Abiding in Christ: The Joy of Pruning
Summary
In the farewell discourse, Jesus shares a profound teaching with His disciples, using the metaphor of the vine and branches to illustrate the importance of abiding in Him. As Jesus and His disciples walk towards the Mount of Olives, He stops by a vineyard and declares, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser." This imagery emphasizes the necessity of remaining connected to Jesus to bear fruit, as a branch cannot produce fruit on its own. Jesus explains that God, the vine dresser, prunes the branches to encourage more fruitful growth, a process that can be painful but ultimately leads to greater joy and abundance.
The concept of pruning is central to understanding how God works in our lives. Pruning involves cutting away what is unnecessary or unproductive, allowing for new growth and fruitfulness. This process can be uncomfortable, as it often involves letting go of things we hold dear or confronting our vulnerabilities. Yet, it is through this pruning that we experience true joy and fulfillment. Jesus invites us to embrace our dependence on Him, much like a child relies on a parent, finding joy in the simplicity and trust of that relationship.
The sermon also touches on the idea of "adultish despair," a state of being where we strive for control and self-sufficiency, often leading to anxiety and dissatisfaction. In contrast, childlike faith and dependence on God open us to the joy and peace that come from abiding in Christ. The pruning process, though challenging, is a testament to God's desire for us to flourish and bear lasting fruit. It is a reminder that our identity and purpose are found in our connection to Jesus, the true vine.
Key Takeaways:
1. Abiding in Christ: The essence of spiritual fruitfulness lies in abiding in Jesus, the true vine. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit without the vine, we cannot achieve spiritual growth or fulfillment apart from Him. This abiding relationship is characterized by trust, dependence, and a willingness to remain connected to Christ, even when it requires letting go of our own desires and control. [17:24]
2. The Purpose of Pruning: Pruning is a necessary process for growth and fruitfulness. It involves cutting away what is unproductive or hindering our spiritual development. Though it can be painful, pruning is an act of love from the vine dresser, God, who desires for us to bear more fruit. This process teaches us to embrace vulnerability and trust in God's wisdom and timing. [57:29]
3. Childlike Dependence: Embracing a childlike faith allows us to experience the joy and freedom that come from relying on God. Unlike adultish despair, which seeks control and self-sufficiency, childlike dependence acknowledges our need for God and opens us to His grace and provision. This posture invites us to rest in His love and find joy in our relationship with Him. [01:00:08]
4. The Role of the Vine Dresser: God, as the vine dresser, is actively involved in our spiritual growth. He lifts up branches that are struggling and prunes those that are fruitful to encourage more growth. This divine care and attention remind us that we are not alone in our journey and that God is committed to our flourishing. [01:04:02]
5. Embracing Limits for Greater Joy: The pruning process often involves embracing limits and letting go of what we think we need. This counterintuitive approach leads to greater joy and fruitfulness, as it aligns us with God's purposes and frees us from the burden of self-reliance. By trusting in God's pruning, we discover the abundance and joy that come from living in His will. [01:11:58]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[17:24] - Jesus as the True Vine
[57:29] - The Necessity of Pruning
[01:00:08] - Childlike Dependence
[01:01:33] - The Role of the Vine Dresser
[01:02:52] - Embracing the Void
[01:04:02] - The Pain of Pruning
[01:05:37] - Nostalgia and Growth
[01:06:56] - Mature Pruning
[01:08:28] - Fear of the Lord
[01:10:21] - Stewardship and Capacity
[01:11:58] - Abiding in the Vine
[01:13:28] - The Joy of Branchiness
[01:14:28] - The Gospel and Pruning
[01:15:16] - Embracing Limits and Joy
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 15:1-11
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Observation Questions:
1. What metaphor does Jesus use to describe His relationship with His disciples, and what roles do the Father and the disciples play in this metaphor? [17:24]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the pruning process in the life of a believer? [01:01:33]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between "childlike dependence" and "adultish despair"? [01:00:08]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of God as the vine dresser in our spiritual growth? [01:04:02]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the metaphor of the vine and branches help us understand the importance of abiding in Christ for spiritual fruitfulness? [17:24]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that pruning, though painful, leads to greater joy and abundance in a believer's life? [01:04:02]
3. How does the concept of "childlike dependence" challenge the common pursuit of control and self-sufficiency in our lives? [01:00:08]
4. What might be the implications of God actively pruning our lives, and how should we respond to this process? [01:01:33]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced a "pruning" season in your life. How did it affect your relationship with God, and what fruit did it eventually produce? [01:04:02]
2. In what areas of your life are you currently striving for control, and how can you practice childlike dependence on God instead? [01:00:08]
3. Consider the metaphor of the vine and branches. What practical steps can you take to ensure you are abiding in Christ daily? [17:24]
4. How can you embrace the limits God places in your life as opportunities for growth and joy, rather than as restrictions? [01:11:58]
5. Identify one area in your life where you feel God might be calling you to let go of something unproductive. What steps can you take to trust His pruning process? [01:01:33]
6. How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God's role as the vine dresser, actively involved in your spiritual growth? [01:04:02]
7. What specific actions can you take this week to shift from "adultish despair" to "childlike dependence" in your relationship with God? [01:00:08]
Devotional
Day 1: Abiding in Christ for True Fruitfulness
To abide in Christ is to remain deeply connected to Him, much like a branch is to a vine. This connection is essential for spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Without it, we cannot bear the spiritual fruit that reflects God's love and grace. Abiding in Christ involves a conscious decision to trust and depend on Him, even when it means relinquishing our own desires and control. This relationship is not passive but requires active engagement and a willingness to let go of self-reliance. As we abide in Him, we find our true identity and purpose, experiencing the joy and fulfillment that come from living in alignment with His will. [17:24]
John 15:4-5 (ESV): "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are struggling to remain connected to Christ? How can you intentionally abide in Him today?
Day 2: Embracing the Purpose of Pruning
Pruning is a vital process in our spiritual journey, where God, the vine dresser, removes what is unproductive or hindering our growth. This process, though often painful, is an act of divine love aimed at encouraging more fruitful growth. Pruning requires us to confront our vulnerabilities and let go of things we hold dear, trusting in God's wisdom and timing. It is through this refining process that we learn to embrace vulnerability and develop a deeper trust in God. By allowing God to prune us, we open ourselves to greater joy and abundance, aligning our lives with His purpose. [57:29]
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV): "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Reflection: What is something in your life that God might be pruning? How can you trust Him through this process and embrace the growth He desires for you?
Day 3: Childlike Dependence on God
Childlike faith is characterized by a simple and trusting reliance on God, much like a child depends on a parent. This posture opens us to the joy and freedom that come from acknowledging our need for God. In contrast to "adultish despair," which seeks control and self-sufficiency, childlike dependence invites us to rest in God's love and provision. By embracing this dependence, we experience the grace and peace that come from abiding in Christ. It is an invitation to let go of the burdens of self-reliance and find joy in our relationship with God. [01:00:08]
Matthew 18:3-4 (ESV): "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a childlike dependence on God today? How might this change your approach to challenges you are currently facing?
Day 4: The Role of the Vine Dresser in Our Lives
God, as the vine dresser, is actively involved in our spiritual growth. He carefully tends to the branches, lifting up those that are struggling and pruning those that are fruitful to encourage more growth. This divine care and attention remind us that we are not alone in our journey. God's commitment to our flourishing is evident in His ongoing work in our lives. By recognizing His role as the vine dresser, we can trust in His guidance and embrace the growth He desires for us. This understanding invites us to surrender to His care and find comfort in His presence. [01:04:02]
Isaiah 27:2-3 (ESV): "In that day, 'A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day.'"
Reflection: How can you acknowledge and embrace God's role as the vine dresser in your life? What steps can you take to surrender to His care and guidance?
Day 5: Embracing Limits for Greater Joy
The pruning process often involves embracing limits and letting go of what we think we need. This counterintuitive approach leads to greater joy and fruitfulness, as it aligns us with God's purposes and frees us from the burden of self-reliance. By trusting in God's pruning, we discover the abundance and joy that come from living in His will. Embracing limits is not about restriction but about finding freedom in God's design for our lives. It is an invitation to experience the fullness of life that comes from living in harmony with His purposes. [01:11:58]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Reflection: What is one limit you are currently resisting? How can embracing this limit lead to greater joy and alignment with God's purposes in your life?
Quotes
"remind us this morning that apart from that abiding we can do nothing we ask this in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit amen let me start with this confession this morning i do not like the snow i don't like playing in it i saw many of your pictures and videos yesterday all the fun and the laughter and the joy snow day and i don't really share in any of that i hate being cold me and katie benoit are people of heart together with that i think i hate even more sweating in my winter clothes of course i say sweating like my head and trunk and legs are just dripping while my hands and my fingers and feet and toes are going into hypothermic shock why can't our like have you thought about this why can't our feet and hands be hot alongside our torso and our head it's confounding to me but i hate that now now my son deacon is just the opposite dude got out there yesterday in the frigidity and sweated away for hours playing with the neighborhood kids throwing snowballs up and down hills on his sled or his bottom or his tummy there was all this joy and laughter of course i didn't know that because i was sitting inside but it was reported to me of that and one of the beautiful things about being a child is this joy and maybe another thing this dependency right like like deke still needs help getting all those winter clothes on and maybe you do too but i don't like that i don't like that i don't like that too and off he still needs a push down the hill maybe even sometimes someone to go down with him or go down first that hill he he needs the hot chocolate first thing back and and then maybe all day after i think i think there's this joy that that comes from this dependency and children help us see this mandy smith wrote a book entitled unfetter where she explores how childlike faith invites us to rest receive and and respond to god's grace with these fresh eyes and and and redeemer that's exactly what we're hoping for in 2025 as we consider what and who god is calling us to be that that we might be given fresh eyes to respond to the grace of john 15 namely that the jesus is the vine and you are a branch a dependent branch and a joyful branch making your home as eugene peterson says in the message version of this text making your home in jesus so that you will bear fruit and and one of those fruits we're told in verse 11 of our text is joy the the joy of being a branch do you know that joy mandy has a chapter she calls the void she says i i find myself tempted upon reading the words gaping void to run away and grasp onto any semblance of control i may think that i possess how dare i think my attempt for control will prove to me anything more than my fierce dependence on things outside of myself that the acknowledgement of this scary and unknown void may be the antidote to what smith calls adultish despair adultish despair the the snow makes me as an adult feel despair but but seriously how how's your adultish despair redeeming jesus says here to his friends going up that hill" [00:49:46]
"i want my joy to be in you and for your joy to be full so we start this morning by examining the joy of branchiness and it doesn't quite fit us this is what mandy smith says she says whether they call it a lack emptiness abyss void chasm wall or sacred wound all these thinkers and many others acknowledge that something is missing together they say that human life ultimately drives us all the way to the end of the world and that's why i'm here today to share with you some of the most powerful and most powerful things we can do to make sure that we all of us at full speed to the end of ourselves where we can no longer fix control endure or understand and thankfully not only do these wise friends present us with the terrifying reality of this abyss they find some kind of wonderful possibility hidden in all that's missing in a culture obsessed with consuming it will take some time to learn comfort with empty spaces in a culture ashamed of incompleteness it will feel raw to confess our need and this is where john 15 comes in for us the scripture calls us to a life full of joy but but one of the ways it prescribes us getting there is through the empty space the empty space of pruning what i mean by that it isn't by adding but by taking away and this probably grades on us a little if we're honest with ourselves like like when you started this new year what was on that long list what did you want to do add like we do words in our family what what words did you want to be affixed to you sure sure it might be take pounds away but you had to add things so you could take them away we like addition by addition but not addition by subtraction but jesus sees some potential in the work of pruning the the purged system the purified metal the pruned branch the process of having something cut away from us the embrace of the void and there's a real fear and pain for us there the the feeling of a phantom limb that's been cut away that the reality of our not enoughness if we're honest with ourselves one of the great struggles for us is we aren't the vine and we aren't the gardener. We're just a branch." [00:56:37] (159 seconds)
"So Smith goes on, she says, we're tormented by our humanness, ashamed of the things fundamental to our limited human state. Yet this experience of not enoughness is simply the human experience. And maybe this is why I hate the snow. It makes me feel vulnerable." [00:56:38] (18 seconds)
"The cold, the extremities, my sweaty body, my flailing on the ice and the snow, my inability to make an adequate snowball or a decent snowman, right? The weight of my body on the sled, which makes getting started on the hill without a push or some gargantuan leap with the sled grappled across my belly. And surely the resulting loss of air in the chest when I hit the ground to make myself go down the hill. But Deke, he's like used to this, the discomfort of it all." [00:56:39] (34 seconds)
"Aware he needs something or someone outside of himself, not surprised or ashamed." [00:56:40] (6 seconds)
"And it is this childlike dependence and experience of the void. Is that not a better possibility for joy than our adultish despair?" [00:56:41] (11 seconds)
"Jesus is inviting us into this place when he says, I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser." [00:56:42] (9 seconds)
"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it might bear more fruit. Jesus is the vine. You are the branch and God is the gardener." [00:56:43] (16 seconds)
"Dale Bruner, the commentary says, God is the orchardist." [00:56:44] (4 seconds)
"An orchardist is a person who owns, manage or cultivates an orchard." [00:56:45] (7 seconds)
"It's his piece of land upon which the fruit trees are grown." [00:56:46] (5 seconds)
"And we read here in verse two, he takes away. Now, I want to stop here for a second because I think the ESV actually gets this phrase a little wrong." [00:56:48] (11 seconds)
"That Greek word can also be translated, take up or lift up. For example, when Jesus fed the 5 ,000, the disciples took up, that Greek word, 12 baskets of food." [00:56:49] (12 seconds)
"Simon took up Jesus's cross. John the Baptist says, behold, the lamb of God who takes up the sins of the world." [00:56:50] (8 seconds)
"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And I want to stop here for a second, He says, behold, the lamb of God who takes up the sins of the world. And I want to stop here for a second, The orchardist gardener lifts up. Now, if you think about a vine, the vine has a natural tendency to trail downward, to grow along the ground. And when they are down there, they have a difficult time bearing fruit. The leaves get coated in dust. They can't receive the life and the light from the sun. When it rains, they get covered in mud. When this happens, the vine dresser takes takes that branch, washes the leaves and the shoots, and then carefully wraps the branch around the trellis so it can grow upward." [00:56:51] (40 seconds)
"And we're going to talk a little bit more about that next week, how we grow together in this trellis called the church." [00:56:52] (7 seconds)
"But the father, the orchardist, the gardener, he lifts up this failing branch, cleans it, helps it to flourish. God is the orchardist. He lifts up the branch that's not bearing fruit, so that it might bear fruit. And then, second surprise, the faithful Christian, the disciple, is cut back so it might bear more fruit. Prunes." [00:56:53] (28 seconds)
"That word, prune, we actually get our word catharsis, cleansing, purging from that word. And this is a little hint for us in this surprise." [00:56:54] (12 seconds)
"Cutting back is not a painless procedure." [00:56:55] (4 seconds)
"Now, I'm no real gardener. In fact, I'm a total hack. But I have come to understand a little bit about pruning. We, in Albuquerque, we had these sawgrass bushes in the front, and then we had these broom bushes in the back of our house, and they regularly needed pruning." [00:56:56] (17 seconds)
"If you go into a vineyard every year, you can see this. If you aren't used to seeing this, whenever you see people doing the pruning, it looks like a disaster." [00:56:58] (11 seconds)
"From all you can tell, the gardener is attacking these poor plants and trying to kill them." [00:56:59] (7 seconds)
"When you look up at the branch and the vines, it looks like they're bleeding. And when he's done, all over the ground are these beautiful things that look like they're going to die. They look like they should never have been taken off. Have you ever seen a skilled gardener prune a rose bush?" [00:57:00] (16 seconds)
"And the beautiful things that are strewn upon the ground. Why are all these things gone?" [00:57:01] (7 seconds)
"With a grapevine, you can either grow a lot of beautiful leaves, filling up a whole fence line, or you can have the biggest, juiciest, sweetest grapes you and your family have ever seen. But you can't have both. The orchardist's plan, is to prune, to thin out, to reduce, to cut off. You have to go against the plant's natural tendency." [00:57:02] (23 seconds)
"Grapevines get so dense, the sun and light won't reach down to all the branches. Left to itself, the grapeplant will always experience this growth, but not grapes. And from a distance, it will look fruitful, but up close, there is no fruit." [00:57:03] (17 seconds)
"And so the vinedresser removes growth that isn't fruitful, things that are dead and dying." [00:57:04] (7 seconds)
"All with the hope of what? Fruitfulness." [00:57:05] (4 seconds)
"Now don't forget what our text says. Every branch in me, that does not bear fruit, he lifts up." [00:57:06] (10 seconds)
"Branches that are in him, he doesn't throw away. They are in him, remember. Rather, if they are in him, he lifts them up. And some of us today, need to be lifted up. We're so... So discouraged." [00:57:07] (18 seconds)
"So beat down with how fruitless we have been or our lives have been." [00:57:08] (6 seconds)
"Wild animals have pulled on us. The weather has pummeled us. And you need to know this morning, Jesus lifts you up. All of you who feel fruitless, Jesus is in the business of lifting up. But some of us, some of us are right in the middle of pruning." [00:57:09] (26 seconds)
"We don't need the lifting up. We need the cutting away." [00:57:10] (4 seconds)
"And if the image of the gardener and the plant I gave suggest anything, you know what this means. It's painful. It's the work of the vinedresser beautifying you. And this in many ways is not just what we personally experience, but it's also what the church has been going through. Pruning is inevitable. It's not a sign of unhealth to be pruned and to lose things. But it's a sign that the vinedresser wants to keep you around and wants you to flourish. It's actually a sign of unhealth when nothing changes and everything gets overgrown and suffocates itself." [00:57:11] (36 seconds)
"All the followers of Jesus, all true churches will go through these seasons of pruning so that they can bear more fruit." [00:57:12] (10 seconds)
"I want you to think about that first, Redeemer as a church." [00:57:13] (4 seconds)
"What God has been taking us through for these last many years. And what he might be hopeful for in us in what's to come." [00:57:14] (12 seconds)
"Many of us sit here in these days and we lament what was. And maybe the what was is Jesus' faithful pruning of us for what will be. This is pruning. It's also true for you as individuals in your life. One of the most difficult things for us in this pruning process is nostalgia." [00:57:15] (29 seconds)
"The pain of the old wounds." [00:57:16] (4 seconds)
"We get nostalgic about our own individual lives with Jesus. And we think about what it used to be like." [00:57:17] (8 seconds)
"And yet this is very much God pruning us for what could be something that's going to produce more fruit in our lives if we abide in the vine." [00:57:18] (11 seconds)
"The temptation for us in these moments however is that we start to spin and to work and to strive in those moments instead of abiding in the vine. For the branch to be healthy, to reach its fullness, its potential, it has to be pruned. If you have a skilled gardener, they will tell you there is not one thing that is cut off that was not a loss to keep and that was a gain to lose." [00:57:19] (30 seconds)
"And this is the right that Jesus gets in our life when we move in with him. Now let me add this. Growers prune vineyards more intensively as the vine ages." [00:57:20] (14 seconds)
"The vine's ability to be fruitful increases each year but without intensive pruning as that branch ages, the plant weakens and the crop diminishes." [00:57:21] (14 seconds)
"Mature branches are pruned more aggressively to bring out their fruit." [00:57:22] (7 seconds)
"Early pruning might be when you're young and you're pruned, it might be those outward activities and priorities but as you mature, the pruning might touch more closely to your values and your identity. The shears cut closer as we get older and mature in Jesus, closer to the core of who you are." [00:57:23] (23 seconds)
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