John Ch15v1-8 - Remaining In Jesus

I'm going to read John chapter 15 verses 1 through 8.

John 15:1–8

You remember that this is part of a whole section going from chapter 13 through to the end of chapter 17,

which covers about 24 hours as Jesus meets and speaks with the disciples specifically

and prepares them for him going back to the Father

and how they should live as they wait for the Lord's return.

And so we are also in that time frame of where we're waiting for the Lord to return.

And so these words instruct us today as to how we should live.

So let's read verse 1.

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 as I also 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 you remain in me and I in you,

you will bear much fruit.

Apart from me, you can do nothing.

If you do not remain in me,

you are 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 done for you.

This is to my Father's glory,

that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Well, let's pray.

Let's pray.

Lord God, we are grateful and thankful for your word.

It is the truth,

and we trust it.

And we pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit,

your word would do a pruning work in our life right now,

and that through this morning,

we will become more fruitful.

May this be for our good

and for your glory.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, one of my summer chores as a kid

was to pick the fruit in our garden.

Not a pleasant job,

if you're wanting to be outside playing football

and doing other things.

But nonetheless, it was what I had to do.

We had red and green gooseberries,

red currants and black currants,

raspberries and strawberries,

so there was no end to the work that had to be done.

Every year,

they would just produce buckets of fruit.

Now, of course,

that's just not a surprise, is it?

Because that's what fruit trees do.

Fruit trees produce fruit.

Well, if you are a disciple of Jesus,

you also produce delicious, sweet fruit.

Look at verse 8.

This is a key verse in our text.

This is to my Father's glory

that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Of course, this shouldn't be a surprise to us

because fruitfulness is the mark of a disciple.

It's the sign or the evidence

of following Jesus.

But it also means

that if we claim to be a disciple,

but have no fruit,

bear no fruit,

then we are not a disciple.

You see, there is only one kind of disciple,

and that's a fruitful disciple.

Did you see that in verse 8?

This is to my Father's glory

that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples.

So this morning,

we're going to think about

what it is to be fruitful.

We're going to ask two questions of the text.

What is the fruit,

and how can I be more fruitful?

What is the fruit,

and how can I be more fruitful?

So first, what is the fruit?

Well, I'm going to tell you straight up.

It's Christ-likeness.

Christ-likeness.

But we want to spend a bit of time

thinking about that

because as we go through,

we'll learn some foundational things.

We see what the fruit is

from verse 1.

Jesus says,

I am the true vine.

So this is the seventh time

Jesus has used this phrase,

I am,

to teach us who he is.

He's saying something about his identity.

I am the true vine.

A vine, or a vineyard,

as we saw from Psalm 80 this morning,

was a symbol for God's people Israel.

Just like a shamrock

is a national symbol for Ireland,

so the vine was a national symbol for Israel.

The problem was,

that's all it was.

It was a symbol.

It never produced any good fruit.

Keep your finger in John's Gospel

and go back to Isaiah chapter 5.

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 5.

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 5.

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

Here God is speaking

through the prophet Isaiah

and he gives us a picture

of a vineyard

and then he explains the meaning.

So we have a picture

and then we have an explanation.

So chapter 5, verse 1.

I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard.

My loved one had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside.

He dug it up,

cleared it of stones,

planted it with the choicest vines.

He built a watchtower in it

and cut out a winepress as well.

Then he looked for a crop

of good grapes.

But it yielded only bad fruit.

Literally, stinky fruit.

So there's the picture.

Now we get the explanation

in verse 7.

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty

is the nation of Israel.

And the people of Judah

are the vines he delights in.

And he looked for justice,

but saw bloodshed.

For righteousness,

but heard cries of distress.

Let's keep that in mind

and go back to John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

The fruit they were to produce

was the sweetness of righteousness

and justice.

But instead,

they produced bitter fruit,

stinky fruit,

injustice,

and unrighteousness.

You see,

they were called to reflect

the beauty of God's character,

a life of obeying God's good commands.

Instead,

they produced smelly,

stinky,

bad fruit.

Now Jesus says,

chapter 15,

verse 1,

I am the true vine.

In other words,

he's saying,

I am the only one

that produces good fruit,

sweet and delicious fruit.

Where Israel have failed,

Jesus has been faithful.

And it isn't just confined

to the nation of Israel,

it's for all people

throughout all ages

and all times,

we have all failed

to produce the fruit

we were made to produce.

But Jesus has been faithful.

You see,

Jesus lived

as we should have lived.

Jesus produces the fruit

that we should be bearing

in our lives.

Jesus lives

a fruitful life,

a beautiful life,

a pleasing to the Father

kind of life.

Look at the end

of chapter 14,

verse 31.

The end of verse 31,

Jesus says,

I love the Father.

I love him.

And I do exactly

what my Father

has commanded me.

The Son,

Jesus,

delights

and enjoys

doing what is right

and what is pleasing

for the Father.

I love him.

So what is the fruit

of a disciple?

Well,

the fruit of a disciple

is Christ-like character.

A life of loving

and enjoying

and desiring

the Father

and obeying

his commands.

What a beautiful

life that is.

So very simply,

what is the fruit?

Well,

it is the fruit

of Christ-likeness.

The second big question

we're going to ask,

and this will be

a bit longer,

is,

well,

how can I be

more fruitful?

How do we,

how do I

become

more

Christ-like?

because throughout

the text,

it's telling us

that we should be

bearing

much fruit

and becoming

more fruitful.

Well,

first,

if we're going

to be fruitful,

we need to be

connected

to the vine.

While it's not

stated,

it's implied

in the text.

A key word,

which we'll be

looking at in a minute,

throughout the text,

is remain,

or some of your

translations may say

abide.

If you are to remain,

it implies

that you are,

that you are

already in.

Okay,

if you're

in something,

you are to remain

in it.

So we need

to be first

connected

or joined

to the vine,

or to use

the horticultural

term,

we are to be

grafted

in

to the life

of Jesus,

who is

the true

vine.

And the way

in which we

get grafted

into the vine

is by faith

in Jesus.

As we believe

in Jesus,

as we place

our trust in him,

so we are

joined

and united

to the true

vine,

the one and only

Lord Jesus

Christ.

You see,

Jesus is

the true

vine.

He is the

true

people of

God.

He is the

only one.

It's not about

becoming part

of Israel

or becoming

part of any

nation.

It's about

being part

of God's

true

family.

The people

who have

faith

in the

Lord Jesus.

So trusting

Jesus as

the true

source of

life

connects us

and grafts

us in

to the

vine

which is

full of

life

and leads

to

fruitfulness.

So we

need to be

grafted in.

And once we

are in the

vine,

well then we

begin to

live as

Jesus lived.

That's part

of our new

nature.

As the

Lord Jesus

changes us

and transforms

us as we

are empowered

by the

indwelling

of the

Holy Spirit,

then we

begin to

bear fruit.

But here's

the thing.

We don't

stop at

being fruitful.

We are to

become even

more fruitful,

more sweet,

more delicious.

fruit.

So here are

two ways

God makes

us more

fruitful.

Two ways

in which God

makes us

more fruitful.

Because we

cannot make

ourselves fruitful,

this is a

work of God

the Father

and God

the Son

by the

Holy Spirit.

So how do

we become

more fruitful?

fruitful?

Well first,

the Father

prunes

fruitful

disciples.

The Father

prunes

fruitful

disciples.

Look at

verse 1

with me.

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.

Now did

you notice

verse 2

there's two

things that

the Father

does.

First the

Father,

verse 2,

cuts off

every branch

in the

vine that

bears no

fruit.

These

branches,

I think,

are people

who claim

to be

disciples

but produce

no fruit

and are

simply

cut off

the dead

stuff,

cut away.

It doesn't

belong in

the vine.

Jesus says

something similar

in verse 6.

If you do

not remain in

me, you are

like a branch

that is thrown

away and

withers.

Such branches

are picked

up, thrown

into the

fire and

burned.

It's talking

about judgment

day where

God the

Father will

judge and

look for

fruit.

And if there

is no fruit,

it will be

cut away and

separated from

him forever.

Isn't that

what happened

to Judas?

Do you

remember back

in chapter

13?

He was

dead

wood.

Look back

at chapter

13,

verse 21.

Jesus is

speaking with

the disciples.

They'd been

following him

over three

years,

done so

much together,

and then

during the

meal,

verse 21,

Jesus says,

very truly,

I tell you,

one of you

is going to

betray me.

Well,

we're

disciples.

Who's

going to

betray us?

Well,

look at

verse 26.

Jesus

answered,

it is the

one to

whom I

will give

this piece

of bread

when I

have dipped

it in

the dish.

Verse 30,

as soon

as Judas

had taken

the bread,

he went

out,

and it

was

night.

Judas

had claimed

to be

a disciple.

Judas

appeared to

be a

disciple.

He was

amongst

the

disciples,

but the

fruit of

his life

revealed

that

ultimately

he was

not a

disciple

at all.

He was

cut off.

He didn't

belong

in the

vine.

some of

you,

I'm sure,

or all

of us

will be

aware of

the recent

trial of

Geoffrey

Donaldson,

an MP,

who had

been charged

and found

guilty of

18 sexual

offences to

minors.

But as

Geoffrey

took the

stand for

the trial

over those

number of

days in

his clean

pristine

navy suit,

on his

lapel

was a

little

fish,

a symbol

of

Christianity.

Well,

symbols do

not protect

us.

Symbols

do not

produce

fruit.

Symbols,

whether it's

a cross

on the

chain,

and I

don't have

anything

against

that,

or

stickers

of

fishes

in

your

car,

I

don't

have

anything

against

that

either,

they

do

not

protect

you.

They

do

not

bring

good

fruit.

You

see,

it's

possible

to say

you are

a

disciple,

but

not

be

a

disciple.

It's

possible

to act

like a

disciple,

but

not

be a

true

follower

of

Jesus.

So

how

do

we

know

if

we

are

disciples?

We

bear

fruit.

Jesus

said,

didn't

he,

that by

your

fruit

you

will

know

them.

We

display

Christ-like

character.

We

love

the

commands

of

God.

We

desire

to

obey

and

please

the

Father

and

seek

to

do

the

good

of

others.

So

the

Father

will

first

cut

off

every

branch

that

bears

no

fruit.

But

the

second

thing

the

Father

does

is

to

prune.

Verse

2.

Let's

read

verse

2

again.

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.

At

the

end

of

the

fruit

season,

and I

know

some

of

you

know

this

very,

very

well,

my

mum

would

cut

back

the

current

bushes

and

the

raspberry

canes

and I

thought,

that's

it,

that's

the

end,

no

more

fruit

picking,

she's

cut

them

all

down.

But

to

my

surprise,

they

only

grew

back

better

and

stronger.

In

fact,

they

produced

more

fruit.

And

that's

the

picture

here.

The

father

prunes

disciples

so that

we

become

more

fruitful.

And

while the

results

are great

and

delicious,

the

process

of

pruning

is

painful.

You

see,

there are

things that

we attach

ourselves

to that

take the

place of

Jesus.

Rather

than

looking to

Jesus

as the

true

source

of

life,

we

turn

to

other

things

and

other

people.

And

that

hinders

our

growth

and

our

fruitfulness.

So

the

father

comes

alongside

and

gently

confronts

us

by the

spirit

showing

us

our

sin

so

that

we

can

repent

and

turn

in

faith

afresh

to

Jesus.

Pruning

is the

serious

work

the

father

does

by

the

spirit

about

the

sin

in

our

life

so

that

we

can

cut

it

out

as

we

bring

it

to

him

and

confess

and

ask

him

to

change

us.

Pruning

is

purifying.

It's

good

for

us.

John,

the

author

of

this

gospel

puts

it

like

this

in

his

letter.

Again,

John

is

writing

to

disciples.

He

says,

if we

claim

to be

without

sin,

we

deceive

ourselves

and the

truth

is not

in us.

So it's

not about

becoming

perfect,

but it's

about owning

up to

our sin.

And if

we confess

our sins,

well,

he is

faithful

and just

and will

forgive us

our sins

and

what?

Purify

us

from

all

unrighteousness.

He

will

prune

us

so that

we

become

more

and more

like

him.

None

of us

likes

being

confronted

by our

sin,

but the

purpose

is not

to

condemn

us,

but to

grow

us.

It's

not to

pronounce

us all

as

failures

and that

we're

all

rotten

and

terrible

people,

but to

make us

more

fruitful.

It's the

Father's

work to

prune us

so that

we become

more like

his Son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

So the

Father

prunes

us.

Second,

the Son,

I've

jumped ahead

too much,

we'll leave

it there.

The Son

produces

fruitful

disciples.

The Son

produces

fruitful

disciples.

Bearing

fruit

is

connected

to

remaining

in

Jesus.

Eight

times,

if you're

to read

the text

again,

we're

called

to

remain

or

abide

!

in

Jesus.

So look

at verse

four.

remain

in me

as I

also

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.

So

remain

in

Jesus,

abide

in

Jesus.

But

how?

How do

we remain?

How do

we abide?

Well,

I think

the clue

comes

in

verse

three

and

in

verse

seven.

Notice

what

Jesus

said,

verse

three.

You

are

already

clean

because

of the

word

I have

spoken

to

you.

So

Jesus

had

spoken

the

word

of the

gospel

to

them.

That

word

had

cleaned

them

on

the

inside

and

made

them

disciples.

That

word

Jesus

had

spoken

to

them

had

cleaned

them

to

be

disciples

so

that

they

would

bear

fruit.

Now

look

down

at

verse

seven.

If

you

remain

in

me

and

my

words

remain

in

you,

ask

whatever

you wish

and it

will be

done

for

you.

you

see

the

remaining

is

to

be

connected

to

the

word

that

Jesus

has

spoken

Jesus

himself

and

prayer.

Verse

seven,

if you

remain

in my

words

and

remain

in

you,

my

words

remain

in

you,

ask

whatever

you

wish

and it

will

be

done

for

you.

So

remaining

is

connected

in

to

the

words

of

Jesus

and

praying

to

him.

That's

how

we

abide

in

Jesus.

That's

how

we

remain

in

Jesus.

We

keep

trusting

his

word.

As

we

started

trusting

his

word,

so we

continue

trusting

his

word

and

we

continue

to

ask

in

prayer

that

he

will

do

a

work

in

our

lives.

So

first,

we

trust

in

his

word.

We

believe

what

Jesus

said

about

himself.

It's

not

that

we

go

from

something

else

to

believing

in

Jesus

and

to

something

else.

No,

we

keep

believing

and

trusting

in

what

he

has

said.

I

am

the

bread

of

life.

I

nourish

you

and

I

feed

you.

I

am

the

light

of

the

world.

I

show

you

where

to

go.

I

am

the

door.

I

am

the

entrance

to

life.

I

am

the

life.

And

now

Jesus

says

verse

five

I

am

the

vine

and

you

are

the

branches

and

if

you

remain

in

me

and

I

in

you

you

will

bear

much

fruit

apart

from

me

you

can

do

nothing.

It's

trusting

in

Jesus

and

his

words

as

the

source

of

true

life.

It's

believing

that

Jesus

is

all

satisfied

and

all

sufficient.

It's

saying

verse

five

that

without

Jesus

I

can

do

nothing.

I

can't

produce

any

fruit

by

myself.

I

need

Jesus

the

true

vine

to

do

that

work.

I

cannot

make

myself

fruitful.

He

is

the

one

I

trust

to

produce

fruit

in

me.

So

we

trust

in

his

word

and

we

depend

in

prayer.

Again

look at

verse

seven.

If you

remain

in me

and my

words

remain

in you

ask

whatever

you wish

and it

will be

done

for you.

So

what do

you

want?

Just

ask him

for it

and he'll

give it

to you.

Want

a new

car?

Ask

him.

No?

Well,

it doesn't

mean that

we get

whatever

we

ask.

Context

is

key.

You

see,

it's

the

desire

of

Jesus

that

we

bear

fruit.

So

as we

come to

him

in

prayer

and

ask

of

him

anything

that

we

ask

of

in

terms

of

producing

fruit,

he

will

do

that

work

in

us.

He

will.

Isn't

that

good

to

know?

That

whatever

we

ask

in

relation

to

fruit

bearing,

he

will

produce

that

within

us.

Delicious,

ripe,

sweet,

fruit,

Christ

likeness.

Go

with me

please

to

Psalm

1.

Psalm

1.

In

your

Bible,

Psalm

1.

here

is a

picture

of

ongoing

trust

in

God's

word

and

depending

upon

him

in

prayer,

all

of

which

leads

to

a

fruitful

life.

A

picture

of

trusting

in

God's

word,

trusting

what

Jesus

says

depending

on

prayer

which

leads

to

a

fruitful

life.

Look at

verse

1.

Blessed

is the

one

who does

not walk

in step

with the

wicked

or stand

in the

way that

sinners

take

or sit

in the

company

of

mockers.

God

they're

listening

or trusting

in the

words

of

people.

But

blessed

is the

one

who

meditates

or

whose

delight

is in

the

law

of

the

Lord

and

who

meditates

on

his

law

day

and

night.

That

person

is like

a

tree

planted

by

streams

of

water

which

yields

its

fruit

in

season

and

whose

leaf

does

not

wither

whatever

they

do

prospers.

You

see

that word

meditating

is to

think

deeply

and reflect

much

and churn

around

in our

minds

the

words

of

God

to

think

deeply

about

them

and to

pray

them

into

our

life

so

that

they

bring

about

change

and

transformation

so

that

we

yield

fruit.

Let's

go back

to John's

gospel.

So

to

remain

in

Jesus

means

we

keep

on

trusting

the

words

of

Jesus.

The

words

that

made

us

clean

is

the

same

word

that

will

go

on

cleaning

us

to

be

more

like

Jesus.

And

we

depend

upon

him

in

prayer

asking

him

to

do

the

work

in

us

that

we

cannot

do

in

ourselves.

You

see

the

father

prunes

us

so

that

we

become

more

fruitful

and

the

son

produces

fruit

in

us

so

that

we

become

even

more

fruitful.

This

is how

God

works