I Am the Vine; You Are the Branches

John 15:1-8 If we were asked to describe the religious mindset of most Americans today we might use the word “pluralism”—the idea that there are many ways to God. 

We might use the word “relativism”—the idea that morality is not fixed by God’s law but flexible according to our own personal ideas and the pressures of a changing culture. 

We might use the word “universalism”—the idea that, in the end, all religions and all lifestyles serve and please God and so everyone will be saved.

            Pluralism.  Relativism.  Universalism.  This is the operating theology of most Americans today. But in God’s Holy Word, we hear Jesus say something very different.  He says:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

            In contrast to the religious pluralism of our American culture that says that there are many ways to God, Jesus says, I am the true vine.  In other words, there ARE NOT many religious roads all leading to the same divine destination—there is only one—and that is Jesus.

In contrast to the moral relativism of our American culture that says that there are many different ways to live a life that is pleasing to God and many different kinds of morality, Jesus says that we must bear the fruit of good works and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

And in contrast to the universalism of our American culture that says that no matter what we believe and no matter how we live we will all be saved, Jesus says that those who are not connected to him—those who do not produce the fruits of faith, God himself will take away and burn.  And so then…

The message to us today from God’s Word is that to be connected to God, we must be connected to Jesus- and stay connected to Jesus- and when we are connected to Jesus- God will be at work in our lives helping us to produce the fruits of a true and living faith.  Again Jesus says: 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

            When we plant tomatoes in our garden we are not planting them for their lovely foliage.  When we plant blackberries we are not planting them for the thorns.  When we plant peach trees we are not planting them for their tall, majestic canopies.  We are planting them for the fruit. What we want are tomatoes and berries and peaches.

So it is with our heavenly Father.  He is a results-oriented gardener.  He has connected us to the true vine of Jesus Christ-- and is at work in us --so that he might gather the fruit of good works from our lives. 

And so like a gardener, he works in our lives, cleaning us and pruning us to that holy end—that we would be living, fruitful branches connected to Jesus Christ.  But how does he do that?  What tool does he use to clean and prune?  He does it through his word.  Let me explain.

Do you see that word “prune” in verse two and “clean” in verse three?  They have exactly the same root word.  One is the action and one is the result—to clean and be clean, to prune and be pruned.  Both action and result are accomplished in our lives by his word.

His word of law has convicted us of our sin and convinced us of our need of a Savior.  It has shown us how lifeless we are apart from God, how fruitless are our efforts to do good and please God on our own.  In the same powerful way…

His word of Gospel has shown us God’s salvation in Jesus Christ and declared us “not guilty” through faith and caused us to be connected us to Jesus so that now his life flows through us. 

God continues that pruning, cleaning work throughout our lives in exactly the same way—through his word of Law and Gospel—so long as we are connected to Jesus.  He says:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

            That word “abide” means to stay with, to continue with, to persevere constant and unchanged, and to be in close and settled union with. 

Here is a lesson that we must learn again and again:  the fruitful life that God wants from us can only happen when we “stay with, continue with, are united with, and abide with” Jesus through the same powerful, life-giving Word that brought us to faith and sustains our faith.

That is how God works in our life to make us the fruitful branches he wants us to be—through the words of Holy Scripture.  There in the Bible…

God says:  this is how I want you to live.  This is how I want you to view the world.  This is how I want you to serve those around you.  These are the good works that I want from you.  And then he empowers our life by the Gospel to accomplish it. 

            And so then: to turn our backs on the preaching of God’s Word—to let our bedside Bible grow dusty from lack of use—to refuse the presence of Jesus and the gifts he gives in Holy Communion-- is to sever our connection to Christ.  When that happens, there is only God’s judgment.  Jesus says:   

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

            Jesus promises that if we abide in him we WILL bear fruit.  It cannot help but be that, when we live in Christ and Christ lives in us, that relationship will bear fruit. 

But if we do not abide in him, our life will not and cannot bear the fruit of faith.  And so then, Jesus is very clear:  branches are only fit for two things—to bear fruit or be burned.

Far, far from the universalism of modern American religious thinking (where everyone is saved in the end) the Bible teaches no such thing.  Those who will not abide in Jesus; those who sever their connection to him through laziness or worldliness, will be removed by the heavenly Vinedresser, gathered together on the last day; and cast into the fires of hell forever.

That is what Jesus says and there is no one in the Bible who teaches with more clarity about hell than does Jesus.  He understands just how real hell is which is why he came into the world to save us from hell by his dying and rising.

Jesus does not give us this warning about judgment and hell to scare us into bearing fruit.  Fruit does not come from fear but by faith--from a living connection to him. 

Instead, he gives us this warning about fruit-less-ness so that we would understand the danger of losing that living connection to him through our neglect of God’s Word.  And because he wants us to have that living connection and that fruitful life, he promises to help us.  Jesus says:

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

            This promise to hear and answer our prayers is not a heavenly pre-paid credit card that our heavenly Father gives us so that we can go shopping for everything on our earthly wish list.

Instead, it is a promise that God will help us become fruitful branches of the True Vine Jesus Christ.

When we are living branches connected to the living vine, the word and will of Jesus become our own and we can ask for what we need to become fruitful branches and be confident that we will receive it because it is in accord with God’s will. 

And so then, when we pray and ask God to keep us steadfast in our faith and connected to Jesus—when we ask him to make us more fruitful in good works and holy living—when we pray that he would keep us in faith until the end of our life on earth--we can be absolutely sure that God will hear and answer those prayers because they are in accord with his will that we become fruitful Christians.

Jesus says:  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

            Those who are connected to the true vine Jesus Christ will live fruitful lives—filled with good works and the fruit of the Spirit.  We do that, not to earn our salvation or make our own place with God, but we live that kind of life so that God would be glorified and the world would come to know Jesus through us. 

Jesus says:  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Peter says:  Keep your conduct honorable so the world may see your good deeds and glorify God.  Paul says that our lives should be:  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory…of God.  

This is our mission in the world as Christians:  to serve our neighbor and bring to glory to God and bear witness to Jesus.  All of that is graciously accomplished in us by God as we draw our life from the True Vine and produce the fruits of a true and living faith in Jesus.

May God grant this living, fruitful, abundant life in Christ would be ours more and more in the days to come!  Amen.

Easter 4b General Prayer

Gracious heavenly Father, we come to You in prayer in the glad confidence that You will hear us and answer us for we ask all things in Jesus’ name:

As a church and school and as individual Christians, give us the courage of the apostles so that we would boldly teach the faith and speak the saving name of Jesus Christ to those who do not know him as Lord and Savior.  As we do so, empower our speaking by the Spirit and grant us the same result, that those who hear the word of the Gospel would believe it.

Watch over all of those who are persecuted and imprisoned and face death on account of their confession of the resurrected Christ and assure them that they rest safely in Your hands.  Grant that the authorities You have ordained in the state, and especially in our own nation, would love justice and protect the innocent and ultimately serve Your saving will. 

Continue to grant healing and wholeness in the name of Jesus Christ to those who are ill and those who mourn.  Especially do we remember Kay and Elsie and Wayne who need healing and strength and Hilda’s family who mourn her passing.  Come to the aid of the people of Nepal and through the generosity and witness of Christians who provide help and resources help them to know You as their God.

Because Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, remind us that we are to lay down our lives for others through service and sacrifice.  Grant us hearts that are open to the needs of others and open our hands to share with those in need some part the world’s goods You have entrusted to us.  Bless the social ministries of the church as they care for those who lack the necessities of life.

When we fail to live as Your people and our hearts condemn us, reassure us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we truly are Your forgiven people.  Empower our lives by Your Holy Spirit so that we would love what pleases You and keep Your commandments and build our lives on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ.  Especially do we pray for Rachel and Lisa as they graduate from college and begin a new phase of their life, that You would keep them close to You and guide them on life’s journey.

We thank You heavenly Father that You have graciously made us sheep of the flock of the Good Shepherd.  Give us spiritual wisdom so that we would always know Jesus and hear his voice and flee the ravenous wolves who deceive and ravage his flock.  Bless and guide all pastors so that they would shepherd his flock with love and wisdom and compassion.

Whatever else You see that we need; whatever is good for our neighbor and glorifies You; whatever extends the kingdom of Your Son; grant to us dear Father in heaven for we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

We Are God's Children!

1 John 3:1-7 When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he began this way:  “Our Father, who art in heaven…”  That is how Jesus wants us to understand our relationship with God! 

We have prayed those words thousands of times over the course of our life but I wonder if we have really considered what they mean—how wonderful, how incredible they really are—that we can, at Jesus’ invitation, call God:  Our Father?!

What those words mean is that the one, true and living God of the universe—the Creator and Sustainer of all things—the One who simply is and was and always will be—is our Father!

Can you even begin to imagine what a wonder this is, what a blessing this is, that God is our true Father and we are his true children!?  But –so- we- truly -are because of his love for us in Jesus Christ.  The Bible says:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

            That we are children of the heavenly Father is the fulfillment of God’s purpose and plan for us.  The relationship of a loving Father and his beloved child is why he created us in the beginning—so that we would live in loving fellowship with him through time and eternity.  It’s what he wants for us and from us.

That is what God wanted for all people-- but sin wrecked that divine purpose and ruined God’s creation and separated us from our heavenly Father.  But such is God’s love for us that sacrificed his own Son so that we could once again be God’s children.

That is the kind of love that our heavenly Father has for us—that is how far he would go-- to make sure that we have a place in his family as his own dearly loved children. 

And so then, even when we go through hard times, and even when we suffer some terrible loss, and even when we stumble and fall, even when the world rejects us, how can there ever be any doubt that we are loved by God with an everlasting love?

We are his children and he is our Father and we can count on him to help us and we can come to him in our need and call to him in prayer and know that he hears us and will answer us for our good. 

God loves us and he will protect us and provide for us and guide us on life’s journey until that day he brings us to our heavenly home.  It was this incredible, glorious good news that filled John’s heart when he wrote these words:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

            And so we are.  John has to emphasize that.  We really are God’s children!  So why do we need to emphasize that?  It is because our identity is not immediately obvious to those around us.  Who we are as God’s children is often hidden by the brokenness of our lives in this world.

Let me explain:  if you knew nothing of Jesus or of the true things of God (as so many in our world do not) you might have a very different idea about what it means to be God’s child.

If that is really true, the world says, if you really are the royal sons and daughters of God then why are so many of you being martyred across the world?  Why are so many of you poor and weak and humble and obscure?  Why do you suffer?  Why are you held in contempt by the powers that be?

The world wants to know:  if you Christians really are children of the living God of the universe, why aren’t you rich and powerful and prominent?  God has an answer:  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Jesus.  

            There is a reason that the world does not recognize us for who we are as God’s children and that’s because they did not recognize Jesus for who he was as God’s Son. 

When John began his Gospel he said that Jesus was God and the world was made through him and he was the light and life of all men but the world did not know him or receive him.

That’s exactly the way it is for us as God’s children.  The world persecutes us and ridicules us because that’s the way they treated our elder brother.  The world thinks that we are fools because that’s the way they think of Christ.  The world scorns our deepest held values because they scorned the words of Jesus. 

But there is coming a day when the world will see Jesus for who he is and they will know us to be God’s children.  The Bible says:

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when Jesus appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 

            We are God’s children right now-- and even though that status and identity is not clearly seen by the world, there is coming a day when it will be revealed and made manifest.

            As we live our lives on this earth as Christian people, we experience the hardships of life in a broken world just like everyone else.  We get old and sick and die like everyone else.  In fact, life on earth is even more difficult for us than for others because we are Christians.  That is what the Bible means when it says that our life is hidden in the humility and meekness of Christ.

But Jesus is coming again in glory—not in the weakness of the Baby of Bethlehem and not in the humility of the suffering servant—but in the glory of Almighty God as the King of kings and Lord of lords—and he will raise us from our graves and with our own eyes, in our own flesh we will see Jesus and we will be like him.

Our bodies will be glorified like his body—no longer subject to death and disease.  The image of God will be perfectly restored in us so that we will dwell forever in righteousness and holiness. 

We are God’s children and that is our glorious future --and that identity and that hope have a direct, powerful, and meaningful impact on how we live our lives.  The Bible says:

Everyone who thus hopes in Jesus purifies himself as he is pure.   Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that Jesus appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 

            There is no sin in Jesus.  He was the faithful, holy Son that God intends all of us to be and he sacrificed himself to take away our sins.  There will be no sin in heaven where God and the angels dwell in holiness and light.

It is because we are God’s children through faith in Jesus-- and it is because we have a sure hope of heaven-- that we take the sin in our life seriously and deal with it through heartfelt repentance and amendment of life.

The life of a child of God is a spiritual battle and we might as well come to grips with that.  It is not a life of ease or safety or comfort—it is a battle against the sin and impurity that Jesus came to take away—the sin and impurity that have no place in heaven or in our lives.

And so then, what does it mean that those who hope in Jesus, those who are children of God, purify themselves? 

It means that by God’s grace and the help of the Holy Spirit we hate the sin in our lives as God’s hates it.  We make no place for sin any more than Jesus allowed money changers in the temple for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We struggle against temptation as Jesus struggled in the wilderness against the temptations of the devil.

From the perspective of the Bible, it is absolutely inconceivable that the child of God would be content to abide in sin.  The Bible says:

No one who abides in Jesus keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 

            Here’s the thing:  you can either abide in Jesus or you can abide in sin but you cannot do both.  That is not my opinion—it is what God says.  Now maybe you are saying to yourself, “But pastor, I sin all the time!  What exactly do you think I am doing during the confession part of our worship service?!”  I get it, me too, but here’s the thing…

The sins that we fall victim to through the weakness of our flesh and the constant temptation of the world and the devil—the sins that we hate—the sins that we are sorry for and fight against and resolve to amend--are a very different thing than abiding in sin and practicing lawlessness and living in open rebellion against God. 

Abiding in sin is living in sin without sorrow or a willingness to change.  Abiding in sin is making a place for sin in our lives.  Abiding in sin is excusing our sin and finally saying that it is no sin at all. 

And that is exactly what is happening all over Christendom today as entire church bodies have abandoned the moral teaching of the Bible for the immoral spirit of the age so that they can tell people what their itching ears want to hear rather than the plain word of God. 

The same thing was happening in John’s day and this is what the Holy Spirit has to say then and now:  Little children, let no one deceive you. 

Children of God, you should be very, very clear in your own mind that there is a concerted effort in the world today on the part of the media and our government and the false church to deceive you into believing that what has always been a sin- is no longer a sin- and that God has changed his mind about sin and now puts a stamp of approval on immorality. 

That is a lie from the devil and it smells like smoke and the child of God must not believe it, much less participate in it! 

Instead of practicing lawlessness and abiding in sin the Bible says that the child of God is to practice righteousness.  Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as Jesus is righteous.  We are righteous in God’s sight through faith in Christ Jesus.  By virtue of our baptism into Christ, we have been adopted into God’s family as children.  We will one day be like Jesus.

Because this is our identity, we make it our practice to live righteous lives like Jesus did.  There was no “disconnect” between who Jesus was and how he lived:  he was God’s Son and so he spoke his Father’s words and did his Father’s will. 

So it is for us who are adopted into God’s family as his children.  Our lives and our words and our values are a reflection of our heavenly Father and we dedicate ourselves to putting this into practice in our lives—not to earn our salvation or work our way into heaven—but simply because that is who we are.

We are God’s children!  What a blessing it is to know that!  What a blessing it is to live it out in time and eternity!  Amen.