Remain in Me John 15:1-12 February 7th, 2016
I. The TRUE VINE and the GARDENER (v.1-2)
A. Jesus FULFILLS what ISRAEL did not. (v.1; Jer 2:21; Hos. 10:1)
B. The Father CUTS and CULTIVATES. (v.2; Lk 8:18)
Today we come to the last in our series of the I Am statements of Jesus. I am the true vine. Even in that statement we can see that it implies that there is a vine that has not been the true one. Jesus is once again pointing beyond the sign to Himself as the fulfillment of the sign. He will do what has needed to be done all along.
1. When have you felt like you have drawn strength for life from Jesus that you did have on your own? What was that experience like?
2. What experiences in your life have you viewed as pruning? Do you see fruit that has come from that?
II. We ARE the BRANCHES (v.3-8)
A. Called to REMAIN and bear FRUIT. (v.4-5)
B. CAN I be CUT off? (v.2,6; Jn 5:24)
C. Coming difficulty from WITHIN and WITHOUT. (v.2,3)
D. Those who RECEIVE the word are CLEAN. (v.3; Jn 13:10-11)
This whole branch thing seems to be loaded with ideas. We like the idea of being a branch connected to Jesus, drawing life from Him. But bearing fruit can be a little scary. What if we dont do it? Will we be cut off? Sometimes the words that Jesus says to bring comfort can bring some distress in our own lives, unless we can listen closely to what He is actually saying.
3. What kind of fruit do you see in the lives of Christians you respect? Is there a difference between personality type and bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
4. What do you think about the possibility of losing your salvation? What do you base your thoughts on?
5. When has someones rejection of the faith impacted you? In what way?
III. REMAIN in the VINE. (v.4-11; 2 Pet. 1:3-4)
A. STAY where you ALREADY are. (v.3-5; Jn 6:37-40)
B. Make ROOM for His WORD. (v.7; Jn 8:37)
C. The fruit is LOVE and JOY. (v.9-12; Gal. 5:22-23)
The call is to remain in the vine – to draw life from the only true source of life. Remain is a word that conveys the idea of being with. Its like you move into the house that is Jesus and live there. Actually, its like you just stay in the house youve already moved into. Remain is a comforting word because it means you stay where you already are.
6. How does (or how could) Jesus choice to use the word remain bring comfort to you in your day to day life?
7. Is making room for the word and reading the word different? If so, how?
8. What are some practical ways to actually remain in Jesus and His word?
9. In what ways can you seek to draw from Jesus to live with greater love and joy this week?