8/23/26: I AM: Sustenance: John 15:1-8
I AM: 2 words that describe who Jesus is: I cannot be contained in a box or an idol or even a Temple: I will BE whatever I will be.... 2 words that meet our deepest needs: if you’re hungry: He is the Bread of Life, if you’re frightened, He is the Door to safety/security; if you’re wandering, I AM the true and living way.... & TODAY: IF YOU’RE WEAK, I AM the source of strength.....
A circus strongman offered $200 to anyone who could squeeze another drop from a lemon that had already been wrung out. Several tried unsuccessfully. Then, to the snickering of the crowd, a frail older lady stepped up, clamped it in her hands, and, to the amazement of all, squeezed out not a drop, but a tablespoon of juice. When the strongman paid her, he asked her secret: PRACTICE, she said.... I HAVE BEEN
TREASURER OF THE LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH FOR 42 YEARS, AND I AM QUITE USED TO SQUEEZING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM RELUCTANT GIVERS.
There are different kinds of strength: physical: World Record for deadlift is 1124 in Iceland, emotional: getting through the valley of the shadow as your loved one transitions to the final phase of life; and spiritual: dealing with habits that are non-God honoring or resisting temptations thrown at us from an unbelieving world or from Satan himself..... and, when WE are spiritually weak, the great I AM has a word for US: I am THE VINE; you are THE BRANCHES.....
As we unpack that phrase today from John 15:5 and the surrounding verses, may we learn that its meaning and application has something to do with
*CONNECTING
*ABIDING
*PRUNING
*BEARING
CONNECTING (1,5)
The metaphor of the vine or vineyard appears over 200 times in the Bible: Israel called God’s vineyard in Isaiah 5: some Jewish coinage during IB period had a vine inscribed: a golden vine adorned the door to the Holy Palace. Jesus said: but I AM THE TRUE VINE: I am the true representative of where you have fallen short. Speaking of the GRAPEVINE: Father is husbandman (owner); Jesus is the vine, we are the branches: vine/branches: sustenance flows from vine to the branches: what do they call a disengaged branch? DEAD. ONCE WE CONNECT: we are connected forever: John 10:27-29; 3:16 Are you connected?
ABIDING (4)
Meaning: staying, remain, keeping in close contact. What is the KEY to living the Christian life? MATTHEW EMMONS lost a certain Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games when he fired his final shot into the target of the competitor in the next lane. Sometimes we hit wrong target: We can read the Bible, we can pray, we can tithe, go to church memorize scripture 18x a day, give exorbitant amounts, be always in the temple: BUT ALL OF THESE ARE RELIGIOUS DEEDS, WHILE NOT BAD, THEY ARE NOT THE END: MEANS TO AN END: THE KEY IS TO ABIDE: stay/remain/be so close, not move away. It is not about WHAT WE DO, but about WHO WE KNOW: Matthew 7:21-23
Not a ritual, but a relationship. How much do you think like Jesus, act like Jesus? HOW LONG DO PEOPLE HAVE TO LOOK AT YOU BEFORE THEY THINK OF HIM? Matthew 5:16: Yes, shine your light: see your good works so that they see HIM: a means to an end.
PRUNING (2)
It’s hard to grow grapes: it’s a year round commitment: in the winter you must cut plants back/repair trellis; In the spring: get vines off ground and onto trellis; In the summer: water: There is the constant challenge of disease/insects: if want to enjoy grapes at harvest season, you must work all other seasons. The Father prunes: not to hurt the plant but to give it better chance of productivity. GRAPES: TOO CONNECTED TO EARTH: grow roots, not fruit: cut them off, put them on trellis: WE GET TOO ONNECTED TO THE WORLD: what habits do we have, what friends do we have?: how do we use our time/talents? WE NEED PRUNING: If you could kick someone for causing most of your troubles, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week. Another word for pruning: catharsis: where we get the term cath lab: A MODERN DAY MRI: WHAT A WONDERFUL TOOL, one saved my life in 2005.
BEARING (8)
The purpose of the vine is to BEAR FRUIT: YOUR FATHER’S WILL: how you please Him:
how you know if you’re saved: You have to be a fruit inspector. There are 2 types of fruit: one is fruit of spirit in Galatians 5; the other is related to GIFT: what can I do: answer is YES
HOW DO YOU DO IT? CONNECT....ABIDE....PRUNED: and you WILL bear
Don’t say I can’t: I will say: God can... and if He wants you to do it, He will supply the strength and ability to do it
Philippians 4:13: not mean you will, but you CAN