The Call To Fruitful Ministry During A Pandemic Series

Sermon: The Key to Fruitful Ministry

John 15:1-17 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Introduction: During this season, nearly 3 years in a pandemic, working from home, unemployment, various diseases, and death, and doing virtual ministry, it is hard to gage my success. I do not know about you but speaking in a camera is challenging to say the least! One key challenge is discouragement—discouragement that appears to be bordering on defeat. I have talked with many caring leaders who really care, trying to make a difference, sacrificing so much to make things better for others. How do we encourage others when we are discouraged ourselves? How do we measure success? All of us want to be successful and in this text Jesus gives the key.

Think about your own situation as you may be trying to keep yourself together and your family together and your ministry together. You might be leading a smaller group of people than you were a year ago (many organizations plateaued or lost momentum this year). Budgets are tight. The future is unclear. Yet our desire is to be successful ministry and fulfill God’s call on our lives. The disciples in John 15 faced a similar situation. Jesus reveals to them the secret to their success. Jesus in the last few chapters of John prepares his disciples for successful ministry beyond the trauma of the coming days. Their world was turned upside down. Their normal would be chaotic. Their faith would be tested. Jesus affirms His identity as the true vine to them! Recognizing who Jesus is and what we are to him and in Him is a great source of encouragement. We are not alone, and our success is not dependent on my strength alone. We are workers together with Christ.

The trauma of Pandemic and the chaos it has created has caused much uncertainty. Our world has been turned upside down. Our normal has become chaotic. Our faith is being tested. Our future seems unclear, yet I believe this same message given to the disciples can help us.

In John, Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life”; In John 8; “I am the light of the world”; John 10 “I am the Good Shepherd”; John 11 “I am the Resurrection and the Life” John 14 “I am the way, the truth and the Life, and finally John 15, “I am the true vine.” John has given us seven miracles and the seven “I AMs” to confirm the deity of Christ and affirm Jesus as God’s manifestation of Himself in the world. His disciples are identified as His friends and personal choice to carry out His ministry in the world.

The Disciples sat in awe as Jesus said to them, Joh 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.