12092007pm-The I Am Sermon Series #7- I AM the True Vine

“TEMPUS FUGIT”
“I am the True Vine and my Father is the Gardener." John15:1-6

Introduction: The 7th of the 7 I AM’s of Jesus

READ John 15:1-6

Tragedy Heb. 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment

TEMPUS FUGIT “TIME FLIES/ REALLY TIME FLEES” Cramming for Finals

How Precious is Life!!  Wednesday puts this all into perspective.

Context:  The walk to Gethsemane— The temple door/grapes on a vine

1. THE VINE—V.-1- Jesus is the True Vine and God is the vinedresser/gardener

      A.  The important of the Vine in the OT, Disciples had a tough night

B.  Jesus didn’t want them returning to the old Vine/ Old Law

C.  He again encourages them telling them he is the TRUE Vine

D.  Is 5:1-7 Parallel- Israel to Christianity Love Song gone Sour

1. NO FRUIT-We are the branches. What does that mean? Either we’re in the Vine or the Vine is blocked by something

V2. - Airo  - To lift up or chop off

            A.  Once saved always saved/Calvinistic in approach

            C.  Verse 6 tells us that if we don’t bear fruit we will be cast out.
What blocks us from producing Fruit?  SIN Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

            E.  Abide in Him

URGENCY TONIGHT; SPEAKING FROM MY HEART…TEMPUS FUGIT

JAMES 4:14 “You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

What does this have to do with John 15:1-6?

It comes down to this…What kind of fruit are you producing RIGHT NOW?

NO EXCUSE, JUST PRODUCE

1. SOME FRUIT- V2 “He prunes every branch so that it will bear more fruit.”
   What’s the purpose? To remove the old, the things that aren’t allowing us to grow the way God wants us to.
   ALL LIFE COMES FROM BEING IN THE VINE

How does he PRUNE us?  He may move us, move us out of our comfort zones, he may even humble us like he did Jonah. PRUNING IS LIKE REFINING
James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.”

Why/What does He prunes us so we can grow BONSAI TREE-prune leaves, root, re-pot,, tools, fertilization, wire, and water DIFF. He wants us to GROW LARGE or GO HOME!

Matt. 7:20 “By your fruit they will know you” AMISH ANALOGY

INNER FRUIT- Gal. 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Psalms 119:1- I have hidden your WORD in my heart that I might not sin against you.

OUTER FRUIT- 2Cor. 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.”

Dt. 11:18-19- READ Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:19-20 NOT HERE

IF YOU AIN’T LIVING, YOU AIN’T GIVIN IT!

What needs PRUNED? Heb 12:11 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained in it.”

1.  MUCH FRUIT—how much is much V. 5, V. 7?

V.4 Abide/Remain in me/and I will abide/remain in you!  How else can you bear fruit if you are not attached to the vine? The Vine provides everything: Jn. 14:20

I am the Bread- Jn. 6:35…whoever comes to me will never thirst

I am the Light- Jn. 8:12…to guide us.

I am the Door- Jn. 10:9…to a full and abundant life Jn. 10:10

I am the Shepherd- Jn. 10:11…to protected, to guide, to dies for us

I am Resurrection & the Life- Jn. 11:25…believe in me and you will never die.

I am the Way, da Truth, & the Life- Jn. 14:1-6…he will take us along the way

I am the True Vine- Jn. 15:1…producing more fruit along the way.

Not much time for pruning? Are you ready RIGHT NOW? TEMPUS FUGIT

REMAIN—11 times in the first 10 verses. Continual Process, ABIDE, PITCH TENT WITH, HITCH YOUR WAGON TO, WHERE YOU DWELL

BLESS- Continual Process

How to abide and bear much fruit?

1.       Deepen the quality of our devoted time with God.

2.       Broaden my devoted time from appointment to lifestyle.

3.       Realize that my devotion is based on the truth of his promises.

CHRISTIANITY ISN’T A RECIPE IT’S A RELATIONSHIP

Between the Vine, the Branches and the Vinedresser

FRUIT IS THE NATURAL RESULT OF REMAINING IN THE VINE!  It takes no effort to bear fruit if we are in the vine.  You don’t see apples straining to grow.

1. CONCLUSION: TEMPUS FUGIT

Our Choice: V6. If anyone does not remain/abides in Me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up, and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and burned up.

GET IN Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

STAY IN 1 Jn. 1:7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us from all sin.
LAM 3:23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness

THE GREATEST LOSS- LOSS OF CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE