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Book: John
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John 15:16 Bearing Fruit
Intro. In these final talks to His disciples Jesus seems to be
weaving together five themes. Bearing fruit, keeping His
commandments, the help of the Holy Spirit, prayer, loving one
another.
I. Bearing fruit.
A. He is the true vine, the Father is the husbandman.
1. The branches that do not bear fruit are taken away.
a. The parable of the Lord who went to a far
country and left His goods to the servants, to
one he gave five talents to another four, to
another one.
b. The one who buried his talent, it was taken
away from him.
2. If you bear fruit, He will wash you that you might
bring forth more fruit.
a. I have often heard this preached as prune.
Lessons on the pruning processes of God.
b. The word is purge, not prune.
c. Now you are clean through the word that I have
spoken unto you.
B. The requirement necessary to bear fruit. "Abide in Me."
1. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, it must abide
in the vine.
2. You cannot bring forth acceptable fruit unto God apart
from Jesus Christ.
a. "Apart from Me you can do nothing."
b. The life forces necessary to bring forth fruit
come to the branches through the vine.
c. As you live and abide in Christ, and He in you
the natural consequence will be that of bearing
fruit.
3. If He abides in you and you in Him, you will bring
forth much fruit.
4. This is the Father's desire for you.
a. Do you want to know the will of God for your
life? It is that you bear much fruit.
b. Herein will the Father be glorified.
D. Why did He choose you?
1. That you might bring forth fruit.
2. That your fruit might remain. Abiding fruit. Not how
many came forward to receive Jesus Christ, but how many
are walking with Him five years later.
D. What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love.
II. Keeping His commandments.
A. 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you that you love one
another as I d you.
B. 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
C. 14:21 He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth Me.
D. 14:23 "He that loveth Me keepeth My sayings."
E. vs. 10 If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love.
F. vs. 12 This is My commandment that you love one another as I
d you.
G. vs. 14 You are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you.
H. vs.17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
I. What would you say is His commandment?
1. That we love one another as He loved us.
2. Remember when Jesus was asked by the lawyer what was
the greatest commandment, and He responded with their
shema, "The Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt
love the Lord and thou shalt love the Lord with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind. And the second is like the first, you shall love
your neighbor as yourself. On these two are all the law
and the prophets."
III. The help of the Holy Spirit.
A. 14:16 And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another
Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever."
B. 14:26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and
bring all things to you remembrance, whatsoever I have
commanded you.
C. 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, He shall testify of Me.
D. 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you that truth: It is expedient for
you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will
not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.
And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness and of judgment.
E. 16:13 When He the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you
into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but
whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He shall
show you things to come. He shall glorify Me.
F. The things that the Holy Spirit will do.
1. Teach you all things and bring to your remembrance the
things that the Lord spoke.
2. He will testify of Jesus.
3. He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and of
judgment.
4. He will guide you into all truth.
5. He will show you things to come.
6. He will glorify Jesus.
G. What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love.
IV. The subject of prayer.
A. 14:14 If you will ask anything in My name I will do it.
B. Vs. 7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you shall
ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.
C. vs. 15 That whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name,
He may give it you.
D. 16:23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily
I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name,
He will give it you. Hitherto you have asked nothing in My
name, ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.
E. What He said about prayer.
1. Whatever we would ask in His name, He would do.
2. The importance of relationship for effective prayer, we
must abide in Him and His word must abide in us.
3. That prayer releases the work of God on our behalf. "He
may give it you."
4. That asking and receiving in his name brings fullness
of joy.
V. Love.
A. 13:34 Love one another, by this shall all men know that you are
My disciples, that you love one another.
B. 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
C. 14:21 He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them he it is
that loveth Me, and he that loveth Me shall be loved of my
Father, and I will love Him.
D. 14:24 He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings.
E. 14:28 You have heard how I said unto you I go away and come
again unto you, if you loved Me you would rejoice for I said
that I go unto My Father.
F. 14:31 But that the world my know that I love the Father; and as
the Father gave me commandment even so I do.
G. vs. 9 As the Father hath loved Me so have I loved you, continue
in My love.
H. vs 10 If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love;
even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His
love.
I. vs 12 This is My commandment that you love one another as I
d you.
J. vs 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friend.
K. vs 17 These things I command you that you love one another.
L. 16:27 For the Father Himself loveth you, because you
d Me.
VI. Let us see how all these things tie together.
A. His commandment to us is that we love one another, the capacity
to love one another will be given to us by the Holy Spirit who
is sent to abide with us forever. The fruit of the Spirit in
our lives will be love. The Father desires that we bear much
fruit, and this is accomplished by our abiding in Christ. When
we keep His commandments by abiding in Him and we love one
another, our prayer life becomes much more effective as we
receive the things we have asked of Him and the result will be
a fullness of joy.
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