if it affected only the alcoholic.
4. Ask any drug addict if his/her addiction affects on him/herself.
a. The consequences of sin/disconnecting from the source does not just cause us death. It affects everyone around us. Especially those we love but even those we do not even know.
b. One bad apple spoils the bunch. ( One selfish act can destroy people we love and even strangers.)
Point 4 Even if we begin connected we must remain connected.
1. Too many people are living off of their own 13 (the experiences of childhood or adolescence or even last year or last month).
a. They start out great, but NEXT THING YOU KNOW they are being pulled away by the world.
b. Get caught up in temptation and the lure of sin.
c. Weeds choke out the nourishment from the source.
d. NEXT THING YOU KNOW they are disconnected and have a stale power source and running on batteries.
2. For nature it is pretty easy to remain connected to its source of life.
a. Unintelligent, no choice.
b. That is what makes us unique/special as God’s creation.
c. God gives us a choice (free will)
We choose life or death daily
a. We choose to remain connected or to disconnect moment by moment.
b. Sin is not an inevitability.
c. It is not something you are destined to repeat over and over again in your daily life.
d. Your fallen nature draws you towards sin, but you make the final choice.
Remember the further from the source we get the more difficult it is to receive nourishment.
a. Too many people are living their lives disconnected from the Word of God. (The Bible)
b. Too many are disconnected from Prayer
c. Too many people are walking around disconnected from the source running on batteries and depending on the pastor or that next Evangelist to “recharge their batteries.”
Point 5 Here’s a secret…If you remain connected 24/7…
a. Your battery never runs down.
b. The Bible tells us that we must die daily to self and follow God.
c. Another way to phrase this is to keep plugged into the Source of Life
1. The source of Power
2. The source of Good
3. The nourishment
4. The will of God daily
Conclusion…
Bear Fruit/Stay Connected
You will be surprised how much more energy you have to do the things for God.
You will be surprised how much more money you have when you use to help God grow vineyards.
If you remain connected you will be amazed at the amount of fruit your vine bears.
If you have disconnected- Reconnect! PLUG INTO the SOURCE
Jesus did not tell these people this because he wanted to scare them. He told them because he loved them. He wanted them to have joy.
We think we have it bad…think what Israel had been through.
They were not guaranteed a daily meal, and were surrounded by enemies on every side and water that was undrinkable.
That is us as Christians. We are surrounded by enemies that prefer to see us dead and the world offers wells that are either dry or undrinkable.
The excuse of that was different time doesn’t wash.
Remain connected and you will never have to say your batteries are dead again. Seek that Joy that Jesus spoke of today.
