WITHOUT ME YOU CAN T DO ANYTHING SCRIPTURE: JOHN 15:1-8 CONCEPT: WHEN WE ARE DISCONNECTED FROM THE LORD WE ARE UNFRUITFUL. WE ARE DEAD SPIRITUALLY, UNLESS WE ARE ABIDE IN CHRIST. John 15 New International Version (NIV) The Vine and the Branches 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
INTRO. WHAT ABOUT THAT DEBATE THE OTHER DAY. I DON T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I M STILL WAITING FOR IT. THAT WASN T THE DEBATE I WAS WAITING TO SEE, THAT TOOK PLACE THE OTHER DAY. IT WAS MITT ROMNEY STANDING THERE TALKING TO HIMSELF AND SOMEBODY I DON T KNOW. THAT WAS NOT MY
PRESIDENT. MY PRESIDENT TOOK A NIGHT OFF AND HE WAS RESTING HIMSELF FOR THE REAL DEBATE. I DON T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I DO KNOW THIS. WHEN MY PRESIDENT SHOWS UP, THERE S GOING TO BE A DEBATE.
WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE IS UNDER ATTACK. HE IS NOT JUST FIGHTING AGAINST A POLITICAL PARTY OR A POLITICAL CANDIDATE. SOME PEOPLE OR A PERSON. FLESH AND BLOOD, NO, AS EPHESIANS 6:11-12 SAYS, PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL, FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS. AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. THERE IS A GREAT DANGER IN BEING GIFTED, TALENTED AND ACCOMPLISHED. THE DANGER IS, IF WE AREN T CAREFUL, WE CAN BEGIN TO THINK THAT OUR TALENT, OUR GIFT AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE ENOUGH AND WE CAN DEPEND ON THEM AND THEM, SOMETIMES, ALONE. I AM NOT
SAYING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THIS, WITHOUT GOD, WE CAN T DO ANYTHING.
OUR PRESIDENT NEEDS OUR PRAYERS. EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS SUBJECT TO ATTACK. EVERYTHING HE DOES IS SCRUTINIZED AND PICKED APART. NOT TOO LONG AGO, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE AS A NATION ARE DEPENDENT UPON EACH OTHER AND THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP US TO BUILD OUR BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES. HE SAID, THAT EVERY CITIZEN AND EVERY BUSINESS DEPENDS UPON THE ROADS, BRIDGES AND HIGHWAYS. THE MAIL SYSTEM AND THE INTERNET. THE TELEPHONE AND POWER LINES AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO. WE DON T MAKE IT ON OUR OWN. HE SAID, YOU DIDN T BUILD THAT BUSINESS. WE BUILT IT TOGETHER. WHEN THE REPUBLICANS HEARD THAT, THEY TOOK IT OUT OF CONTEXT AND SAID, YOU DIDN T HELP US BUILD NOTHING, WE BUILD IT OURSELVES. WE BUILT IT! ALLEGING THAT THEY DIDN T NEED ANYONE ELSE, THEY DID IT ON THEIR OWN. CALLED HIM THE WELFARE PRESIDENT, THE FOOD STAMP PRESIDENT.
REPRESENTING FOLK WHO ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE GOVERNMENT. THE 47% WHO DON T CARE ABOUT TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN LIVES.
NO THEY
SAID, EVERY BUSINESS IS ON THERE OWN AND DOES NOT NEED THE GOVERNMENT OR OTHERS TO HELP THEM SUCCEED. THAT EVERY PERSON DOES IT ON THERE OWN.
BUT IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, NO MAN IS AN ISLAND...NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE MIGHT ACT LIKE WE ARE SELF MADE AND SELF RELIANT AND CAN LIVE AND DWELL WITHOUT OTHERS, WE DELUDE OURSELVES. WE NEED EACH OTHER. I M NOT SAYING THAT SOME OF US DON T PREFER TO BE INDEPENDENT, OR THAT MANY OF US ARE NOT CAPABLE OF HANDLING OUR OWN BUSINESS. BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS, WE NEED EACH OTHER. I DON T CARE HOW MUCH YOU MIGHT THINK YOU CAN DO ON YOUR OWN, IF SOMEBODY ELSE DIDN T DO THEIR PART, YOU WOULDN T BE NOTHING. TELL SOMEBODY, YOU CAN T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME.
YOU MIGHT SAY THAT YOU DON T NEED ANYBODY ELSE, BUT CHECK OUT YOUR LIFE AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF OTHERS WEREN T INVOLVED. REGARDLESS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR PARENTS. IF THEY DIDN T DO THEIR PART, YOU WOULDN T BE HERE. IF SOMEBODY DIDN T PUT THAT BOTTLE TO YOUR LIPS AND SPOON TO YOUR MOUTH, YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT.
THOSE CLOTHES YOU WEAR, I BET YOU DIDN T MAKE THEM. AND IF YOU DID, I BET YOU DIDN T MAKE THAT CLOTH. SOMEBODY ELSE DID. YOU KNOW YOU DIDN T MAKE THOSE SHOES. WHATEVER MONEY YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET. SOMEBODY ELSE GAVE IT TO YOU AND IS HOLDING THE REST FOR YOU. WE CAN T MAKE IT ON OUR OWN. EVEN BEING AT THIS CHURCH. YOU MIGHT LIKE TO PRETEND THAT YOU DON T NEED ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS CHURCH. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. WE CAN T HAVE CHURCH, UNLESS OTHERS PARTICIPATE. JUST COME IN HERE BY YOURSELF AND YOU LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. YOU CAN WORSHIP ON
YOUR OWN AND HAVE DEVOTIONS ON YOUR OWN. EVEN PRAISE GOD, ON YOUR OWN. BUT YOU CAN T HAVE CHURCH BY YOURSELF.
NOW DON T MISUNDERSTAND ME. WE DON T NEED A WHOLE LOT OF FOLK. AND SOMETIMES, SOME FOLK MAKE IT HARDER TO HAVE CHURCH. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS WHEN TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER... IN ORDER FOR US TO SHOW NUFF HAVE CHURCH, OTHERS NEED TO BE INVOLVED. THE MUSIC HAS TO BE THERE AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO BE HERE AND THE WORD HAS TO BE HERE. HOW SHALL WE KNOW WITHOUT A PREACHER AND HOW SHALL WE HEAR UNLESS HE BE SENT. WE NEED EACH OTHER. TELL SOMEBODY, YOU CAN T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME. IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, JESUS TELLS US SOMEBODY ABOUT HIMSELF THAT PROVIDES US WITH A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HIMSELF, GOD THE FATHER AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. TO MAKE THE POINT, HE DESCRIBES OUR RELATIONSHIP IN A METAPHOR. OR IN AN ILLUSTRATION. HE SAYS THAT HE, JESUS, IS THE TRUE VINE AND HIS FATHER IS THE HUSBANDMAN OR IF
YOU WILL THE GARDENER. HE COULD OF ALSO SAID IT LIKE THIS, HE IS THE TREE AND HIS FATHER OWNS THE FIELD WHERE THE TREE IS PLANTED AND HE TENDS IT. AS THE GARDENER OR HUSBANDMAN. WE ARE DESCRIBED AS BRANCHES ON THAT TREE.
HE MAKES
THIS ASSESSMENT, EVERY BRANCH ON THIS TREE THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT, HE CUTS IT OFF. AND EVERY BRANCH IN HIM THAT BEARS FRUIT, HE CUTS IT BACK.
JESUS DESCRIBES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND THE FATHER IN THIS WAY, THRU THIS METAPHOR AND THEN SAYS, 3 Now ye
are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. CLEAN, SANCTIFIED, MADE WHOLE BY WHAT HE JUST SAID TO US. WHAT DID HE JUST SAY. HE JUST TOLD US THAT WE WILL BE CUT IN THIS LIFE. HE SAYS, IF YOU DON T BEAR FRUIT, IF YOU DON T HAVE A LIFE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND SHOWS GOD S PRESENCE, YOU WILL BE SEPARATED OR CUT OFF FROM
GOD. AND IF YOU DO, MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND REFLECT GOD S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BE CUT BACK OR PRUNED.
KNOWING THAT CLEANSES US. KNOWING THAT HELPS US TO REALIZE THAT THE CHRISTIAN WALK, IS NOT ONE OF FLOWERY BEDS OF EASE AND VOID OF STRUGGLE AND AFFLICTIONS. NO, TO THE CONTRARY. GOD DEALS WITH US REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DECIDE TO DO AS HIS CREATION. IT IS HE THAT HAS MADE US AND NOT WE OURSELVES. HIS DESIRE IS FOR US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES. HE TELLS US THAT IN V.8, HEREIN IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, THAT WE BEAR MUCH FRUIT. SO SHALL YE BE MY DISCIPLES. TO BE HIS DISCIPLES, HE EXPECTS US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HE DIDN T SAVE US SIMPLY TO BE SAVED. IF WE CHOOSE TO BE ALL ABOUT THE BRANCH AND NOT ABOUT THE TREE. IF WE CHOOSE TO ONLY BE ABOUT OURSELVES. IF WE CHOOSE TO NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD OR IN HIS TREE, OR IF YOU WILL IN HIS CHURCH, THEN THE BIBLE SAYS HE CUTS US OFF. BUT LOOK AT THIS, BUT IF WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND BEAR FRUIT, HE CUTS US BACK. WHY REV? IT S RIGHT HERE, SO THAT WE CAN
BEAR MORE FRUIT. SOMETIMES IN THIS LIFE, WE BECOME SELF CENTERED AND FOCUSED ON ONLY OURSELVES AND OUR NEEDS AND OUR CONCERNS AND OUR FOLK AND OUR THINGS. AND WHEN WE DO, WE MAKE IT ABOUT THE BRANCH AND NOT THE TREE. SOMETIMES WE CAN GET SO FOCUSED ON OTHER BRANCHES AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND MISS THE POINT. AND THAT IS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE GARDEN. TO GOD. HE EXPECTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO BEAR FRUIT. FRUIT THAT SHOWS THAT HE IS GOD. FRUIT THAT SHOWS THAT HE IS OUR FATHER. FRUIT THAT SHOWS WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE CAN DO IN US. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BEAR FRUIT FOR THE GARDEN, IS THRU JESUS. AND JESUS SAYS, WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.
THREE QUICK POINTS. DON T BE NAIVE AND THINK THAT YOU CAN EXIST ON YOUR OWN. YOU DECIDE TO NOT CARE ABOUT GOD S HOUSE OR GOD S PEOPLE AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT HIM, THEN YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THINGS IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE EMPTY
AND UNFRUITFUL. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, LIFE WILL NOT HAVE PURPOSE AND MEANING. YOU WILL BE EMPTY AND UNFRUITFUL. AND IF YOU DO CAUSE THINGS TO HAPPEN, THEY LL NEVER COME TO A GOOD END. BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM WE CAN T DO ANYTHING. SOME OF US RIGHT NOW ARE LIVING UNFULFILLING LIVES, LIVES THAT ARE WITHOUT FULFILLMENT. WE ARE SIMPLY ALIVE, BUT NOT LIVING. THAT IS BECAUSE, WITHOUT HIM WE CAN T DO ANYTHING. OTHERS OF US MAY HAVE BEEN FOOLED BY THE DEVIL. YOU ARE DISAPPOINTED AND EVEN POSSIBLY DISCOURAGED BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AND SEEMINGLY ALWAYS FIND YOURSELF GETTING CUT. CUT BACK. BUT THAT S GOD. NOT THE DEVIL. IT S THE LORD, SHOWING YOU THAT HE LOVES YOU AND INTENDS TO USE YOU MORE. TO DO MORE IN AND THROUGH YOU. IT S ONLY HIM MAKING YOU MORE FRUITFUL. DON T DRAW BACK. DON T GIVE UP. DON T THROW IN THE TOWEL. GOD ISN T THRU WITH YOU YET. HE S GOT GREAT PLANS FOR YOU. LET HIM USE YOU. DON T LET THE DEVIL FOOL YOU AND MAKE YOU DRAW BACK. IT S
CALLED ABIDING IN HIM OR STAYING CONNECTED TO HIM. LIKE A BRANCH TO A TREE. HE SAYS, 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
IF YOUR LIFE IS UNPRODUCTIVE AND UNFRUITFUL, GOD HAS SPOKEN A WORD THAT HAS CLEANSES US ALREADY. IF WE ARE LIVING MEANINGLESS LIVES, LIVES WITHOUT PURPOSE, WITHOUT FRUIT, IT IS BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING. BECAUSE HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT. FRUITLESSNESS IS CONDITION THAT SHOWS US THAT WE HAVE LOST OUR CONNECTION TO GOD. LOOK WHAT HE SAYS IN V7-8, 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
GOD SENT ME BY HERE THIS MORNING TO SAY, IF YOUR LIFE IS EMPTY AND YOU FIND YOURSELF AT A POINT IN YOUR LIFE
WHERE YOU NEED TO KNOW YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. WHERE YOU ARE LOSING YOUR MOTIVATION TO SERVE AND YOUR INSPIRATION TO LIVE. IT S YOUR SPIRIT S WAY OF TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED. JESUS IS THE WAY. LOOK AT JESUS. GOD USED HIM TO.... AND THEN HE CUT HIM BACK. BUT EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING