Vintage Faith sermon series
Sermon outline
God's goal with unfruitful Christians is restoration
God will take action to eliminate sin even in the lives of fruitful Christians
Commitment is the key to maintaining a Christ-like lifestyle
Scriptures: John 15
Introduction
Illustration: I hadn't been a pastor long when I had the chance to meet Ida Mae Jackson, a wonderful woman who lived in a stately farm house. It only took a few minutes in Ida Mae's presence before I heard the stories of Bob Jackson, her husband, and the father of their children.
Ida Mae was a widow, and when she spoke of Bob, she spoke as if his passing had only been a week or so past. In reality, Bob had died 20 years before. Bob was a farmer, and a good one. He worked hard, and he worked long hours. Ida Mae kept him well fed, and the farm provided all they needed.
One day, Bob came in from the summertime heat and mentioned that he wasn't feeling that well. He wanted to rest in the living room, he said, and he'd like some cold water. Ida Mae went for the water, thinking how unusual it was for Bob to rest in the middle of the day. When she reached the living room, her husband was on the floor, already beyond recovery, the victim of a heart attack.
According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease claims more lives in America than any other cause of death, at the rate of more than half a million people each year. (Source: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4591) So Bob Jackson's death, if you only want to view the statistics, isn't shocking at all. He had eaten fatty foods all his life, stored up high cholesterol for years, missed the warning signs, and died suddenly, right in the prime of life.
His real mistake? Bob was born just a few years too early. Had he waited until the birth of my generation, for instance, Bob might have been more familiar with the warning signs. He might have paid attention to the nutritional labels on the food he purchased. He might have avoided fast-food restaurants, breakfast bacon, and fried chicken. Maybe. But even if he didn't take care of himself with those steps, Bob's doctor might have seen the threat, and ordered a simple procedure that would have taken Bob out of work for only a day or two.
It's a heart catheterization, and tens of thousands are performed in America every year. It's so common a procedure, it's almost redundant to describe how it's done. A doctor inserts a slender tube in a major blood vessel of the patient's leg and maneuvers the tube, or a catheter, all the way to the heart. There, with the help of dye, and X-rays, wonderful pictures can be taken, showing blocked arteries, faulty valves, or a host of other problems.
Though the procedure is not painless, it is wonderfully simple, miraculously helpful, allowing medical personnel to prescribe treatment with accuracy like never before. And as you know, there are times when a small, balloon-like device can be inserted in the catheter, and when inflated in a blocked artery, it can clear the blockage immediately, without any surgery.
If Bob had lived in the days of heart caths, perhaps Ida Mae could have enjoyed her husband for many more years. It is a thought she's given much time to.
Would you ever expect to find a heart cath lab in the vineyard?
It's there, though you have to listen for it carefully, and in another language. It's also not a lab where physical hearts are repaired. This is a place where spiritual hearts are healed, where spiritual lifestyles are changed, where years of fruitful living are added to the diseased lives of Christians.
John 15:1-2 "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." (HCSB)
And that's the cath lab. The "pruning" comes from the Greek word "katheroi," the root word of catheterization. Our different translations use the phrase "cleans by pruning," "repeatedly prunes," and even, "he trims every fertile branch." It's a procedure, in the vineyard, of cleaning and repairing live vines so they can have a more productive life.
John 15:2-4 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 (this is the same word again, katheroi, cleanses ...) because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will 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. (HCSB)
I. God's goal with unfruitful Christians is restoration
You can't get very far into this passage without experiencing a bit of spiritual terror. It's easy to picture God as a hard taskmaster, prowling through his vineyard, cutting off dead branches, pruning live ones, gathering up the unfortunate, and burning them all in a fire. You know the truth. We don't like the fire imagery. It reminds us of hell, of demons, of the abode of the lost and hopeless. How can this happen to followers of Jesus who have attached themselves to the vine? Are you in a life-or-death contest with someone at the other end of your pew, hoping to produce at least enough grapes to not be the person thrown into hell?
This is very important. God's goal with unfruitful Christians isn't destruction, but rather, restoration.
The vineyard owners among us have helped us understand the passage a little better. There are times, in the season of growth, that a branch will do a little wayward growing. It springs off from the rest of the pack, grows like it had steroids for breakfast, and chooses its own path. While the rest of the branches find their way along the arbor, one or two will make their home along the ground.
The branches grow well on the ground. They scoot along quickly, and even lay down some roots in the soil.
There's only one problem with that plan. Branches won't produce any fruit on the ground. None. Branches along the ground will spend all of their time growing leaves, and roots never intended to be grown, but they won't produce the first grape. The rain comes, and dirt splashes up on the leaves. When the dirt dries, the leaves can't breathe and do their thing. The underside of the leaves gets hit with mildew because of the early-morning dampness.
In short, branches on the ground get sick.
Perhaps your church is like a grape arbor. Here it is, quite imperfect, but still offering a pretty good plan, a solid framework, for all of the branches to follow. However, while some branches follow the plan, some don't. Some use the discipline of Bible study and prayer, and take advantage of the accountability of small-group settings. Others don't. Some branches completely leave the arbor and have no Bible study, no prayer structure, no accountability. Before they've even realized it, they've put down some roots in places they never should have even visited. Dirt gets splashed around, and spiritual disease takes hold.
In short, Christians on the ground get sick.
A cruel God would come along, see such a branch, see such a Christian, cut him off, pick her up, bundle them up with the other non-producers, and burn them in hell itself.
But a loving God is very much like a loving vinedresser who wants every branch to produce fruit. After all, the ultimate goal God has for each life is for as much fruit as possible to be produced.
Wayne Jacobsen grew up in a Californian vineyard, where his father raised raisins. He'd seen it happen for a long time, and in his book, In My Father's Vineyard, he painted a wonderful picture for us. Jacobsen tells us that vinedressers will make regular trips through the vineyard, armed with a bucket of water, and an eye for wayward vines. The gardener spots the sick branch, pulls the young roots out of the ground, washes off the leaves, and ties it gently back to the arbor. In time, the branch regains its health, and instead of growing roots ... it grows fruit.
That is called restoration. And that is what Jesus spoke of as he started this teaching.
Application: Can I ask you something? Have you put down some roots in ungodly soil? Have you gotten splashed with dirt because you've been spending time in the wrong places, or the wrong practices, or even the wrong thoughts? Has disease replaced fruit? Has it been a while since you've really seen the fruit gathered out of your life's work?
God loves you so much, he'll take any action necessary to remove the roots from the wrong places, to wash you clean, to heal the disease, and to tie you back to the arbor. It may not be comfortable, and it may mean being ripped away from something that felt like home ... but God loves you too much to leave his branches lying around in the wrong places.
Illustration: We love to sing the hymn, "Just as I Am." And what a great truth that is. At the moment of salvation, God will indeed take us, just as we are. But you know what else is great about God? He'll never, ever, ever leave you just like you were!
II. God takes action to eliminate sin from fruitful Christians
God is not only interested in Christians who've fallen into some unhealthy practices. God is also interested in the Christians who've stuck it out in church, who've kept up the good works, who've taught the classes, studied the courses, given of their time, talents, and treasures ... people like a lot of folks in this room! God keeps working on all of us, the way a vinedresser would continue working with his best vines. If he sees a problem, he'll repair it!
Jesus said, "every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2 HCSB)
If you can picture God as the Great Physician, it shouldn't be too difficult to imagine God inserting a catheter in a healthy Christian's heart, looking for problem areas. If a problem is found, the Great Physician will do the same thing a good physician on earth would do. He'll take whatever action necessary to save a person's life, even if it requires temporary pain. From minor treatment to major surgery, God will not simply stand by and watch fruitful Christians do their thing. God will take invasive action even there, pruning, clipping, cleaning, encouraging ... whatever is needed for each branch to produce even more fruit than it is right now.
I'm allergic to one major thing in my life, and that one thing ... is pain. I can't stand pain. Hate pain. I'll do anything possible to avoid pain. A heart cath, as simple as it is, involves pain. There are shots involved, and a leg has to be punctured. The angioplasty hurts ... as one man told me ... "it hurts a lot." I'm not looking forward to the day when it might happen to me.
But if it takes a heart cath and angioplasty to save my life, I'm all for it, pain or not. And if God needs to bring temporary pain into my life to restore me to spiritual health, then I'm all for that, too.
Illustration: In The Case for Faith, Lee Strobel asked author/philosopher Peter Kreeft why God would allow pain in the life of a faithful believer. "Look at it this way," Kreeft said. "Imagine a bear in a trap and a hunter who, out of sympathy, wants to liberate him. He tries to win the bear's confidence, but he can't do it, so he has to shoot the bear full of drugs. The bear, however, thinks this is an attack and that the hunter is trying to kill him. He doesn't realize this is being done out of compassion.
"Then, in order to get the bear out of the trap, the hunter has to push him further into the trap to release the tension on the spring. If the bear were semiconscious at that point, he would be even more convinced that the hunter was his enemy out to cause him suffering and pain. But the bear would be wrong because his understanding is too limited."
Kreeft let the illustration soak in for a moment. "Now," he concluded, "how can anyone be certain that's not an analogy between us and God? I believe God does the same to us sometimes, and we can't comprehend why he does it any more than the bear can understand the motivations of the hunter. As the bear could have trusted the hunter, so we can trust God."
III. Commitment is the key to maintaining a Christlike lifestyle
The last verse to consider is the fourth one.
John 15:4 Remain (abide) in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must (abide) remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain (abide) in me. (HCSB)
The Greek word behind our words "abide," and "remain" is "meno," a rather common word. It was used to indicate where a person lived.
Illustration: A person doesn't waver on where he lives. He doesn't think, "Well, at least for today, I'll stay at 345 West Street." No, it's a rather permanent decision, even if it's for a six-month lease in an apartment. When he moves in, he moves in to stay. He'll sleep there, eat there, and keep his clothes there. He'll invest in the walls, the floor, and the roof. He'll invite people over, and cut the grass in the front yard. If he marries, he'll bring his bride there. There is no wavering about where a man lives, and moving is a major ordeal. We try not to move very often. When you "move-in" with Jesus, it's a permanent move. You're going to live Jesus, eat Jesus, sleep Jesus. Your entertainment, working situation, down-time, up-time, and all secret time will be affected by Jesus. The Message paraphrase even says it like that: "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you."
The short description of this kind of abiding is "commitment." And the person who makes a lifetime commitment to Christ will see immense rewards. When Jesus said this kind of person would bear "much fruit," (John 15:5) the Greek word for "much" is "polun."
"Polun" means "a great amount." If we're talking about a "great" crowd, we're going to see thousands of people. If you wanted to describe a "polun" pain, you'd describe a family grieving after the loss of a child. If you wanted to speak of a "great" property owner, it would be the property of the person who dominates a community with all his holdings. Instead of a grocery cart filled with food, imagine the delivery truck unloading cases of produce. "Polun" is the extreme of "great."
If a person will make a commitment to Christ, the fruit will be produced in extreme greatness. There is no limit to what could happen to a person who continues to increase in his or her commitment to Christ. "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:7-8)
Do you really realize what Jesus promised to the person willing to make a 100-percent, nothing-held back, commitment? "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
Some people here are desperate for hope. Some are desperate for more income. Some for better health. Some for a peaceful day at home. Some just want a little love in the marriage. Some want to move past the grief, and get on with life again.
What is it that you wish? What kind of life circumstances might have been part of God's pruning process in your life? What's stopping you from greater commitment, and therefore, greater joy?
Conclusion
Only a small fraction of Christians considering the lessons of the vineyard will actually make the commitment to be pruned, cleansed, and used for great fruit-production. It seems too frightening to trust everything to God, but there is no alternative choice.
Illustration: Know what's true about patients who learn they've got a heart problem that could be solved by a heart cath? They hear the diagnosis, they understand the words of a doctor's concern ... and then they have to take action. They have to submit to the procedure. They have to sign paperwork that says something like, "I understand the risks, and I want this done to me."
No one holds a weapon to the head of a heart-cath patient and forces her to go through with it.
No one holds a family member hostage to make a man lie down in the cath lab.
No, he just has to decide whether or not he wants to get it done. And then he submits to the physician.