1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,080 Good morning. My name is Dave. 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:04,680 I'm one of the pastors around here. 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:10,520 I will be in John chapter 15 today continuing our losing 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,080 statement series. This week we're going to be 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,800 talking about losing our self-reliance. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,720 Let me ask you something and get a little feedback. 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:27,840 Is this a safe place to share something I hear? 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,000 Little hesitant. I mean, can I really be honest 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,360 and open with you guys? OK. 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,080 I mean, Pastor Daniel's not here right now. 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:46,720 Are you going to tell on me? Not too long ago, I found myself 12 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:53,400 drifting further from Christ while simultaneously working 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,200 harder for him. Think about that. 14 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,800 I'm drifting away from God, from feeling his presence, enjoying 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:09,360 Him, while at the same time I'm working harder for him in 16 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,680 ministry and Kingdom stuff. Like how does that happen? 17 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,480 How am I drifting away from God? I remember one Sunday morning I 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,120 got a phone call right before church. 19 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,920 Typically not a good thing. It's OK, We got this. 20 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:32,280 I hear our worship leader is sick. 21 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,120 Not coming in. What do you want to do about it? 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,040 This is at my previous structure. 23 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:46,320 No Katie, No Lee to fix me. And I'm being asked, what do we 24 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,920 do? No worries. 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,080 I'm a fixer. We got this on the way out. 26 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:53,480 I'm hustling. I see my daughter. 27 00:01:53,840 --> 00:02:01,720 Hey Liz, super small favor. You want to come to church with 28 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,840 me right now and help lead worship? 29 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:12,480 Like in 14 minutes? Reluctantly, somehow she says OK 30 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:20,120 what songs are we singing? Yeah, that's a great question. 31 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,560 On the way to church, I picked 3 songs. 32 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,160 We're in church, we're telling the tech guy, OK, these are the 33 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:28,960 three, three songs we're going to do. 34 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:30,640 It's hectic. He's putting them in the 35 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:34,680 computer as quick as possible. I grab my guitar, we head up to 36 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,280 stage. I get on stage, put a smile on. 37 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,840 I say good morning, let's worship. 38 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:48,400 We finish worship. I head downstairs, take off my 39 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:56,000 guitar, take off my in ears, take a big breath, grab my 40 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:02,840 wireless mic, head back upstairs and preach for the message that 41 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:10,320 day. At the end of that Sunday, I was 42 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:16,040 empty. I've been grinding, trying to do 43 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,640 the right thing at that time in my life, trying to be a better 44 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:24,680 husband, trying to be a more patient dad, trying to leave the 45 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,440 church well, preach better sermons, be more present, be 46 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:35,200 more focused, more disciplined. And at the end of it all, I was 47 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:44,480 cooked, exhausted, working harder than I had ever done in 48 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:51,240 church, and yet drifting further away from God. 49 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:58,280 If the life, if the Christian life, is supposed to be about 50 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:04,120 freedom, about joy, about abundance, then why did it feel 51 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:13,960 like I was slowly dying? I I had turned the gospel into a 52 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,760 self help program with the Jesus sticker slapped on it. 53 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:24,200 At no point during all that was I getting closer to God. 54 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:33,200 My ability continued to grow, my dependence weakened. 55 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,480 And I'm not the only one. We live in a culture. 56 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:43,960 We're obsessed with this self improvement. 10 to 15,000 new 57 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,280 self help books are published every year. 58 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,240 Optimize your routine, hack your mourning, level up your life and 59 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,880 the message is always the same. You can do this. 60 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,000 You just have to have the right program, the right mindset, the 61 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,800 right habits. And this happens in the church 62 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,280 to try harder, do better, clean yourself up. 63 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,640 And millions of Christians are running themselves into the 64 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:14,760 ground, exhausted. Exhausted by a Christianity that 65 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:21,640 was never supposed to feel or be like this Jesus. 66 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:27,240 Jesus offers something completely different and we're 67 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,440 missing it. I missed it. 68 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:36,240 I'm tempted to miss it again this week, every week. 69 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:42,640 So let's open our Bibles and understand what Jesus actually 70 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,240 offers us. John 15 verse one. 71 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,920 I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. 72 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,520 Every branch me that does not produce fruit, he removes. 73 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:03,080 He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will 74 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:08,400 produce more fruit. You are already clean because of 75 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:13,920 the words I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you, Just 76 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,560 as a branch as unable to produce fruit by itself unless it 77 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:24,400 remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 78 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:30,040 I am the vine, you are the branch, the one who remains in 79 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:35,560 me, and I and him produce much fruit because you can do nothing 80 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,080 without me. If anyone does not remain in me, 81 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:42,800 he's thrown aside like a branch head, and he Withers. 82 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,360 They gather them, they throw them into the fire, they are 83 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,680 burned. If you remain in me and my words 84 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:55,360 remain in you, ask. Ask whatever you want, and it 85 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:00,520 will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, 86 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:06,320 that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciple. 87 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:12,040 As the Father, He loved me, and I have also loved you. 88 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:17,520 Remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you 89 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:22,440 will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands 90 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:29,400 and remain in His love. I have told you these things so 91 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:38,400 that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 92 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:47,560 The problem is we're addicted to self-reliance. 93 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,800 Let me ask you, how is that going? 94 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:56,640 This whole self-reliance thing? Because I've spent years trying 95 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:04,960 to produce fruit like my life that I actually want, forcing it 96 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,480 through pure willpower. I've tried to manage my anger, 97 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,600 trying really hard not to be angry. 98 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,480 I've tried to be more patient, more loving, more kind, more 99 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,560 like Jesus. I'll tell you what, this is 100 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:28,720 exhausting because you can't produce spiritual through fruit, 101 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:34,320 through effort. It's literally impossible. 102 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:41,440 It's like trying to take a rock and squeeze it so apple juice 103 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,480 comes out of it. But we live in a culture, a 104 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,320 culture that has trained us to believe we can do anything if we 105 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:53,520 just try harder. And that lie has infected us. 106 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,880 It's infected our thinking. It infected our spiritual lives. 107 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,320 We see Christianity as behavior management. 108 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:11,520 We think it's about trying really hard to do good, keeping 109 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,800 the rules, managing our thoughts, managing our 110 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,880 addictions. And Jesus says, look, you've got 111 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:25,840 this all wrong. He actually, he says apart from 112 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:34,760 me, you can do nothing, nothing. Now, apart from me, it's going 113 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:40,320 to be harder. No, without abiding in Christ, 114 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,440 we may build careers, reputations and comfort, but not 115 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,440 a life. Not a life that is externally 116 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,840 significant or deeply satisfying here on earth. 117 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:59,840 Nothing eternal. Most of us have experienced fake 118 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:05,760 fruit in our lives, sitting on our kitchen tables. 119 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:13,520 This looks amazing, perfect. But you cut into it, you bite 120 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:18,080 into it, and you're left with disappointments. 121 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,960 Emptiness. Actually, there's a rock in the 122 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:26,400 middle of this. Did you know that we run on our 123 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:35,160 own effort long enough? You do this and you'll get fake 124 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:40,800 fruit. I can be super patient for three 125 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:48,440 to five days, super gentle. I can be gentle until I have to 126 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,400 tell my son about the fifth or six times, dude, you got to 127 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,320 listen to me. Then the ACT is over. 128 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,280 I'm not sustaining being more like Jesus. 129 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:09,440 I'm just producing fake fruit. Jesus isn't saying you need him 130 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:15,600 to help you, He's saying you need him to be the real you. 131 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:24,800 The branch doesn't help produce grapes. 132 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:31,680 The branch receives life from the vine and fruit happens 133 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:37,520 naturally as a result. How often do we treat Jesus as a 134 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,800 life coach, a spiritual life coach? 135 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:43,120 We pray for tips and tricks and strategies. 136 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,240 So often we put our identity in what we're doing and producing 137 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,080 instead of who we're actually connected to. 138 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:57,120 The reality is you and I, we're a branch. 139 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,520 We're not a fruit factory. Look at verse 5. 140 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,920 It says I am the vine. You are the branches. 141 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,520 Your identity is not a fruit producer. 142 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:15,720 Your identity is a branch. A branch has one job, It's to 143 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,280 stay connected to the vine. That's it. 144 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:26,640 As the branch receives life, real fruit is the inevitable 145 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:32,080 result for those of us who love to be in control. 146 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:38,040 Jesus is saying your primary responsibility isn't to produce 147 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:42,960 fruit, it's to abide, to stay connected, to receive. 148 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,800 We workaholics love to call ourselves the responsible people 149 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:49,880 in the room. Amen. 150 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,320 But really, we just want to control things because it makes 151 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,440 us feel better, safer, more valued. 152 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,360 And those of us who've put our identity and performing and 153 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:13,640 producing this concept is terrifying because if we're not 154 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,320 manufacturing fruit through our effort, then what are we doing 155 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,120 with our lives? Our job. 156 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:27,360 Our job isn't to create fruit. Our job is to stay connected to 157 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:32,480 Christ. He produces fruit through US, 158 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,880 life through us, that we can never produce on our own. 159 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:45,880 The Christian life isn't about knowing more, it's about abiding 160 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:52,200 more. I, I am an extremely critical 161 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,680 person. My family, my coworkers, they 162 00:13:54,680 --> 00:14:01,120 will vouch for this. It took multiple people to point 163 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:06,600 it out before I was even willing to look at it to deal with it. 164 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,720 My natural response is I will fix this. 165 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:12,720 I got this. I'm the king fixer. 166 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,240 I'll fix anything. Give me a YouTube video, I'll 167 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:16,880 see it. I'll fix it. 168 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,320 I've thought this idea so many times. 169 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,640 My very first tattoo, it's going to be written inside my eyelids. 170 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,320 It's going to say be gentle. Every time I close my eyes I can 171 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,400 see this. Be gentle be gentle. 172 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:38,200 When I try to fix these things I last I white knuckle it and last 173 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,680 about 3 days. Be gentle. 174 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:50,040 Less critical, but it never really sticks because I'm 175 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:56,160 treating the symptom instead of the root of the problem, trying 176 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,960 to manufacture gentleness and patience through sheer 177 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:00,840 willpower. This doesn't work. 178 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,880 It can't work because we're not fruit factories. 179 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:13,160 We're branches. Not until I stop stop trying to 180 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:18,920 fix this problem and realize I'm drifting from God. 181 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:23,600 That's when I can start working on it. 182 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,840 We don't fix our problems by staring at them. 183 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:35,960 We fix our problems by staring at Jesus, spending more time 184 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,480 with Him. You don't have the resources to 185 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,760 produce the life that God is calling you to live. 186 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:48,400 We were not designed this way. You were designed to let Jesus 187 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,400 flow through you, not to create it on your own. 188 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:59,440 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, 189 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,320 gentleness. This is not a checklist. 190 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:09,640 This is flavor of the fruit. It's like saying an apple is 191 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:17,000 sweet and crisp and juicy. So what does abiding actually 192 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:22,000 mean? It means remaining to stay, to 193 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:28,560 dwell, to make your home in, to live in Jesus. 194 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,720 This is not a quick visit. It's not stopping by to check in 195 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,760 with Jesus one week at church. It's living a constant 196 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,600 connection to him. Look at verse 4. 197 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,720 It says abide in me and I in you. 198 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:48,600 Jesus isn't standing there from a distance saying work harder, 199 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:54,320 get closer to me. He's saying I'm already in you, 200 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,640 Christian, and you're already in me. 201 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:07,599 Now live like it's true. Abiding is reflecting on God and 202 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:12,839 all his goodness to the point where joy, joy just starts to 203 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:15,520 spill out of you. Abiding is listening to worship 204 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,720 music where it actually generally rises your spirit. 205 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,800 Abiding means talking with Jesus throughout your day, not just 206 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,560 praying in your morning or when you get a flat tire, but in all 207 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,640 the moments, this isn't about being supernatural. 208 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:37,520 This is about being super honest, saying Jesus, I'm about 209 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:41,280 to walk into this situation. I'm anxious. 210 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,720 I need you, Lord. I'm frustrated with my kids. 211 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:51,440 I'm tired of them. Give me patience, I need you. 212 00:17:52,480 --> 00:18:00,360 It's recognizing your need to turn to the source in real time. 213 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:06,440 Secondly, abiding means saturating our mind and what God 214 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:11,680 says, so that when lies come, let me tell you the lies will 215 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:12,760 come. Amen. 216 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,920 You have something stronger to reach for when anxiety and shame 217 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,840 and fear starts shaking you. You interrupted with what? 218 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,760 God says. Anxiety tells you this situation 219 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,200 is hopeless, you're going to fall apart. 220 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,720 God says I will never leave you nor forsake you. 221 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,800 Shame tells you you've messed up way too many times. 222 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,160 You're done. You're disqualified. 223 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,960 God says there is no condemnation for those in Christ 224 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,920 Jesus. Fear tells you you're on your 225 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:51,280 own, figure it out. God says I'm the vine, you're 226 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,240 the branch. My life, my life is in you right 227 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,760 now. Folks, read your Bibles not as a 228 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,440 religious duty, but when the time arises, you can stand so 229 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,320 tall on God's truth and interrupt those lies. 230 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:15,800 Psalm one says the person who meditates on God's word day and 231 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,080 night is like a tree. Like a tree planted by streams 232 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,160 of water that yields fruit in season. 233 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:32,120 That's not poetic language. That is a promise. 234 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:38,360 He becomes your water source. Abiding means you're so 235 00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:42,640 saturated in what God says that it becomes your default way of 236 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,800 thinking to the point it just leaks out of you. 237 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:54,200 Abiding means learning to recognize when you've 238 00:19:54,200 --> 00:20:01,160 disconnected. For me, the warning sign is I'm 239 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:06,840 overwhelmed. Not a dramatic crisis, just that 240 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,640 constant feeling that I can't do everything. 241 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,840 I can't catch up. The mental loop starts to go. 242 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,560 I've got this, I've got to fix it. 243 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,840 It all depends on me. I get short, I get irritable. 244 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,440 I'm half present talking to you because I'm already thinking 245 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:27,920 about two more things ahead. This could be a workload 246 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:34,560 problem, but over and over it's a connection problem. 247 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:44,160 I've drifted back into performance instead of receiving 248 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:49,400 what God has already given me. I'm trying to be the fruit 249 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:54,200 instead of the branch and it's not working. 250 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,120 This is not spiritual gymnastics. 251 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,920 This is just an honest connection with God. 252 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,000 Maybe your sign isn't being overwhelmed. 253 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:14,080 Maybe it's not resentment. But maybe it is comparisons. 254 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:20,600 Maybe you don't know what it is. I challenge you. 255 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:28,760 Before you go to bed tonight, evaluate your connection on the 256 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:33,800 car ride home, maybe at lunch, before the end of the day. 257 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:41,560 Ask God. God, when and where do you see 258 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:47,400 me? Drifting away from you #2 ask 259 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:53,360 somebody who cares about you. Whatever this is that you 260 00:21:53,360 --> 00:22:01,360 discover, learn it, name it. Give next week a fighting chance 261 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:03,680 to be different. Different through the knowledge 262 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:10,880 of knowing what this is. Different by relying on Christ, 263 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:17,080 abiding in his Word, in his truth, Because we can't 264 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:24,640 reconnect to something that we don't notice, we don't notice 265 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,120 we've actually disconnected from Him. 266 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:33,640 Abiding isn't passive, but it is restful. 267 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,360 There's a difference. Tomorrow, before you fill your 268 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:42,080 lives up with your commute, before your kids, before your 269 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:48,920 emails go to Christ, tell them Jesus, I can't do this on my 270 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,720 own. I need you. 271 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,160 And we may discover, we may discover that something needs to 272 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,960 be removed from our lives for us to abide in Him. 273 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,360 Verse 2 says every branch in me that does not bear fruit he 274 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:08,560 takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes 275 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:14,640 that it may bear more fruit. Pruning is not a punishment. 276 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:21,320 Pruning is preparation. It feels like something is being 277 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:23,480 taken away, something that you need. 278 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:25,680 Maybe it's a relationship that needs to end. 279 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,200 Maybe it's a dream that's not unfolding in your timeline. 280 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,560 In these moments, it feels like loss. 281 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:39,160 But God could actually be removing from you what's keeping 282 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:45,200 you from Him, pruning away the self-reliance that keeps you 283 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,880 from experiencing the abundance that He wants to give you. 284 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,480 God never cuts away what doesn't need to be cut. 285 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:00,040 For me, that looked like a stable job. 286 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,240 I'd gotten so comfortable. I think about this and I'm like 287 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,440 cruising through life. It is comical. 288 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,760 I'm just so happy. I'm just, yeah, this is great. 289 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,480 Everything's amazing. Joy, carefree, everything 290 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,680 handled on the inside. I'm building a life that is one 291 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:24,240 bump away from pure collapse of stability, predictability in the 292 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:29,600 name of a paycheck, and without realizing it, I stopped 293 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:35,520 depending on God. The day the stable job 294 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:42,440 disappeared, everything shifted. Joy turned into anxiety. 295 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,360 Confidence turned into questions. 296 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:49,240 I remember thinking, God, where are you? 297 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,200 That job, that job had become my vine. 298 00:24:56,120 --> 00:25:01,280 My security wasn't in Jesus, it was in a paycheck. 299 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:09,080 That time, that time was the time I found real dependence, 300 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,400 real trust, real abiding, real focusing on the Christ, not 301 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:19,560 because life had gotten stable, but I experienced Jesus being 302 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:25,920 the source of my needs. If something is being stripped 303 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,720 away, you have to ask, who do I trust? 304 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,760 Do I trust myself that I can push through this and get 305 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:38,720 through this and make it happen? Or do I trust God and call upon 306 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,400 Him? God isn't pruning, pruning you 307 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,800 because he wants to be disgusted with you. 308 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,720 He's pruning you because he loves you. 309 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,160 He says you already clean because of the words I have 310 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,000 spoken. He's pruning you because he 311 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,920 loves you so much that he doesn't want you to stay stuck 312 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:03,960 in the self-reliance. Because on the other side of 313 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:10,560 pruning is abundance, Not scarcity, not loss. 314 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:16,120 His whole point isn't to take away, but to give. 315 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:21,720 Look at verse 8 and 11 says by this my Father is glorified, 316 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:27,440 that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples for 317 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:32,800 these things I've spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and 318 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:38,680 that your joy may be full. An overflowing life that is 319 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,720 generally connected to the source, the source of all good 320 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,640 things. Fruitful lives glorify God. 321 00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:52,520 Fruit in your lives prove prove to those watching that you're 322 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,640 different. When people see you in patience 323 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,000 and patient, that makes no sense. 324 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:07,520 In circumstances that you should not be patient, that's fruit. 325 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,640 When you have joy that isn't dependent on a life going well, 326 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:17,640 that's fruit. Fruit you didn't manufacture, 327 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:23,520 fruit you received. Because as you abide in Christ 328 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:29,120 it continues to grow and become more abundant. 329 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,680 That's the life Jesus is inviting you to. 330 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,560 Not a life of addictions or self help where I got this mentality, 331 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:47,080 but a life filled with purpose, joy, peace in all circumstances. 332 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:53,000 When you trust him, his power, his spirit begins to work within 333 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,440 you. Not self help, not try harder, 334 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,120 not clean yourself up, not hope for the best. 335 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,000 You don't have to manufacture purpose. 336 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,520 You don't have to carry this alone. 337 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:12,680 You receive what He's already done. 338 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,920 Maybe you've heard in your life that if you don't pray enough, 339 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:19,960 maybe you don't read your Bible enough. 340 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,520 Maybe you don't serve enough. If you don't do these things, 341 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,280 God is going to be disconnected to you. 342 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,840 He's going to cut you off. That's not what He's teaching. 343 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,800 Verse 2 says again, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, 344 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,400 He takes away. The question isn't whether or 345 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:38,360 not you're producing enough fruit. 346 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:43,520 The real question is, are you connected to Him? 347 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:50,640 Have you put your trust, your reliance in Jesus? 348 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:57,960 Because when you're secure in that, you're free to just abide, 349 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:04,640 not out of fear, not out of approval. 350 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:12,520 He says you're already connected to Him, but maybe you're not. 351 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:19,600 Maybe you're not connected to God because if you're here today 352 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:24,400 and you've never actually put your trust in Jesus, your 353 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:29,280 alliance in Jesus, let me tell you what that means. 354 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:34,000 It means that you recognize that yourself reliance will never be 355 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,720 enough. It will never save you. 356 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:41,040 It will never get you to the end because you cannot produce the 357 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,400 life that God requires to be connected to Him without 358 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:50,280 someone's help. Jesus says apart from me you can 359 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:58,360 do nothing, I can do nothing. But today, today He invites you 360 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:04,520 to connect to Him, to receive the life that only He can give 361 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:12,960 from a man who came to earth, who lived a sinless life so that 362 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:19,440 when the time came he would be marched to a cross and crucified 363 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:25,520 as a sacrifice for anyone who believes in Him. 364 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:31,040 Romans 10/9 says if that you confess with your mouth that 365 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:37,440 Jesus is Lord, and that you believe with all your life that 366 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:42,800 he's been raised from the dead, that this was all true, that's 367 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:47,280 it, that's what it takes. You will be saved. 368 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,760 You'll be connected to God, connected to the source that 369 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:57,040 gives true life. It seems simple, but there's 370 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,120 people that sit in pews year after year who don't get this. 371 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:08,800 Stop trusting in yourself. You have to trust in Him. 372 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:14,200 I give you that opportunity today, right now. 373 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,200 Everybody, let's take a moment. Let's close your eyes. 374 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:26,560 We're going to pray. If you're willing to ask God for 375 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:31,920 forgiveness, tell him, I can't do this. 376 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,920 If you're willing to give your life to Christ, then take this 377 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:41,080 moment to talk to God. Pray to him, say these words, 378 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,360 say something similar, but this is between you and God. 379 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:51,000 Pray Jesus. I know I'm a Sinner, I'm a 380 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:55,560 messed up person. I cannot fix myself. 381 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:03,760 I want you to save me. Give me the life that only you 382 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:08,480 can give. Today I surrender to you. 383 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:15,040 I receive your promise of forgiveness, adoption, your 384 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:21,840 promise of eternal life. Jesus be my Lord. 385 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,600 If you pray that for the very first time, would you be brave 386 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:34,720 and raise your hand? Thank you, you can put your 387 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:44,000 hands down in Jesus name, Amen. If today you surrendered 388 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,240 yourself reliance, you gave your life to Christ. 389 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:57,760 Welcome to the family of God. Your journey in a new life has 390 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,280 just begun. There's tables on the back that 391 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:05,160 say, I raise my hand during this last song that we're about to 392 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,880 sing right now. Go to that table. 393 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:13,320 Celebrate with those people. Let us take the first steps with 394 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,440 you. If you're about to get baptized, 395 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,920 now is the time to go to that corner table. 396 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:24,440 These people are waving at you. Our prayer team is about to come 397 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:30,360 up right now during our closing song. 398 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,120 I encourage you to come. I encourage you to pray. 399 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,040 Come pray about anything. Take that first step. 400 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,400 The idea of I have everything put together. 401 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,880 I have self-reliance and toss it. 402 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:53,600 Come pray about something. Move as the Lord leads you.