Scripture:
John 15:1-8 NKJV
[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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide 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. [5] “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [7] If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. [8] By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Observation:
There are a few things I have learned over the years of walking with the LORD. One is how easy it is for us to start thinking that we can relax a little. Especially after several years of walking. We all have a tendency to get tired, or begin to think we have all this under control. But that’s just not the case. The way the Bible is written doesn’t leave room for us to do this alone. As I was praying this morning and thinking about what to write about these verses came to my mind, and after spending yesterday in bed due to illness, and a lack of work, I found it necessary to dive in. First and foremost I want to apologize for not writing yesterday. It’s something that I have found that I can’t get far away from. Which is what leads us to the topic for this morning. So let’s dive in. As always I like to do some research before we get to the scripture, so I wanted to know exactly what was going on when John decided to write this portion of scripture. What I found out is that Jesus was preparing HIS disciples for HIS crucifixion. They were either in the upper room at the last supper or they were on their way to the garden where HE would be betrayed and arrested. HE knew what was about to happen, and had been telling them as well, so as HE was preparing them for HIS departure, HE wanted them to know that just because HE was not going to be there physically did not mean that they would have to disconnect. There was more to the connection than the physical side. As HE began to teach them, the words that HE chose had a deeper meaning than just the surface level. It wasn’t just about being next to HIM physically. The connection HE was talking about was a spiritual connection. Staying connected to HIM so that fruit can be produced was deeper than just standing next to HIM. It would require a deeper connection, HE knew HE would soon be seated at the right hand of the Father, so the only way the connection that HE was talking about could be made was on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would fall on them. Now that we have the connection figured out let’s look at the pruning process. I’m sure at times this part of things is rather uncomfortable. The thing that needs to be understood is how a plant works. When a branch starts to dry up or show some kind of issue. The plant will over focus on that branch, which will take the attention away from the areas that are actually doing good. In a sense what will happen is the plant will start to die due to paying too much attention to the problem rather than looking for the solution. So what Jesus is teaching is rather than over focusing on the problem pay attention to the solution. Plants have an amazing way of reproduction. If you cut off what is killing the plant it will begin to regrow stronger and more productive branches. This is the principle that Jesus is teaching. The pruning process may not seem like the right thing to do because honestly the thought behind it doesn’t make sense to our thought pattern. But inside the heavenly realm it makes perfect sense. Pay attention to the solution, stay connected to the solution. It’s where the nutrients come from. As we look at this I hope what is being said is making sense. Staying connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit is the key. Now I want us to pay attention to who does the pruning. It’s not us. It’s the vine dresser. HE is the one that knows what we need and what we don’t. HE is the one that removes what is not needed. This is not done in a hateful manner, it’s done out of love. Removing the things that are not good. The things that are taking us away from the fruit that HE knows we can produce. Once a branch is removed we can not reconnect it. The truth is HE removed it for a reason… it was killing us. Staying connected to Jesus is the key. It’s the only way fruit will be produced in our lives.now I want to zero in on the last 2 verses. I hope up until this point I have not created any confusion. I believe the key to verse 7 is in the first part of it. Writing GOD words in our hearts. Thinking about it not making decisions without it. Searching it when we pray for the answers. That’s what it means to abide in HIM. GOD’S will is spelled out clearly in HIS word, and HIS word is where Jesus is found. John said at the beginning of his gospel in the beginning was the word…. That’s Jesus, to abide in HIM is to stay in the word. To allow the word to determine your course is to stay connected to HIM. If you do that. The Father will be glorified through the fruit you produce.
Application:
It’s easy to praise GOD when things are going well. But real fruit comes when you stay connected in the tough times as well. Once Jesus was by the side of the Father things got really hard on the apostles. They became the hunted. Prayer and unity had to be the cornerstone. Over the past few months I have been pruned. GOD has removed some people that were no good for me. People l e that were choking out HIS fruit. The plans HE has are so much bigger than we could ever expect. It’s easy to think when we are being pruned that what is being cut off is something that we needed. But that’s just not the case if we needed it GOD would not have removed it. HE knows more than we do, our job is not to question the pruning process, it’s to stay connected, seeking the answer inside HIS word where we abide in Jesus. In the struggle we are shaped. I’m thinking about a plant that I have. A few months ago when the major pruning began in my life it had not one leaf on it it had broken branches and had honestly been destroyed. All I have done to it is cut the broken branches off it and allowed GOD to take care of the rest. It’s not back to 100% yet but today you can’t tell how damaged it really was. When my wife left it was a heavy blow. I’m just going to be honest. I want to hold on and pray that GOD brings her to the point that she would return to the marriage. I have not taken my ring off. But maybe HE cut that branch off. Maybe she was not good for me and I was blinded by the fact that I don’t want to be alone and that I settled for something that was not good for me. You see I believe that GOD can do anything HE is a GOD of restoration and redemption. My job is not to question HIM, it’s to abide in HIM. All I have to do is stay connected to HIM and search HIS word for the answers I seek. HE never said it wouldn’t hurt, but what HE did say is it would not harm… and that it would prosper. That’s HIS plan. Pruning is necessary. The things that are choking out the fruit need to be removed even if it hurts. Trusting GOD to remove what is not needed is difficult, we think we know better than HE does, but HE is not asking us to tell HIM our plans. HE is saying that as we submit to HIS plan allowing HIM to prune what is not needed the fruit that HE intends to produce in our lives will be produced.
Prayer:
Father, we trust you. Even when it hurts we trust you… we trust that you know best, and we submit and surrender to your plan. You know just how to get us to produce what it is that you want from us. It may not always be comfortable, and at times we may think you are wrong. But you see way more than we do. Today all I can do is thank you for pruning me, and pray that you take this SOAP and do what only you can do with it. Bring purpose to that pain. Bring fruit from the pruning. Take the branches that are not doing what you want them to off and provide nutrients for the ones that are. We surrender to your will. Its in the mighty name of Jesus we pray.