DOCSLIB.ORG

November 17, 2017 Passion Fruit John 15:1-8 Jesus Says: Follow Me Into Passion by Staying Closely Connected to Me

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
November 17, 2017 Passion Fruit John 15:1-8 Jesus Says: Follow Me Into Passion by Staying Closely Connected to Me November 17, 2017 Passion Fruit John 15:1-8 Jesus says: Follow me into passion by staying closely connected to me. Passion. What comes to mind when I say this word, “passion?” What you love, sensual desire, golf, etc… All kinds of things, right? What you’re passionate about will largely determine your life’s direction so it is really important for us to zero in on this concept. What is passion and how we do cultivate it. Today I’d like to get back into our fall series on (LCD) “Being Disciples, Making Disciples. We’re seeking to unpack our tag line as a church, “Following Jesus together… wherever He leads.” A few weeks back we saw that Jesus said that we can’t be His disciple unless we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. Discipleship requires total commitment. Today I’d like us to look at another aspect of discipleship – the passion behind it. To do that, I want to take us to the gospel of John, the 15th chapter. In this chapter, Jesus is with His disciples in the Upper Room on the night before He is going to suffer and be crucify. The air is thick with concern. Jesus tells them that he is leaving and they can’t follow, that someone’s going to betray Jesus, that Peter, the strong one, is going to deny Him three times. Wow. And with that, at the end of chapter 14, Jesus says, “Come now, let us leave.” Where are they going? Right, to the Garden of Gethsemane – which means ‘olive press’ – Jesus is going into a garden where He is going to be pressed like no human being has ever or ever will be pressed. Life sucked right out of Him as He submits to the Father’s will. He’ll then go through a series of unjust trials -without defending Himself, be beaten and tortured by Roman soldiers, spit upon and laughed at by the ones He’s going to die for, and finally experience the horror show of Roman crucifixion. “Come now, let us leave.” Indeed. Jesus and His disciples walk into the cold, black night in more ways than one. All of these events are called the passion of the Christ. Why do we call it passion? Take a look at this (LCD), the word passion comes from the 12th century and it is derived from the Latin word ‘passus’ which means to endure, to suffer, to submit. The ultimate suffering, the ultimate submission in human history was that of Jesus Christ. He became sin, was unjustly punished, to bring us to God. Passion. What does passion look like? Picture Jesus and the disciples making their way down a stone staircase onto the streets of Jerusalem on their way to the garden of suffering. As they make their way through winding alleys and streets, Jesus begins to teach them about how they can follow in His passionate footsteps. John 15: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” In these verses, we’re going to read about disciples who bear no fruit, disciples who bear some fruit and disciples who bear much fruit – what I’ll call passion fruit. Of course we want to be found in the last category and that requires several factors. Which one are you? What is this fruit that we bear as disciples and how can we be more fruitful? It’s all about passion – voluntary submission and focus - as we’ll see. First of all, as they walk along the streets of Jerusalem, they probably walk by (LCD) Herod’s temple with a golden vine wrapped around it. Perhaps Jesus pointed to it when He said, “I am the true vine.” Why a vine? The vine was the national symbol of Israel much like the Charter Oak is for Connecticut or the eagle is for the USA. The (LCD) national coinage had a vine and grape clusters on it as seen in these first century coins from Jesus’ day. Vineyards were everywhere and they symbolized success, blessing and prosperity. But more than simply a national symbol, in the Old Testament, one of the most common images used to describe Israel’s destiny as God’s chosen people, is that of a vine or a vineyard. It’s everywhere. Israel is supposed to be the bearer of God’s image, of God’s greatness to the world. She is supposed to be the channel of blessing to the world; but that isn’t the case. Bible scholar George Beasley-Murray notes, (LCD), “It is striking that in every instance when Israel in its historical life is depicted in the OT as a vine or vineyard, the nation is set under the judgment of God for its corruption, sometimes explicitly for its failure to produce good fruit.” How sad. Here is just one of many of those instances (LCD), “I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?” So when Jesus uses one of His famous “I Am” statements to call Himself the ‘true vine’ – He is saying that He is succeeding where Israel failed. He is “reliable and true” while Israel wasn’t. He is bearing the beauty of God to the nations through His joyful submission to the Father, His passion. The last thing that Jesus says in chapter 14 before they left the upper room, look up at verse 31 in chapter 14: “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” Jesus bears the beauty of God before the whole world by obeying His Father – that’s His passion – a willingness to submit to the Father’s will in order to please Him and show His goodness to the world. Let me ask you this morning, ‘Do you have passion for the Father?’ Are you submitting to Him in order to bear good fruit for Him? Next, Jesus says that the Father is the gardener or the vinedresser. He works meticulously in order that this true, good vine will be as productive as possible. He does this by doing two things. First, he cuts off unproductive branches and, secondly, He prunes productive ones. Now these two words are instructive here. The first one (LCD), airo, has two main meanings: to lift up and to remove or cut away. Two very different ideas. Some commentators think that we should read it as lift up – that the Father comes along and lifts up the vines trailing on the ground in order to clean them off and put them back on the trellis. I love that but the context later in verse 6 seems to indicate cutting off more than rehabilitation. Most likely this is referring to the cutting of deadwood to give the good branches room to grow and bear more fruit. Those who bear no fruit are removed. We’ll talk more about this later when we get to verse 6. The second word (LCD) katairo, which means to cleanse or cleanse by pruning which probably refers to the winter when the branches were cut back to make them more productive come spring. The result isn’t very pretty (LCD), but it is necessary to produce more fruit. These are branches that produce some fruit but could bear more. The road to bearing more fruit means painful pruning. If we want more fruit, we’re going to have to endure a season of pruning. Are you experiencing the Father’s pruning or discipline in your life? When I became a believer at the University of New Hampshire, one of my big early issues was girlfriends! There was this girl in my dorm that I liked, Ginette, but there was a problem…she was dating someone and, oh yeah, she was not a follower of Christ. I really wanted to go out with her but knew it probably wasn’t the best idea for my Christian growth. Well, the semester went on and I started growing pretty fast – bearing some fruit but not much just yet. Then I got an opportunity to go to UMass in order to prepare for a summer discipleship program. Right before that trip, I found out Ginette was available again! Woah! We had a dorm dance scheduled on Saturday night and I was supposed to be back on Friday so I asked Ginette, against my better judgment, to go and she said ‘Yes’! Sweet! I can have God and my girl! Psych! Well, one thing after another occurred down at UMass…car breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, missed rides… eventually we were forced to hitch-hike back to New Hampshire! We finally got back, in tatters, 30 minutes after the bus had left for the dance! I was so mad…at God! What’s up! Can’t believe it.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • True Vine's Virtual VBS 2020 Grades
    True Vine’s Virtual VBS 2020 Grades 7-8 June 22, 2020 Week 4 At Sea: Blessed with Kingdom Values Matthew 5:9 ● Deck Plan- Matthew 5:1-12 ● Key Card- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” ● Main Seating- Jesus Christ gave the people a message. He wanted to teach people how they should behave. Jesus blesses those who follow Him and calls them children of God. Those who follow God believe in Him. These people love God with all their hearts. Children of God also show kindness to others. ● Bridge/Docking- Lord, please help us to accomplish our goal of living more like Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. God has different and higher moral expectations of how we are to behave and treat one another as His adopted children. There are distinct differences between belonging to God’s family and having kingdom values, and merely being a citizen of this world and having the world’s values. For instance, in God’s kingdom, having privilege and power is not an important goal. While the world celebrates power, strength, and winning, Jesus explains that God blesses the meek, the suffering, and the peacemakers. The Sermon on the Mount represents the major ideals of the Christian life. These include directions for our day- to- day interactions with others, such as being helpful, generous, and non- judgmental. Jesus spoke about a wide range of topics, including prayer, justice, care for the poor, divorce, fasting, and salvation. By addressing these subjects, Jesus reminded believers of their own responsibility toward God and others, and that our actions can lead to God’s favor and blessings.
    [Show full text]
  • John 15:1-8 Dwelling in Christ! Journey Bible Study for 100710
    John 15:1-8 Dwelling in Christ! Journey Bible Study for 100710 Into Thy Word Ministries Bible Study www.intothyword.org General Idea: Jesus gives us some incredible imagery from agriculture, a very familiar theme in the first century culture that connects to our relationship with God and His relationship with us. Herein is the theme: what it takes to be in Christ and thrive for God’s glory and our betterment. This is about our responsibilities, uniqueness, gifting, and purpose all flowing from His love to us. Jesus is saying, I am the vine, the main and only channel of life and substance, and God is the cultivator; He is the one in charge. He is the one who will judge, and cut off those who do not produce fruit, those who refuse His love and do nothing but evil. He will also prune to get our attention so we may improve and be enabled to succeed; He will, if necessary, cut us off when we refuse His grace—but then it will be too late. He expects us to bear fruit and will do what is best for us to be cultivated in Him and for Him to better produce His love and goodness for the furtherance of His kingdom. It is good that He prunes, for we need His cultivation and nourishment; without Him, we can do nothing—we can’t know Him, we can’t live in Him, and we can’t work in and for Him without His life giving sustenance. So, we must receive and remain in Him, growing and thriving in Him for all the goodness and nourishment to happen and to flow in and out of us.
    [Show full text]
  • Menein As Key to a Mystical Reading of John 15
    MENEIN AS KEY TO A MYSTICAL READING OF JOHN 15 BY ADRIAAN JOHANNES JACOBUS STANDER THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN RESPECT OF THE DOCTORAL DEGREE QUALIFICATION D.TH. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEW TESTAMENT IN THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE PROMOTER: PROF. PIETER G.R. DE VILLIERS NOVEMBER 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... ii DANKBETUIGING .......................................................................................................................................... v ON HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ........................................................................................................ - 1 - CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. - 3 - CHAPTER 2 A CLOSE READING OF JOHN 15 ...................................................................................... - 5 - 1. Lexical meanings for ............................................................................................................. - 5 - 2. A close reading of John 15................................................................................................................. - 6 - 3. Formal analysis of John 15 .............................................................................................................. - 14 - 3.1 Section 1: The necessity of mutual indwelling
    [Show full text]
  • Discipleship in the Lectionary – 05/02/2021
    Discipleship in the Lectionary – 05/02/2021 A look at the week's lectionary through the lens of discipleship and disciple- making. Fifth Sunday of Easter Revised Common Lectionary Year B Sunday, May 2nd John 15:1-8 Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Abiding in the True Vine? Like last week’s imagery of the shepherd, the Gospel lectionary for the Fifth Sunday of Easter continues with further Old Testament imagery of Israel – the vine. There are six references to “bearing fruit” in these eight verses. The fruitfulness of a branch is associated with abiding in the vine (menō – continue, stay [remain], endure [persist]) with “abide” appearing seven times. At a time when local churches can resemble private country clubs at one end of the spectrum and political action organizations at the other, it is perhaps not surprising there is a distinct lack of fruitfulness of many church denominations across the West. The remedy – abide in the True Vine. John 15:1-8 Commentary As context, this passage is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse with His disciples (14-17) which thus gives a degree of urgency to the content. This text is also part of a larger unit with the second half appearing in next week’s lectionary (15:9-17). 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. This is the last of the seven main “I am” (ego eimi) statements of Jesus that reveal Jesus' true identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Fifth Sunday of Easter May 2, 2021
    Fifth Sunday of Easter May 2, 2021 Music reprinted and live streamed with permission from OneLicense.net #612145 Gathering Song: Sing with All the Saints in Glory Hymn to Joy Introductory Rite O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders; In the sight of the nations he has shown his deliverance, alleluia. Psalm 98 Glory to God from Mass of St. Mary Magdalene by Sarah Hart The Liturgy of the Word First Reading: A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (9:26-31 (53B)) When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and he poke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-31 Owen Alstott 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Martha and Jesus Ardy Bass
    “If you had been there” Martha and Jesus Ardy Bass (Published in The Bible Today, 32 [March 1994] 90 – 94) The only characters that are directly identified as friends of Jesus in the Gospel of John are Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in John 11:1-44. While John 15 teaches about the greatest gift between friends, Martha’s lament to Jesus (11:17-27) offers a window through which we offers a window through which we can reflect on friendship, our relationship to God, and faith. Friendship I Friendship implies a relationship that is intimate, and trusting, For friendship to thrive there weds to be shared values and concerns, common ideas, ideals, and worldview. This foundation allows friends to have influence over one another through discussion and disagreement. Friends hold each other accountable for their actions. They respect and accept each other, yet they are not afraid to confront each other when the need arises. Friends depend on one another for support in times of crisis, whether emotional or material. Friendship is a relationship of trust, confidence, and intimacy. Perhaps the human element of influence and accountability characteristic of friendship has silenced discussion about Jesus and its friends in the Gospels. Friendship vita Jesus would not be a common friendship, indeed, it is an uncommon relationship given Jesus' divinity. However, the Jewish religious tradition, of which Jesus and this friends were a part is rooted in an intimate, trusting relationship with God. The tradition of Lament In the Old Testament, faith is not assent to a set of beliefs. At least, the Bible does not define it as such.
    [Show full text]
  • Connected to Jesus John 15:1-17
    Sunday, March 17, 2019 FBC Vidalia Dr. Ricky Cummings Evening Service Series: Christ the Logos – A Study of the Gospel of John Sermon: Connected to Jesus John 15:1-17 1. Abide in Him John 15:1-6 (ESV) 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 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. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 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. Matthew 7:20 (ESV) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. God as Pruner uses a two-step process to prune us... Step 1: Precepts. God's precepts are contained in the Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BEATITUDES Lesson # 9 +
    THE BEATITUDES Lesson # 9 God's Plan for a Transformed Heart and Life: Blessed are the Peacemakers God of Peace and Justice, Make us, Lord, instruments of Your peace. In Your name we want to banish strife and discord in order to bring harmony and love. We can only do this, Lord, if our lives are filled up with the love of Christ. The more our lives are a reflection of His life, the more peace and love radiates from us out to a troubled world. Help us to be militant about peace and violently opposed to any and all things in this world that stand in the way of brotherhood and justice. We pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. + + + BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS ...the children of God are peacemakers, because nothing resists God, and surely children ought to have the likeness of their father. The Sermon on the Mount, St. Augustine, Book I chapter 2.9 The peace shown by peacemakers brings a harvest of justice. James 3:18 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 St. Augustine wrote that the peacemakers are not only peaceful but that they are active makers of peace. They encourage peace around them by healing alienations and discord and bringing about reconciliation. But this peace begins within them as they conform themselves to the image of God, and then the peace they generate diffuses from them to the world (Augustine, Sermon on the Mount , Book I chapter 2.9).
    [Show full text]
  • He Is the True Vine Derek Westmoreland John 15:1-11
    He is the True Vine addressed once saved always saved in John 6 (v. 37) and John Derek Westmoreland John 15:1-11 HBC 10-18-20 10. In John 10:27-28 it says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to Turn to: them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them This morning we conclude our study of the 7 “I am” statements out of My hand.” made by Lord Jesus and recorded by the apostle John. Back in Exodus 3:14, the Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him The reference to the vine and the branches was familiar to the that “I AM” sent you. That same I AM that spoke to Moses is original audience. They were well aware that of what a vineyard the one who became flesh and said, was and that the vinedresser would prune the branches. I am the bread of Life. I am the light of the world. Jesus, here in John 15, declares Himself to be the true vine and I am the door. we, His people are the branches. I am the good shepherd. II. WHAT IS THE RESULT OF BEARING FRUIT? I am the resurrection and the life. Verse 2- “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes I am the way, and the truth, and the life, and away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it I am the true vine.
    [Show full text]
  • Session 3 Sharpened to Share INTRODUCTION We’Re Going to Wrap up the Weekend with Our final Session, Entitled Sharpened to Share
    FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share INTRODUCTION We’re going to wrap up the weekend with our final session, entitled Sharpened to Share. Now, I know that for a lot of us, this is where the walls come up and fear kicks in. Reading the Bible…sure, I can get excited about that. Learning to pray…absolutely. Share my faith? Let’s not get too crazy! No…in all seriousness, let’s just talk honest this morning: it can be a struggle to share. Facts. Even the best evangelists miss opportunities. So my goal today is not to guilt you in to sharing your faith. No, what I want to do in this, our final session together, is show you how the time we spend studying God’s Word and talking with Him in prayer aren’t just for our benefit or spiritual growth, but for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. Consider this, if God’s purpose in saving us through His Son was just to secure our pardon, we would instantly be taken to Heaven. There would be nothing more left to do. But our salvation isn’t just about us. In fact, at its root, it’s nothing about us. It’s about God and His glory. He saves us and it’s for His glory. But then He sanctifies us, and that’s also for His glory (John 15:8). And part of this sanctification is sharing. Peter and John said it well in Acts 4:20 - for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.
    [Show full text]
  • “Connect” Scripture – John 15:1-8 Sermon Preached by Dr. Gregory Knox Jones Sunday, April 29, 2018
    “Connect” Scripture – John 15:1-8 Sermon preached by Dr. Gregory Knox Jones Sunday, April 29, 2018 Debi Thomas remembers her father “taking her two year old daughter out for ice cream. After parking his car and lifting his granddaughter out of her toddler seat, he offered her his thumb and said, ‘You have to hold it tightly until we’re inside the ice cream shop. This is a busy street.’ His granddaughter took one look at his outstretched hand, wrapped her left fist around her own right thumb, and said ‘No, thank you. I can hold my own.’”1 Sound familiar? ‘No, thank you, I can do it myself,’ is a compelling notion in Western culture. It is one of the central beliefs chipping away at Christianity, because the Christian faith is not about blazing one’s own path. It is about giving yourself to something larger than yourself. It is about the rich life that ensues from living as God yearns for us to live; which, as today’s passage makes clear, means maintaining a vital connection to the Spirit of Christ. To set the context, today’s passage occurs during the Last Supper. Just hours before Jesus is betrayed and handed over to the authorities, he delivers his parting words. If the disciples fail to remember all of his parables; if the disciples forget what happened when they gathered in the home of Mary and Martha; if the disciples overlook some of Jesus’ beatitudes, it would be a significant loss. However, they absolutely must remember what he said the final time they were at table together.
    [Show full text]
  • THE "PURITY" of the DISCIPLES in JOHN 13:10-11 and 15:2-3
    Jian Dao 36 (2011): 131-155 THE "PURITY" OF THE DISCIPLES IN JOHN 13:10-11 AND 15:2-3 Mavis M. Leung Evangel Seminary, Hong Kong I. Introduction In his 2007 essay "The Holiness of Jesus and His Disciples in the Gospel of John," Richard Bauckham examined the theme of "holiness" in the Fourth Gospel and its implications for Johannine ecclesiology and Christology.1 Bauckham's essay has not only shed light on this crucial but often-neglected theme in the Gospel, but also rightly emphasized its ecclesiological connection in Johannine thinking. However, there is an area related to the concept of "holiness" that Bauckham did not adequately address in his essay, namely the "purity" of the disciples in John 13:10-11 and 15:2-3. While the Fourth 1 Richard Bauckham, "The Holiness of Jesus and His Disciples in the Gospel of John," in Holiness and Ecclesiology in the New Testament, ed. Kent E. Brower and Andy Johnson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 95-113. JD Journal #36.indb 131 2011/7/28 4:39:08 PM 1 Jian Dao : A Journal of Bible & Theology Gospel consists of only several occurrences of purity and purification terminology,2 Jesus affirms to his disciples (save Judas) that they are "clean/pure" at two key places in the Gospel narrative. This motif concerning the disciples' purity surfaces first in the footwashing episode in 13:1-32 (vv. 10-11) and subsequently in the vine-branches discourse in 15:1-17 (vv. 2-3). Many scholars note that the two cognate terms kaqarov~ (13:10-11; 15:3) and kaqaivrw (15:2) connote the symbolic sense of spiritual purification, aside from the meaning of physical cleansing or agricultural pruning (cf.
    [Show full text]