John chapter 15. The Bible says Jesus speaking.
This is really just a short time before he's going to be betrayed
and crucified. I am the True Vine and my father
is the vinedresser. 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.
You are already clean because of the word, which I have spoken to
you abide in me. And I, in you as the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself. Unless it abides in the vine.
So neither can you unless you abide in me?
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. 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.
If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what
you desire and it should be done for you by this, my father is
glorified that you bear much fruit.
So you will be my disciples as the father loved me.
I also have loved you abide in my love.
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. These things I have spoken to
you. That my joy May remain in you
and that your joy may be full. I love that last verse tells us,
something doesn't it? We probably could figure this
out. But God wants for you and God
wants for me to have the best possible life even here on
Earth. We think about heaven, we look
forward to heaven and we should. But are we enjoying the best
possible life that we can enjoy for a little sojourn down here?
Where we have some of them? The keys that Jesus has brought
and left for us and we're going to explore what it means.
Means to abide in the vine, the vine and the branches as we
pray. Thank you so much for praying
for Jill Burns. She's doing better and she's got
a long ways yet to go. But also, if you would remember
another boy, he's 10 years old. His name is Gideon patent as a
very rare disease, and he's had this for some time.
It's gotten increasingly worse this week, he had to 40 minutes.
Seizures within a short period of time prayers.
Have been answered though he has been blinded for a couple of
weeks and almost sleeping incessantly and he woke up
today. I believe it was or yesterday
and was conscious and apparently has Vision had returned but when
he tried to walk he wasn't able to do that.
They have a long way to go. And so if you remember getting
Gideon patent as well as Jill burns when you when you pray,
certainly They are for airworthy.
There's a damp damnable doctrine that dominates the
denominational landscape. Every time you turn on the radio
the TV. Are you look at the printed
page, you're likely to read something about this idea.
It sounds beautiful. And it goes like this.
You have eternal security and it's unconditional security
there. Once you've become a Christian
that you can never fall, either heard one of the famous
television, and radio, syndicated preachers.
Say that a person could actually be a Christian at one point and
then later be an atheist and still somehow be secure in
Christ. Well this evening that is not
the case but we do have Have eternal security.
In John, 10, verse 28. We're told by Jesus, that, no
one can snatch us out of the father's hands.
But that's not to say that. If we choose that, we can't
leave the father that we can't run away from him, we have that
freedom until the very day that we die.
And I hope one of the things you learned from this study and that
sticks with you is the possibility of falling away from
the faith. Well, we're in John chapter 15,
the arrest in the garden is only hours away and only 24 hours or
less. Jesus will be crucified and he
knows it. And so that makes the words that
we've just read, it will be reading back over even more
pressing and interesting. Jesus.
So often taught obscure spiritual truths through images
that were very familiar to his audience and what would be more
familiar to people living in that day and time and That place
then a lesson from the vine. And you here in this area are
certainly familiar with this idea and the image and probably
know much more about this than then I do.
But there are some lessons that we can draw simply from
understanding and reading a little bit about what Jesus is
talking about here. Jesus, so often Drew from
lessons in nature, we read of the parable of the sower, the
Fig Tree, we notice last night, I believe it was Matthew.
Seven, verse 16 through 18. Jesus talked a lot about fruit
and he has a lot to say in this place about fruit.
You will know them by their fruits do men, gather grapes
from thornbushes or figs from thistles, even.
So every good tree Bears, good fruit and a bad tree Bears.
Bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear.
Bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear.
Good fruit. One of the key words and our
study tonight is fruit when you read through this study with me
and as we envision the teaching that Jesus has before us, I hope
you will keep in mind the image of the vine and the image of
fruit big juicy healthy fruit but also fruit that is not what
it should be and even a Barren Vine.
Back to verse 1. Let's take this verse by verse,
don't know how far we'll get. But verse 1 says Jesus speaking,
I am the True Vine. Jesus is the vine.
What brought this idea to Jesus mind Scholars have a number of
suggestions. One is the thought of the
Passover and that observance and and the fruit of the vine being
there, that that would naturally suggest to Jesus, any kind of
illustration that he might want to present to them, some have
suggested that it was the golden Vine that was in Graven on the
temple that it was That that led Jesus to talk about and to
present this illustration. Others say it was just passing
the grapevines that they would as they went on their Journey on
route to get simony. Jesus says, I am the True Vine
course. So many other sources today are
pointed to is The Fountainhead of Abundant Living and
Enlightenment, some till still say it's Moses, others, say it's
Muhammad still others. I say it's Buddha another say
it's nature. Well, pleasure.
And on the list goes with Jesus says, I am the True Vine people.
Go on a lot of different directions looking for
sustenance, looking for the good life.
But Jesus says, it's right here. It's right here with me.
And then he says, and my father is the vine dresser here.
I Think Jesus is suggesting the intimacy between the members of
the godhead, their Unity of purpose, and that the origin of
the messiah's, work wasn't Idea. It's the father's he says my
food or my meat is to do the will of my father and the object
of Glory for any and all good fruit born by man, all goes back
to the vine dresser it all goes back to God.
Paul would say in 1st Corinthians, 3 Verse 6, I have I
have planted Apollo's watered but God gave the increase and as
we so often sing or have sung and the books that we used to
sing from to go God be the glory for whatever good happens within
the kingdom of Jesus Christ. My father is the vinedresser.
I believe that this suggests that God did more than just set
things in motion at the beginning and just sat back and
watched them happen. No, I believe he invest himself
in the lives of Godly men and women.
He's concerned about our progress and all of our
productivity is rooted in him. And I think this also says, yes,
that there is power in prayer. There he is, the vine dresser
and what vinedresser would not do all he could to Foster the
most possible, abundant fruitfulness within the
branches. Philippians 2 verse 13 says, it
is God who works in you both to Will and to do for his own good
pleasure. I don't know how to explain all
of this but I know that the good that we accomplished, it takes
place because of God working in US.
And through us to me, that verse sound so much, like the husband,
and the vine, and the branches, ponder it again in another
light, Ephesians 3:20. He speaking of God, is able to
do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think the
vine dresser in us, if will, but let him work in us and through
US verse 2 reads this way. Every Branch he's not talking
here. About denominations know every
branch is talking about individual disciples every
branch in me. Every branch in the vine.
This is another phrase going to see repeatedly In this passage.
I think in the first seven or eight verses you find seven or
eight times. This phrase in Me In Christ, is
the idea. And why would he be talking
about that? This is a theme that that
permeates the new Sam. And I think specifically about
Ephesians chapter 1. There we find infusions 1.
Verse 3, that all spiritual blessings, all spiritual
blessings are found in Christ Jesus.
Now there are many material blessings that can be found
outside of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:44 through 46.
We find that the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust
and that's why people living, Wicked sinful lives out in the
world, sometimes things seem to be going pretty good.
For them. But when it comes to spiritual
blessings, the depth of Life, the kind of life that we want,
the kind of life that Jesus came to give, that can only be found
can only be experienced and those who are God's children.
We find this expressed in a number of different ways, but
one of these ways is found in Ephesians 1:22 and 23, what does
it mean to be in Christ? What are some other ways in
which this is expressed? And this passage the Bible says
and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head,
over all things to the church, which is his body.
The fullness of him who fills all in all to be in Christ or to
be in the vine means to be in the body in the church.
You cannot be outside of the body outside of the church and
be in the Vine. What work will fit in the vine
in the body in Christ in his church and in no other and
Galatians chapter 3, verse 26 and 27.
We see again The Importance of Being in Christ and we see
specifically of how we become in Christ.
Galatians 3, verse 26 for ye are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ. Have put on Christ.
How did you become a branch on the vine through faith?
You obeyed the gospel planned. You were baptized into Christ,
and you put on Christ. And at that point is, when you
were became a branch in the vine, there's no other way.
No substitute for this. You cannot substitute the
sinner's prayer. You can't substitute a bunch of
Miracle. So-called the only way is to
obey the father and then you are in Christ.
We are not in Christ. We're not connected to the vine
until we follow through, on our faith in baptism.
What does this mean? This means that we're dependent
on him for our life, spiritual life for our strength, for a
growth and development and all the bull of the Bible, doesn't
specifically say this, I believe it can be implied.
The sap that flows from the vine, is the word of God.
That contains the power of the spirits.
In Colossians chapter 1, verse 5 and 6.
The Bible says the word of the truth of the Gospel has come to
you and is bringing forth fruit. You get out of the word and
you're not going to bear fruit. You got to get in the word
because that's where the fruit comes from.
The sap. So-to-speak flows from the
father from the Holy Spirit and forth through the vine to you.
If you let it, and that's how you bear fruit.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit.
We're talking about food. The first condition, he mentions
is, The branch that does not bear fruit.
Someone who's in Christ, who's in body in the his body, who's
in the church? But is not bearing fruit.
You might have figured, this is not the way God wants it.
In fact, we get a warning right here.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit.
We'll get to this in just a minute.
A few thoughts though. It's clear that our purpose as
Christians is to bear fruit. We find the idea of fruit
mentioned 75 times and 14 New Testament books.
This is something very pause. This means our lives have
meaning every last member within the body in the vine has a
purpose and has a meaning To fulfill every Christian who is
not productive, who is not fruitful, who is not fulfilling
his purpose, who is not realizing his potential.
Is disappointing. The vinedresser, the husband,
the father. He's looking down in his
Vineyard and he's looking at you as a branch in the Vine.
He's looking for fruit. Is it getting it?
Are you being productive? Listen, it's not natural for a
bind Branch, not to bear fruit, and it's not natural for a
Christian. Not to show evidence of his
conversion or her conversion. His spiritual growth or maturity
but you know why sometimes We as branches are not productive.
Why? We're not growing.
It's because growth demands. Something else that's
uncomfortable, that's change. We don't want to change.
We like ourselves the way we are and we're not ready to change.
And so on were confronted with something in the word of God
that says, you got to change ready.
We turn the page or we turn a deaf ear.
If we're in the assembly or we turn a deaf ear it when we're in
a Bible study because we don't want that, we don't want to
change. Change.
But when you decide I'm not changing, you are also deciding
I'm not growing and when you're not growing, the vinedresser is
watching and the vinedresser is Dishonored and we don't want to
do that. I want to ask you tonight, what
are your spiritual goals? What are your plans for the
future? How do you intend in the future
to bring forth more fruit for the father than you have in the
past? Even think about such when you
talk about that, when you have relationships in the body that
are strong enough and healthy enough, where we can talk to
each other about these things. Fruit over and over again and
Matthew chapter 3, verse 8 and 10.
We read There were to bring forth fruit meet for repentance
bear fruit. Worthy of repentance.
It's not optional, there's got to be a change.
It's got to be a change reflected in our lives and when
we repent, we've got to show a change in Behavior fruit,
Galatians 5:22 and 23. All we need to talk about this
more fundamentals of the faith. This is fruit.
We call it the Bible calls it, the Fruit of the Spirit.
You want to know if the holy spirit is making a difference in
your life, you just compare your life to these characteristics.
And that's the extent in which the holy spirit is having an
effect on you love joy. Peace longsuffering, gentleness
goodness, Faith or faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Fruit, these are good for this is the things that God wants to
see when he looks at us as individual disciples as branches
in the vine. Second Peter chapter 1 verse 5.
Through 8, your memory mentions the Christian gracious and how
weird it continually add to them those and we're continually to
have those in. Increasing measure Faith, virtue
knowledge, self-control patience, godliness, brotherly
kindness and love. Listen what he says he says
after that, if these things are yours, Yours and abound, you
will neither be Barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and he says something else in verse 10,
if you do these things. You will never fall if talking
about fruit, he's talking about security but it's conditional.
It's conditioned upon us and our response to the word of God.
Titus 314. Let our people also learn to
maintain. Good works to meet urgent.
Needs that they may not be unfruitful.
I hear about some of this going on right here in the body of
Christ at plans Road, that's a beautiful thing and you're
bearing fruit when you're doing that, when you're doing your
good works, when you see someone needs help and you reach out,
That's fruit. How do we bear fruit?
There's a lot of ways we can bear fruit to God and honor him.
As he looks down as that at the vine dresser every time you
reject a Temptation every time you pick up the phone and call a
brother or sister you know as lonely that's hurting that needs
an ear to hear every kind words you offer every good work done
with a smile for the sick and for the downtrodden, listen
brother, sister your bearing fruit when you do that, God is
glorified. When you do that.
He's honored. Every time you broach the
subject of Jesus Christ to a lost to a lost soul.
Every time you persevere through a child.
Child with a heart to praise. And worship God, you bear fruit.
I like guarantees. And second Peter. 1 verse 10 is
a guarantee from God. You will not fall.
Let's go back to our passage verse to every branch in me.
That does not bear fruit. What's going to happen?
If you do not bear fruit, there are consequences as we'll talk
later on in the meeting to not bearing fruit.
But specifically, he says, here, he the vinedresser takes away.
What you talking about? Well, there's another several
passages that help us understand what exactly what he's talking
about. Parallel Passages.
At least to some extent. We've already looked at Matthew
3 verse 10. He says, the ax is laid to the
root of the trees, therefore every tree which is not bear.
Good, fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 719 every tree that does not bear.
Good, fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
That could be you. That could be me.
We see this in and I Bias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5.
Only, they were taken away immediately weren't they and
Luke Chapter 13 Verse 6 through 9.
And whether you've farmed or not, whether you've had a garden
or not, I think everybody can relate to the feeling or the
frustration that God has when something that's supposed to be
producing fruit is not producing fruit.
Luke 13 6 through 9 worried about a man, a certain man.
Had a fig tree planted in his Vineyard and came seeking fruit
on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of
his Vine look for three years. I come seeking fruit on this fig
tree and find none, cut it down. Why does it use up the ground?
But he answered sir, let it alone this year.
Also until I dig around it and fertilize it and if it bears
fruit well, but if not after that, you can cut it down.
I wonder. How many times this very
conversation could be had about us?
Who are in Christ. There's so much confusion out
out in the world. But you, I have found the Lord
and we're in Christ. We're in the Vine.
We're not bearing fruits. Parable of the sower.
Mark chapter 4, verse 3 through 8.
One of the places we read in Matthew 13 is another Notice
what's the, what happens at the at the end of each of these
different types of soil. It's the evaluation of how much
fruit after the first time the Wayside never in the vine.
No fruit. No fruit.
God can't be happy with that. Satan has taken away the word,
then we read about the Stony ground, there's no depth,
there's no route shallow shallow and what happens it Withers
away. It's tribulation and
persecution. The hardships of this world,
they're going to come to all of us.
We've got to fight through it. We've got to overcome as
assistant was saying today. We got a hold on.
You gotta hold on. I will do like that.
Will wither away, and what happens?
No fruit, no fruit. Then there's the thorny ground
choked by the weeds. What happens?
No fruit, no fruit. No fruit for the vinedresser.
What is it? The cares of the world.
The deceitfulness of riches, these things that parish, and
then there's the good ground. We're in one of these four
categories tonight. Everyone in this room is in one
of these four. Are you the good ground or one
of the others? The good ground increased and
produce fruit. Some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold
some 100, God wants fruits. John 15:5, he about.
He who abides in me and I in him Bears, much fruit.
Haha, here's a key. Here's a, here's a log.
Here's a another guarantee. If we abide in him.
And he abides in us. We will bear fruit.
Are you bearing fruit? If you're not, you can find the
problem right here in John 15 verse 5.
If I abide in him and I allow him to abide in me than I will
bear fruit. Branches, that don't bear.
Fruit are either sick or diseased or dead.
Are you bearing fruit? If not, it's one of these two
problems right here or third possibility, you're not in the
mine. What happens if that's the case?
Well, let's talk about that. Just just for a moment longer.
Let's go to First John chapter 2.
Here, again, talking about abiding in Christ abiding in the
vine. How do we know if we're abiding
in Christ? Well, this is so straightforward
and so so clear. You can't miss it first.
John 2. Now by this, we know that we
know him if we keep his Commandments.
Now, the world wants to talk about this relationship stuff
and I do believe we have a have a relationship with God, and
he's talking about a relationship right here.
But this this other kind of stuff, that's kind of nebulous,
kind of hard to sink your teeth into the world is talking about
that. You don't have to obey the
Commandments of God and somehow you have this relationship with
God. That it that's not the Bible
Way. Here's the Bible way to have a
relationship with God. Now by this, we know that we
know him if we keep his Commandments he who says I know
him personal relationship and does not keep his Commandments
is a liar and the truth is not in him.
Till I can't get any clearer than that.
We can lie too, though. Verse 5 says, but whoever keeps
his word true. The love of God is perfected in
him by this. We know that we are in him, he
who says he abides in him that were to buy.
Something means remains in him, ought himself also to walk just
as he walked listen, there's 1050 Commandments of men.
He's counted them up in the New Testament.
There's quite a few in there and if we're not diligently seeking
to learn what those are and abide by those.
You can say, you can talk personal relationship all day
long but you don't know him, you don't know him.
You don't know the Lord. you don't know the, you know, the
vine dresser How is that going to be on the Judgment Day?
If you don't know the Lord, they can't be good.
It can't be good. Read read the rest of First
John. There's so much in it about that
relationship. I being in Christ.
But let's go back to our text in John 15 and pick up where we
were where we left off. And every branch.
That bears fruit. He prunes Where's it getting
better now? Hope this is about, this is us.
Now, what does everybody in the room?
Would that be great? Some fruit, every branch that
bears fruit. He prunes The Living oracle's
Translation reads this way. Every fruitful Branch, he cleans
by pruning to render it more. Fruitful that it may.
Bear more fruit if you're bearing fruit, don't be
complacent, don't be satisfied. Don't think.
Well, I'm doing pretty good or I'm, I'm bearing more fruit than
brother so-and-so or sister. So, and so know some fruits, not
good enough and God sometimes will present Situations and
circumstances. That may not be very pleasant.
But what's the result? The end result is to be more
fruit. God wants more fruit from me and
he wants more fruit from you from a human standpoint.
You know what we do? Sometimes we think, well, we've
been fruitful, we've borne fruit.
So we should just be left alone but that's not how God sees it.
You know, if it was left up to us, I think many times we'd be
satisfied with just offering a few shriveled-up operations to
the Lord, every now and then. That's not what what God is
looking for. God is looking for big juicy
grapes. He wants fruit and he wants more
than some fruit. He wants more fruit.
One commentator said the pine branches need pruning less, all
the sap should run to the leaves.
Only it can get to where we're going through the motions and it
looks real good. Lots of leaves all over the tall
than that vine look pretty listen but it's not prune if
it's not cut back. The amount of fruit will be
reduced. So what does God do?
He cuts that find a way back way back.
You know sometimes in the Christian Life, less is more and
That's hard for us to accept and hard for us to get used to and
sometimes we rebel against that, but sometimes pruning is God's
answer. To our prayer to be more
fruitful. Looking Hebrews chapter 12,
verse 4 through 11. You have not yet resisted to
Bloodshed striving against sin and you have forgotten the
exhortation, which speaks to you as Sons.
These Christians were, like, sometimes we are as Christians,
they were whimpering whining. Christians, not enough is
happening, not enough. Good thing is happening to us,
they were complaining. He says, have you shed any blood
yet? And may I ask you, as I remind
myself, have you shed any blood yet for the Lord?
When you're talking about how hard your life, it is, and how
hard it is to live the Christian Life.
And you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaks to
you. As the sons, my son, do not
despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged.
When you rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens.
And scourges every son whom he receives.
If you endure chastening God deals with you as with sons for
what son is. There whom my father does not
chase him but if you were without chastening of which all
have become partakers then you are illegitimate and not Sons
verse 11 now. No chastening seems to be joyful
for the present but painful, nevertheless afterward it
yieldeth, the Peaceable Fruit of righteousness to those who have
been trained by it. Listen, you write it down the
love of God. As we experience it in our daily
walk, as Christians will not always feel good.
There's going to be some times when you're out of line and a
brother or a sister is going to talk to you about some changes
need to be made in your life and you know what that mean?
Not feel too good. But you listen to what they're
saying and if what they're saying fits with what the Bible
says, you know that that chastening is for your good and
it's time to do some pruning. And every branch that bears
fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.
He wants us to Bear more fruit. I love how the Apostle Paul
builds up to this truth. And First Corinthians 15.
He's talking about the resurrection and our glorious
bodies that we're going to someday have not like these and
then he caps it off after expressing to them all the
blessings, the greatest of blessings that they have to look
forward to and then he says in verse 58.
Therefore My brethren. My beloved Brethren be
steadfast. Does that describe you?
Steadfast steadfast immovable. Well, what's he talking about?
And well, he's talking about abiding remaining in the vine,
not wandering out in the world Yonder far away from the Vine.
Immovable, always, always abounding in the work of the
Lord were to bounding means ever-increasing.
Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Abiding and
abounding. They go together.
If we're abiding in the Lord, we will have will be abounding.
You all verse 3 are already clean because of the word which
I have spoken to you interesting.
We don't have time to look into this but in John 13 He says you
were not all clean. You know why?
Because Judas was there. You're already clean because of
the word. That's what cleanses it's the
word that cleanses verse 4. Here's a command he's saying
what has already expressed abide in me and I in you Jesus will
abide in you and in your life as a branch in the bite unless you
crowd him out of your life and you can do that is possible to
do that to crowd Jesus. Why would we do that?
Doesn't make any sense. What we do?
Sometimes, we feel so many things in our life, We don't
have time for him. James 4 verse 8 says, draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.
People have all kinds of ideas of what you have to do to draw
near to God. You have to speak in tongues as
they call it. You have to perform some kind of
Miracle. Some of them think you have to
handle snakes and on and on the list goes the thing.
You got to do some big things to draw near to God.
No, you don't simple. Basic fundamental things, about
Christianity meditating on his words, we've talked about
reading his word spending time with him in prayer.
Coveting. The association of your brothers
and so on, and so on. Read on as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself. Unless it abides in the vine,
neither, can you? Unless you abide in me?
It doesn't matter how educated you are.
It doesn't matter how well bread you are.
How talented you are. You are worthless apart from
Jesus Christ. Don't let anybody kid you out in
the world. There are people that will tell
you of how special and how wonderful you are.
And I know they're talking about.
Apart from Jesus Christ. You don't need the church.
You don't need the word of God. You don't need any of that.
You're wonderful without it, you're worthless.
Separate and apart from Jesus Christ.
Some Believers think that they can grow meet their potential
detach from the church or barely hanging on.
Can you truly abide in the vine without being attached connected
to the other branches? No others pretend that they can
Thrive without growing in the Lord through personal Bible
reading and study, as we talked about earlier this week,
spiritual reflection ongoing meditation Without that you're
not abiding, in the vine unless you abide in his word verse 5.
I am the vine. You are the branches, he who
abides in me and I in him. Bears much fruit.
This is what we want. This is where I want to be. if
we do abide in him and he abides in us, we let him will bear much
fruit. Keep that image in your mind
when you read this passage, big juicy grapes.
The vinedresser when he sees that in our lives.
He's honored. Don't shortchange him.
Don't sell yourself short. Don't teach yourself and don't
cheat God. If you're not bearing fruit, one
of two things is true. You may have been in Christ but
not really abiding or remaining drives.
You may have obeyed. The gospel, had your sins washed
away, but you're not remaining in Christ or you're not allowing
Christ to remain in you, you're feeling your heart, your life
with anything everything. But what you need to, how are
you and Jesus doing tonight, how would you describe your
relationship with God? Close and personal.
That he's your most important relationship.
That the kingdom is the most important thing in your life.
You can't wait to know more about him.
You can't wait to grow closer to him.
Close and personal is that you? I hope so.
Or maybe your relationship would better be described as
frequently. Friendly you have your good
times. You have your clothes times with
the Lord. I mean you pray it bedtime.
You pray it meal time. You get revved up during a
gospel meeting but you're hot and cold you're off and on.
You're not giving the Lord your best.
Is that you somewhat neighborly have a respect for God, but you
really don't have much of a relationship.
You can see it. There's obvious commands that
you're neglecting your disobeying in your life.
I hope you're none of these. I hope you're not dead.
On the vine, hope you're not dying on the vine.
Beautiful thing about this. It's obvious when you read John
15. It's on you and it's on me if
I'm not bearing fruit. If I'm very no fruit.
I can blame no one else but myself, and if I'm just burying
a little fruit when the Lord is expecting a lot of fruits.
Doesn't matter what people are saying or doing to me or what
they're not doing to me. My responsibility to respond as
he tries to prune and and and bring more fruit from this
Branch. Are you bearing much fruit
tonight? Don't cheat God, don't cheat
yourself. Where you at?
How is it with you and are you in Christ?
We saw it takes to become in Christ.
So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God,
you've heard the word of God. You've heard enough about the
word of God that you don't have to leave this building without
becoming in the vine tonight in Christ, in his body in the
church. Want to be added to the body.
Once you allow Jesus to number you as one of the branches in
that vine. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.