Abiding In The Vine - Sermon Outline

 TEXT -  John 15:5-11

I. The Branches Must Abide

  A. What does the word abide mean?

     1. To stay

       a. Continue - ongoing

       b. Dwell - to inhabit

       c. Endure - bear hardship

Synonyms:

Abide, allow, be patient with, brave, go through, grin and bear it, hang in there, permit, put up with, stick it out, submit to, suffer, support, sustain, take it, take patiently, tolerate, undergo, withstand

       d. Remain -         Synonyms: cling, continue, go on, hold the fort, outlast, outlive, persist, prevail, remain standing, reside, rest, stay put, wait 

 B. Abideth - eth is a continuation. It does not matter where I was yesterday or a few mins or even sec ago where am I right now?

         1. We want to abide in Him without separation. No separation. The same as a branch abides in a vine.

II. The Branches Must Be Purged

   A. What is used to purge the branches?

      1. His Word - v. 2,3

        a. Cut away all the deadness

        b. Cut away the flesh (the old nature)

III. The Branches Must Produce Fruit – The Character of Christ

A.     Fruit worthy of repentance. – “Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance”

1.      Repentance - Math 3:8-10, Luke 8:15, John 15:16, Rom 7:4

2.      What is the fruit the branches must produce? Gal 5:22-23

3.      This fruit is the character or nature of Christ.

4.      The divine nature is the nature of Christ

B.     The Time of our visitation (inspection) Luke 19:44

C.    The Captain of the Lord of Hosts is coming to inspect His army.

1. Stand to attention – “When you begin to see these things come to pass look up” Look up! Straighten up! For your inspection is at hand. The Captain is not going to use the fearful. Even as with Gideon God did not use the fearful but He chose three hundred men to go to battle. They did not fight with weapons of the natural. It was simply you do what I do. The men were to follow the leader, which was Gideon who followed the Lord.

D.    The fruit inspector –

a.      The fruit inspectors eyes – Mark 11:11-13, Rev 1:14, Luke 22:60-61,

(a). What does He see?

(b). What is He looking for? Fruit

(c). What does He expect?  Obedience

(d). What does He find?

(e). What does He do?

b.      The fruit inspectors’ voice - cursed the fig tree and spared His people. Executing judgment Word, Voice, there must be a death to the self life, John 12:24

c.      The fruit inspectors’ tears – The Lord is displeased with what he sees. There is no fruit worthy of repentance.

d.      The fruit inspectors hand - judgment cleanses the temple – The scourge of God – John 2:15 Heb 12:16, Malachi 3:1-3, I Cor 3:17

       

     D. More fruit - Always bearing fresh fruit v 2

        a. This is not an option it's a requirement.

E.     Much fruit - Abundance v 8

        a. Herein is My Father glorified or honored.

IV. The Branches Cannot Produce Apart From The Vine

      A. Apart from the Lord we can do nothing v 5

         1. Faith without works is dead being alone - James 2:20

            a. The Works of God are to believe on Him - John 6:29

            b. Without faith it's impossible to please Him - Hebrews 11:6

         2. Real faith will produce that which will bring glory to God.

 V. The Branches That Do Not Continue To Bear Fruit

A.     The are cast into the fire and burned – v 6, Matt 5:22, Matt 18:9,

Rev 20:14