Introduction
About 15 or so years ago, a movement began. At least I call it a movement. We started to see these weird and exotic fruits in the grocery stores. I think it started with the kiwi fruit. Then you had passion fruit and pomegranates. With the guacamole craze came the avocado and then the mango and here comes the hybrids like clementines and tangelos. We certainly cannot forget the ever-popular plantain and what in the world is a star fruit? It looks like a yellow ball of wax.
But, the market place knows something.
It knows that consumers like variety.
Fortunately for us, our fruit that we bear in Jesus is defined much more simply.
It would simply be defined as that which we produce as a result of being connected to Jesus.
Describing the Biblical Text
This text describes a scene that takes place in the upper room as Jesus is teaching His disciples what they will need to know when He is gone.
He is teaching them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and about his relationship to God.
He is teaching them about comfort and tribulation.
He is teaching them how to be connected to God.
Narrate the Contextual application
That is what being a follower of Jesus Christ is all about.
It is the process of our God connection.
Jesus was telling His disciples that they are connected to Him.
He is telling us that we are connected to Him.
What is the impact of that connection on our lives?
That is demonstrated by our ability and our willingness to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
Life Application (thesis)
Too many times, we have seen life defined by too many unbiblical things.
Men define life by a career or by earnings.
Women define life by their social interactions and their children.
Teens define life by stuff.
If you want to know the Biblical truth, bearing fruit in Christ is the demonstration of the successful life.
SO WHAT!! (Outline)
This idea can be explained through 3 concessions that we will see in the text this morning.
The first concession is this.
I must concede to allow God to cleanse me.
It is essential that we do this because if we do not we would run the risk of becoming fruitless.
Look at verse 2.
Probably most of us have grown a tomato plant at one time or another. You know those little stalks that try to grow at the connecting point between the main stem and the branches? They are called suckers and if allowed to stay on the plant, can rob the plant of needed nutrition which affects the production of the tomatoes. They just suck all the nutrients right away from the fruit.
That is the idea that Jesus is communicating in verse 2.
If we are bearing fruit, then we are cleansed that we might be able to bear more fruit.
The question really must be asked, “Are we really willing for God to prune our lives?”
That means that we might have to lose something that we enjoy or like in order to serve Christ more effectively.
That could be tough.
Especially, if we like to call our friends on the phone and talk about what we don’t like about church.
Or, if we like the greatest, newest gadgets and have buried ourselves under mountains of debt to have stuff that we don’t need.
Of if we use the Internet as a playground to feed our lustful desires or as a way to escape the realities of life.
It might be something simpler than that.
It might just involve the choice of your radio station or your TV channel.
Why listen to songs about adultery, drinking, partying every day, and rock and rolling all night long, when we can listen to music that might edify us and help us to grow in the Lord.
The pruning process shows us that we are connected to God.
It shows us that He cares for us and desires that we show the world that we care for Him.
The problem is that many followers of Jesus cannot endure the pruning process.
We don’t like to scale things back we like our limbs and we like our suckers that suck all our time and attention from the things that we need to be doing for our Lord.
But, there is a pruning process that we must engage if we are going to serve Christ faithfully.
We need to begin by assuring ourselves that we indeed have a relationship with Jesus.
That comes when we are overwhelmed by our sin and the realization sets in that apart from Christ we have no hope of ever living a full and meaningful life.
Apart from Christ, we have no hope at all.
Jesus said that apart from Him we could do nothing.
What is the value of a life without Christ?
Since God created all men in His image, we can’t say worthless can we?
But what will a life without Christ leave behind?
It will leave nothing of eternal consequence.
That is not the way it has to be.
Let’s bow our heads right now.
There are some of us who want life to really matter.
Now is the time to take that step.
Why don’t you pray to receive Jesus as your Lord right now?
In doing that you will be receiving something of eternal value and thus will be able to leave something of eternal value.
Dear Lord, I know my life has displeased you. I know that my sin bears your anger and wrath. I am so very sorry. I want Jesus to come into my life right now and to be my Lord and savior. I give Him control of my life and everything in it. Thank you for hearing my prayer and saving me today. In Jesus’ Name AMEN
What is next in the process?
We must pray and ask God if there is anything in our lives that could be removed in order for us to be fruitful for Him.
Anyone who thinks that their lives are so perfect pure and holy that God cannot prune anything away is simply arrogant and fooling themselves.
Even the apostle Paul who sought to live blameless viewed himself as chief among sinners.
The next part of the process is seeking what the Bible has to say about abiding in Christ.
This would then be our second concession.
I must concede that I will abide in Christ.
When you look at verse 5 we see a connection don’t we.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.
The branches are dependent on the vine fore life and for nourishment.
We depend on Jesus for the same things.
Wednesday was a tough day for me.
I am on the CTBA’s Administrative Leadership Team and we met on Wednesday. I was up and out of the house pretty early and had to attend a two-hour meeting. I got back to the office around 10:30. You want to know the first thing I heard when I got back? It wasn’t the phone or Brenda. It was gurrrougrogggo. I was getting hungry. I needed that nourishment that could only come from a Burger king double Cheeseburger.
Jesus said blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.
That is a cool thing because we desire that which strengthens our connection to the vine and the vine gives it to us that we might grow and be closer to Christ.
Abiding in Christ means that our lives are in Him
That song that says, “my life is in you Lord” is so appropriate because it is so true.
If we are not abiding in Christ, we can never be fruitful.
Anyone who has ever seen a pilot fish has seen another animal with it. That is because the pilot fish is totally dependent on the white tip shark for everything. You see, the pilot fish swims with the shark almost appearing to be attached to it. But what the pilot fish does is wait for the shark to either kill something or to find the garbage of a ship and then the pilot fish eats the bits and pieces left by the shark. Pilot fish have even been observed swimming in and out of the shark’s mouth to clean the bits of food from between its teeth.
Do we abide in Christ that way?
Do we let Him lead us that he is always providing for our needs?
If we want to have a fruitful life, we must make the concession that we will abide in and rely on Christ.
Our third concession is that I must concede to be living proof of my faith in Jesus.
Look at verses 7 and 8.
Verse 7 is not the grandfather clause in the Bible.
Notice those conditions that are applied to asking the Father for anything in Jesus’ name: if you abide in me and my word abide in you.
If we are dependent on Jesus for everything and his word is abiding in us or dependent on us for its being obeyed, what do we have?
We have disciples that are sold out to Jesus who are bearing fruit for him and asking anything is asking for anything that enables us to better abide in him and that enables us to better obey the word of God.
But what Happens WHEN God answers that prayer and we receive the ability to obey and to serve Christ?
Three things happen: God is glorified; He receives the praise and the adoration of His people and attention of those who do not yet follow Christ.
We bear much fruit: many people come to Christ and those who already know Him mature in their faith to the point of being obedient fruit bearers.
And prove to be disciples: We become accomplished in our discipleship and in our service to Christ.
The process of maturity as a follower of Jesus is seen and enjoyed by those in His church.
We see ourselves moving toward completion
Have we made that concession that God can do whatever he needs to do to cleanse us?
Have we mad the concession that we will abide in Christ?
Have we made the concession to be living proof that of our faith?
If we are going to be fruitful for Jesus and live successfully in His kingdom, we must be determined to bear fruit for Him and that means conceding our lives to Him as well.
Are we ready to live the difference that Jesus has made in our lives?
If Jesus has made a difference in our lives then it is time to live that difference and to show that difference to the world.
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