SLIDES

Thriving in Jesus

6E – The Abundant Life - Lesson 5

The Vine and the Branches

Introduction

Some Sunday morning Bible studies in some churches will drop a person or couple off their roll when they have been inactive and have not attended a class for a year in person and/or on Zoom or put them in an inactive file. In a sense they are not producing spiritual fruit for the class in which they are member. They are kind of like dead wood.

Some Christian ministries who send out emails or hard copies of newsletters and other information about the ministry will drop off the mailing list those who have had no contact with the ministry for a year. In a sense they are producing no fruit for that ministry. They are kind of like dead wood.

Some business will drop subscribers off their email list when they have been inactive for year. There is an article on the internet entitled Ruthlessly Delete Inactive Email Subscribers. The author of the article recommends that email subscribers be deleted from their list when they have not

• opened your emails

• clicked on your link

• visited your website.

He says that a large number of inactive email subscribers can seriously harm email deliverability and increase email service costs. There has been no fruit produced by sending emails to these subscribers. They are kind of like dead wood.

In the spiritual ream, as we shall see today, God the Father takes seriously those believers who do not abide in Jesus and do not produce spiritual fruit. They are kind of like dead wood. We are going to continue to use the illustration of the vine and branches to discuss some the ways that the Father deals with unproductive believers. Let’s do a little review.

John compared Jesus as a grapevine that provides spiritual nourishment and wisdom to believers. God the Father is compared to a Vinyard manager who

is responsible for making sure the vines are productive. Believers are compared to grape vine branches. When there is a branch is not producing fruit, the Father lifts it up with gentleness and ties it to a trellis so that air and sunlight can get to the leaves with the view that it will begin producing fruit. We see this same concept in a parable of a tree in Luke 13:6-9. In the parable there was a fig tree that was not producing fruit. The manager wanted to cut it down. The owner told him to fertilizer and give it another year. If after a year it did not produce fruit, he was to cut it down.

The focus of this parable is disobedient and unproductive Israel. The Messiah was in their midst and the Lord was giving the nation another opportunity to begin being obedient and to produce the fruit of righteousness and justice. When they failed, there was the consequence of bring scattered around the world for 1900 years.

God gives believers who do not abide in Jesus and are unproductive opportunities to become productive. He nudges them, speaks softly to them, and gives them

grace and mercy to become productive. We will find out in a few minutes the possible consequences are of a believer not abiding in Jesus and producing fruit.

We also learned that God prunes or disciplines believers who once produced fruit but for some reason stopped,

At the end of the harvest season, all branches are pruned. Their will be new buds that will grow the vine and become branches that will continue to produce fruit. The Father will discipline a believer who was at one time abiding in Jesus and producing fruit but chose to stop to encourage them to begin again to abide in Jesus to produce fruit like a new bud. They are kind of like dead wood. We will discuss in a few minutes the possible consequences are of a believer who is discipled in the above scenario. Now let’s read John 15:6.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Before we discuss what this verse means, let’s discuss what it does not mean.

Some say this is referring to unbelievers who either profess to be believers and are not just those have never claimed to be believers in Jesus. These unbelievers are cast into hell because they never abode in Jesus nor produced any fruit. There are several reasons why this verse cannot be talking about unbelieves being cast into hell because they never abode in Jesus nor produced any fruit,

1. If anyone does not abide in Me cannot be referring to unbelieves. A branch of a vine is not expected to produce fruit unless it is not connected. Unbelievers are never said to be attached in Jesus in any way. Only believers are attached to Jesus and can produce fruit.

2. Remember verses 1-11 are an extended metaphor. Jesus is not a real vine and the disciples are not real branches. Therefore, verse 6 cannot be referring to a literal burning hell that consumes unbelievers. This verse must also be interpreted as a metaphor.

If verse 6 is not referring to unbelievers being cast into the Lake of Fire, what then does it refer? Let’s read verse 6 again.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

The term anyone is referring to believers who are not abiding in Jesus. The term abiding is a present tense verse that can be translated, “If anyone does not continually abide in Me.” This is not referring to a believer who abides in Jesus 24/7 from the time they are born again until the time they die. That would look something like this ________________________________________________.

Everyone sins and everyone has times when they do not abide and produce fruit. It might look more something like this_____ ______________________________.

At the end of the harvest season, all branches are removed to allow new branches to grow from buds that will produce fruit. The new buds that will eventually grow into branches are believers who continue to abide in the vine and who will continue produce fruit. Those who are cut off and burned represent believers who persist in not abiding in Jesus and not producing fruit over a period of time. Fire is a common metaphor in Scripture for temporal judgment (cf. Lev 10:2; Heb 6:7–8; 10:27; Jude 23). They may receive the temporal judgement of a premature death called “a sin leading to death” found in 1 John 5:16. Just as mail and email addresses are sometimes purged from the list of people who receive promotional letters and emails, the Father may drop a believer from the roll of the living because they are not abiding in Jesus and producing fruit. We all know believers who died prematurely or in the prime of life. Most of the time, but not always, we never know why the Lord took and individual early, but it could have been because they were just on the church role, not abiding in Christ, and certainly not producing fruit.

Another possible interpretation of verse six that would certainly go hand in hand with the premature death of a believer is that Paul was referring to non-spiritual or human works of the believers that are burned up at the Judgement Seat of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:

11For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

14If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

15If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Fire will purify gold and silver and precious stones and draw off the dross. These represent the spiritual works or fruit of a believer. Wood, hay, and stubble will go up in smoke. These represents the human or non-spiritual works of a believer. That is the same as John 15:6 which says the man’s works will be cast into the fire and burned.

A branch that is not abiding in the vine is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” This is amplified by 1Co 3:15: “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” One well known radio preacher in years past, J. Vernon McGee, said that “He may get to heaven smelling as if he had been bought at a fire sale, but he will not lose his salvation.” That’s funny, but in reality, the Judgement Seat of Christ takes place in heaven. The believer in Jesus is already there. It’s not a court to determine if an individual goes to heaven, but the rewards he or she will receive.

Many believers think that bearing much fruit is entirely out of the question for them and are willing to live on a low plane hoping to produce just a little fruit. Remember what Bruce Wilkinson said in the Secrets of the Vine. 50% of believers in Jesus do not abide and produce no fruit. 45% of believers abide and produce fruit anywhere between some and more, and only 5% produce much fruit. What category are you in? Remember that the Lord wants us to abide much in Jesus with the purpose of producing much fruit.

We have studied several levels of disobedience for not abiding and producing fruit. Level one is when a believer is not abiding in Jesus and producing spiritual fruit, The Lord will speak gingerly with mercy and grace as a whisper to that person. This is level one and considered light correction.

When I was a kid, my mother could get my to attention, stop me from doing something stupid or silly, or make me stop talking mid-sentence—all by raising one eyebrow or rolling her eyes. “The look” was louder than any words! I grew up in a family with two brothers. If one of us acted up at dinner, Mom’s raised her eyebrow hinted at immediate trouble. That look meant, “What do you think you’re doing?” The truth is, my mother raised eyebrow or rolling her eyes carried weight because I knew from experience what would happen if I didn’t pay attention.

Level two is a believer who has abided in Jesus and produced spiritual fruit but has stopped. The Lord will give that person a loud shout. Stop doing what you are doing right now. This is medium correction. If raising her eyebrow or rolling her eyes did not work, my mother would or even raise her voice to get my attention.

The third level of correction is when a believer continues to choose not to abide in Jesus and produce fruit. This is heavy correction. This is for a believer who has a long record of never showing in any interest to abide with Jesus and produce fruit. It is this level of correction that includes either losing rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ and or may be also, if the Lord deems it necessary, to allow the believers to die a premature death.

If I ignored the two previous warnings to get my attention of raising her eyebrow, rolling her eyes, or raising her voice, then I would probably get grounded for a long time,

The Lord takes not abiding in Jesus and not producing fruit seriously. Even though the Lord is full of mercy and grace, He disciplines His children as a human parent disciplines his or her child.

Discipline is a part of the human family that is essential.

Discipline is a part of God’s family that is essential.

In the human family and in God’s family discipline is designed to correct, instruct, and encourage individuals have right and proper attitude and behavior.

Very few people in their human family or God’s family enjoy being disciplined. Discipline in God’s family occurs on all the three levels we discussed earlier.

The key to being disciplined is to accept and learn from it. Hebrews 12:5-11 gives us insight into the purpose of discipline and what our reaction should be toward it.

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;

6For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

· Discipline is for a short time

· Discipline is for our good

· The purpose of discipline is so that we may share in God’s holiness.

· If we allow discipline to train us, it will yield the perfect fruit of righteousness

Questions and Comments

Application

So, what should we take away from this lesson discipline today?

1. To avoid discipline we should strive to abide in Jesus and to produce spiritual fruit in the power and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

The fruit as explained in Isaiah 5:7 is exhibiting justice and righteousness in one’s life. The New Covenant adds that spiritual fruit is exhibiting a Christlike character, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), leading unbelievers to Christ (Romans 1:13), and exhibiting love for brothers and sisters in Christ (John 15:12). This fruit can only come from of abiding in Christ.

2. When disciplined by the Father, we should recognize it, accept it, learn from it, and allow it to help change us into the image of Christ.

There are times in our lives when we experience pain, suffering, hardship, brokenness, hurt, health issues, financial issues, family issues, etc. when we think that it is just part of life. Much of the time it may very well be that it is because of sin in lives. When we do experience these things in our lives, we must learn to recognize them as either a test from God or a result of sin in our lives. If the problem is sin related, we must learn to accept it as discipline from the Father. We should never blame the Father for allowing it. When we submit to His discipline instead of bucking and whining, something happens inside. A calm descends and a trust grows that God is, after all, in charge, He is good and is moving us towards a desired goal - to be Christlike. Even though discipline is not pleasant and sometimes can be difficult, we must learn that the Father is allowing it to make us productive believers and allow us to grow in holiness, righteousness and peace. Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus learned obedience from suffering. So should we! We must look on suffering and difficulties as a blessing from the Lord that will result in eternal rewards. Ultimately, the Father wants us to be conformed “to the image of His Son” i.e., to be Christlike. (Romans 8:29)

It is purported that someone asked Michelangelo how did he know how to sculpture the likeness of King David. He said that was easy. He just chiseled, chipped, and sandpapered away everything that did not look like David. Our heavenly Father is in the ministry of chiseling, chipping and sandpapering away everything in us that does not look like Jesus.

Selah!

Questions and Comments