Are you a part of the vine?

Are you a part of the vine?                           Kelly Durant   10-19-14

 John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (John 15)

2. How many of you have ever had a problem with a computer or TV only to find out that the problem was that it was not plugged in? That was my problem before when I was young, I was not plugged into Jesus and nothing brought me any satisfaction, pleasure, or a reason to live. This chapter of John 15 changed my life! In John today we are progressing through Jesus words to us before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane. With simple illustrations Jesus taught profound truths!

In verse 1 Jesus says He is the true vine and His Father is the caretaker, in other words, there is no other vine that is connected to God. You have heard the expression that ‘all roads go to Rome’ and the sad part is many people apply this concept to God, that it doesn’t matter your religion, all of them will lead you to God. Wrong! I discovered that the hard way. Jesus made it clear that we must go through Him, the only true vine, to get connected to God.

(Vs 2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. This verse is establishing that Jesus is the main part of the vine providing the sap, and each of us are like the branches and He expects each branch to bear fruit, and if a branch doesn’t he will cut it off and get rid of all those things that are getting in the way of serving God with fruits. Sometimes God takes away friends, spouses, or possessions out of our lives so we will be free to bear fruit. Bearing fruit is in Gal. 5:22 but it also refers to bringing new life to the body of Jesus. In other words, your purpose as a Christian is to bring others to the Lord, to get them to follow and serve Jesus.

3. (Vs 3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. You know there are a lot of people in this world that have a big problem with all the dirty stuff they have in their minds and hearts? Many millions of people have sin and addictions and they take medications to stop their heart aches and depressions. But if you are not working right chemically, medications might be alright for you, but I am refereeing to all the people who are not clean inside and have dirty secrets to hide. These kill inside! There is no medication, and no religion that can clean anyone’s spirit on the inside. You will only become clean inside by hearing and obeying Jesus Word!

(Vs 4) 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. Jesus makes it clear that if we are not looking for Him constantly every moment, if you are not close to Him, praying and living as He taught us, then we will not be able to bear fruit. If this leaf or branch here is not connected then it will dry up and die! But if it is connected over time it will grow and grow big enough to produce grapes.

(Vs 5,Vs 6) 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. The problem with not being connected is that we get dry and we become useless and God will at the end of the world put all the dry fruitless souls into the oven of the prison of hell. To be illustrative I was going to burn this branch but I decided I had better not! Fire is just too dangerous to play with and certainly we do not want to play with our souls which could be burned in a fire that never burns out, as stated in other scriptures.

4. (Vs7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. This verse is quite clear that not everyone gets what they want from God in prayer, there is a condition, that we must be abiding close to Jesus! Those that are obeying God are the ones who are getting their prayers answered! (Vs8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. God wants to be glorified and the way we glorify God is not just with a song or a prayer, or being in church, we glorify God by bearing fruit for Him! If we are in love with God and Jesus we will have a beautiful light that is contagious and when we shine, the world will come out to see us shine! In order to show God that you are a disciple, one who follows Him not just in words but in deeds, you must bear fruit, bringing more souls to Jesus.

(Vs 9) “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. Just think how powerful and sacrificial Jesus love was, that He was willing to die a cruel death on the cross, and it is with this kind of love, this Love from His Father that we must apply to each other! (Vs.10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Jesus makes it clear here that we must know His Word and do what it says. Here He is not saying we must obey the Old Testament laws, He is saying we must know what he taught, to love God and others, to preach the gospel to every creature’ and to obey Him in everything.

5. What we could conclude is that we will not be capable of knowing or having the joy of love unless we are keeping the commandments of Jesus! (Vs11) “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. The beautiful thing is that when we experience God’s love, we experience great joy! It works both ways, we cannot know joy unless we are close to Jesus.

I remember when I dedicated my life to Jesus when I was 21. I was so happy. Before serving God it was like traveling through the dessert until I finally found water! I actually remember my face hurting from smiling so much! I know I never had experienced a joy like that ever in my life! The joy we get from obeying Jesus is supernatural and real!

(Vs 12) This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Let’s understand what He means by this. How did Jesus love us? He gave up his life for us and sacrificed His life on the cross so we could have eternal life! He commands us to lay down our lives in love for each other. What bothers me is the lack of love of many Christians have toward one another! I remember in Bolivia I went to many prayer meetings with the ‘Ladies of society’ and they always had the servant ladies serving us tea. Never did it occur to them that they should be trying to win those servants for the Lord, they were often rude to them, and never would they invite those who were beneath their class. This exemplifies how we must change!

6. Real love loves everyone, no matter their economic class, race, or country of origin! And some people have a little click in the churches. They will get together with their group but they will not mix with others and that makes me very upset! I decided at age 14 I did not want any part of church anymore because I saw how the rich kids had their little group and if you were not a part of it, then you were just out of the picture.

I think it is a miracle that the Hispanics and other cultures stay Christian who go to some of these American churches. There are dozens of Hispanics in Americans churches today where they do not get equal treatment, nor do they even mix with them and become their friends. I have seen that and it breaks my heart to see there are a lot of people out there who really do not understand how the love of Jesus should be!

The good Samaritan example shows us clearly we are to love those we normally avoid, hate, and don’t like! Sadly there are many people who think they are Christians but they are not practicing this verse and I am asking you to check your heart to see if you have the same kind of love as Jesus! We continue… (Vs 13-14-15) 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. Just think, Christians are the only ones amongst all the religions that have a loving master that calls his followers his friends!

7. Most all religions demand total subjection and servitude to the leader or teachings or else you will be severely punished! I want you to read history and about religions to see what I mean! In India when the great Hindu guru dies his wives and servants had to be burned alive along with him in the burial! Horrible, right? But Jesus is our friend who gave His life for us!

He is patient and lets us sin and do our own thing until we repent, but He will purge us and give us tribulation in order to straighten us out and if we will eventually give fruit unto God, we will be blessed, but if not, we will dry up and be useless and be burned.

8. And finally (Vs16,17) 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. This is your calling. He calls us all! How much fruit have you brought to God? Now is the time to for you to promise to Jesus your life so you will win others to Him. Some of you do not have any fruit to show God because all this time you have been doing things your way and not God’s way. God’s way is to love others out of hell!

Do others at your work or in your family see you as a loving person as beautiful as Jesus?  Or are ready for God to cut things out of your life? With Jesus it is all or nothing, He gave all and He expects all! Come…. Connect totally to Him and experience love, joy, and usefulness!