Remaining in Christ
John 15:1-8
April 1, 2001
Morning Service
Introduction
In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine under glass; it is about 1,000 years old and has but one root which is at least two feet thick. Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they bear much fruit because they are joined to the vine and allow the life of the vine to flow through them.
The same is true of the true vine –Jesus Christ
The vitality of our spiritual lives depends entirely on our connection with the vine. The question you must answer is this: are you connected with Christ enough to produce good spiritual fruit?
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Background
Jesus delivers this teaching just after the last supper. As Jesus says these words He was facing death and the collapse of His core leaders. One disciple was preparing to betray Him. One disciple was going to deny Him three times to save his own neck. The rest of the disciples were going to flee.
I. The Positioning Stage
A. The meaning of remain
1. The Greek word for remain literally means to dwell or to stay. This conveys the implication of being in a fixed state or continuing in the same position
2. The concept of permanent address
B. The reasons to remain
1. Jesus remains in you
a.) Verse 4 – Remain in me and I remain in you
b.) The result is that we are united with Christ
2. The reward of fruitfulness
You are rewarded for being in Christ by bearing fruit
3. The result of no fruit
II. The Pruning Stage
A. The Peach Tree
1. The state of the tree
a.) The tree had grown big and leafy. It looked really great. The tree had lots of fruit but they were all small and had no flavor
b.) The husband went and pruned the tree so far back that his wife thought he had killed it
2. The spring results
a.) In the spring the tree had beautiful blossoms all over it and small fruit appeared. A lot of fruit
b.) The husband went to the tree again and started to thin out the fruit that was on the tree.
3. The end of summer
a.) The tree was loaded down with fruit that the branches had to be propped up
b.) The peaches were the best the tree had ever produced
God wants the same for your life – He prunes areas of your life to make you more fruitful
B. The reality of pruning
1. Fruitful branches are pruned
a.) The image of the vine
1.) Branches will have bad spots, misdirected shoots and discolored leaves
2.) All of these things need to be removed for the branch to become fruitful
b.) The life of Christians
1.) We all have bad spots in our lives that limit our walk with Christ
2.) We all have aspects of our walk that are misdirected
3.) We all have areas of our walk that are discolored
c.) Possible areas for pruning
1.) Attitude
2.) Passion
3.) Commitment level
4.) Relationships
5.) Service
6.) Motives
2. The purpose of pruning
a.) There is only one purpose in pruning
b.) Pruning happens not to punish, not to harm, not to damage. Pruning is to make the branch more fruitful
III. The Production Stage
A. The failure to bear fruit
1. The nature of a fruitless branch
a.) These branches are attached to the vine. Just as there are Christians that lack commitment to serve
b.) These branches are not in right relationship with the vine. Just as there are Christians who are not in right relationship with Christ
c.) These branches are not genuine and do not bear fruit. Just as there are Christians who are in the habit of playing church
2. The point made here is that Christians are expected to bear fruit. Christ fully expects you to live in such a way as to bear much fruit for the kingdom
B. The process of bearing fruit
1. The progression – the fruitfulness cycle
a.) No fruit
b.) Some fruit
c.) More fruit
d.) Much fruit
2. No two branches bear the same amount of fruit. The same is true of Christians. Not all Christians are 100 percent fruit bearers. Fruitfulness is directly related to maturity
3. You have to give 100 percent to Christ in order to bear 100 percent fruit
Conclusion
Benjamin Franklin learned that plaster sown in the fields would make things grow. He told his neighbors, but they did not believe him and they argued with him trying to prove that plaster could be of no use at all to grass or grain.
After a little while he allowed the matter to drop and said no more about it. But he went into the field early the next spring and sowed some grain. Close by the path, where men would walk, he traced some letters with his finger and put plaster into them and then sowed his seed in the field.
After a week or two the seed sprang up. His neighbors, as they passed that way, were very much surprised to see, in brighter green than all the rest of the field, the writing in large letters, "This has been plastered." Benjamin Franklin did not need to argue with his neighbors any more about the benefit of plaster for the fields. For as the season went on and the grain grew, these bright green letters just rose up above all the rest until they were a kind of relief-plate in the field -- "This has been plastered."
There are two types of Christians
1. The fruitful
2. The unfruitful
How do you live a life of fruitfulness?
1. You must first be connected to the vine
2. You must have the desire to go deeper in relationship with Christ
What does it take to become fruitful in Christ?
1. You need to walk in open confession with God. Every effort is made to live life without sin – Does this mean that you become perfect? Does this mean that you never sin again? No. It means that you confess sin in your life as God reveals it to you
2. You need to walk in fellowship with Christ. This requires a growing, day to day, relationship with Him
3. You need to walk in fellowship with the church. This is literally to be an active participant in the life of the church. More than just being here on Sunday morning
4. You need to walk in fellowship with other Christians. You are to conduct yourself in unity and love with fellow Christians
5. You need to walk in confidence. Spiritual confidence comes from assurance of salvation and eternity in heaven
6. You need to walk with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
