1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,080 In the passage that we'll be looking at this morning, John 15 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:10,000 one through 11, you'll see many of the themes that John just 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,400 proclaimed to us in this charge. As I read this, it's a very 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,680 familiar text that's so rich in terms of the essence of what it 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,520 means to be a follower of Christ. 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,640 This passage takes place in the midst of Jesus farewell 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,160 discourse covered in the Gospel of John. 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,920 Again John 15 verse one. You can use the bulletin, but 9 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,760 you're going to need a Bible as well, so you might as well grab 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,760 the blue Pew Bible in front of you if you did not bring your 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,000 own. Verse 1 John 15 Jesus says I am 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,160 the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,000 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away. 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,680 In every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,440 more fruit. Already you are clean because of 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:56,960 the word that I have spoken to you. 17 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,320 Abide in me, and I and you. As the branch cannot bear fruit 18 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,720 by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless 19 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,840 you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the 20 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,280 branches. Whoever abides in me, and I and 21 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,480 him he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can 22 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,680 do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,840 He is thrown away like a branch and Withers, and the branches 24 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,880 are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 25 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,320 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you 26 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:28,000 wish, and it will be done for you. 27 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,400 By this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so 28 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,320 proved to be My disciples. As the Father has loved me, so 29 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:39,720 have I loved you. Abide in My love. 30 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,800 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,760 have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His 32 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,320 love. These things I've spoken to you, 33 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,200 that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 34 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,840 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,440 Please be seated. And Father, as we open up Your 36 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:06,240 word, we know that we cannot understand it, apply it, or live 37 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:10,400 it apart from Christ, apart from the illumination of the Holy 38 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:15,880 Spirit revealing to us this meaning and showing us where in 39 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,680 our lives you are at work. Oh, we praise you and ask of you 40 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,680 to do it once again. We know You will because You're 41 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,960 faithful to completing that which you have started. 42 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:34,440 We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. I'm going to focus this morning 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,080 with the time we have on verses one through 5. 44 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,440 We'll pick up again next week here and moving forward in the 45 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,840 farewell discourse, but I want to begin this way. 46 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,600 Turn with me once more in your bulletin back to Page 3. 47 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:58,360 About 40 minutes ago, Tommy stepped up and asked us this 48 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,880 question. What is the chief end of man? 49 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,200 This comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which is 50 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,840 something we often use to disciple our children to help 51 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,320 them understand who God is. Then the question, how do you 52 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,760 glorify God? These questions don't stop being 53 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,680 true and the answers being true when we hit a certain age. 54 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:27,760 Rob, your chief end every day for the rest of your life is to 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,440 bring God glory. It's to bring God glory as you 56 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:38,880 pastor and shepherd. Your chief end as a husband is 57 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,880 to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 58 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,600 Your chief end is a wife is to glorify God and enjoy Him 59 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,600 forever. Your chief end as a student is 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,880 to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 61 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,640 How do we do that? The confession tells us. 62 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,360 How do we glorify God? By loving Him and doing what He 63 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,720 commands. It's what I spoke on last week 64 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:09,040 from John 14, your chief end Christian, and this is who Jesus 65 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:14,280 is speaking to your chief in. And everything you do is to 66 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,079 glorify God and enjoy him forever. 67 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,480 And there's only one way you can do that, and that's what Jesus 68 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,880 is saying. If you want a proof text for 69 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,680 these two catechism questions, questions one and five, there is 70 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,000 no better proof text then what Jesus says in John 15/8. 71 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:40,840 By this my father is glorified that you and remember this is 72 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:43,680 those who are in Christ. This is who he's speaking to 73 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:50,600 that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 74 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,560 What an amazing verse. If you want proof as to whether 75 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,920 you're a disciple or not, it's not just in what you say, it's 76 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,960 in the fruit that is in your life. 77 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,360 And the reason why this matters is because every true disciple 78 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:11,600 of Jesus Christ bears fruit. Fruit is not optional. 79 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:15,320 Fruit is not something that happens for those luxury version 80 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,840 Christians, those more intentional Christians, those 81 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:23,480 more intense Christians. Fruit is the reality of a true 82 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,760 disciple of Jesus Christ says it. 83 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,000 It is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, so proving 84 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,800 to be my disciples. But how do we do that? 85 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:40,200 In a word, it's abide. Every one of our pastors and 86 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,840 actually every one of our staff in all the job descriptions that 87 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,560 our personnel committee has put together and that women and men 88 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:53,480 filled in their job description. The very first word is abide. 89 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,800 Why? Because of what Jesus says. 90 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,600 Apart from Him we can do nothing. 91 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:05,400 Let's go back to the top and verse one as Jesus called them 92 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,280 in to rise and they left from there. 93 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,920 He then says in verse one, I am the true vine and my father is 94 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,480 the vine dresser. What interesting language Jesus 95 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,480 is giving the last of his seven I am statements in the Gospel of 96 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,600 John. All of them are worth deep, deep 97 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,480 study and reflection. This is the last one he gives. 98 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:30,680 And as he's about to teach on the vine in the branches, he 99 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:36,120 says I am the true vine. He doesn't say I am a vine. 100 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:42,280 He doesn't say I am away. He says I'm the true vine and my 101 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:44,600 Father is the vine dresser. Why does that matter? 102 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,360 Here's why you need a Bible. From the beginning of Genesis to 103 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,280 the end. It's the same story. 104 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:55,680 It's the story of redemption. The Old Testament isn't just one 105 00:06:55,680 --> 00:07:00,080 part that when Christ then came, it's no longer relevant. 106 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,800 It's all pointing to Jesus at the beginning of Genesis, all 107 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,560 fulfilled at the end of Revelation with the promise of 108 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,120 what is to come. I want you to take your Bible 109 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:14,600 and I want you to turn to Isaiah and I want you to churn to 110 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,760 Isaiah 5. Israel, the chosen people of 111 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,480 God, was often referred to as the vine. 112 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,760 Israel, often even on coins, would have a vine that 113 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,760 represented who they were. There are so many passages that 114 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,120 speak to Israel being the vine. I want to read just a couple. 115 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,240 Begin with me at verse one of Isaiah 5. 116 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,920 Let me sing for my beloved, my love song concerning his 117 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,720 vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a 118 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,960 very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of 119 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,800 stones and planted with its choice vines. 120 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,280 He built the watchtower in the midst of it, and he hewed out a 121 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,080 wine VAT in it. And he looked for it to yield 122 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,920 grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 123 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,480 Verse 3. And now, O inhabitants of 124 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,520 Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, between me and my 125 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,160 vineyard, What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have 126 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,040 not done it? When I looked for it to yield 127 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,720 grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 128 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,880 Now turn over just a few, you know, a chunk of pages, I guess, 129 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:27,400 to the book of Jeremiah and go to chapter 2, verse 21. 130 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,920 Listen to how Jeremiah records what he was led to write. 131 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:37,840 Yet I planted you a choice vine wholly of pure seed. 132 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:42,159 How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild 133 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:43,720 vine? Now, if you're listening 134 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,480 closely, you're beginning to see something. 135 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:50,960 Whenever Israel is referenced as a vine, it moves into showing 136 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,040 their unfaithfulness, how they fell short. 137 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:01,480 To use the strong language from Jeremiah, you turned degenerate 138 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,760 and become a wild vine. It's not just the prophets that 139 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:11,080 hold this, but it's certainly true in Ezekiel 15, Ezekiel 19, 140 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:15,600 but also in the Psalms. Turn with me to Psalm 80 and go 141 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:22,840 with me to verse 10. Psalm 80, verse 10. 142 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:29,280 Actually, let's go to verse 7. Psalm 80, verse 7 says restore 143 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,440 us. O God of hosts, let your face 144 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:36,120 shine, that we may be saved. You brought a vine out of Egypt 145 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,720 again. That's the nation of Israel. 146 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,160 You drove out the nations and planted it. 147 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,400 You cleared the ground for it. It took deep root and filled the 148 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,680 land. The mountains were covered with 149 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:48,600 its shade, the mighty Cedars with its branches. 150 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,600 It sent out its branches to the sea, and it shoots to the river. 151 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,520 Why then have you broken down its walls so that all who pass 152 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:00,920 along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages 153 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,320 it and all that move in filled feed on it. 154 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:08,480 Turn again, O God of hosts, look down from heaven and see have 155 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:13,000 regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted and 156 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,520 for the Son whom you made strong for yourself. 157 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,520 This is important. We move back into the Old 158 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:25,960 Testament to understand why Jesus would say I am the true 159 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:32,640 vine because the original vine, the people of Israel living 160 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:36,360 under this image of the vine, we're not faithful. 161 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,720 Passage after passage of the Old Testament reveals this cycle of 162 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,160 sin, oppression, falling away from the Lord and then being 163 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,240 delivered. Here the psalmist is crying out 164 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,000 for that deliverance, and that deliverance is going to come, 165 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,680 but that deliverance is going to come through the 2nd Adam, whose 166 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:01,840 name is Jesus. And now, just hours before this 167 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:06,280 man goes to the cross to die for all of his people's sins, the 168 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,440 death we all deserve to die, he says to his disciples back in 169 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:16,760 John 15, I am the true vine. I am the true vine. 170 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:25,120 He's the one perfect, essential and enduring vine, before which 171 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:31,080 all other vines are a shadow. Just like Jesus was greater than 172 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,880 Moses, greater than the angels, Read Hebrews one. 173 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:38,360 Jesus is not just greater than the vine, He is the Grapevine. 174 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,840 He is the final vine. And here's what's amazing. 175 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:49,160 He, the vine, is in US. He, through His Spirit lives in 176 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:55,160 US, enabling us to do what brings the Father glory and that 177 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,000 is to bear much fruit. Jesus says I am the true vine, 178 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,240 and then he says my father is the vine dresser. 179 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,640 Notice how quickly in John's gospel, Jesus says something 180 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,280 about himself and then immediately moves to the Father. 181 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:14,840 It's because of that union. I am the true vine and my father 182 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,400 is the vine dresser. Now this message was meant to 183 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,280 bring deep encouragement to these disciples who were 184 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,040 struggling. My father is the vine dresser. 185 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,160 Verse 2. Every branch in me that does not 186 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,080 bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear 187 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,840 fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. 188 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,680 I want you to do something today, maybe every day this 189 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:40,040 summer. It might be helpful just as a 190 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,960 visual. Notice the crepe myrtles driving 191 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,280 down your block, driving down these streets. 192 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:52,040 Notice the beauty of the hot pink, the purple, the white, the 193 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,000 scarlet. These crepe myrtles that are 194 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,560 just in full bloom. They're gorgeous. 195 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,640 And remember that God created that tree. 196 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:04,200 The idea of it was his, but He also created every one of those 197 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,720 trees. They're gorgeous. 198 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,160 The very first tree I ever pruned was a crepe Myrtle. 199 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,960 For seven years in high school and college, I worked at a theme 200 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,000 park called Whitewater in Oklahoma City. 201 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,240 I wasn't a lifeguard, I was a landscaper. 202 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,600 I would arrive at 6:00 in the morning, stayed till 4:00 every 203 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,520 day except Saturday and Sunday. They spent millions of dollars 204 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,600 on their landscaping. And the horticulturist that I 205 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,560 worked for, his name was Ron Hinter, taught me how to prune a 206 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:37,120 tree and why you would prune a tree. 207 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:39,960 It's the first time I ever learned to do that. 208 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,440 Our father in this passage is called the vine dresser. 209 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,880 He is the master gardener and there's 2 words to describe what 210 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:50,840 he's doing. The first one really is to to 211 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,280 lift up. Vines are not meant to grow on 212 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,480 the ground like watermelons or pumpkins or squash. 213 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,000 Those that are on the ground, they're not going to produce 214 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,760 good fruits. So they are to be lifted up. 215 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,720 So see the very posture of the father in this. 216 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:11,760 He literally touches the vine. You can't prune from a distance, 217 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:16,160 and He lifts it up. The next word has to do with 218 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,360 pruning. It has to do with cutting, and 219 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:24,440 cutting is painful. But the Lord cuts because He 220 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,320 loves us. Jesus is offering these words of 221 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,360 encouragement to the disciples because they are going to be 222 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,640 pruned. They are going to be cared for 223 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,800 just as you and I are. To what end? 224 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:43,720 Verse 8. Once again, by this my Father is 225 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,600 glorified that you bear much fruit, and so proved to be my 226 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:52,880 disciples. Christians are meant to be 227 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:57,520 people abiding in Christ with lives that are producing 228 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,320 grapefruit. What is the fruit? 229 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,840 The fruit isn't the multiplication of more 230 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,880 Christians. That's certainly in play, but 231 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:10,520 it's not the primary focus. The fruit is that Christ like 232 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,840 character. It's the fruit of the Spirit in 233 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,880 Galatians 5. It's any passage that speaks of 234 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,360 the godliness that God has informed us that he wants us to 235 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:25,560 be about. And that fruit can exist in our 236 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:29,520 life. God has designed his children to 237 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:35,480 bear fruit, but it can only exist one way if we are abiding 238 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,560 in Jesus. That word used eight time in 239 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:43,360 this eight times in the short passage essentially says remain, 240 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:48,320 stay in you are his and it's through that abiding 241 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,960 relationship with Jesus that is a vital that word matters, vital 242 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:57,400 to our fruitfulness that we can bear fruit. 243 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:01,680 Verse 5, Jesus says I am the vine, you are the branches. 244 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,000 Whoever abides in me and I am him. 245 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:09,760 He it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do 246 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,960 nothing. Working at that same water park 247 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:19,280 for all those years, two years in they made me a team leader. 248 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:24,000 That was an honor that meant I went from 3:50 an hour to 375 an 249 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,400 hour. That's no lie. 250 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:32,360 Being the leader of a team, we often got assigned certain parts 251 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,080 of the park and we would be rewarded certain things if the 252 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,360 person of the park we were in charge of as well. 253 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,200 Late 1 spring, the landscape crews divided into two teams. 254 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:43,760 I LED one, another man LED another. 255 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:50,120 They gave us about $50,000 to establish a section of the park 256 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,640 and make it beautiful, including new bets. 257 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:57,480 The competition would be judged by horticulturist team and then 258 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,640 those that were on the winning team would receive a significant 259 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,360 gift. I had a team. 260 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,760 That team included some temporary workers that were just 261 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,000 kind of hired to be there as labor. 262 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,599 I had a design. The design was put in place. 263 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,880 One particular part of the bed was going to have a pine tree. 264 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,079 These pine trees have been purchased by the park many years 265 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:24,560 ago and actually planted. So in order for them to be moved 266 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,359 from the nursery area, they had to be dug up and brought to the 267 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,480 area and placed. You know what's required there? 268 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,600 You dig around the tree, you dig up the root ball, you carry all 269 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,480 that dirt and then you plant it. Then you water it in. 270 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,080 My bed. Looks spectacular. 271 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:45,400 No question it was going to win. The five days after we planted 272 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,240 it, just one or two days before the judgement, the pine tree 273 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:52,760 began to turn very brown. What was wrong? 274 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,640 We watered it well. What was wrong? 275 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,640 Well, it didn't take long to realize what was wrong. 276 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:03,600 The crew that I had sent to dig that ball around the tree didn't 277 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,520 bring the tree that way back to the bed. 278 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:11,000 Instead, they took a saw and like a Christmas tree, they cut 279 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:16,240 it off at the base and brought that to the bed and planted it. 280 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,280 You get it. I didn't win the competition. 281 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,400 It's silly that someone would think that that would work, that 282 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:34,120 that tree could live. It couldn't, and neither can we 283 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:40,160 spiritually bear fruit cut off from Christ. 284 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:45,360 You cannot bear fruit doing it on your own. 285 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,640 The only way you can bear fruit, and that's what the Father wants 286 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:54,360 in your life, believer, is by remaining in Christ. 287 00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:59,240 And if you're in Christ, he is going to do the work that's 288 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,280 necessary to cause you and to cause me to bear more fruit. 289 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,240 But that pruning is painful. So here's what I want you to do. 290 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:13,520 I want you to ask today and through this week, Holy Spirit, 291 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,040 where is the Father seeking to prune me? 292 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:23,600 Every one of us, every one of us, the sight of heaven until he 293 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,640 calls us home or returns, will have branches that need pruned. 294 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:33,000 And they're painful, often very painful. 295 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:38,600 Sometimes relationships need to end because they're bearing bad 296 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,920 fruit, they're dying. Sometimes we need to rethink the 297 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:47,600 priorities of our life. The Holy Spirit will have no 298 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:52,240 problem through the Word of God and His illumination, showing 299 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:57,320 you places where you need the Father to lift up, the vine, to 300 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,120 trim, to cut. Maybe it's gossip. 301 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,600 Maybe it's materialism, maybe it's greed. 302 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:10,520 Maybe it's pornography, maybe it's gluttony, maybe it's anger, 303 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,360 maybe there's twigs of bitterness all over you. 304 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:19,760 The Holy Spirit, illuminating the Word of God, tells us the 305 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,080 Father is eager to do that pruning work. 306 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,680 But for most of us, this is where we begin to live. 307 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:33,040 Like the individual who cut down the tree and planted it in good 308 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,000 soil. You can't do it on your own. 309 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:43,840 Abiding in Christ is the only way. 310 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:49,400 And this is what Christ has come to do. 311 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:58,120 This is what the Father desires. Much, much, much, much fruit in 312 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:02,400 your lives. So pay attention to all that's 313 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,320 blooming around you. Think about the God who made 314 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:11,000 that, and then think about the God who made that, giving us 315 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:18,840 everything we need that we could bear fruit in Christ that is so 316 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:24,040 much more beautiful and awe inspiring than even that which 317 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,320 He has physically made. Friend, take seriously this 318 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,440 challenge and know that the Lord brings it to you because He 319 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:36,520 loves you. We'll pick up in the same spot 320 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,960 next week. Father in heaven, you're Tinder, 321 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:47,600 you're just, you're loving, You're full of mercy and grace 322 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,920 and truth. And Lord, we need you to do this 323 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:56,840 work in our lives. Lift us, O Lord, prune us, 324 00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,160 transform us. Help us to remember that the 325 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:05,080 thing that we've been made for, to bring you glory and the fruit 326 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,800 that's in our lives, you have enabled the only way it can 327 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,200 happen. We praise you for this in Jesus 328 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,680 name, Amen.