This is part 9 of the preaching series on John’s Gospel chapters 13 to 17.
This week the sermon is from John 15:1-7.
The sermon is available as a Podcast, downloadable PDF notes and the text of it is pasted into this post.
The material is made available so that any may use it, preach it or adapt it.
To download PDF of notes - DOWNLOAD
Sermon John 15:1-7
The Vine
Introduction
The subject is not “The Vine” it is Discipleship. This discipleship is taught through the allegory of the vine.
Notice also, this discipleship is not individualism. See the context, Jesus speaks to them as a group/church.
Israel is often spoken of in scripture as God’s vine Jeremiah 2:21
This vine was brought out of Egypt by God and planted by him in his garden, the promised land Psalm 80:7-19. This vine failed to produce
Isaiah 5:2
He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a wine press as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
The Israelites were sent messengers (prophets) by the owner of the vine (God) but they mistreated them
Mark 12:1-10
He then began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. [v1-3]
1) Blood and Sap
Blood of the sacrifice celebrated in Communion, and the sap of the vine which flows in the believer.
His life is my life and my life is in him
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The disciples are told that believers will have Life in so far as they are connected to Jesus and had his life, see John 6:53
Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Now the life of the believer is as a branch or limb of the main, true vine which is Jesus himself.
I am connected!
2) Discarded Branches
Could these be the merely religious, but unconnected to Jesus? Perhaps those not having His life so “showing” or “proving” themselves to be His disciples, see John 15:8
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
3) Pruned - Cut Back
Instead of wondering about the discarded limbs/branches, wonder what this says to you and me.
If all is going well and I am being fruitful, I am to be pruned!?
What is fruitfulness?
The product of a godly life and the characteristics of a godly life.
Matthew 3:7-8 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 7:16-20 By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
Gal 5:22-23 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.
Ephesians 5:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.
Conclusion - What is this pruning?
- It removes/limits alternatives in direction/options.
- It can be painful.
- It increases productivity in a limited, chosen area/direction/option. Examples, friendships, jobs (choice, promotion, etc.) choice of life-time parters, where we live, where we settle.
- It can be cooperated with as an act of discipleship when I choose what seems “less” in the eyes of the unbelieving world from all the choices that are available.
