Did you notice and really comprehended the words of the songs we sang earlier? All these songs dealt with seeking and longing to touch and to connect and be used by and with Jesus. Do we long to be with Him? To we seek to be connected with the Almighty? Do we really have power to live the life the God has called us to Live? Or do we muddle along and just get by?
I’m going to deviate from the our focal passage for a few minutes and relate another Bible story.
Matthew 9:20–22 (NKJV) And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Here is Jesus, on his way to heal a the little daughter of one of the local rulers. The crowd was pressing in all around Jesus. Yet this woman, pressed through, and touched Jesus’ garment, and she was healed. The crowd was all around Jesus, yet this woman was the only one who connected with Jesus.
Why did you come to church today? Connect with friends? Someone made you or shamed you into coming. Out of obligation? Out of habit? Perhaps, because we are in the park today, Maybe you came out of curiosity? Or perhaps you came to connect with Jesus.
Often in church we crowd around Jesus. We hob nob with Him. We study about Him, talk about Jesus. We connect with others that are doing the same. But only few actually reach though the crowd and touch Him. What does it mean to connect with Jesus? What does mean to be plugged in?
3 types of Christians in the Church: I have seen myself in all three at one time or another.
1. The do nothing Christian -The Sunday School director/ Nominating Committee Chairman will often ask, “ Can you serve as Sunday School Teacher, Youth Leader, We need someone to work with children, etc. ?” The common response: “ I’ll have to pray about it” (Standard Baptist answer to everything). or, God has not given me the gift of teaching;” “I’m not sure God is leading me in this direction.” "I’m waiting for God to open just the right door." Do Nothing Christians have an excuse for everything
2. Hard worker Christian, Does a lot but accomplish little or nothing. They are there every time the door opens, on every committee, on the verge of burn out. Often these folks do burn out, drop out, and disappear - become inactive. What happened? Nothing more pitiful than a burned out powerless Christian.
3. Blessed Christian: You know of those in the church who it seems God blesses everything they do. They have boundless energy. Ministries flourish in their hands. What is their secret? Let’s look at our focal passage today.
John 15:1–2 (NKJV) “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.
John is the most Jewish – draws heavily on OT imagery. The OT Picture – Israel was the vine – but was unfruitful.
Think about it – you’re a farmer, you work hard planting, weeding, watering – you expect to see some fruit! What are you going to do? Un-productive branches you get rid of. Fruitful branches you prune. Verse 2 - prune; An interesting word here in the Greek – "kathairo" – means to clean - the same word in used in verse 3 for clean. How does Jesus clean? – with the WORD.
John 15:3 (NKJV) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
How about the branches that don’t produce fruit? He takes away, verse 6 says the cast out branches that are gathered and thrown into the fire. So how does a branch produce fruit? Key Word in today’s passage is ABIDE - some translation have "remain." The Greek word is - "meno." Used 40 times in John, 10 times in verses 1-11. Can be translated: To Stay, Remain, Dwell in, or Live in.
John 15:4 (NKJV) 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.
Get the picture - How are we producing fruit? By being plugged in to our source of life? Or doing it ourselves? What happens to a branch the is not connected to the vine? It dies. Now Just so you don’t misunderstand – Jesus repeats it:
John 15:5 (NKJV) “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.
Got your score card? Do you know who is who in this verse? HE-JESUS- IS THE VINE - and we are not. We are the branches. We are not living for the vine, The vine is living through us. Throughout the Bible – how does God accomplishes His purposes? Through His people!
If we are plugged in – we bear much fruit.
Now look at verse 6 – we must pay care attention here.
John 15:6 (NKJV) 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.
A Branch has but one purpose. Bearing fruit. A branch from a grape vine is no good apart from the vine: You can’t make furniture; It’s no good for heating or as fuel; It’s not even good firewood. It must be gotten rid of.
Commentators disagree who the branch is. Let’s examine who this branch can be construed to be:
An unfruitful Christian. Like David – after his sin with Bathsheba, nothing was ever the same. He lost his witness – he stopped being fruitful.
We have many like that. Sin in the life of a Christian will destroy a witness - will destroy a ministry. People will burn with fire any works of these believers. Even atheists today will point back to David and make foul comments about God on account of him.
A Pretend Christian – Judas was a pretend Christian. Someone who professes to be a Christian and is not. Just because a person “walked the aisle, shook the pastor’s hand and said "the prayer" doesn’t mean they are saved. If there is no repentance: We substitute repentance with: Doing God a favor by showing up on Sunday; or putting a big bill in the offering plate thinking God owes them one. They walk away deceiving themselves. Fire and being burned up are obvious Biblical metaphors for judgment.
So what does it mean to abide?
John 15:7 (NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Abide - Note that Jesus in you and Jesus’ word in you is the same thing. With His word in us – we ask for His will. How often do we pray the prayer: “Thy will be done – in earth as it is in heaven?” How is God’s will accomplished in Heaven? It is done Immediately, Completely, and Joyfully.
We abiding by living with Jesus’ word in us.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the WORD.
How often are you in the Word, inputting inside of you? And if the Word is inside, are you living it out? If you are abiding – you are having a successful prayer life. Your prayers are being answered. And verse 8 God is being glorified!
John 15:8–9 (NKJV) 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.
Wow what better motivation do we have to abide in Jesus
How much does God love Jesus? That’s how much He loves us!!! There is an old song I learned as a child, it’s truth is so simple yet deep, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” So what does it take to abide in Jesus’ love?
John 15:10 (NKJV) 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.
Obedience is the key. Another great hymn with eternal truths: "Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and Obey." Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything that He has not done. Jesus obeyed the Father, even to the point of death on a cross.
John 14:15 (NKJV) “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
We often do our own thing and we excuse ourselves by saying God knows my heart. He sure does. And that is a scary thought. Why do we abide? For the Joy of it.
John 15:11 (NKJV) “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Several points I want to leave you with Today:
First: How is your walk with Jesus? Are you close friends with Jesus or just an occasional acquaintance?
Second: All the church work in the world will not save you. If you don’t have Jesus as your Lord and savior, all your work is for not. Church membership does not save you either. Are you saved? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you need to plug back in?
Or
Do you need to Plug in for the first time?
Do you like the woman in the crowd, do you need to really reach out and touch Jesus. Do you desire a real connection with Him?
If you have experience powerlessness in your Christian walk, can you can reach through the crowd and touch Him? Perhaps you are saying, “All week I swim in the sleaze and slime at work and in the world, and I need a spiritual bath. I need to get lifted out of the mess that's poisoning my soul. I need to reach out and touch Jesus and be healed.
