John Chapter 15:1-5

The apple tree makes apples to that's good Pastor David blood you understand the and and or understand my point.

Christians bear fruit because we have a relationship with Jesus.

It's the natural thing is what's supposed to be going on in our lives. It's not a matter for you to hear about bearing fruit going all great.

One more thing I gotta do. This is one more thing.

God is doing through you through you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit and of itself has to be connected to the body has to be connected to the ground we bear fruit because a relationship and Jesus know why because you should be bearing fruit in your welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, one of associate pastors is with us today of the program. Welcome Pastor DA hey Bob wow man it's exciting to be here excited about this teaching will be approval is an important part of being a Christian.

In fact, you said we should bear spiritual fruit and we shouldn't be spiritual foods. Find out what this means is Pastor Dave continues in the Gospel of John chapter 15. Now here's David McGee with his teaching spiritual John chapter 15 verse one says I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser.

Now let's remember that Jesus close the last chapter that we covered.

Chapter 14 verse 31 by saying, arise, and let us go from here. So they have left the upper room. Now this is still considered the upper room discourse, but they have left the upper room.

Jesus often would walk around and point at something as he taught about so this brings up a couple interesting things now. Perhaps he is walking past a vineyard, walking past a great font or perhaps the walking past the temple you see the temple at that time had these huge doors with grapes and vines that were decorating the doors and perhaps as the Passover was happening. They went by the temple and Jesus pointed to these things and started talking about now. This is the seventh of the IM statements that Jesus made Jesus made seven IM statements will go so right now you're taking notes you may want to jot these down. He said I am the bread of life. I was in John 635.

He said I am the light of the world. In John 812.

He said I am the gate. In John chapter 10 verse seven and nine. He said I am the good shepherd John chapter 10 verses 11 and 14 I am the resurrection and the life. John 1125 and I am the way the truth and the life. In John 14 six so in all, Jesus makes seven of these IM statements now.

We don't understand. In English the significance of these statements, but when Jesus said I am what he was talking about is referring back to the complicated name is that your grandma to around but what he was referring back to is the fact that when Moses said who are you got said I am that I am so Jesus was actually referring back to that now.

It's interesting because the Pharisees in many places are kind enough to point important things out to us, but they do in the particular way. Whenever you see the Pharisees getting upset. Ask yourself why they're getting upset because half the time when Jesus mentions these IM statements.

The Pharisees, they get rattled so don't miss that. Now course, there's not Pharisees. At this point there's just the disciples. Jesus says I am the true vine.

If Jesus is saying I am the true vine. What do we know we know that there's probably other vines that are not true. There's other counterfeit vines. But Jesus Jesus is the real deal. Jesus is the real deal and keep in mind as you can always find fault in a church, any church, including this one because you know why people are involved. Once you involve people manager starts to go down. The owner hurried unhappiness is Jesus himself is the real thing. And in my time. I've eaten some meals that were there were just horrible. I mean they were bad meals you know when you'd like okay cross this place of bliss. I'm not coming back to eat here, but you know what I didn't do. I didn't wake up the next day go at meals horrible. I'm never eaten again. I'm just not that foodstuff is just bad, but you will bite yet yeah obviously you don't do that, but how many times do people do that with churches have a bad experience with church negatives. I'm done with. I'm done with not only with church I'm done with God seeking any time you involve people.

There's going to be shortcomings. There's going to be sin.

There's going to be false, but Jesus himself is the true vine. He's the real deal if we could just, and Jesus is reminding them of this because you know there can be banned from the synagogue are to be barred from the temples are going to be beaten there going to be persecuted and he's he's reinforcing the central truths of their relationship are verse two every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit again were continuing with really what is some fairly difficult teachings of Jesus.

These words are pretty in-your-face upfront and bolts of working, take our time with these in and look at what Jesus is saying now and keep in mind it if you been here for very long. You've probably heard me talk about serving. You've heard me take you talk about putting wheels on your face.

You've heard me talk about these things and and and perhaps even some of you thought you know what you talk about that too much but but wait a minute look at what Jesus is saying here liquid Jesus is talking about in the terms in the words that he uses these are some pretty bold words.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit bears fruit he prunes it may bear more fruit.

Now want to keep something in my because as we look through this well. To be on assays to have a fairly twisted notion of this passage you used to see I don't know you know when it talked about pruning. I just, Saul. You know some maniacal gardener, you know, running through the garden. I know maybe the chainsaw gardeners on Nina run into the garden doing that, but at this point my life I've pruned Rose's also pruned fruit trees.

We have fruit trees were we live in an I don't ever pruned anything because I'm mad I'm pruning in for its benefit because I'm mad that she some of us think well yeah he he he gets mad and then he prunes us on to because if I'm mad at the apple tree. I'm not going to go permanent. I'm gonna let it alone time to leave it there to pruning doesn't mean the gardener is mad as a matter fact I watched an elderly person when they pruning roses and was just amazed at the care and the attention of where to cut how to cut and even the angled cut on the branches.

I thought what a beautiful picture of the heavenly father as he carefully and tenderly prunes our lives to put more energy into the places that are bearing fruit that were talking about bearing fruit.

So let's understand something that we bear fruit because of her relationship with Jesus. There will there may be difficult decisions okay that you have to make in order to bear fruit. You may have to make difficult decisions about what not to do so that you can be fruitful, but understand where the fruit comes from. It comes from God doesn't really come from you. Your you're the branch seeking out again week we got an apple tree. Now when I pruned that you know and and and all the branches are down. I can't just bring those branches and go well. Here's a branch and interview put it, you know, in a window in your kitchen you have apples next year. It doesn't it doesn't work like that. Now course, you can use him even take those branches and route them and do all that separates again the fruit comes because of the relationship and taken in eidetic prayer walks around the fruit tree. Sometimes some of you know where this is going.

You know you know what, I've never heard one of those fruit trees doing as I walk around is him taking member. I've never heard a fruit tree going out. So are.

I've never seen that not one time that Appletree makes apples as Appletree to okay that's good Pastor David blood you understand.

Then, in an understand my point.

Christians bear fruit because we have a relationship with Jesus. It's the natural thing is what's supposed to be going on in our lives. It's not a matter for you to hear about bearing fruit going all great. One more thing I gotta do. This is one more thing. God is doing through you through you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit and of itself has to be connected to the bonnet has to be connected to the ground we bear fruit because a relationship.

In Jesus, and again, I've never heard that Appletree got I got a make All no no no no, don't. Don't whine because you should be bearing fruit in your that's inappropriate. It's our relationship with Jesus. Pastor David used to keep saying that exactly I want you to get it.

I want you to understand this. I don't want you to walk out handle great bear fruit. No you get to bear fruit, and again you do that, because of your relationship with Jesus because you're so high and mighty in your all that.

There's just something intrinsically inherently good and you that's not good Bible.

The Bible says that none is righteous, no not one. All the fallen short of the glory of God in Romans 310 and 323 but God is doing a work in you guys do the work in us what an exciting thing that we get to play a part. We should be bearing fruit in our lives now we have a couple grapevines there as well and in there's what's called weather: sucker shoots in these sucker shoots they grow out and they never bear fruit.

They take energy from the plant and they have to be taken away so that the plant can bear fruit.

If you'll imagine if you will. I don't think plants have souls, but was not open that whole thing up.

You know, but it's probably not an enjoyable thing to be pruned as a plant, I'm just an assignment enjoyable thing to be pruned as a believer is not it's often painful but again it is for our benefit that we might bear fruit. Not now notice something here.

If you've been feeling like you have been pruned as part of verse one, every branch that bears fruit. He prunes. If you've been feel like you you've been pruned lightly. There's good news because God says he prunes the ones that are bearing fruit. So when you're being for the good news is, God in his estimation believes that your parents fruit right now you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior.

You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's virtual here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love, that need to know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones.

What an awesome way to bring your loved ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown will pray for seven cities in our listening audience for Allen, Louisiana, Fruitland and St. Mary city, Maryland situate Massachusetts. Baldwin Benton Harbor in Vassar, Michigan, Lord, thank you for the cities. Thank you that we get the broadcasts in the cities.

Hello, thank you for everyone listening pray that you would encourage them right now. Help them in these last days to keep their mind and their eyes are heart focused on you hoping to be in your word every day Lord for encouragement got.

I pray that your mind and that you have a good plan you're going to take care of them. They don't have to fear the Lord for anyone listening who doesn't yet know you. I pray today that they will put their trust in Jesus simply received the gift that you paid a high price for them to have.

Just by trusting in you in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse three says you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you already clean because of the word.

Now this concept is not just here it's all over the Bible and Psalm 119 verse nine. This is how can a young man cleanse his way by taking the heat according to your word. Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 and 26 husbands, love your wives and elbows are fun, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. The word understand this is part of what God uses cleanse us and for us to bear fruit is the word of God is the word of God. Now we obviously hold the word and in a great importance here. Why because Jesus is use this word to change us over and over and over and over again to cleanse us to cleanse us now. The new living translation here in verse three is interesting so let me let me assure that it says in John 15, three in the new living translation you've Artie been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I've given you. Second, Jesus is speaking to us and and let me ask you this. Have you ever been in a Bible study either. Just reading the Bible or maybe sit in a study, maybe even today. You're sitting there in your hearing God's word and also new like pull their winter branch.

I just got pruned. Praise God. Well, didn't need that branch anyway. I mean, this is what God's word is it's the proper function of God's word. Now you can dig your heels and when you hear teaching, that's not right, I'm not believing that I know he and he said it. I know it's in the Bible but I'm not buying that. That's an option it's not a good one good one because God desires to prune us through his word and in unit we often ask ourselves, are you in the word every minute when some nice. Is that what they're saying is, are you in the Bible are you reading the Bible happy are you, and Bible study are you in the work. But there's another good question is, like that is the word in you is the word in you is having a place of authority in your life is having a place of prominence in your life.

I sure hope so sure.

In the next life lesson. There is the Bible washes us prunes us and helps us to bear good fruit. The Bible washes us prunes us and helps us to bear fruit.

That's part of what the word of God does verse forces God in me and 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 as interesting concept here because any fruit that we bear is because of our relationship with Jesus. Now there's a whole lot of people who say yeah I believe you said you believe in Jesus, yeah, believe in Jesus you know. Do you you go to church and I don't go to church with you read your Bible laterally remove our I watched. I watch Christian television symptoms Christian television screen will some of this but understand that that's there's more to it than that. What Jesus is saying if nobody if somebody doesn't have any fruit you should be concerned. You should be concerned and in love and honesty.

You say you know what, if you believe in Jesus. I don't see the fruits I don't see the fruits of belief and walking see because again we should all be bearing fruit. According to this passage.

The last thing I want somebody to be that really believes in Jesus. The last thing I want them to do is be living a life that's not bearing any fruit I've seen fruitless believers in. How tragic that is because there is so much to do to serve God and to love the world and to invite them into a relationship with Jesus and I hope nobody listening. This morning, our TV, radio, Internet, whatever will be happy with a fruitless life because God has so much more planned for you than not to be bearing fruit understand ultimately each person in here including my own children will make that decision about following the Lord, and because of that relationship bear good fruit, but Jesus here makes it plain that is what were supposed to be doing your finger in and where we are because were coming back to it must go to Matthew chapter 21 Matthew 2133 well, it's just read from there to the end of the end of that chapter Matthew chapter 21 verse 33 says here another parable, there was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and he leased that the vine dressers and went to a far country that one vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the vine dressers that they might receive its fruit in the vine dressers took the servants beat one killed one and stoned another. Again he sent other servants more than the first. They did likewise to them and last of all he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son. But when the vine dressers saw the sun they said among themselves, this is the year, come, let us kill and seizes inheritance verse 39 so they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those funders and they said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably in Lisa's vineyard to other vine dressers, who will render to him the fruits in their seasons. Verse 42 Jesus said to them, have you never read in the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I will I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it, and whoever falls on the stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder and when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, a perceived that he was speaking of them, but they sought laid hands on Emily for the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. So skip back to John now this lets us and that there's something deeper going on what we see right here really is.

Jesus is saying you know what I am the vine in the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament there was a picture of Israel be in the vine and Jesus is saying you know what, this is a season now where you can be grafted in. What an amazing thing that now were grafted in an talking work bearing bearing fruit. Praise God bearing fruit so notice in this portion of Scripture in Matthew 21, and in other places Jesus is expected team us to bear fruit.

Verse five I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. He's continuing on with this of filing. He's continuing on with this bearing fruit.

At this point, you know what we can figure out fruit bearing is kind of important to Jesus. Amen. I mean, he seems to be getting on this theme and running with a dummy so Jesus is saying when our relationship is right with him. The natural occurrence will again be that work bearing fruit that work bearing fruit. Now is there fruit in your life.

I've heard it said you know it if if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you.

Jesus says, without me you can do nothing. Anything you know nothing of meaning nothing that's important. Nothing that will last.

Now you may have done nice things outside of Jesus. Certainly there's organizations that do nice things outside of Jesus. But you know what Jesus says here in the final result. It's not it's not worth anything in an eternal nature that's really important for us to understand here is Bob and there's a cute little thing is cute give you little warm fuzzy practice random acts of kindness and assume nice. You probably just got the warm fuzzy, just nothing but that's not what we do. We don't practice random acts of kindness were we should be practicing meaningful acts of God, and using that opportunity to talk to people about the Lord somebody comes to us for food. We can also give Jesus somebody comes here for closing begin closing. We also give Jesus friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion.

A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations vineyard just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ.

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Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday. Why not join us for our lifestream at 10 AM Eastern time or on Thursday nights at 7 PM Eastern time.

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The bridge in North Carolina again.

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