Sermon: “Trill Theology”
Scripture: John 15.5
Introduction: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15.5 KJV).”
Upon reading this passage the little man in my mind immediately typed a command on his computer to run a search on the phrase symbiotic relationships. Once the search was completed it became very clear that the most abundant source on that subject in my memory files was under the heading of Star Trek.
With this new insight the little man in my brain refined his search for symbiotic relationships to search within the memory file Star Trek. With in this new search parameter two hits were found. One was under the heading Star Trek The Next Generation and the Second was under Star Trek Deep Space Nine. The results revealed that the most recent and most abundant references to symbiotic relationships were linked to the heading Star Trek Deep Space Nine and the character Judzia Dax. So, the little man pulled that file.
There we find that Judzia Dax was unique among the characters of Star Fleet. She was a humanoid life form from the planet Trill. Thus, our title today, Trill Theology. Trill is a scarcely populated planet with only a few million humanoid inhabitants.
The Trill Humanoids share their planet with a wormlike oceanic life form which originated in the deep purplish oceans of Trill. Unlike the Trill humanoid life forms these oceanic life forms could live for well over a thousand years.
What made this planet and its inhabitants unique was their unique relationship with each other. You see, the wormlike oceanic life forms of Trill could exist in the deep oceans of Trill where they enjoyed a simple and long life or they could exist in a symbiotic relationship with the Trillian humanoids being their host.
The symbiotic relationship allowed the symbiotic life form, which would out live its host, to carry its knowledge, memories, and skills from host to host for over a thousand years giving each new host a greater ability and opportunity in life. The only catch is that once the symbiotic relationship was established it must be maintained because if the symbion were to be removed from its host it could not survive on its own. This symbiotic relationship had to be an abiding relationship, because the symbion gained its source of existence from the host. Outside the host it could do nothing.
So it is with our relationship with Jesus Christ. Once we are born again we enter into a spiritual symbiotic relationship, if you will, with Jesus Christ. This relationship is pictured in our text as Jesus being the vine and we being the branches. It is within this spiritual symbiotic relationship that we are able to function and exist. Outside of this relationship we can do nothing. Outside of this relationship we will ultimately perish. Therefore, in order for us to function and exist spiritually, eternally, and practically in this life we must have an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. You see, Christianity is more than a statement of faith; it is a state of being. Christianity is a state of existence. That existence must be centered in our abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, the question becomes, what does it mean to abide? That’s the question I want to answer today.
In order for us to abide in Christ we must first BE. What I mean by that is if we want to have an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ we must be in Christ. Over and over again we find in John chapter 15 the phrase abide IN Me. So, how is it that we get IN Christ? God’s Word gives us the answer, “Whosoevershall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God ( 1 John 4.15 KJV).” Therefore, in order to have that abiding relationship we must get in Christ and in order to get in Christ we must enter into a personal relationship with Him by confessing Him as Lord and savior of our lives. If you are not in Christ you, like the symbiotic life form from Star Trek, can do nothing own your own. In fact those who are not in Christ will perish. So, I urge you to get in Christ Jesus today and being that abiding relationship.
Evidence of our being in Him is found as we abide in His word (John 15.3 & 7) and our abiding in His love (John 15.9). Our abiding relationship grows deeper as we internalize who He is and begin to flesh out Christ’s character in the world that we live in. The way we flesh out Christ in the world is by bearing fruit (John 15.5). If we are truly branches which abide in the vine of Christ we will be beneficial to the Kingdom of God by bearing much fruit.
Those faithful branches that bear fruit can expect to be pruned in some fashion by the Vine Dresser so that they will become even more fruitful (John 15.2-3). Though the process of becoming fruitful may involve pruning which at times could be somewhat painful, we can find comfort in the fact that God has made some promises to the fruitful.
These promises are three fold. First, we have the promise of power in our prayer life (John 15.7 & 16). Secondly, we have the promise of perfect joy (John 15.11). Thirdly, we have the promise of a passionate relationship with our Savior (15.4).
If you want a life that is full; if you want to live life to its fullest; then you must enter into an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. Life out side of this relationship is at best empty and hopeless.
