I AM The Vine

May 16, 1993

John 15: 1-14

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 (cleanses) it, that it may bear more fruit. 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. 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; 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 shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, 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. 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 have I spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you.

Some scripture passages are so simple and yet so deep that they become veritable fountains of life throughout all our spiritual journey. One such passage is the 15th of John, the "True Vine" passage.

How do I keep from 'jumping on my homiletical horse and riding off in all directions?' I want to be exceedingly simple:

I. JESUS CAME TO LIVE WITH US

The essence of the Gospel story is, first, that Jesus came. Jesus was God made flesh, living among us. He only lived here 33 years. He was the eternal Son of God. But he became flesh.
John 1:14 says "The word was made flesh and dwelt among us." We beheld His glory, full of grace and truth. Jesus still identifies with us.
There has been a commitment on God's part. The eternal love of God has been expressed.
1. Jesus came as God's SACRAMENTAL MIRACLE: (A sacrament is a visible sign that reveals spiritual truth)
  1. Jesus reveals to us the invisible God; through Him we come to know God.
  2. Jesus also shows us what humanity is supposed to be. The image of God in which we were created, marred in the separation of sin, is revealed to us in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
2. JESUS FOREVER IDENTIFIES WITH YOU AND ME
  1. The word does not say, "He was flesh" (fruit) which would say that for a while Jesus was flesh as He dwelt among us, but now He has discarded that aspect of His being. No, the word is "He was made flesh" (factus est).
    Hebrews 2:16 says: "(Jesus) took on Him (or assumed) the true human nature."
  2. All the creeds tell us that Jesus Christ is very God, very man.
  3. This permanent identification speaks to us of the NATURE OF FAITH. First of all, the faith God has in His Son to make us like Himself. It says that there is AN ABIDING QUALITY in faith! God came to LIVE with us!
    [But the Gospel story is not just a "One-Way Street:"]

II. JESUS CAME SO THAT WE COULD COME TO LIVE WITH HIM

Right Here, Right Now
We think of this "Coming to live with God" as at some distant time in the future. [And I'm sure "then" will be wonderful.] But Jesus taught that eternal life, God's quality of life, begins when we receive HIM!
Just as He took our flesh, Jesus has made provision for us to receive His divine life, not in the distant future, after we die, but right here in this difficult, imperfect world of NOW!
Just as God came to live with us, God expects us to live with Him!
1. There is to be a permanence about the relationship we have with God. "Abide" "Remain!" "Be 'at home' in Me!"
  Life in Christ must be much more than a moment of decision. No conversion, in and of itself, can make Jesus a life-long friend.
2. Friendships are the work of a lifetime! Real, genuine friendships grow. Loyalty are the soil in which they grow. Everything of lasting importance comes from this "abiding relationship!"
Jesus Tells Us 'How'
Jesus sums up the things that make for this mutual sharing of life:
1. Dependence on God. This opposes what the popular philosophies of life say: "Do YOUR OWN thing!"
  But Jesus says, "Without ME you can do NOTHING!"
  You cannot find a place in life that will really count for time and for eternity! You cannot make your marriage what it really ought to be! You cannot successfully rear your children! You cannot live and cannot die with confidence!
2. Fellowship in LOVE.
3. Prayer that is in Jesus' name:
  1. the discipline of prayer (Matthew 7:7 "Ask and keep on asking!")
  2. the focus of prayer (unlimited power/limited scope) (John 15:7 "Whatever you ask - IN MY NAME!"
  3. the result of prayer - fruit
4. The Presence of God in our lives! The Comforter!

III. THE WORLD WILL SEE JESUS AS WE ABIDE IN HIM

[Our entire lives become "sacramental:"]

Just as Jesus makes God "real" to us, we are to make God real to each other and to the world! (What does it mean, "sacramental living?")
1. We know the two sacraments of the church: baptism/water; Eucharist/wine bread— and the different "sacramental religious things"— preaching, gathering together in God's house; obedience revealing God's sovereignty...
2. But ABIDING — living together in Christ— potentially makes ALL our lives sacramental! If we abide in Christ as branches in the True Vine, then His life reaches into all aspects of our living.
Sacramental living is LOVING as Christ loves:
1. No transforming relationship can be "cold" and "objective". People are NOT "objects." We cannot "zap them with the gospel" and then leave. Like Jesus, we must commit to BEING a message, not just 'SAYING' A MESSAGE, and staying with the people God to whom sends us. The message is always LOVE! Not some sort of goofy-dust magic we sprinkle and then run back to our ghetto.
2. Our "much fruit" may never be recognized as "great" except by God. But God knows! Mordecai Hamm won Billy Graham; one farmer and his wife sponsored a revival that won Roy T. Williams; Jim Fox discipled a teenager in his church in New Philadelphia, Ohio, named Randy Davies.
  It may be that you will do something spectacular; chances are you may not— but what you do, if you abide in the True Vine, will have eternal significance.
3. You will save your loved ones!
  And nothing you ever do will be more important than your faithful witness to the ones nearest and dearest to you. If you go out and become world-famous, and have thousands in your cathedral of the day after tomorrow, and you lose your loved ones, you are a loser!

Conclusion:

The most wonderful thing about this is that the burden of growth and fruit and success are not on us!

THIS WHOLE WONDERFUL THING IS GOD'S IDEA! (15:16)

YOU have not chosen ME— this is NOT YOUR "TEAM"

I AM ! I have chosen YOU

We have a God of loving-kindness. A God of tender mercy. A God whose joy is making His children happy. He doesn't make us happy by giving us what we think we need.

[Exhortation:] —- When we make our life's highest goal "being happy" we are certain never to arrive. But when we understand the love of God, to that extent we have already arrived, even though we never arrive! The joy is in the journey!

Jesus Christ by His Spirit living in you and me, and people just like us in every race, tribe and nation, is the only hope of this world!

We must take Jesus into the work-place. We are training our young people to be "successes;" but are we defining "success" as Jesus does?

Jesus must have access to every part of our home life: Here is where the battle will be won or lost for our children!

The marriage relationship reflects the love of Christ and His church. The parent-child relationship reflects the relationship of God to His children. The brother-sister relationship reflects the fellowship of the Trinity.

—-

Multiplied over and over again, the life of Jesus in His church is more powerful than any other force on earth!

We are not responsible to change the entire world all by ourselves. To make God visible in this world is too big an assignment for us alone; but we can begin by inviting Christ into our lives, and then by letting God's love be seen in the relation ships where we are.

Prayer

#84 (EH)

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me;
All His wonderful passion and purity.
Oh, Thou Spirit divine,
All my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.