PP0720 DATE
LIVING A LIFE THAT COUNTS
John 15:1-7.
INTRODUCTION: The Gospel of John was written to introduce the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Chapter 1 – The Beginning Chapter.
Chapter 2 – The Wedding At Cana Chapter.
Chapter 3 – The Born Again Chapter.
Chapter 4 – The Woman At The Well.
Chapter 5 – The Impotent Man In The Pool Of Bethesda.
Etc, Etc.
This Chapter is the Fruit Chapter – or The Abiding Chapter. There are five basic subjects in this chapter.
Minus Fruit or No Fruit. Vs. 2.
Mere Fruit or Little Fruit. Vs. 2.
More Fruit or Added Fruit. Vs. 2.
Much Fruit. Vs. 5 & 8.
Maintained Fruit. Vs. 16 – Fruit that remains.
Every once in a while you will see a person or a family who gets saved, and they really come on for God and 10 – 20 years down the road they are still in there driving a bus, teaching a class, going every week and visiting the sick and the lost. They are three times a week person. They never cool off.
I have also noticed that many reach an age that begins to produce little fruit. The have slowed down from where they once were. Many become more concerned about their daily life than about living for Christ. That should not be.
I want to talk to you today about “Living A Life That Will Count Forever”! Our theme for the year is “Life At The Highest Plane.” I haven’t made mention of this for several weeks, so I want to refocus on it today. I know of no other promise in the Bible that is any more powerful than this one. Vs. 7
I. KEEP YOUR LIFE CENTERED AROUND CHRIST Vs. 7.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (KJV)
In Vs. 1-7 there are 14 references of “I”. The first person of Christ.
A. Centering Your Life Around Christ Will Cause You To Feature Christ In All You Do.
We must realize that we are just the suit that God wears. We are just the car He drives. The horse He rides on. We are the tool He uses to complete His will.
We are talking about being centered in Christ. He is the Vine. We are the branches. He is the source of our strength and energy. He is the sap in the vine. We are fastened onto Him.
B. The Moon An Planets Revolve Around The Sun – So We Around Christ.
The entire universe constantly revolves around the Sun. So are we to revolve totally around the Son.
C. Job Centered Lives.
Most people are centered around their occupations.
Their job dictates what they do for Christ. Don’t let your job declare whether you serve God or not.
How many do you know that when vacation time comes they pack up and leave God, the church and everyone? They don’t leave their tithe at church. They probably travel on that. They don’t make any arrangement for their responsibilities to be taken care of, they just go. No one really knows where they are. They don’t go to church while they are gone.
I’ve known of people who every summer loads up and goes on vacation for 8 or 10 may even 12 weeks. The leave their church and go worship nature for two or three months. That’s one fourth of their time. Their life isn’t centered around Christ, but nature.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (KJV)
I’m not against vacations, but don’t leave God behind when you go – and don’t forget Him while you are gone. Be sure your responsibilities at church are covered.
D. Sports Centered Lives.
With some a certain sporting event comes up and they are gone at the drop of a hat. Where is the loyalty to Christ? Don’t let some sporting event determine whether you will go on Church Visitation on Saturday, or attend church on Sunday.
I am not going to leave church and go to a Dallas Cowboy football game this fall. Church and God means more to me than that. I don’t care if someone does give me a free ticket and pay the way there and back. I won’t go. I heard a person say once that it was God’s will because their company gave them a free ticket and all expenses paid – that’s not the way to determine God’s will. You may go off and do that but you aren’t pleasing God in doing so.
Neither am I going to the lake and miss church on Sunday.
Nor any other activity.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (KJV) Paul is saying, “Every heart beat, every thought, every desire, every effort all are centered around Christ. “If ye abide in me….”
E. Material Centered Life.
Don’t allow the craving for worldly materials tell you whether you will serve God or not. Remember in Luke 14:
“I purchased a yoke of oxen and I cannot come….”
“I purchased a field and I must go and look at it….” The more material items you acquire the more they will interfere with living for God. I get nervous when people start buying “stuff” – it usually cools them off spiritually. The more “stuff” a family has the more time it takes to take care of it and that time usually comes from their allotted church time.
F. Pleasure Centered Life.
“It’s the only day I have off, preacher, so I must spend it in that of relaxation and with my family.” No – No – No . That’s not what this verse is teaching. It is teaching us that Christ is to be first in everything. Many families are not experiencing what they should because they have pushed Jesus far back in the corner of their life.
“If ye abide in me….” When you abide in Christ, there may be no time for anything or anyone else. He is to be first in all things. This church will never be what it should be until everyone is centered around Christ.
If we had four pianos and we tried to tune them with each other the music would be terrible, but when we tune them individually to a tuning fork they will all be in harmony. Christians attempt to tune themselves with all kinds of worldly and pleasure stuff, or even with other Christians, and there is no harmony among them, but when all are tuned in with Christ then we will be in complete harmony. Mark it down when someone gets upset at someone at the church they are out of tune with the Church.
II. KEEP YOUR LIFE ANCHORED IN THE BIBLE. Vs. 7.
Joh 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ….”
You cannot have the abiding of Christ without the Word of God abiding in you.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (KJV)
Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (KJV)
1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (KJV)
Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Ps 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)
We would be shocked if we really knew how little of the Bible most Christians know.
In a S/S class once the teacher asked, “How many of you know about Adam and Eve?” One guy spoke up and said, “I don’t think they are members of this class.”
Another was talking about Dan and Beersheba – one person spoke up and said, “They are husband and wife, like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
How many of you could explain to someone why we teach that Christ was born of a virgin?
How many could take the Bible and prove that Baptist Baptism is the only baptism?
What about the blood of Christ being the only means of salvation. Could you explain the difference in the death of Christ and His shed blood concerning salvation?
Is your life anchored in the Word of God? Can you refute the teachings of the tongue talkers? Can you explain how and why a Christian has eternal life?
A Bible Centered Life. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you…”
III. MAKE YOUR LIFE A PRAYER SUPPORTED LIFE Vs. 7.
“If ye abide in me.” That’s Christ.
“My words abide in you. That’s the Bible.
“Ye shall ask what ye will…” That’s a Prayer Supported Life.
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (KJV)
Mt 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (KJV)
Mt 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (KJV)
The Bible repeatedly admonishes us to pray.
Leonard Ravenhill said, “One praying man stands as a majority with God.
James, in speaking of Elijah said twice, “He prayed”. That summed up Elijah’s life in two words. He heard a voice, saw a vision, tasted God’s power, and wrought a victory, because he prayed.
The secret of prayer is praying in secret.
A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning.
John 15:7 says, “Shall ask” – That’s an open door to all that God has and His blessings.
“What ye will” – Unlimited.
“Shall be done” – Commitment of certainty. Why live on a lower plain of life? Why not acquire all of His blessings – Your life at the Highest Plane.
Remember this: You have no access to any of this without a Christ Centered Life and a Bible Centered Life.
Many of you were not members of this church during the early days of building our first building. We had talked to our bank people about backing us on the loan and they assured us they would. When it came time to get the money they backed out and would not go with us. We had already poured the floor slab. We stopped all progress and for one year did nothing but pray and ask God to guide us in this matter. How many of you remember what happened?
I met a Banker at the buffet restaurant (That’s why I like to go to those places – good things happen to me). He told me that if they could ever help us to let him know. Guess what? It didn’t take me long to decide that he could help us.
I met with our men and then called him. This all happened in just a few days, but in the end – this banker, who did not know any of us, did not know this church. He did not consider the fact that we were a new church with no “pay-back history”. No history of large indebtedness – he approved a loan for a quarter of a million dollars. That’s answered prayer.
Several of you who were members here then came to me and said, “Preacher, God has answered our prayer, hasn’t He?” Yes He did.
Some of you will remember that when we were nearing the end of the project, we had not included in the loan the cost of the:
Sound System
Sod for the yard.
Security System.
A Sign.
We called it the “Four S’s”. Every time we met we prayed for those four “S’s”. The estimate was $10 thousand. We prayed for several days, some even fasted. How many know what happened? A woman called me and wanted to meet with me on a Thursday evening. She and her husband came and gave me a check for $12 thousand dollars. God had answered again. That was in the shopping center – I sat there in my makeshift office and wept and praised the Lord.
I wonder if we could see this same hand of God in action again about increasing the membership of this church and about salvation decisions? Supposing everyone of you began praying for folks to be saved every week – I wonder if that is something God would honor?
If any of us are going to live a life on the Highest Plane it must be a prayer supported life.
IV. MAKE YOUR LIFE A FRUIT BEARING LIFE Vs. 8.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (KJV)
What is our purpose in life? To glorify God. How is He glorified? By producing much fruit.
Listen to these verses:
Ps 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (KJV)
Pr 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (KJV)
Da 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (KJV)
I remember some years back I was visiting on a Saturday afternoon, just knocking on doors. A man inside this certain house invited me in and I discovered he was dying with cancer. In just a few minutes I led him to a saving knowledge of Christ. He was never able to get baptized, but his wife got saved and she was a large woman. She wanted to be baptized, but she would not until she lost 100 pounds. Finally she did.
What this story says is that God in not interested in what I can do for Him – rather what I will let Him do through me. You will never please God completely until you begin producing fruit.
V. BE MOTIVATED BY LOVE Vs. 9.
Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (KJV)
We cannot comprehend how much God the Father loved God the Son. The Lord says, “As much as God the Father loves Me, I God the Son love you with equal love.
We are talking about Living our Life on A Higher Plane – A life that counts. You loving God – God loving you – you loving others. How much do you love others? Would you take that which is needed for your very existence and give to someone in need?
VI. A JOY FILLED LIFE Vs. 11.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (KJV)
A. Source Of Joy. “My Joy.” The joy of the Lord.
B. Sustained Joy. “Remain” – not up and down with the surrounding of circumstances.
C. Size of Joy – “Full”
How is your joy? Most people don’t have joy. The frowns, the scowls, the looks of disappointment. Why? They are not experiencing Vs. 11. Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (KJV)
The Lord Jesus is telling us to “Cheer UP”. He has given us every reason to be joyful.
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (KJV)
I know of no one who is living on this level of life. Joy unspeakable. Full of joy.
VII. AN OBEDIENT LIFE Vs. 14.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (KJV)
God expects our obedience. He doesn’t just want us to obey, He demands we obey. A demand is something that requires a penalty if the demand is not kept.
What kind of life are you living? Is it a life that counts?
Is Jesus Christ the center of your life. That means that everything you do focuses around Christ.
INVITATION
