Becoming Fruitful Christians
John 15:1-21
Audio MP3
March 20th
2011 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (John 15:1,2,8,16)
A.
Jesus teaches about a grape vine, and compares it to the Christian life
1.
He
does not compare the Christian life to a gold mine, or to a business investment
2.
But
to a simple, fruit bearing plant
B.
He
uses analogy - symbolism
1.
He
says that God the Father is the farmer – the husbandman
2.
Jesus then says that HE is the main vine
3.
He
then simply says that believers, followers are BRANCHES
C.
Branches are supposed to produce fruit (John 15:8,16)
1.
Branches are not the grapes – branches PRODUCE grapes
2.
The
grapes are the fruit of the branches
3.
It
glorifies the farmer – God
4.
It
should happen naturally, from every branch
5.
But
it never happens accidentally – always by design
D.
The
word "fruit" means results, products, outcomes, accomplishments and
achievements.
1.
Crops are considered "fruit of the earth."
2.
Children are called the "fruit of the womb."
3.
A
man's words are "the fruit of his mouth."
4.
A
Christians fruit is more Christians
E.
Bible believing Christians are to be fruitful because of three reasons:
1.
Bearing much fruit glorifies God
2.
It
identifies people as Christ's disciples!
3.
And
people around us get saved from the wrath to come!
F.
This
morning, I want us to want to bear fruit. And not just a little fruit, but MUCH
fruit!
II.
Message
A.
Jesus Prepares Us to Produce – God’s Work in Me
(John 15:3-12)
1.
Abide in Jesus (John
15:3-7)
a)
A
branch should produce fruit naturally, but it never happens accidentally –
always by design
b)
Always because of our “attachment” to the VINE (Jesus)
c)
Everything starts with just you and Jesus – your relationship with Him
d)
You
can do nothing without Him (John 15:5; 5:19)
1)
Oh,
you can drive, and eat, and have friends
2)
But
you make no difference, you accomplish nothing without Jesus in your life
e)
You
have got to let Him “IN” (John 1:10-12)
f)
Once
He is in, abide with Him
1)
Stay
close to him
2)
Walk
with Him, and talk with Him, lean upon Him, trust in Him – for everything
3)
Abide is to stay, hang around, not leave
4)
Is
it possible for Jesus to leave a believer? No (Heb 13:5)
5)
Is
it possible that a believer pulls away from Jesus? Yes
g)
Abiding takes effort – make no mistake – a lot of effort – like a marriage
h)
How
is your relationship with Jesus? Not with your kids, or your husband, but your
Saviour?
i)
Are
you abiding, or just visiting Jesus from time to time?
2.
Let Christ’s Words Abide in You
(John 15:7,3)
a)
This
Book (the words) keeps you clean on the inside (Psalm 119:9,11)
b)
This
is the way that God speaks to you as you take time to LISTEN!
c)
These words should be IN you, in your thinking, in your dreams, and part of your
vocabulary (Joshua 1:8)
d)
It
takes three things (Psalm 1:1-3):
1)
Reading them, from start to finish
2)
Memorizing
3)
Meditating – “To think again and again; to muse; to ponder; to reflect upon.”
e)
Don’t let anything take over your thoughts except the word of God
f)
As a
matter of fact, 2Cor 10:5 says to cast down every thought that is not in
obedience to Christ
g)
Without God’s word in our hearts and minds, we will never bear fruit – never be
successful Christians
h)
We
will only be fakers, frauds, two-dimensional veneer instead of through and
through!
3.
Do Things God’s Way
(John 15:10,11)
a)
That
is where the joy is! You will never be happy and full of JOY doing things your
own way – that’s a spoiled attitude
b)
Jesus set His face to do His Father’s will (Luke 2:49; 9:51-53; John 4:4)
c)
Will
YOU?
1)
So,
do YOUR Father’s business – run the race God has for YOU to run!
2)
Whatever God tells you to do, do it! Do it with all your might!
3)
Do
the hard things that Jesus asks you to do
a)
Don’t worry about anyone else
b)
Don’t worry that you will be humiliated
c)
Don’t worry about failing, and messing up
4)
Jesus has some hard commandments
a)
Loving one another
b)
Forgive one another
c)
Submit to one another
d)
Lose
your life “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mt 10:29)
4.
Get Back to Loving Again
(John 15:12,9)
a)
With
God, everything always begins in the heart
b)
Jesus says that we are to love as we have been loved
1)
Unconditionally
2)
Unlimited amount
3)
Unending
c)
It
is a commandment, not a wish (John 13:34,35)
d)
It
is so necessary in order for believers to produce more believers
1)
It
doesn’t matter if someone is a Peter and denies even knowing you…
2)
It
doesn’t matter if someone backslides and walks away from you or hurts you
3)
What
matters is if you can still love them as Christ still loves YOU?
e)
You
can’t say that you love God, and yet hate your brother! It cannot be so!
Jesus had to first,
Prepare Us to Produce – God has to Work in Me
B.
Then WE have to Set
Out to Produce Fruit (John 15:16-21) – Our Work in the World
1.
A
farmer has to make up his mind to plough, and plant, and fertilise, and weed,
and then go out and harvest his fields if he wants fruits, vegetables, wheat,
barley, suedes, sugar beets, bananas, oranges, strawberries!
2.
The
same is true with Christians! We have to determine to live a life that does what
is necessary to produce fruit – to see souls saved, and lives changed instead of
letting them fall off into hell!
3.
By Going
a)
This
is another commandment of our Lord – “I have ordained you” – commanded you!
b)
A
simple two letter word – GO
1)
Go
as Jesus went (John 17:18; 20:21)
2)
He
went everywhere (Mark 1:38)
3)
Start at home with your parents, your wife, your children (Mark 5:18,19)
4)
Doesn’t end until we have reached the ends of the world (Matthew 28:19)
c)
Not
only does God call us to go, but everyone in hell is screaming for us to go
(Luke 16:27)!
d)
Will
YOU go?
1)
Soul-winning?
2)
Supporting financially and prayerfully our missionaries?
3)
Maybe someday yourself to a foreign country to preach the Gospel?
4.
By Praying
(John 15:16 ; Mt 9:36-38)
a)
Praying for power from God to enable you to go and tell someone about
forgiveness and heaven
b)
Praying for someone who is bound by bitterness and sin
c)
Praying for helpers, labourers, more soul-winners
5.
By Preaching
(Jn 15:20; Mark 16:15; Acts 5:20)
a)
No
one gets saved until they hear the word of God
b)
Psalm 19:7 – the law of the Lord converts
c)
Romans 10:13-15
d)
Romans 10:17
e)
Say
something folks!
1)
Tell
someone about a Saviour who is ALIVE and at the door, about ready to wrap things
up and judge this world!
2)
Tell
them there is a way to be forgiven!
3)
Tell
them how!
6.
By Enduring
(John 15:18-21; 1Cor 13:7)
a)
Put
up with the rubbish they throw back at you
b)
People will not just ignore you, they will hate you, and even persecute you
c)
Not
because you are a physical threat, but because the words you speak are like a
knife that cuts
d)
And,
it will be because they do not know God
e)
Endure so that someone will hear and understand
f)
And
then that hearer becomes fruit
III.
Conclusion
A.
Jesus teaches about a grape vine, and compares it to the Christian life
1.
He
says that God the Father is the farmer – the husbandman
2.
Jesus then says that HE is the main vine
3.
He
then simply says that believers, followers are BRANCHES
B.
Branches are supposed to produce fruit (John 15:8,16)
C.
This
morning, we have learned how to bear not just a little fruit, but MUCH fruit!
D.
By First Allowing God’s Work in Us
(John 15:3-12)
1.
Abide in Jesus (John
15:3-7)
a)
How
is your relationship with Jesus? Not with your kids, or your husband, but your
Saviour?
b)
Are
you abiding, or just visiting Jesus from time to time?
2.
Let Christ’s Words Abide in You
(John 15:7,3)
a)
Without God’s word in our hearts and minds, we will never bear fruit – never be
successful Christians
b)
Don’t be fakers, frauds, two-dimensional veneer instead of through and through!
3.
Do Things God’s Way
(John 15:10,11)
a)
That
is where the joy is!
b)
You
will never be happy and full of JOY doing things your own way – that’s a spoiled
attitude
c)
Jesus set His face to do His Father’s will (Luke 2:49; 9:51-53; John 4:4)
d)
Will
YOU?
4.
Get Back to Loving Again
(John 15:12,9)
a)
It
is so necessary in order for believers to produce more believers
b)
You
can’t say that you love God, and yet hate your brother! It cannot be so!
E.
Then by Setting Out to
Produce Fruit
– Doing Our Work in the World
1.
By Going
a)
A
simple two letter word – GO
b)
Will
YOU go?
1)
Soul-winning?
2)
Supporting financially and prayerfully our missionaries?
3)
Maybe someday yourself to a foreign country to preach the Gospel?
2.
By Praying
– never giving up praying for someone to get saved and believe the Gospel
3.
By Preaching
a)
No
one gets saved until they hear the word of God
b)
Say
something folks!
1)
Tell
someone about a Saviour who is ALIVE and at the door, about ready to wrap things
up and judge this world!
2)
Tell
them there is a way to be forgiven!
3)
Tell
them how!
4.
By Enduring
F.
Without Jesus, Christian, you can do nothing
G.
Friend, if you are not born again, you are without God, and without hope in this
world! Jesus said the only starting place is at the bottom, as a sinner, ruined,
and condemned, and only then can you look up into the loving and yearning eyes
of our Lord Jesus and ask for full and free forgiveness!
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |