I am the Vine

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 JOHN 15:1–11 “I AM THE TRUE VINE, AND MY FATHER IS THE VINEDRESSER. “EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT, HE TAKES AWAY; AND EVERY BRANCH THAT BEARS FRUIT, HE PRUNES IT SO THAT IT MAY BEAR MORE FRUIT. 2 “YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU. “ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF ITSELF UNLESS IT ABIDES IN THE VINE, SO NEITHER CAN YOU UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME. 3 “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. “IF ANYONE DOES NOT ABIDE IN ME, HE IS THROWN AWAY AS A BRANCH AND DRIES UP; 4 AND THEY GATHER THEM, AND CAST THEM INTO THE FIRE AND THEY ARE BURNED. “IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ASK WHATEVER YOU WISH, AND IT WILL BE DONE FOR YOU. 5 “MY FATHER IS GLORIFIED BY THIS, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, AND SO PROVE TO BE MY DISCIPLES. “JUST AS THE FATHER HAS LOVED ME, I HAVE ALSO LOVED YOU; ABIDE IN MY LOVE. 6 “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. “THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU SO THAT MY JOY MAY BE IN YOU, AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE MADE FULL. 7 (SHOW BRANCH) DO YOU THINK IF WE TRIED REALLY HARD WE COULD MAKE THIS BRANCH BEAR FRUIT? I MEAN SURE WE COULD STAPPLE A BERRY TO IT AND IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT WAS BEARING FRUIT. 8 BUT NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY WE CANNOT MAKE THIS BRANCH BEAR FRUIT AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE VINE. NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY THIS BRANCH IS NOT GOING TO BEAR FRUIT. 9 SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE TRY TO DO WE TRY TO FORCE OURSELVES TO BEAR FRUIT FOR GOD BUT HE HAS SAID UNLESS WE ABIDE IN CHRIST IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO BEAR FRUIT. 10 GOD DESIRES US TO USE THIS LIFE TO SERVE HIM WE NEED TO KNOW WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO SERVE GOD WHEN WE ARE ABIDING IN, WALKING IN, IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE FINAL I AM STATEMENT 11 TURN TO JOHN 15:5 THEY HAD JUST FINISHED THE PASSOVER, THE LAST SUPPER AND THEY WERE WALKING TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE MAYBE AS THEY PAST THE TEMPLE THEY SAW THE TEMPLE GATES ON THESE GATE WAS A SCULPTURED GOLDEN VINE 12 JOHN 15:5 “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. 13 ONLY CHRIST “I AM” THERE IS NO OTHER VINE CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE IS MAKING THIS OFFER THE VINE SUPPLIES THE NEEDS OF THE BRANCHES 14 WE CAN ONLY GET WHAT WE NEED TO SERVE GOD FROM CHRIST HE HAS ALREADY SAID HE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD 15 HE IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD, THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE HE IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE GOD DESIRES WE SERVE HIM AND BEAR FRUIT WE CANNOT DO THIS ON OUR OWN 16 GALATIANS 6:3 FOR IF ANYONE THINKS HE IS SOMETHING WHEN HE IS NOTHING, HE DECEIVES HIMSELF. WE NEED A SOURCE BEYOND OURSELVES WE FIND THAT SOURCE WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST 17 THE PLACE WE ABIDE “I AM THE VINE” FOR US TO LIVE THE WAY GOD CALLS US TO LIVE WE MUST BE CONNECTED TO CHRIST 18 THE BIBLE DESCRIBES THIS CONNECTION AS ABIDING THIS ABIDING IS MORE THAN TRUSTING JESUS AND GOING TO HEAVEN IN VERSE 3 JESUS TELLS THEM “YOU ARE ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU. 19 THEN IN VERSE 4 HE INSTRUCTS THEM TO ABIDE IN HIM THEY ARE ALREADY SAVED AND HEADED TO HEAVEN BEFORE HE INSTRUCTS THEM TO ABIDE IN HIM TO BEAR FRUIT WE HAVE TO DO MORE THAN TRUST CHRIST 20 IT IS POSSIBLE TO TRUST IN CHRIST FOR YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION AND PRODUCE NO FRUIT. THESE VERSES TEACH THAT YOU CAN BE SAVED AND NOT ABIDING IN CHRIST 21 AND THAT YOU MUST ABIDE IN CHRIST TO PRODUCE FRUIT SINCE ABIDING IS SO IMPORTANT WE SHOULD LOOK CLOSER AT IT 22 WHAT ABIDING LOOKS LIKE “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES” THE BRANCHES CONNECTED TO THE VINE THEY GET THEIR STRENGTH AND LIFE FROM IT 23 THE GREEK WORD FOR ABIDE MEANS TO LIVE IN, TO DWELL, TO STAY IN A PLACE A LONG TIME TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO ABIDE IN JESUS 24 JOHN 15:10 “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. 25 THOSE WHO ABIDE IN CHRIST KEEP GOD’S COMMANDMENTS JOHN 15:5 “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. 26 THOSE ABIDING IN CHRIST BEAR MUCH FRUIT “LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL” BASICALLY ABIDING CHRIST LOOKS LIKE CHRIST THE MORE WE ABIDE IN CHRIST THE MORE WE LOOK LIKE HIM 27 THE LESS WE LOOK LIKE HIM THE LESS WE ARE ABIDING IN CHRIST THE PLANET MERCURY IS HOT. PLUTO IS COLD. WHY IS PLUTO COLD AND MERCURY HOT? MERCURY IS REALLY CLOSE TO THE SUN AND PLUTO IS A LONG WAY OFF. 28 THE FARTHER YOU GET FROM THE SUN THE COLDER THINGS BECOME. BUT THE CLOSER YOU GET, THE HOTTER THINGS ARE. 29 GOD IS LOOKING FOR SOME MERCURY CHRISTIANS. HE IS LOOKING FOR SOME FOLKS WHO WANT TO GET CLOSE 30 AND STAY HOT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THEY STAY CLOSE TO THE S-O-N. WE ARE ALL CALLED TO ABIDE IN CHRIST TO STAY CLOSE TO THE SON 31 JOHN 15:5 “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. 32 SOME ABIDE IN CHRIST “ HE WHO ABIDES IN ME” CHRIST IS POINTING OUT THAT NOT ALL ABIDE IN HIM ONLY THOSE WHO DO ABIDE IN HIM PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT NOT ABIDING HAPPENS IN A FEW WAYS 33 SOME FOLKS NEVER TRUST IN CHRIST YOU CANNOT ABIDE IF YOU NEVER TRUST SOME FOLKS TRUST IN CHRIST AND NEVER ABIDE THEY ARE SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN 34 THEY ARE JUST NOT LIVING LIKE IT NOT CHANGING OR GROWING THE OTHER WAY THIS CAN OCCUR HAPPENS TO ALL OF US AT SOME POINT, NO MATTER HOW CLOSE WE WALK WITH JESUS 35 WE MESS UP, WE SIN, BY THINKING, SAYING, OR DOING SOMETHING THAT GOES AGAINST GOD’S WILL AND FOR A TIME WE STOP ABIDING WITH CHRIST WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO HIM AND HE COMES BACK TO US 36 CHRIST ABIDES IN ALL WHO ABIDE IN HIM HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM ,” THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING GUARANTEE WHEN WE WALK IN CHRIST, ABIDE IN HIM 37 HE ABIDES IN US THOSE TIMES WHEN WE FEEL ALONE HE CAN BE WITH US THOSE TIMES WHEN WE FEEL UNABLE TO COPE 38 HE CAN BE WITH US THOSE TIMES WHEN UNLOVED HE CAN BE WITH US HE GUARANTEES THAT HE WILL BE WITH US WHEN WE ABIDE IN, WALK WITH HIM 39 1 JOHN 3:24 THE ONE WHO KEEPS HIS COMMANDMENTS ABIDES IN HIM, AND HE IN HIM. WE KNOW BY THIS THAT HE ABIDES IN US, BY THE SPIRIT WHOM HE HAS GIVEN US. 40 DOES ANYONE DO THIS 100% OF THE TIME NO, THE TRUTH IS WE GO IN AND OUT OF ABIDING WITH CHRIST SOME DAYS I DO BETTER THAN OTHERS 41 SOME SITUATIONS I DO FINE OTHERS I DO NOT WHEN WE STEP OUT OF ABIDING IN CHRIST WHEN WE FAIL TO WALK WITH HIM AND SIN WE CAN CONFESS OUR SINS AND HE IS FAITHFUL 42 TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND CLEANS US OF ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS AND WE CAN START ABIDING WITH HIM AGAIN WE CAN START BEARING FRUIT AGAIN 43 RESULT OF ABIDING IS FRUIT “HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT ,” NOT A SOME FRUIT, NOT A LITTLE FRUIT, BUT MUCH FRUIT THIS IS A GUARANTEE, IF WE ABIDE IN CHRIST 44 WE WILL CERTAINLY BEAR MUCH FRUIT IN VERSE 8 JESUS SAYS “MY FATHER IS GLORIFIED BY THIS, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, AND SO PROVE TO BE MY DISCIPLES.” WE DON’T BEAR THIS FRUIT TO BE IMPRESSIVE 45 IT IS NOT SO WE LOOK IT GOOD WE BEAR MUCH FRUIT AND IT GIVES GLORY TO GOD THIS FRUIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE…. BUT IT IS ALSO SERVICE TO GOD 46 MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM, SERVING THOSE IN NEED PREACHING AND TEACHING GOD’S WORD LOVING AND CARING FOR OUR NEIGHBORS 47 IF WE ARE LACKING THESE THINGS WE MIGHT WANT TO CHECK ON WHERE WE ARE ABIDING IT MAY NOT BE WITH CHRIST IF WE ARE ABIDING IN THE WORLD 48 WE WILL PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF THE WORLD IF WE ARE ABIDING WITH CHRIST WE WILL PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF CHRIST 49 SUNFLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS THAT START OFF AS TINY SPROUTS. THE REASON SUNFLOWERS ARE CALLED SUNFLOWERS IS BECAUSE AS SPROUTS THEY FOLLOW THE SUN. 50 THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST, THE SPROUT WILL POINT EAST. THE SUN SETS TO THE WEST, AND THE SPROUT WILL POINT WEST. THESE FLOWERS THROW OFF A LOT OF SEEDS. THEY ARE PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE SUN. 51 THEY ALWAYS LOCATE THE S-U-N, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE S-U-N, THEY'RE ALWAYS GROWING. WHEN YOU AND I LOOK FOR THE S-O-N, 52 LIKE THE SUNFLOWER LOOKS FOR THE S-U-N, THEN WE WILL FIND THE EFFECTS OF HIS RAYS SOFTENING OUR HEARTS SO WE CAN THROW OFF NEW SEED, NEW LIFE. 53 IT IS OUR RESPONSE TO CHRIST THAT DETERMINES OUR PRODUCTIVITY. ABIDING IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE S-O-N THE RESULT WILL BE THE PRODUCTION OF FRUIT FOR GOD. 54 JOHN 15:5 “I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES; HE WHO ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. 55 BEING SEPARATED “FOR APART FROM ME” WHEN WE ARE NOT ABIDING IN CHRIST WE ARE APART FROM HIM I DON’T LIKE THIS IDEA 56 BUT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT 4 TIMES IN 6 VERSES JESUS MENTIONS BEING SEPARATED FROM HIM IN SOME WAY WHEN GOD SAYS SOMETHING THAT MANY TIMES IT IS IMPORTANT 57 NOTICE GOD NEVER STEPS AWAY FROM US WE STEP AWAY FROM HIM IT IS OUR FAILURE TO ABIDE THAT RESULTS IN SEPARATION FROM HIM AND WHEN WE ARE APART FROM HIM IT EFFECTS US POWERFULLY 58 MUST BE LINKED “FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING” THE WORDS TRANSLATED “CAN DO” MEAN THE POWER OR ABILITY TO DO, OR MAKE SOMETHING 59 AS SOON AS WE ARE NOT ABIDING IN CHRIST WE LOSE THE ABILITY TO DO OR MAKE ANYTHING OF USE TO GOD MARTIN LUTHER ONCE SAID; “MAN, WHEN BROUGHT TO THE LIFE IN CHRIST, 60 IS NOT LIKE A CLOCK WHICH, WHEN ONCE WOUND UP, RUNS TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, BUT IS LIKE A SPRING OF WATER 61 WHICH CEASES TO FLOW THE MOMENT ITS HIDDEN RESERVOIR BENEATH THE EARTH IS CUT OFF.” IN CHRIST WE SERVE GOD WITHOUT HIM WE CANNOT 62 RESULTS OF NOT ABIDING “FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. ” IT DOES NOT SAY APART FROM CHRIST YOU CAN’T DO VERY MUCH IT SAYS YOU CAN DO NOTHING 63 THIS MEANS NOTHING OF ANY VALUE TO GOD NO LOVE, JOY, PEACE NO SERVICE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND JESUS CLARIFIES THINGS IN VERSE 6 64 JOHN 15:6 “IF ANYONE DOES NOT ABIDE IN ME, HE IS THROWN AWAY AS A BRANCH AND DRIES UP; AND THEY GATHER THEM, AND CAST THEM INTO THE FIRE AND THEY ARE BURNED. 65 SOME FOLKS WANT TO SEE THIS AS BEING ABOUT THOSE WHO NEVER TRUST IN JESUS AND END UP IN HELL THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IN JESUS’ DAY WORKERS IN VINEYARDS WOULD 66 FIND ANY BRANCH THAT WAS NOT BEARING FRUIT THEY WOULD PRUNE ALL THESE AND THEN PILE THEM UP AND BURN THEM THERE WAS NO OTHER USE FOR THEM 67 THE “BURNED” BRANCHES REPRESENT CHRISTIANS WHO WILL LOSE REWARDS BUT NOT SALVATION AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST 68 1 CORINTHIANS 3:15 IF ANY MAN’S WORK IS BURNED UP, HE WILL SUFFER LOSS; BUT HE HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED, YET SO AS THROUGH FIRE. 69 WHEN WE DO NOT ABIDE IN CHRIST WE BEAR NO FRUIT WE ARE SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN BUT OUR LIVES ARE NOT USEFUL FOR GOD WE WASTED THEM, BURNED THEM UP 70 BUT IF WE ABIDE IN CHRIST WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS FOR GOD GOD WANTS FOR US TO DO MORE THAN JUST WAIT TO GO TO HEAVEN ( RIFF ) MY FRIENDS AND I USED TO GO TO A LOT OF ROCK CONCERTS. MOST OF THE TIME, WE HAD HORRIBLE TICKETS. 71 WE WOULD BE IN THE VERY BACK SOMETIMES SITTING BEHIND A COLUMN. WE COULDN’T SEE MUCH BUT WE WERE GLAD TO BE AT THE SHOW. ONE TIME WE GOT 3RD ROW FRONT AND CENTER TICKETS. IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING TO BE UP FRONT 72 RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CONCERT. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST ACCEPTED CHRIST. I WAS SO EXCITED AT THE IDEA OF GOING TO HEAVEN. THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME, I DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. 73 BUT, GOD WANTS MORE FOR US THEN JUST FOR US TO GET INTO HEAVEN. HE WANTS MORE FOR US THAN TO JUST HAVE GOOD SEATS AT THE CONCERT. HE WANTS US TO BE PART OF THE SHOW. 74 HE DESIRES AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US. HE WANTS US TO BEAR FRUIT HE WANTS FOR US TO SERVE HIM TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE IN CHRIST 75 WALK WITH HIM LIVE OUR LIVES BE IN CONNECTION WITH CHRIST. ONLY WHEN WE DO THIS CAN WE DO THE THINGS GOD WANTS US TO DO. 76 I LOVE BLACKBERRIES I HAVE A BLACKBERRY VINE IN MY YARD NOW JUST HOW FOOLISH WOULD I BE TO PRUNE OFF ALL THE BRANCHES AND DRAG THEM IN MY HOUSE 77 PILE THEM UP ON THE TABLE AND WAIT FOR THEM TO PRODUCE BERRIES? WHY WOULD WE EVER THINK ANY BRANCH WOULD GROW FRUIT IF WE DISCONNECT IT FROM THE VINE? ONLY WHEN THE BRANCH IS CONNECTED TO, ABIDING IN THE VINE CAN IT BEAR FRUIT 78 WE ARE NO DIFFERENT, WE MUST BE ABIDING IN CHRIST TO BEAR FRUIT TO ABIDE MEANS TO LIVE WITH HIM IN OUR LIVES WALK WITH HIM AS WE DO WHAT WE DO 79 BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM IF WE DO THIS IT IS CERTAIN WE WILL PRODUCE FRUIT LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GENTLENESS 80 AND WE WILL SERVE GOD THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US SEE WE HAVE A GOD WHO LOVES US AND WANTS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP… 81 82