Romans #16 What A Beautiful Vine
Romans Series #16
Romans 11:33-36
What a Beautiful Vine
You don't look at a plant and say "wow, what a beautiful branch that is, I wish I had a branch like that."
You might see a beautiful flower or the fruit of a plant and say, "that's a beautiful flower, so I want some of those flowers."
So are you then going to decide, "I need to get me some rose stems?"
Or "I love those beautiful apples, so I'm going to get me some branches from an apple tree."
No, if you want roses, you say "I want a rose bush so that I can have roses." I don't even think about the stems.
Or if you like the apples, "I loves apples, so I want an apple tree so I can have apples." I don't even think about the branches.
It's about the tree, it's about the bush.
Fruit or blooms are produced FROM the root, the vine.
Fruit is produced through the nutrients, DNA, of the Vine. i.e. an apple tree produces apples because that's what is in it's DNA, it's nature. Grape vines produce grapes, Rose bushes produce roses.
Fruit or blooms are produced, to GLORIFY the vine, the plant.
Read Romans 11
1. FROM HIM
A. All things are From Him Because of his Wisdom
We can't begin to comprehend nor harness the wisdom and understanding of God. The statement of praise Paul makes here
"Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God … How unsearchable …"
1. description
Perfect - Job 37:16
Mighty - Job 36:5
Universal - Job 28:24; Daniel 2:22
Infinite - Ps 147:5
Unsearchable - Is 40:28
Wonderful - Ps 139:6
Beyond Human Understanding - Ps 139:6
Incomparable - Ps 139:6
Underived - Job:21:22; Is 40:15
2. we see his power in that he knows …
the Heart - Ps 4:21
the actions - Ps 139:2-3
Words - Ps 139:4
His Saints - 2 Tim 2:19
The Way of the Saints - Job 23:10
The Needs of the Saints - Dt. 2:7; Mt 6:8
The afflictions and infirmities of the saints - Ps 142:3; 103:14
The smallest things - Mt 10:29,30
The secret things - Mt 6:18
The Time of Judgment - Mt 24:36
The Wicked - Job 11:11
The works of the Wicked - Is 66:18
B. The Root or the Vine is God
John 15:1-8
The Vine and the Branches
15 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ?2? He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ?3? You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ?4? Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
?5? "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ?6? If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ?7? If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ?8? This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
We are just branches
It must have his DNA
1. Creation is From Him
Do you understand that everything that God does in this universe is done simply because he commands it.
He created Heaven and Earth, Animals, the seas teaming with Fish, the skies full of birds, the smallest insects, the tiniest atoms with nothing more than his command.
God Speaks and it is done
God does not work hard to get the Sun to rise in the morning, he is not struggling to keep the earth spinning like some player trying to spin a basketball on their finger.
God simply speaks and it is done.
And yet for some strange reason it is not always so with man.
Dallas Willard says, "the only place in all of creation where God's effected will is permitted to be absent is in the heart of man."
By the way, if it were NOT true, then why would some branches have to be cut off and destroyed because they didn't bear fruit? They didn't bear fruit because they chose not too, they chose not to remain in him and remain in his words.
That does NOT lessen God's Sovereignty, it is just because of his sovereignty that he CAN choose to give up that choice to us and then ask us to use that choice to worship him with obedience
He SPOKE this world into existed
Yet we question his will and wisdom for our day to day.
Created life is FROM HIM
2. Continued Life is From Him
Greek philosophy known in Paul's days said that everything must have a primary cause (plan), an instrumental cause (power), and a final cause (purpose).
In this world, Jesus Christ, planned Creation, he produced it through the power of his command, and the purpose was for HIS PLEASURE.
Colossians 1:15-17
"?15? He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ?16? For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ?17? He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
In Him all things adhere to their place, to one another, find their cohesiveness
** - Tour Guide at an atomic laboratory was explaining to a group about matter and how it is composed of rapidly moving electric particles. They studied models of molecules and were amazed to discover that Matter is made up primarily of SPACE.
That's right SPACE. One of the greatest components of Matter is the space between things. Perfectly ordered space I might add. Because if that space is not right, then everything gets out of order.
So someone spoke up during question and answer period and asked "If matter is made up of so much space, and space is so important, what holds it all together"?
The Laboratory Guide didn't have an answer.
The Answer is simple, It is the Command of God the Lord Jesus Christ that causes all things to adhere, and find their consistency.
3. Salvation is From Him
Revelation 7:10 - "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne"
Revelation 19:1 "Salvation glory and power belong to our God
4. Hope is From Him
Psalm 62:5 - "find rest in God alone, … my hope is from Him"
2. THROUGH HIM
A. He is the source of nourishment.
1. If we are disconnected from him we will die as surely as the dead branches in my yard.
2. The only hope is to remain in the vine/root.
3. Those who are not connected must be grafted into the vine.
The wild olive branch can become the cultured or developed olive branch if it is grafted into the vine/root
You can't stay where you are and "ABIDE" or "REMAIN" in him, you have to go where he is
In John 1:39 Andrew and Phillip met Jesus and said, "where are you staying" and Jesus said, "come and see"
All things are THROUGH Him, but you've got to abide where he is, you've got to leave where you are and go with him, stop where he stops, move when he moves.
John 15:4 - "Remain in me and I will remain in you, no branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in the vine."
B. He is the Energy / Power
Zechariah 4:6 - "not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord"
His power in creation John 1:3 "through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that was made"
Eph 1:19-20 "and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ?20? which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms"
2 Cor 12:9 - "… my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
The mystery of God's work in us is that often God does his greatest work in the areas where we are most weak.
The areas we think God could never use, he does his greatest work that he might get the most glory
1. Should this make us lazy?
- no it should make us work
- more diligently because his gives us the strength, will, and desire
2. God works in us to will and to do his good pleasure
Phil. 2:13 - it is God who in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Rev 4:?11? "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
3. TO HIM
1. When I say, "it's not about us, it's all about him" I am not giving us permission to become spectators or bench sitters.
2. I am not calling us to a level of mediocrity that would not desire to present our best, be your best, and live our best.
On the contrary I am calling us to ARMS. "It's Not about Us, It is All about Him so RISE UP"
3. When Gideon led a band of 300 men with a lamp, a trumpet, and a sword, they shouted "a sword for Gideon and for the Lord!" and God delivered them as they served in faithfulness, watchfulness, and obedience.
They were saying, "it's not about us, it about Jehovah, Israel, and the earthly man we follow, Gideon."
4. I had one of our men tell me this week, "Pastor I'm standing with you, arm in arm, and I'll stand in front of you if necessary." He was saying, "it's not about me, And It's only about following you, because you are following Christ." I know that the moment I becomes about me, in my mind, then his sentiment to stand with me will change.
5. What's critical is my understanding that "I am not my own, I am bought with a price
1 Cor 6:19-20 - your body is the temple of he Holy Spirit which is in you, who is in you which you have from God, for you are not your own, you are bought with a price, therefore honor God with your body."
It all belongs to Him
So It is TO HIM
1 Chronicles 16:28-29 28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalm 115:1
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Revelation 14:7
7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
To Him
- In Worship
John 15:8
?8? This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
- In Service
1 Peter 4:14,16
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 16 … if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
2 Corinthians 9:12-14 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you."
- In Life -
1 Peter 2:12 ? Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
?
To Him
Live - To him
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Work - To Him
Husband your Wife - To Him
Care for you Husband - To Him
Father Your Children - To Him
Mother your children - To him
Be a Good Neighbor - To Him
Tithe - To Him
Worship - To Him
Study the Word - To Him
Teach your Sunday School Class or Awanas - To Him
Change the World - To Him
To Him
To Him
To Him
From Him - You were created, you continue, your salvation was provided you were drawn into relationship
Through Him - you live and hold and breathe and move, your salvation and security is maintained
To Him all glory and power, and honor, and wisdom, and strength
From him, and through him, and to him be the glory forever,
and ever,
and ever
AMEN