Abide to Thrive – Jn 15:1-6

Have you considered your New Year’s Resolution yet??

If not – allow me to suggest the most powerful,
           truly life changing Resolution, you could ever make

I’m not talking about Power ABS or Thigh Master
           or the Super Nitro Powered BOWFLEX automatic
                      look-like-the-person-on-TV all in one Magic Gym

I’m talking about Truly THRIVING where it matters THE MOST
           I’m talking about Thriving in things of ETERNAL VALUE

The TITLE of the MSG today is - Abide to Thrive
           & we’re going to Jn 15:1-6

The focus of this msg isn’t so much the nuances of the V-by-V
           study of this text - you can get that in our JOHN series 

The focus today is how to THRIVE in your walk with Christ

But here’s my concern with a msg like this

So often – when the Preacher starts talking about
           “Improving” or “Growing” in our Walk with Christ

we kinda start feeling the
           “OUGHTA – BETTER – SHOULD” Sermon coming on

You know – where you feel like I’m saying;
           You OUGHTA - - You BETTER - - You SHOULD !!!

This is (prayerfully) NOT - one of those sermons

So – let me paint a picture for you that MIGHT help you
            feel differently about the Miracle of ABIDING in Christ

IMAGINE a “Christmas Carol” like setting – You know,
           with Ebinezer Scrooge & the Angel of “Christmas FUTURE”

& this Angel comes to YOU in this setting & he says –
           allow me to show you your future walk with Christ

& then you see . . . YOURSELF - & you are Living
           Mature in Christ – You’re Secure, Peaceful, Joyful

You’re confident in God’s plan & God’s direction
           you’re anxious for nothing
           you have peace that passes understanding – &
           you have the JOY of the Lord

your circumstances aren’t PRETTIED UP all perfect
           but you have this settled peace about you

you KNOW that you can DO ALL THINGS thru Christ who strengthens you

& you to say to the Angel
           REALLY ?? - - That’s ME ?? - - Really ??
           I get to THAT POINT in my walk with Christ ?? . . . WOW!!

& the angel says; YES you do – IF
           you will LEARN to ABIDE in Christ !!

We’re going to talk today about
           the TRANSFORMING MIRACLE of ABIDING in Christ

But PLEASE Remember – This is SO MUCH MORE than
           you OGHTA, you BETTER, you SHOULD

ABIDING in Christ - is the CONDUIT (the Channel) – THRU WHICH
           all Victory, All Peace, & All Joy in the Christian life COMES

It is the Conduit THRU WHICH the POWER of the Holy Spirit flows

& pls hear me when I say – EVERYTHING we talk about
           in regard to our lives being TRANSFORMED today . . .

It ALL comes thru the Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives
           this CANNOT be done without Him!

If we’ve been a Christian longer than a month – we’ve learned that;

           VICTORY over the world

           PEACE the passes understanding

           the JOY of the Lord

DON’T just POP out of the Microwave !!

We HAVE these things POSITIONALLY – “In Christ”

But taking them from a “Positional Truth” – to a “Practical Reality”    
           takes a little more than just waking up in the morning, RIGHT?

& so we MUST keep our minds on the vision of a “Life in Christ”
           where we actually walk in VICTORY, & PEACE, & JOY

& we must understand that the only way to get from HERE to THERE

is TO LEARN - What it MEANS - to ABIDE in Christ
                                                                             & HOW - to ABIDE in Christ

We’re looking at the ILLUSTRATION of the VINE & BRANCHES –
           from the Upper Room Discourse – in Jn Ch 15

& it’s critical in this Illustration – that we understand
           the CONTEXT & the PRIMARY POINT Jesus is making

Because to focus on a “secondary truth” here can easily lead
           to some misinterpretation

The CONTEXT of this passage is – The Final Training
           of the DISCIPLES prior to the Jesus going to the cross

The Context is NOT about Unbelievers !!
           Even Judas is already gone by this point

It's critical we see – this passage is directed at DISCIPLES,
           people who are ALREADY Following Christ

It’s NOT about Salvation - It's a continuation
           of the Upper Room Discourse - - started in Ch 13 with;

                      Jesus washing the Disciples Feet

                      One Disciple would Betray Him (& Judas left)

                      A new commandment

                      Another Disciple would Deny Him (Peter)

                      I am the way, truth, life

                      Our need & The power of the Holy Spirit

                      & then - ABIDE in me

& all of this is occurring
           on the HEALS of Jesus instituting Communion

where the entire focus is on “Union” (being one with) Christ
           & this text flows perfectly out of the Communion message

Jesus is preparing His disciples to live a life of;
           Power to Overcome,
           Bearing Fruit in the Holy Spirit , &
           Supernatural Joy – “In Him”

THAT- is the CONTEXT

& the PRIMARY TRUTH Jesus is teaching here is
            “The need for us to Continually ABIDE in Him”

The word “Abide” – is used 10 times in 11 vs’s
           That’s how you know it is the PRIMARY TRUTH

Based on Jn 14:31 - Jesus & the disciples
           probably have left the upper room by this time

& they’re on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane

& at some point - Jesus had the opportunity to use a grape vine
           as a perfect illustration for this critical lesson

He would’ve seen plenty as they were walking

But He didn’t need to see one - because the grape vine already
           held tremendous significance to Israel

The grapevine was already the symbol of life for Israel

Many times - the O.T. Prophets referred to Israel
           as a vine, or as the “vineyard of God”

In Christ’ day - there was a huge golden grapevine
           decorating the gate leading to the temple  -  (maybe they saw it)

Calmet’s Dictionary says: On the gate which led to the Holy Place, was a richly carved vine made of the finest gold, the bunches which hung from the vine were of costly jewels. The vine had an uncommon importance, and a sacred meaning in the eyes of the Jews

& so - as Jesus delivers His 7^th I AM statement here

He uses the Symbol of Life for Israel
           to make His most powerful statement - re: Life as a Disciple

John 15:1 – ESV
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

When Jesus says “true” - the word means LIT; “genuine” or “original”
           He’s saying; “I am the Genuine, Original, True, source of life”

& then Jesus says – and My Father is the “Vinedresser”

& so we have the Illustration of:
           the Vine (Christ) - the Branches (Us) - & the Vinedresser (Father)

John 15:2 – ESV
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

 We start right away w/ a difficult statement
           “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away” . . .

Notice - this vs. is talking about a branch (us) that is “IN CHRIST”
           & that is not bearing fruit  -  (so it can’t be an unbeliever)

& Jesus says of this branch - - “He takes it away”

The Greek word translated “takes away” is “ ah-ee-ro” (airo)-
           & it is a very interesting word

it’s translated “take away” 25 times - &
it’s translated “take up” 32 times

There are 3 literal definitions for this word;
           1) “To raise or lift up”
           2) “to bear up, or carry”
           3) “to take off or take away”

So if you say; “What does it mean that God is going to “take away”
           a branch that is in Christ - but not bearing fruit

I can tell you . . . . . that God is going to;

           #1) Raise up that branch (as if out of the dirt) . . .
           #2) Bear up (or carry) that branch (as if w/ a support)
           #3) Take off, or take away that branch

So - which would you prefer for Him to do to you ????

& the correct answer is . . . . . NONE OF THE ABOVE !!!

The whole point of Jesus’ illustration here is;
           YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THAT BRANCH !!!

You want to be the other branch – at the end of V.2;
           . . . and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes,
                                 that it may bear more fruit.

You want to be this branch
           because this branch has the life of Christ - flowing thru it

& it is the LIFE of Christ flowing thru this branch
           that TRANSFORMS it,
           that produces FRUIT thru it, &
           that brings it JOY (as we’ll see in a minute)

NOW - Let’s talk about that word FRUIT – just a minute

Too often – when we see that phrase “Bear Fruit” . . .
           We think - of WORK !!!  -  Like that’s something we have to DO

ButGAL 5:22-23says– ESV
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; . . .

Isn’t that what we want in our lives ??

Aren’t those the Traits
           that truly bring Victory, Peace, & Joy into our lives?

THAT- is the fruit that ABIDING in Christ BRINGS
           & THAT - is the Fruit that TRANSFORMS our lives

& so again – Jesus tells us back in Jn 15:2
. . . every branch that does bear fruit he (The Father) prunes, that it may bear more fruit . . .

So – maybe you’ve seen a little bit of that Fruit in your life . . .
           But then - here comes the Father - with the Pruning shears !!

& pruning is really NO FUN for the branch, is it ???

But in a Vineyard – The Vinedresser INSURES
           the quality of the fruit that each branch produces

Many of us “branches” have prayed that we’d be “more fruitful”
           But we seldom desire - the Vine-Dressers “Pruning”

There are a number of ways the Vine-dresser prunes His branches;

           He lifts us out of the dirt

           He puts support under us

           He cuts away certain “parts” of the healthy branch

           He will even cut away existing fruit
                      in order to improve the quality of future fruit

The one thing the Vine-dresser NEVER does
           is ask the branch what it thinks would be best for it

The branch’s job is to ABIDE in the Vine
           & to allow the Vine Dresser to Prune “As Necessary” – Amen?

Now – continuing in Jn 15 - V.3

Jesus makes it clear - He’s not talking about salvation
           Remember - Judas has left the group by now . . . (Ch 13)

John 15:3 – ESV
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

THAT– is their Salvation
           But now Jesus continues (in V.4) – with their Sanctification

Vs’s 4 & 5 are our KEY Vs’s

John 15:4 – ESV
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

John 15:4 – AMP

4 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

DEF of ABIDING– “a continuous Living in Union with Christ”

The AMP BIBLEsays it is – “being Vitally United to Christ”

& Guys - The KEY to our lives actually being TRANSFORMED -
           is for us to be - VITALLY UNITED TO CHRIST

VITAL means – Essential, Critical, Crucial, Central

& SO Jesus is saying we MUST BE
           Essentially, Critically, Crucially, Centrally UNITED TO CHRIST !!

THAT– is ABIDING in Christ !!!

Being VITALLY UNITED to Christ
           Is living in Communion (Oneness) with Christ

& THAT is the CONDUIT thru which God pours
           His Transformation & His Power into our lives

Let me just say that again

Being VITALLY UNITED to Christ - is the CONDUIT thru which
           God pours His Transformation - & His Power - into our lives

Learning to ABIDE in Christ (being Vitally United to Christ)
           does not EARN you – The TRANSFORMED Life

Learning to ABIDE in Christ . . .

is The CONDUIT – The CHANNEL - thru which
           God POURS the Transformed Life – INTO your life

Let’s take the “Peace of God” for example

In his book “Peace By Believing” – Charles Spurgeon says this:
“I must take care above all that I cultivate communion with Christ, for though that can never be the basis of my peace – mark that – yet it will bethe channel of it.”

Spurgeon wants to be very clear - Learning to
           Cultivate Communion with Christ (being Vitally United to Him)

is NOT the BASIS of our peace
           (meaning it doesn’t earn us Peace or create Peace for us)

But - it is the CHANNEL – the CONDUIT
           of the Peace of God being poured into our Lives

We see this well inPhil 4:6-7 - ESV
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The “STATE” (Condition) of your life - described in V.6
           THAT is ABIDING in Christ

It’s Living in that VITAL UNION with Him
           where you LEARN how to NOT be anxious about anything

It’s Living in that VITAL UNION with Him – where you LEARN to instead
           by Prayer & Supplication – with Thanksgiving - Roll your burdens over – to God

& as you GROW (or mature) in doing that . . .

Thenthe Peace of God with surpasses all understanding
           will guard your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus . . . Do you see it?

It is GROWING in your Vital Union (Abiding) in Christ
           that will ultimately BRING the Peace of God – into your life

This is SO CRITICAL to understand !!

Alright – Back in Jn 15
           Let’s Look at the other side of that same truth – in the Next 2 Vs’s

Jn 15:5 – ESV
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me (has Vital Union) and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit (THRIVES), for apart from me (cut off from vital union with Me- AMP)you can do nothing (meaning notThrive – but Die).

Have you ever been in that difficult place
           where you just don’t feel The LIFE of GOD ?

Where All the Peace - All the Joy - All the Strength
           just seems GONE – Seems Non-Existent ??

Let’s see if we can find one possible reason here at the end if V.5

apart from Me (cut off from Vital Union with Me)you can do nothing.

I’m not shaking my finger at any of US
           I’m NOT saying we Oughta - - Better - - Should

I’m simply saying that God’s Word says

If we are Living in this Vital Union with Christ
           then we can GET THRU absolutely ANYTHING!

& not just SURVIVE – But THRIVE
           even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances

It is our VITAL UNION to Christ (our Abiding) that:
           Brings True Transformation into our lives
           Gives us the Strength we need daily
           Gives us the Peace of God that passes understanding
           Gives us the JOY that we’re gonna see in a minute

It is being VITALLY UNITED with Christ that does that

We want it to be a Simple Salvation Prayer that does all that

But it is our ABIDING – our VITAL UNION with Christ

that is the CONDUIT for God to POUR these things
           INTO our lives - & THRU our Lives

The only way for us to THRIVE as Christians
           is to ABIDE in Christ !!

The only way we can live in the Victory, the Peace,
           & the Joy of Christ – is to be VITALLY UNITED to Him !!

& if we are MISSING the FRUIT of the Life of Christ  in our lives

One Reason MAY BE that we are NOT - VITALLY UNITED  to Him

VITALLY meaning - Essentially, Critically, Crucially, Centrally
           UNITED TO CHRIST !!

& This is just AS TRUE for me – as it is for any of you !

SO– As the Branch ABIDES (is Vitally United) to the Vine
           It has LIFE !!

The branch doesn’t EVER have its own “life”
           the Branch LIVES because the Life of the Vine is flowing THRU it

& when the branch is SEPARATED from the vine - it DIES

& V.6 gives us AMPLE WARNING of this concern

John 15:6 – ESV
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Remember - this illustration is NOT about Salvation

It’s about the Life & Fruit of being a Disciple
           & so we can’t use it to say that a person can lose their salvation

To Abide in Christ - does not mean to keep yourself saved

It means to have the Life of Christ flowing through you
           by being Vitally United to Him

& so - what we have here in v.6 is - A WARNING !!

There are a number of possible explanations
           for specifically WHAT V.6 means

But I beg you today - don’t exert your effort trying to figuring out
           exactly what the price is for NOT Abiding in Christ

Exert your effort to figure out
           WHAT Abiding in Christ MEANS - &
           HOW to go about DOING IT

Which is EXACTLY what we’re going To Do
           FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS  . . . .

For the Next THREE WEEKS
           As our New Year’s KICK OFF

We’re going to look at the Practical -  HOW TO

HOW TOABIDE in Christ
HOW TO be VITALLY UNITED to Christ

& we’re going to focus on THREE General Areas
           that you & I can GROW IN

In order to see the Life of Christ - & the Power of Christ
           Transform our lives – From the Inside – OUT

Does that sound like a Good Way to Kick off the New Year ?

Now - because I’ve mentioned it a number of times
           I want to just skip down to V.11

John 15:11 – ESV
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, andthat your joy may be full.

Let me just read a few Excerpts from
           “The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery”

Joy is a by-product of life with God. Joy is not found by seeking it as an end in itself. It must be given by God

In the OT, joy comes with God’s presence, in the NT that presence is identified as the Holy Spirit.

The Bible describes the “deep power of joy” by demonstrating it to be more powerful, more constant and more enduring than adverse circumstances.

Joy is the believer’s strength in the midst of affliction.

& here in Jn 15 – Jesus says - THAT JOY comes from us being;
           in Constant Communion with Him
           Abiding in Him
           Being Vitally United to Him

Which is the greatest way to live this life !!