John 15:1-8 The True Vine: John 15:1 I am the true vine, Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly refers to Israel as His vine. (See Psalm 80:8-19, Isaiah 5:1–7, Jeremiah 2:21, and Hosea 10:1) Isaiah 5:1–7 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” 7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. The Gardner: The …and my Father is the gardener The Branches: fruitless or ? John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. The four most common views of John 15:2 What is the fruit? Fruit is the God-glorifying and that mark a person as a follower of Jesus (see v. 8). Pruning comes into life. …while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. The command: Abide—stay to Jesus John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; Jesus doesn’t believe an abiding relationship with Him can be . …apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. The promise of abiding: answered and God-glorifying . John 15:7-8 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Important truths about abiding: Abiding is a command, a daily choice—we must be . Abiding is a relationship. Listening: Speaking: ACTUP: Adore God, Confess sin, Thank Him, Uplift others, and Personal requests Abiding is a relationship.