Connected to the Vine
Pastor Andrew Boone
Sunday, January 1, 2023
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. —John 15:1-17
A vine and branches perfectly illustrate spiritual dependency.
Branches have a vital dependency on the vine.
There is a necessity to our abiding in Christ.
There is an assurance to our abiding in Christ.
You will bear fruit.
Pruning produces fruitfulness.
There is a nature to our abiding in Christ.
Abiding is intentional.
There is a nature to our abiding in Christ.
Scripture and prayer are like the xylem and phloem of a leaf.
Joyful obedience is a condition and a result of abiding.
Abiding is unhurried.
Big Idea:
Abiding in Christ is necessary, unhurried, and brings an assurance of bearing fruit.
Study Guide Questions
*Read John 15:1-8*
1) When considering your personal friendships, what do you do to stay connected with them? Consider someone who you would identify as your best friend. How did they get to fill that role? What can we learn about being/feeling connected to those around us that we can apply to our relationship with Jesus?
2) This passage of scripture uses a lot of agrarian symbolism to help the reader visualize and understand the message. What symbolism is used for Jesus? In this heavenly garden, what role does God play? Who are the branches? What is the fruit? How does this imagery help you understand what Jesus is teaching?
3) What is the importance of understanding that God the Father prunes us? In what way has God been removing dead or useless pieces from your character? Describe a season of life where God has pruned you. What happened? What did you learn? What was the result?
4) Do you value prayer and Scripture reading? How do you prioritize these practices in your life? On average, how much time do you spend doing each practice during the week? How have these two items brought life to your spiritual walk?
5) What steps can you take to develop a more intimate relationship with Christ?
Now read John 15:9-17.
6) Jesus tells us nearly a dozen times to remain/abide in Him. How do we do this? (v.10) Jesus uses a conditional statement to describe those who are His friends. What does it take for us to be called a friend of Jesus? (v.14) Obedience is a significant issue that we sometimes minimize because God also offers grace and forgiveness. Talk about the importance of each and how we should live in the tension between these two characteristics.
7) Jesus gives a command (not a suggestion) that we are to love one another. Do you struggle to consistently be obedient to this command? If so, what impedes you from showing love to others? Share about a time when you were not loving to others. What did/can you learn from your bad example so that you can be ready to respond differently next time? What are some practical ways you can show love to others?
8) Reread v.16. In this passage Jesus shares that He chose and appointed each of us to go out and produce lasting fruit. When you hear these words from Jesus, how do the comments and directives resonate with you? How are you actively functioning as one who is sent? When you consider the fruit being produced from your life, what will remain after your death?
9) Will God give you anything and everything you ask for as long as you ask for it in Jesus’ name? None of us believes that nor have we experienced that to be true. What kind of requests can we make in Jesus’ name that we can be assured will be answered?
*A helpful article I read about this likened police officers acting ‘in the name of the law’ to Christians asking for things ‘in the name of Jesus’. In neither case is the person (police officer or Christian) forcing the greater authority (law or Jesus) to do something they are not willing to do. The Christian is subservient to God’s will and must ask for things that align with His will in order for the prayer to be answered.