1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:05,040 I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:11,320 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:16,840 every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,080 more fruit. Already you are clean because of 5 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:22,840 the word that I have spoken to you. 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:30,320 Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit by 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:35,720 itself unless it abides in the vine, and neither can you unless 8 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,200 you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the 9 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,640 branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:47,480 him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can 11 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:50,560 do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,760 he's thrown away like a branch and Withers, and the branches 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,360 are gathered, thrown into the fire and burn. 14 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,720 If you abide in Me and My words, abide in you, ask whatever you 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,840 wish, and it will be done for you. 16 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:10,480 By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and and 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:17,080 so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so 18 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:22,040 have I loved you. Abide in My love. 19 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,400 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,720 I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in His 21 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,880 love. These things I've spoken to you, 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:40,160 that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 23 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,480 This is the word of the Lord. Please be seated. 24 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,480 As we know, this is a significant part of the Gospel 25 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,200 of John starting from chapter 13 on through 18. 26 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,080 These are gems that are not in the other gospels. 27 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,880 The incredible passion and love of the Lord of the universe 28 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:16,600 stooping down on his knees with a water basin and a towel and 29 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:23,120 and washing his disciples feet in chapter 13, the way he has 30 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,480 instituted the Lord's Supper in the middle of the Passover meal, 31 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:32,360 all these details. It is a full incredible moment. 32 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:39,240 Already they have the disciples and us have benefited from this 33 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,200 profound teaching and demonstrations of his love. 34 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:49,880 This is last words, kind of kind of poignant severity of what is 35 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,560 about to happen, which they are not aware of, right? 36 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,720 The disciples. And so Jesus is loving them to 37 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,800 the end. It is intimate, it is 38 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:06,040 relational, and it is intense. And so here he is in this part 39 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:13,680 of of this incredible set of passages that we know are all 40 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:18,720 flowing together in one stream in one moment, so pregnant with 41 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,640 meaning and not ever to be dismissed. 42 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:30,600 And as he engages in the very first verse, he completes that 43 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:36,680 the 7th and final I am statement by saying I am the true Vine and 44 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:42,640 my father is the vine dresser. These I am statements just ring 45 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,680 of truth. They know that goes right back 46 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:49,400 to Exodus when when the Lord God himself on the mountain said I 47 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:56,360 am that I am and and here he is completing the 7th I am 48 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,480 statement. The other six are I'm the bread 49 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,640 of life, I'm the light of the world, I'm the door of the 50 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,400 sheep. I am the resurrection and the 51 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,880 life. I am the Good Shepherd. 52 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,160 I am the way, the truth and the life, and then here I am the 53 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,920 true vine. And he's diving in to really 54 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:22,360 what he's picked up already from the previous chapter in 14, this 55 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:27,960 relationship that we all are embracing as a total mystery. 56 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,920 How is the Trinity to be? How do we understand that Jesus 57 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,200 is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus and that we are in 58 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,960 Jesus? How do we grasp at this? 59 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,480 And he gives us this metaphor of vine and branches and helps us 60 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,680 to understand this relational way that we are to live. 61 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,280 The this passage is truly baked into the discipleship DNA of 62 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:58,640 Park City's Presbyterian Church. It is woven in different places 63 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,280 and you see vining branches and all. 64 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,280 For 30 years it's been that way, and it's incredible. 65 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:10,160 And you would think we would be experts in this chapter, but we 66 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,320 are just learning more and more, are we not? 67 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,800 Just the depth, the intimacy of what is transpiring here. 68 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:24,720 So it's amazing if we slow down and we think about a a metaphor 69 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:30,800 that meant a lot to the first hearers of this and even the 70 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,000 first early church because they understood this. 71 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:38,600 But we not very many of us are farmers, we're not in 72 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,280 agriculture. We are a very high tech society 73 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,640 and we are very much based in information and in technology 74 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,800 and not growing things. And so here is this botanical 75 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,560 profound insight. So it's just good to slow down 76 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,960 and kind of think about what it is we're taking in. 77 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,040 So we've got vine and branches. We've got the vine dresser being 78 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,960 our God the Father, and then Jesus has the true vine. 79 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,920 And then the branches are divided into groups, right? 80 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,640 I mean, what I want to do is just hit a few highlights of 81 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,280 this and pull out a few meanings rather and talk about now what, 82 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,160 how does this impact us? And so as we think about buying 83 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,160 in branches, we know that there's two sets, right? 84 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,000 We've got the the ones, the vines, the branches that are 85 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,280 going to bear fruit and that he will prune and then the ones 86 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:33,320 that don't and they will throw into the fire. 87 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:39,800 And it's and it is, it is a it is an interesting and and 88 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,040 unnerving a little bit. Where are we in that order? 89 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,080 Which vine, which branch are we in? 90 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,840 Are we connected or not? And this metaphor, it all is 91 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:54,440 leading to fruit is producing fruit, right? 92 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,840 That is the purpose. That is the purpose of all of it 93 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:01,360 is that these vines, we do not have vineyards just for beauty, 94 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,640 right? It is is produce the fruit and 95 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,320 so how do they do that and what is that? 96 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,560 Well, it takes very careful, meticulous work. 97 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,760 It's it's done by hand and it is it is done in here falling 98 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,560 metaphor in love. But the fruit should be Christ 99 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,800 like character. We can think about the fruit of 100 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,800 the spirit of Galatians 5. The fruit should also be 101 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,720 obedience. The fruit should also have an 102 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,880 impact on our prayer life. As we see that, we can ask 103 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,280 anything and we know He'll do it as we are abiding. 104 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,760 And then the fruit should be the impact on others, be it through 105 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,960 evangelism, living the gospel, using our words for the gospel, 106 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,480 demonstrating it, and discipline. 107 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:55,320 Do you know in this body every single one of you just about 108 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,720 could reach out and minister to someone younger than you and 109 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:07,200 make huge difference and what you think about who you pouring 110 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:14,440 into do you is there fruit of your ministry by of abiding of 111 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,240 our of our main relational life in Christ. 112 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,960 So it's visible. The fruit is is is known. 113 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,680 It's not hidden and it's all of life. 114 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,400 Everything's connected right. We're all it's this whole thing 115 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,480 is not we're not producing widgets. 116 00:08:34,799 --> 00:08:39,240 Our lives are being changed as Christ is in US and he is 117 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,360 demonstrating the whole relational with father as his 118 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:48,480 father and then now in US. And so this all points to this 119 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:55,080 abiding love and we think about how significant the fruit of 120 00:08:55,080 --> 00:09:00,160 love is when you think about just since in chapter 13, there 121 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:09,040 are probably 10 key verbally explicit and also demonstrative 122 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,160 ways that Jesus is loving the disciples. 123 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,600 You think about it in 13-1 he got having loved his own who 124 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,160 were in the world. He loved them to the end and 125 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,200 then a new command I give you love one another and 15/9 is the 126 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,040 Father's loved me. So I've loved you. 127 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,320 My command is this love one another. 128 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,280 No greater love is this than to lay down your life for your 129 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,720 friends. I have called you my friends 130 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,520 though, as the Father has loved me. 131 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,000 Now I'm loving you. This love, love, love, love, 132 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,160 love, agape, agape, gape. A lot of abiding and a lot of 133 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,920 agape of unconditional love pouring out. 134 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:54,520 It is the most visible, incredible part of all this, 135 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,800 just woven through there in his humility, Christ is 136 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,600 demonstrating what it means to abide with the Father. 137 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:08,680 And then he's giving us the road map of how we ought to live in 138 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:11,680 love. And this is not wimpy, Pansy 139 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:14,680 love. This is pulled, humble, 140 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:17,960 powerful, transformational love. You know this. 141 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:20,680 Many of you have experienced this. 142 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:26,040 And this abiding is not something we do for one hour on 143 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,680 Sunday. We know it's perpetual, it's 144 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:33,120 ongoing, it's deepening, it's producing, pruning, producing 145 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,560 and pruning and it's continually going on. 146 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,840 What season are you in right now? 147 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:43,720 Are you being pruned or are you? Is fruit being produced in you? 148 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,520 Because we're all going in through different seasons of 149 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:53,600 this, different challenges each row, we could testify to what is 150 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,640 going on inside your own soul that maybe no one else knows. 151 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:04,920 Is the Lord pruning you in love? Is he producing fruit? 152 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,240 That is incredible. We should celebrate. 153 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:14,000 So the goal of all this, the goal is to produce fruit and 154 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,880 it's again, it's not like our goal is not to climb Everest or 155 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:22,680 win the Olympics here. The goal is to absolutely embody 156 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:27,400 Christ's love and produce that fruit of the Spirit in us, the 157 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,840 fruit of ministry and the fruit of an effective prayer life. 158 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:37,960 So pruning is necessary. We need pruning and every vine 159 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,800 grower as the as the vine dresser, the farmer, the 160 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,360 gardener, depending on what version you have, he will have 161 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,720 that careful tender process. You cannot do this by robots, 162 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,000 cannot do this by AI, you cannot do this by machine. 163 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,240 You have to do it individually and go and prune the leaves, 164 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:03,200 taking the branches, lifting up the the the fruit so that the 165 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,760 prune will help the wheat branches be strengthened and 166 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,920 that that every connection allows the fruit of the vine to 167 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,360 flow. This is our lives, right? 168 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:18,720 This is how we go in and out with the Lord. 169 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,040 The Lord is working inside of us to that end. 170 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:26,960 How do we to handle and think about those branches that the 171 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,600 Lord takes and throws into the fire? 172 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,360 How do we understand that? Well, we have great confidence 173 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,520 in our reformed theology to know that Lord, the Lord's 174 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:43,320 irresistible grace, he has died for his chosen ones. 175 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,280 And because of that, we know that if we're in him, we cannot 176 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,640 lose faith. Some people have used a passage 177 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,800 like this to talk about losing salvation, which is not correct. 178 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:56,520 And we know this. You're the 8 O clock crowd, you 179 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:01,920 know, So we got this. But the reality is, is that a 180 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,160 great scholar, Leon Morris, points out that there's a little 181 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:10,320 bit of a Greek composition here that shows that it at the 182 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,840 outset, probably those branches were never in, never connected, 183 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,120 never having the SAP go through them. 184 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:20,920 And the direct connect is probably someone like Judas who 185 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,400 is never in Christ. So that branch is broken off and 186 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:29,200 thrown into the fire. And so the others who may be 187 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,480 church attenders or whatnot, but we're never and never showing 188 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:36,080 any fruit. And I think that's probably the 189 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:41,240 main thing is that there's explicitly no evidence over time 190 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,600 of any fruit whatsoever. And so that makes it more 191 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:48,400 helpful for us to understand what's happening here. 192 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,760 But the focus is really not of the branches being thrown away, 193 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:57,800 but on the taking care of the branches and pruning them and, 194 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,080 and preparing them to bear more fruit. 195 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:05,040 That is the focus. That is the then the whole point 196 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:11,160 of this and so that none of us can do this on our own. 197 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,960 Jesus is trying to tell the disciples do not believe in your 198 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,720 own independent way of doing this. 199 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,960 You have to depend on me. Verse 5 makes that explicitly 200 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,120 clear, does it not apart from me, you can do nothing. 201 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:31,920 So we know that and Amen indeed, because we we are especially in 202 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,920 Dallas, we're like, we can do this, you know, on our own 203 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,760 strength and it is easy sometimes there are a lot of 204 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:43,040 gifted people with incredible skills and deep resources and we 205 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,560 can make things happen on our own. 206 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,960 But they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. 207 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:52,200 They'll mount up like wings, like eagles. 208 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,040 They'll run and not go weary, walk and not go faint. 209 00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,440 We must find ourselves dependent on the Lord and waiting for the 210 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,800 Lord and that posture of abiding. 211 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,240 So just to think about abiding a little bit, what is it? 212 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,600 What does that really mean? Abide, abide, abide. 213 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,280 We talk about this all the time. Do not hear the word abide at 214 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,920 least once a week at Park Cities Presbyterian Church. 215 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,000 It's awesome. We need to keep it reminding 216 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,240 each other. Abide, abide. 217 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,400 Do you know that abiding is actually in mine and Pete's job 218 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:28,080 description? We must abide as a part of our 219 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,720 job. How awesome is that? 220 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,160 That is what all of us. It's really in all of our job 221 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,320 descriptions of life. But to remain, to stay where we 222 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,680 are, to continually to remain dependent, to build our home in 223 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:48,600 him, to stay connected to him, to slow down and listen to him. 224 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:54,360 We're remaining so that we hear him, we know him, we're embedded 225 00:15:54,360 --> 00:16:00,600 in him, we are positionally in Christ, but we know that we can 226 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,160 drift and forget, lose our hearing, all of a sudden run 227 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:08,040 into independence, and all we have to do is just turn right 228 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:13,080 back, to simply begin again. That is why the liturgy is so 229 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,880 helpful, is it not? We always have confession. 230 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,840 We always have a clear assurance of pardon and forgiveness 231 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,760 because if it's just one prayer away, 1 acknowledgement, I 232 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,280 cannot do this. I need you, Jesus. 233 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:35,040 So this is what Jesus does. Jesus makes this incredibly 234 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:40,000 poignant, and he reminds us that remaining in him is not just 235 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,160 passivity. There is rest in remaining in 236 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,200 Him and it's not like we're storing up and then like a 237 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,160 battery and charged up and then we go run on our own way and 238 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,320 then come back and re plug in. But it's continual, it's 239 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,960 flowing, it's organic, it's botanical, it is showing this 240 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,920 vine and the branch reality. So dependent, ongoing, one 241 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:08,119 source for our life in Christ. This is what the discipleship is 242 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,599 with the Lord and this is what why he's trying to tell them 243 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:15,960 this because he is just hours away from going to the cross 244 00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:20,680 knowing what is happening here. What's incredible about abiding 245 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,880 is the reciprocal reality of what's happening here. 246 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:28,880 So just track again, it's if we think of it as abiding, it's 247 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,840 like I got a pony up. I've got to pull myself up. 248 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,480 I've got to abide, I've got to make this happen. 249 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,400 We're missing this whole reciprocal of Christ and us and 250 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,960 we in Christ. So be encouraged by that. 251 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:46,560 The best part of it is that if if it's just us trying to obey, 252 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,880 then we're missing the point of abiding that he is working in 253 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,160 US, whoever abides in me and I in him. 254 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:00,720 So each of us are experiencing as we slow down and receive what 255 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:05,400 Christ has for us. We're able to abide as a result 256 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:10,640 of Him in US and we in Him. So it's not grappling up to try 257 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,240 to get it and earn it. We already have it in Christ. 258 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:20,360 So be encouraged by that and live in that reality of that. 259 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:23,600 He is in US. He's creating desire in us. 260 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:29,800 If any of you, if any of us all of a sudden feel a tangent 261 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,360 conviction, but something in our lives that maybe we need to 262 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,000 consider, that is proof we're abiding. 263 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:41,480 If any of us feel a nudge to go and to talk to someone, go 264 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,160 encourage someone, make that phone call, write that e-mail, 265 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,120 that is proof that we're abiding as the Lord is working and is 266 00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:54,760 nudging us, creating desire to be involved in God's church. 267 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,680 That is the Lord working in you. Conviction of sin is the Lord 268 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,800 working in you. It is, it is something to be 269 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,640 encouraged in our very discouraging days that you may 270 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,240 not realize that you're even abiding as the Lord is speaking 271 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,120 and moving and prompting and giving you courage to take that 272 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:23,200 next step. To know that this is all leading 273 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,880 up to this profound reality that I wish we could spend the next 274 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:31,320 five weeks on, which is our union in Christ. 275 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,200 Because all this comes together in our union with Christ, that 276 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:39,280 we are in Christ, that he is in us, that we have this 277 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,600 relationship in such a profound way. 278 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:47,440 I would encourage all of you all to study up a little bit on this 279 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:52,760 word union with Christ and, and how it encompasses all of our, 280 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,160 of our justification, our sanctification, our adoption, 281 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,000 our sonship, our identity in Christ. 282 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,760 It's a profound reality that we need to encourage ourselves 283 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,360 with. That we need to once again kind 284 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:10,920 of marinate in the reality of our union because this really 285 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:15,320 abiding John 15 is really nailing and not if the word 286 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,080 union is not not in there, but it's all baked in. 287 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,800 Just think about our confession like one of them that we use all 288 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:24,640 the time the Heidelberg confession. 289 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,520 We think about what is our only comfort in life and death that I 290 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,400 belong body and soul to my Savior. 291 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,880 You know, when we think about we and him and he and us, it it's 292 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:41,360 reflected in so many of the confessions that our life is 293 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:44,560 hidden in Christ. Do you know Paul never uses the 294 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,080 word Christian? It's always in Christ, in him, 295 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:50,560 in the Lord. The identity of the New 296 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,240 Testament church. They rarely use the word 297 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:57,240 Christian. It was always, I'm in him, we 298 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,680 are in him. That's how they thought and 299 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,880 that's how we need to recapture. That is taking the essence of 300 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:09,520 what so much of this chapter is all about reminding us it's 301 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:14,800 relational. It's it's not I'm achieving this 302 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:20,080 goal and I'm working hard to win to do this. 303 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:25,200 It's it's this relational reality that we're in. 304 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,840 That is what it's about in Christ. 305 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,520 That's how Paul looked at it in Ephesians 1. 306 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,440 Paul just, you know, hammers this incredible identity of who 307 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,480 we are. And he reminds us over and over 308 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,280 that we're predestined in Him, we're reconciled in him, we've 309 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:45,160 been pardoned in Him, and on and on and on we've been united with 310 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:50,640 Him. We see that Christ is at work in 311 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,360 so many ways. And so we have to do what John 312 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:57,720 Owen talks about it and to labor to draw near. 313 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,880 We have the labour to draw near. It's both active and passive. 314 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,680 Abiding is both a command and a description. 315 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:12,400 And so how's that going for you? How's it going with your 316 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:17,160 labouring to carve out time to spend with the Lord? 317 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,560 How's it going with the fruit producing in your life? 318 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,600 And just one or two final things before we close. 319 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:30,960 I think about this passage is so relational that you can't miss 320 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:35,080 the reality of the intimacy between that Christ describes 321 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:40,960 with his Father that he is the vine and the Father is the vine 322 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,520 dresser, the gardener, the farmer, the one, the master and 323 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:52,440 he's he's perfectly yielding and abiding with the Father and it 324 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,040 affects all the other relationships. 325 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:59,440 So our vertical relationship with Christ should be affecting 326 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,640 all of our horizontal relationships. 327 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,880 But let's be honest, people sometimes are the problem, 328 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:07,960 right? I mean, people are sometimes 329 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,800 difficult. People at church can be grumpy, 330 00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:15,720 mean they've been sometimes gossip man. 331 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,520 That's why James spent a long time talking about taming the 332 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:25,200 tongue in church, because he knows the people can be a little 333 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:30,680 less than Christ's life, that some of the greatest divisions 334 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,160 have happened in churches. Most of the New Testament 335 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,280 letters are dealing with that exact thing. 336 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,560 So people can be the problem, right? 337 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:47,960 And we are people of Christ. And so how is the fruit of the 338 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,600 Spirit ruling in you as you abide? 339 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:55,600 Is there anybody that you need to reconcile with? 340 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,440 Is there anyone that you need to take a second time and kind of 341 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,000 go back and say, are we, are we good? 342 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:09,960 Is there anything between us? Don't let anyone go to the grave 343 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,880 without making one last attempt at loving and reconciling. 344 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,680 And let's be very honest and our families. 345 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,920 That is one of the hardest things to do. 346 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:26,080 But John 15 gives us a road map. Abide, abide, abide. 347 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:33,160 As we abide, Christ will lead us as we seek peace and peacemaking 348 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:35,720 and reconciliation. This is hard. 349 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,880 Don't do it alone. But these are the relationships 350 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,160 that we have that Lord has placed us in, and it is so 351 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:49,840 difficult. So is there an application here 352 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,560 where you need to take the next step? 353 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:58,640 Do it prayerfully, do it in abiding not in your own strength 354 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:02,800 at all. And then let me ask you another 355 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:09,720 question too, because bearing fruit is the goal is the, the 356 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:15,240 reality that we don't, you know, make ourselves all of a sudden 357 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,640 produce the fruit. It's it's in that relationship 358 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:22,800 that the fruit is produced. And as we're doing that, you ask 359 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,960 somebody that you know, ask someone that you trust will be 360 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:31,520 honest with you and say, hey, how am I doing with Galatians 5? 361 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,120 How am I doing with First Corinthians 13? 362 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:40,400 Am I? Am I Do you see chapter 13 of 363 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,160 First Corinthians 4 through 8 in my life? 364 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:49,440 Am I keeping record of wrongs? Do I need to rethink a few 365 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,680 things. How am I doing with joy? 366 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,560 How am I doing with peace? These are things that are 367 00:25:55,560 --> 00:26:01,120 evidence in life and not to be guilting you just to go and and 368 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:05,440 see and ask the Lord show me or ask a friend to show me. 369 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:10,560 See if that fruit is in you working, showing you. 370 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:17,280 And then the final thing that I think this is something how much 371 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,360 I struggle with this is the reality is every single one of 372 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:25,160 us, you and me, we're all abiding in something, right? 373 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,240 It's just, are we abiding in the Lord or are we abiding in the 374 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,520 world? Are we abiding in worry and 375 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,320 anxiety? Are we buying? 376 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,960 Are we abiding in the things of this world that are weighing us 377 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,080 down? Because we're all abiding. 378 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,560 And I will be the first to tell you I'm not. 379 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,280 I'm abiding in fear and anxiety and worry about things, right? 380 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:51,400 I'm I, if I am not careful, I will slowly drift into that 381 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:56,960 abiding in anxiety. It happened so subtly, right? 382 00:26:58,160 --> 00:26:59,840 But we're all abiding in something. 383 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,120 It's just what are we marinating in? 384 00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:05,520 What are we meditating on? What is our heart folk focused 385 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:11,040 on that no one else can say? And we at Park Cities 386 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,960 Presbyterian Church are phenomenal actors and actresses. 387 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,880 We could win Academy Awards for our presentations here. 388 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,640 Like, everything's great and inside we're dying. 389 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,440 And So what are we abiding in? And just go before the Lord and 390 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:31,280 ask that question. Think about how this can inspire 391 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,240 us again to ground ourselves again in this reciprocal 392 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:39,120 relationship where the power is flowing through us, the SAP, the 393 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:43,160 nutrients are flowing through this us because we are branches 394 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,640 connected to the vine, the true vine. 395 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:51,800 And as a result of that, we can abide in Christ and receive his 396 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:57,040 love. You and I, we should ask, Lord, 397 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,520 help me to receive all of your love. 398 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,840 Do you receive it? Are we in a place where we put 399 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:09,760 ourselves to say, Lord, show me how much you love me again. 400 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,360 Remind me again, He knows what we're thinking. 401 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:19,280 And so let the Lord love you. Let the Lord show you again with 402 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:24,600 fresh ears and eyes. Yes, he does love me. 403 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:31,240 Let's pray. Father God, You are the great 404 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:35,600 High King, and we praise you for the mystery of the Trinity. 405 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:43,520 And how, how is it? How can we possibly fathom that 406 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:49,320 there are three and one Holy, holy, holy, that's the Lord God 407 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:54,080 Almighty. You have given us Your Word, and 408 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,920 Your word is a fire in US. And we ask, O Lord, that it 409 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:04,480 would stir us by the power of your Holy Spirit to love one 410 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:10,120 another, to do exactly what this chapter is calling us to do. 411 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,360 But, oh Lord, we do not want to do it on our own strength. 412 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:21,160 So will you empower me and all my brothers and sisters to 413 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:27,160 receive all of you so that we can love and give to others. 414 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:31,200 And we pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the 415 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,200 Holy Spirit, Amen.