| |
Book: John
 Print ( PC Only )
John 15:5
I. " I am the vine and you are the branches."
A. "He that abideth in Me and I in Him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit."
1. This is exactly what the Husbandman is looking for,
much fruit.
2. We see that He removes the branches that are bearing no
fruit.
3. He purges the branches that are bringing forth fruit,
that they may bring forth more fruit, now He is
creating a relationship whereby we may bring forth much
fruit.
a. Jesus said in verse 8 that the Father is
glorified when you are bringing for much
fruit.
b. In which of the categories would you say that
you fit?
B. How do I bring forth much fruit?
1. By abiding in Jesus and He abiding in me.
2. What does it mean to abide in Jesus?
a. The Greek word would indicate to settle down
and be at home.
b. Are you comfortable around Jesus?
c. Do you think that He is comfortable around you?
d. I make my home in Jesus. Paul said, "And when
Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall
we also appear with Him in glory. Can you say,
Christ who is my life?
e. Paul said to the Athenian philosophers, "For in
Him we live, we move, we have our being."
f. When you have that kind of a relationship with
Him, your life is bringing forth, "Much fruit."
C. Now Jesus utters that awesome truth that is so difficult for us
to admit, "For without Me, you can do nothing."
1. I can do nothing of any spiritual value without Him.
2. We so often seem to be trying to prove this statement
of Jesus to be wrong.
3. Why would I try to do something worthwhile without Him?
So that I might glory in my flesh, and cause someone
else to glory in me.
4. I think of the years that I tried to build the church
of Jesus Christ, to bring men to Him.
a. I was relying on the devises and the programs
of man.
b. I gave it my very best efforts.
c. I experienced disappointment and failure.
d. I then discovered that Jesus said to His
disciples that
He would build His church and the gates of
hell could not prevail against it. I ceased
trying and just began to rely on Him, and you
know something, "He did it!"
5. The sooner we admit this truth, the sooner we can get
on with the program of God.
6. There is a sequel to this truth, Paul expressed it in
his letter to the Phillipians. "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me."
II. The necessity of abiding in Jesus.
A. The consequences of not abiding in Him. "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."
1. If you see a branch lying on the ground that has been
broken off of the vine or tree, though it may have
undeveloped fruit on it, you know that the fruit will
never mature, for the branch is cut off from the vine.
2. Is it possible not to abide in Christ?
a. It is Jesus who suggests this possiblilty.
b. I do not believe that the Lord ever warns us
needlessly.
c. If He suggests that such is a possiblilty, I
think that it is good that we take heed.
3. When a person approaches a text to interpret it, we so
often approach the scriptures with a doctrinal bias,
and then the text must be interpreted according to our
presuppositions. The basic rule of interpretation, is
that the obvious meaning is the correct meaning.
a. What Jesus is obviously warning against is not
continuing to abide in Him.
b. Going back to His statement, "Apart from me you
can do nothing." We can surely do nothing to
save ourselves. Our salvation is totally
dependent upon our relationship with Him.
Abiding in Him, and He in us. You have no hope
for salvation apart from Jesus Christ, and your
abiding in Him.
c. The "withered" indicates death as the branch is
cut off from it's source of life.
d. Jesus Christ is our source of spiritual life,
and cut off from Him, you are certain to wither
and die.
4. Ezekiel speaks of the uselessness of the vine branch
for any type of structure because of it's weakness, of
how much less is the value of the branch if it has been
burned. The branch of a vine when burned is nothing but
ash. The form often remain but it is only a hollow ash
form of the branch.
5. Does the statement they are cast into the fire and they
are burned, refer to eternal punishment?
a. This again would be the obvious understanding
of the text.
b. Surely without Jesus or apart from Him, you
have no hope of entering the kingdom of God.
III. The benefits of abiding in Him.
A. Not to leave the subject on a negative note, Jesus now turns to
the positive, and declares, "If you abide in Me and My words
abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done
unto you."
1. Hear He speaks of His word abiding in us, and the
effect that it will have on our prayer life.
2. The word of God brings washing to the believer. "Now
you are clean through the word that I have spoken unto
you."
3. It brings strength to the believer. "I write unto you
young
men, because you are strong, because the word of God
abides in you."
4. It keeps us from sin. "Thy word have I hid in my heart
that I might not sin against you."
5. The word of God brings faith. "Now faith cometh by
hearing and hearing by the word of God."
B. Abiding in Christ and His word abiding is us brings us great
power in prayer. "You shall ask what you will and it shall be
done unto you." It is a given here that my will has been
surrendered to His. "For it is He that worketh in you both to
will and to do of His good pleasure."
1. True prayer begins in the heart of God, His will, His
desires His purposes. These desires He plants in my
heart and they are thus presented in prayer to Him. The
cycle is not complete and God is free to do those
things He has been desiring to do.
2. In verse 16 Jesus said to His disciples, "You have not
chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained that you
should bring forth fruit, and that your fruit might
remain, that whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My
name, He may do it."
a. The word may indicates that prayer opens the
door for God to do the things He is desiring
to do.
|