Sittting at the Feet of Jesus: I AM the Vine
I AM: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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What do I believe God wants them know? Jesus is the Vine that leads to fruitfulness
Why? We all want to be fruitful
What do I believe God wants them to do? Abide in the Vine
Why? It leads to fruitfulness
ME/WE
One of the questions we ask on a pretty consistent basis is How can I be more fruitful, successful, achieve more.
Anybody with me?
Anybody say I REALLY HOPE MY LIFE GOES DOWN HILL
We are called to be FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY that is a call we were given at the beginning of creation.
BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE BECOME FRUITFUL?
BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO BE FRUITFUL, SUCCESSFUL
LUCKY: IT’S ONLY THE LUCKY ONES WHO ARE FRUITFUL? ANYBODY EVER THOUGHT THAT WAY...YOU HAVE TO BE KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE, THEY WERE BORN INTO THAT FAMILY, HAVE THE RIGHG SITUATION HAPPEN, STARS ALING
ANYBODY EVER THOUGHT THIS WAY?
I have thought that way before, oh they are so lucky because they are in that family and that family is sucessful
Let’s not forget who’s family we are adopted into when we become a child of God
Also, there is not such thing as an over night success
So you are saying you have to be HARD WORKING, sort of, but not always because you could be hard working and producing FRUIT that NOBODY wants, bitter fruit, spoiled fruit, rotten fruit
Prominent NY TIMES best seller books one is on their now been there for 5.5 years says you have to lie, cheat, steal, and be selfish to get ahead.
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
There is a delay in what we sow to what we reap....we think we are scott free because we don’t the seed coming up…but the seed with eventually come up…this is how the enemy gets us at times....look, look that lie didn’t hurt you it helped you, lie again and it will help again “I promise!”
FOURTH: 70, 80, 90s was if you just believe in Jesus your life is going to be AMAZING....saved yes…but if I believing in Jesus and keep living like a child of wrath what I am going to reap???
SO IF THESE DO NOT WORK, HOW DO WE BECOME FRUITFUL AND SUCCESFUL
BECOME LIKE FAITHFUL TREES OR VINES
HUH??
WHY DO I SAY THIS?
3RD most referred to thing outside of GOD and HUMANS
MANY TIMES WHEN THEY ARE MENTIONED
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
The man or woman who walks not in the way of sinners or the wicked but DELIGHTS in the LAW of the LORD
He or she is like a TREE planted in steams
God says if you DELIGHT in the WRITTEN WORD you will be a FRUITFUL....here is the thing FRUIT ALWAYS HAPPENS when sit and walk in the ways of the written WORD
Sit himself planted by the stream…the tree needs to sit and sit and sit....and what effort does the tree need to do to be fruitful? How hard does it need to try to be fruitful?
FRUIT HAPPENS WHEN THE TREE IS FAITHFULLY STAYING BY THE WATER
SAME IN THE SPIRITUAL
IT TAKES TIMES
SOME TIMES WE WANT TO BE WEEDS, WHY BECAUSE WEEDS GROW FAST, WE WANT
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
This was a offense to the religious leaders of the day
WHY?
Israel was known as the VINE
In the OT God calls Israel the Vine, the door of the temple had VINES on it the doors had vines
But the problem was that Israel didn’t produce GOOD GRAPES BUT WORTHLESS GRAPES
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
Jesus says I am the VINE, I am the fruitful VINE, good vine that produces good fruit
Those who are connected to me the good VINE will be FRUITFUL, produce Good Fruit not worthless FRUIT
Jesus continues
How does God make us fruitful?
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I 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 be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
What does Jesus say?
Every branch that remains in me....What’s a branch? A form of a tree…who is the branch Those who believe in Jesus are a branch....
Every branch that does not bear fruit…Jesus does what? Takes away…so if you are not fruitful Jesus cuts you off…that sounds like works righteousness....hmmmm what do we do with this? We look at the Greek Word and see it is airo and it can mean “take away” or “lift up”
Do you think our Father as His children says oh you are not fruitful so I will cut you off, take you away ....or is it more likely that He lifts us up????
Then Jesus says I am going to prune those who are FRUITFUL....why would you do that??
I want you to be more FRUITFUL
I am going to prune BAD THINGS and we say yes
Jesus says I am going to prune that…no not that
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
How many of us know that? It was the trial that PRUNE us to be more fruitful?
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
v. 3 you are clean, saved rescued, redeemed but God wants you not just to saved, rescued, redeemed, He wants you to be fruitful
Then Jesus says let me tell you your role
What is the Word that keeps coming up over and over? ABIDE
What does it mean to ABIDE?
TO REMAIN
TO BE A LIKE A TREE PLANTED IN WATERS
TO BE SOMEONE WHO IS DELIGHTING IN THE LORD
TO DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF THE LORD
TO REMAIN CONNECTED
TO FOLLOW
To abide by the law means to follow the LAW
To remain means to be in relationship with, sit at Jesus feet but it is not just to sit it is to FOLLOW
The Christian
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
If you do the PROMISE is you will be FRUITFUL
What kind of FRUIT will we produce?
Lost of money?
Success?
Maybe
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
ANYBODY want more LOVE in their life?
Joy?
-Self-control?
Patience?
Peace? Sit with the prince of Peace
It is not JUST THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT BUT THE FRUIT OF THE HARVEST
So does this mean I may never reap what I believe God wants me to reap?
This is only about reapping the character of Jesus? No
If God calls you to do something He will bring you through it in His timing…and the way to get there is by ABIDING and REMAINING
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
YOU WILL HAVE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND THE HARVEST IF YOU DO NOT GIVE UP
COMMUNION with the VINE