John 15, Lord’s farewell address

John 14:30 John 15:1-8, personal faithfulness

15:1, Vine could be connected with...

Fruit of vine,Mt.26:29

Templedecoration

Mt. Olivet vineyard

OT: true vine is not apostate Israel.Ps.80:7-8…14-17

I. Landscape, Jn.15:1-8

Provision, 1

True vine . . . Father is vinedresser

Not a hireling (hired hand, doesn’t care)

Not a Pharaoh (unreasonable

demands)

Provision, 1

Peril, 2

Branches: individuals (5-6)

Prunes: pres. tense

Purpose: More (5, 8, 16)

Provision, 1; Peril, 2

Purity, 3-4

Clean because of the word Abide in Me . . . I in you (6, 7, 9, 10)

Provision, 1; Peril, 2; Purity, 3-4

Production, 5

Much fruit W/o Me, nothing. Ep.2:12

Provision, 1; Peril, 2; Purity, 3-4; Production, 5

Position/practice, 6-7

Abide in Him, 6 Let word abide in us, 7

Their prayer is His teachingtransformed into supplication

Provision, 1; Peril, 2; Purity, 3-4; Production, 5Position/practice, 6-7

Purpose, 8

Glorify our Father

By good works, Mt.5:16

By much fruit, Jn.15:8

I. Landscape, Jn.15:1-10

II. Lessons

1. God is lavish (Jn.10:10)

We respond w. fruit Is.5:1-7 Mt.21:33-44 Lk.13:6-9

God spared no expense They were takers, not givers

2. Power of Word, 3, 7

My words (7) make up the word (3)

Prunes fruitless & fruitful branches

TheWord

(pruning shears)

Means (v.3)

Means (v.7)

To clean fruitless / fruitful

To bearMt.13:8, 23

3. In Christ, the true vine, 4-5

OT references: Israel failed as vine

John’s light Jn.1:9 True lightManna Jn.6:32 True mannaVine Jn.15:1 True vine

In Me (15:4, 5, 6, 7)

By baptism believers are removed from the sphere of the first Adam…that of sin and death, into the sphere of the second Adam…that of righteousness and life (TDNT)

Past: in sin (Ro.6:1; 7:17)Now: walk in light (1 Jn.1:6-7)

In Me, cont’d

Business deal: “I’m in”

“He’s into magic / weird music…”

Close pers. relation in which the referent of the ‘in’-term is viewed as the controlling influence: under the control of, under the influence of… (BDAG)

Supports w. money, time, influence, etc.

He will not stay in filth

The Word prunes bad habits

Mind Pr.4:23

Gaze Mt.5:28

Touch2 Sm.13

SpeechEp.4:29

4. Bear much fruit, 5

Fruit: what something naturally produces

Appletree

GrassSeed

Youngmother

BranchIn Him?

►Repentance, Mt.3:8

Men = trees Consequences of barrenness:

Pharisees & Sadducees

►Behavior, Ga.5:22-23

Seen in our attitudes & actions

Gal.5:19-21, flesh Gal.5:22-23, spirit13, flesh opportunity 14, love neighbor15, consumed by hate 16, walk by Spirit

17, fleshly desires 18, led by Spirit

►Praise & practice, Hb.13:15-16

Ho.14:2, fruit of lips

Hb.7:27Jesus

Offered upLife

Hb.13:15-16ChristianOffer up

Praise/practice

Hb.13:5-6, we offer . . .

1. Through Him (our altar, 10) 2. Continually. Ep.5:203. Sacrificially. Costly, inconvenient… Dn.64. Thankfully. Confess, acknowledge5. Doing good, sharing

Work Teach Seek lost

5. Possibility of apostasy, 6.“If anyone…”

1. Not abide in Me: can leave Him (4-7).2. Cast out of Christ. Still saved? Ga.5:4.3. Withered. No longer receiving living sap.4. Gathered, thrown into fire, burned

(Mt.13:41-42). Saved?

One Judas is enough

Jn.13:2, 26-27; 17:12; Ac.1:25 If apostles could fall, what of us?

6. How to glorify God, 8

Is God’s craving for worship like a vain woman who wants compliments? Enjoyment naturally overflows into

praise and imitation

7. How to be a disciple, 8

Lit., become A Christian never arrives in this life;

always ‘becoming’ (Ph.3) Fruitfulness proves discipleship

People see branches before the Vine

What do they see in me?

Sour grape?

Prickly pear?

Bitter olive?

Artificial fruit?

Sweet melon?

Fuzzy peach?

Delicious apple?

Healing aloe vera?