Bible Lesson: Cherished Promises To
The Child Of God: Abiding In
The Vine.
Bible Text:
John 15:1-8 KJV
I
am The True Vine, and My Father is The Husbandman (The
Gardener NLT).
2 Every branch
in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that
beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are
clean through The Word which I have spoken unto you.
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.
6 If a man
abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
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.
The Lord's Request: Abide
In The Vine (Christ).
John 15:4 KJV
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.
The Lord's Promise: A
Fruitful Life Of Answered Prayer.
John 15:5,7 KJV
5 I am the
vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much..."
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.
Oh the many
precious promises in The Word, for the child of God, and here is one
of them.
Our Lord referred
to Himself as a farmer, a merchant of pearls, and a man seeking
treasure, etc.
Here He represents
Himself as a Vine, in a garden.
He tells us that
He is The True Vine, we are the branches, The Gardner, is The Father.
Only as we abide in Him, will we be able to have our desires answered
and produce fruit.
One cannot be in
the vine one day, and out of the vine the next, one must “abide
in The Vine” always.
Illustration:
A man was a deacon
(A choice calling) in his church. After some years, some noticed
he'd be in church and than be absent from his church. Home one
Sunday or two and then gone the next. When asked why he had been
absent on Sunday, he replied “There was a camp meeting over
at....city,” he said. Turned out he would run off to where ever he
thought there was a revival going on.
James 1:6-8 KJV
6 "...he
that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed.
7 For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing of The Lord.
8 A double
minded man is unstable in all his ways.
That man had no business being a deacon, and it wasn't long until he
was removed!
Here is The Bible's answer to that mans unfruitfulness.
Psalm 1:1-6 KJV
1 Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his
delight is in the law of The Lord; and in His law doth he meditate
day and night.
3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind
driveth away.
5 Therefore the
ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous.
6 For The Lord
knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall
perish.
Did you spot the
answer?
God's people, spoken of in this Psalm, as in the story of The True
Vine, Must Be Anchored!
Psalm 1:3 KJV
And he shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
John 15:5 KJV
“...He that abideth in Me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do
nothing.
QUESTION:
What kind of tree, ever bore fruit, that was in one end of town, one
day, and then in another end of town the next day, depending upon
which way the wind blew?
ANSWER:
None!
That is not a tree, a planting of The Lord, that is something called
Sage Brush, a bush blown by the wind, and good for nothing.
Are there individuals like this in the church, running off to one
meeting after another, while doing nothing to be faithful, or to
build their own church, yes!
James 1:6,7 KJV
6 "...he
that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed.
7 For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing of The Lord.
Jesus said, we “must,” abide in The Vine!
God's people are “planted,” their roots go down deep for
living water, and so their fruit gives life to all who are nourished
by it.
We are Christian people, followers of The Lord Jesus Christ, when
faithfulness, and commitment is found in our lives.
Dedicated Christians, you know where you will find them on Sunday
morning, Bible School, Sunday morning worship, Sunday night, prayer
service and Wednesday night Bible Study, they'll be in church!
Dedicated Christians, you know they will gladly volunteer to teach a
Sunday School Class.
Dedicated Christians, you know they are happy and ready to witness of
their faith, wherever they are.
Dedicated Christians, you know they elect Christian Politicians and
educational leaders.
Dedicated Christians, you know they are tithers, and beyond this,
they are those who bring “offerings of love” to keep the work of
The Lord, Church and Missions, strong and flourishing.
Dedicated Christians, you know live a life of prayer, fasting and
Bible reading.
Dedicated Christians, you know visit the aged, poor and sick, with
comfort, food and prayer.
Dedicated Christians, you know them when you see them, they don't
dress, and talk like the world, because they are “separate” from
the world.
Dedicated Christians, you know that whatever talents they possess,
they will be used “humbly,” for The Lord,” who gave them.
Dedicated Christians, you know they bring up their family in The
Word, prayerfully censoring what their children read, watch and hear.
Dedicated Christians, lighten a room, for the joy of The Lord, is
their strength.
Dedicated Christians live in the shadow of The Almighty, for they
abide in The Vine.
Dedicated Christians, etc. etc. etc.
Dear Christian, did you see yourself here?
“Pastor, no
one lives like that today, we try some, that's all that matters,
don't lay down some kind of guilt trip on us!”
Oh no, well Elijah felt rejected in his day. Hiding in a cave,
tearfully thinking he alone had done his best, no one else had done
what he had, and he was all alone.
Oh how wrong he was, and The Lord, took the time to tell him so!
I Kings
19:14,15,18 KJV
14 And he
(Elijah) said, I have
been very jealous for
The Lord God of
Hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant,
thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and
I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15 And the Lord
said unto him...
18 "...I
have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which
have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
Thank God, for all the Dedicated Christian people in this world
today, take heart, reward day draws near, the coming of our Lord
draws near.
Not on this list of dedicated Christians, but you can be!
All it takes is a sincere prayer.
Oh,
Lord, please help me for the strength, to be a shinning light for
you, one
which
never dims or goes out. A light that shines more and more, unto that
perfect day.
Amen
Many today, gladly sing, pleading with the Lord, abide with me!
Abide With Me
Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.
Words: Henry Lyte, 1847
Music: Eventide, William H. Monk, 1861
But, maybe we need a song, one that asks the question....
(Am I Abiding In The Vine)
Have
I Done My Best For Jesus?
I wonder have I done my best for Jesus,
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary!
I know my Lord expects the best from me.
Refrain:
How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
When He has done so much for me?
The hours that I have wasted are so many
The hours I’ve spent for Christ so few;
Because of all my lack of love for Jesus,
I wonder if His heart is breaking too.
I wonder have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand’rer to The Savior,
The seed of precious Life I might have sown.
No longer will I stay within the valley
I’ll climb to mountain heights above;
The world is dying now for want of someone
To tell them of The Savior’s matchless love.
Words: Ensign Edwin Young Jan 3, 1895; July 22, 1980)
Music: Harry E. Storrs 1900; 2000)
Hear the music, copy and paste this URL into your web browser and hit
enter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzMadGvxsd8&list=PLW3OAswE5KZPw3REHNkrEh4frreC5IOvk
Prayer:
John 6:37,47 KJV
37 “...him that
cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”
47 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.
Romans
12:1 NLT
And
so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies
to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and
holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the
way to worship Him.
