In 14, and he's telling them about what is going to happen and how.
And how important it is that the Holy Spirit comes.
And the guys are locking up because of fear.
And.
It says, in all of this.
They don't stay in the upper room. They sing to him, and then they go out, and now they're on their way to the garden. So Jesus is walking with the disciples. He's already told Peter that he is gonna have a major crisis in his life, that he's gonna deny him 3 times, and Peter has just sworn that W. It will never happen, and the other guys fell in line and said, They will never desert Jesus.
He's walking with them.
And.
A lot of people believe that as he's walking with his disciples going down the valley to get to the bottom, and then.
Come up on the other side.
To get to the gardening he has. They're walking through a vineyard.
And as they walk in through the vineyard.
He!
Says, what we have written here.
In John, chapter 15. It's kind of like.
Maybe getting them off the subject, but saying things in a slightly different way.
To help them understand.
How important it is that they live with him.
And how important it is.
That they just hold on to him.
So that's.
What we're gonna be talking about. Not so much discipleship. I I'll probably keep saying that word. But.
The idea of what does it mean to be a branch.
How do we live being branches of Jesus? So if you have a Bible.
Ah, we are in John, chapter 15. And we're just gonna kind of walk through it.
So.
The 1st thing about being that that we'll be saying here in Jesus says it right away. He says, I am the true vind.
Jesus is the true vine.
And you know, grapevines right?
The branches obviously get their life.
From the vine.
And I would say the 1st thing about being a branch.
Is that the life of Christ.
Is able to flow through us.
I mean. Just think about this. Jesus says, I am the true vine. I am the only vine.
That that really matters. If there's life coming from anywhere, it's coming from me. Think of the privilege of that, you know. Once we belong to him. We are.
And this is the illustration he's used because he's already talked about the Holy Spirit, and I know.
I know they didn't get that.
I don't actually get it, and probably, unless you're smarter than me, you don't really get it.
How is it that Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit?
I don't get that. So what Jesus does is he takes this illustration.
I'm the true vine. You guys are the branches.
But.
He starts out like this. He says I'm the true vine in my father is the vine dresser.
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.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you in saying already. You're clean.
He's saying. Already you have come to Faith.
So the fact that they've been cleaned or cleaned through the word that he spoke to him. They understand who he is. Anybody in this room right now. Who says.
I know that Jesus.
Was sent from God, he died on the cross, from my sin he was rose again from the dead, and if I confess.
My Scindium, if I repent, and I ask him to be my Savior. He comes in.
And he saves me from my sin, and He makes me. He gives me eternal life.
That is what he's talking about by being clean. He says already you're clean.
And then you ask yourself about this thing here.
Where he says my father is the vine dresser, and he does 2 things 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.
Hmm! What do we do with that? And really all the commentators have.
They do all sorts of gymnastics with these things, because here's the deal.
Once you have life, you cannot.
Unhab life.
Once you are born again, you cannot be unborn again.
There is no creature on this planet that has been born.
That gets unborn.
Right.
You know your theology. Once you become a human being.
You never become an unheard, I mean inhuman. Well, I got to think about that. I grew up around some people in Milwaukee who were pretty unhuman sometimes, but anyway, that's a different subject. But the point is, you never get on board. You live forever.
Whether you like it or not.
The same is true. Spiritually, once a person becomes spiritually reborn, you don't become unborn, you can't lose your salvation. What he's talking about here is the purpose of the bind in the purpose of bearing fruit.
And what happens to people who at some point in their life.
Just give up.
Now we know that's a possibility, right? I mean, without me having to go through a whole lot of other Scripture and say, this can happen. Paul talks about.
Standing before Christ.
And having to give an account of our lives.
Some have built with wood hand stubble that all gets burned away, but they still survive, and they still go into heaven. Some are built with.
Ah! Gold, silver, and precious stone.
What they have done. There, that's the bearing fruit people.
The other people.
Who.
Come to Christ and have that flare of excitement, or whatever in those 1st few years that those you know. It's just wonderful, isn't it?
But then what happens? And see, this is what really.
Moves me about the cycleship. What happens when they've been a Christian?
15 years in 20 years and 30 years in 40 years? Is there a discipleship for that.
Is there a course you can take? Are there 10 steps? Are there 12 more bottles of milk?
See, that's where discipleship falls down.
That's what we're not equipped to do.
We have made this thing so academic, but.
It's not academic.
There's something about our hearts. It will talk about that. But what I want you to see here is that when he's talking about this. He's talking about the vine that's bearing fruit, and God will take the people away.
Who are not helping bare fruit. He will take them and put them on the side, and I'll tell you in a minute what the dell. What some Dallas Seminary.
Somebody wrote from Dallas Seminary about what happens to those vines. Kind of interesting those branches that are taken away.
Anyway.
Back here.
I am the true vine. Every branch in me that does not bear fruity takes away in every branch that does bear fruity prunes that it may bear more fruit.
Already you are clean because of the word that I've spoken to you.
The father.
Takes interest in us. And it's basically helping us. You know.
Do you love those verses in Romans? Chapter 5, where it says, not only do we, Joyce, in the fact that we've received grace, and that we're saved. But we rejoice in our tribulations also, knowing that tribulation brings patience.
Patience, brings character, character, brings.
You. That list is a great list, because that is the kind of pruning that takes place as the father, as a loving father takes things out of our lives.
He will allow us to endure something so that we can endure. We can have greater fruit in the future, and all of us here.
And you may be even struggling with that. There have been some things that may have happened in your life that you just don't understand. Some huge disappointments.
And they happened.
To all of us.
They happen to all of us.
You lose a loved one.
That happens to a lot of people.
You get fired from a job that happens to a lot of people.
There are things that the Father and His love needs to shape us so that we can bear more fruit because.
That idea bearing fruit is that idea of having the life of Christ producing.
In us.
And that becomes the joyful thing here.
So.
Then Jesus says in in verse 4.
Abiding me in, I, in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches, and I'll stop there.
What I want you to see here is really interesting. He says. I want you to abide in me and I in you. So he's just talking to the guys. And he says, Look, you don't know what's gonna happen. What I want you to do is hang on. But here's the idea that he tried to express, or he has expressed in Chapter 14 that they haven't understood, he said, I will not leave you desolate. I will come to you.
In a little while the world will see me no more. But you will see me because I live. You will live also, and in that day you will know I am in Father, and you and me, and I, and you, because of the Holy Spirit. How does that work?
Well, right here, he says. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to abid me in you.
Okay, Jesus, I'm going to really try to abide in you. But.
In doing that.
He says, I'm going to be in you, too.
Abiding me.
In I inu. If you hold on to me, I am in you.
And I would just say.
What?
I mean, you know you can't wrap your head around that. Enough.
To think that.
God himself, the Son of God wants to live in us.
He wants his life to flow through us, you know. Nobody got how many people did not have a mother here.
Keep your hand down. I saw that hand in bet. No.
We all had moms.
And you know what happened. You know what the miracle of birth is in that is that her life.
And and we're talking about physical life.
Came into us.
We had nothing to do about it. Right? I mean, God set up the system, and here it is.
Her life is feeding us.
Her heartbeat.
Is, is somehow involved in our heartbeat. The things that are flowing through her body become flowing in our body, and that is how we.
But I mean there's there's more to it, obviously, and I never studied biology. Well, anyway. But that part I know.
And imagine. That is what happens to us when we become alive in Christ.
When we are a branch in that true vine, his life.
Flows through a spiritual life.
And you can say through the Holy Spirit, and that's fine, but that is life.
In us, in that he would share that. So he says, look abiding me, and I in you.
If you abiding me, I am abiding in you now. The one thing to to.
Mention here is this.
That abiding.
Is the optional part.
On our part.
How much do we want to hold on to Jesus?
You know, at the beginning again there's that flush of love, there's that flush of excitement, the fact that I've been set free for my sin, and I know I'm going to live forever, and I know I'm going to be love forever because of Jesus. But the thing is.
Is that you need to keep. We need to keep living in that.
That's the part of the vine. That's the part of the vine that you can see right. And this is the illustration right here, just as a branch.
Cannot bear fruit apart from the vine, neither can you, apart from me, stay hooked on to me, so there's an application for everyone here stay hooked on to Jesus, because when you are hooked on to Jesus.
His life.
Is flowing through you.
In. Ah! In a way that bears fruit.
In a way that bears fruit, because that's a whole illustration here.
Now.
Um. Just you know, I I think I was here last year, and I I appreciate this. You don't remember. But I'm gonna mention it, anyway, if you look at Ephesians, chapter 3, versus 14, and on it talks about something the father does.
It's Paul's per. He says that according to the riches of his glory.
He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
So that you will be rooted and grounded in love.
And that's that part of abiding.
We.
Just like if we were little kids. We are holding on to Mom. We're holding on to Dad.
And the thing is as we do, that.
Not being frightened in anything, and this comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But that we become rooted and grounded in love.
Living.
Fully, in Jesus.
There's a lot of things that distract people in this world, aren't there?
A lot of things that you think are far more interesting than Jesus.
And I I know all of us have gone through that kind of thing. I mean, you know, I I think about.
About God sometimes for maybe 5 min before I think you know. Oh, that's what I was. Gonna order something on Babylon. I better get online and order that.
See if I can get it tonight.
You know.
If I get quick delivery or something like that, there's so many things.
That distract us. There's so many things that we think are more interesting. Who hasn't been watching foosball soccer.
Any soccer fans here.
Of course I'll watch Soccer, even if I don't know the teams. I like soccer.
You know, I mean there's so, and I'm not saying any of these things are bad, but the world sets us up to be distracted. The world sets us up to have our affections.
Dissipated, mixed up.
Diluted.
And.
You can go.
Easily a week without really being in the word.
A week without really thinking thoughts about.
Um! Why, we're here, and what he's doing, and I'm seeing.
That that's the kind of.
Life that Jesus doesn't consider.
Discipleship.
The life he considers is being focused on him.
Attach to him.
Join his life into us, us, abiding in him and Him, abiding in us, not being distracted, not being afraid.
And something happens when that happens, and he calls it bearing fruit.
So.
He goes on, and he says.
Whoever abides in me, and I am him.
Okay. Verse 5. I am the vine near the branches. Whoever abides in me lives in me.
And I and him.
Here it is that bears much fruit for me.
You can do nothing.
And we go.
As the French would say, O'conreir.
I can do a whole lot without you. I can drive my car without you.
Let's see what I can do. I can juggle without you.
Those of us who know how to juggle.
Um. I can do a lot without you.
And here's the deal. We can't bear fruit.
Without him. How important is that bearing fruit thing.
Without Jesus.
You know this morning.
Um. We had the breaking of the bread.
And here's here's the the thing.
Here's the thing. How precious is it to us! And I'm not trying to make anybody guilty. I'm just saying.
I mean because I have to ask myself these same questions, how precious is it that he gave his body.
In His blood, for us.
To set us free. How precious is it.
Or is it just the religious routine we're in? Because here's the deal.
There are.
Billions of people on this planet who still don't have a clue.
If we are precious enough to Jesus that we're worth.
His body and his blood.
Shouldn't those people be worth.
Um.
Worth something to him, too, and shouldn't we be.
Grateful enough to reach out to them. I'm not trying to make anybody guilty. This is just part and parcel of us accepting his love because he still loves other people.
You know. And so if burying fruit really doesn't mean anything to us, yeah, we can do. We can. We can live without you. I can sing praise songs without you. I don't.
Would we really say, I don't need you.
Because here's the thing. If we don't bear fruit.
If we're not somehow involved in burying fruit.
It's kind of like saying, Look, I can do this without you.
But we can't bear fruit without him, just like that branch.
You know, if that branch somehow could separate itself from the vine and walk over there.
It can't bear fruit without the vine.
It just can't do it. And this is what you see. This is just a great.
Image for them.
How important is it? It ought to be greatly important, because, see, that's what branches are for.
Branches are forbearing fruit.
So he goes on, and he says.
If anyone does not abide in me.
He is, he is! He is cast away like a branch in withers, and the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, and burned.
Okay. Now, I know this is negative. What am I going to do with this one?
Lord! Help!
Um.
So this is what I've heard, and I think if you think about it, you may have seen now I.
There's there's a whole illustration in Romans of how branches can get grafted back into the vine, so never give up.
Okay. But I have met a lot of Christians.
Ah! Who were very active when they were young.
And something happened. Life life got in the way.
They became so caught up in one thing or another they got distracted. I mean, actually, it was while I was attending here, and I was dating.
Um. We went to Wheaton. We met some people that she knew, and there was one guy at the table I have never met. I didn't think Christians could be this bitter.
This guy was against everything we were saying about reaching lost people he was about, you know, and the thing was.
Um, as far as everybody knew, at the table. He was a believer, and I would never doubt that he was, but he was just.
So.
Angry, so.
Apparently God just hadn't been good to him in the ways he thought God should be good to him.
I can't express this in any other way. But I remember almost leaving that that meeting, thinking boy, that guy.
You know.
Dry wood.
You know, or Wetwood he was he was actually throwing. Well, forget the metaphors. But you see what I mean.
There's there's something that we can do if we allow ourselves to be separated from God.
So it says that they wither.
So the thing is, if this.
Room was a growing branch, and we were producing.
Fruits. But I'm gonna take this on the local Assembly right.
Then God would.
In his grace and in His wisdom, and it's not our wisdom, but His wisdom. He would.
At times, so that we could remain fruitful, break off a branch.
Isn't that kind of what it says in British Corinthians. Chapter 11.
That's why many of you are weak and ill, and you know I'm I'm not making any judgments. I'm just saying Jesus is saying, this is what the father will do, so that this branch here can remain fruitful.
He will take the initiative, and and you know. So the the guys at Della Seminary who wrote on this verse, he says, you know.
What could happen? Though.
Is the reason that they they don't throw this this wood away. They burn it, and the reason for that is because.
The the thing that is deadly in a vineyard is frost.
So the need would in a in a vineyard that they can burn.
To keep the other. Have you ever seen these movies? I I figure what movie it was. But there was a frost coming over this vineyard, and these these ladies are out there like, almost with butterfly wings, and they're going like this so that they can spread the heat in the vineyard.
From these burning branches.
And where, where? I think I've seen this as a missionary, and I hope this isn't funny, and I hope nobody takes offense at this.
Is um.
You know.
There's somebody in ah in a congregation who really has not been active, and they're kind of like you wouldn't. You wouldn't want to say, Deadwood, but a missionary speaker comes in.
And the missionary speaker. You know the the Lord anoints what they say, and everything, and their tears running down their face, and they donate 10,000 bucks.
Or something like that.
And it's like.
It's 1 way to use Deadwood.
You know.
And the thing is that kind of stuff happens. It's almost a joke in Christendom. You know that that somebody who is barely done anything.
You know they will. They will donate $50,000 for a building and get their name on the building.
You know, and sometimes those people are very godly people, and sometimes they're people that the spirit at a certain time just.
And said, Hey.
Time to man up.
And they manned.
But that didn't mean they were necessarily a thriving person.
God is the one who.
Does this kind of stuff.
What I wanna say here. Oh, and I'll continue this if you abided me in my words, abiding you. Whatever.
Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you, for by this is my father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
You know. Did did you notice that Jesus change that up? If you abiding me, my words abiding you.
If you before, he said, if you abide me in, I and you.
Then he's now, he's saying, if you abiding me and my words abiding, you, ask whatever you will.
And the father will give it to you. Why? Because you're asking it.
My words are abiding in you. You you understand my heart. You know who I am. You understand what we're doing here. You understand why I brought you into the situation.
Ask what you will, and the father will give it.
Because in this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Ah branch!
Beers.
In fact, a branch can't help.
But bear fruit.
It can't help but bear fruit if it's abiding in the vine.
Isaiah, 55.
It says, as the ring comes down in the snow from heaven and returns on tether. But what is the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud.
The earth doesn't have to um.
Uh, ex. Yeah.
Exert itself.
As the rain coming down from heaven, and returns out hither, but waters the earth and makes it.
Naturally bring forth and bud.
So shall my word be.
That goes out of my mouth.
When His word is in us, and it's it's able to flow through our veins. It's Jesus communicating with us. It's what Jesus said about Mary. She has chosen the one thing that's necessary that will not be taken away from her. My word! That's how he abides in us.
And we're reading this word, and the thing is you can't help but bear fruit.
God can take you to any situation, and you get in that aisle at the store, and you see that person.
And all of a sudden he's the Holy Spirit is laying on your heart.
Can you say something to that person for me?
You cannot help but bear fruit.
If you're abiding in him.
It just has to be more natural. And that's why I think.
The Word of God is so important.
That's what he's saying to us disciples.
He who has my! When that whole thing I will not leave you desolate. I will come to you through the Holy Spirit, and everything.
He who has my commandments and keeps them. He is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and I will.
Manifest Myself.
Manifesting himself to His disciples, was the biggest thing that Jesus did as a disciple Maker.
That's why it cannot just be a program. That's why it cannot be academic.
When we are spending time with people, whether it's a coffee. And I think it's really small groups we are manifesting those of us who are in that group. If we have an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, we're manifesting for younger people what it means to be in love with Jesus, what it means to live for Jesus, what it means to serve Jesus, and it all comes to the Word of God. And if you, as a person who is.
A disciple is not.
Living in and growing in Christ, in your love for him. What are you gonna manifest? Yeah. I was. I was excited about that 20 years ago, too. Don't worry. You'll get over it.
Is that what we do.
Do we spend enough time with people that we can manifest? Look at John 17. Jesus says, Father, I manifested your name.
Well, you know how I did that. I had them readin' Bible Dictionary, and then I had them read about Walverd, and then I had them read about Darby, and then I had.
I manifested your name.
How would you like to have lived with Jesus for 3 years.
Day in and day out.
And what is he doing.
He's manifesting his name. He's showing him who God is. That's why he says that.
Philip, he says, Philip, have I been with you so long.
And you haven't gotten it yet.
You've seen the father. You've seen the father in me. You've seen his love, you've seen what he can do. You've seen his interest in people. You've seen what he's done for you.
I've manifested, father, I've manifested your name. And then he says this. And this is really an interesting thing. At the end of John 7, he said. I've made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that your love for me may be in them.
An eye in them.
Oh, you're gonna have to read that later, and just try to wrap your head around that that your love for me may be in them.
I think we'd all explode. Don't you think you'd all exploded? The Father's love for Jesus could be in you.
It would be like.
What happened to him?
But that's what he's promising. That's what Jesus is praying at the end of John 17, that your love for them may be in them, and I.
In them.
Hmm.
A vine.
Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna go really quick in these other points here.
And you've got done 15. You can read it yourself.
But a vine or a branch.
Here's for it!
A bridge abides in the vine.
A branch has a life of Jesus.
Running through it.
But it's not just the life of Jesus. It's love of Jesus.
It says, here.
In.
Verse 8.
As the father has loved me so. I have loved you.
Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just I, as I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in His love.
These things I've spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy.
Maybe full.
Christianity is not, I say, Christianity following Jesus is not about a bunch of rules.
It is about.
Experiencing his life and experiencing his love.
You've experienced his life because you have come to him.
You experiences, love.
As you understand.
That his heart beats for you, and it beats for this world.
And he says.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Well.
How does that fit in? And I would just say, this.
That his commandments.
If you, if you boil everything down, if if you only went.
To the great Commission. His commandment is to talk about him in the world.
If that love is in you, let it out.
He says, he who believes in me as a Scripture says, out of his heart will flow.
Of living water.
Rivers.
Not trickles, you know, like oh, look!
Something leaked.
Yeah.
Rivers of living water.
Is his love, and I challenge myself with this. You.
Yeah, I don't beat myself up about it, because I know that he'll he'll bring me to it. But.
Rivers of living water. Am I excited enough about Jesus.
At almost 70 years of age.
To have rivers of living water flowing out of me. If there's not a river.
Who's blocking it?
Right.
That's my question. What's blocking it? Why am I not letting it out? But see what an exciting thing you can't, and that's the thing you know. When you talk about witnessing again, it's so academic you gotta learn this. You gotta learn that. You gotta learn to apologize. You gotta let the love flow out of you.
That demonic guy.
He wanted to follow Jesus. He's probably a Gentile. So Jesus wasn't. Gonna let him. Jesus was already in trouble with the Pharisees. And Allah, he said. Go home and tell.
Your friends what the Lord has done for you, and he says he went around and told everybody with Jesus. He got the word wrong? Right? No, he understood.
Tell him what the Lord has done for you, and how He's had mercy. He told everybody what Jesus had done.
It was just pouring out of him. He couldn't help it. And you know, here's the thing folks.
When you're young and you're excited it flows pretty easy.
You got nothing holding it back when you get older, though what happens to a 30 or 40 year old.
Your disciple.
I don't know. You get clogage or something. You know. You gotta. You need a stint in your spiritual something or others. I don't know what it is.
But.
It should be flowing even more for mop. We had to read. We had to look at this one video, it said.
George for real about George Burr. Believe it or not, George Burr had some um early.
Brethren, help.
In ruts in everything very interesting. But here's a guy who's late in the seventies, and he's just so excited about Christ.
How in the world does that happen.
Dementia. I know right.
If you're excited about Christ in your 70 s. You've got dementia.
Or something.
Or maybe you just have the spirit flowing through you, and you've grown in your love for Jesus. And that's why this is so important. He says.
Basically, he's saying, Grow in my love.
He's saying.
Um as a father has loved me. I've loved you, abiding my love.
Stay in my love. If you keep my commandments to tell people about me, you will abide in my love.
Just as I have kept my father's commandments, and Abiden is love, and these things I have spoken to you that your joy may be full, and oh, I mean.
Joy. It isn't just love, it's growing joy, it's ah! That sense of abandon, the fruits of the Spirit. I love joy and peace.
The 1st 3 that relate to God.
If you love him with all of your heart, you will have an abundance of joy, and you will have amazing peace.
Why? Because you realize how great he is. I mean, it's just it keeps everything limber, and it keeps your heart alive.
Why lose that?
And you've got it now. And for those of you who are going to let me tell you, you're gonna you're gonna love it because you're gonna be around people who are excited about Christ. You're gonna be around professors who are excited about Christ. It's gonna be a great place to be.
Until you leave a mass.
I already got you to the end. You've already graduated.
We can announce our graduation right now, and the thing is, once you get out of there, then.
What keeps you growing in your love for Jesus?
And that's where the Word of God in discipleship in the local Assembly is important.
No.
Here's what Jesus says here.
He says.
And this is my commandment that you love one another as I have lived you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lays down his life for his friends, and you are my friends. If you do what I command you no longer do I call you servants, for a servant doesn't know what his master is doing, but I've called you friends for everything that I've heard from my father. I've made known to you.
And I'm going to stop right there.
So what Jesus is saying is that so? Here's the deal. Now, guys, you need to love one another.
That that same love with which I have loved you. You need to love one another.
And he says, I'm not going to call you servants anymore. Your friends.
I have shared everything my father has shared.
With me with you. So you know what the whole program is. Now you know what's going.
And you know what's really interesting in this.
Is that it's this love.
That becomes part of us growing in love, this love for one another. Now, the only thing I want to say about this context is, you realize, if you look back at 14, these guys are shaking in their boots. If you look at 16, you realize these guys are shaking in their boots. And Jesus is about to say, there's 1 more thing, because the 1st thing a branch does.
Or as branches, we have the life of Christ. The second thing is, we have the love of Christ flowing through us, but we get to the 3rd thing. It's a little bit harder, but the point is, he says you need to love one another now.
I'm just gonna say it like this.
Unless we are involved in the harvest.
It's hard to grow that love.
Okay. How many people here have seen, like Banda Brothers or something like that? Right? Banda Brothers. Okay.
If you haven't seen it.
It was.
It's a long way to get to what I'm going to tell you right now. But the thing that drew those guys together was the war.
The thing that drew those guys together was the battle. The thing that drew those guys together was having a common enemy and and having to protect one another, and all of that kind of stuff. Without all of that, they would have just gone to Disneyland.
They would not have been the band of brothers.
And God has given us a mission, and that mission is out of love for Christ.
I mean, it's the same love that came in and somehow got to you.
And so we work together as a local assembly. And here's the thing about the the illustration of the vine and.
I I kind of just got this recently, but it's pretty interesting. So I walk in the morning when I pray.
Um.
I pray out loud, for one thing, because there's nobody where I walk, and I walk past a golf course and.
Right at the beginning of the part where I'm walking with the golf course. There are grapevines.
Now ask him a walkie city boy what he knows about grapevines.
0.
It's the same I knew about cows growing up in Milwaukee. I knew him from the Nature Channel.
You know.
Whatever.
Don't need cows, anyway.
So I'm walking by the grapevines, and the thing I mean they're pretty in everything. But what irritates me is they grow over the sidewalk.
They don't grow like down on the ground. They grow out at base level, slap you right in the face. So I figure, you know, as a public service to the city.
I am going to snip the ends of the branches.
So they don't hit other pedestrians in the face. So.
But you know.
I'm actually walking pretty fast, and I'm.
I'm.
Doing other stuff, and I've I've got to get to class and all this. So I take my snippers with me, and when I walk along. I think I'm just gonna I'm I'm not even gonna stop. I'm just gonna.
Get a brand little branch the the end of it.
And let it fall, and keep walking.
And I hit the branch. I clip it.
It doesn't fall.
What is wrong with my snippers.
And.
I realize as I'm looking at this branch, it is connected.
To like 3 other branches.
And so I see the other branch.
That's helping this branch, and I clip it.
What it doesn't fall either, because it itself is clipped to 3 other branches.
Did you know that about grapevines?
I mean, they're ridiculous.
They're they're connected to everything they're like, interwoven with each other.
And I'm standing there realizing that God is giving me an illustration.
You know the thing about loving one another that he's talking about is being interconnected.
You know. How can a.
Ah! A grapevine.
Bear.
Heavy fruit.
They're connected.
One another.
And if it was just that vine, or just that that branch, I could clip that thing and it would fall. And I'm just clipping the ends of them. I might go and up to the vine, but the thing is.
Is, it's still interconnected. There's still things holding it up. And I think to myself, in Christianity.
We do so little discipleship after a certain time.
Why aren't you ladies connected.
I mean, like, like, you know, Jesus had 12 guys. And then he had 3 guys right.
But the point is smaller. Groups of people enter.
Connected with one another, so that if somebody is going through something you've got somebody holding you up, somebody that really knows you, not just this huge Sunday morning herd thing that we do.
You know this isn't.
Intimacy. Jesus didn't choose a herd of people to get close to. He chose 12 guys.
And within them there were other people, and we know there were other people, Larry, and maybe the disciples were already interconnected. But what I'm saying is that in the assembly, in the local church.
Why aren't we doing that.
And I wonder if that's part of the reason we don't bear a lot of fruit if I had to. I and I kind of did this as a church planner. I was a guy speaking. I would have to set up the sound in back. I would have to get the projector going, I'd have to get the computer going. I'd have to blah blah. And it's like.
You have to do that by yourself, and you're.
And you burn out.
So if you want to bear fruit.
There has to be that interconnectedness.
Of maybe 3 to 5 people getting together somehow on a regular basis. And you're in the Word of God together. And you're you're praying for one another, and you're asking God to bind the enemy, and all that kind of stuff that that 2 or 3 together are supposed to do. And if we're not doing it.
How can we ever expect to bear fruit?
And you see older believers falling.
You see older. Um ah.
Workers for the Lord falling.
And I, and I.
i i i'll go into any church, or even go into school. I don't say this a lot, but I say, you know, I'm just thinking. Who are you connected to?
Well, we're all for discipleship here. And I'm going. Yeah, who are you connected to?
You're connected to 3, to 5 guys.
Course they're not.
We have taught ourselves in Christianity. This is a solo program in Jesus' the opposite.
He sent them out in twos, didn't he? You know why, for 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I in their mids, and what are they supposed to do.
Find the enemy.
That's what that whole context says. If 2 of you on earth agree about anything that they asked for, my Father in heaven will do it.
That's exactly what he's saying here, too. Why, so that fruit can be born so that the enemy can be stopped.
The the inroads into different lives can be stopped and and taken care of.
Because we know what's going on. And we do. We're doing medicine, not preventative medicine. We're doing catastrophic medicine. We wait until somebody falls, and then we're trying to pick them back up.
Did anybody know this happened to her?
Does anybody know what happened to that guy? No, because we're not interconnected like the vine is so Satan can come, and he can snip.
A branch, and it falls in.
Do you? Do you guys know what happened to.
And I just think when he says love one another, he means be connected to.
Support.
Pulled up so that you can bear fruit.
And then the 3rd thing I'll do really quick.
I mean the the application would be.
Get into groups. I think I've probably talked about this. And you guys.
Done discipleship here talked about it enough. You just gotta do it, and you don't give up on it, and you stay in the Word of God.
Um.
He says, here you did not choose me, but I chose you.
Ah! A branch has the call of Christ running through it.
We got a job.
He says you did not.
Choose me verse 16, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go, and very much that your fruit should abide, so that. What if you ask, whatever you ask the father of my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you.
That you love one another.
If the world hates, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, and I chose you out of the world.
Therefore the world.
Hates you.
In John 17, Jesus will say this, father, I gave them your word which you gave to me, and the world has hated them.
Just the very fact.
That you hold on to the Word of God.
Is going to create a difference in you.
You're going to be the person at work that doesn't want to lie.
You're gonna be the person at work that doesn't want to take the shortcut.
The quality of this material, or whatever the case may be, you're going to be the person who says.
Yeah. I don't think we should do that.
You know, you really want to be irritating to the whole world.
Go! The speed limit!
You will create so many enemies. And it's not that you want to create enemies. And it's not that you want to say you're better than anybody. It's just that God says, obey the laws of the land. Basically, until the laws of the land are sin.
Will be in speed limits is not a sin. You may think it is, but if you go, the speed limit.
If you just go the. And that's what the Word of God does to us. It makes us go. The speed limit.
You know in life.
Get in relationships.
Doing the right thing. Righteousness only means living according to God's standards.
If you know what God's standards are, and you go according them.
But that's what the world needs.
They are not of the world. The only thing I want you to see from this context is this entire context.
Uh going from um.
Ah! Verse 16 to the end of the chapter.
Has to do with opposition.
Ah Branch is called.
Lives with the call of Christ.
And you know Jesus broke all the waves for us, didn't he? Was it a neat thing for him to do.
He broke all the waves for us.
He met the Devil head-on.
Anyone.
And he met the the religious community that didn't want to see anybody get saved, and he met them head-on.
And did he suffer, he suffered? Did he die? He died.
But he rose again from the dead and claimed the victory, and we have that victory.
What does it mean to be a witness.
Be called to be a witness for Jesus Christ.
It means to follow our Savior.
And in that we will know.
His intimacy. Isn't it neat that he wants to share that with us?
Will have His life flowing through us. We will have His love flowing through us.
And we will see.
You know we will see the fruit of it, and that the joy of.
It says he saw. When he sees the fruit of the travail of his soul, he will be satisfied, and that's us.
When Jesus saw the fruit that came.
From Kim, dine for us, and being raised again from the dead, it brought him great joy.
In Jesus says, I want to share that joy with you.
To have your life count for something during this very important time on earth.
So my application is basically read chapter 15.
And realize that his love.
Flows through you.
Realize that His love.
Through his life history. His love flows through, and he's called you, you know, when Jesus comes it says.
It says that the Antichrist and the kings of the world they're going to join together so they can fight him.
Quite the lamb.
And it says, but he's going to win.
Because those with him.
Are called.
Chosen.
And faithful.
And you know what's so interesting about that portion of Scripture is because in revelation there hasn't been any revel at that point. When Jesus comes, there have not been.
Into any resurrections, yet resurrections are very important.
Where they occur in the Book of Revelation there haven't been any resurrections yet. So who in the world are on those horses?
It never talks about the resurrection of the Church, does it.
Because when we get called.
We are instantly transformed. The dead in Christ shall rise first.st
And then we shall be changed.
I have a feeling.
Is just my opinion.
That the people on those horses are us.
Coming with our Lord Cause. We've already been risen.
We've already been made perfect.
And the thing is, he calls us to be with Him.
He said, I'm not going to leave you desolate. I'm going to come to you. And so.
That's what being a disciple is.
And it's something we need to work at a little bit.
We need to protect ourselves. We need to be in the word.
And who's going to call you to do that? I don't know. The word caused you to do it, but I think, as a local assembly. We need to bind together in groups. We need to be in the Word of God, not just as tourists, but I mean really to take it seriously.
You know, people have heard me talk about the one year Bible. I really think that's an important thing. The reason I think it's important is a great tool.
To get every man, woman, and child in the Word of God, regularly going through.
Hitting the Bible every day.
I mean, it's my devotional right? But I mean the the thing is at least I know I'm in the word, and I'm at Jesus's feet.
Every day.
And in a year I get through the Bible.
The entire council of God.
And it starts making sense in that the Holy Spirit is teaching you every time you do that.
Um.
I would just recommend it. I would recommend getting into groups of 3 and fives, men and women.
Uh separately together. However, you do it, but I mean can be couples and that kind of thing. But the point is, you're caring for one another. You're loving one another. You are attaching yourself to one another. Not just this.
Big Sunday morning thing you're protecting one another. It's harder for people to fall through the cracks.
If you do that.
It's easier to pray for people right at the outset of trouble, when the Holy Spirit puts on your heart to take so and so aside and say, Hey, you know, can I pray for you?
Or or can we think about this thing that you're you're talking about? Maybe there's something that needs to be done, whatever the case may be, that.
Being alone is not what God has designed us for, and the thing is to support one another. So our love for Jesus grows.
Right up to the end.
I mean, you've got the enthusiasm. When you're young you've got the power. You've got the drive. You've got all the hormones.
And.
Why let them burn out. Keep on going. But that's what takes the maintenance. That's what takes the mind of abiding in our Savior.
And and he needs us.
And.
Obviously I could talk way too long here.
John 15.
Jesus gives us.
Gives the guys an object lesson.
And he says.
Here's the thing. Guys.
I'm the vine.
You're the branches.
I want my life to flow through you.
Constantly. I want my love to flow through you your entire lives.
And I want you to.
Since the call.
That I have chosen you.
It'll let you do this together.
Let's bring.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for.
This amazing thing you've done.
Ah! There's no such thing as.
Birthing a baby, and then leaving it alone. Your desire is for us.
To grow up in our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus. What a privilege.
That you.
Say that you're going to be with us. You want to be with us, you are with us. You want us to grow in. You.
I pray that you would help us do that. Help us not to get distracted by this world.
There are enough joys that you will give us as we walk with you. There are enough.
Moments, of.
Amazement that you will give us when we see.
What you do in our lives, and what you do in the lives of other people.
Those moments will be ours, and we'll know they're because of you, and we thank you for that.
So I would just pray.
That you would help us to.
Anchor ourselves in you, that we would grow into you.
That we would grow into your word that your word would be able to.
Growing us in that the Holy Spirit would produce springs of living water. That's what this world needs.
This world in darkness needs.
Living water. This world in darkness needs light.
And you've given that to them.
And.
That light you've given is the light that you shine through us.
I just pray that you would give us great joy, that you would give us big hearts, that you would give us incredible love.
As we look to you, and just thank you.
For everything you've done and are doing, and will do.
Thank you, Lord, in your name. Amen.
I wanna make one little commercial uh, because I am a an instructor. Now, it's part of my job to give away paper.
I give it away in classes. I give it away all over now. Some of you know that I wrote a um.
Uh commentary, that kind of a disciples commentary that goes along with the one-year Bible.
I have some copies of it up here. They're free.
And so, if you would like to, they're in like monthly.
Installments as you read the one in your Bible. You know you get into June. We're in June right now.
Or July right now. July is down here, so if you'd like them.
Come and take them.
That also aids me in feeling like I'm a professor somewhere, and um! I don't have to come home.
So anyway.
Have a wonderful Sunday.