"Remain In Me"

“Remain in Me

April 10, 2011

John 15:1-17

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

I have been wrestling with this Scripture for quite awhile. First one thing struck me about it and then another. I prayed over it a lot – that God would reveal His Truth that is hidden in it. This Scripture was on my computer Wednesday night when we went to the Truth Project and Dr. Del Tackett used it and brought out some real cool stuff in it. By the way, if you are not going to the Truth Project – you are missing some really deep teaching. I really like it.

The thing that first caught my attention about this Scripture, Del didn’t even mention. He did say, though, that if God says something – you better listen. If he says it twice you better sit up and pay attention. If God says something three times – you better write it down and learn it and do it. That’s not exactly how Del said it – but something like that. Well, in this Scripture, Jesus says something 11 times – ELEVEN TIMES. We better check that out. And we will in a little while.

This morning I want to talk to you about 1. God’s Desire; 2. God’s Provision; and 3. Our responsibility. We will conclude with the result of our search.

First of all, God’s Desire. What is it that God desires more than anything? Well, one thing He desires is that we bear much fruit. Did you get that?

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

8 “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last”

Jesus makes it very clear that God’s desire for us is to go and bear fruit. THREE times He says it. There is a warning. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. He works with us to produce more fruit. he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. It glorifies God when we are fruitful. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit It show we are Christians. showing yourselves to be my disciples. It is a mandate from God that we produce this eternal fruit. I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.