This is a sermon I preached a month ago at Captivate Church! Sorry for the delay- and as always, feedback is very welcome!
Please look forward to another prayer newsletter in December, wrapping up the year. In the meantime follow along below with slides!
Intro
Thank you for the reading. Good morning, my name is Radman and I'm a ministry trainee at this Church. If you're new or visiting, welcome. You've come at the right time and to the right place! I'd love to chat to you after service.
I think it's quite a common symptom of modern life to question where we are. We live in a time in which we have so much mobility - geographical, social, and economic mobility. So it's easy to ask; am I in the right place?
Let me tell you a story of when I realised I was in the wrong place. I used to work in the federal Department of Agriculture. What was I doing? I was doing good work. Good, hard work related to my area of study. I was part of a team of maths nerds trying to measure and minimise risk from import. Yanno, prawns can carry viruses, flowers can carry ticks. Our area of study was the import inspections. Noble and technical work, we were producing pages and pages of... this stuff for the sake of our country and our environmental ecosystem.
But something happened when we sent our work to 'the decision makers'. They'd only read a one-page executive summary. Maybe not even that. Then they'd be all like 'yeah 5 is a nice number. It's round. Let's do 5 inspections'.
Sigh.
It didn't feel good.
We all want to be in the right place and stay in the right place. In the right place we might do something that matters.
Of course the gospel of John has been teaching us. The right place to be is with Jesus. But it doesn't always seem that way when our society is telling us that it's the wrong time to be a Christian. That you're on the wrong side of history for believing in Jesus and holding to Christian values. When our culture has ruled Jesus out of our workplaces, off our sporting fields, and out of our schools.
Or on a more personal note. Do you ever doubt you're in the right place? Maybe you've sacrificed time and energy to disciple and build someone up only to see them walk away from faith. Maybe you're frustrated that your character grows so slowly. Or maybe you're like me and you just wonder; what is one little life to such a great big God?
Have we found ourselves in the wrong place?
Today's passage answers that with a resounding no! Instead, it tells us to keep it up - in Jesus, we are in the right place. So abide in him. We're going to unpack what abiding in Jesus means.
What we're gonna see is that Jesus is the right place to be, because in him, the true vine, we find life. We bear fruit. And we find joy in God's love.
Let me show us the outline for today:
Abide in the true vine
Jesus says "I am the vine, and you are the branches". We'll spend the first part of the sermon unpacking and understanding this illustration. What it shows us is that life is only found in the vine Jesus. He is the place God produces his fruit.
Abide in the Father’s love
The second part of this passage shows us; Jesus is the right place to stay because that's where God's love is. We'll see that Jesus follow's God's commandments and asks us to follow his. Ultimately it will show us that we should remain with Jesus for our joy.
Abiding fruit
And finally, we know we're in the right place when we live out Jesus' love. Love is the fruit that lasts. In fact he loved us first and brought us to himself so that we could love like him.
And all of that is going to encourage us that when we Abide in Jesus we bear fruit that lasts.
Of course we're going to need God's help to understand, so let's pray before we continue.
1. Abide in the true vine
You know in the bible Jesus isn't the first one described as a vine. In the OT Israel is a vine and God is the farmer. But Jesus radically claims that the real vine isn't Israel, it's him.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Instead of Israel, you now become part of God's people through Jesus. God the Father is actively at work, gardening. He throws some branches away. He prunes other ones. God is at work making sure his people bear fruit through his true vine.
That's why Jesus then tells his disciples, abide in me. You're in the right place to participate in God's goodness and life.
We'll unpack the word abide, since it appears ten times in this passage. Here's two subheadings for you that will help us pick out the main ideas: remain, and reveal. Let's see if you can pick up those ideas as we read from verse 3.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Firstly let's notice that before he says abide, Jesus has spoken something to the disciples; they have received his word and they are clean because of it. The command to abide is for people who have already received his word.
They just need to remain.
Remain is a good synonym for the word abide. Abiding is to remain; to continue, to dwell in, to stay connected to Jesus.
And if we have been paying attention over the last two chapters we immediately think of an example. Not a good one. Judas isn't there. He's left the room to betray Jesus. There's someone who did hear the words of Jesus but didn't remain. I don't think anyone wants to end up like Judas.
Remaining is essential because the vine provides nutrients and water. A branch can't survive at all without the vine, let alone make fruit. It'll wither and wilt away under the harsh Middle Eastern sun. The very life of the branches is utterly dependent on connection to the vine.
That's a picture of the need to remain in Jesus. It's essential to stay connected and draw life from him. It means to live every moment by his words. And it's a really close connection. It's so close, it's described in this mutual way. Abiding in him and he in you.
Let's take a moment here to think about one aspect of this metaphor. The branch's connection to the vine is constant and utter dependence. It doesn't take breaks, it doesn't stop. It doesn't split off and attach back. It just... abides.
Do we think about our lives this way? Are we so united to Jesus that it informs and transforms all of life? I know this is something we all can learn to do better.
Let me put it this way. Imagine your life as a house. There's a room for work. A room for church, one for sport, one for parenting, one for each different circle of friends.
Do you ever leave Jesus at the door before you go in? Which room is it? And what are you living by when you walk in? Maybe it's your reputation as a good worker or boss or someone who's not pushy about their faith. Maybe you want to control your circumstances for maximal comfort. What are you bringing into that room?
Let's all make a change today. Let Jesus into every room in your house. After all, he abides in you. Your house is his abode. At (morning tea/lunch) today, why don't you talk to one another about living with Jesus in every room. Here's one for me - I want to bring Jesus's humility onto the sporting field instead of bringing the desire to domineer opponents and impress teammates. After service today - let's encourage each other to remain in Jesus for all of life.
The second word for us is reveal. What happens to the branches that **do** remain in the vine?
Well they bear much fruit! The fruit authenticates that we're in the right place with God. Cos when you see healthy fruit it reveals there's a connection to a healthy vine. Like it says in verse eight, it proves discipleship to Jesus.
Friends, it's growing season in God's vineyard. God is answering prayers, because those prayers are shaped by Jesus's words. God is producing people who live his ways and are a blessing to others. When he produces lives that are pleasing to him, that tells us we're in the right place. It tells us were participating in God's plan through God's vine. It shows that the vine we're connected to is true and good.
Remaining in Jesus reveals itself in fruit. But rejecting him reveals itself in a withered branch that is fit only to be burned.
If you're a branch - and you are - the stakes are pretty high aren't they? It's a chasm of difference between being thrown away and burned up, and finding life and joy in belonging to God's people.
If you're here today and don't call yourself a Christian. You're not abiding in Jesus, so what are you abiding in? What is your source of life and love? I'd love for you to talk to me about it after the service. But let me put this to you. Would you consider the weight of Jesus's claim to be the vine? When he says that apart from him you can do nothing; will you see how high-stakes that choice is? The good news is you can choose to abide in him today. If Jesus speaks the truth, this is more than life and death for you.
2. Abide in the Father’s love
But the reason to abide in Jesus isn't all about fear of death or punishment. It's truth and beauty too. In the next few verses, Jesus zooms in a bit to bring the focus to his love. Jesus is the right place to be because that's where God's love is.
We'll see that in verses 9-11.
As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
This part of the passage teaches that we can abide in the love of Jesus, if we keep his commandments. It might seem confusing to you that keeping command is the way to joy. But we'll get there. First, there's something to say about that first half a sentence.
God the Father has loved Jesus. I don't know if you've thought about how profound of a statement that is.
See John has already told us that Jesus was there in the beginning with God. All of creation was made through Jesus, and before that, before that... Father and Son were loving one another in eternity past. Love existed before the universe existed.
I'm sure you've seen examples of love that's aged well. Maybe it's a lifelong friendship. Maybe it's your parents or grandparents. There's something beautiful about that steadfastness, that selflessness, the shared joy and familiarity that's stood the test of time. My sister and her husband Tristan have been together since year 10. That's half their lives. They're so familiar with each other, it feels like they've always been together. And yet he still gets up before her every morning, brews coffee and cuts up fruit for her while she's languishing in bed. Love is sacrificial for the sake of another.
The love that's shared in God between Father and Son has quite literally always been. And it's a love that has never grown stale; it's aged well, in continued perfection. Jesus remains in the Father's love and obeys his Father's commands all the way to the cross.
Perhaps the more incredible thing is this. That perfect, pre-existent, steadfast, true love: that love gets turned towards us! How could it be? Like, imagine if Tristan got up every morning, brewed coffee and cut up fruit for the family across the road. It'd feel so weird to share that expression of love that's reserved for his wife. Yet Jesus turns the infinitely greater love of the Father; towards us.
Are you excited to abide in that love?
Well, Jesus says you do so by keeping his commandments. And he proves that God's love is the kind of love where obedience turns out for joy. Jesus obeyed his Father by going to the cross to suffer and die. Yet the bible says this.
Jesus, FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus obeying to the point of death was for that future joy of being exalted at the right hand of the throne of God, and in saving a people from sin to live in his love forever. He understands and proves how obedience links to joy.
Most of you know I'm Chinese - so my love language is food. And the person who loves me the most - based on the tastiness of the food - is my mum. Her food is almost literally a taste of heaven. So you best believe if she gives me a recipe, I will follow it to a tee. I want to abide in that love in massive portions of it.
Do you find following God's commands like following the recipe to the dumplings of heaven? Or does it feel more like brussel sprouts or okra? Is holding your tongue difficult? Is giving money hard? What about coming to church? Forgiving others?
When we find these things hard, we need to be reminded and remind one another that Jesus promises HIS joy to us. Let's be the people who say Lord, it's hard to hold my tongue, but you held yours when you were falsely accused. Lord, I don't feel joy giving financially but you gave your life up. Lord, I don't feel like forgiving, but you forgave me. You took joy in all that so that you could love me with the Father's love. Help me to remain in your love, so that your joy would be mine.
3. Abiding fruit
And we're REALLY gonna need God's help in this final section. Jesus narrows the conversation again down to one command; love one another as I have loved you. Love is the fruit that shows that someone is abiding in Him. Love one another.
This is a shockingly hard thing to do, as we'll find out as Jesus explains what his love is like. We're definitely gonna be challenged by this last section but I hope we're also gonna be encouraged.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
We said previously that bearing fruit authenticates a disciple. It shows they're remaining in the right place, the true and good vine. In this passage the fruit is to love one another. But specifically this; to love one another as Jesus loved you.
There's a problem here, isn't there? Jesus loves us with the love of the Father. How can any of us love like God?
We see Jesus describing his love for us in some magnificent ways in the next few verses. And it sort of just keeps raising the bar doesn't it.
First:
He calls us friends. Friendship is an exciting word to hear when it comes to God isn't it? Friendship means closeness. reciprocity. Loyalty. Self-disclosure. Choosing each other. Joy in one another. It's totally different to Master and Servant.
Jesus expresses this friendship by revealing all he's heard from the Father. He has no secrets - he bares his heart to them.
And it's true for us too. The God of the universe calls us friends and has revealed his plans to us. That's about as mind-blowing a statement as you can get. It's like if my mum passed her secret dumpling recipe to a family of ants in the backyard. It's just staggering.
Furthermore, he loves us with the greatest love, by laying down his life for his friends. Jesus fulfils that in just a few hours when he goes to the cross. See how he has loved us!
I mean, you wouldn't even lay down your phone for your friends!
Let's take a second here to ask this question. How are we going at loving each other at Captivate? I'm not talking about your main circle of friends. What about people you find hard to love?
I'm sure there's someone. We are sinners here, we can be thoughtless and unkind and grate on each other. Who are you frustrated with? And how are you going to love them?
Maybe you need to lay down your pride in order to forgive them. Maybe you need to lay down your comfort to talk to them. Maybe you need to lay down your expectation of getting something back when you give, help, or serve them. Maybe one day you'd even lay down your life for a friend, like Jesus.
But if Jesus is only a model of love to try to emulate, we don't really have good news do we? Even knowing abiding in Jesus is the right place to be, we'd be left wondering if we're actually there or not, based on our behaviour.
Luckily, Jesus' love does more than that.
His love tells us that we're in the right place because he has chosen us. He appoints us to bear fruit, fruit that lasts. Even though our love is imperfect and incomplete, it is fruit. It is the love of the Father coming through the true vine and pouring out from our lives. You lack love? So do I. But the love we do have is from the one who is the greatest lover ever and he calls us to walk in his love. And that love is fruit that abides, fruit that lasts.
When Jesus loved us to the the point of laying down his life, he didn't only show us real love. He covered the penalty for our lack of love and rebellion against God. While we were like dead branches wilting away, Jesus took on the fire meant for us. The only healthy branch was thrown in for the sake of the unfruitful branch. And now when we live by the true vine, the fruit we bear is His love. God is glorified because he sees his perfect Son in us, and us in him. Being in Jesus is the right place to be, because he is our great saviour.
Conclusion
As we wrap up, let's remember that God is busy gardening so that his people will have life through his vine Jesus. Jesus invites you to remain in his love, for your joy. He loves us with the greatest love. He calls us friends. He chooses us and appoints us to love one another as he loved us. And this love is the fruit that lasts.
To finish let's draw out two things we can live out from this passage.
Abide in Jesus the true vine
If you're a Christian, you've heard and received Jesus' words. You've been loved by the love of the Father. So abide here. Remain here. This is where it's good. This is the right place to be. If you hear any voices saying otherwise, remember this passage. Remember the vine.
Keep trusting Jesus for every part of your life. In him, you can bear much fruit. Apart from him, you can do nothing.
Let's think back to the analogy about the rooms in your house. If you're leaving Jesus at the door in your family life, or with your high school friends, or when you're gaming, or driving your car... invite him in. Let's encourage one another to be Christian parents, Christian employees, Christian gamers. Let's continue chatting about how we can have Christ for all of life.
If you're here and not a follower of Jesus, really I'm so glad you're here. Friend, Jesus has spoken to you today. He's told you he's the true vine. Will you believe him? God himself wants to call you friend. He's laid his life down for you and he invites you into his love. Will you admit that apart from him, you can do nothing? Turn to him and find refuge in his love.
Reveal the fruit of love
The second thing for us is to love one another. Not because we need to earn God's favour. Rather, the fruit of love powerfully reveals who you are in Christ. Jesus has appointed you to bear this fruit, so let's continue to love one another sacrificially.
Cos that's where the pinch is, isn't it? When people are hard to love. So when it's hard, look to how Jesus has loved us. He's loved us with an eternally perfect love. He laid down his life for us.
Let's think about forgiveness.
Do you find it hard to forgive someone who's wronged you? Would you rather cut them out of your life than try to reconcile? It's hard to lay down your pride isn't it. But our saviour humbled himself to death on a cross for those who hated and hurt him. Let's love by forgiving one another. If there's someone you're struggling to forgive or reconcile with, pray that you would. And pray with someone about it after the service.
What about our generosity towards one another? Let's all grow in our hospitality. Have someone over this week. Or invite them out. Help with baby sitting, or lend money, or even better, persist in praying for them.
Friends, let's love one another- especially when it's hard. Cos when we love, we are bearing God's fruit. Love is the sign that we're in the right place - we're with Jesus.
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