February 21, 2010
Morning Service

St.Jn. 15:1-11

 

Review:

1.       We saw in chapter 14 the Lord giving comforting words to His disciples. 

·         Jesus had previously told Peter that he would deny Him.

·         In Luke’s gospel Jesus told Peter that satan had desired to have him, and sift him as wheat, but I have prayed for you.

2.      Jesus not only prayed for Peter, but all His disciples. 

3.      Jesus answered questions from Thomas, “Lord we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man can come to the Father except through Me.”

4.      Then answers Philip concerning the Father.  “Philip, when you have seen me you have seen the Father.”  How that the Father that dwelt in Him is the One that did all the wonderful works that He did.

5.      Jesus told them how that He would send them a Comforter when He departed.  The promise of the Holy Ghost, that would lead, comfort, and guide them while He was gone.

6.      Judas, (not Iscariot) ask: “Lord how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not unto the world?” Jesus again explained that He would send the Holy Ghost to all His believers, and that the world would not receive Him.

 

Here again in chapter 15 Jesus uses the term ( I Am).  This is the 9^th time that He has uses this expression. 

1.       In chapter 6 Jesus said, “I Am the bread of life.” 

2.      In chapter 8, “I Am the light of the world.” 

3.      Still in chapter 8, “I Am He.” 

4.      Still in chapter 8, Jesus tells them that “I AM.”

5.      In chapter 10 Jesus tells them: “I Am the door of the sheep.”

6.      Still in chapter 10 Jesus tells them: “I Am the good shepherd.”

7.      In chapter 11 Jesus tells them: “ I Am the resurrection, and the life.”

8.      In chapter 14 Jesus tells them: “ I Am the way, the truth, and the life.”

 

And we begin chapter 15 with Jesus saying “ I Am the true vine.”  Bow with me in prayer.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF BELIEVERS TO CHRIST:

Joh 15:1-27 KJVR  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

·         Jesus gives them something they can relate too:  He is the Vine that supplies all the nourishment to the branches, we are the branches.  Almighty God, our Heavenly Father is the husbandman, He is the one that takes care of the Vine, and supplies for it, cutting away the dead branches so the Vine can remain healthy.

·         Notice:  every branch that does not bear fruit He takes away.  He cuts it away from the Vine, so the Vine will remain productive, and healthy.

·        What does this mean for us?  Very simple, we need to produce fruit, and that fruit is the fruit of the Spirit:  In Galatians chapter 5 Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is: Gal 5:22-24 KJVR  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  (23)  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  (24)  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

·        Let me say that these are absolutes for the Christian.  We must be showing forth to the world, and other Christians these attributes if we want them to know that we are disciples of Christ.  Remember what Jesus said?  “Joh 14:11 KJVR  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.”

·         For me to believe someone is filled with the Holy Ghost is not their speaking in tongues, or how loud they shout, or how much they know of the Bible, if you recall satan knew the Bible for he quoted it to Jesus on the mount, but it is if you possess these attributes.  Remember what Jesus said concerning Love, “Men will know you are my disciples if you have love one for another.”

·         The opposite is true; if we don’t show forth these attributes then men will know we are not disciples of Christ.  You can call yourself whatever you want but does it line up with the Word of God?

 

 

(3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

·        Jesus said in another place:  Joh 6:63 KJVR  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

·         Again concerning His Word;  Joh 12:48 KJVR  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Now the following is what He means when He teaches us to receive His Word:

(4)  Abide in me, and I in you.

·         Abide in Me;  James said to receive the engrafted Word which is able to save your souls.  Receiving the Lord’s teaching, and living it, is abiding in Him.  Producing the fruits of the Spirit.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

·         Now here is something else:  The church is the body of Christ ( Icor. 12:27-28 ) so why do people think they can be saved outside the church?  You can’t be.  You are not abiding in Him if you are outside the church.  You can’t abide in His Word, and not recognize the teaching of His Word teaches us that His glorious body of believers is the church, and Jesus is the head of It.

(5)  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. 

·         Again, abiding in Jesus is abiding in His teachings.  We have ask Jesus to come into our lives, to help us be pleasing to the Father.  Jesus abides in our lives through His Word, and by His Spirit.  We have been given His Word, that It might build our faith ( Rom. 10:17 ), and that Christ might dwell in our hearts by this faith. ( Eph. 3:17 )  The Bible ( His Word ) teaches us that Jesus dwells in us, so this should build our faith that He does.  We don’t have to understand it, just trust, and believe it. 

·         Jesus says if we abide in Him we will bring forth much fruit.  On the other hand, If I am not bringing forth much fruit then I am not abiding in Him.  So it is important for me to make sure I am bringing forth much fruit.   IF I AM NOT HOW?

·         His Word helps us to abide, the Apostle Paul teaches us.  In the Colossian letter in chapter 3 Paul tells us exactly what to do after we have accepted Christ as our Savior.  He says there are things we must put out of our lives, and things we must bring into our lives.  You see it is not all done by God.  He does not make us instantaneously perfect in the eyes of the world.  And it’s not because we are trying to work out our salvation, even though Paul said to work our your own salvation, with fear, and trembling, but just trying to be pleasing to the One that has provided our salvation. 

(6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

·         If we have once accepted the Lord as our Savior, and we do not continue to grow, or abide in Him, we will die out in our love to Him, and therefore be considered a tare, and at the end time will be gathered together to be burned in the lake of fire.  We must abide in Him continually.

(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. 

·         A benefit for being faithfull.  Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.

(8)  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

·         When we are obedient to the Word,  God is glorified in our behavior, and it proves that we are the disciples of Christ.

(9)  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  (10)  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  (11)  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 

We have just received from His Word the recipe for Joy, and happiness.  I don’t believe there is a person in this room this morning that doesn’t want this kind of life.  For me to have this kind of life I must keep His commandments, and abide in His love. 

John teaches us that 1Jo 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

·         The Lord is merciful, and longsuffering not willing that any should perish, won’t you accept His mercy, and forgiveness today?  Come forward while we sing.

HE WANTS YOU HAPPY.