BECOMING JUICY FRUIT CHRISTIANS
INTRO JUICY FRUIT: Juicy Fruit is the #1 fruit gum brand in the U.S., and is the number one chewing gum with kids.
JUICY FRUIT JINGLE:
Give a pack of Juicy Fruit gum to whoever can quote it!
"Get your friends fired up, Grab a stick of Juicy Fruit, The taste is gonna move ya
Take a sniff, pull it out, The taste is gonna move ya when you pop it in your mouth
Juicy Fruit - it’s gonna move ya, It’s got a taste that gets right through ya
Juicy Fruit - the taste, the taste, the taste is gonna move ya."
READ KEY TEXT:
“1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:1-11).
TWO KINDS OF BRANCHES:
Those who abide in Jesus: Juicy Fruit Christians (the fruit of the Spirit)
Those who don’t abide in Jesus: Deadwood Dry Branch Peanut Brittle Christians!
I. THE DEADWOOD DRY BRANCH PEANUT BRITTLE CHRISTIANS:
- Do not abide in Jesus
- Do not bear fruit
- Can do nothing - of lasting value or consequence in the Kingdom
- Withered - ‘peanut brittle Christians’ - they break easily, easily offended & angered!
- Instead of the fruit of the Spirit, their fruit is: hateful, miserable & depressed, fighting, worried, impatient, mean & hurtful, do bad things, unfaithful, gruff & rough and out of control!
- You don’t want to be around these kind of Christians!
Ultimate Result: Are cast out, thrown into the fire and burned (what does THAT mean?)
Challenge: You don’t want to be a deadwood dry branch peanut brittle Christian!
II. JUICY FRUIT CHRISTIANS:
1. ABIDE IN JESUS: (spend time w/Him in prayer & worship)
- Result of Abiding in Jesus: Bear Juicy Fruit (the fruit of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22-23)
- Get pruned (cut back the dead stuff that hinders us - what needs pruning in your life?)
- Result of Pruning: Bear More Fruit (What is the pruning knife? v.3 says the Word!)
2. ABIDE IN THE WORD: (spend time reading & meditating on the Bible)
Result of Abiding in the Word:
(a) receive answers to prayers;
(b) God is glorified
3. ABIDE IN HIS LOVE: (spend time soaking & receiving His love)
ABIDING ILLUSTRATED:
- Marinating - sweet & juicy pickles versus boring cucumbers!
- My wife Liza marinates a ham in orange juice and how sweet & juicy it gets!
- Paul prayed, “May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.” (Eph. 1:17).
- How do we abide in His Love? Keep His commandments
Result of Abiding in Jesus, the Word & His Love: To have fullness of joy remain in us!
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:12-14).
CHALLENGE:
Let’s abide in Jesus, His Word, and His Love!
