Back to Sermons Index      Back to Home Page  

3rd June 2007  AM

THE VINE -  Pastor Linton Smith

Some churches have very interesting names. I was looking on the net the other day and came across.. The Vine Church.. The Living Vine Church and The Fruitful Vine Church.

Over the last month we have been looking at the different ways the New Testament describes the Church. Thus far we have seen the church is described as the people of God, the flock of God, the family of God, the Temple of God.

Today we consider John 15:1-17 where the Church is seen as a vine. The first thing we discover here is that..

o        JESUS IS THE TRUE VINE.

Jesus says in John 15:1..

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

In the Old Testament, Israel, the people God chose to be His people, are described as both a vineyard and a vine.

In Isaiah 5:7 we read..

The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah  are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

And then in Psalm 80:8,9 the Psalmist says to God..

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.

In Isaiah 5, Isaiah makes it plain that God was very disappointed with Israel.  He looked for justice but saw bloodshed.. looked for righteousness but heard cries of distress.

Israel was God’s vine.. but a failed and flawed vine.

Against this background Jesus says, I am the true vine.. the vine with which God will not be disappointed.. the vine that will live up to its high calling.. a fruitful vine.  Where Israel failed, I will not fail.

Jesus says this and quickly goes on to point out that..

o        HIS PEOPLE ARE THE BRANCHES.

In John 15:5 He says.. I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit..

He says to His people.. His disciples.. to you and me if we are His disciples.. You are the branches.. and speaks of us remaining in Him.. and He in us..  In vs 2 He speaks of the branches being in Him..

He is speaking of a very close link between Him and His people. His people are in Him.. He is in them.

Is this just a picture or is it more than just a picture. It is more! Far more!

In the New Testament we often find believers described in this way.. as ‘in Christ’.. ‘in union with Christ’.. and ‘Christ in them’..

In Galatians 2:20 Paul says.. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Behind this statement lies his understanding that He is ‘in Christ’.. that he was in Christ when He was crucified.. and was in Christ when He was raised.. and is in Christ seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven!  

Listen carefully to what Paul says in..

Ephesians 2:4-6.. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.. and raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..

Colossians 2:10-13.. You have been given fullness in Christ..

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature.. having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him.. God made you alive with Christ.

Colossians 3:3,4.. You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Let’s sum that up. Paul is saying.. When Christ was crucified he was crucified with Him. When Christ was raised he was raised with Him. When Christ was exalted to heaven and seated in the heavenly realms he was exalted with Him and seated with Him, and his life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears he will appear with Him!

Wow! Let’s say that of ourselves… 

But that is not all. Paul also says that Christ lives in him!

In Galatians 2:20 he says.. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

In Colossians 1:26 he speaks of a mystery and says this is the mystery.. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

And in Ephesians 3:17 he prays.. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

This was not a mere picture for Paul.. this was reality! A spiritual reality. He was in Christ.. and Christ was in him.

No wonder he says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! [2 Corinthians 5:17].

Jesus is the vine.. His people are the branches.. they are in Him.. He is in them. Jesus makes that clear and then makes it clear that..

o        THE BRANCHES ARE THERE TO BEAR FRUIT.

Jesus says..

John 15:1,2..  I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

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.

John 15:16.. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.

The purpose of branches is to bear fruit! And the branches can expect to be pruned so that they will bear more fruit.

I do not like the sound of that, do you? But this is how it is. God the Father loves His people and disciplines His people to make them more fruitful!

Look at those difficult circumstances.. that illness.. that criticism.. the challenges.. in the light of this truth. We can bemoan our lot.. or we can say.. Thank you, Father.. that You love me.. want me to be more fruitful.. have Your way in me.

And then there is this dreadful possibility.. that a branch that bears no fruit at all.. will be cut off.. and thrown away. What a warning! What an incentive to stay joined to the vine and bear fruit!

What is the fruit He wants us to bear? 

He wants us to bear the fruit of effective prayer.

John 15:7.. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

What a promise that is! Remain in Christ.. listen to Him.. hang on to His words.. remember them.. live by them.. and we will pray in line with His will and purpose.. and what we ask for will be granted!

He wants us to bear the fruit of love.

John 15:8-10,12.. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

In John 13:35 Jesus says.. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. So when He says here.. that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.. what do you think He is talking about. Love! And not just any love.. but love like His.. love that obeys Him just as He obeyed the Father!

And He wants us to bear the fruit of joy.

John 15:11.. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

His joy.. in us.. the joy that comes from living close to Him.. from being responsive to Him.. obedient to Him.

Can we bear fruit like that? Yes. One thing is needed..

o        THE BRANCHES NEED TO STAY IN VITAL CONTACT WITH CHRIST.

Jesus says.. John 15:4.. Remain in me, and I will 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.

Here is the challenge for you and me this morning.. See ourselves as in Christ.. as branches joined to Him.. and do what is necessary to stay joined.. to stay in vital contact with Him..

Paul puts is like this in..

Colossians 2:6,7.. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

How did we become believers… followers of Jesus? We believed in our heart that He died in our place on the cross.. and had risen.. was alive.. Lord of all.. and we put our lives at His feet.. we surrendered to Him.

Now.. says, Paul.. keep on doing that.. day by day!

What does that mean in practice?

It means making time to be alone with the Risen Jesus!

It means listening to Him.. reading the Scriptures..  reflecting on them..

It means doing as Jesus says! Responding to Him, obeying Him.

An old song by George Stebbins and William Longstaff says it all..

Back to Sermons Index      Back to Home Page