Sunday Messages

Growth principle: What Christ requests most is that Jesus-followers are connected to him with the kind of intensity that demonstrates the way we live our lives. Introduction-- What will we be remembered for?

The fruitful life for a Jesus-follower is all about our connection to Christ. At the end of our lives, the most important thing for which we will be remembered is how connected we were to Jesus Christ. The legacy we leave behind on planet earth will be a direct result of the quality of the connection in our lives. Nothing of lasting value happens outside of our union with Christ. We must notice the word, “lasting.” That’s the operative term.

Lasting values and lawn mowing values. There are many valuable ways to spend our time. Before we moved to our townhouse, it was my responsibility to be the gardener in our previous house. I would mow my grass most Fridays. It was a valuable use of my time. The Fridays that I would skip mowing the lawn reinforced this value. When the lawn grew so tall that my kids [along with the neighborhood kids] would play ‘hide and go seek’ in the thick stuff, I was reminded that mowing the lawn was an important thing to do. My value for lawn mowing increased. So I did it. It had some value in life. However, mowing my law, washing my car, or any other chore doesn’t have lasting value. There’s nothing eternal about earthly things.

Eternal values are the things that last. The ones that really matter after our time on earth is done. And these lasting values flow directly from Christ. We can’t do much of lasting value on our own. In fact, Jesus says…

“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.” --John 15:5

It must be our conviction as Jesus-followers that our connection to Jesus enables, empowers, and energizes us to do things of lasting value. No other connection counts like this connection. We know some people who are pretty well connected. In fact, a few of them are what we would call “name-droppers.” These are the people who continually work into conversations what famous person they happened to be talking to earlier. They try to make these name-dropping times very causal. But having connections really does help in life. Who we know is so important in finding work and getting what we what that we are naturally envious of people with better connections, and we work hard to develop better connections ourselves.

However, when the end of life arrives, it won’t matter how well we knew our pastor, how much we knew about Bible stories, how much we attended church, or what important Christian people were our friends. When the end comes, it’s all about our connection to Christ. Jesus is the only name we can drop to get into heaven.

This series encompasses four messages. The growth principle of this first message in our series on “The Fruitful Life” is…

What Christ requests most is that Jesus-followers are connected to him with the kind of intensity that demonstrates the way we live our lives.There is a story told of a young college girl who was sharing a meal with Albert Einstein. In the course of their conversation at a dinner party, Albert Einstein’s young neighbor asked the white-haired scientist, “What are you actually by profession?” “I devote myself to the study of physics,” Einstein replied. The girl looked at him in astonishment. “You mean to say you study physics at your age?” she exclaimed. “I finished mine a year ago.”When it comes to being connected with Christ, it is likened to Einstein’s devotion to the study of physics. It’s more than just a curriculum to pursue; it’s a commitment to personify. We don’t just know about Christ, we live our lives in such a way that we are connected to him with the kind of intensity that takes a lifetime to demonstrate.

Healthy things grow and produce. It is as natural for Jesus-followers who are connected to Christ as it is in nature to bear fruit. So how do we get there? How do ordinary Jesus-followers get connected to Christ in such a way that lasting fruit is a constant part of our lives?

The Nature of Bearing Fruit

The branch of a vine depends on the vine for its very life: its nature, quality, character, growth and fruit. Half off, it suffers; clean off, it is helpless. So with Christ and the Jesus-follower.

Jesus assures his closest followers that he alone can extend to them the fullness of life in John 15:1-4…

¹ "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.”

This passage concludes the seventh and last of the “I AM” statements of Christ recorded in the Gospel of John. The picture of Jesus-followers as branches reveals both our privileges, and our responsibilities in being connected with Christ.

As branches, we have the privilege of sharing Jesus’ life, and the responsibility of remaining in connection with him. The cultivation of vineyards was important to the life and economy of Israel. A golden vine even adorned Herod’s temple. When Jesus uses this image, he is not introducing something new; it is familiar to every Jew.

Jesus employs four elements in this allegory that we must understand if we are to be connected to Christ in such a way that lasting fruit is a constant part of our lives:

A Glossary for Fruit BearingThe Vine = the Lord Jesus Christ as the True VineThe Branches =the Jesus-followers as part of the Vine

The Gardener = the Father who works in caring for the Vine

The Fruit = the ministry or byproduct of the Vine

These words from Jesus to his disciples spotlight on our connection with Christ as Jesus-followers in at least two ways:

Bearing fruit while remaining under the knife¹ "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.”Jesus-followers rely on the Father’s care, protection and action.

Jesus is the True Vine or “original of which all other vines are a copy.” The present Vine is Jesus, and the past vine is Israel. Jesus is the true, faithful Vine; Israel is the false, faithless vine (see Isaiah 5:2). The Vine and the branches is the symbolism of having a living relationship with Christ and belonging to him. Of itself, a branch is weak and useless. It is good for either bearing or burning, but not for building. The branch cannot produce its own life; it must draw that life from the vine. It is our communion with Christ through the Spirit that makes possible the bearing of the fruit.

God is the gardener who is in charge of caring for the vines. The Father prunes the branches so that they will produce more fruit. The gardener prunes the branches in two ways: he gently lifts and cuts away dead wood that can breed disease and insects; and he tenderly gathers and cuts away living tissue so that the life of the vine will not be so dissipated that the quality of the crop will be jeopardized. In fact, the gardener will even cut away whole bunches of grapes so that the rest of the crop will be of higher quality. God desires both the fruit of quantity and quality from the branches.

The greatest judgment God could bring to Jesus-followers would be to let us alone, let us have our own way. Because God loves us, he “prunes” us and encourages us to bear more fruit for his glory. If the branches could speak, they would say “ouch!” They would confess that the pruning process hurts; but they would also rejoice that they will be able to produce more and better fruit.

Bearing fruit while remaining in the vine³ “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.”

Jesus-followers rely on Jesus’ care for everything in life.

When Jesus-followers depend on Jesus for everything as the branch does on the vine, we will constantly bear his words in mind. We will have his love in our hearts. Many of the images of Christ and the Jesus-follower given in Scripture emphasize this important concept of dependence—union and communion:

the body and its members (1 Corinthians 12);

the bride and the Bridegroom (Ephesians 5:25-33);

the sheep and the Shepherd (John 10).

The key word in staying connected with Christ is remain.Some translations make use of the word abide.It is used four times in these verses. What does it mean to “remain”?

Remain =“to keep in fellowship with Christ; to experience a living communionwith Christ so that his life can work in and through us to produce fruit.”I remember the first summer I came home from college. I immediately took off my shoes and lay down on the living room carpet as I entered my house. I got up and then relaxed some more in our big recliner. Then I walked down the hall into my room. Everything was ready for me just as I left it nine months before. For me, I was remaining in my home. I was experiencing a living communion. More importantly, I renewed my relationship with my family. I was relaxed, revived, and refreshed to be home. This is the relationship we need as Jesus-followers. We need to maintain a living communion with Christ regularly. In fact, everyday we need to rest in Christ, be a home, and gain our strength for the day in our connection with Christ.

This remaining in Christ certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Christ. This remaining relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life. It is not automatic. Remaining in Christ demands worship, meditation on God’s Word, prayer, sacrifice, and service—but what a joyful experience it is!

A young woman taught swimming lessons in her own backyard pool. She always left the line up separating the deep from the shallow until her students were familiar with the pool. After a week of lessons and the children were swimming, she knew they were ready for the deeper level. To acclimate them to this, she would take down the line separating the two levels. Usually, this would make the students very nervous. This was shown by one boy in particular when he remarked, "Miss Tahnee, please put the line back up...the deep water is getting into the shallow water!"

We laugh at this illustration, but are we no different in our relationship with Christ? Our Father may challenge us to a newer level of growth by urging us out of our comfort zone. And we cry, "But Father, the deep water is getting into the shallow water!"

One we have begun to cultivate deep water—this limitless connection with Christ as Jesus-followers, we have no desire to return to the shallow life of the careless Christian. In fact, we will bear fruit. It takes time and cultivation to produce fruit; a good crop does not mature overnight. We must remember that the branches do not eat the fruit: other do. We are not producing fruit to please ourselves but to serve others. Christ feeds us so we should be the kind of Jesus-followers who “feed” others by our words and our works. The lips of the righteous feed many (Proverbs 10:21).

A vine produces fruit that is visible to touch and taste. So what is the fruit visible to touch and taste that the Jesus-follower can bear? Actually the question ought to be phrased in the plural: What are fruits which a Jesus-follower can bear?

One, a developing Christian character is fruit. If the goal of the Christian life may be stated as Christlikeness, then surely every trait developed in us that reflects Christ’s character must be fruit that is very pleasing to him.

Two, right character will result in right conduct, and as we live a life of good works we produce fruit.

Three, right conduct will also result in right conversation, as we may bear fruit with our lips by giving praise to God and thankfully confessing His name.

Four, those who come to Christ through our witness are fruit. Paul longed to go to Rome to have some fruit from his ministry there.

Five, we bear fruit when we give money. Paul designated the collection of money for the poorer saints in Jerusalem as fruit. Too, when he thanked the Philippians for their financial support of his ministry, he said that their act of giving brought fruit to their account.

So as branches in the Vine, we have the privilege of remaining in Christ, and the responsibility of bearing fruit in Christ. We must remember: the product of bearing fruit includes the process of pruning—as we grow, things in our lives which are unhelpful will be cut away, sometimes painfully. So a true branch, united with the vine, will bear fruit.

Keeping in close touch—

How can we tell when we are “remaining in Christ?” Is there a special feeling? Sometimes there is, but most often there is not the warm fuzzy feeling. When a vine is producing fruit, the grapes are full, colorful and pleasing to the taste. The test is in the tasting! Our connection with Christ will determine the nature of our fruit. Jesus is our living example of one who completely humbled himself before the Father. Jesus was willing to die on a cross so that he would become the life flow for every believer. The reason we spotlight our touch on Jesus is because Jesus relied on his Father’s care, security, and shelter. Jesus produced fruit in his life through his nourishment with the Father. Jesus lived in his Father’s love so he could pass on his Father’s teaching.

So there are a number of questions that will help us determine if our fruit has flavor—

In our experience, what are the chief safeguards against losing touch with Jesus?

getting quiet with him each day?

learning to claim his promises?

not taking on too much?

nourishing others by looking out for their needs?

apologizing to people when at fault?

taking care about use of leisure?In closing, we can consider the following story of the two fruit trees:A farmer once planted two fruit trees on opposite sides of his property. The one he planted to provide a hedge to hide the unsightly view of an old landfill; the other to provide shade to rest under near a cool mountain stream which ran down beside his fields. As the two trees grew, both began to flower and bear fruit.One day the farmer decided to gather the fruit from the tree nearest his house. It was the tree the farmer used to provide a hedge from the landfill. As he brought the fruit inside the house, he noticed that it was a little deformed. The symmetry of the fruit was not very good, but still the fruit looked edible. Later that evening, while sitting on his porch, the farmer took one of the pieces of fruit for a snack. Biting into the fruit, he found it to be extremely bitter, and completely inedible. Casting the fruit aside he looked across the field to the other tree over by the mountain stream. After walking across the field, the farmer took a piece of the fruit from the other tree and bit into it. The farmer found the fruit to be sweet and delicious so he gathered several more pieces of fruit and took them to the house.

The fruit was greatly affected by the nutrition of the root. Just as the tree grew by the landfill to be bitter, and the tree by the stream produced sweet fruit, so Jesus-followers have a choice. We can either put down our roots into the soil of the landfill of fleshly pursuits, or into the cool refreshing stream of the person of Jesus Christ. We must understand that the root bears the fruit. The fruit of the Christian is the outward evidence of the inward connection.

When it comes to living the fruitful life, in essence: “No root, no fruit.” Amen!