Hello everyone.
This sermon is going to be based off of a bunch of other sermons that I learned from around the summer.
And it's gonna be part based off of 3 sermon, 3. 3 things that I 3 like camps slash conferences that I went to.
The first is the IVCM conference. The second was a camp. From the IVC conference was.
So I don't remember the place. I'm not really that familiar in Malaysia. But no, Quala Lumpur wasn't the camp where it was at.
Yeah. And then I spent one week in Turkey, Bible camp.
Yeah.
So first I'm explaining the 2, the 2. Speakers from the IVCM conference. So the first one is Dr.
Ramirez or Dr. He was a missionary from Egypt and he spoke on leadership and missions.
His presentation focused on the I am statements of Christ and Jesus said I am the way the life and the life the statement served him well on the mission field.
Used illustrations about his work in Egypt, about evangelism with the with Egyptians, his wife was an English teacher.
So that's where you got his inspiration you said from.
Before I get into that, I just want to say we had a great time there. And by the way, we drops.
Bye. I missed out on that. We dropped the boom. Oh, sorry.
Yeah. Okay. And then the second speaker I had. It's a pleasure of listening to was Dr.
Nate Brampson and he was kind of your in your face guy. Really loud serious guy who served as an evangelist in Bangladesh.
I'm not going to go into what he did. But actually I will go into what he did.
He pointed to, he went 3 that rose down. And then he went to rows down and then pointed at someone.
And then gave an illustration on what this person should do to be saved. And it was like.
Really, really unique experience, I guess.
Would really spoke to me about the others speaker actually.
Talk to romez was that his grandfather had a textile industry Empire in the 19 fifties they lost everything and it's and had to accept that Canada from Egypt Evan and then he went to Ebenezer Bible Chapel in Canada.
And he lost billions actually. He was a It was going to inherit a company. That was billions of dollars in US dollar.
And. Then he was given the chance to go to a viable community. He was saved there. And to this day, he does not regret losing a big.
Big empire. Instead, he embraces it. And in his in his sermons, he's talking about I am statements.
And how we should be more like God instead of being like. Being working up to have a textile industry like his grandfather did.
And he's not criticizing his grandpa. He was just saying that.
You should be more like Christ. In that you don't work towards money, you work towards. The scriptures.
And I'm just gonna go through a few examples that he went through. You went through a few I am savings actually.
So. He was a
So he said, I am Yahweh. Which is Jehovah, which is Lord.
And he quotes a verse John 8 56 to 59 a Before Abraham was born, I am and they picked up stones to stone him.
And then another part. John, 18, 4 to 6, I am he and the soldiers fell down.
And then he goes into many other examples of I am statements. Or examples of the IM statements that he's referring to.
And then he says, I am the bread of life. And I'm sorry I missed out a lot of things.
I'm just trying to condense it into 20 min. He says, I am the bread of life and what's really crucial about this is he's from Egypt and Brent is essential.
You said Brett is the essential staple of what most people worldwide and it's sustains people physically.
Jesus sustains us physically because he is the bread. He also says, I am the living bread. Anyone who eats of me will have bread forever.
But Matthew for one to 4. Matthew 4 verse one to 4 says. M shall not live by bread alone, but by every work that comes from me.
And these are all from the notes he said. So. Missing a lot but
And then he goes on to ask a lot of questions like, is Jesus your sustainer? Do people recognize you in this way?
And what obstacles do you need God to help you with to turn you into an opportunity?
And the same way that Same with the Dr. Mas does this. Also, Nate, Brampson does the same thing.
He says, what is hindering our work and our ministers of Reconciliation?
And he doesn't go into IM statements. But he's talking about our identity in the church.
So they're kind of different things, but. I was still impacted on it. And it all comes down to the part of abiding as an active Christian leadership.
Leadership they didn't exactly talk on it was more of the electives. That I learned about more of leadership.
But leadership was. You shouldn't be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. And. To lead others.
According to what God. Yes.
I'm experiencing, I'm experiencing some technical difficulties. Sorry, guys.
Yeah. Christ's loves compels us in the mission field. I miss that. And leadership and stepping into the church as an active Christian.
So that I missed.
Yeah. So I'm gonna go into the second put now.
Got as a plan. We need to follow it. So a lot of times we think that we are going to have our own plan.
The buds. It's not always the case. And when I learned in my second conference. Provided by the IVCM, the camp in Tawa.
Really helped me realize that.
Cause we had to learn about basic Bible stories and at first I was like, Why are they teaching us basic Bible, Bible stories like Moses and Joshua?
Because we've already learned all this stuff, right? And I was like, How can this stuff be crucial to growing as growing as Christians if we already know this stuff and reviewing this stuff?
But as I looked at it, even this even the most basic message that you've heard a billion times can be used as a plan.
To tell us about how we need to strive for his plan. And I want to quote James 4 first 8.
John near to God and he will come to you. It's a great verse because it explains that our plans don't matter in his in his worldview.
And God always has a plan and we must draw nearer to him. Pointing from the verse.
Third point. Investing in Eternal Things.
Yeah, I'm gonna quote from Matthew 6, 19 to 21. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth.
Where monk, moth, and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but storm up your treasures in heaven where neither moth Nor rust destroys where thieves do not break in or steal.
For where your treasure is, there's also There your heart will also.
It's talking about.
How your treasures don't matter and you should invest in spiritual things. Because eventually they will go to dust.
And you need to be looking to your afterlife before your. This life. And I learned that from a speaker.
Daniel Morelli. He was talking about few different things actually. Investing in The souls of men investing in eternal things in investing in the church, investing in leadership and a few other things.
And it really helps me to realize at first I was like.
Why should I, why should I listen to this? It's like. Why should I invest in stuff that I'm already in?
Or elaborate.
Well. Yeah, do not store your treasures up in heaven. Because it rusts and we are not.
Looking for riches here because our riches. Will eventually disintegrate.
I'm gonna go into our patches passage now. James, turn with me to James, 15 verse one to 8.
John, John, sorry.
So before we start the passage, I just want to summarize it really quick.
It's fruit, more fruit. And much food. Fruit and more fruit come from the versus 2.
And much fruit comes from versus 8. It's talking about how you have to be fruitful. And make more fruit.
And how the branch has no essential value.
It cannot be burned.
And it can't be used as firewood. Alright, I already said that, sorry. It can't be used as what either.
So it's useless. There's no value in it. And given that fruitful ministry I've had to experience over the summer.
Now let's turn to the passage.
I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.
Well, each fruit. Well, each branch that does not bear fruit, he prunes. So that it will be even more fruitful.
You already clean because of the words I've spoken to you. That thing which cleanses The believer, as he walks in the world, is the Word of God.
Remain in me and I also in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It can also, it must also remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches.
If you remain in me, I also and you, I and you. You bear much fruit apart for me.
You can do nothing. If you remain in me, you are like a branch thrown away and withers such branches are picked up thrown in the fire and birds.
If you remain in me and my words remain at you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done.
This to my father's glory. That you very much for showing yourself to be my disciples.
No, I'm just gonna have an analysis on these verses. Then I have mentioned to you a ministry that was fruitful in my own life.
I would like to go on a passage that speaks of fruit bearing in general. As Bill McDonald states, in the Old Testament the nation of Israel was depicted as a wine planted by Jehovah.
But the nation proves unfruitful and unfaithful. To the Lord Jesus now presented himself as the true vine.
God the Father is the true wine dresser and keeper. Let's go back to verse one and 2.
I am the true vine and the father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me.
And there's no fruit. Well, each branch that he does not There, you So that it will all.
That you wouldn't bear even more fruits.
As you can see from verse one and 2, God the Father and the Son are working together to produce fruit.
The branch that bears much fruit is the Christian that's growing more like the Lord Jesus. In modern vineyards.
There's a lot more work that needs to go into. Lifting up these branches, keeping the branch clean from insects.
And Mildew keeping an eye on the weather also. Just like the vine, the fruit also has to be kept clean.
So a Christian must be cleaned from the worldly things that stick up to him.
Number 3, you are also clean because of the words I've spoken to you. The thing which cleans which cleanses you.
The believer also walks in the world. As the Word of God.
Well, as first, now let's go to verse 4. Remain in me as I also remain at you.
No branch may bear fruit by itself. May remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
To abide or remain means to stay where you are. As Christians, You have been placed in Christ.
That is his position. In our daily walk, we must stay close. Fellowship with the Lord.
A branch of abides in a vine. By drawing all of its energy from the application. So we must divide in Christ by spending time and prayer reading and obeying the Word.
And fellowshiping with his people, being aware of our union with him, Christ. The branch can only bear fruit as it abides in the vine.
Now verse 5. I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me, I also and you, you will bear much fruit.
Apart from me, you can do nothing.
A wine branch has one single purpose, 2 bare fruits. It is useless for making fear. For building homes and it makes lousy for firewood.
But is good for bearing fruit as long as it abides in the wood? Versus 6 and 7. If you do not remain in me, you're like a branch that is thrown away and withers.
Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and vert. If you remain in me and my words and remaining you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done unto you.
Abiding is the secret of the successful prayer life. The more we get to know, him through his Through his will, the more we will understand his will for our lives.
The more our will agrees with his. The more we can be sure having our prayers answered verse 8.
This is to my God, Father's glory. You will bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciples.
As we believers show the likeness of Christ to the world, the Father is glorified.
Knows that Jesus saying you will be my disciples. This means we prove to be God's disciples when we abide in Him.
Application. Others can see that we are true disciples when we resemble our Lord. In conclusion, my summer was quite fruitful.
Travel to another part of the world and heard great ministry. I've heard others resembled the world, the Lord in our in their character and I pray that we would also have this desire in our lives.
Dear Lord God, I pray for a fruitful summer again. I pray that we will abide in you.
Invest in eternal things.
And be the branch that bears much fruit. And I pray likewise to the rest of the church. Just same man.
Hello. Nice