How is Spiritual Fruit Produced in Your Life?
John 15:1-11
Intro:
1. Are you living a fruitful, victorious, abundant life in Christ?
2. The Bible shows a Christian’s relationship to the Lord like a grafted branch’s relationship to the vine to which it is attached.
3. September is grape harvest time in Northern California. ILL: Trip to FHL - miles of vineyards.
4. In the jungle vines climb the trees & intertwine hiding the sun from the ground.
5. There’s vineyards all over Israel today nearly everywhere.
1. Vines produce 2 kinds of branches - fruit bearing & non fruit bearing.
2. Since the wood of a branch isn’t good for anything, non fruit bearing branches are pruned & burned to conserve the nourishment of the vine stock.
6. So - a branch must either remain connected to the vine or be grafted in to produce grapes!
I. What is the Symbolism of the Vine?
A. Who is the vine?
1. The vine was the symbol of Israel - on Maccabean coins & on the front of the Jewish Temple.
2. v1 - The Lord claimed to be the root vine stock.
a. He was the vine planted by God. Matt 1:20 - But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”.
b. He was the vine cared for by God by being nourished by the angels after His temptation
(Matt 4:11) & passing through the crowd at Nazareth (Lk 4:29-30).
B. Who are the Branches?
1. v5 - You are the branches.
2. Jews were the original branches but they didn’t produce (Is 5:1-7; Jer 2:21; Hos 10:1; Ps 80:8)
3. v4 - You must be attached to be fruitful.
C. What is the graft that binds you to the vine?
1. Normally a branch is grafted to a stock with grafting wax or paraffin.
2. v9 - The spiritual grafting wax is love.
a. The Father loved the Son. Jn 17:26 - I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.
b. The Son loved you enough to go to the cross (Jn 3:16).
c. You need to reflect that love to others around you; even to your enemies (Matt 5:44-46).
3. v10 - The spiritual grafting wax is obedience. I Jn 3:24 - Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
a. You find what He wants you to do in His Word - the Bible.
b. Whatever you know the Lord wants you to do - do it!
4. v11 - The spiritual grafting wax is joy.
a. The Ethiopian Eunuch went on his way rejoicing (Act 8:39)!
b. The disciples rejoiced at the privilege of being persecuted for the Lord (Act 5:41).
II. What Does It Mean to Remain in Christ?
A. Remain (μείνατε) = “to abide, to live in, to continue to be present in or to endure”. It can also mean “to wait for”.
B. You are responsible to:
1. Remain in the Lord's love - v9.
2. Not to fall away - Heb 6:4-6.
3. Not to abandon the faith - I Tim 4:1.
4. Bear spiritual fruit - v2-3.
C. How do you remain in Christ?
1. Eph 3:17 - By trusting (having faith) that He is dwelling in your heart.
2. I Jn 2:6 - By walking (conducting yourself) the way Lord Jesus conducted Himself.
3. II Jn 9 - By continuing in biblical teaching - it is important what you believe!
III. If You Remain in Christ - What will Happen?
A. v2-3 - He will clean you up.
1. Prune (καθαίρω) = cut off or clean.
2. Clean (καθαρός) = to become clean, pure, ritually innocent.
3. Absorbing the word of God makes the difference!
B. v4 - He will remain in you.
1. The Lord really is in you as “the hope of glory” - Col 1:27.
2. He dwells in you through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Act 2:38). Jn 14:17 - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
3. Because the Lord is living in you, your spirit is alive even though your body is decaying (Rom 8:10-11).
Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
C. v4-5 - You will bear much fruit.
1. v8 - Bearing fruit honor the Father & presents you as a true disciple.
2. So - what’s the fruit?
a. Your character - the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in you. Gal 5:20 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
b. Possibly souls for the kingdom because of your witness to them.
D. v7 - You will have an effective prayer life.
E. I Jn 2:28 - You will be confident & unashamed when the Lord comes again.
It's your responsibility to remain connected to the Lord. Your personal relationship to Him will give you the purpose and meaning in your life He created for you to have!
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