What Attribute is Key to Being a Fruitful Christian?

Today, brethren, we're going to take a look at a very specific portion of scripture that the scholars would call the farewell discourse of Jesus Christ. The farewell discourse. Now, we don't have time to go through the entire discourse. The farewell discourse is John chapters 13 through 17. Five chapters there, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. I just don't have time to go through all that and what I have here for the split sermon today.

But we do want to focus in on a portion of this. At this point in Jesus Christ's ministry, he realizes he does not have months on this earth in the flesh to live. He does not have weeks. He does not have days. He's got a matter of hours.

A matter of hours before he is going to be tried in multiple trials before the civil authorities and the religious authorities. But then he's going to be tortured and crucified in a matter of hours. But he wants to discuss something with those closest to him. And every year at Passover, when we conclude our Passover service, we have what's called the reading. The reading is where we read through portions of John chapter 13 through 17. A little here and a little there through those sections of Scripture. We go through that on Passover evening because those were the thoughts that Jesus shared with those closest to him those last hours. And as he shared those thoughts, those thoughts are vitally important to us as Christians.

Not only were they vitally important to those disciples, because they were about to see their boss, if you want to use that term, their Savior crucified, and all of that was going to take place. But they needed to go forward doing the work they were called to do, commissioned to do. Same thing is true for us. We've got a work to do as well. We've got a commission as well. And so those words of Jesus Christ are vital for us today.

Very vital for us today. So we're not going to look at the whole farewell discourse. We're going to take a look at just a portion of one chapter. We're going to take a look at a portion of chapter 15 of John. In John chapter 15, we see Christ dealt with three relationships regarding and involving His disciples. Verses 1 through 11 shows the disciples' relationship with Him. Verses 12 through 17, the disciples' relationship with one another. And verses 18 through 27 of John 15, the disciples' relationship with the world around them.

So what I want to zero in on today is that those first 11 verses, the disciples' relationship with Jesus Christ. And I want to ask a question today, and I'm hoping to give you the answer to that question today. So as you're taking notes, you can write this question across the top of your paper.

The question is this. What attribute is key to being a fruitful Christian? What attribute is key? What attribute is foundational? What attribute is fundamental to being a fruitful Christian? We heard a little bit in the first message today about people with their New Year's resolutions.

We all want to be fruitful Christians. We all want to be growing. We want to be vibrant. We want to be vital. John 15, verses 1-11, discusses a key attribute that helps us to be fruitful Christians. Let's turn over now to John 15. John 15, in my Bible, this portion we'll be going through is all red lettering.

John 15, verses 1, Christ says, I am the true vine and my Father is the vine dresser. Now we're going to pause right there. Before we get to whatever this attribute is that is key to being a fruitful Christian, we see essential relationships that are needed if we are going to have that vital key, that vital attribute. There's essential relationships with the vine and with the vine dresser. Okay?

So let's begin at the beginning. The first concept we see is that it has to be a dynamic, fruitful stock that's involved. If we're going to be fruitful, we've got to come from a fruitful stock. You know, horticulturists, they go through a great deal of pain to make sure and study and development to make sure they get the right types of material which they grow. The right kind of vine, the right kind of tree to assure they're going to get the best possible yield, the best possible maximum quantity.

Of course, no fruit can be better than the vine that produces it. If you and I want to be good fruit, solid fruit, Christ-like fruit, we have to be in the vine, be a part of this vine. We don't want to be just leaves. We don't want to be just wood. We want to be fruitful. Put a marker here. Let's go over to Mark 11.

In our in-home Bible studies, we've been going through the book of Mark recently. Most of the studies we've already covered this section. Mark 11. Interesting story here about Jesus Christ cursing a tree. Why did Jesus Christ do this? Mark 11. Verse 13, And seeing from afar off a fig tree having leaves, he went to see if perhaps he would find something on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

In response, he said to it, Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. Now this seems a bit harsh, doesn't it? It wasn't the season for figs and Christ is cursing this poor tree. What's the bottom line? What's the background story here? The background story here, let's look at the end of the story here before I get into it. Verse 20, dropping down a little bit.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered away. Why is this taking place? Brethren, Christ saw, as we see in verse 13, he saw from afar off the tree had leaves. In Palestine, these trees would have leaves in April. But earlier in March, they were produced these little edible buds. And many times that's what a lot of the poor people would eat. These edible buds, they would come first, then the leaves later.

So when Christ saw there were these leaves, he expected to find the edible buds. There were none. That particular tree was going to be fruitless that season. He cursed it. You don't produce fruit. You're gone. Important story for us to know. God wants us to produce fruit. Not just leaves, not just wood, not just outward appearances.

He wants us to produce fruit. Let's go back now to John chapter 15. So the first concept we see in verse 1 is that Jesus Christ is the true vine. The second concept we see here is the Father. God the Father is the vine dresser. The vine dresser. The word here can mean simply farmer or can mean an expert in growing fruit. And so what we have here is God as the vine dresser.

He tends the vines. He waters it. He cultivates it. He makes sure it has its maximum potential. There's a unity of here between the Father and the Son. And so the question we have at this point, when you are looking at your life, and I'm looking at my life right now, you know, we're a little far away from us to start going through getting ready for the Passover. But the Passover is going to be here before you know it.

And the question we need to ask each and every one of ourselves to ourselves is, do we have a dynamic fruit-producing relationship with the Father and the Son? What kind of relationship do we have? What kind of fruitful prayer?

You know, we talked about prayer in the first message today. Do you and I have a vibrant, dynamic, fruit-producing prayer life? Do your prayers get answers? Do you expect answers from your prayers? How about our Bible study? Are we growing and understanding? Is our Bible study dynamic? Is it vibrant? Is it fruitful? Are we growing and understanding? Do we understand the plan of God better? Do we understand ourselves better as we look into this mirror here?

The works that we produce in our life. Are they fruitful? Good fruit, abundant fruit, fruit that would remain. Okay, let's continue on in our story here. John chapter 15 verse 2. Every branch of meat that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it might bear more fruit. Want to take a look at that first section there, first part of verse 2. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Let's add to that verse 6. If anyone does not abide in me, he has cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they're burned. So the question again, brethren, is, are we growing? Are we developing? Notice in verse 2, there is a branch there. The branch at one point was growing. The branch at one time was thriving. But now it's not. Now it's withering.

Now it's about ready to be gathered and thrown into a fire. One of two things can be true about that branch at this point. Perhaps this branch became unattached to the vine. Unattached.

Branches must be attached to a healthy vine if they're going to grow.

Of course, you and I can ask ourselves, are we fully attached to the vine? Are we healthily attached to the vine? In your notes, you might not jot down Philippians 4 and verse 13.

Philippians 4.13. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can do all things when we are empowered by the vine. We can be fruitful if we are attached to that vine. So perhaps the branch is not attached as it once was. Or maybe a second thing, maybe there's strangulation taking place. The life-giving sap is not flowing like it once did.

It's not flowing like it once did. And there could be barriers. Are there barriers in your life or mine that are causing the Spirit of God not to flow through us the way God intends, the way God wants? Let's look at Hebrews chapter 5. Here's a group of people that were familiar with the church in the Old Testament, the church in the wilderness. These people knew the Holy Days, they knew the Sabbath, they knew the laws of clean and unclean. They accepted Christ as their Savior. But one of the issues for this group of people is they weren't growing. Some of them were thinking about just going back into Judaism. So notice what the writer of Hebrews says here. Chapter 5, starting here in verse 12, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God. You need to come milk and not solid food. These people were strangled spiritually. They weren't growing, they weren't thriving.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, but it is those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

These folks, the sap was being strangulated in them, and they weren't growing.

You and I can ask ourselves how well attached to the vine we are, and is the spirit flowing through to us the way it should? Or are there things in our life that are impediments that are not allowing that spirit to flow as it should? Let's go back now to John chapter 15. Let's take a look at the second part of verse 2. It says, verse 2, Every branch of me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Okay, we discussed that. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it might bear more fruit.

God does the pruning. He does the pruning. Remember, he's the vine dresser. He's pruning our lives. And what do we know about our vine dresser? What do we know about him? I'm not going to turn to these scriptures. 1 Peter 5, 7, where it says, we can cast all of our care upon him, for he cares for us. We are his personal concern. The vine dresser is personally concerned about each and every one of us, and that we're growing. You can put in your notes Hebrews chapter 13, verses 5 and 6, where it says, I will never leave you or forsake you. Again, the vine dresser wants to make sure we are growing and producing. He won't leave us, but do we leave him? Do we walk away?

You can also put in your notes Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11, where it says, I know the thoughts I think toward you, thoughts of peace and of hope and of future. This is where the vine dresser is coming from. Excuse me. But he's also one that prunes. As I was putting my thoughts together for the message, I got to thinking about my stay at Ambassador College. I worked my way through college in the landscape department, was hired by the landscape department, hired by Ellis Laravia. He was in charge of that department at the time, and I was hired in August of 1970. He worked all the way through to May of 1974 in the landscape department at Ambassador College. Of course, we did any number of things. I did any number of things as a landscaper. But one of the things that I was asked to do was prune bushes. And here I'm 18 years old. In the four years I was at Ambassador College in Pasadena, two of those years we won an award as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. I knew nothing about pruning bushes. And I thought, oh no, they're going to take me over to Delmar Avenue and they're going to want me to prune these bushes. Those poor bushes. They're going to look awful by the time I'm done. Well, thankfully, they paired me up with somebody who knew how to properly prune a bush. Now, we're talking a difference between what we have in Chapter 15 here and what I did in Pasadena, but the principles, many of the principles are the same.

The pruner doesn't just walk up to a bush and start hacking away. One of the first things I was taught was, Randy, you walk up to that bush, you take a look at it. Take your time. See the general shape of it. See the general beauty of it. And as you take a look at it and see what that bush can possibly need, then you get closer to it and you actually put your hands in there and push things away. And you look at the interior of that bush. Is there dead wood that needs to come out of there? That needs to come out because that can cause disease and all sorts of other problems in the bush.

What's the structure like in the internal portion of that bush? Are the various limbs all growing in a proper way? Or is there one that's going to shoot out in kind of an odd angle and make the whole bush look ugly? Well, maybe we've got to do something about that particular one. So not only do you take out the dead wood, there's some live wood that needs to go out as well. Live wood needs to go out as well. And you do that because what you're wanting to do is thin out that bush so that more light can come in from the sun. Add strength to that bush. Vitalize that bush. Just like God comes and he prunes dead wood out of our lives. He prunes some things out of our lives maybe we think should still be there, but maybe it's growing in a funny way. And God says, nah, we don't want that there. We're going to take that out. Because just as I was told, you want to make sure light gets into the interior of that bush. Light from the sun. S-U-N. God wants light from the S-O-N sun to come into the interior of our lives and allow us to grow. And so when you're pruning, we had three things, three main tools we used. We had your hand shears. Most of you probably used those. You know, those would be good for something up to maybe three quarters of an inch, depending upon how strong you were, how good a grip you had. Something larger than that, you have what are called the loppers, which, you know, they have the handles. Two handles each are about so long. They've got the little end and you cut something that could be as up to maybe a couple inches thick. And if you can't use the shears or the loppers, then you use a saw. But in all of these things, in all of those tools, you want your tool to be as sharp as possible. If your tool isn't sharp, then what happens is you'll go partially through a branch and then you'll start tugging and you can split up a branch or you can pull bark off a branch and hurt the bush.

Now, when God is pruning your life in mind, he uses very sharp tools.

Scientists tell us if we can hear a bush you'd hear it screaming. I don't know.

I didn't hear any bushes screaming. Back in the day when I was going through Ambassador, there was all sorts of people and all sorts of drugs, but not in this college, but in Southern California. But I personally never heard a bush scream.

But you and I, when God prunes our lives, he not only takes out the dead wood, he takes out some wood that maybe we think shouldn't be taken out.

But he knows better, doesn't he? There are times God will prune a loved one out of your life through death. Through death. Sometimes, most of the time, the great majority of the time, it's a very painful thing. Painful because we miss the person who has died.

But it could be painful because we relied upon that person in so many areas of our life.

I'm thinking of a person, a couple, where the husband was always dutifully taking care of the wife and so on and made sure that he would do all the various errands and this and that and the other and she didn't mind that but then he died. He died early in life. She had not been used to getting in a car and driving all over town and doing things. She had been a stay-at-home mom all of her life. But now, because of his death, she did more income. And so she had to get into the car, go to drive in various parts of the big city. She had to go get work, something she had not done outside of the home. But as this person was viewed by others, she began to thrive.

She began to thrive because a loved one who she loved very much was now out of the picture. It forced her to do other things. So sometimes God is going to prune loved ones out of our lives for our benefit. Sometimes he's going to allow us to lose our job. He'll prune out a job. Sharp knife. Hurtful in one sense. But God knows what he's doing. We may think it's hurtful, but God knows it's a loving thing because he's looking for our ultimate best interests. He may allow some of your best friends to turn their backs on you. He may allow relatives to turn their... Some of us have lost family because of the church. He may allow you to lose your health. You may have bad health right now. Some of you are sitting here in pain right now. God is taking that sharp knife and he's doing the pruning. He's making sure he's pulling things out of your life that you may think you need. But he wants us to rely upon him. He wants us to rely upon him. Not on any other human being, not on any other force or whatever. So he does this pruning. He does it lovingly for our best interest. But he does the pruning so that the light of the sun can come into our interior and fortify us.

What is God doing right now in your life to prune you? To prune me? He prunes us that we might grow. Let's take a look at Hebrews chapter 4. Let's take a look at one of his tools. I may mention the tools a landscaper might use in pruning a bush. Hebrews chapter 4.

Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.

For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit of its joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God's word is a sharp pruning tool.

And he uses that to teach us, to help us, to clear out the things that shouldn't be there, to clear out that dead wood. Dead wood can harbor insects, can harbor disease. Rot can set in. Need to get rid of that. What dead wood is there in our life?

Some of the live wood has to be cut back as well.

Live wood cut back so that the nutrients can go to the other more vital areas of the plant.

And something about pruning. You know, I could, when I was there in ambassador, I could go through and maybe do a whole row, maybe 10 different bushes. In the course of three or four days, you know, I worked mostly 20-25 hours a week to work my way through college, so I couldn't do a whole lot every particular day. But over the course of a week, maybe I can get a whole bunch of those done. And I would stand back and take a look at the work and say, boy, that looks good! I didn't leave any big holes in the bushes. Everything is nice and airy looking, lights penetrating.

Things are great! But you know something about it's like hair. Well, at least it's like most people's hair. It grows back for most people. I've got a portion of my head where it doesn't grow back so well. But the bush will grow back and pruning needs to take place on a regular basis.

Just like pruning needs to take place in your life, brethren, in my life, on a regular basis.

Let's go back now to John chapter 15.

We're now at verse 3. John chapter 15 verse 3.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. You are clean because of the word. And we already read there in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.

God's word. We're cleansed, we're purged. God's word shows us how we should be living.

What things we should be purging out of our lives. What things we should be, you know, the deadwood needs to go out. Even some of the live wood. There really is, like Paul said, it might be okay, but it's not that helpful. Let's get rid of that.

That brings us now to what attribute is key to being a fruitful Christian.

That brings us to verses 4 and 5. Verse 4 and 5 now gives us this attribute that is key, that is foundational, that is fundamental to our being fruitful Christians. Verse 4.

Abide in me and I in you, as the branch can not bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. The key, brethren, the attribute that is key to being a fruitful Christian is abiding in the vine.

The word abide from the exegetical dictionary of the New Testament means to remain. We are to remain in Jesus Christ. Another part of that definition is to continue. We must continue in the lifestyle, life of Jesus Christ, allowing Christ to live in us.

And yet a third discussion from the exegetical dictionary of the New Testament, abide means to stand firm. We want to stand firm in Christ. As you and I stand firm in Christ, in all that that means, and that's a great deal of meaning to that phrase, then you and I will be fruitful Christians.

We see in verse 3, part of the story here is we are fruitful because we're abiding in God's word, living according to what God's word is. Not our own thoughts, our own ideas. We take a look at what does the word of God say, and we are claimed because of the word of God.

Another aspect that helps us to be fruitful is we see in verse 10, John 15 verse 10, John 15 verse 10, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love.

So keeping the commandments, and the commandments are holy, righteous, and good, the commandments show us the love of God. As you and I abide in this love and the commandments, then we are going to be fruitful Christians. Fruitful Christians. Put a marker here. Let's go to the first epistle of John, 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2, and verse 6, talking about abiding here. 1 John chapter 2 and verse 6. He who says he abides in him, ought himself also to walk just as he walked. So if we want to abide in Christ, if we want to have this key attribute to being a fruitful Christian, we must walk just as he walked. In other words, when we study the life and times of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we pour through the Scriptures, we see and we look at how did Jesus, how did Jesus Christ respond to certain things in his life? How did he act? We should act the same way. How did he answer questions? We should think about answering questions the same way. What kind of compassion did he show? We should show the same kind of compassion. What kind of obedience did Jesus Christ demonstrate? We should submit to God in the same ways. How did Christ show self-control? Again, we need to be pure and strong along those lines as well. Pure. 1 John chapter 3 verse 3. 1 John 3 3. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. We are people who are in a continual state of repentance.

A continual state of repentance. Chapter 3 here, verse 24. 1 John 3. Now he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us. By the Spirit whom he has given us. In your notes, you might want to jot down Acts chapter 5 and verse 32. Acts 5, 32. Who does God give his Holy Spirit to? To those who obey him.

What is the definition of a Christian? Those who've got God's Holy Spirit.

And to have God's Holy Spirit, you have to obey him. You have God to abide in him. Let's go back now to John chapter 15.

I read this earlier, but I want to spend just a little more time on this.

John chapter 15, verse 6.

John 15, verse 6. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch, and is withered.

And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Brethren, you and I can ask ourselves, and we should ask ourselves from time to time, as we ask ourselves, are we in the faith? Are you and I a withered branch?

Are we withered? How we know if we're withered or not? Well, you've seen withered branches before.

They're dried up. They're brittle. They don't have the sap flowing through them as they should.

Spiritually speaking, if you and I are in the process of becoming withered, then you and I are drying out spiritually. We're losing our spiritual energy. Does that phrase resonate, unfortunately, with you or I? Are we losing our spiritual energy? Is our zeal languishing? Is our love not what it once was?

Do we find ourselves in a cold world getting more like the world, as opposed to being more like God and more loving? Do we find our love growing more cold, more aloof? Do we find our prayer and study being neglected?

Are we scheduling God out of our lives along those lines? Are we withering?

When we come to services, do we not receive as much out of services as we used to?

Is it easier to say, well, you know, I just don't feel up to going today?

Basically, if we are spiritually starving ourselves, we are going to be withering.

We don't want that.

Going back to John 15 here, verse 7.

By contrast, verse 6 is talking about the withered branch.

But notice verse 7.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and I shall be done for you.

Here we have a vibrant branch.

Prayers are being answered. It doesn't mean the prayer is always answered in the way you want it to be, or I want it to be answered.

Answer could be no.

God could say, no, we just don't want that for you right now, but your prayer was answered.

No, Paul asked three times to be healed.

God said, nope.

Now that was an answer to his prayer. Not the answer he wanted, but it was an answer that he accepted in terms of being God's will.

You know, here we have verse 7.

Vital branch.

Because of the abiding in the spirit.

In Christ, abiding in God, prayers are being answered.

Prayers are being answered.

You know, it says here that, verse 8, by this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit.

So you'll be my disciples. You're not withering here. You're bearing much fruit.

A lot of fruit.

And verse 16.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain.

Eternal fruit.

Long-lasting fruit.

Good fruit. Because of abiding in Christ.

Let's finish up this section of Scripture here, going to verse 9.

John 15, verse 9.

As a father loved me, I also have loved you.

Abide in my love.

One of the great blessings we have, as you and I have this attribute, this key to being a fruitful Christian, as you and I do this, then we abide in this community of love that exists between the Father, the Son, and us as the kids.

We are in this community of love, and we're truly blessed.

And we're blessed because verse 10 shows us how.

Because we keep the commandments and abide in love. The commandments show us how to love.

They give us the definitions and so forth as to what love is all about.

And so we're asked to do just exactly what Christ did.

To love as Christ loved.

And then lastly, verse 11, these things I have spoken to you that your joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.

So, brethren, as a takeaway from this, a couple of scriptures before we conclude here, I've got just a couple of minutes left.

Let's go to Romans chapter 14. One of the great takeaways from this section of scripture is abiding in Christ brings us great spiritual joy. Abiding in Christ brings us great spiritual joy.

Spiritual joy only comes from God alone.

No other place to get it, only from God alone. Romans chapter 14 verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, it's not physical, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Joy in the Holy Spirit as we abide in Christ, in God, in that spirit.

Our spiritual joy does not depend on outward circumstances. I've discussed that on numerous occasions. Let's take a look at Psalm 5.

Psalm 5.

Psalm 5 and verse 11.

Not joyful in circumstance, not joyful in outward things, joyful in you, because we abide in Christ.

Last scripture for today, Matthew 25.

Matthew 25.

As you and I abide in Christ, as you and I use that key attribute to being a fruitful Christian, there's coming a day when this will be said to your face.

Verse 21. Matthew 25, 21. And as Lord said, I'm well done, good and faithful servant. You are faithful over a few things.

I'll make you a ruler over many things.

Enter into the joy of your Lord.

Enter into the joy.

Spiritual joy in an eternal relationship with the Father and the Son. Spiritual joy in having overcome sin and death.

Spiritual joy in having eternity of fulfilling and rewarding service.

All because you and I abide in Jesus Christ.