Abiding in Christ

28 April 2013 PM – John 15:1-11 – Scott Childs

Introduction: To print the church bulletin, I used our church’s printer. The printer does a great job of printing, but it is useless if it is not plugged into the electric outlet. It draws all of its power from that outlet.

Jesus gave us a similar illustration from first century Jewish culture to help us understand the principle of abiding in Christ.

Transition: This evening I want us to note three things that Jesus taught about abiding in Christ.

I. Jesus Used a Vine to Illustrate Abiding

A. Everyone in Israel was familiar with grapevines

1. Virtually every Israelite in Jesus’ day grew grapes or was very familiar with the vine. This is not true of most people in our area today.

2. The vine is the main trunk of the plant. The branches are the shoots that extend out from the vine. Branches depend on the vine for nutrients. Each winter, the vines must be extensively pruned (cut back) because they grow so robustly. During the growing season, branches that bear no fruit must be cut off to allow more nutrients for the fruitful branches.

B. Here is how a grapevine illustrates abiding.

1. Jesus said that He is the vine (v.1). He provides ALL of the spiritual nutrients a Christian needs to produce fruit in his life.

2. God the Father is the husbandman or farmer. He tends the vineyard.

a) He takes away or literally lifts up fruitless branches (v.2). He props them up so they can begin to bear fruit.^{The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, D. Pentecost, p. 441}

b) He also purges (cleans or prunes) the branches (v.2). He cleans away any dirt and dead branches and prunes them so they can produce more fruit.

3. Christians are the branches that must abide in the Vine or remain connected to the Vine, to produce fruit.

II. Jesus Commands Us to Abide in Him

A. Like branches, we must abide in Christ

1. The word “abide” means “to remain” or “to reside” or “to continue”. To abide in Christ is to have close harmony and fellowship with Him.

a) Abiding in Christ is not hanging on tight to our salvation so we will not lose it.

b) Abiding in Christ is fully depending on Christ for everything. We can bear no fruit without Christ working in us (v.4-5). NONE!

2. “Abide in me” is a command from Christ. He would not command us to do something we could not do.

3. Here is what it means to abide in Christ.

a) First, you must be a Christian. A Christian is not just a religious person who believes in Jesus. It is one who has repented of their sin and trusted Christ only to forgive their sin and give them eternal life.

b) Then, you must be in harmony with Christ. Any unconfessed sin in your life will stand between you and Christ. Daily, you must examine your heart and ask the Lord to reveal any sinful attitude or action. Then confess and stop doing the sin.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

c) Next, to abide in Christ, you must lovingly obey His commands: read the Bible, pray, worship the Lord from your heart, reject all that does not honour the Lord, live a clean and pure life, witness and serve the Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

B. If we do not abide in Christ, we are useless to God

1. Verse 6 has confused many people. It says unproductive branches of a vine are removed and burned. We must not apply every detail of the metaphor literally.

2. Failing to abide in Christ makes a Christian useless to God. Like an unproductive branch, the Father will deal harshly with all who do not abide in Christ. However, believers are promised eternal security.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

a) Being “cast forth as a branch” does NOT mean that a Christian who fails to stay in close sweet harmony with the Lord will be cut off from eternal life and cast into hell. We are saved by grace and kept saved by grace, not by our actions.

b) It does mean that the Father will chasten the useless Christian in some manner.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

c) Useless Christians will lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

III. Jesus Highlights Evidence of Abiding in Him

A. Abiding in Christ will make you fruitful (4, 5, 8)

Warren Wiersbe: We must remember that the branches do not eat the fruit: others do. We are not producing fruit to please ourselves but to serve others.

1. Christ will view your life as productive and helpful to His cause. Fruit would include winning others to Christ (Ro 1:13), personal holiness (Ro 6:22), good works (Col 1:10), righteousness (Php 1:11), thanksgiving (He 13:15).

2. Fruit would also include the fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

B. Abiding in Christ will bless your prayer life (7)

1. If abiding in Christ, you will ask for things that He approves.

2. He promises to answer such prayers.

C. Abiding in Christ will aid your love for God (9-10)

1. Obedience enables you to abide in His love.

2. It helps you to love as Christ loves.

D. Abiding in Christ will give you full joy (11)

1. Christ’s joy will remain (abide) in you.

2. Your joy can be full. Christians can rejoice even during trials because they know the Lord is in control and He makes no mistakes.

Conclusion: To abide in Christ is to stay in harmony with Him so He can empower us to bear fruit. We must be careful because it only takes a small sin or bad attitude to break that harmony. Remember, Jesus said that without Him we can do nothing!

Have you been abiding in Christ? Have you been producing fruit, getting prayers answered, growing in love for God, and experiencing joy?

As Christians, we must not try to live without God’s power. Faking it will be fruitless. We can try to fool others, but Christ knows if we are truly connected to Him or not. Abiding in Christ is not only a command, it is vital to producing fruit for God’s glory.

If you have not been constantly abiding in Christ, confess your sin and begin this evening.

Song: Constantly Abiding 478

Sermons

Abiding in Christ – John 15:1-11

I. Jesus Used a Vine to Illustrate Abiding

A. Everyone in Israel was familiar with grapevines

1. Virtually every Israelite in Jesus’ day grew grapes or was very familiar with the vine. This is not true of most people in our area today.

B. Here is how a grapevine illustrates abiding.

1. Jesus said that He is the vine (v.1). He provides ALL of the spiritual nutrients a Christian needs to produce fruit in his life.

2. God the Father is the husbandman or farmer. He tends the vineyard.

a) He takes away or literally lifts up fruitless branches (v.2). He props them up so they can begin to bear fruit.^{The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, D. Pentecost, p. 441}

b) He also purges (cleans or prunes) the branches (v.2). He cleans away any dirt and dead branches and prunes them so they can produce more fruit.

3. Christians are the branches that must abide in the Vine or remain connected to the Vine, to produce fruit.

II. Jesus Commands Us to Abide in Him

A. Like branches, we must abide in Christ

1. The word “abide” means “to remain” or “to reside” or “to continue”. To abide in Christ is to have close harmony and fellowship with Him.

a) Abiding in Christ is not hanging on tight to our salvation so we will not lose it.

b) Abiding in Christ is fully depending on Christ for everything. We can bear no fruit without Christ working in us (v.4-5). NONE!

2. “Abide in me” is a command from Christ. He would not command us to do something we could not do.

3. Here is what it means to abide in Christ.

a) First, you must be a Christian. A Christian is not just a religious person who believes in Jesus. It is one who has repented of their sin and trusted Christ only to forgive their sin and give them eternal life.

b) Then, you must be in harmony with Christ. Any unconfessed sin in your life will stand between you and Christ. Daily, you must examine your heart and ask the Lord to reveal any sinful attitude or action. Then confess and stop doing the sin.

c) Next, to abide in Christ, you must lovingly obey His commands: read the Bible, pray, worship the Lord from your heart, reject all that does not honour the Lord, live a clean and pure life, witness and serve the Lord.

B. If we do not abide in Christ, we are useless to God

1. Verse 6 has confused many people. It says unproductive branches of a vine are removed and burned. We must not apply every detail of the metaphor literally.

2. Failing to abide in Christ makes a Christian useless to God. Like an unproductive branch, the Father will deal harshly with all who do not abide in Christ. However, believers are promised eternal security.

a) Being “cast forth as a branch” does NOT mean that a Christian who fails to stay in close sweet harmony with the Lord will be cut off from eternal life and cast into hell. We are saved by grace and kept saved by grace, not by our actions.

b) It does mean that the Father will chasten the useless Christian in some manner.

c) Useless Christians will lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

III. Jesus Highlights Evidence of Abiding in Him

A. Abiding in Christ will make you fruitful (4, 5, 8)

1. Christ will view your life as productive and helpful to His cause. Fruit would include winning others to Christ (Ro 1:13), personal holiness (Ro 6:22), good works (Col 1:10), righteousness (Php 1:11), thanksgiving (He 13:15).

2. Fruit would also include the fruits of the Spirit.

B. Abiding in Christ will bless your prayer life (7)

1. If abiding in Christ, you will ask for things that He approves.

2. He promises to answer such prayers.

C. Abiding in Christ will aid your love for God (9-10)

1. Obedience enables you to abide in His love.

2. It helps you to love as Christ loves.

D. Abiding in Christ will give you full joy (11)

1. Christ’s joy will remain (abide) in you.

2. Your joy can be full. Christians can rejoice even during trials because they know the Lord is in control and He makes no mistakes.

I. Jesus Used a Vine to Illustrate Abiding

A. Everyone in Israel was familiar with grapevines

1. Virtually every Israelite in Jesus’ day grew grapes or was very familiar with the vine. This is not true of most people in our area today.

B. Here is how a grapevine illustrates abiding.

1. Jesus said that He is the vine (v.1). He provides ALL of the spiritual nutrients a Christian needs to produce fruit in his life.

2. God the Father is the husbandman or farmer. He tends the vineyard.

a) He takes away or literally lifts up fruitless branches (v.2). He props them up so they can begin to bear fruit. The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, D. Pentecost, p. 441

b) He also purges (cleans or prunes) the branches (v.2). He cleans away any dirt and dead branches and prunes them so they can produce more fruit.

3. Christians are the branches that must abide in the Vine or remain connected to the Vine, to produce fruit.

II. Jesus Commands Us to Abide in Him

A. Like branches, we must abide in Christ

1. The word “abide” means “to remain” or “to reside” or “to continue”. To abide in Christ is to have close harmony and fellowship with Him.

a) Abiding in Christ is not hanging on tight to our salvation so we will not lose it.

b) Abiding in Christ is fully depending on Christ for everything. We can bear no fruit without Christ working in us (v.4-5). NONE!

2. “Abide in me” is a command from Christ. He would not command us to do something we could not do.

3. Here is what it means to abide in Christ.

a) First, you must be a Christian. A Christian is not just a religious person who believes in Jesus. It is one who has repented of their sin and trusted Christ only to forgive their sin and give them eternal life.

b) Then, you must be in harmony with Christ. Any unconfessed sin in your life will stand between you and Christ. Daily, you must examine your heart and ask the Lord to reveal any sinful attitude or action. Then confess and stop doing the sin.

c) Next, to abide in Christ, you must lovingly obey His commands: read the Bible, pray, worship the Lord from your heart, reject all that does not honour the Lord, live a clean and pure life, witness and serve the Lord.

B. If we do not abide in Christ, we are useless to God

1. Verse 6 has confused many people. It says unproductive branches of a vine are removed and burned. We must not apply every detail of the metaphor literally.

2. Failing to abide in Christ makes a Christian useless to God. Like an unproductive branch, the Father will deal harshly with all who do not abide in Christ. However, believers are promised eternal security.

a) Being “cast forth as a branch” does NOT mean that a Christian who fails to stay in close sweet harmony with the Lord will be cut off from eternal life and cast into hell. We are saved by grace and kept saved by grace, not by our actions.

b) It does mean that the Father will chasten the useless Christian in some manner.

c) Useless Christians will lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

III. Jesus Highlights Evidence of Abiding in Him

A. Abiding in Christ will make you fruitful (4, 5, 8)

1. Christ will view your life as productive and helpful to His cause. Fruit would include winning others to Christ (Ro 1:13), personal holiness (Ro 6:22), good works (Col 1:10), righteousness (Php 1:11), thanksgiving (He 13:15).

2. Fruit would also include the fruits of the Spirit.

B. Abiding in Christ will bless your prayer life (7)

1. If abiding in Christ, you will ask for things that He approves.

2. He promises to answer such prayers.

C. Abiding in Christ will aid your love for God (9-10)

1. Obedience enables you to abide in His love.

2. It helps you to love as Christ loves.

D. Abiding in Christ will give you full joy (11)

1. Christ’s joy will remain (abide) in you.

2. Your joy can be full. Christians can rejoice even during trials because they know the Lord is in control and He makes no mistakes.

a) He takes away or literally lifts up fruitless branches (v.2). He props them up so they can begin to bear fruit.^{The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, D. Pentecost, p. 441}