I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, we are so glad
that you are joining us
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for Family Worship tonight.
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We are coming
into the Sabbath hour.
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And it is such a
wonderful experience
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to get together
with our 3ABN family,
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and you're part of the family.
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We're glad that you've
tuned into study with us.
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I'm Shelley Quinn.
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And I'm JD Quinn.
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I just want to introduce
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who we have here
with us this evening.
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We got Gary, we got Ryan,
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we have Dee, and we have Tim.
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They're all
good friends of ours.
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Yes.
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We're just glad to be
here and to share this time.
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Well, I think
we're gonna have a good
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and lively discussion tonight.
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We will be talking about
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The Parable of the
Vine and the Branches.
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And so we want you...
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I hope you have your
bibles, maybe a pen and paper.
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But before we do that,
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we want to have a
song and a prayer.
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And our brother Tim who
God has gifted on the piano
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will be playing for us.
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But, Gary, you wanna
have our opening prayer?
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Sure.
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Dearly Father,
we are so thankful
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for Your love for us.
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We're thankful
for your much care,
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we thank You for the
word that we can study
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and learn more about You Lord.
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We just ask that Your spirit
be here with us as we study
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and with those who are watching.
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May the truths
that You have for us
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be plain and true and beautiful.
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This we put in Your
wonderful precious name, amen.
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Amen and amen. Thank you.
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Well, we are going to sing
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"Blessed
Assurance, Jesus is Mine."
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It's number 462 in your hymnal.
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But the words will be
across the bottom of the screen,
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and we want you to sing with us.
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We are not here
to entertain you,
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this is Family
Worship, so join in.
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Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
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O what a
foretaste of glory divine
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Heir of
salvation, purchase of God
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Born of His
Spirit, washed in His blood
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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Perfect
submission, all is at rest
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I in my Savior
am happy and blessed
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Watching and
waiting, looking above
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Filled with His
goodness, lost in His love
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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Amen and amen.
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Love to listen to Tim play
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and I love to
listen to you all sing.
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Well, as I said,
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tonight we're going to study
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the Parable of the
Vine and the Branches.
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But before we do,
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we want to set a
little background for you.
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The... Excuse me.
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In the Old Testament,
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a symbol for Israel
was a vineyard, the vine.
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And I want to read
something to you from Isaiah 5.
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Actually, there's
verses 1 through 7.
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We're not going
to look at it all.
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But God is talking
about His vineyard.
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He's talking about
the nation of Israel.
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And it says,
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"He expected it to
bring forth good grapes,
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but it brought
forth wild grapes."
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Instead of being fruitful,
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all Israel brought
forward was sour grapes.
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And in verse 6,
the Lord says to them,
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what more could have
been done to my vineyard
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that have not done for it?
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Why then when I expected
it to bring forth good grapes
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did it bring forth wild grapes?
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So Israel was
supposed to be a vineyard,
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to be fruitful,
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to share the message of the Lord
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with the rest of the nations.
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That's why God chose Israel.
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And He even said
when He told Moses,
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He sent Moses to Pharaoh,
and He said to tell Pharaoh,
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"Let my son go,
Israel is my firstborn."
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That's a covenant term.
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And it wasn't the
order of their birth
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because there were
nations before them,
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but it was a covenant term.
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They would be His covenant
son and share but they didn't.
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So now He is so
disappointed in His vineyard.
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But we get over to Isaiah 27.
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And, Tim, why don't
you read that for us
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because I love the
way, the Amplified,
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and you're reading
from the Amplified,
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says it Isaiah 27:2-6.
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All right, verse 2 of Isaiah 27.
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"In that day it will be said
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of the redeemed
nation of Israel,
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a vineyard beloved and lovely.
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Sing a responsive
song to it and about it."
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Verse 3, "I, the
Lord am its keeper.
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I water it every
moment lest anyone harm it,
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I guard and keep
it night and day."
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Isaiah 4, "Wrath is not in Me.
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Would that the
briars and thorns,
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the wicked internal foe,
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were lined up
against Me in battle.
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I would stride in against them,
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I would burn them up together."
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Verse 5,
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"Or else, if all
Israel would escape
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being burned up together
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there is but one alternative,
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let them take
hold of My strength
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and make complete
surrender to My protection,
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that they may
make peace with Me!
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Yes, let them
make peace with Me!"
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And verse 6,
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"In the days and
generations to come,
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Jacob shall take root,
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Israel shall blossom
and send forth shoots
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and fill the
whole world with fruit
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of the knowledge
of the true God."
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That's the
restoration of Israel.
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Amen.
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And it really didn't happen
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until Israel was
a spiritual name.
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We remember that
Jacob wrestles with God,
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God changed his name
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from Jacob supplanter to Israel,
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one who has
wrestled with God and won.
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So when we see
as you're following
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the covenant
sonship through this,
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when Jesus comes,
now He's got the message.
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Israel, you thought you
were the vine of the Lord,
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I am the true vine.
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Why don't you read, Ryan?
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John 1, and
we'll look at verses...
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John 15, I'm
sorry, verses 1 through 8.
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Sure.
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And give us a little background.
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Yeah.
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So basically, if anybody
who understands the layout
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of the book of John,
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more than half of the book
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is actually set
in the final week
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of Christ's life.
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It's what we
call the Passion Week,
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that week leading
up to the crucifixion
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and of course,
resurrection of Jesus.
00:09:05.51\00:09:07.44
And so from about John
12, John 13 and onward,
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you are literally in
the last week of Jesus.
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And so John 15 is interesting
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because actually
this is a conversation
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that Christ has begun
to have with His disciples
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coming out of what we
would call the Last Supper.
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In fact, you'll notice
the last verse of John 14,
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notice what it says here.
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It says,
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"But that the world may
go that I love the Father
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and as the Father
gave Me commandments,
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so I do..."
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And then notice what He says,
"Arise, let us go from here."
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So they've just gotten
up from the dinner table.
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And interestingly enough,
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the verses that
we're about to read
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is basically a conversation
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that Christ is
having with His disciples
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on their way to the
Garden of Gethsemane
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where Christ is
going to be, of course,
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He's going to sweat
those drops of blood,
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He's going to have
that beautiful prayer
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on behalf of the
saints there in John 17,
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there in the
garden of Gethsemane.
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So as He's
beginning to tell them this,
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the scene that has
previously taken place,
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you can remember
00:10:05.77\00:10:07.10
they're setting
at the Last Supper,
00:10:07.14\00:10:08.90
and of course, Jesus basically
identifies His betrayer.
00:10:08.94\00:10:13.41
And so if you kind of
take that in consideration
00:10:13.44\00:10:15.61
the scene that
we just saw happened
00:10:15.64\00:10:17.68
in the previous
chapters, John 13, John 14,
00:10:17.71\00:10:20.62
and now you come to
the beginning verses
00:10:20.65\00:10:22.02
of John 15,
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it'll begin to make sense
00:10:23.42\00:10:24.75
as Christ is now
highlighting Himself
00:10:24.79\00:10:26.99
as this true vine
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and showing
basically, that really,
00:10:28.59\00:10:31.16
there's only two
types of branches.
00:10:31.19\00:10:32.99
But just at that dinner
table, at the Last Supper,
00:10:33.03\00:10:35.73
there were two types
of branches present there.
00:10:35.76\00:10:38.00
There was a good ones
and then there was a bad one.
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And we're going to see
that here in opening verses.
00:10:40.17\00:10:41.50
And that would be in Judas.
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That would be in Judas Iscariot.
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Absolutely.
00:10:44.27\00:10:45.61
So I'm gonna read from
the New King James Version,
00:10:45.64\00:10:47.24
James 15, beginning...
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Excuse me, John 15
00:10:49.14\00:10:50.91
beginning with verses
1 and through verse 8.
00:10:50.95\00:10:53.65
Jesus says, "I am the true vine,
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and My Father is
the vine dresser.
00:10:57.35\00:11:00.56
Every branch in Me
that does not bear fruit,
00:11:00.59\00:11:04.16
He takes away
00:11:04.19\00:11:05.86
and every branch
that bears fruit,
00:11:05.89\00:11:07.90
He prunes, that it
may bear more fruit.
00:11:07.93\00:11:12.20
You are already clean
00:11:12.23\00:11:13.94
because of the word
which I have spoken to you.
00:11:13.97\00:11:17.37
Abide in Me and I in you,
00:11:17.41\00:11:20.18
as the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself
00:11:20.21\00:11:23.45
unless it abides in the vine,
00:11:23.48\00:11:25.98
neither can you,
unless you abide in Me."
00:11:26.01\00:11:30.89
He says, "I am the
vine, you are the branch,
00:11:30.92\00:11:34.02
or you are the branches.
00:11:34.06\00:11:35.52
He who abides
in Me and I in him,
00:11:35.56\00:11:38.56
bears much fruit.
00:11:38.59\00:11:40.23
For without Me
you can do nothing.
00:11:40.26\00:11:43.70
If anyone does not abide in Me,
00:11:43.73\00:11:47.24
he is cast out as a
branch and is withered,
00:11:47.27\00:11:50.11
and they gather them
and throw them into the fire
00:11:50.14\00:11:53.58
and they are burned.
00:11:53.61\00:11:55.48
If you abide in Me,
00:11:55.51\00:11:57.95
and My words abide in you,
00:11:57.98\00:12:00.12
you will ask what you desire
and it shall be done for you.
00:12:00.15\00:12:05.72
By this My Father is glorified
that you bear much fruit,
00:12:05.75\00:12:09.39
so you will be My disciples.
00:12:09.42\00:12:11.69
Amen.
00:12:11.73\00:12:13.06
You know what, I'm sitting here,
00:12:13.09\00:12:14.43
and I've never done this before.
00:12:14.46\00:12:15.80
But as you were reading,
00:12:15.83\00:12:17.53
I'm looking at how
many times the word abide,
00:12:17.57\00:12:21.87
I count seven times.
00:12:21.90\00:12:23.24
Right, yeah.
00:12:23.27\00:12:24.61
Seven times He's
talking about abiding
00:12:24.64\00:12:27.08
so we need to talk
about what that is.
00:12:27.11\00:12:30.28
What jumps out at you most?
00:12:30.31\00:12:34.42
What scripture just
lights up for you here,
00:12:34.45\00:12:38.55
that is your biggest takeaway?
00:12:38.59\00:12:40.72
Can I just tell you
that it's the abide in the...
00:12:40.76\00:12:45.66
What's this called? Amplified.
00:12:45.69\00:12:47.03
Amplified, thank
you very much, JD.
00:12:47.06\00:12:48.63
In the Amplified,
the word is dwell.
00:12:48.66\00:12:51.03
Right.
00:12:51.07\00:12:52.40
You know what, I
think of when I dwell,
00:12:52.43\00:12:53.77
I dwell in my house.
00:12:53.80\00:12:55.54
To dwell in Christ means to
be at home with Him and in Him,
00:12:55.57\00:13:00.44
had to live in Him.
00:13:00.48\00:13:01.81
And that is the
ticket in my opinion.
00:13:01.84\00:13:05.21
I mean, of being
part of the vine,
00:13:05.25\00:13:08.22
being part of
the Christian family,
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.49
it's to be at home with Christ.
00:13:10.52\00:13:12.62
And so that's living in Him
00:13:12.65\00:13:16.12
and doing everything I
can to make it a peaceful home
00:13:16.16\00:13:20.80
and to make it a beautiful home
00:13:20.83\00:13:23.47
for Christ to
live in, and me in Him.
00:13:23.50\00:13:25.57
So I got two takeaways.
00:13:25.60\00:13:26.94
One is bearing fruit,
and then of course, abiding.
00:13:26.97\00:13:32.34
And also we read in Isaiah
00:13:32.37\00:13:34.11
how God's purpose
for the people of Israel
00:13:34.14\00:13:36.78
was to bear fruits and
even the restorer of Israel
00:13:36.81\00:13:39.91
is to bear fruit.
00:13:39.95\00:13:41.98
So there's two things
God's trying to tell us.
00:13:42.02\00:13:43.92
One is we're to bear fruit
00:13:43.95\00:13:45.29
and but the most important thing
00:13:45.32\00:13:46.65
is how do we bear fruit.
00:13:46.69\00:13:48.59
And I think that's what
we're going to develop here is
00:13:48.62\00:13:50.29
the abiding to bear fruit.
00:13:50.33\00:13:52.39
Sure.
00:13:52.43\00:13:53.76
And then I want to add to that.
00:13:53.80\00:13:55.13
You asked the scripture,
which scripture pops out?
00:13:55.16\00:13:56.77
For me, it's verse 5.
00:13:56.80\00:13:58.13
Amen.
00:13:58.17\00:13:59.50
And then the reason why
that is I believe is that,
00:13:59.53\00:14:00.87
you know, we
live in a world today
00:14:00.90\00:14:02.37
where people have
this gospel mentality of,
00:14:02.40\00:14:04.27
you know, Christ...
00:14:04.31\00:14:05.64
Could you read verse 5
again 'cause some people
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.01
may not have heard?
00:14:07.04\00:14:08.38
Okay, so verse 5,
Jesus is speaking here,
00:14:08.41\00:14:09.74
He says, "I am the
vine, you are the branches,
00:14:09.78\00:14:11.58
he who abides in Me and
I in him bears much fruit
00:14:11.61\00:14:15.48
for without me
you can do nothing."
00:14:15.52\00:14:18.25
And while all of
that is so important,
00:14:18.29\00:14:20.06
the part that sticks out
to me is that last part there,
00:14:20.09\00:14:22.22
"Without Me you can do nothing"
00:14:22.26\00:14:23.59
because again,
there's a lot of people
00:14:23.63\00:14:24.96
that have this gospel mentality,
00:14:24.99\00:14:26.33
this approach that
well Christ does part of it,
00:14:26.36\00:14:29.83
and I make up for
the other part or,
00:14:29.86\00:14:31.67
you know, I
work a little harder.
00:14:31.70\00:14:34.10
And what I can't do,
Jesus kind of does the rest,
00:14:34.14\00:14:36.27
that's not how it works.
00:14:36.30\00:14:37.74
Jesus does it all.
Jesus does that work.
00:14:37.77\00:14:39.94
He completes that work in me.
00:14:39.97\00:14:41.58
Now I don't want to,
00:14:41.61\00:14:43.35
you know, put down the fact
00:14:43.38\00:14:44.98
that we do have a
responsibility to surrender.
00:14:45.01\00:14:46.98
Amen.
00:14:47.02\00:14:48.35
And that the do that we
do is that we surrender,
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.12
the works that we do is that
00:14:50.15\00:14:51.49
we are in
constant surrender to Him.
00:14:51.52\00:14:53.69
Can I make a little caveat
00:14:53.72\00:14:55.36
'cause I've always said
that and now I changed that.
00:14:55.39\00:14:59.36
The do that we do is to dwell
00:14:59.39\00:15:02.53
to stay in
relationship with Him,
00:15:02.56\00:15:04.93
to abide because I can't
even surrender on my own.
00:15:04.97\00:15:09.37
Apart from
Jesus, I can do nothing.
00:15:09.40\00:15:13.21
So to me what
Jesus says is come to Me.
00:15:13.24\00:15:18.15
You know, I'm
going to work in you
00:15:18.18\00:15:19.51
to will and to do
your good pleasure.
00:15:19.55\00:15:21.88
Apart from me,
you can do nothing.
00:15:21.92\00:15:26.02
But Philippians 4:13,
00:15:26.05\00:15:28.62
"With Him, we can do all things
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.89
through Him who strengthens us."
00:15:31.93\00:15:33.26
That's right.
00:15:33.29\00:15:35.50
So that to me is
00:15:35.53\00:15:38.10
it's changed
the way I've thought
00:15:38.13\00:15:39.77
'cause I worked so hard
on surrender all my life.
00:15:39.80\00:15:44.74
And I beat myself up
when I felt like I wasn't.
00:15:44.77\00:15:48.41
And I love what
Ellen G. White said.
00:15:48.44\00:15:52.21
There's one
place where she said,
00:15:52.25\00:15:53.78
"Lord, take my
heart, for I can't give it."
00:15:53.82\00:15:58.25
And when you think about that,
00:15:58.29\00:16:00.26
you know, I think we
spend a whole lot of time
00:16:00.29\00:16:02.72
working on
surrender when all God says
00:16:02.76\00:16:05.76
is John 17:3,
00:16:05.79\00:16:07.70
this is eternal
life that you may know me
00:16:07.73\00:16:09.96
in an intimate way.
00:16:10.00\00:16:11.60
And the one, you know,
00:16:11.63\00:16:13.20
know God and the
one whom He sent.
00:16:13.23\00:16:15.40
So that's to me...
00:16:15.44\00:16:18.54
This has helped me so much
because what He asks of me,
00:16:18.57\00:16:22.94
He says, "Abide in my
words, My word abide in you."
00:16:22.98\00:16:26.35
So all we have to
do, spend time in prayer,
00:16:26.38\00:16:30.32
spend time in the
word, God will then...
00:16:30.35\00:16:35.12
We love Him
'cause He first loved us.
00:16:35.16\00:16:37.19
And all of a sudden,
00:16:37.23\00:16:38.83
everything else
starts happening.
00:16:38.86\00:16:40.73
That's right.
00:16:40.76\00:16:42.10
See, I think verse
9 is the one that...
00:16:42.13\00:16:43.77
I agree with
everything you just all said.
00:16:43.80\00:16:46.03
And to me verse
9 wraps it all up
00:16:46.07\00:16:48.50
because it says,
00:16:48.54\00:16:49.87
"As the Father loved
Me, I also have loved you.
00:16:49.90\00:16:53.81
Abide in My love."
00:16:53.84\00:16:56.51
When you love
someone, you do abide in them,
00:16:56.54\00:17:00.45
you dwell in that love
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.08
and then you want to
do all the rest of it,
00:17:03.12\00:17:04.72
you want to surrender,
00:17:04.75\00:17:06.25
you want to be a part of them,
00:17:06.29\00:17:07.86
you want to be one.
00:17:07.89\00:17:09.52
So to me, everything
you said is absolutely right
00:17:09.56\00:17:12.29
but that's the
one that ties it up.
00:17:12.33\00:17:15.30
If I will stay in
that love relationship,
00:17:15.33\00:17:19.63
then I can put the
rest of it together.
00:17:19.67\00:17:23.97
To me, the love
comes first and then...
00:17:24.01\00:17:26.68
And you know what?
Follow that through.
00:17:26.71\00:17:29.04
Go ahead and read
the next verse as well,
00:17:29.08\00:17:32.05
verse 10.
00:17:32.08\00:17:33.42
"If you keep my commandments,
you will abide in My love,
00:17:33.45\00:17:36.52
just as I have kept
my Father's commandments
00:17:36.55\00:17:39.02
and abide in His love."
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.12
We've been discussing this
00:17:41.16\00:17:42.49
in our Sabbath
school class talking about
00:17:42.52\00:17:45.13
and there's been other
places I've been hearing it,
00:17:45.16\00:17:47.23
it's 10
commandments of freedom to me.
00:17:47.26\00:17:50.17
When you walk in
God's commandments,
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.54
you have complete freedom.
00:17:53.57\00:17:55.27
And the Bible
talks about running
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.97
and accomplishing
things and being free.
00:17:58.01\00:18:00.61
When I walk in the commandments,
00:18:00.64\00:18:03.51
I have wide open spaces.
00:18:03.55\00:18:05.45
I can run, I am free to
live my life to the fullest
00:18:05.48\00:18:09.98
and completely without binds.
00:18:10.02\00:18:12.92
When it is Satan
who puts you in the box,
00:18:12.95\00:18:16.89
Satan is the one who,
00:18:16.93\00:18:19.46
when you step out
of God's commandments,
00:18:19.49\00:18:22.46
His freedom,
00:18:22.50\00:18:23.83
it's when you get trapped
and you can't enjoy life,
00:18:23.87\00:18:27.14
you can't do anything.
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.50
He binds you up in
one way or another.
00:18:28.54\00:18:30.47
And I don't care if it's
because you're a workaholic
00:18:30.51\00:18:32.54
or a drug addict,
00:18:32.57\00:18:33.91
it doesn't make any
difference which way you go.
00:18:33.94\00:18:36.91
Satan is going to
bind you in something,
00:18:36.95\00:18:39.88
and it doesn't
have to be illegal.
00:18:39.91\00:18:41.82
You may not even
know that you're bound up
00:18:41.85\00:18:44.29
but you're bound up in something
00:18:44.32\00:18:46.15
unless you're walking
00:18:46.19\00:18:47.52
in the freedom of
God's commandments
00:18:47.56\00:18:48.92
that gives you the
no horizon whatsoever,
00:18:48.96\00:18:51.79
it's forever.
00:18:51.83\00:18:53.16
Amen and Amen.
00:18:53.19\00:18:54.53
Let's look at 1 John 4
00:18:54.56\00:18:58.50
because we're
talking about abiding.
00:18:58.53\00:19:01.80
And, you know, to
me the book of 1 John,
00:19:01.84\00:19:05.51
and I know I didn't
put this in the notes here.
00:19:05.54\00:19:07.44
But 1 John is
00:19:07.48\00:19:12.05
one of the best books
00:19:12.08\00:19:13.42
if you want to
learn how to abide,
00:19:13.45\00:19:16.28
just read 1 John.
00:19:16.32\00:19:17.65
So 1 John 4.
00:19:17.69\00:19:21.46
And, JD, why
don't you take verse 12.
00:19:21.49\00:19:25.19
1 John 4:12.
00:19:28.76\00:19:31.27
"No one has
seen God at any time.
00:19:31.30\00:19:34.14
And if we do not
love one another..."
00:19:34.17\00:19:36.37
If we love one another.
00:19:36.40\00:19:37.74
"If we love one
another, God abides in us,
00:19:37.77\00:19:40.48
and His love has
been perfected in us."
00:19:40.51\00:19:43.04
Okay. Amen.
00:19:43.08\00:19:44.41
So when you think about this,
00:19:44.45\00:19:48.52
when He says, if
we love one another,
00:19:48.55\00:19:52.49
God's in us
because God is love, right?
00:19:52.52\00:19:56.09
So that's one of
the abiding things is,
00:19:56.12\00:19:59.03
and we're going to get to that.
00:19:59.06\00:20:00.60
But, Tim, why
don't you take verse 13.
00:20:00.63\00:20:03.73
Yeah.
00:20:03.77\00:20:05.10
"By this we come to know,
00:20:05.13\00:20:06.47
perceive,
recognize, and understand
00:20:06.50\00:20:08.90
that we abide in
Him and He in us,
00:20:08.94\00:20:12.11
because He has
given imparted to us
00:20:12.14\00:20:14.88
of His Holy Spirit."
00:20:14.91\00:20:16.24
Okay.
00:20:16.28\00:20:17.61
So in other
words, to come to God
00:20:17.65\00:20:19.21
as John 1:12 said that,
00:20:19.25\00:20:21.68
you know, where Jesus
said, as many as received Him,
00:20:21.72\00:20:25.72
He gave him the right
to become the children.
00:20:25.75\00:20:28.02
So you have to accept
Christ as your Savior,
00:20:28.06\00:20:30.26
obviously, and your Lord.
00:20:30.29\00:20:32.59
You know, so often we talk about
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.43
accepting Christ as Savior.
00:20:34.46\00:20:36.56
And people forget He's
supposed to be our Lord,
00:20:36.60\00:20:39.23
as well that we walk.
00:20:39.27\00:20:41.84
But once we've
made that commitment,
00:20:41.87\00:20:45.27
what's the next thing to
know we're abiding in Him?
00:20:45.31\00:20:49.08
Holy Spirit.
00:20:49.11\00:20:50.91
And what does Romans 5:5 say?
00:20:50.95\00:20:53.75
That He pours out His love in us
00:20:53.78\00:20:57.29
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:20:57.32\00:20:58.65
Yeah.
00:20:58.69\00:21:00.02
I love what
you're going with this
00:21:00.06\00:21:01.39
because when we were in John 15,
00:21:01.42\00:21:02.76
that's kind of where we started
00:21:02.79\00:21:04.36
and then we got into
this how do we abide,
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.26
what does it mean
to abide, John 14, 15,
00:21:06.29\00:21:08.73
we quote that verse off.
00:21:08.76\00:21:10.10
Oh yeah.
00:21:10.13\00:21:11.47
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:21:11.50\00:21:13.74
But then one must ask,
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.10
"Lord, how can I
have the strength?
00:21:15.14\00:21:17.81
How can I have the
ability in and of myself,
00:21:17.84\00:21:19.41
I can't keep the
commandments in and of myself,
00:21:19.44\00:21:21.31
I can't muster up the fortitude
00:21:21.34\00:21:22.98
or the strength or
the ability to do so."
00:21:23.01\00:21:24.78
But Jesus answers the question
in the very following verse.
00:21:24.81\00:21:28.18
Notice the
following verses there,
00:21:28.22\00:21:29.55
John 14:16.
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.72
So we just read in verse 15,
00:21:32.75\00:21:34.42
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:21:34.46\00:21:35.79
Notice verse 16,
His response to that,
00:21:35.82\00:21:38.13
"And I will pray the Father,
00:21:38.16\00:21:39.86
and He will give
you another Helper,
00:21:39.89\00:21:41.93
that He may abide..."
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.30
Notice, there it is.
00:21:43.33\00:21:44.67
"That He may
abide with you forever,
00:21:44.70\00:21:46.30
the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive,
00:21:46.33\00:21:48.64
because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him,
00:21:48.67\00:21:50.27
but you know Him,
for He dwells with you
00:21:50.31\00:21:52.94
and will be with you."
00:21:52.97\00:21:54.61
So that's amazing that God says,
00:21:54.64\00:21:56.48
"You know what, if you
love Me, keep My commandments."
00:21:56.51\00:21:58.18
But how can I?
00:21:58.21\00:21:59.55
He says, I'm
going to pray for you,
00:21:59.58\00:22:00.92
I'm going to
send you a comforter.
00:22:00.95\00:22:02.28
It's by the power
of the Holy Spirit
00:22:02.32\00:22:03.65
that that abiding
love can dwell within you.
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.82
I love that. I love that.
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.59
Okay, so now, let's
continue in 1 John 4.
00:22:07.62\00:22:12.29
And we'll look at verse 14.
00:22:12.33\00:22:17.53
John says,
"We've seen and testify
00:22:17.57\00:22:19.83
that the Father has sent
00:22:19.87\00:22:21.20
the Son as Savior of the world."
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.94
Verse 15, "Whoever confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God,
00:22:23.97\00:22:29.68
God abides in
him, and he in God."
00:22:29.71\00:22:33.48
So I think part of our...
00:22:33.52\00:22:38.45
We talk about being
professing to be Christians,
00:22:38.49\00:22:41.79
there are people who
say they're Christian,
00:22:41.82\00:22:43.53
they're not.
00:22:43.56\00:22:45.16
I mean, you know,
00:22:45.19\00:22:46.53
maybe they are a
member of a certain church,
00:22:46.56\00:22:48.46
but that doesn't
make you a Christian.
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.67
And sometimes,
I'll hear people say,
00:22:50.70\00:22:53.67
"Well, I'm a fourth generation
Seventh-day Adventist."
00:22:53.70\00:22:57.71
And I'll say,
00:22:57.74\00:22:59.07
"Well, are you a
fourth generation
00:22:59.11\00:23:00.48
Seventh-day
Adventist Christian?"
00:23:00.51\00:23:02.48
Because just because you
have a heritage and a culture
00:23:02.51\00:23:07.42
within any denomination
doesn't make you a Christian,
00:23:07.45\00:23:10.49
it's only when
you've got that abiding.
00:23:10.52\00:23:14.92
But I think that when we confess
00:23:14.96\00:23:18.83
with our mouth
that Christ is Lord,
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.96
and the
scripture says, you know,
00:23:22.00\00:23:24.03
you believe in your heart,
00:23:24.07\00:23:25.87
confess with your
mouth and you're saved,
00:23:25.90\00:23:27.97
because if we really understand
00:23:28.00\00:23:31.51
that Jesus is God,
00:23:31.54\00:23:35.24
I mean, God came down
00:23:35.28\00:23:36.61
and the person of
Jesus Christ died for us.
00:23:36.64\00:23:40.68
I think that you
can't help but abide in Him.
00:23:40.72\00:23:43.12
So what does verse 16 say, Gary?
00:23:43.15\00:23:46.72
Oh yes.
00:23:46.76\00:23:49.02
This is from
Good News Translation.
00:23:49.06\00:23:50.79
"And we
ourselves know and believe
00:23:50.83\00:23:52.63
the love which God has for us.
00:23:52.66\00:23:55.30
God is love,
00:23:55.33\00:23:56.67
and those who live in
love live in union with God
00:23:56.70\00:24:00.00
and God lives in
union with them."
00:24:00.04\00:24:02.84
Yeah, and in a way
New King James says
00:24:02.87\00:24:05.27
"He who abides in
love abides in God,
00:24:05.31\00:24:08.88
and God in him."
00:24:08.91\00:24:10.25
So there's
another word for abide.
00:24:10.28\00:24:12.21
It's that heart
to heart connection
00:24:12.25\00:24:15.75
with the Lord, right?
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.12
Absolutely.
00:24:17.15\00:24:18.49
Now let's look at,
00:24:18.52\00:24:20.06
to go with what
you were talking about,
00:24:20.09\00:24:22.22
how about 1 John 3:24.
00:24:22.26\00:24:26.39
And I'll let you take that one,
Ryan, since you brought up...
00:24:26.43\00:24:30.23
1 John 3:24, says
00:24:30.27\00:24:34.80
"Now he who keeps His
commandments abides in him,
00:24:34.84\00:24:39.04
and He in him.
00:24:39.07\00:24:40.64
And by this we know
that He abides in us,
00:24:40.68\00:24:43.58
by the Spirit
whom He has given us."
00:24:43.61\00:24:46.41
So the question is,
00:24:46.45\00:24:48.32
can we say we
are abiding in Christ
00:24:48.35\00:24:52.42
if we're not
following God's commandments?
00:24:52.45\00:24:56.96
Can I read this?
00:24:56.99\00:24:58.33
Yes, please do. I
have the Amplified.
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.13
"All who keep His commandments,
00:25:00.16\00:25:01.70
who obey His orders
and follow His plan,
00:25:01.73\00:25:04.83
live and continue to
live, to stay and abide in Him,
00:25:04.87\00:25:09.27
and He in them.
00:25:09.30\00:25:10.74
They let Christ
be a home to them,
00:25:10.77\00:25:13.07
and they are
the home of Christ."
00:25:13.11\00:25:14.44
Amen.
00:25:14.48\00:25:15.81
I remember, I've got to
get my Amplified back out.
00:25:15.84\00:25:18.15
I love this.
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.52
Isn't that beautiful? Yes.
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.32
So the question is
00:25:22.35\00:25:24.25
can we say that we
are abiding in Christ
00:25:24.29\00:25:28.59
if we are not
walking in His commandments?
00:25:28.62\00:25:30.73
Absolutely not. All right.
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.93
And one of His
commandments was John 15:12,
00:25:32.96\00:25:35.80
He said this commandment
00:25:35.83\00:25:37.17
that I've given you
that you love one another.
00:25:37.20\00:25:39.50
So, honey, why don't
you read 1 John 2:24.
00:25:39.53\00:25:45.07
1 John 2:24.
00:25:45.11\00:25:47.51
Let's see here, 1 John 2:24.
00:25:47.54\00:25:50.21
"Therefore let that abide in you
00:25:53.75\00:25:55.72
what you heard
from the beginning.
00:25:55.75\00:25:57.85
If what you heard from
the beginning abides in you,
00:25:57.89\00:26:01.36
you also will abide in
the Son and in the Father."
00:26:01.39\00:26:04.79
So what's He talking about here?
00:26:04.83\00:26:08.23
I mean, isn't it basically,
00:26:08.26\00:26:11.23
that we continue to
believe in the gospel?
00:26:11.27\00:26:14.04
What did they hear
from the beginning?
00:26:14.07\00:26:15.97
Righteousness by faith,
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:26:16.00\00:26:18.94
Sure.
00:26:18.97\00:26:20.31
So as long as we stay in
that, we will abide in Him.
00:26:20.34\00:26:25.35
As soon as we think we
can earn our way to heaven.
00:26:25.38\00:26:28.78
See, we don't earn salvation
through obedience, do we?
00:26:28.82\00:26:32.15
Absolutely not. No. But...
00:26:32.19\00:26:34.29
If you're not
abiding in the Lord,
00:26:34.32\00:26:36.06
if you're not abiding in
Him and have this relationship,
00:26:36.09\00:26:39.86
you're simply
following your own religion.
00:26:39.89\00:26:42.86
Absolutely.
00:26:42.90\00:26:44.23
You're deciding what religion is
00:26:44.27\00:26:46.74
and you're defining
God in your small mind
00:26:46.77\00:26:52.34
and following your own religion,
00:26:52.37\00:26:54.08
you're not abiding or
living in Christ religion.
00:26:54.11\00:26:58.05
Amen.
00:26:58.08\00:26:59.41
And God's promise is
if we're abiding in Him,
00:26:59.45\00:27:01.72
He's gonna give us the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:27:01.75\00:27:04.45
And the Holy Spirit is the
one that affects in our life
00:27:04.49\00:27:06.65
the ability to overcome sin.
00:27:06.69\00:27:09.79
Ellen White says in
chapter 73 of Desire of Ages,
00:27:09.82\00:27:13.29
"Sin could be
resisted and overcome
00:27:13.33\00:27:14.96
only through the mighty agency
00:27:15.00\00:27:16.36
of the Third
Person of the God head,
00:27:16.40\00:27:18.17
who would come
with no modified energy,
00:27:18.20\00:27:19.93
but in the fullness
of the divine power.
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.40
It is the spirit
that makes effective
00:27:22.44\00:27:24.01
what was wrought out
by the world's Redeemer."
00:27:24.04\00:27:27.74
So what Jesus did
by dying on the cross
00:27:27.78\00:27:29.44
is wrought out in our life
00:27:29.48\00:27:30.81
through the power
of the Holy Spirit
00:27:30.85\00:27:32.18
as we abide in Him.
00:27:32.21\00:27:33.78
So when it says, you know,
00:27:33.82\00:27:35.15
if we abide in Him,
we keep the commandments,
00:27:35.18\00:27:36.75
again, we're not the
ones that are trying to do,
00:27:36.79\00:27:39.92
you know, keep the
Sabbath holy on our own power,
00:27:39.95\00:27:43.12
or love our
neighbor on our own power,
00:27:43.16\00:27:45.29
it's because we
have a love of God
00:27:45.33\00:27:46.66
through His Spirit who
is working it out in us.
00:27:46.70\00:27:48.33
Absolutely. That's true.
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.07
You know, I always... Amen.
00:27:50.10\00:27:51.43
I said this once
00:27:51.47\00:27:52.80
and I had somebody
get really upset with me.
00:27:52.83\00:27:57.04
Mark 12:30, the
greatest commandment is
00:27:57.07\00:27:59.34
"Love the Lord your God
00:27:59.37\00:28:00.71
with all your heart,
soul, mind and strength."
00:28:00.74\00:28:02.74
And I said, "I can't do it."
00:28:02.78\00:28:05.45
I can't do that on my own.
00:28:05.48\00:28:07.08
Right.
00:28:07.12\00:28:08.45
The only way I
can do it is when...
00:28:08.48\00:28:10.29
Or love my neighbor as myself,
00:28:10.32\00:28:12.05
the only way I can do that
is if God is working in me,
00:28:12.09\00:28:15.02
if He's poured His love.
00:28:15.06\00:28:16.52
And somebody said,
"Well, I love God."
00:28:16.56\00:28:19.53
I don't know why you said
that, that makes you sound.
00:28:19.56\00:28:21.93
And I said, "Do you love
Him with all of your strength?"
00:28:21.96\00:28:26.37
I mean, you know, you can say,
00:28:26.40\00:28:27.74
"Oh, I love you
with all of my heart.
00:28:27.77\00:28:29.10
Excuse me, Lord,
I'm so busy over here."
00:28:29.14\00:28:31.84
If we really love God the
way we're supposed to love God,
00:28:31.87\00:28:35.61
the only way we can do that
00:28:35.64\00:28:36.98
when He pours His love
into our heart, isn't it?
00:28:37.01\00:28:40.98
All right, let's go
back for just one second
00:28:41.02\00:28:42.88
'cause I want to ask
this question in John 15.
00:28:42.92\00:28:47.86
What does Jesus mean
00:28:47.89\00:28:51.73
when He says...
00:28:51.76\00:28:54.26
Where is it?
00:28:54.30\00:28:55.63
Now if I can find it,
what does He talk about...
00:28:59.53\00:29:01.34
Oh, here, verse 3.
00:29:01.37\00:29:03.30
"You are already clean
00:29:03.34\00:29:05.87
because of the word
which I've spoken to you."
00:29:05.91\00:29:08.64
What does He mean?
00:29:08.68\00:29:11.35
You've already
chosen to be a Christian,
00:29:11.38\00:29:13.82
He's talking about...
00:29:13.85\00:29:16.58
If He's talking
to the disciples,
00:29:16.62\00:29:18.25
He's walking along with them.
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.06
They've already
chosen to be Christians,
00:29:20.09\00:29:21.49
they've already chosen Him,
00:29:21.52\00:29:22.86
they've already
chosen their life.
00:29:22.89\00:29:24.49
So you're clean
because of the word.
00:29:24.53\00:29:26.23
That's what you've chosen.
00:29:26.26\00:29:27.73
But then what comes
after what you've chosen?
00:29:27.76\00:29:31.07
Yeah, you know, I
think of John 17:17
00:29:31.10\00:29:33.44
where He said,
"Sanctify them by your truth.
00:29:33.47\00:29:35.50
Your word is truth."
00:29:35.54\00:29:36.91
That's that prayer.
00:29:36.94\00:29:38.47
In Ephesians 5:25,
00:29:38.51\00:29:41.78
Paul talks about the washing
00:29:41.81\00:29:43.85
of water by the word, you know,
00:29:43.88\00:29:45.81
that Jesus gave
Himself up for His church.
00:29:45.85\00:29:51.15
And He talks about
00:29:51.19\00:29:52.52
how He sanctified
her and cleansed her
00:29:52.55\00:29:56.06
with the washing of
the water by the word.
00:29:56.09\00:30:00.20
You know, when
you think about it,
00:30:00.23\00:30:03.00
the word...
00:30:03.03\00:30:04.63
I kind of want to
mix a metaphor here.
00:30:04.67\00:30:08.37
We usually think of water
00:30:08.40\00:30:10.11
as the living
water, the Holy Spirit.
00:30:10.14\00:30:13.44
But the word is also
00:30:13.48\00:30:15.51
the washing of
water by the word,
00:30:15.54\00:30:18.38
I think of kind of like
the word is like the soap
00:30:18.41\00:30:24.49
and the Holy Spirit is like
00:30:24.52\00:30:28.36
washing the water with that.
00:30:28.39\00:30:31.29
So He says
right here in verse 7,
00:30:31.33\00:30:36.43
"If you abide in Me,
00:30:36.46\00:30:39.13
and My words abide in you,
00:30:39.17\00:30:43.84
ask what you desire,
it shall be done for you."
00:30:43.87\00:30:47.08
So there is
something, isn't there,
00:30:47.11\00:30:50.71
that as far as our part
of staying in relationship,
00:30:50.75\00:30:54.48
if we don't stay
in the word of God,
00:30:54.52\00:30:57.65
let God's word do a work in us.
00:30:57.69\00:30:59.62
Sure. Absolutely.
00:30:59.65\00:31:01.32
You know, I
think of the scripture,
00:31:01.36\00:31:03.02
I believe it's over
in the Book of Hebrews,
00:31:03.06\00:31:04.49
it talks about the word of God
00:31:04.53\00:31:06.06
being sharper than
any two-edged sword.
00:31:06.09\00:31:09.30
And so, you know,
00:31:09.33\00:31:10.80
we're talking about
on the same theme here,
00:31:10.83\00:31:13.20
you know, we're
talking about the vinedresser,
00:31:13.23\00:31:16.14
who would be the Father,
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.57
He's going to do the
cutting, and the pruning.
00:31:17.61\00:31:19.54
And the word in
the original Greek
00:31:19.57\00:31:21.14
here is to clean,
00:31:21.18\00:31:24.21
to basically purge
that person from sin.
00:31:24.25\00:31:27.22
That's basically what
the pruning process is,
00:31:27.25\00:31:29.72
but what is it
that does the cleaning,
00:31:29.75\00:31:31.15
what is it that
does the cutting,
00:31:31.19\00:31:32.62
obviously that two-edged
sword, the Word of God,
00:31:32.65\00:31:34.96
in this case is
of course that tool
00:31:34.99\00:31:38.63
that is being used to cleanse us
00:31:38.66\00:31:40.36
or to purge us from our sin,
00:31:40.40\00:31:43.30
hopefully to that
we may reach a state
00:31:43.33\00:31:45.63
in which we are
bearing much fruit
00:31:45.67\00:31:47.54
according to this
particular passage.
00:31:47.57\00:31:50.14
Okay, so let's get
00:31:50.17\00:31:51.51
into the difficult
part of this passage.
00:31:51.54\00:31:52.87
We want to come
back in just a minute
00:31:52.91\00:31:54.88
with another thought.
00:31:54.91\00:31:56.24
But verse 6,
00:31:56.28\00:31:57.85
"If anyone does not abide in Me,
00:31:57.88\00:32:01.78
he is cast out as a
branch and is withered,
00:32:01.82\00:32:06.32
and they gather them and
throw them into the fire,
00:32:06.35\00:32:09.82
and they are burned."
00:32:09.86\00:32:11.66
It's not enough just to
choose to be a Christian,
00:32:11.69\00:32:14.63
being a Christian
is a relationship,
00:32:14.66\00:32:17.13
it's a growth.
00:32:17.17\00:32:19.07
And so you can
choose to be a Christian
00:32:19.10\00:32:22.50
and you can...
00:32:22.54\00:32:23.87
You can become a
branch in the Lord
00:32:23.91\00:32:28.68
but if you do not allow Him
00:32:28.71\00:32:31.01
to dress you,
groom you, grow with you,
00:32:31.05\00:32:34.95
you're going to die.
00:32:34.98\00:32:37.49
Nothing just sits
there doing nothing,
00:32:37.52\00:32:40.39
you're growing or you're dying.
00:32:40.42\00:32:42.56
So once you become...
00:32:42.59\00:32:46.09
If you're not able to let
Him prune you, and groom you,
00:32:46.13\00:32:50.10
and dress you to bear fruit,
00:32:50.13\00:32:53.03
you're going to
wither up and die.
00:32:53.07\00:32:55.77
You're growing backwards
out of Christ, you're not...
00:32:55.80\00:32:59.34
So you're saying we can't
just make a casual confession,
00:32:59.37\00:33:02.78
a onetime saying like,
00:33:02.81\00:33:04.28
"I accept Christ as my Savior."
00:33:04.31\00:33:06.11
No.
00:33:06.15\00:33:07.48
And then not abide in Him
or we just become a dead branch
00:33:07.52\00:33:10.39
that the vinedressers
going to cut off, right?
00:33:10.42\00:33:12.69
Well, if you go
back to where we started,
00:33:12.72\00:33:15.76
the setting is the 12 disciples,
00:33:15.79\00:33:17.76
you have 11 that are
surrendering to Christ,
00:33:17.79\00:33:21.73
they're allowing Him
to lead in their lives
00:33:21.76\00:33:23.33
and you have
Judas on the other hand
00:33:23.37\00:33:24.93
who's with Christ every day,
00:33:24.97\00:33:27.07
just as the other ones are,
00:33:27.10\00:33:28.57
professing some
of the same things
00:33:28.60\00:33:30.21
that they are.
00:33:30.24\00:33:31.64
But what's the difference?
00:33:31.67\00:33:33.21
Why is he then
rejected and the others are not?
00:33:33.24\00:33:38.48
That's a powerful point
00:33:38.51\00:33:39.85
because when you look at
the gospels across the board
00:33:39.88\00:33:42.82
and compare it to John,
00:33:42.85\00:33:44.25
when they're
sitting around that table,
00:33:44.29\00:33:45.95
and Jesus makes
the announcement,
00:33:45.99\00:33:48.09
"One of you is
going to betray me."
00:33:48.12\00:33:50.99
The other gospels say
that the disciples say
00:33:51.03\00:33:53.19
to one another, "Is it I?
00:33:53.23\00:33:54.56
Is it I? Is it I?"
00:33:54.60\00:33:56.93
Now that's a powerful point
00:33:56.97\00:33:58.30
because when you consider Judas,
00:33:58.33\00:33:59.87
and I'm glad you went there,
00:33:59.90\00:34:01.44
there was nothing
manifestly obvious in his life,
00:34:01.47\00:34:05.91
and in his
character, and behavior
00:34:05.94\00:34:08.98
that distinguished
him as a false disciple.
00:34:09.01\00:34:12.58
Otherwise, they would
not have all been sitting
00:34:12.61\00:34:14.08
around the table
saying "Is it me?
00:34:14.12\00:34:15.45
Is it me? Is it you?"
00:34:15.48\00:34:16.82
You know, they all
seem to be confused.
00:34:16.85\00:34:18.55
But yet there's
one among them that,
00:34:18.59\00:34:20.12
as you said, is with Jesus.
00:34:20.16\00:34:21.72
And so my question kind
of along the same theme is
00:34:21.76\00:34:24.23
is it possible to be with
Jesus but not be in Jesus?
00:34:24.26\00:34:29.46
Amen. That's good.
You know, is it possible?
00:34:29.50\00:34:31.07
And that's the thing I think
00:34:31.10\00:34:32.43
that the bulk of
what Christ is saying here
00:34:32.47\00:34:34.40
is that, you know,
there are a lot of branches
00:34:34.44\00:34:36.50
and they grow from
that vine, but, you know,
00:34:36.54\00:34:38.87
some of them
don't bear the fruit.
00:34:38.91\00:34:40.48
And in this case,
00:34:40.51\00:34:41.84
Judas was that bad
branch that, of course,
00:34:41.88\00:34:44.65
ultimately was
cut away or removed.
00:34:44.68\00:34:47.78
So Jesus was
actually warning them
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.35
that they needed to abide in Him
00:34:49.38\00:34:51.75
and the Holy Spirit so
that they could bear fruit
00:34:51.79\00:34:53.69
otherwise they
were gonna be removed.
00:34:53.72\00:34:55.06
And it's interesting
that the spirit aspect here,
00:34:55.09\00:34:57.99
the 12 disciples,
00:34:58.03\00:34:59.36
although we know
that they were going to
00:34:59.39\00:35:01.33
basically betray
Jesus in their own way
00:35:01.36\00:35:03.03
and kind of run and scatter.
00:35:03.06\00:35:04.97
But it's interesting
that Judas had come to a point
00:35:05.00\00:35:07.30
instead of being
surrendered to that Holy Spirit
00:35:07.34\00:35:09.40
that gives us
the power to abide.
00:35:09.44\00:35:11.44
Bible says that the
spirit of Satan entered him.
00:35:11.47\00:35:14.41
So when we come to
a point in our life
00:35:14.44\00:35:15.94
where we're not
completely surrendered,
00:35:15.98\00:35:17.71
where the Holy
Spirit that we've created
00:35:17.75\00:35:19.85
that spiritual
callus on our ears
00:35:19.88\00:35:21.38
where we're just completely,
00:35:21.42\00:35:23.35
you know,
rejecting the Spirit of God,
00:35:23.39\00:35:25.69
then that brings
us that much closer
00:35:25.72\00:35:28.72
to the reality
and the possibility
00:35:28.76\00:35:30.83
to be led by the wrong spirit.
00:35:30.86\00:35:32.39
Absolutely.
00:35:32.43\00:35:33.76
And, you know,
it's the same thing
00:35:33.80\00:35:35.13
when we try to save
ourselves, you know,
00:35:35.16\00:35:37.20
people who begin to feel like
00:35:37.23\00:35:39.63
when you're talking
about being with Jesus,
00:35:39.67\00:35:41.97
you can be going to church,
00:35:42.00\00:35:44.04
you can be mustering up
all the strength you can to try
00:35:44.07\00:35:48.74
to obey His commandments.
00:35:48.78\00:35:51.05
And if you're doing
this out of a prideful,
00:35:51.08\00:35:55.55
I mean, like, you think,
"Oh, I'm holier than now"
00:35:55.58\00:35:59.22
type thing and
beating on your chest,
00:35:59.25\00:36:04.33
you may be in
the vicinity of Jesus
00:36:04.36\00:36:07.23
but you're not in Jesus.
00:36:07.26\00:36:09.20
Sure.
00:36:09.23\00:36:10.57
Because if you're in
the vine, you know...
00:36:10.60\00:36:13.20
Here's something that
Lord gave me a long time ago,
00:36:13.23\00:36:16.14
and it sounds sophomoreish
but I still like it.
00:36:16.17\00:36:20.28
Why is when a branch is in
living union with the vine,
00:36:20.31\00:36:24.45
what is it
getting from the vine?
00:36:24.48\00:36:27.05
Sap. Nourishment.
00:36:27.08\00:36:28.42
Yes, sap.
00:36:28.45\00:36:29.78
I think of sap as the
spirits' anointing power.
00:36:29.82\00:36:35.42
So it's as Jesus, the vine,
00:36:35.46\00:36:38.53
the Holy Spirit
comes to us through Him,
00:36:38.56\00:36:41.33
that's what keeps us alive.
00:36:41.36\00:36:43.80
And if we are trying to
do this in our own strength,
00:36:43.83\00:36:49.37
what do you say
00:36:49.40\00:36:50.74
apart from me
you can do nothing.
00:36:50.77\00:36:53.14
If you're feeding yourself
00:36:53.17\00:36:54.84
and if you're not
bound into the vine
00:36:54.88\00:36:58.68
and allow the sap
to feed you from Jesus,
00:36:58.71\00:37:02.68
from the Holy Spirit
and you're feeding yourself,
00:37:02.72\00:37:06.52
you're gonna die of starvation.
00:37:06.55\00:37:10.19
Practical application,
00:37:10.23\00:37:11.56
this week I was
speaking. to someone
00:37:11.59\00:37:12.93
who is a Sunday school
teacher of high school students.
00:37:12.96\00:37:16.16
And he was
complaining how it's really hard
00:37:16.20\00:37:18.93
to get the children to
appreciate and pay attention
00:37:18.97\00:37:22.57
if the parents are only going
to church for church service.
00:37:22.60\00:37:27.14
He was saying
they should be there
00:37:27.18\00:37:28.51
for the Sunday school,
00:37:28.54\00:37:29.88
in which we
believe in, Sabbath school.
00:37:29.91\00:37:32.58
But I said,
00:37:32.61\00:37:33.95
"You know, you should
take it even a step further."
00:37:33.98\00:37:35.65
If you eat once a week,
00:37:35.68\00:37:37.82
you're going to starve
00:37:37.85\00:37:39.75
so really the
problem is not the parents
00:37:39.79\00:37:41.39
bringing the
kids just to church,
00:37:41.42\00:37:43.96
it's the parents not
having that relationship,
00:37:43.99\00:37:45.99
that family
worship and that time
00:37:46.03\00:37:48.06
throughout the week, day by day.
00:37:48.10\00:37:49.86
And I talk to my
kids all the time about
00:37:49.90\00:37:52.73
"You may be coming to church
00:37:52.77\00:37:54.10
because your
parents are bringing you."
00:37:54.14\00:37:55.47
Who are your kids?
00:37:55.50\00:37:56.84
Oh, I'm sorry, the youth group.
00:37:56.87\00:37:58.21
I'm a Sabbath
school teacher of 13-17.
00:37:58.24\00:38:01.91
Have mercy. Bless you.
00:38:01.94\00:38:03.85
I think they
need somebody younger.
00:38:03.88\00:38:05.68
But I explained
to them constantly,
00:38:05.71\00:38:08.45
"You are young adults now.
00:38:08.48\00:38:11.32
You may be brought to church
00:38:11.35\00:38:14.22
but you have to start
making your decision right now,
00:38:14.26\00:38:18.36
are you a
Christian or aren't you."
00:38:18.39\00:38:20.60
And we talk about
00:38:20.63\00:38:21.96
"Your parents may be
Christians or maybe they're not.
00:38:22.00\00:38:24.97
I don't know what
they're doing in your home,
00:38:25.00\00:38:27.14
but you're
going to have to start
00:38:27.17\00:38:28.50
making your own
decisions right now,
00:38:28.54\00:38:30.51
if you're going to abide in Him,
00:38:30.54\00:38:32.24
if you're going to be committed
00:38:32.27\00:38:35.84
and not just attend church."
00:38:35.88\00:38:38.45
You know, before we move
on from this point, just part,
00:38:38.48\00:38:41.98
just stuck out to me just then
00:38:42.02\00:38:43.35
as we were kind of
talking on this point.
00:38:43.39\00:38:45.32
Notice how Jesus start
this passage in John 15:1
00:38:45.35\00:38:48.16
with I am the true vine.
00:38:48.19\00:38:50.66
Notice how He doesn't
say "I'm just the vine.
00:38:50.69\00:38:52.79
I'm the true vine."
00:38:52.83\00:38:54.20
So what is the
opposite of the true vine?
00:38:54.23\00:38:58.13
Sour grapes.
00:38:58.17\00:38:59.50
So the point is that
you have a choice to make,
00:38:59.53\00:39:02.57
you're going to be connected
to one vine or another.
00:39:02.60\00:39:04.67
You want to be
connected to the true vine.
00:39:04.71\00:39:06.84
And what came to my mind is,
00:39:06.88\00:39:08.51
you know, it's
interesting, this is John 15,
00:39:08.54\00:39:10.38
so the equivalent timeframe
00:39:10.41\00:39:12.48
or passage of this over
one of the other gospels
00:39:12.51\00:39:14.32
would be Matthew,
00:39:14.35\00:39:15.98
and from Matthews perspective,
00:39:16.02\00:39:17.39
from Matthew 21, 22, 23,
00:39:17.42\00:39:19.42
Jesus spends
those three chapters
00:39:19.45\00:39:21.42
in the last week of His life,
00:39:21.46\00:39:23.26
really unfolding
and really ministering
00:39:23.29\00:39:26.83
to the Pharisees and to Israel
because He's reaching the end.
00:39:26.86\00:39:30.30
He knows He's
about to be crucified,
00:39:30.33\00:39:32.07
He knows they're
going to deliver Him up,
00:39:32.10\00:39:33.70
and so He
delivers His final appeal
00:39:33.74\00:39:36.24
and His final rebuke to Israel.
00:39:36.27\00:39:38.37
And if you remember Matthew 21,
00:39:38.41\00:39:40.04
notice this, Matthew
21, this is verses 18-19.
00:39:40.08\00:39:43.51
Jesus, "Now in the morning,
00:39:43.55\00:39:45.31
as He returned to
the city, He was hungry.
00:39:45.35\00:39:48.15
And seeing the
fig tree by the road,
00:39:48.18\00:39:49.88
He came to it
00:39:49.92\00:39:51.25
and found
nothing on it but leaves,
00:39:51.29\00:39:53.96
and said to it,
00:39:53.99\00:39:55.32
'Let no fruit grow
on you ever again.'
00:39:55.36\00:39:56.73
And immediately the
fig tree withered away."
00:39:56.76\00:39:58.49
You know, that was
a symbol of Israel,
00:39:58.53\00:40:00.63
they had rejected Him,
00:40:00.66\00:40:02.00
rejected Him,
rejected Him, rejected Him,
00:40:02.03\00:40:03.37
but yet the people
in Israel, the majority,
00:40:03.40\00:40:06.33
I mean, this was Holy Jerusalem,
00:40:06.37\00:40:08.40
this was God's chosen people.
00:40:08.44\00:40:10.64
The majority felt and thought
00:40:10.67\00:40:12.97
that the leadership of
Israel, the pharisaical,
00:40:13.01\00:40:16.28
you know, teachers of Israel,
00:40:16.31\00:40:17.78
they had the truth,
they were the truth,
00:40:17.81\00:40:19.58
they communicated that.
00:40:19.61\00:40:21.55
And it's interesting
that Jesus would say to them,
00:40:21.58\00:40:24.02
and it's kind of
on the same point,
00:40:24.05\00:40:25.39
you know, one vine or the other,
00:40:25.42\00:40:26.76
you can be convinced
that you're in Christ
00:40:26.79\00:40:28.52
but yet connected
not to the true vine
00:40:28.56\00:40:31.19
but to the wrong vine.
00:40:31.23\00:40:32.56
And Jesus says
this in Matthew 23.
00:40:32.59\00:40:35.26
He says, "Woe to you scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites."
00:40:35.30\00:40:38.23
And He's a leader,
He's a spiritual leader,
00:40:38.27\00:40:40.17
"For you cleanse the
outside of the cup and dish,
00:40:40.20\00:40:42.87
but inside they
are full of extortion
00:40:42.90\00:40:45.04
and self-indulgence.
00:40:45.07\00:40:46.41
Blind Pharisee,
00:40:46.44\00:40:47.78
first cleanse the
inside of the cup and the dish,
00:40:47.81\00:40:49.98
that the outside of
them may be clean also."
00:40:50.01\00:40:52.85
And He says, "Woe to you scribes
00:40:52.88\00:40:54.22
and Pharisees, hypocrites,
00:40:54.25\00:40:55.58
for you are like
whitewashed tombs
00:40:55.62\00:40:57.22
which indeed appear
beautiful outwardly,
00:40:57.25\00:41:00.56
but inside are
full of dead men's bones
00:41:00.59\00:41:03.59
and all uncleanness."
00:41:03.63\00:41:04.96
And I think, you know,
00:41:04.99\00:41:06.36
many of us have
probably experienced this,
00:41:06.39\00:41:08.80
where we appear to be
Christian on the outside,
00:41:08.83\00:41:11.53
we put on the mask,
00:41:11.57\00:41:12.90
we put on the facade,
but inside we're dying
00:41:12.93\00:41:15.87
because we're not
connected to the true vine,
00:41:15.90\00:41:18.44
and I think that's really
what sticks out to me in this.
00:41:18.47\00:41:20.41
So here's the point.
00:41:20.44\00:41:21.78
I want to kick
this off to JD here
00:41:21.81\00:41:23.58
because the fig tree
He saw put on a good show.
00:41:23.61\00:41:29.68
Had lots of
leaves, showy, bushy,
00:41:29.72\00:41:35.39
but you get up close
and there was no fruit.
00:41:35.42\00:41:37.59
So a lot of times when
people are reading this,
00:41:37.63\00:41:42.50
that you will bear much fruit,
00:41:42.53\00:41:44.63
a lot of times
people just immediately go
00:41:44.67\00:41:46.97
to soul winning,
00:41:47.00\00:41:48.34
that if you're
not out soul winning,
00:41:48.37\00:41:49.70
you're not bearing
fruit for the Lord.
00:41:49.74\00:41:51.81
But I think He is talking
00:41:51.84\00:41:55.48
as much about our character
00:41:55.51\00:42:00.22
as He is about the works we do
00:42:00.25\00:42:03.72
because if we don't have
00:42:03.75\00:42:05.99
the fruit of the
spirit, the character,
00:42:06.02\00:42:08.96
what works can we...
00:42:08.99\00:42:10.33
I mean, we'll be
like those who are saying
00:42:10.36\00:42:12.19
"Oh, Lord, did I not
cast out demons in your name?
00:42:12.23\00:42:14.76
Did I not do this in your name?"
00:42:14.80\00:42:16.50
And He's gonna say,
00:42:16.53\00:42:17.87
"Go away from me,
I never knew you."
00:42:17.90\00:42:19.40
So, JD, take us through
some of the kinds of fruits.
00:42:19.43\00:42:22.67
So obviously, we've got to ask,
00:42:22.70\00:42:24.94
we're talking
about bearing fruit
00:42:24.97\00:42:26.47
and nonbearing fruit.
00:42:26.51\00:42:27.84
So when we're
talking about bearing fruit,
00:42:27.88\00:42:30.48
what kind of a fruit
are we talking about?
00:42:30.51\00:42:33.01
And you'll notice
that I used the word fruit
00:42:33.05\00:42:35.62
and not past or multiple fruits,
00:42:35.65\00:42:38.95
we're talking about fruit.
00:42:38.99\00:42:40.82
We'll go to Galatians 5:22-23.
00:42:40.86\00:42:46.96
"But the fruit of the Spirit,"
fruit of the Holy Spirit,
00:42:47.00\00:42:51.77
"Is love, joy, peace,
00:42:51.80\00:42:54.80
longsuffering, kindness,
00:42:54.84\00:42:57.07
goodness, faithfulness,
00:42:57.11\00:42:59.07
gentleness, self-control."
00:42:59.11\00:43:02.68
Nine qualities there.
00:43:02.71\00:43:04.58
Wonderful.
00:43:04.61\00:43:05.95
And we would assume
00:43:05.98\00:43:07.92
that as we give the
Holy Spirit permission
00:43:07.95\00:43:11.49
to work in us,
00:43:11.52\00:43:13.32
that they naturally develop,
00:43:13.36\00:43:15.89
and then we can be
known as a Christian.
00:43:15.92\00:43:19.56
Now what's interesting
is you go back to verse 19,
00:43:19.59\00:43:24.43
and it shows you what
is not of the Holy Spirit.
00:43:24.47\00:43:30.77
And it talks about past tense,
00:43:30.81\00:43:32.41
it talks about
works versus fruit.
00:43:32.44\00:43:37.88
And obviously,
00:43:37.91\00:43:41.08
we can tie all this
in with bearing fruit
00:43:41.12\00:43:46.22
through the aid
of the Holy Spirit.
00:43:46.25\00:43:48.32
One of the words
00:43:48.36\00:43:49.69
that we probably
need to bring in here,
00:43:49.72\00:43:51.49
one of the situations
we need to bring in here,
00:43:51.53\00:43:54.43
so that we will be able
to maintain this level path
00:43:54.46\00:43:57.67
of having the fruit of
the Spirit is chastening.
00:43:57.70\00:44:01.97
Chastening.
00:44:02.00\00:44:03.34
Which is purging,
which is cleansing.
00:44:03.37\00:44:05.94
That's right.
00:44:05.97\00:44:07.31
Which is
testing, which is trials
00:44:07.34\00:44:10.28
that we all have to go through
00:44:10.31\00:44:12.65
in order for us to
walk on this level path.
00:44:12.68\00:44:15.62
So they're...
00:44:15.65\00:44:16.99
A lot of times, "Well,
I'm going through this,
00:44:17.02\00:44:19.15
I'm going through this, so
the Lord must not love me."
00:44:19.19\00:44:22.86
But just the opposite is true.
00:44:22.89\00:44:24.73
That's right.
00:44:24.76\00:44:27.53
What did James
say? Count it all joy?
00:44:27.56\00:44:29.10
Yeah. Amen.
00:44:29.13\00:44:30.47
When you fall
into various trials
00:44:30.50\00:44:31.83
for the testing of your faith.
00:44:31.87\00:44:33.20
Yeah, the testing of the faith.
00:44:33.23\00:44:34.57
I think it's God
sees our potential
00:44:34.60\00:44:35.94
and He is
polishing our potential.
00:44:35.97\00:44:37.94
You know, when
you look at the fruit,
00:44:37.97\00:44:39.94
and I'm glad that
you pointed that out.
00:44:39.97\00:44:41.71
It's not fruits, plural,
00:44:41.74\00:44:44.81
this is the fruit of.
00:44:44.85\00:44:48.35
It's interesting
00:44:48.38\00:44:49.72
'cause when you think
of love, joy and peace,
00:44:49.75\00:44:52.69
that's what you experience
when the Holy Spirit's in you,
00:44:52.72\00:44:55.59
He pours His
love into your heart.
00:44:55.62\00:44:57.49
The joy of the
Lord is your strength.
00:44:57.53\00:45:00.26
And as you're keeping your
eyes focused on Him, you know,
00:45:00.30\00:45:03.80
the author and
finisher of your faith,
00:45:03.83\00:45:05.53
He gives you that perfect peace.
00:45:05.57\00:45:08.07
So that's an inward experience.
00:45:08.10\00:45:11.24
Then when you think about
00:45:11.27\00:45:12.61
longsuffering
kindness and goodness,
00:45:12.64\00:45:15.61
that's what we
express to one another.
00:45:15.64\00:45:18.41
You know, I
learned to be patient,
00:45:18.45\00:45:20.85
learned to be
kind, learned to be,
00:45:20.88\00:45:24.95
you know, good to people.
00:45:24.99\00:45:26.49
Be, not just act, I want to be,
00:45:26.52\00:45:30.39
I want to be kind,
00:45:30.43\00:45:32.56
it's who I really
am not just practicing.
00:45:32.59\00:45:36.50
You see, I can't even do
that without the Holy Spirit.
00:45:36.53\00:45:38.90
The Holy Spirit gives me
those internal qualities.
00:45:38.93\00:45:42.40
He gives me the
ability to react in love.
00:45:42.44\00:45:48.14
But then when you think about
00:45:48.18\00:45:49.94
faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control,
00:45:49.98\00:45:54.78
gentleness actually is
another word for humility.
00:45:54.82\00:45:58.65
So faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control
00:45:58.69\00:46:03.76
is how I exercise
00:46:03.79\00:46:06.83
that when the
fruit of the spirit's
00:46:06.86\00:46:08.50
developing in me,
00:46:08.53\00:46:09.86
that's my attitude toward God.
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.83
I'm faithful, I'm humble
00:46:11.87\00:46:14.77
and...
00:46:14.80\00:46:16.50
I had a teacher
00:46:16.54\00:46:17.97
in Amazing Facts
Center of Evangelism.
00:46:18.01\00:46:20.18
He suggested, he said,
00:46:20.21\00:46:21.54
I think there's a
punctuation mistake here.
00:46:21.58\00:46:24.88
He said, notice,
how it says the fruit
00:46:24.91\00:46:26.65
as we brought out
singular of the spirit is,
00:46:26.68\00:46:30.12
he said love and
instead of a comma there
00:46:30.15\00:46:32.65
he said there should be a colon
00:46:32.69\00:46:34.42
because everything after that,
you know, the joy, the peace,
00:46:34.46\00:46:36.73
the longsuffering,
kindness, goodness,
00:46:36.76\00:46:38.26
it's all a
response 'cause of the love.
00:46:38.29\00:46:41.26
The fruit of the spirit is love.
00:46:41.30\00:46:43.03
That's good. All right.
00:46:43.06\00:46:44.63
And then, I like that
00:46:44.67\00:46:46.00
because what
identifies as a fruit,
00:46:46.03\00:46:48.64
it has a seed in it, right?
00:46:48.67\00:46:50.01
That's kind of what a
fruit is. It has a seed in it.
00:46:50.04\00:46:52.87
And the love of God
is planted in our hearts,
00:46:52.91\00:46:56.64
the seed and it grows up
00:46:56.68\00:46:58.01
and so when we
think of bearing fruit,
00:46:58.05\00:47:00.22
it's not just about
going out door to door,
00:47:00.25\00:47:02.88
but it's living our
lives showing that love
00:47:02.92\00:47:05.69
and planting that
seed in the others.
00:47:05.72\00:47:07.19
I mean, I spent a lot of
time killing weeds in my yard
00:47:07.22\00:47:10.69
as much as I do
growing good grass.
00:47:10.73\00:47:14.03
He knows that.
00:47:14.06\00:47:15.40
And I think it's
because grass that we're trying
00:47:15.43\00:47:17.70
to put in the environment
is not natural all the time.
00:47:17.73\00:47:20.44
The weeds are what's natural
00:47:20.47\00:47:21.80
and so God puts
these seeds in us
00:47:21.84\00:47:24.24
that are not natural
00:47:24.27\00:47:25.61
to our sinful
carnal environment.
00:47:25.64\00:47:27.64
That's good.
00:47:27.68\00:47:29.01
And they need to grow,
00:47:29.04\00:47:30.38
but then it's not just
about just putting the seed,
00:47:30.41\00:47:32.31
it has to be nurtured,
00:47:32.35\00:47:33.68
that's what the
Holy Spirit does.
00:47:33.72\00:47:35.05
And develop these
fruits in us as they grow
00:47:35.08\00:47:37.49
so that other people can develop
00:47:37.52\00:47:38.92
and have that
seed planted in them.
00:47:38.95\00:47:40.96
The fruit is
showing in our daily lives.
00:47:40.99\00:47:43.56
It's how you treat the
lady at the grocery store...
00:47:43.59\00:47:46.53
Absolutely. That is fruit.
00:47:46.56\00:47:48.46
It's not just winning a soul,
but you can influence somebody.
00:47:48.50\00:47:53.54
Did you improve
their day or did you not?
00:47:53.57\00:47:56.27
Jesus improved
every life He ever touched
00:47:56.30\00:47:59.91
on a continual basis.
00:47:59.94\00:48:01.48
And so that is the
fruit of our spirit to me.
00:48:01.51\00:48:03.61
And sometimes he preached. Amen.
00:48:03.65\00:48:05.21
That's true.
00:48:05.25\00:48:07.98
Okay, we want to
get to something.
00:48:08.02\00:48:11.45
We might come back
00:48:11.49\00:48:12.82
to some more
fruit here in a minute.
00:48:12.85\00:48:14.72
But Gary did such
an interesting study
00:48:14.76\00:48:17.33
that he was sharing with this.
00:48:17.36\00:48:20.16
Tim, why don't
you read Romans 11,
00:48:20.20\00:48:24.43
and let's just talk about...
00:48:24.47\00:48:28.37
Let's just do
verse 17 right now.
00:48:28.40\00:48:31.27
I'm sorry, Romans 11?
00:48:31.31\00:48:32.67
Romans 11:17
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.74
'cause we're talking
about Jesus is the vine.
00:48:34.78\00:48:39.38
We are the branches
00:48:39.41\00:48:40.82
but we weren't natural branches,
00:48:40.85\00:48:42.55
Israel was, right?
00:48:42.58\00:48:44.22
So Romans 11:17.
00:48:44.25\00:48:48.09
"But if some of the
branches were broken off,
00:48:48.12\00:48:50.83
while you, a wild olive shoot,
00:48:50.86\00:48:53.23
were grafted in among them
00:48:53.26\00:48:54.76
to share the
richness of the root
00:48:54.80\00:48:56.83
and sap of the olive tree..."
00:48:56.87\00:48:58.93
Go ahead and read 18.
00:48:58.97\00:49:00.97
"Do not boast over the branches
00:49:01.00\00:49:02.80
and pride
yourself at their expense.
00:49:02.84\00:49:05.51
If you do boast
and feel superior,
00:49:05.54\00:49:07.58
remember, it is not
you that support the root,
00:49:07.61\00:49:11.91
but the root that supports you."
00:49:11.95\00:49:13.42
All right.
00:49:13.45\00:49:14.78
So Jesus is the
vine, we are the branches.
00:49:14.82\00:49:17.25
And when you look at Romans 11,
00:49:17.29\00:49:18.99
He's talking about
00:49:19.02\00:49:20.72
the natural
branches were Israel.
00:49:20.76\00:49:23.32
They were unfruitful.
00:49:23.36\00:49:25.29
So the vines men came along,
the vinedresser came along,
00:49:25.33\00:49:30.57
God, and He gave them,
00:49:30.60\00:49:32.80
I mean, He had
tried everything with Him,
00:49:32.83\00:49:34.90
we read in
Isaiah 5, He's saying,
00:49:34.94\00:49:38.61
"What more could I have done,
you know, I've dug around you,
00:49:38.64\00:49:41.41
I've done this, I've done that."
00:49:41.44\00:49:43.48
And so He did
everything He could
00:49:43.51\00:49:46.78
to make them fruitful,
00:49:46.82\00:49:48.15
to make them have the
character that He possessed
00:49:48.18\00:49:53.22
and to share His
knowledge with the world.
00:49:53.25\00:49:58.43
But now they'd been broken off,
00:49:58.46\00:50:02.20
and we gentiles
have been crafted in.
00:50:02.23\00:50:08.47
So tell us, Gary,
00:50:08.50\00:50:11.47
about your study
that you did on grafting.
00:50:11.51\00:50:15.04
Well, I'm horticulturist
00:50:15.08\00:50:17.55
by any stretch
of the imagination.
00:50:17.58\00:50:19.51
But I like to
look at outside sources
00:50:19.55\00:50:21.48
when we're doing
research and stuff.
00:50:21.52\00:50:22.95
And so I actually
found a very good article
00:50:22.98\00:50:25.69
about grafting in Wikipedia.
00:50:25.72\00:50:27.76
And I was struck
as I was reading it,
00:50:27.79\00:50:30.46
why God actually used
the illustration of grafting
00:50:30.49\00:50:32.96
because there are some
very interesting parables
00:50:32.99\00:50:36.06
into what actually
happens in the process
00:50:36.10\00:50:38.67
as to what God does in our life.
00:50:38.70\00:50:40.14
Right.
00:50:40.17\00:50:41.50
And the very
first thing is though
00:50:41.54\00:50:42.97
in order for it
to be successful,
00:50:43.00\00:50:46.11
there has to be a
joining of vascular tissue.
00:50:46.14\00:50:49.14
And we kind of
talked about that,
00:50:49.18\00:50:50.51
you know, how it's
the heart to heart.
00:50:50.55\00:50:52.51
In order for us to be
really grafted in with Christ,
00:50:52.55\00:50:54.42
it has to be a
heart to heart connection.
00:50:54.45\00:50:56.79
His life has to join with ours
00:50:56.82\00:50:59.75
and ours with
His and become His.
00:50:59.79\00:51:03.63
Just a couple
things here real quick.
00:51:03.66\00:51:05.39
The shedding of blood.
00:51:11.17\00:51:12.50
So in order to do a
graft, you actually have to cut,
00:51:12.53\00:51:16.14
you have to make
a cut in the root
00:51:16.17\00:51:18.81
and then you have to make
it into what you're grafting
00:51:18.84\00:51:22.18
and both have to be cut.
00:51:22.21\00:51:24.11
Jesus was wounded
for our transgressions.
00:51:24.15\00:51:28.32
And He shed His blood for us.
00:51:28.35\00:51:31.05
In Hebrews 9:22, it
says without shedding blood,
00:51:31.09\00:51:33.15
there's no remission of sin.
00:51:33.19\00:51:34.66
So He was cut in order
to receive us into Him.
00:51:34.69\00:51:38.76
And we in turn are cut
00:51:38.79\00:51:40.53
by the skillful
cutting of the gardener.
00:51:40.56\00:51:45.23
And the knife He used
00:51:45.27\00:51:46.67
is not just any
old dull rusty knife,
00:51:46.70\00:51:50.57
it's a very precise instrument
00:51:50.61\00:51:52.24
and He has very
precise techniques.
00:51:52.27\00:51:54.18
And if you look at Hebrews like
we talked about Hebrews 4:12,
00:51:54.21\00:51:56.85
"It's the word of God
00:51:56.88\00:51:58.21
that cuts away
the sin in our lives."
00:51:58.25\00:52:00.88
Then finally, once
the graft has been formed,
00:52:00.92\00:52:03.79
then it has to be sealed.
00:52:03.82\00:52:05.75
It has to be
wrapped and protected
00:52:05.79\00:52:07.29
from the environment.
00:52:07.32\00:52:08.66
And God gives
us the Holy Spirit.
00:52:08.69\00:52:10.16
In Ephesians 1:3,
00:52:10.19\00:52:11.53
He seals us with the
Holy Spirit of promise.
00:52:11.56\00:52:13.53
That's right.
00:52:13.56\00:52:14.90
And then finally,
00:52:14.93\00:52:16.53
God doesn't leave us just there,
00:52:16.56\00:52:18.30
He binds us
with our environment,
00:52:18.33\00:52:20.84
and that's the
fellow Christians.
00:52:20.87\00:52:22.40
That's why it's so
important for us to go to church
00:52:22.44\00:52:24.21
and spend time
with fellow believers
00:52:24.24\00:52:26.47
because it helps in
that whole grafting process
00:52:26.51\00:52:29.14
into the body of Christ,
00:52:29.18\00:52:31.68
that Christ wants us to be.
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.15
Wow! Powerful.
00:52:33.18\00:52:34.52
I noticed in verse 19 though
00:52:34.55\00:52:36.35
when you were talking
about that we were grafted in,
00:52:36.38\00:52:39.15
it says in 19, it says
00:52:39.19\00:52:40.66
"Branches were broken off
that I might be grafted in."
00:52:40.69\00:52:44.09
In other words,
00:52:44.13\00:52:45.46
the dead branches
have to be removed
00:52:45.49\00:52:48.00
or broken off or taken
away so there's room for us
00:52:48.03\00:52:51.07
to be grafted in, is that right?
00:52:51.10\00:52:53.03
Even on trees and...
00:52:53.07\00:52:55.47
I would say, yeah. Definitely.
00:52:55.50\00:52:57.37
There's a lot of
things that will compete
00:52:57.41\00:52:59.61
with that graft
that have to be cut away.
00:52:59.64\00:53:03.58
Otherwise, it will compete
for the nutrients and stuff
00:53:03.61\00:53:06.88
even though, and
it won't bear fruit.
00:53:06.92\00:53:08.62
So it's basic
competition for resources
00:53:08.65\00:53:11.52
but they had to be cut away
00:53:11.55\00:53:12.89
'cause they're not
gonna bear the fruit
00:53:12.92\00:53:14.26
that you're desiring.
00:53:14.29\00:53:15.62
And I think that's true
in the Christian churches
00:53:15.66\00:53:16.99
where those had to be cut out.
00:53:17.03\00:53:18.36
Even after we're grafted in
00:53:18.39\00:53:19.73
then we still get
pruned and cared for
00:53:19.76\00:53:24.93
because those little
suckers on tomatoes will,
00:53:24.97\00:53:29.37
like you just said,
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.74
they'll take the nutrients away.
00:53:30.77\00:53:33.01
So I know when I'm taking care,
00:53:33.04\00:53:36.68
if I get that little sucker
when it's really young and new,
00:53:36.71\00:53:40.58
I can break it off quite easily.
00:53:40.62\00:53:42.68
And it's not quite as
painful to the plant or me.
00:53:42.72\00:53:45.89
But if it gets a little bigger,
00:53:45.92\00:53:47.26
I might have to take
a knife to cut it away.
00:53:47.29\00:53:49.86
So it's a matter
of allowing the Lord
00:53:49.89\00:53:53.70
to prune us the
easiest hand we allow.
00:53:53.73\00:53:58.50
Well, let's look real
quick at the rest of Romans 11
00:53:58.53\00:54:01.60
since you brought
that scripture in.
00:54:01.64\00:54:04.14
Verse 20 says...
00:54:04.17\00:54:07.91
Well, He says,
00:54:07.94\00:54:09.28
"You say then
branches were broken off
00:54:09.31\00:54:10.75
that I might be grafted in."
00:54:10.78\00:54:12.31
But He's saying, "Don't boast."
00:54:12.35\00:54:14.12
Verse 20, "Well said.
00:54:14.15\00:54:15.48
Because of unbelief,
they were broken off.
00:54:15.52\00:54:19.49
You stand by faith, do
not be haughty, but fear,
00:54:19.52\00:54:22.79
for if God did not
spared the natural branches,
00:54:22.82\00:54:26.19
He may not spare you, either.
00:54:26.23\00:54:28.80
Therefore consider the
goodness and severity of God,
00:54:28.83\00:54:32.93
on those who fell, severity,
00:54:32.97\00:54:35.30
but toward you, goodness,
00:54:35.34\00:54:36.94
if you continue in His goodness.
00:54:36.97\00:54:40.88
Otherwise you
also will be cut off."
00:54:40.91\00:54:44.58
So, you know, this
is something that...
00:54:44.61\00:54:49.25
I think it's so
important this fruit bearing...
00:54:49.28\00:54:52.82
Right.
00:54:52.85\00:54:54.19
If we don't see ourselves
00:54:54.22\00:54:56.59
developing the
character of Christ,
00:54:56.62\00:55:00.20
and we don't do the development,
00:55:00.23\00:55:02.56
He does, right?
00:55:02.60\00:55:04.27
He's working in
us to will and to do,
00:55:04.30\00:55:06.70
but if we don't seek to
stay in relationship with Him
00:55:06.74\00:55:11.64
through the word
and through prayer,
00:55:11.67\00:55:15.64
then we're gonna find
ourselves dead branches
00:55:15.68\00:55:20.12
that He's gonna have to cut off.
00:55:20.15\00:55:22.28
You know, as we were
reading this passage,
00:55:22.32\00:55:24.85
Romans 11:19 and 20,
00:55:24.89\00:55:27.39
where the one
that stuck out to me.
00:55:27.42\00:55:29.66
And the response
He says from verse 19,
00:55:29.69\00:55:32.16
"Branches were broken off
that they might be grafted in
00:55:32.19\00:55:34.33
or that I might be grafted in.
00:55:34.36\00:55:35.70
Well said.
00:55:35.73\00:55:37.07
Because of unbelief,
they were broken off."
00:55:37.10\00:55:38.73
This is talking about Israel.
00:55:38.77\00:55:40.27
If you go back and
look at the context,
00:55:40.30\00:55:41.64
this passage is talking
about Israel's rejection.
00:55:41.67\00:55:44.37
And it's interesting that,
you know, we are no different,
00:55:44.41\00:55:46.74
we are spiritual
Israel, we are no different
00:55:46.78\00:55:49.11
than literal
Israel in the sense that,
00:55:49.14\00:55:51.88
you know, we can be cut
off because of our unbelief.
00:55:51.91\00:55:54.45
Now some people,
00:55:54.48\00:55:55.82
they take that word unbelief
so literal to the point of,
00:55:55.85\00:55:58.15
"Oh, you know, as
long as I just continue
00:55:58.19\00:55:59.65
to believe
mentally that there's a God
00:55:59.69\00:56:02.19
and that He died for me
on the cross, that I'm good.
00:56:02.22\00:56:04.59
But yet, you know,
00:56:04.63\00:56:05.96
sometimes we can
express our unbelief
00:56:05.99\00:56:07.33
by not being
obedient to the Word.
00:56:07.36\00:56:10.67
Paul says very
clearly that, you know,
00:56:10.70\00:56:12.70
He's given us
grace for obedience.
00:56:12.73\00:56:15.47
Romans 12:1 and 2
that we often read
00:56:15.50\00:56:18.84
is actually Paul's response
to these verses in Romans 11,
00:56:18.87\00:56:22.34
where he says, "I
beseech you therefore,
00:56:22.38\00:56:23.71
brethren, by the mercies of God,
00:56:23.75\00:56:25.08
that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice,
00:56:25.11\00:56:27.68
holy, acceptable to God,
00:56:27.72\00:56:29.12
which is no reasonable service
00:56:29.15\00:56:30.49
and do not be
conformed to this world,
00:56:30.52\00:56:31.85
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind
00:56:31.89\00:56:34.92
that you may prove
that which is good,
00:56:34.96\00:56:36.29
acceptable and
perfect will of God."
00:56:36.32\00:56:37.79
Okay.
00:56:37.83\00:56:39.16
So it all comes down to this.
00:56:39.19\00:56:41.60
Believing in Jesus
00:56:41.63\00:56:44.60
is to be living in Jesus.
00:56:44.63\00:56:47.90
Amen.
00:56:47.94\00:56:49.27
It's abiding in the vine.
00:56:49.30\00:56:52.17
It's that heart
to heart connection
00:56:52.21\00:56:55.18
that we all need.
00:56:55.21\00:56:56.54
And we just...
00:56:56.58\00:56:57.91
Our time's already
gone, I can't believe it.
00:56:57.95\00:57:01.28
I want to thank each
one of you for being here.
00:57:01.32\00:57:03.49
And I feel like
00:57:03.52\00:57:04.85
we're leaving
you on a cliffhanger.
00:57:04.89\00:57:06.59
But you can go
and study this word.
00:57:06.62\00:57:10.03
And remember Jesus said,
00:57:10.06\00:57:11.79
"Apart from me,
you can do nothing."
00:57:11.83\00:57:14.43
So can we
surrender by ourselves?
00:57:14.46\00:57:16.90
Not without His power.
00:57:16.93\00:57:18.90
But His grace is sufficient.
00:57:18.93\00:57:21.77
His power is made
perfect in our weakness
00:57:21.80\00:57:24.67
when we just
come to Him and say,
00:57:24.71\00:57:27.14
"Lord, You're the husbandry,
00:57:27.18\00:57:29.41
nurture me, prune
me, take care of me."
00:57:29.44\00:57:34.02
God bless.
00:57:34.05\00:57:35.38
Amen.
00:57:35.42\00:57:36.75