Jesus is the True Vine
E.A. Johnston teaches that Jesus is the genuine true vine, and believers must remain intimately connected to Him daily to bear lasting spiritual fruit.
In this sermon, E.A. Johnston explores Jesus' declaration as the true vine from John 15, emphasizing the necessity of abiding in Christ daily. He unpacks the Greek meaning of 'abide' and shares a personal testimony illustrating the dangers of spiritual disconnection. Johnston encourages believers to maintain an intimate, ongoing relationship with Jesus to bear lasting spiritual fruit and live empowered lives.
Full Transcript
We are in our Jesus is series and today we're in Jesus is the true vine. In John chapter 15 we hear Jesus speak of himself as the true vine. In verse 1 we read, I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman.
In the Greek language the text takes on a deeper significance as it reads, I in contradistinction to anyone else am the genuine vine and my father is the tiller of the soil. Here Jesus emphasizes to us that he is the genuine true vine. He is the real deal and all others are fakes and frauds and Jesus as the true vine gives us a exhortation to stay connected to him in a daily walk with him.
In John 15 4 we see this truth, abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine. No more can ye except ye abide in me. Listen friends that word abide in the Greek is the word meno and it means to tarry, to dwell, to remain in a certain place with expectation and for believers not to abide in Jesus, the true vine, it can be costly.
Let me give you a personal example friends of not staying connected to the vine in an intimate walk with him. Years ago I'd been at a pastor's conference all week that was very time consuming and I failed to maintain my daily quiet time and as soon as I returned back to my office I sinned. I said to myself how in the world could I have done that? I just came back from a pastor's conference where everything was a spiritual high.
Well what usually happens after you've had a mountaintop experience? Well sometimes the next step is usually a valley and that's what happened to me and as I was praying I asked the Lord how did that happen that I could sin so easily and he reminded me of the text in Exodus about the manna in the desert and how if the Israelites tried to hoard the manna for the next day it bred worms and stank and the Lord said to me like the manna you cannot live on yesterday's provision of me you must come to me fresh every day to live for me. Then John 15 5 came to my mind. I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing that means nothing that lasts for eternity.
Jesus is the true vine friend and we must stay connected to him in order to be fruit bearers where his power flows through us as a means of blessing to others. Let us pray.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Jesus declares Himself the true vine
- The Father as the husbandman or tiller of the soil
- The significance of 'true' in the Greek text
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II
- The command to abide in Jesus
- Meaning of 'abide' (meno) in Greek
- Consequences of not abiding in the vine
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III
- Personal testimony of failing to abide
- Lesson from the manna in the desert
- Necessity of daily fresh connection with Jesus
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IV
- Jesus as the source of spiritual fruitfulness
- Power flows through abiding branches
- Call to remain connected to Jesus daily
Key Quotes
“Jesus emphasizes to us that he is the genuine true vine. He is the real deal and all others are fakes and frauds.” — E.A. Johnston
“Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine.” — E.A. Johnston
“You cannot live on yesterday's provision of me; you must come to me fresh every day to live for me.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Commit to a daily time of prayer and Bible reading to remain connected to Jesus.
- Recognize the importance of fresh spiritual nourishment each day rather than relying on past experiences.
- Examine your life regularly to ensure you are bearing fruit by abiding in Christ.