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Weekly Message | April 5th, 2009
Passage: John 15:1-8
Key Verse(s): 7
Last weekend we had wonderful Spring Conference. God answered our prayers for four weeks. God has spoken through the messengers and testimony sharers. The hope of God has been planted in us. Jesus is the Hope of God. He is the Christ. He is everything to everybody. Jesus is the Hope of God for us. Because of Jesus we have the victory. Because of Jesus we have reason to stand firm. We do not let anything move us. Instead, we give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.
Last night our SongFest Team again won the prize. For the past seven years Toledo UBF SongFest Team participated and won each year. Toledo UBF had been presenting Christ Jesus through. Their hard work and fellowship together are quite valuable. This year the judges sat further away from the stage. I wondered about the criteria of their judgment: music quality, team performance, and entertainment effect. Next year we will do better in the area of entertainment effect. Particularly, we will improve in bright and distinct costumes, champion leaders and engaging the audience. We will build on our excellent strengths—music quality (thanks to Kevin Reilly, Tuf Francis, Bill Messer and Jeremy Holloway), team performance (commitment of the participants, choreography leader--Ruth Copeland, and active supports with prayers and food/beverages—Peggy Roth and our mothers of prayer).
Now, we are all here today for worship. What do we do? Today, we meditate on the meaning of our relationship with Christ. This is one of the most mysterious aspects of Christian life. How do we sustain relationships with Jesus who is invisible? How can we bear fruit in this visible world based on the relationships with this invisible Man?
First, “He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."(1-3). Jesus had long discourse in the Upper Room. To John the most memorable events in Jesus’ ministry, next to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, was Jesus’ teaching during and after the Last Supper. Here, Jesus showed his unfailing love to his disciples. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. Jesus gave the New Commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you”. Jesus promised the hope of God as he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me….I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can comes to God the Father except through me”(Jn 14;1-6). After the Last Supper and the long discourse, they left the Upper Room (Jn. 14:31).. Jesus and his disciples were heading toward the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was offering his final prayer to God. Along the way they saw vineyards. Looking over these vineyards Jesus taught his disciples about the meaning of the lasting spiritual relationship. Look at verse 1: "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener." At this time, Jesus and his disciples left the Upper Room and were heading toward Gethsemane.
College students understand about the details of annual NCAA basketball tournament. Yesterday, North Carolina defeated Villanova, 83-69, and will face Michigan State on Monday for the national title. Do you understand what this means? Well, the disciples understood the imagery what Jesus was talking about. It was their life. Jesus' teaching was also based on the Old Testament. God referred to Israel as his vineyard (Is. 5:1-7; Jer 2:21). In this rich historical background, Jesus' statement, "I am the true vine" reveals the meaning of rich spiritual relationship.
Look at verse 2: "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." This is the reality. Some branches are cut off. Some are pruned. The gardener cuts off fruitless branches in order to protect the whole vine. Pruning is seemingly ruthless. Branches 20 inches long may be cut down to 2 inches. But out of these 2-inch branches new branches come out that bear much fruit. The purpose of pruning is for the rich and timely flows of water and nutrition for real fruit bearing. Therefore, the gardener prunes so that the branches may bear fruits—big and juicy grapes.
Branches do not volunteer to be pruned. Nether neither the vine nor the branches can prune themselves. The gardener simply determines and prunes. Just as a gardener cuts down the branches to their size, we are cut down to a proper size through divine disciplines. "Pruning" naturally involves God. God disciplines us from time to time through our circumstances and the rod of men (2 Sa. 7:14). Pruning is about this life. Sudden illness, accidents, hardships, and afflictions force us to give up our old ideas and practices. God cuts down the huge size of unbelief, despair, or pride in our souls. When we are stripped from our essential needs, we become humiliated. We feel so small and tiny. In humility we cry out to God.
In this world what American people are known for? Humility is not the virtue that we are proud to carry. Currently, US owe more than half trillion dollars to China. US is not a creditor but debtor nation. These are the words of Mr. Gao Xiqing, president of the China Investment Corporation, “Be nice to the countries that lend you money… Over the years I learned to be humble. To treat other people nicely….Americans are not sensitive in that regard. I mean, as a whole…I have great admiration of American people. Creative, hard-working, trusting, and freedom-loving. But you have to have someone to tell you the truth. And then, start realizing it. And if you do it, just like what you did in the Second World War, then you’ll be great again. If that happens, then of course—American power would still be there for at least as long as I am living. But many people are betting on the other side”(Atlantic Monthly, December 2008, pp. 65). As a nation, we must face the truth about ourselves. As individuals, we must learn to face the truth about ourselves. We may not keep doing what we have been doing. The changes we accept are to humble ourselves and dare to be pruned and disciplined to be fruitful again. If we are willing to be disciplined and be cut to the right size, then we can face anything.
Look at verse 3: "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you." Here, Jesus assures his disciples. Some of them might have wondered whether they would ever be cut off. Here, Jesus refers to his disciples. The disciples were not perfect yet. They were already clean because of the word Jesus spoke. The words of Christ make us clean as well.
People follow Jesus because they experience the word of Christ. Once Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. In the second time Jesus focused on the food that endures. He said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not get hungry.” The details of his teaching are recorded in the latter part of John 6. The majority of people said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Jesus. At this moment, Jesus asked the Twelve, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Then Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:60-69). Later, Peter said, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."(I Peter 1:23) People are born a new through the living and enduring word of God. We are already clean because of the word that God has spoken to us. Through the word of God Jesus crosses us from death to life when we hear Jesus' word and believe in Christ Jesus (Jn 5:24).
Second, "Remain in me"(4-6). Jesus says, "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"(4). "Remain in me" is Jesus' blessed command. This is for those who love and know Christ. Jesus commands first ("Remain in me") and then gives the promise ("I will remain in you"). Branches do not have self-will to be separated from the vines. But people have decision-making power. "Remaining in me" refers to the spiritual commitment.
Ruth in the Bible shows an example of commitment. Her husband died early. Her mother-in-law Naomi also had no husband. There was no real prospect for Ruth to get married soon. So Naomi urged her to go back to her own home and start for the new life. At that time Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.”(Ruth 1:16, 17).
Look at verses 5 and 6: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." Here, Jesus again summarizes what he already said. It is about the relationship between remaining in Jesus and fruit-bearing life. Jesus is the vine and we are his branches. All good things come from Christ—the true vine. The source of our spiritual influence and fruit comes from Christ. All the wonderful blessings come to us because of Christ.
Judas Iscariot might be an example of a cut-off branch. In spite of the extensive life together with Christ he remained as a stranger. Eventually he betrayed Christ. His end was miserable. We do not have to mention his eternal destiny. On the other hand, those who remain in Christ eventually bore fruit—much fruit. Although they failed, they remained in Christ. Quite often they might have wanted to give up. But they did not. They kept remaining in Christ. They kept showing up. Jesus remained with them. Jesus worked with them. Jesus blessed them. Jesus empowered them to do great works.
Commitment matters! In this world nothing precious is accomplished without real commitment. Our SongFest members have experienced this. More than two months they have been working on this every week. They deserve recognition. Since everything in this world requires commitment, at some point we become tired and weary with too many commitments we have to make. Therefore, one choice is to make commitment to nothing. Always fluid and stay uncommitted. This life seems to be free but in reality it is not. This is not the way to bear much fruit that lasts.
Christ alone is perfect. He alone is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). All other important relationships are not perfect. Our specific commitment to the next important areas of life (e.g., family, friendship, ministry, work,…) are manageable through this foundational commitment to Christ and his teachings. College students ask, “Why do I have to study so hard? Why should I choose to particular kind of work? How it is possible to do all ?” This is quite challenging for us. In this life many important areas of life all demand our attention, devotion and hard work. On what basis we do make any meaningful judgment? One young man made commitment to Christ during his college years. It was based on his Bible study over the years that convinced him to make confession of faith. It enabled him to accept the call for disciples ship stated in Mark 8:34-35. Since then, he made series of commitment—marriage, ministry, work and enjoyment of life. As his life becomes crowded with various commitments, he comes back to his commitment to Christ which does the function of pruning. This is the way he practices to remain in Christ. Let the commitment to Christ governs and manages other commitment in this life.
Third, "If you remain in my and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish..." (7,8) Look at verse 7: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." This verse summarizes the rich reality of remaining in Jesus. If we remain in Jesus, God’s words of promises remain in us. We come to believe the promises of God. We start praying. We gradually experience God’s answers in our lives. As he remains in Jesus, whatever he prays, he will experience God’s answer. If not now, it will be sometime later. If not sometime later, it will be done in God’s time. In the meantime we can wait. We can trust. We can hope.
Look at verse 8: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Truly, fruit-bearing Christians glorify and honor God. By our fruits we show ourselves as his disciples. Here, Jesus speaks about the kind of fruit we must bear. Such fruit shows ourselves to be Jesus' disciples. What do we do? First remain in Jesus. Be committed to Jesus Christ. Study the word of Christ so that we may have his words of command and promises. What words of Christ? Seek Christ and he will plants his words that gives us clear command and promise.
Would you like to think about some words of Christ that present his commands and promises? The key is this. Study the Bible in ways to learn God’s commands and promises. Be willing to do your part before claiming God’s promises. Jesus says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things will be given to you as well”(Mt 6:33). “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find and knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks received; he who seeks finds, and to him who knock, the door will be opened”(Mt 7:7, 8) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burned is light” (Mt 11:28-30). “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross. For whoever wants to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it”(Mk 8:34, 35).
God wants his disciples to grow in the rich fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Ga. 5:22,23). This is the primary fruit. God cares of who we are. It is important to God of who we become. God sees what is within us. The second fruit is the labor of love. In obedience to Christ, we endeavor to develop and bless others through the words of God and prayer. This labor of love starts with those whom we call our loved ones and friends. This labor of love gradually extends even those who are not quite lovable. By God's grace we all need meaningful work by which our needs are provided. Meaning is not in work itself but the reason for work. In the long run, our reason to work determines our attitude which in turn impacts the outcome of our work. May God help us to commit to Christ, learn to obey his commands and experience the rich promises in this life. This is the secret of fruitful life in Christ.
April 5, 2009. Toledo UBF
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
