Abiding In Christ

John 15:1-8 • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Intro: Futility of trying on our own

These last 18 months have shown us the fragility of life. Not only have we seen the fleeting nature of life, itself, through the many friends and family that have been lost to a pandemic, but also the fragility of our way of life.

We’ve experienced lock-downs, mask wearing, racial riots, political upheavals, states of emergency, and division in our communities and families over every item already mentioned here on this short list. For some of you younger folks, or for some of your children, this is the first time experiencing any of these things on this scale. For everyone else, it’s the first time we’ve experienced them all at once.

How do you handle a world like this? What response can you give that is God-honoring and God-glorifying? Is there any hope to repair and restore what many of us have felt like we have lost?

I don’t know what God has in store for us, but I do know that any of the ideas and efforts I can marshal toward these problems will be insufficient. I also know that any efforts that God can marshal against these problems will be more than enough to bring about a miraculous change to our society, our communities, and each of our lives. So how can you and I partner our efforts with God for these, and every, problem or challenge that we face?

Moreover, how can we experience the fullness of life: love, joy, and excitement - but also clean and rightful sorrow, regret, and repentance - that is offered through Jesus Christ and the Gospel for all who believe?

In short, by abiding in Christ.

Vine and Branches

Explaining the passage

Verses 1-16 is really 1 unit, and Justin and 8 discussed keeping it in 1 sermon, but when he told me I would need to limit this sermon to 75 minutes, I agreed that we should split it up - there’s just too much here to cover in one sermon. However, let’s read the whole passage so we can see it in its context.

The metaphor of the vine is commented on, or expounded on in 9-16. And the direct instructions of 9-16 are given a fuller and more complete context by the metaphor of the vine.

john 15:1-16

Jesus is the “true vine” in contrast to Israel

cf Psalm 80:7-8, 14-17

1st application is true connection to God/people of God is right relationship w/ Jesus

2. Vine/branches/gardener

Cuts of fruitless branches - judgment, burn in the fire, Israel is cut off (Rom 11:17-21)

Prune/clean - Discipline a la Hebrews 12, for greater fruitfulness (katharei/katharoi/catharsis)

Mutual indwelling

Branches fed/empowered by vine, vines bears fruit through branches

destruction of branches/destruction of vine/Israel in Ezekiel 15:1-8

3. All done through prayer, staying connected to Jesus

asking for “anything” and it will be done

For God’s glory

Bracketed by love, obedience

results in: obedience, joy, love for others, bearing witness

Same Holy Spirit given to Apostles and to us (with some common and unique different purposes). The Holy Spirit who makes the Scriptures trustworthy is the same Holy Spirit who “abides” in you.

the second application is that believers must/are granted the gift of staying connected to Jesus Christ as our sustenance and source

Experiential Relationship

Apart from me you can do nothing: “connectedness” is KEY for...

1) Power

2) Guidance

Framework - Bible, moral code, general wisdom

Relational

Connectedness requires two types of knowing, self and other. Inherently relational. Requires people/persons, not ideas/forces/powers.

Story about my own experiences cultivating a relationship with Christ. Settling for a legal relationship, but awakening to a new and better relationship of love, connection, leading. This relationship sparks joy, which makes obedience easier. Less “I ought to follow Jesus” and more “I want to follow Jesus.”

Who, not what, you know matters most (but the relationship open to all). And relationship, as we know it, is based on communication as the foundation.

So prayer must become a two-way form of communication.

We ask, and then we listen. This listening can take many forms. God reserves the right to speak audibly to you, though that seems rare both in the Bible and in most people’s experience. Maybe you should follow Balaam’s lead and buy a donkey, though that seems even more rare than a voice from heaven.

But being led by God can be common.

Growing up, we never spoke about prophesy or used language like “thus sayeth the Lord.” But we were taught that the God we worship is, by nature, a communicator. The fact that he spoke creation into existence matters. That Jesus is called the Word matters. That we have a written Bible matters. And God is still speaking today, just as he always has been. So we would say things like, “I think God might want me to share this with you. But you take it and test it.”

Where did those ideas come from? From Scripture and experience. I have seen over and over in my life that some words of encouragement or direction, which seemed out of the blue to me, have had a powerful impact on others that has either brought them to tears or helped them navigate difficult circumstances. I don’t really care if someone wanted to label those things prophetic or not, though I don’t think I have any prophetic gifting. But what I do know is that sometimes God seems to put ideas or words or images or impulses - the idea to pursue something or talk to someone - in my head. And I think he does it for you, too. The only question is whether we’re listening, paying attention, and willing to follow them.

For example, has this ever happened to you, or someone you know? You’re minding your own business and, all of the sudden, someone comes to mind and you feel a strong urge to pray for them. Then you pray for them. Or you get a strong urge to call them, so you call them. When you call them, or tell them later that you prayed for them, they share that they had just been praying or had been in a desperate place. Your call or prayer was an answer to their own prayer.

How did you know to reach out to them in that moment? Some psychic connection across time and space? Random chance and coincidence? Or did the Spirit of God speak to your spirit about a need? I find that answer easier to believe than the other two.

And what did that idea or impulse “sound like” or “feel like” to you before you saw the outcome? Most likely, it sounded or felt just like any other idea you have on your own. The only difference was that you could not have known what was needed outside of some supernatural revelation.

The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:13 that it is God who works in us to will (desire/want) and to act according to his good purposes (the moral and practical things he wants us to do). Might it be that having an attentive and listening heart is our part to play in being led by God to both moral and wise choices in life?

This kind of listening to the Lord requires that we know our voice and that we know his voice (from Scripture). It also means that we must get clarity in community to discern when we are hearing only what we want to hear, or are being led astray by our own desires. Scripture is the ONLY infallible guide to faith and practice.

2) Guidance

Framework - Bible, moral code, general wisdom

Relational - leading, listening, community voice (Clearness Committee/Quakers, Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas from Antioch)

Full Circle

Just a little bit ago, I asked how we could experience the fullness of life with God that Jesus promises (“I came that you might have life to the full” - John 10:10). My answer was that we must abide in Christ. Hopefully, you are beginning to see how that is possible. When we are connected to Jesus, to God the Father, to the Holy Spirit we are enabled to be guided and empowered by the Lord. This connection to the Lord also brings the full gamut of emotions and relational depth.

Jesus, as he says over and over, is with us. He goes with us in our work. He goes with us in our relationships. He goes with us as we share the gospel. He goes with us as we seek to overcome sinful strongholds in our lives. Without his presence and power, we will accomplish nothing. By contrast, with his presence and power we can accomplish anything.

Jesus wants us to know that he is with us. And he wants us to be connected to him, just as a vine connects to a branch. He wants to be our source and our sustenance. He also wants to be our Lord. Not for his sake (though he takes joy in these things). He wants this for our sake, but even more so for the glory of God the Father. When God is glorified in and by our lives, that means we’re e periencing all that joy, love, & FRUIT that we were created to experince!