The Vine and the Branches - Part 1 of 2

Will you will is this Mr. Bradley Junior inviting you to stay tuned in front of the message of God shop in Greece. Our draft is the Baptist Bible. Our 17 own 37, Cincinnati, OH 45217. If you requested will send you a sample copy of our publication. Today we go back to our studies in the Gospel of John returned to chapter 15 and read beginning in the first verse. I am the true and my father is the husband every branch in me that Barrett's not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that bears fruit. He purchased that it may bring forth more fruit your clean through the word which I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches heated abide in me and I in him, the same bring forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is weathered and men gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples.

As the father hath loved me, so have I loved you continue ye in my love. If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. We find here the last of the high am statements made by Jesus when Moses asked the Lord in Old Testament times what he should say when he appeared before Pharaoh as to who had sent him said you were to tell them I am hath sent you this terminology. A declaration of the greatness of God himself and Jesus uses that terminology. He is declaring his deity. I thought the people to say that Jesus never claimed to be God. But there is abundant proof throughout the New Testament that he did just that and the use of the expression I am is one of the many examples of it is connecting himself with the declaration made by God. In Old Testament times, I am in John chapter 6, he said I am the bread of life in chapter 8 he says I am the light of the world. Chapter 10 he says I am the door. Also, he says I am the good shepherd Chapter 11. He says I am the resurrection and the life.

In chapter 14 it says I am the way, the truth and the life in here before us. He says I am the vine, Jesus Christ certainly declared that he was God in the flesh. Some say I can't believe that, but I believe it was a good man but if that were not true and he made such a claim.

It would've been blaspheming.

Of course, that's the very reason the Jews hate him so because they did not believe that he was God and they desired to destroy him ultimately crucified because he made such claim arises.

I am the true vine, and in this there is a connection to what we find of the Old Testament as well because Israel was frequently referred to as the vine we see an example of at the book of Isaiah chapter 5 reading in verse one, now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard, my beloved hatha vineyard in a very fruitful field any fence to get it out the stones thereof, and planted it in the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein, and he looked at it should bring forth breaks and it brought forth wild grapes speaking in the fact that Israel was often in a state of rebellion and disobedience. I find this vine. I expected to have good fruit, but it brought forth wild grapes. Now he says that he's going to judge the people because of their sin and ask this question in verse four. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done to it. The word scan the people blame me as though I had neglected them. What more could I have done. Wherefore, when I should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes and now go to. I will tell you what I would do to my vineyard. I will take away the heads thereof, and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down and I believe it waste, it shall not be pruned or dig but there shall come up briars and thorns, and I will also command the clouds that the rain no rain upon for the vineyard of the Lord of host is the house of Israel and the men of Judah, his pleasant plant and he looked for judgment, but the whole depression for righteousness. But the whole cry. He looked for these people who would been so wonderfully favored. What more can I have gone to one of the problems he said you only have I known of all the families of the earth didn't mean that the Lord was unacquainted with the fact that the Hittites highlights and Jebusites in the land, but I've known you in a special intimate way you the object of my love. I have favored you. I have provided for you.

I have lit you but what's been the result rather than appreciating the mercies of God, rather than listening to the words of the prophets of God had sent about them. They would like us they were guilty of idolatry. They worship the. The thick, even around. But now Jesus comes on the scene and says I am the true vine. Here is a fulfillment of the shadows Old Testament time that Jesus now has come on the scene as the true vine versus we look at this portion of Scripture we consider the branches that bear fruit.

There are those who describe who are bearing fruit.

There's a contrast in between the branches that are bearing fruit and those that are not in fact if you look carefully to see the ones that are not bearing fruit are not true believers. They are not actually subjects of the grace of God. They have not had an experience, but the Lord we think about the contrast in John chapter 8 verse 31 then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if he continue in my word, then argue my disciples indeed there were those who temporarily believed in Jesus because this all the miracle that were those that followed them for a short while, for the loaves and fishes, but ultimately they departed, they were not true believers says if you continue in my word, not just if you make the start if you make the journey then you display the evidence that you are my disciples in the turn to the book of first John chapter 2 in the third verse he says. And hereby we do know that we know him. If we keep his commandments can talk all day long about how you believe in the greatness of God how much you love Jesus Christ, but the fact is the true display of all of that is not what you say but what you do if you keep his commandments. Verse four gives the contrast he that saith I know him and keep it not as commandments is a liar and the truth is not the person may say I know the Lord.

I love the Lord, I'm following the Lord, but in fact they failed to keep his commandments says that individual is a liar within the contrast in first John true believers confess their sins. They're not proud and arrogant souls who claim to be without fault not like the self-righteous Pharisee who prayed and said I think the that I'm not as other men gave a list of all of the good deeds that he considered to be acceptable in God's sight back in chapter 1 of this first epistle of John verse nine he says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Those who have seen themselves because of the effectual work of the Holy Spirit regenerating them, bringing them to life in Christ, opening their eyes showing them what they are by nature see themselves to be sinners and the wonderful promises that when we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive.

Now, in contrast, verse eight says if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Verse 10 if we say that we have not sent we make him a liar and his word is not so true believers confess their sins. Those were false professors. Those were unbelievers. The night another example in chapter 2 verse 10 he that loveth his brother Abydos in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. A true believer love loves others.

Jesus is said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love one to another, but then there is the contrast verse nine he that saith he is in the light and hated his brother is in darkness, even until now verse 11 but he that hated his brother is in darkness and walk is in darkness and no is not whether he go with because that darkness has blinded his eye. There is a fine clear evidence of the difference the distinction to be made between the branch which is vitally connected to Christ. One of his and one who is a professor only indium by profession now may hasten to add true believers do sometimes falter, but the general direction of their life is in the path of godliness. The very fact that the promises given in chapter 1 verse nine that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us, would clearly indicate that Christians do come short, you have a clear side of yourself circuit would not make any kind of a claim or post today to living a similar sleep perfect life. Christ, he is your righteousness and your accepted before God in him because what he's done for you and so there is perfection in Christ. But in your daily walk. You stumbling often come short of the glory of God. Chapter 2 verse one says my little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. Here's the command have sometimes had people ask questions as though you could tell they were trying to figure out how close they could get to the age without going over the precipice. While the instruction has given us here is don't sin, don't try to figure out how much you can get by with says you're not to sin. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation of our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world, so the commandment given is do not sin but because you're not yet glorified. You're not yet perfect. They're going to be times that you stumble sometimes into falter time that you failed along the way and what is to be done a few sin, you have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We see a vivid example of this in the experience of the apostle Peter. Peter had boldly declared Lord I'll be with you understand the matter what comes, and Jesus had said before the conference three times you will and do not thrice. Here's Peter who has been courageous and bold in many instances, he was the man that was ready to step out of the boatman walk on the water delete looked down the saw angry waves and began to sink.

But you can see he was he was ready at first to take a stand. Nobody else was ready to but in the presence of a little girl who says, I think I recognize you and leave your one of the followers of this man Jesus is no I do not friends this is man Jesus had with him. Then he went out with a broken heart began to weep. Really he felt was all over.

He said to some of the disciples I go fishing I want to give up this effort I failed. I messed up so terribly official in the training. I'm little back to it.

But then Jesus met with in his resurrected form and said do you love me three times.

He asked Pete McCain best little agitated as Jesus continued to ask the question what is it, Lord you know that I love and Jesus for Casey of this terrible offense of publicly within all the Savior and blessed him not only to be restored to a place of fellowship with Jesus, but to use him in a powerful way.

On the day of Pentecost someone say what he might have the joy of your salvation restored to the start they can never be useful again in the service of God. But God blessed him to preach a powerful sermon on the day of Pentecost had 3000 sold. Then we see an example of the in the letters to the seven churches of Asia, particularly the one at Ephesus Revelation chapter 2 in verse 420 says you have left your first love. This was just an individual.

This was a whole church that had drifted had left their first love their excitement, their enthusiasm about the things of God and yet he promised that if they repented he would come with great blessing upon them so true believers do sometimes falter, but we also see in the passage that the father who is the husbandman. He's the gardener he's the one that's looking after this vineyard uses trials and sufferings to remove that which would hinder fruit bearing Hebrews chapter 12 speaks to us about that process. It's very unpleasant thing when chastisement comes when the heavenly father says in order for this branch to be fully productive is gotta be some programming got cut back order for the fruit to be more some of the leave after get out of the way.

Some of the dead spraying some little suckers that are using the sap, but there is no benefit that gotta be removed and the heavenly father begins to work that way in the lives of his children, and so difficulties come, troubles arise in whatever ready for the matter how much we started in the scripture about how the Lord uses affliction at trial.*Benefit when they come seems always to be in the most inconvenient time and were asking Lord why this and why now, but he's proving cutting back, removing some things for my life that would been an obstruction to bearing fruit, bringing us into difficulties for which we cannot relieve ourselves so that we are totally, completely dependent upon Kim Hebrews chapter 12 it says in verse six, for whom the Lord loveth a chaser than scourges every son whom he receive of if you endure chasing God deal is with you as sons.

For what son is he whom the father chased and if not, but to be without chastisement where of all the particulars in your masters and not so you're not truly a child of God you not really a son, you're not really a branch there's going to be bearing fruit for the more we had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, we gave them reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits, and live fully very for a few days chasing the sap of their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

That's why the chastisement comes question make?

If God loves me, why doesn't he deliver me from my troubles.

Why is it that I have to go through this pain to the sickness or this crisis of whatever sort it may be, but he says there's reason behind.

God doesn't just arbitrarily bring trouble in your life.

He is pruning the branches that there might be fruit for now.

No chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous, never, never think that you say will I love to suffer. I don't mind paying I don't mind her.

One disappointment I know it's it's painful, nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness under them, which are exercise their sufferings prepares to receive the word of God, Jesus, and said in the third verse of this 15th chapter of John. Now you're clean through the word which I have spoken unto you numerous times in the Scripture, the cleansing aspect of the word of God is laid out before us. He uses it uses it to convict us. He uses it to instruct us. He uses it so that we understand something of his purposes in the midst of our trials and that we can humbly submit to them. Praying Lord, I want to learn what ever the lesson is that you have in Psalm 119 verse 67 says before I was afflicted I went astray. But now have I By word before this chastisement came before I was afflicted before I had this trouble. I was self-willed I went my own way I was doing basically what I wanted to do but now I have kept the word now I've given attention to the word.

Now I've done what the psalmist also says I would like you to my heart that I might not sin against the verse 71 it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn by statutes for me part reach that place.

It when everything seemed to be falling apart. You can't figure out exactly what God is doing.

You don't know what the lessons might be at this point. In fact, you say I don't see how anything worthwhile and good can ever come out of this forgetting that you don't have to see if you have to understand that you just have to believe because that's what God said. Psalm 94 verse 12 Blessed is the man whom the Lord say Smith overlord and teaches him out of thy law. The man was chastened of the Lord man who'd been corrected by his heavenly father is blast is favored because in the process. He is also teaching him out of his law out of his word pruning is for the purpose of producing more fruit.

The fact is there are no true Christian's without song measure of fruit there something holy idea person may have an experience of grace I made to find it by going down to the front that some evangelistic campaign, I may describe it by praying the sinners prayer or somebody would say. And from that day forward, Dave really go their own way. There's no change I made a long time decision on its assume that person is now the revetment and so one day they die and wind up in heaven really wasn't anything they thought about for all those years they weren't attended to God's word.

They weren't living in a knot of a godly way that what their own course. The Scriptures do not bear that out in a person is born of the Holy Spirit of God.

There's going to be some fruit there obviously different measures of the fruit that is more Jesus in the parable of the 13 Of the Mathewson's are some 30 or some 60 in the summer hundred. There's varying measures of fruit that will be born, but that's the purpose of the pruning the purging that there might be more fruit you all to see all all in this 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus's teachings. No true believers sometimes falter general direction of their life is in the path of God's and therefore fruit is being born is not the close of salvation, but the evidence of how to we greet you again next time the suit was Sarah Bradley, Junior, saying that God richly bless you and being all all all and see you