"Are You Connected?"

What would you do if you decided to plant a garden – you prepared the soil, planted the seed, weeded, watered and fertilized – you watched the plants grow, anticipating the mouth watering fruit of your labor – but as time went by no fruit actually developed? Now imagine that you are that garden and God is the gardener.

John 15:1–8 NIV84

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In addition to the miracle signs that point to Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, John also records eight “I am” statements of Jesus. These are significant because “I AM” is how God named Himself to Moses in Ex. 3:14.

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35)

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12)

Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11)

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…” (John 11:25)

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)

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 (John 15:5)

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)

Vine and branches

True – many things asking for our attachment, only Jesus is the true source of our life

Two types of branches

Jesus describes two different kinds of branches

Those which do not bear fruit

Those which do bear fruit

Branches which do not bear fruit

Cut off

Thrown away and wither

Burned in the fire

Branches which bear fruit

Pruned

What makes the difference? Remaining in Christ

Close connection

Gives life

Christ’s word – God’s revelation

Cleans us

Ephesians 5:26 NIV84

to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

Remain in – abide, a mutual relationship

We are to remain in Christ

He will remain in us – through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Can not bear fruit apart from Christ – can do nothing

A person can do great works, be a philanthropist, become rich and famous, but apart from Jesus Christ those things amount to nothing.

How do we remain in?

His words are to remain in us – knowing and following the teachings of Christ

1 John 2:24 NIV84

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

Fellowship with Him

John 6:56 NIV84

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

The result of remaining in.

Bear fruit – fruit of the Spirit, fruit of good deeds, fruit of witnessing

‘will bear much fruit’ – a natural result of remaining in the vine

Isaiah 5:7 NIV84

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Must be connected with Christ

No fruit – cut off, burned

Bear fruit – pruned, trims clean

R. Kent Hughes writes, “Some years ago I set off on a grandiose spiritual scheme. I shared it with my friends, and they assured me it would succeed. I had good motives, and the ideas were sound, but I fell flat on my face, to my great embarrassment. So I called a close friend, whom I could go to when I was discouraged. As we sat in a restaurant, he said to me, “You know what? This is good for you. If you had succeeded at this, you would have started telling others how to do it. Then you would have a seminar, and so on. Failing was the best thing that could have happened to you.” Much of what is noble in us has been accomplished by God’s pruning in our lives.”

What is the ‘dead wood’ in our lives?

Why should we remain in?

Ask and it will be given – because what w ask for will be in accordance with his will

To God’s glory

Show we are disciples

If you were a branch from a fruit tree, would you be trimmed or tinder?

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