John 15:1-11 • The True Vine

My name is Jordan Smith. I have had the privilege and honor of being an elder at the fellowship at Bend and Brett asked me to share with you guys this week as he is teaching there at TFAB umm it's kind-of unfair, cuz he's got two services at his morning. Just getting started as a few hours ahead of him. Okay, just get to spend one. Once I was here with you guys and I'm here. Were you pretty soon. Exciting you're going to miss the giant stage for this little space but said I might you might put me up there. Just make me feel awkward, but I'm glad that they got the normal orientation. What about me grew up Portland? My parents an awesome parents my dad from the East Coast married a cowgirl from Redmond, Oregon here about four years ago and moved at the Portland as a family I grew up there and I got saved together after they met so I can have a cool cool like bringing with you guys got so late in life is kind of that passion for Jesus and what you just done in their lives and and but I myself years of my life until I met Jesus 7 safer. really the first time he grabbed my heart was in college as well as things were it's like I grew up as a Christian and as long as the kingdom of God was convenient for me. I was I was Christian as part of the kingdom of God, whatever those things were at odds, and I had the choice between the kingdom of God in my own thing and I always chose my own and I would change about 14 years ago for me and that is really just studying kind of right after that. It went into the Bible school and study the Bible does free gear and and I just got really close to Jesus exciting exciting thing for me and Kai has been ever since I moved to bend Central Oregon 2007 little ones now and it's it's pretty loud. So brings me here to be here with you guys. Let me listen to Brett for the last few weeks. Just catching up you guys are in 2nd Peter talking about Christian growth and it seemed of Christian growth and what that looks like a nice dress this morning a good kind of Hiatus would be sometime in John 15. Text message to biting in Jesus. It's titled the True Vine. Jesus is going to set up a story kind of parable analogy. If you will have him being the route the vine in the ground. Where's the police branches that come off of the vine? And so everything that we have me over LifeSource everything that we have you have everything it needs provided by Jesus or God talk about that in just a moment slide say one through 11. We're probably going to want to travel a little bit further than that. I kind of realize this will passage crescendos a little bit in the end 11 to stop short so funny pranks.

A Jesus thank you for the thank you for the church. Thank you for local churches or gathering people throughout the world Lorde and it's fun to be for me in a new place and see what you're doing here. Got to see the people of God. Got it together. Got it for you to minister to us this morning. Speak to us this morning. Jesus be near be evident. Holy Spirit, I want to feel you. Safari thank you for this time this morning want to focus on your word or ass. I want to set aside just to distractions from the week. I'll just clear our minds. We would see you and hear you and know you this morning. Jesus name and then all right. So John 15 is it's pretty awesome passage for me. So the last couple of chapters of John just kind of set the stage. Jesus has been celebrating the Passover with his 12 now 11 disciples and lot of things happened in the last two chapters. So Jesus says watch their feet two guys RuPaul that story Jesus wash the feet of the disciples. He just misses Judas Iscariot to go you go you must do to quickly and just misses Judas to kind of go and we cannot process of the trail that will seek him up in a few chapters if you were to read on and John, He's broken bread. Right and said this is my body and it's going to break it for you as often as you eat this do in remembrance of me any any force a cup of wine or a nice as my butt of the Covenant and it's been spilled for you as long as you drink it too. So remember it's at me a sweet communion that we do today. Please guys he knows it's his last night with him and he's he's getting everything he's got, you know, he's going to go. I'm going to go away then go prepare a place for you. My father's house has many rooms, right? He said the only way to get there is through me and says while I'm gone. I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit and he's going to be my presence in you. And in Ministry, do you and sustaining you and I and then Kathy the daddy says alright, let's rise from here. They're celebrating Passover the supper-room surprise from here and going to begin his journey to eventually The Garden of Gethsemane words Judas would show up again in to train him, but on their way, they're passing through this Valley of Kidron, which is just outside of Jerusalem. Nothing was ever been there. I haven't I just in pictures and Maps but in this Valley analyze dorian's believe there's probably some some growing going on there something Orchards. And in this order thing with the recipes grape Vines, It would have been growing and probably tended to for small batches of wine or something that they would make. I just outside the city probably for the temple services and things like that. Jesus says probably he's walking through the vineyard, you know, and they see the grapes and they're heading on up to the Mount of Olives. He says to them I am the True Vine and my father is the vinedresser. how to know if you have any if you have any vintage culture, let's hear another couple wineries around Redmond in Culver in Terrebonne taken care of and he's going to talk about Jesus being Divine the father being as fine dresser and then us we're going to eventually it was going to show that where the branches and so I don't know if you've ever seen a Vineyard town here is another one piece of town west of town here in as a ton and wanted Valley if you've ever driven a V and it's this is craziest thing to drive in by Newsies perfect little neat rows of grapevines going up the mountain and that's probably what we think grapevines are but really finds you think of it, but also grow from Hillsboro in Portland area, and so I don't think of vines I think of blackberries Right. We all have blackberries for Amelia. Just they just grow and they weren't ever need there always been kind of a giant bug that used blackberry bushes not knowing that they were actually find my parents. If you like a go and need to clean up some weeds and clear out, you know, the blackberry bushes in the back yard against the fence and I knew that I was going to mean going through several boxes of Band-Aids by the end of the day. Trailer just messy science bro, but grape Vines NYC grape Vines and Vineyards noise in this perfect little order. How do they how do they do that has a girl that way the answer is because there's somebody who spends all spring and all summer for the time that it's just sprouting off of the vine that taking us branches and intricately moving them along a wire or offense or something else. I care for that Grapevine and that's what you call a vine-dresser. Are vintage culture list as we call them today? But back in this time, they were called they were called The Divine dressers. And so Jesus says I am the True Vine. My father is the vinedresser.

So Jesus is the vine the part in the ground. It's growing dry nutrients out of the ground and providing life-sustaining the branches and the father he's doing this work because I watching over the vineyard just touching and moving each of the branches and he sees the whole Vineyard has a whole plan, you know, what's going on?

And so she says I am the True Vine and my father is the vinedresser statements, I think.

We'll talk about this little bit this morning. He says every branch in me. That does not bear fruit. He takes away. And I hear that and I'm like, well, that's kind of sobering like I don't want to be that France, right? That's probably your first thought if you like me. My first question is it will pay every branch of me that does not bear fruit will be there for you. How do I say, how do I how do I not be the one that's getting cut off and taken away and it's because it suggests that one can lose your salvation.

If you're not pulling your weight, if you're not growing fruit never teachers explain this and they typically say something like what the Bible says, you know, the branches taken away, but that actually could mean it's lifted up kind of pulled out of the dirt raised up higher into the sun lights that has a bed like a second chance, you know to grow fruit or something like that if I love that possibility, but the reality is that the Greek Scholars that translate every modern version of the New Testament don't use that term if I don't say the branches being lifted up and placed and give me a second chance to just simply say taken away and back in for 6, we can read those branches of their fruit and are taken away are gathered up. energy spells. I never moved from the spine. So it kind of leaves us in this place where? I don't really know what to do with this first. It sounds really Serene. Does this mean that all of the group that is not simply descriptive an outflow of our Salvation like he's been teaching but that's really a requirement. Stay in the Vine.

the ever watching eye of the vinedresser looking for branches to stop using fruit to not produce enough fruit in the extent that. Throw away that means

Really I question is answered by how does Jesus Define fruit here mean? What does it mean to bear fruit with this fruit with this question for a little bit reasons why I just kind of want us to feel this way. Like what does it mean to be branches and bear fruit and to ever going to answer in a couple of verses and I just want to spoil it. So we're going to hang on to that question. That's usually when I come across this passage like the rest of the words kind of fade away and a 0 on a spot and just like that looks scary only answer that question. So I'm going to bring you guys with me. The pay close attention as we read on to a couple of things 1, how does Jesus Define fruit? We're going to be that kind of down towards first 12 if you want to cheat and read ahead you can do that. Into how is that fruit produced right? Cuz if that's what they produce fruit. And whatever that street is so such a things. I need to know so I know that I'm not one of those branches if he gets cut off. So how does Jesus to find fruit is it disciples made it evangelism. Is it sharing the gospel and doing all the right things? Is it good deeds you've performed serving the poor working in soup. Kitchens serving the homeless shelters. Is it bible verses to memorize your just religious liturgies are coming to church is this fruit? Is it because you're here like hear your bearing fruit and now, you know, you're not getting those branches that gets cut off. To those times you didn't cheat on your wife cuz this righteousness is absence of sand is that mean you're you're producing fruit making it to marriage without having sex. Sometimes people don't finish to being a Christian. Is that what fruit is that what Jesus means by fruit of these things we can do and how is that fruit produce? Is it by striving? Is it by my efforts in the things that I do in the work that I put in? The produces this fruit will let's read on. He says every branch that does not bear fruit. The vinedresser prunes fruit the father comes and he could be translated cleans.

That it made bear more fruit. That's the branch. I want to be. I want to be I want to be producing fruit so that the vinedresser will help me produce more fruit a note saying I haven't heard in a long time which I love but I remember back when I was a kid. There's a saying Economist Christian Circle in the kind of his friends Christian circles, like God helps those who help themselves to hear that. I think this is where they get that from. It's like as long as you're producing for Youth and it's always going to help you produce more food. That's where I want to be.

And if you like me again your first In this passage inside, which branch am I and I don't know if it's as religious as this point.

We're going to talk about that in a little bit. But I love that. He says this that those branches that stay in the vine that are in the Vine. They said the father comes in and cleans and cultivates and forms and helps it grow and produce the most fruit juices talking here about this idea that God the Father loves and cares for each of those branches and it's meticulous. And I don't know if you know any people that grow grapes for wine, but they all consuming Verdes lizzza Vine Growers, and I know they loved everything they start talking about the ocean breeze that goes over the the hillside of the greatest breakthrough and what makes up the dirt that these grapes grow in how much water they get and how they had to like struggle, you know against these other things and listening to it. You're like dust taste better. Now that I know that there's an ocean breeze. It is blown over these Right to make skin thicker or whatever it is. It it dies and it's just like the wind staircase better.

Define Careful, he's intentional and he touches each and every part of each branch. See that that fruit is produced. He's pruning. He's cleaning and she's a says that you are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. So Jesus is a sharing these guys never he's got the 11 in front of him ride 11 cycles of the 12 Judas has gone doing his own thing Jesus as sure as these guys you are already clean. They're already in the vine. They're already these branches producing fruit. That might help answer our question. What are you doing? That makes them be one of those branches. It's already clean. It's already cared for that's already being cultivated.

What is the fruit what is it that they're doing?

And what is this word that Jesus is talking about that has cleanse them. Keep going verse for Jesus says. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither. Can you unless you abide in me? There it is is fine. Can't bear fruit by itself. What is the fruit? What am I voting for? Jesus says, you can't bear fruit without a vitamin E. Okay. What's that thing I need to do. What's that thing? I need to get to Jesus. Why am I biting and you in the first place? What's this fruit I need to do so, I don't get left outside. Don't get looked over.

As you just continue to talk here. I think this question we've been asking is going to start to get reshaped.

Cuz you looking for Spivey kind of repeats what you just said summarizes. So to speak he says I am the vine you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him he is or she is that bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. I am the vine you are the branches whoever it is advising me. He it is that produces free depart from me. You can do nothing. Here's the deal. Jesus is gone 5 versus here describing these branches. What there to do? What's the happened to them? He talks about producing fruit, but he spent my first is hearing hasn't even talked about what that fruit is. I think it's because and I love that Jesus kind. Oldest and in limbo here is he's talking through this. I don't think it really matters. I don't think what the fruit is really matters. We look at that first statement energies that just simply stating a fact at the branch produces fruit. It's removed from the Vine. But if it Branch different branch doesn't simply a fact that Jesus is stating.

I don't think what the fruit is actually matters. He's talking about this relationship between the vine and the branches. And Vine dresser and not once has he mentioned. So the question maybe isn't are you bearing fruit so you don't get cut but the question is are you inviting in Jesus?

Are you biting in Christ is his in his life? Are you inviting in his love? Are you inviting and just being in fellowship with what uses done for you? Jesus died for you. Jesus bled for you. His body was broken for you. each of those branches the best route to get to LifeSource from him because the reality is a vine is the one responsible for producing the life in the branches branches of produce fruit is because not connected

you see the first two verses against Jesus just simply stating facts and we read that and I kind of set you out cuz I ask you a question for you, but we read that and we say, how do I become the branch that stays Ryan and all the rest of Time Passages Fades away and I just want to know how would this affect me house affect my the things that I wanted a fruit that I'm looking for.

That's not the question. We should ask the question. Jesus wants us to understand is argue abiding in him and him alone.

If you're biting in Jesus, you don't really have to worry about getting taken away. You don't have to worry about bearing fruit because Jesus says whoever advising me he it is that bears much fruit. So how do we produce fruit with the action? What's the mechanism for producing fruit? Simply abiding in Jesus is remaining in Jesus and we don't even know what the fruit is yet, but we haven't even gotten there. If you have to ask how many disciples can I make if I just abide in Jesus how successful will my Ministry be if I just divided in Jesus, you're asking the wrong question if you ask Will I finally kick that's in my life for that happen. If I just abide in Jesus, that's why I'm inviting Jesus. I don't have this thing anymore that that hangs over me. Jesus says I just abide in him will start producing fruit. I want that fruit if my marriage will get better if I just abide in Jesus.

All these questions have one thing in common and said Jesus is simply a means to an end. You're asking my financial troubles. You better if I justified in Jesus rule my country get better if we all just abide in Jesus. I see Facebook memes that say, you know schools are so terrible because we don't carry in schools anymore. The Gazette mean like we should just bring in school so schools get better or should we just pray in school. So people know Jesus and get to be walking with Jesus and get to be present with Jesus. Will I see my loved ones again? I bite Angie's. I got to get to heaven to see my why do I lost my parents? the kids

if that's why you're here, that's why you are in the vine so to speak. And Jesus is just a means to an end and none of those are bad things. Those are bad things but if there are ultimate things if he comes idolatry the best. Where Jesus is now just a means. to an end no fruit can come that way that's not abiding in the vine. Stephen into the vine until you get what you want and stepping out and that's not that's not a biting a remaining this word abide.

It just means that it means to remain to dwell. What is your chief chief desire is truly to remain in that presence of lamb of the king. And that's where the father is as for the vinedressers. This world as life happens as for the father is cultivating you and if your if your end goal is Jesus if that's your true God. You start producing fruit. Just going to happen. He who abides in me. He it is who produces fruit. That's an awesome truth and it should be liberating. We should be relaxed. I should be a breath of fresh air because to be sure Jesus says in John chapter 6. He says no one comes to me till the father draws and I'm not going to lose a single one. Right? Let me know this stuff. You should know this stuff. I know Brett your salvation. Is it sure? We don't Ephesians chapter 1 Paul writes. He says holy spirit is in you and he's a seal inside. You can't lose a dozen insurance that you are sealed and sealed with a Salvation Peter rights and 1st Peter. He says there's an inheritance in heaven that's kept for you who are kept. by God to see that day to see that day of salvation That Glory will come in and so there's these passages we know and we hold to you in the New Testament. If you're a fine, you're that vine in your biting in Jesus. You're there. You're present with the Lord. You're not going to be one of them. You're not you're not there by has to be cut off. That's a possibility. You salvation is assured so.

Jesus is a means to an end. If she's just a means to an end for you. You're chasing. These other things can a through Jesus right again as idolatry at best. CS Lewis rights in the great divorce. He says there is but one good and that is God everything else. Everything else is good when it looks to him. It's bad when it turns from him idea that all these things we could go after they could be good things. But if if they're not pointed towards Jesus if Jesus isn't the end goal. the nerd their idols that's where we're going to that's where you lose it. So because of Christ it's because it price is simply means to an end. He's not your destination. He's not the end of your Pursuit Of Worship. You move on from Jesus you no longer abiding in Jesus and Jesus goes on to say in verse 6, if anyone does not abide in me, he's thrown away like a branch and Withers. The branches are gathered thrown into the fire and burned and we played a sad prank on ourselves if that's where you're at. No challenge you study hard this morning. It was kind of heavy saying that everything they were talking about here. Sweetheart this morning. That's not to say that you find yourself. It's like yeah, you know for me Jesus really is just a means to an end. And if you find yourself there this morning just tell yourself that this morning. You probably not going to just like to pick yourself up and be like, you know what Jesus should be the end of everything. You should be Michael always be my guiding. You probably not going to turn that quick and just pick up and walk out of here today like that. It may be something that the holy spirit is working on in you. Maybe he will. I mean, maybe he'll do it today. I'll be awesome. I pray for that.

What is the very least I think it's healthy for us to study that about ourselves and recognize like am I just in church because it's convenient. This is where I should be cuz I want something out of it. Are you really here? Is it something really here to meet? With God so what does this look like this idea to abide? What does it mean to abide? Jesus says As the father has loved me so I have loved you abide in my love. So know that Jesus loves you. He has loved you when he was kind of funny. You read to the hole in the New Testament Jesus never tells anybody like directly. I love you in present tense. This is kind of the closest he comes he says I the father has loved me. So I have loved you abide in my love be heard that from Jesus this morning. You heard that some juice in your life that reality that Jesus is Love to You.

Sorry to hear that. That's what we should be here. That's cuz Jesus is loved me. So knowing that love and understand that love believing that love that's inviting in Jesus if you keep my Commandments verse 10. He says 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. So what else is it? Look like to abide in Jesus means to follow his commandment. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you suskin book Manitou Jesus talking about here. He says if you keep my Commandments you will abide in my love and what is my commandment? Tell us? Make sense, right? If you love one another you are abiding in the love of Jesus. This is kind of almost 3 describing the same. Seguin finally, what else is it mean to abide in Jesus verse 11 these things. I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.

So do a bite in Jesus means a lot of means true love. To bite in Jesus means Joy means true Joy. and really the idea of this abiding in Jesus also means to work with him We're going to go onto verse 13 here and see that. We get to work in the kingdom of God we get to work with Jesus and it's not work unto salvation. It is that now that you are saved now that you are a Vine of biting a branch of biting and Vine fruit is come out. It's just what we do with those apologies as do I don't know about you but I always seem to think of my relationship with God like for the longest time. I thought of my relationship with God is kind of master-servant roll. And I got to look at it the gals in here in a cool picture that vile uses for the relationship with God has a broom in the bride and the groom and not really associated with it and walking somebody and just follow the commands of my master and the David rights in the songs about being this horse. I use a horse in into the Masters riding a horse and and there's times where the horse you know, the master uses the bit in the bridal to like being supports left or right within those times and David says he's so close to the walking Co in step with the master that you can just look laughed and I go left. He looks right and I go right where I want to be. I don't want to be like the stubborn horse where you have to use the bit in the bridal. It's hard and it's painful. I decide yet. You're so close to the master. That is a servant. You just got commands you feel like he's leaning one way or the other and that's just where I'm going to go and I always loved that picture is a guy maybe I don't know that isn't working hard not to earn anything, but just working hard cuz of that relationship you have. And I thought that for a long time and I'd even read in and if in Romans 6:22 where Paul writes he says not even set free and your Servants of God does not even set free and enslaved to God let the fruit that you barely do righteousness an Ascend eternal life. I love that verse. Because I did I've been set free from sin and I'm a servant of the master. Now the works that I do like that is, you know, this is outflow of righteousness that has bestowed on me. But did you know that beyond that servant Master relationship, you know right here. We're going to read Jesus calls you a friend.

Remember, I was like all about this master-servant thing and I read this passage in John 1 day and it hit me. It's like, you know, there's more to it than that. It's deeper than that. Jesus says in verse 13 greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.

And then he says you are my friends when you do what I command you no longer. Do I call you? servants Is a big deal for me no longer. Do I call you servants for a servant doesn't know what his master's doing. He simply just follows works. Siri doesn't know what his master is doing but I have called you friends for all that. I have heard from my father. I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you branch.

I chose you.

Yeah, there's a work that that we do once you've been chosen by the vine the screw that we bare. There's a life that we get to leave. There's work we get to do with Jesus. But remember first Jesus chose you It's whatever you ask the father in my name. He'll be given to you. Since these things I command you so that you will live one another swear these friends of Jesus.

I love that. I'm refreshed by that. Are you interested in having that kind of closeness with the Savior this morning? Rihanna on Chester number you're not just a slave. You're nice to Servant. You're not just an object that you know, this King uses to draw worship and Glory all those things happen, but we have this Keen who stepped out of his throne. And came down into the worst parts of humanity. Because you got friends there.

You're my friend. Jesus says you no longer call you a servant of a friend. Bearing Fruit Friends is not the ends. I can like I said, I set us up at the beginning of the passage that the first question should be and I bring food or not cuz I want to get cut off. That's not the end. That's not the I thought that the idea that Jesus is getting at here bearing fruit is not the end abiding in Jesus dwelling with Jesus remaining with Jesus. That is the end. So you no longer have to read your Bible to become better person. Have a stronger marriage or more fruitful Ministry. You don't have to pray so that Jesus will give you a better day at work or your kids turn out well when they become adults. And pray we just would fall in love with Jesus and be with Jesus and read our Bibles and pray to just be with Jesus. What about to do that this morning? The fall in love with Jesus again this morning. One of the worship team come up and just provide a space for that conversation with Jesus to happen. worship team imagines more than one person. Sorry.

Political time this morning is going to be communion and just the music going in and has a time for us to hear Jesus Call You Friend. Remind you that you've been chosen? Maybe you're being faced with this idea for the very first time this morning, Jesus is Calling You. Jesus Desiring that friendship that closeness with him daddy the branch that bears the fruit the only reason you can do any of that is cuz you're so close to the vine. You're so attached to this route.

Jesus wants to be for you Jesus thank you that you called us to remain to a guy.

Got any we use Faith like it's just wishing with confidence today. That's how we typically use faith. The space is just believing something that's already been done. Best understanding got it. You are the one who bled and died so we could have life. Morning believing that is the first step to just inviting and Jesus to just remaining in the presence of the king. Lay down your life so we can live. Jesus forgive us when we use you to be an ends to a mean it means to an end forgive us when we were. Using Jesus to get something else that we want to be all that we want Lord.

I thought you this morning you realize and man Jesus sometimes to me is just a means to an end and you can pray that Jesus forgive me. Renew, my mind remove renew my love for you guys. Not my family or a better family or a better job or a better place to live or a better financial position.

That's not why you're here as how you're believing. That's not why you're chasing after Jesus you're chasing after Jesus cuz when you get there, you just want to fall down.

And remain there.

God I pray you do that to us tonight this morning speak to us. Holy spirit just move through each one of our minds. Tell us where we're at. Encourage us to get up and follow you father sustain us as we do that Jesus name.