Christ, The True Vine

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ being the true vine?

John 15:1 teaches that Jesus is the true vine, emphasizing the necessity of abiding in Him for spiritual growth. In John 15:1, Jesus declares, 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.' This statement is a profound declaration of His identity and role in the lives of believers. As the true vine, Christ signifies that He is the source of life and sustenance for His followers, similar to how a vine supports its branches. Moreover, the metaphor illustrates the relationship between believers and Christ; just as branches cannot bear fruit without being connected to the vine, believers cannot live fruitful lives apart from Christ. This passage underscores the importance of remaining in communion with Christ to receive spiritual nourishment.

Q: How do we know that Jesus is the true God?

The Bible affirms Jesus as true God through His claims and identity portrayed in scripture, particularly in John 1 and 1 John. The identity of Christ as the true God is clearly articulated in various passages of scripture. For instance, in John 1, it states, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' This establishes Christ not only as a messenger from God but as God Himself, emphasizing His divine nature. Furthermore, the apostle John concludes his first epistle by stating that we may know Him, the true God. Such references solidify the belief that Jesus is not merely a prophet or teacher but the one true God in human flesh, which is foundational to the sovereign grace theology.

Q: Why is bearing fruit important for Christians?

Bearing fruit is essential for Christians as it demonstrates their faith and the life of Christ working through them. In John 15:2, Jesus emphasizes the significance of bearing fruit when He states, 'Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away.' This metaphor illustrates that fruit-bearing is a tangible expression of a believer's faith and their connection to Christ. The fruit mentioned here refers to the fruit of the Spirit, as detailed in Galatians 5, which includes characteristics such as love, joy, and peace. These attributes not only reflect the inward transformation a believer experiences through Christ but also serve as a testament to the world of the gospel's power. Hence, bearing fruit becomes a vital aspect of the Christian life, glorifying God and fulfilling the purpose for which believers were created.

Q: What does it mean to abide in Christ?

'Abiding in Christ' means maintaining a close, personal relationship with Him, leading to a fruitful Christian life. Abiding in Christ, as articulated in John 15:4, signifies an intimate and continual connection between the believer and Christ. To abide means to dwell, remain, and be rooted in Him. This relationship is not a temporary visit but a lifelong commitment to live in His presence, drawing strength and sustenance from Him. Just as a branch receives nourishment from the vine, believers derive their spiritual strength, guidance, and fruitfulness from their abiding relationship with Christ. This notion underscores the necessity of ongoing communion with Christ through prayer, meditation on His Word, and engagement in communal worship, thereby enhancing one's spiritual growth and effectiveness as a disciple.

Q: Why does God prune believers?

God prunes believers to enhance their spiritual growth and increase their fruitfulness for His glory. In John 15:2, we find that 'Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' This concept of pruning is essential for spiritual maturity. Pruning involves the removal of unnecessary or unfruitful aspects of a believer's life, which can often be painful but is ultimately for their benefit. As believers encounter trials and challenges, these experiences serve to refine their character and deepen their reliance on Christ. The pruning process allows for greater fruitfulness and glorifies God as believers reflect Christ's image more fully. Thus, while pruning may indicate hardship, it is a sign of God's loving discipline and a means through which He cultivates more fruitful lives.

I. I. All right, back to John 15. Thank
you, Jeanette. John 15. Let me remind you what we are looking
at. Many old preachers and writers
call this the paschal discourse, so that is Paschal is a word for Passover
it means that this is what our Lord said to his disciples just
before he went to become that Passover lamb, shed his blood,
which the Lord God said, if I see, I will pass over you. This is the, not just the big
word, but the Paschal discourse. This is what our Lord said immediately.
These are his dying word to his disciples. Makes it pretty important
And he says some wonderful things. And we're really just getting
into it, aren't we? As a man, the Lord God spent
most of his time outdoors. He was an outdoors man. It's only fitting since God dwelleth
not in buildings made with hands. Right? The Lord God, our Creator,
when he created man, where did he put him? He didn't put him
in a crystal cathedral. He put him in a garden. And it's
only fitting that when the second Adam came, he liked to resort
to a garden. That's where he liked to spend
his time. When they wanted to find him,
Judas knew just the place because he was there a lot. of natural things, things that
he has created to illustrate himself. Common, ordinary things. At the end of, and this is what
he does here in chapter 15. At the end of chapter 14, now
they were sitting in the upper room at Jerusalem, all the way
through chapter 13. And chapter fourteen they had
been sitting in this upper room remember. That's when they had
this supper Passover supper together that's when he. Washed their
feet. And then sitting in this room
now in the last verse there of chapter fourteen. The last line
he says arise. And let's go here. Let's go. It's time to leave. So they got up and went outside
and they started heading toward the garden of Gethsemane, because
you remember that's where he's going to pray, that prayer in
the garden. Well, they started heading toward
the garden in Jerusalem, the surrounding area of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is a Middle Eastern town over there in that part
of the world. It's known for its. Orchards
and specifically olive trees and fruit trees and pomegranates
and mangoes and you name it an arid climate. Many things grow
there known for its vineyards. That's a lot. There's a lot of
vineyards over there. OK, as they were walking to that
garden. He was talking, the Lord was
apt to teach. He always was teaching them,
speaking to them, never an idle moment with him. He was leading,
guiding, directing in all truth. And as he was walking toward
that garden and they were overlooking these vineyards, that's when
he began, I believe he was pointing and they were looking at these
vineyards they were passing by and he says, look at verse 1,
I am the true man. Looking at those vineyards out
there those vines growing grape vineyards there's only one kind
of vineyard. Just as there's only one kind of wine. Sorry
apple wine is not wine. Elderberry ain't wine. It's grape vineyards. And the Lord looked at those
and said, I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. I am the true vine, and my father
is the husbandman. Speaking of God his father, he
said he's the husbandman. Now a husbandman was one who
owned the land. He was a great wealthy landowner
who owned the vineyard itself, the whole thing. belong to the
husbandman. And Christ says here, My Father,
God, is the husbandman. Like Psalm 24 says, The earth
is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. Well, God who planted
all things, God who made all things, planted all things. Now,
if the Lord doesn't plant it, it will be rooted up. But God,
who planted all things, planted a root. That's what we were looking
at in Psalm 80. Out of dry ground, a root. Yea,
a vine. And that's Christ. Christ said,
I am the true vine. True vine. What he's saying is
that there's, there are false ones. Remember he said over in
Matthew and he was he said all those things on the only if you
say of the context of Matthew twenty-four when he talks about
the end of all things right here. But it's not recorded here in
John. It took four gospels to record
all that he said walking from Jerusalem out of the garden. At any rate. He said there in
Matthew 24, there are many faults Christ shall come, but he said,
I am the true. Many things will spring up from
different fellows, but I am the true God, true God. Listen to
these things that he calls himself the true. Over in John 1, he
says he's the true light, the true light. If I'm not careful, I'll dwell
on all of this. I'm going to go on. He said he's the true
bread. He says this about each of these
things that he illustrates himself. True light, meaning that other
things don't give light. The moon. You go outside and
look at the moon. If it's out there tonight, if
it's shining, it's not shining. You and I were talking about
that, Joe, weren't we? Moon shineth not. And now what the Scripture
says, it doesn't shine. If it shines, it's reflected
light. There's only one thing that shines.
It's the sun. I'm a true light. I'm true bread.
Nothing gives life or sustenance or nurtures or nourishes, but
Christ. In him we live and move. Over
in Hebrews, it says he's the true tabernacle. The true tabernacle. Now, the church right now is
meeting in this room tonight. But this is no protection. But if we're in him, we are. Noah was in a boat, wasn't he?
But Noah was in a greater ark than that. Christ is the true
ark. And then he says in Hebrews 9,
these things are a figure. Paul talks about the tabernacle
and all those things, saying these things are a figure of
the true. And then over in 1 John, the
very last verse in 1 John, John's first epistle, he says that we
might know him, the true God. So Christ says, I'm the true,
thee, meaning there's one. I'm the
one and only true, rare and original vine. Vine. And as I said, a great vine.
A great vine. The reason I insist upon that
is because I have other vines that I have planted. Haven't
you? I have some. Nearly every bond. Needs something
to cling to, doesn't it? In order to stand upright. Not
a great man, not a great. That will stand on its own. That's a great man. That's a
great man. I brought this to use an illustration. Christ said I am the true by. A grapevine. See, this is not
like most vines. This is not some weak little,
poor little, spinely thing. You don't have to support a grapevine.
You have to support the branches, but not the vine. See, this thing
grows right out of the ground, and it gets hardy. I mean, it's
hard. It's hardy. and like other, and
it's fruit-bearing. It bears fruit. And the thing
I like about the illustration of a grapevine is, see how marled
it is? Twisted? Kind of marred? That's a perfect
picture of Christ, who after thirteen incidentally, this man
is over thirty years old. This is about thirty. Let's just
say it's thirty three years old. It's marred more than other vines. And so was crime. And from all
the prunings over the year, you have to prune and cut. It has
bare scars. Every one of these little things
are scars from where it's been pruned. Good picture of Christ,
isn't it? The vine. He says, I'm the true vine. The
true vine. It's not beautiful like a rose. A rose is a vine. It's not as
beautiful as a rose. Roses don't produce fruit, do
they? And these things, a grapevine
will live indefinitely. Indefinitely. Fruit-bearing,
oh, extensively. Do you know how much? I got this
from a lady here in town who owns a vineyard. Nancy's been
with me. You've talked to her. Now, this
is over thirty years old. Vine will begin to bear grapes
in about the second year. Little old vines sticking out
of the ground. And in five or ten years man
is very hardy. Twenty years how many. Has this
one by. How many. May be a. Maybe a time or more one by that's
a good picture of Christ and. Extensively bearing for you said
I'm the true by and so when you get this picture of When you
hear Christ talk about a vine, maybe you'll remember that. That's
an object lesson. I'm not talking about some spiny
little thing that has to hold on. That's Jesus being preached
today, isn't it? He's holding on you for support.
That doesn't need support. I had a hard time uprooting that.
I mean a hard time. And incidentally, that's just
part of the one vine that I got. I planted the other, and it's
growing well. Well, he says in verse 2, verse
2, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. Every branch. Now, a living vine
sendeth forth branches. Now, I transplanted this. This
had branches going everywhere. Branches going everywhere. And
I cropped off. or took away the branches that
would not serve my purpose. I cropped those off. Now, a living
vine sends forth branches, and they grow from the vine. Without
the vine now, without the vine, they're dead. They're dead. They're
dead. And unless the vine had produced
the branches, they wouldn't be there at all. They wouldn't even
be branches, I think. Really, that goes without
saying that there wouldn't be any branches if it weren't for
the root. That's what that is, a root out
of ground. That's the vine and then the
branches, all right? All right, read on. Every branch
in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. Now, he says
every branch in me. Now, he, we counted this. He
says this seven times in seven verses. In me. In me. Except you abide in me. He that abided in me. Every branch
in me. In me. Seven times, John. Actually
in six verses. Why? Why does he keep repeating
that? Because this is salvation. to be in Christ, to be found
grafted in Christ, in Him, to be a branch in Christ, growing
from Him, receiving life from Him. All life is in Him. We're chosen in Him. We're accepted
in Him. All blessings are in Him. Now,
he says here, every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he
taketh away. Now the last time we dealt with
this, I, with this differently. I've since learned, I believe, that this,
when he says in me, that has to be someone who is a true believer. You can't be in Christ and be, not be a believer. Right? Look
down at verse Let's see, 6. He differentiates that if a man
abide not in me, he's cast forth as a branch. OK. But he says
now in verse 2, every branch in me that beareth not fruit,
he taketh away. All right. Every branch that
beareth not fruit. Now listen. Look over at Galatians
chapter 5 with me. What is this fruit that the branch
must bear? Galatians 5 tells us what this
fruit is, and it's not plural, it's singular, right? Fruit. It talks here about the fruit
of the Spirit, Galatians 5, not fruits. Why? Because they all
go together. You can't do without any one
of them. They're all together and they're all in Christ. They're
all in Christ. Fruit. Now listen, fruit. What is fruit? Do you like fruit? If you'd ask me, perhaps, what
my favorite or most delectable,
let's put it that way, savory of all foods on this planet I
know I've said bread before is my staple and I do, I must have,
but fruit is the most amazing thing on this earth. I really
believe it is. Don't you? Fruit. Oranges are my favorite. An orange
is my absolute favorite fruit. It's just, the fruit itself is
amazing. Isn't it amazing? I bet Adam,
when he plucked that first, I bet he sat there and looked at it
for about two hours. It's amazing. Only God could
make something like that. Fool, let's say it in his heart.
No God. Things like that don't evolve,
do they? segmented, luscious. Give me an orange, quick. Fruit,
though, is savory, profitable food. It has medicinal, beneficial, it's
enjoyable. It's for the enjoyment by people,
isn't it? Fruit, all right. So is fruit
of the Spirit. Look at it here. The fruit of
the spirit, verse 22. Fruit of the spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. You can't do without any of it.
These are all characteristics of Christ, are they not? If we're
going to bear his image. Which without? It's all fruit. or the likeness
of crop fruit. What's the first pretty sure. You just read what's the first.
All right, go back to the text. Now, he said, love and first
for rendering the God. The first. What's Christ say
this is my command. He said, I will give you some
say I will give you some commandment. This is my commandment. What's
the first one? Look down at verse 12. Love one another. It doesn't
say love yourself. As I said, fruit is for the benefit,
you know, the tree produces fruit and it's for the benefit of someone
else. He said this is the first fruit of the Spirit. This is
profitable. This is good. This is savory. This is Christlike. love one
another. That's the first fruit of the
Spirit. Love. Love. This is Christ's
first and great commandment to his people. And Peter says, see
that you do it fervently. Fervently. Ever been fervent
about anything? That means active. That means
actively. I mean serious about it. Doing
it. Showing it. He says show it.
Nurture it. Nurture it. People, we love our flesh and
blood. We love our natural families.
That's the old man, okay? The natural men love their own. What thank have ye? Isn't that
what the scripture says? What thank have ye? If you do
good to those that do good to you, if you love those that love
you, what thank have ye? None from God. We didn't nurture this love for
the brethren. He says do good unto all men.
That's good. It's good to do good unto all
men. But he said especially them that
are of household faith. Nurture it. Nurture it. Love. So this fruit is something
that we need to work on. Bearing. Now, we don't produce
fruit. Branches don't produce fruit.
What produces fruit? The vine. Right? Branch came from that, and anything
that comes out of the branch comes from the vine. Right? He says, bear it. He didn't say
produce it. And we're going to see in a minute,
he says, you can't do anything without me. But bear it. Bear fruit. All right? We need to actively And I'm not
going to go into the other fruit, but this is one area that we
can certainly pursue, isn't it? Do we actively prove the sincerity
of our love for these people? If not, look at verse 2 again. Every
branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. Kind of like that fig tree, cumbering
the ground. It's getting in the way. Getting in the way. God may kill
you or me if we don't bear fruit. This
is what this is talking about. How do I know? Because I've seen
him do it. He gave, in another place, the
parable of salt. The salt has lost its savor,
and it's salt. There's nothing savory on this
earth but a believer. A believer is the salt of the
earth, but the scripture says that the salt has lost its savor. OK, it's not good for anything
but to be cast down and trodden underfoot. It's the same thing
here he's saying, the same lesson he's teaching us there. If you
bear not fruit, he remove it. What good is fruit if no one
uses it, right? Or if a tree produces bitter
fruit. As I said, I have known people,
I've seen God kill, actually kill people who lost their youthfulness,
usefulness. I wrote this down. The body doesn't
need a bunch of not-on-logs. It needs fruit. Right? What good is a not-on-log? But for burning. That's about
all you find for it in a jug. It makes a good flame. What good
is a knot on a log? Sit there like a knot on a log
and not bear fruit. This is exactly what the Lord
is saying here. We need to ask ourselves, and
me included, what have I done, what do I do for this church,
for the cause of Christ? was every branch in me." True
believer. That beareth not fruit, he gets
it out of the way. You're in the way. That's what he's talking about. OK. All right, let's read on. Solemn words, aren't they? I
didn't say that. the Lord did. What do I do for
this body, for the cause of Christ? All right. Every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more
fruit. He purgeth it. What is this purging? What is
this purging? Huh? Purging, removing the dross
or the dead limbs or whatever, like trimming, pruning, cutting,
prune a vine or branch. It hurts, doesn't it? It's a wound inflicted. Isn't
that right? You inflict a wound on a branch
when you prune it. And this purging or this pruning,
if trials is what they are. And Hebrews 12 talks about if
you be without this chastening, and now chastening means correction,
doesn't mean punishment. It means a lesson learned through
a difficult trial. Chastening, he said, if you be
without it, you're a bastard. He said, Every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it might bring forth more fruit. Have you noticed that those most
Christlike people are the ones who undergo the most trials? There's a scripture that says
the righteous perish and the And men don't take it to heart. He's removing them from the evil
to come. The salt of the earth, men and
women that I've known over the years who have gone through terrible,
extensive trials and passed away, the Lord's taken them, have just
been the salt of the earth. Bear fruit, the most helpful,
those are the ones you think that if anybody needs to be left,
it's that person. Don't take them. The one who's
doing something, bearing fruit. Ed, you think back on preachers,
you know, like David Brainerd, Robert Mary McShane, Charles
Spurgeon, 58 years old when he died, and so on and so on. Well, pruning produces more fruit. We're not to ask for trials,
but when they come, let's bear up under them. They'll produce
fruit. Trial of your faith. Trial of your faith. All right,
verse 3. He says, Now ye are clean through
the word which I have spoken unto you. Now you're clean through the word which I have
spoken unto you. Now you're purged. Now you're pure through the word
which I have spoken unto you. Christ says you're clean, you're
saved, that is, through the word I have spoken unto you. What
is the word which saves us? See if you've been listening. What is the word which is preached
unto us? Peter says it. I'll give you
a little hint. Peter says it over in 1 Peter 1. were born
again by. Word. Word and he goes on down and
says this is the word. Which by the. Yes, the gospel the word of his
power which saves the gospel. No trick question there, people.
I'm not trying to trick anybody. I want you to know these things.
How many times do I quote that 1 Peter 1.25? This is the word
which by the gospel. All right, so what is the word
which cleans us, purifies us, saves us, sanctifies, justifies? What is the word? It's the gospel. It's the gospel. The gospel. Can't just say it's the Bible.
Read the Bible, you feel good. No. You get all clean when you
read the Bible. Well, his commandments are clean,
his precepts, but it's as they speak of Christ who is soul-cleansing. The gospel. All who have heard
the gospel and trusted Christ are clean. Now, John, he doesn't say, After I
go to the cross and after I this and after I that," he said, now.
Beloved, now. You look at yourself, and we
all do behold, as in a glass, ourselves. And we see all the
blemishes, you know. The closer you get to a mirror,
this is the glass. The more blemishes you see, don't
you? No. Beloved now. Now? Yeah, but it
does not yet appear what we shall be. But we are. He says now. Now are you clean? Clean? I'm altogether undone.
I'm filthy. No, no, no, no. Christ said it. That settles it. Now, are you
clean through the word? You believe the gospel? Do you,
John? Say it out loud. All right, now
you're clean. There's therefore not... Did
you hear Sunday's message? There is therefore When? Now! No condemnation to John
Davis because he believes Christ. But John says, I'm the chief
of sinners. Well, it's a faithful saying.
And worthy of all exaltation, Jesus Christ came into the world
to save him. Now he's saved. Right now. Don't doubt your salvation, people.
Oh, doubt yourself, doubt this, doubt that. Don't doubt Christ
and his word. He can't lie. There's peace now. That's peace now. Now, are you
clean through the word which I've spoken unto you? How's that?
Well, who shall lay anything to charge of God's elect? God said it. Justify. I always think of those two that
went into the temple, the publican and the Pharisee. The publican was nothing but
an old rotten sinner, and he went out of that place clean.
He didn't do anything. Stan, he didn't do anything. Did he? He didn't do anything. God just said, clean. Just with a word. I pronounce
you clean. That's not are you playing the
word. All of our is given to me and
her and I say you're playing. That's good news and if I don't
get past this first. You give up coming back. All
right now you playing through the word or adverse for now is
going Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except
ye abide in me." Abide in me, and I in you. We are in Christ,
and Christ is in us, to the believer. Now why does he say this as if
there's something for us to do? He does, doesn't he, Stan? This
is something for you to do. Abide in me. Didn't he say that? I immediately thought of when
Peter said, desire the sincere milk of the Word. As if it's
something that we need to do. Well, it is. Isn't it? We did abide in me or I was look
at this just a few minutes. OK, why does he say that as if
it's something for us to do now? We're not. We don't. We don't
get in Christ by anything we do. That's for sure. Those of
God. Are you? Finish the rest of it. I don't
know what other verse I've quoted more than this one. 1st Corinthians
130 of God, are you? in Christ, who of God is made
unto us." Come on! People! You go home and learn what that
means. You learn that verse of Scripture. Of God are we in Christ,
who of God isâ€”this is our creed, this is our salvation. You want
to tell somebody the gospel? You meet on the street? He's
made unto us wisdom, all we need to know. Righteousness, all we
need to be. Sanctification, all needs to
be done. And redemption. And you're complete
in Him. Well, we're in Him because God
put us in Him. But He says here, abide in me,
abide in me. Abide in me. It is an active
thing, like desiring milk. And I got these terms from the
dictionary. You may remember this from another time we spoke
of abiding in him. Abide in me. Abide in me. To abide, and I got these words
from the dictionary, to abide somewhere means, number one,
to dwell there. When you abide somewhere, you
don't visit. It's where you live. You're not
visiting. I don't know your address, Debra. Over there on... Joe, forgive me. What's the name
of that road you live on? Windsor Drive. John 125 Riverview,
I think it is. You don't just visit Windsor
Drive, do you? You live there. That's where
you dwell. That's where Joe Parks abides. He lives there. He lives there. Not a visiting place. It's life.
It's where you live. It's where Joe will be found
in that house on Windsor, if he's not in that truck. Well,
we live in Christ, on Christ, and with Christ. We feed on him. We walk with
him. Christ is life. Abide in him. Here's another thing. We live
in him. Abide means to stay there. When
you abide somewhere, it means you're not leaving. What was it that our Lord asked
the disciples? Remember when everybody started
leaving? Remember what he asked them?
Will you also go away? And if you're in Christ, if you're
abiding in Christ, you won't leave. No, Peter said, I'm staying. You go on to what? No, Peter
said, I'm staying. Can you say that? I know you're
going to be kept by the power of God. I know that. Unless God
keeps you, you won't be kept. You will leave. I will leave. Unless God keeps me, I will leave. I will fall. But when he asked
me this, what am I going to say? Huh? Will you also go away? Well,
no. No, I'm not leaving. You leave? No. No, I don't want
to. I'm staying. That's what, remember
Ruth? Naomi said to Ruth, go ahead
and go on back with your sister. I don't want to leave. I want
to abide with you. So that's what Christ said, abide
with me. Christ is walking with me. You
want to abide with me? Abide with me. Don't leave the
gospel. The gospel, this gospel, this
Christ. I say with Ruth, this Christ
is my Christ, not another. This Christ. This gospel is my gospel. It's
not the one they're preaching out there. That's the reason
I don't want to abide with them. The gospel is my gospel. This
gospel is my gospel. My gospel, not another. is my
church is important to join the church. Well, I think when you confess
Christ, you confess his church, say this church, these believers. This is my family. Do you take
this church to be your grace wedded church? I do not lawful,
but grace I do. My church, my people, I'm staying. Abide with me. OK. I want to. It means to continue. You think
these things mean the same thing? Well, they do, basically. But
it means to continue. To abide means to continue. If
you come over to my house in the morning at 6 a.m. when I get up, if you come
over there, You will find me doing and. What do mom and dad
do very first thing when we do the same thing every day, don't. Every day. You get we're getting
old. I mean, that's what old people
do. Well, we're doing the same thing we're continuing to do,
and I don't see any end to it. The same thing that we started
out it, but it has become habitual. We're doing the same thing. Same
thing. Every morning. Well, to abide
in Christ means to continue what you started doing. Steadfastly. What's that? That's what we're
doing right now. What we're doing right now. Fellowship.
Worshipping. Worshipping together. Hopefully,
if I'm abiding in Christ, You'll find me, twenty or thirty years from now,
Joe, well Joe won't, he won't be here, probably, but maybe
I won't, Joe, but hopefully you'll find me right there. Doing the
same thing. You'll find Stan, if Stan's here,
I guarantee you'll be right there in that chair. See, he's not
moving, that's his seat. Don't anybody try to take it.
That's Rick. If you find him, if he's abiding,
he'll be right there, continuing to do. See what it means? Continue. Continue. Habitual. Abiding. Abiding. It's another thing that means
to remain. You say, you're repeating yourself. No, no, no. To remain,
it means to stay around a long time. True believers remain believers. They believe the same thing that
they started believing, only stronger. only strong. It means to tarry. When you abide
somewhere, you tarry there. You linger in a place you enjoy
being. My dad made this comment one
night when he left here, one Wednesday night, I believe it
was, that he saw everybody hanging around. He said, that's a good
sign. You don't hang around a place
you hadn't enjoyed. You say, don't get mad at people.
You invite company over to your house and they won't go home. Don't get mad at them. That's
a compliment, really. It's a compliment. Keep smiling. They have complimented you seriously.
And me, even me with Wednesday night, you know, I'm just like
you. I'm kind of in a hurry to get home sometimes and a little
tired. and people hanging around. That
means they've enjoyed what they've been doing. Food's been good. Time's been sweet. Terry, abide. That's what the disciples did
on that road to Emmaus, didn't they? They were walking along,
and he made like he was going to leave. Wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait. Terry, abide with us, they said. Don't leave now. That's what it means to abide.
So Christ said, abide with me. Abide with me. There's some awful
good comments that hang around this place afterward, too. All
the food hadn't been eaten. And there's a few choice morsels
left out here. All right, let's go on. Let me
try to get down through here and quit. OK, Lord, here I am. Here I am. I'm convinced. That's
where I want to stay, and I've said this before. I believe that
when the Lord comes, he's going to come when his people are gathered
together like this. All right, he says now, verse
4, "'Except you abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more
can you, except you abide in me.'" He keeps telling this on
down through here. I am the vine. You're not the
vine. I'm the vine. You're going to
get everything from me. You are branches. You owe everything
you have to the vine. You've grown out of the vine.
Don't... What do you have you have not received? So don't glory
as if you're something. You're just a twig a creature on them, your branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, now the same bringeth forth much fruit. Now, but without
me, you can do nothing. Nothing. That deserves a message by itself,
doesn't it? But let's go on. If a man abide not in me, now
here's the difference. Someone who's not in Christ, Now, we're branches, aren't we?
But the root of the matter is in us. Life, faith, is in us. What do you have you haven't
received? OK, the root of the matter, who put it in you? You
got it from the Bible. It's a gift, all right? We're
just branches, though. Well, here's branches that are
not in Christ. There were not one whit difference in that fellow
out there on the street now that just I can't hear too well. The car
go by. Anyway, the next one that goes by, the guy that went by,
and this is nothing to him. This is nothing. Like Jeremiah
said, is it nothing to you all when you pass by? This gospel's
nothing. They're not interested in Christ
or worship tonight. Who makes us to differ? We're just branches. I just happen
to be, by His grace, in the mind. Do you see that? That's what Christ keeps. He's
humbling us at Rick, isn't He? Bringing us down. We're just
branches. And except as you abide in Him,
you're good for nothing, branches. And we're good for nothing unless
we get something from Him. He says, if a man abide not in
Me, you know, Christ's going to burn up. Read it there. Cast
forth as a branch is withered." Go down to the nursing home and
look at the withered branches. And men gather them up. Eventually
they're all going to be gathered up. Every one of these branches
down here is going to be gathered up and stuck in a box and stuck
in the ground if they don't cremate. And cast into the fire and burned. Branches. Good Lord. and this world and the people
in it are kindling for God's fire. And so would I be, but for the
vine." You see where he keeps saying,
I'm the vine. All glory to the vine. To the
vine. Read on, I'll quit. If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit. So shall ye be my disciples."
Now he says, if you abide in me and my words abide in you,
you'll ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. And
then he gives us a little clue. Then he says, Herein is my Father
glorified. All right, what are you going
to ask for? You're going to ask for what you will, and it'll be done
unto you. What will you? What wilt thou
that I should do unto you, if God ask you that? He gave us a clue, the next verse. Now, if you bear much fruit. All right, what are you going
to ask for? You and I have both seen what
prosperity does to people. We don't ask for prosperity,
riches. We've seen what that does to
people. They leave the gospel. There was a young man that sat
in here and heard the gospel for years. In the same period
of time, he got a new car, a new job, and a new house, and he
left this place. That's what it does. That's just
one example. There was a girl in here, a young
lady in here, who did the same thing. Got a new job, a new car,
and a new house, and left the gospel. Isn't that right? What are we going to ask for? Not prosperity. Having food and
arraignment over there in Proverbs says, Two things I ask for. Don't give me poverty lest I
steal, but don't give me riches lest I forget thee." We've seen
what riches do. What about beauty? Man, oh man. The first thing
God hates is a proud look. Beauty. But not the strong man, glory
in his strength. One little germ will reduce him
to a nothing, a vegetable. And on and on, education. Look
what it did to Einstein. It just makes people crazy, doesn't
it? Don't even comb their hair. Seriously. You look at intelligent people.
They're strange. What are we going to ask for?
What are we going to ask for? I tell you, this is, he says,
ask what you will. Lord, oh, that I might win Christ and
be found in him. Found in him. You see, you have
all those things if you're in him. Riches. Unsearchable. Just wait. You'll see. Wisdom. You don't have to do the thinking
of it. He does it for you. Strength. Nothing will stand
before you. They can do all things through
Christ which strengthens man. Prestige. Honor. You want to be well-known? Go run for delegate or whatever,
but oh, what if God knows your name? The angels. So in Christ, ask what you will,
he says. So that's what it is. That's
when the Lord changes our will and our want to and our asking. We don't ask for any of these
things. You won't find in the prayers of God's people through
the book, you won't ask You won't find them asking for these superficial
things, but finding them asking for bread sufficient and grace,
salvation, help, mercy, strength. Christ, give me Christ. OK, ask
what you will, and I'll give it unto you. Make me like Christ,
O God. Well, herein is the Father glorified,
and you'll be glorified with him. All right, I've got a good hymn
here to sing. Jeanette, come up there. What
did you go back there for? You're not through. Come here. This
is a good hymn. Hannah passes out very quickly. We'll sing this to the tune of
Just As I Am. Just As I Am. The Lord says,
Ask what thou wilt. And John Newton wrote this good
poem, excellent way to in this and I want you to pay careful
attention to the words of the. This is one. If there are four four. Just a moment. I don't want everybody
to look at that. All right, everybody got one?
Just about? All right, let's sing it. And dost thou sayest what thou
wilt, Lord, I would see the golden hour. I pray to be released from
guilt and free. From sin and Satan's power. Lord impart, more of thine image
let me bear, erect thy throne within my heart, and reign Give me to reap thy pardon's
field, And from thy joy to draw my strength. To have thy boundless
love reveal its might And depth, its breadth, and lean. Grant these requests, I ask no
more. But to thy care the rest reside. Living or dying, rich or poor, That'll be our closing prayer.
You're dismissed.

Christ, The True Vine

What does the Bible say about Christ being the true vine?

How do we know that Jesus is the true God?

Why is bearing fruit important for Christians?

What does it mean to abide in Christ?

Why does God prune believers?

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Christ, The True Vine

What does the Bible say about Christ being the true vine?

How do we know that Jesus is the true God?

Why is bearing fruit important for Christians?

What does it mean to abide in Christ?

Why does God prune believers?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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