Abiding in Christ: Our Source of True Fulfillment

Well, today we're going to look at the song called "Abide." It is based out of John 15, and I'm going to read a lengthy portion of scripture.

Jesus is talking in John 15, and he uses an analogy. He says, "I am the True Vine, my Father is the vine dresser or like the gardener who takes care of everything. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

Pause for a second. I need you to understand that the reward for you being fruitful is pruning. Not all loss is a loss. Matter of fact, there have been places where you have grown in your walk with God, and then you're pruned, and you're like, "What's up with that?" And God's like, "I needed to get them out of the way and out of your life because I need greater and healthier fruit from you."

Jesus is divine; we're branches. "You have already been clean because of the word which I've spoken." Again, he says, "Abide in me." Watch how many times he says this. "And I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine; neither can you unless you abide in me."

Jesus goes on, "I am the vine, just in case we missed it, he's going to keep saying it, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing."

If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples."

As the Father loved me, I have also loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you abide in my love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Then he says, "Listen, you're his friends if you do whatever he's commanded you." That's how you know you're in relationship because you're obeying him, you're walking with him.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should say this word out loud: remain.

Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. These things I command you: that you love one another.

We all relate to the phrase "Can you hear me now?" because we hate the feeling of being connected and then disconnected. How close are you to Jesus? It's not just believing He exists; it's a trust relationship.

According to John 15, there are two places and only two options: we're either connected or disconnected; we're either abiding or we're not abiding. If you feel disconnected right now, you can come closer to Him. A lot has already been done about that, and now it's just you receiving Christ.

This sermon is dedicated to everybody who feels far from God because you can come close, and you can connect. Connecting to Jesus is free, and it's already been paid for by grace. It's not something we can earn; it's a gift from God.

We are the branches, and Jesus is the true vine; he is the source of life and nutrients. To remain connected to Jesus, the Bible has a word for it: it's called abide. Abide means to remain, stay, and continue. Jesus is saying it's not just about connecting one time; it's about staying connected. Growth and fruit occur from being connected to Jesus for a long time.

Jesus wants us to stay close to him and follow him. Around certain days of the year, people love to give flowers, and many love getting flowers. Jesus is saying stay with him and don't come and go; just stay with him because he is divine.

Flowers are great, especially during Valentine's Day. We spend a lot of money on them, but the moment you cut that flower off the vine, it immediately begins to die. So, I know you love your loved one and you're giving them flowers, but here's what you're giving them: you're giving them death. It's pretty deep. But the moment you separate from the vine, it already begins.

Now watch this: they will look good for a while, but it's only a matter of time before they start showing death.

There are some people who would disconnect from Jesus. They may look good for a while, but it's only a matter of time. He is the Vine; we're the branches, and we can do nothing apart from him. Many times we try to connect to other things that don't even have what we need.

Like if you took an aloe plant and just broke off part of it, stuck it in the ground with the right soil, water, all that, it would begin to grow.

Okay, let's take that same aloe plant and let's plug it into like a refrigerator plug or a candy bar, and we're like, "Oh, it's gonna grow up!" Just because we attempted doesn't mean it was beneficial. Are you with me this morning?

There's a whole lot of stuff that we've been trying to connect to in the world, but just because we went through the motions doesn't mean it was helpful for growth and health.

I'm just telling you, we can't expect everything in the world to give us peace, joy, fulfillment, purpose, strength, direction, life, and eternal life. Only Jesus can do that. That's why he said he is the true vine, and the very fact that he said he's the true vine implies there must be some false ones foreign in our lives.

What other things have we been trying to connect to to receive all this other stuff? It might be money; it might be fame; it might be wrong relationships. But let me ask you a question: how frustrated has that left you? Because I will say emphatically today, only Jesus can save, only Jesus can satisfy, only Jesus can truly set free.

So, I'm just telling you, let's stop going and trying to plug into the world and expect the world to deliver savior-type stuff. Only Jesus can provide this; only Jesus can provide peace; only Jesus can provide eternal life.

The motivation is found in understanding verse 5, where he says, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." You don't know nothing means no thing apart from Christ. Once we sever that relationship, or if we don't have that, we can do nothing.

Now watch this: if you believe that, you'll stay close to him. If you don't believe that, you won't stay close to him.

Here's some good news: if you remain in Christ, he's your source, and he starts to pass on forgiveness because you're connected to him. He starts to pass on grace because you're connected to him. He starts to pass on blessing because you're connected to him.

I'm just telling you, you begin to grow and thrive and produce fruit in your life because you're connected to him. Now, if you're not connected, you can't expect to receive all these things.

Have you ever been talking to somebody, and they are talking about a party, and they think the invite went to everybody, and they're like, "Hey, you going?" and you have to admit, "I wasn't invited"? That's pretty awkward. But Jesus invited everybody!

Let me give you just a couple verses of a bunch of them. "Come on, come on to me all," say, "Oh, okay, that's pretty inclusive." "All who are weary and burdened, I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn from me, for I'm gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Watch this, "Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I'll come in." Look at this one, Second Peter says he doesn't want anyone to perish. Then we have John 3:16, "For God so loved the world."

Can we all agree that's pretty much covers it? He loved the world so much, God gave his son Jesus to die for you and me so that none of us would perish if we put our faith and trust in him. Like this is an invitation that goes out to every single person on the planet.

So all I'm saying is come to Jesus and then stay connected to Jesus and don't let anything sever your connection to Christ. Don't let anything separate you from him; he's the source.

I say that because my heart breaks as I see people come to Jesus, and they're so excited to follow Jesus, and then all of a sudden he gets a girlfriend, she gets a boyfriend, and all of a sudden they disconnect from Jesus and church and everything.

Or someone comes to Christ, and they're so excited to follow God, and then they hit a hard season and they disconnect. But I've also seen people be super blessed and disconnect. Sometimes we disconnect because of a hard season; sometimes we disconnect because of a good season.

What is it that's trying to get you to disconnect from the Vine? It could be a myriad of things: unforgiveness, wrong relationships, the world attitude, I don't know. But as I said that, it's starting to come to your mind right now.

And daily, there is an attack on your connectedness to the Vine.

Can I also say there are examples in the Bible of people who are connected and not connected? All we know is the Rich Young Ruler, and he didn't, he never connected to Christ because he served possessions and not him, so he never connected.

Then you have the precious lady with the alabaster jar who is forgiving of so much; she just broke a year's wage of oil on the feet of Jesus. She's like, "I don't even care; this you've changed my life, you're worthy, I love you, I love you." She connected.

Then we have Peter, people like Peter who connected, disconnected, and then reconnected.

All I'm saying is there's hope. So wherever you are with your relationship with God, can I just encourage you with the words of James, the half-brother of Jesus: "Draw near to God, he'll draw near to you."

If you're feeling distant from God, let me just clarify: He did not move; we moved. But if we've moved away, you can move back.

John 15:5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing."

So, connect and then stay connected because proper connection leads to proper access. Remind your soul to abide and then start looking at the results.

The results of being disconnected is withering and decay. That's a horrible feeling to have your relationship with God wither and stuff in your life to start drying up.

But the results of being connected is grace, peace, joy, forgiveness, and eternal life. That doesn't mean that you don't have problems; it just means now you have somebody in your life bigger than your problems - that's Jesus Christ.

Abiding in Christ involves our response to Jesus' teaching. We must allow the word of God to literally fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. Our relationship with God is connected to what we do with the Bible.

John 8:31-32 says, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

If we don't abide in His word, are we truly following Him? Just because we go to church? We must hold the word of God in such high esteem, as it is His word.

Abiding with Christ is directly connected to what we do with the Bible, not our feelings. The truth will set you free, but we're not free just because we think we are. We are free because of what God did through His word.

When we receive His word and abide in His word, that's the actual truth that will set us free. Not some new version of truth, not some cultural idea or philosophy; it is the word of God that sets us free.

Are you hearing me this morning? Are you understanding the importance of abiding with the word of God and the great gift that He's given us through Jesus?

Come on, clap your hands if you're grateful for the word. Alright, sit down; we got more work to do.

As Christ's word dwells in us and we're filled with the Holy Spirit, then we begin to pray in alignment with His will. And I say that because of this verse: this verse says you will ask whatever you desire, and it'll be done for you.

We love that verse; it's a great verse, but let me just clarify: God's not a genie; it's not a vending machine. "I'll take E2," you know? It's not what He's saying.

We will begin to pray in alignment with His will, and when we ask anything according to His word and will, it will be done. That's the confidence that you can have in the word of God and in your relationship with Him.

My daughters don't have a problem asking me for everything. Why? Because of relationship. They don't go to you and ask for stuff; they go to me and Mama.

Okay, let me just explain. Jesus said in verse 9, "Abide in my love." Oh, I want you just to fall back in love with Jesus again and rest in it. Abide in His love. Nothing can separate you from His love.

Romans chapter 8 says, "Abide in His love." But I did a bad thing. Yeah, but that doesn't change His love for you. It hurts the heart of God; yeah, we need to repent; yeah, but it doesn't change His love for you.

Abide in this love; stay there. And His love is a great motivator, both for Him and us. His love is what motivated Him to step into humanity and to die on a cross to pay for our sins.

But that same love is the kindness of the Lord in Romans 2:4 that draws us to repentance. Stay there.

Then He says, "I want you to love each other." This is the part where you check out because you're like, "I love Jesus; I hate people."

Come on, clap your hands if you hate people. No, no, I'm just kidding. That was a trick. That was a trick. That was wrong. That was not right.

But here's what I know: a lot of people are like, "I'll be connected to Jesus; that's it." That may be okay with you, but it is not okay with Him.

Ephesians 5 says, "Christ is the head; the church is His body." Say that with me: "Christ is the head; the church is His body." One more time: "Christ is the head; the church is His body."

Listen, you can't decapitate Jesus. You can't just say, "I'm going to love Jesus but not the church." That's His bride.

Why do you come to church? I come for the preaching? No, you don't. There's better preachers online. I come for the worship? No, you don't. You can watch worship online.

The only thing you can't do alone is love. So there has to be a connection between you and the church.

I'm just telling you, don't let nothing move you; stay connected to the vine, and then you will produce fruit, and you will grow, and you will be healthy.

It's God's idea to set up church environments because it's a place to love people. One of the greatest ways to love people is to serve them, and at our church, the best way to do that is to go through our Growth Track.

It's happening the first Sunday of every month, so if you miss it this week, just start the first Sunday of next month. Get involved and use your gifts!

I've had some people say they don't want to work with kids on a Sunday, but I remind them that we should give our gifts to the Lord as well as the world. We use our gifts to build the local church because it's His bride and the hope of the world.

Lead a small group or get in a small group because this is how we love each other. We are connected to each other and to the Vine.

Jesus says He is Divine, and we are branches. Abiding in Him implies connection, dependence, obedience, and permanence. Without connection, there is no life or fruit.

The branch is dependent on the Vine, not the other way around. When the branch is connected to the Vine, it receives all the nutrients and resources it needs to produce fruit and to grow.

Invite Him into everything, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean to your own understanding. Submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Once you are connected, the Lord tells us to let nothing move us and to always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

There are a lot of things in the world that are trying to disconnect us from Christ, shake our faith, and shake our vision. Don't let anything move you; stay connected to the Vine, and you will produce fruit, grow, and be healthy.

Today, let us make a fresh commitment to Christ and stay connected. Let nothing move us, shake us, or sway us. We need Him; He is the Vine, and we are the branches.

When we stay close to the source, we will grow and flourish. We can be more fruitful than ever before based on our closeness to Christ.

To stay connected, we must spend time with Him, read the Bible, pray, and talk to God. We must choose to love and obey Him more every day.

Even when the enemy is trying to take us away from the Vine, we must hold on. We must remind ourselves who He is and what He has done for us.

If we have lost connection, we must ask ourselves what happened and what got in the way. Let us reconnect and stay connected to the Vine, and we will produce more fruit than we have ever dreamed of.

Thank you, Lord! There's no lack with You; everything we are in need of, You are. I just pray that You'd flow through us now to a hurting and broken world, that they would see, they would sense, and receive the same grace we've received because You're flowing through us to them.

Let us bear much fruit. I pray that our Growth Track class will be packed with people taking their next step. I pray that You'd help us win our friends and share our faith in our world, in our job, and in school.

But Lord, we want to know You more and to stay close to the source. We will abide in Jesus' name.

Somebody said good amen; come on, clap your hands one more time for everybody who prayed that prayer. Great job!

Listen, I would recommend you grab your things, go get a bagel or a coffee, and come back for Growth Track. The Growth Track starts at 10 o'clock, so 9:45 church starts, but Growth Track starts at 10 right over there.

My wife and I want to come meet you after Growth Track classes, and don't forget prayer tonight at five o'clock.

I love you. If you want to give today, we're so grateful for all of the generosity in this church. You can give online; you can text it into 84321; you can even scan a code, or there's offering boxes on the back walls.

As we give, You are perhaps helping us produce more fruit than we've ever seen because of the proximity to the Savior.

I love you, and have the best week of your life!