Only One Source of Life • John 15:1-8
Notes
Video teaching begins at 17:49
“Here’s the way to live life to the fullest: find what it is that moves you, and embrace it, join yourself to it, and pursue it to the fullest. That’s how you find satisfaction, that’s how you find meaning, that’s how you find life.”
That statement is wrong. Do you know why?
We’re going to find out today.
Jesus says there’s only one source of life, the rest are
not genuine. There’s only one kind of result that satisfies. And that’s it.
Let’s read in John chapter 15.
1. Jesus reveals that He is the only life.
A. He says I am the true vine. This is an illustration to make a point. He is like a plant, a living organism having at least these qualities:
1. Actually having life in Himself.
2. That life is capable of producing fruit.
B. He makes a point of being the true vine.
1. Interesting that He qualifies it with “true”, meaning genuine, real, actually having the qualities that are claimed.
2. It implies that there are other vines that are not genuine, not true, not real. The name for that is counterfeit: something made in imitation of something valuable with intent to deceive and commit fraud. That’s intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right.
C. There is at least one false vine that we see in Scripture, in Revelation 14.
1. It’s the vine of the earth. It’s not the harvest of heaven. There are two different plants being grown. This vine yields grapes of wrath that are trampled in the great wine press of the wrath of God. The wine press is trodden outside the city and the blood comes out as high as the horses’ bridles for 200 miles.
2. There are many variations of this false vine. They are all imitations of life and fruitfulness. The point is, you join yourself to this source of life, and it produces fruit and that brings satisfaction. That’s life.
D. Jesus is saying that life and fruit are found only through being joined to Him.
2. Not only that, but the Father is the vindresser.
A. Literally, the word is “farmer”. It’s someone who works the earth, cultivating the dirt to produce living fruit. Preparing and promoting growth and fruitfulness.
B. This demands purpose and focus.
1. Farming is hard work. It demands constant attention, demands experience and knowledge to deal with all the different conditions and issues involved in producing fruit.
2. Because a vinedresser is someone who wants fruit. It’s too much work to take lightly and be indifferent if there is a crop or not. No! He looks out on the vines and says FRUIT. That’s what I’m doing all this work for.
C. The vinedresser is there to cultivate the vine. He makes decisions. He is totally involved with the vine to maximise the fruit.
1. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away. The farmer cuts out and gets rid of dead branches. Why? Because they’re dead. There is no life from the vine in them. Therefore they bear no fruit. So the rule is life first, then fruit.
2. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes so that it may bear more fruit. Fruit is only produced on shoots growing from one year-old canes. Healthy new canes must be produced every year to maintain annual production of fruit. You remove unsuitable or extraneous canes and retain a small number of good canes.
3. So it is necessary for a fruit-producing branch to have a real vine to grow in and a farmer who has the purpose of having fruit and the expertise to know what to keep and what to cut.
3. And the farmer needs a knife.
A. In verst three Jesus says you are already clean because the of the word which I have spoken to you.
1. Remember that Jesus represents the Father exactly. The words which Jesus speaks are given Him by the Father.
2. So it’s the word of the Father that has already pruned the disciples and made them ready to be fruitful.
B. Wow! The Father was cutting things away in our lives with His word and preparing us to be fruitful! When did that happen? What happened?
1. It happened when they received Jesus’ words. Jesus will acknowledge this when He prays in chapter 17:7-8 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
2. What these words did was cut away dependence upon anyone other than Jesus. In chapter six Jesus is saying you have to eat My flesh and drink My blood. Many of Jesus’ disciples say, man, that’s hard! Who can listen to this? And Jesus says to the Twelve, are you going to leave, too? Peter says,“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” They may not have understood everything that Jesus said, but they understood that Jesus was the only person to depend upon. You alone are the Holy One of God, and no one else.
3. Those words cut away dependence on themselves. Over and over again they heard Jesus preach the sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” They knew their own righteousness was not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven. They had to trust in the Holy One of God to give them the perfect righteousness of God.
4. So when the disciples received the word of the Father, it pruned these disciples of trusting in anyone other than Jesus, and it pruned them of trusting in themselves. Trusting in Jesus alone is the basis of bearing fruit.
4. Now, what is fruit? What does God want to cultivate and promote by His life in us? The answer is, His character.
A. In Isaiah 5 God tells a parable of Him preparing His vineyard in order to grow choice, wonderful fruit.
B. After all His work, He was disappointed to find it grew only stinking, worthless grapes.
C. And then God explains the metaphor. The vineyard is the house of Israel and the house of Judah. God looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed. He looked for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
1. Justice is fairness, consideration for protecting the rights of others, especially those who can’t speak up for themselves.
2. Righteousness is honesty, doing what is right to others. It’s really love in action: being concerned for the needs of others, giving to them when they are poor and downtrodden.
3. But instead God sees bloodshed. He sees babies being killed by their mothers in the name of choice. He hears wailing and despairing cries for help because people’s needs aren’t being met. They’re being ripped off but those who are rich and powerful, and who use their power to become richer. They use their power to force their agenda on others who have no power.
4. He sees the works of the flesh: Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
D. What fruit is God looking for? The fruit of His Spirit as He abides in a person. The result of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control. God gives His life to a person so they can give God’s life to others.
E. The sins of this life are going to be judged forever. But those things done in love, the fruit of the Spirit, last forever.
5. So Jesus’ command is: Abide in Me, and I in you.
A. He is not saying, “ You had better bear fruit, my friend, or I’ll send you to hell! Do you hear Me? BEAR FRUIT!”
B. He’s saying, “Abide in Me and I in you.” There is a real, vital connection that is to be maintained on both sides because that’s what a relationship is!
C. You husbands and wives know this — You better know this! That you maintain your relationship day by day or else you grow further and further apart. Relationship is a living thing that has to be cultivated!
D. This relationship is wonderful and miraculous.
1. We still get to be “us”. The branch is distinct from the vine. You can tell them apart. There is is individuality.
2. Yet, the branch is completely dependent on the vine for life. To stay united with the vine insures life and fruitfulness. You will bear much fruit because the life of God Himself is in you.
E. To be independent of the vine is death. Jesus emphasizes this twice. Dead things bear no fruit. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. You think, I can do lots of things without Jesus. But none of those things are done in His Spirit, and none of those things will last forever. Only what is done in the Spirit of God with His love will last forever.
6. That’s why there is only abiding in Jesus or not abiding in Jesus.
A. This applies to all people, to those who believe in Jesus, and those who do not believe in Jesus.
B. If you do not believe in Jesus then you are not abiding in Him. It doesn’t matter what religion or philosophy you believe. You are thrown away as a branch. You will dry up because you are not connected to the one source of life, Jesus Christ. You will be gathered and burned in fire forever. It’s a choice to not abide in Jesus and you are responsible for not abiding in Christ.
C. If you do believe in Jesus but you do not abide in Him you also are responsible for not abiding in Him. It is not a matter of ability, it is a matter of submitting your will to Him, of abiding in His word and letting it work on you. You are not depending on Jesus Christ alone. You depend on anyone else and you depend on yourself. You also will be thrown away as a branch. You will dry up as a branch, be gathered, and be burned.
7. So we see that bearing fruit is the proof of abiding.
A. You can say, oh, I believe in Christ. People do say, yes, I believe.
B. We should be able to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life. First and foremost, love for people. Thinking about others. Giving to others.
C. Some people define fruit differently.
1. Fruit is the number of converts, or the number of members in a church, or the financial health of a church, or how well known a church or a minister is. Book sales. Attendees at conferences. Power. Sales. Hits on the website.
2. But arrogance and pride are not fruits of the Spirit. They are works of the flesh. If the love of God is not there your life contradicts your words. And that happens all the time.
8. You can see how this vitally affects prayer.
A. As we abide in the word of God it cuts dependence on others and on self out of our thinking. Therefore it focuses our hope and expectation on God.
B. So we are going to pray. We will be praying for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Because we really want God to be glorified. So we will be praying prayers that God will answer.
1. We will be praying that God’s word will go forth over the whole earth. Everyone is to hear what God has done, the wondrous work of His salvation. His salvation is the news event of the age, and unlike fake news, it’s true.
2. We will pray that Jesus comes back. It is the only hope of the world. And God is going to be glorified on that day.
3. We will pray for all those around us. We do this. We want God to do what we can’t and what others can’t. Only God can draw people to Jesus. Be glorified in Your strength and power.
9. This is Jesus’ focus: abiding in Him, trusting in Him alone, praying in His name, will ultimately glorify the Father.
A. This is just like Jesus. He just said to the disciples, that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as He commanded Me. His goal is to glorify the Father.
B. If we abide in Jesus, then we will also purpose and focus on glorifying the Father.
10. So what?
A. Abiding in Christ is what life is about. It’s the definition of life. Is abiding in Christ what your life is about? Are you alive in Christ? Here’s what you can do to know this for yourself.
B. See if the Father working in your life.
1. Fruit comes as a result of the Father cutting and pruning by His word.
2. You should be making your home in the Bible and reading it. That way you are making yourself open to the Father cutting in your life. Are you submitting to the Father removing what is not necessary that, you might bear fruit?
3. Nothing is as valuable as Jesus living in you. That’s what the Father thinks. Do you believe that? Or is anything more important to you? Cutting is not pleasant, losing things is not pleasant, yet without that we can’t bring forth that love and humility of Jesus. It all starts with the word of God, therefore the Bible should be important to you.
C. Your life should show the fruit of the Spirit.
1. You should have that sweetness of Christ in your life. Fruit tastes good! It’s sweet when it’s ripe. If Christ dwells in you there should be the sweetness of God. Can you say, taste and see that the Lord is good? Or could someone else say, where’s the fruit?
2. Fruit is love, joy, peace, all in the Spirit. Are those things increasing in you?
D. This word is meant to be used by the Father to work in you. If you feel humbled, I’m not as good as I thought I was, it’s working. If you feel like there are ways in which you are not like Christ, it’s working. That’s the Father working in you, cutting by His word. Do not harden your heart. Instead, surrender to Him. Say, cleanse my life. Let me abide in Jesus. Make me like Jesus. Let Your life flow through me. You bring fruit in my life. Be glorified in me. God will answer that prayer.
Let’s pray.