John 15

John chapter 15, please. Gospel of John in chapter 15. Verse 18.

If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

I didn't forget that I spoke on this yesterday. But before we look at this, I'd just like to thank the saints here in La Crosse for all the work they put into hosting this conference. And I know I can speak for many who appreciate the opportunity to be here and all the blessing that it's been to us.

Yesterday when we looked at the upper room ministry of the Lord Jesus, especially from chapters 13 and 14, I started with these very same verses in chapter 15. And here the Lord is telling the disciples there are going to be difficulties. They are going to represent him in a world that not only rejected him and nailed him to a cross, but a world that is opposed to God.

Brother, sister, I don't have to tell you the world hasn't changed. And here we are so many years later, and we face the same struggle, the battle. And we need the same teaching that the Lord gave his disciples.

We need that too. How do we live for God in a world that doesn't want him? Whether your world consists of being at school, or in the office, at the plant, in your neighborhood, how do we do it? Chapter 15, verse 1. Of course, the Lord is still the speaker. He says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser, the husbandman, the gardener.

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. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 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. 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 what 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. And I'll stop there for now. In chapter 13, the Lord gave the metaphor of foot washing, and we talked about that yesterday.

But here in chapter 15, there's a different metaphor, somewhat similar, and he talks about a vine. Now, in the Old Testament, the vine was a symbol for Israel and Israel's failure to produce good fruit. Well, what Israel failed to do, the Lord Jesus wants to accomplish through you and me.

So, in this metaphor, Christ is the vine, the true vine that produces good fruit. The Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. The purpose is for us to produce good fruit.

Now, the Lord describes two kinds of branches, those that bear fruit and those that do not bear fruit. I'm going to deal with those that bear fruit first. In verse 2, the last part of the verse, he says, every branch that bears fruit, he, the Lord, prunes that it may bear more fruit.

I don't know much about gardening. My wife's a gardener in our family, and not too long ago, I don't know if you call it pruning when you hack the raspberry bushes back, but that's what she did. We had nice raspberries this year, but she cut them all down with just about a foot and a half left.

Why did she do that? So that in the will of the Lord, in the spring and summer next year, there'll be fruit. God is looking for fruit in your life and mine. What would he mean by that? Well, in Galatians chapter 5, verse 22, we read about the fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit who indwells us, as we saw in chapter 14 yesterday.

What he wants to produce in us is Christlike character, and we read about the ninefold fruit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance, or self-control. This is what God wants to produce in our lives, and to accomplish that, there are times when he has to prune us. We may not like it, and we wonder, Lord, why? But what's the purpose of a branch? Is it so that the branch can be some great thing? A branch is just a conduit.

We're singing a channel, channels only, and I don't like it any more than you when God deals with me. But he's telling us here that there's a purpose here. It's to produce Christlike character in us, and so there'll be something in our life that'll bring glory to God.

Now, I'll come back to the branch that doesn't bear fruit in just a minute, God willing, but notice in verse 4, how is this fruit produced? He says in verse 4, abide in me and I in you. I have struggled with these words for much of my Christian life. I've asked people, what does it mean to abide in Christ? And if I asked you that, what would you say? You say, well, what's your struggle here? Well, I thought as believers, we are in Christ.

In fact, we read that yesterday in chapter 14, when the Lord says, you and me and I in you, he's saying that we are in Christ. The moment we put our trust in him, our position is we're in Christ. We're not in our sins any longer.

So why does the Lord say to abide in him? I thought we were in him. The only conclusion I can come to, and by the way, I'm going to say this is a difficult passage for me. This is a wonderful passage.

To me, it's the heart of the upper room ministry of the Lord, but I don't find it easy and I'm not going to be dogmatic. I'm going to make some suggestions and if you see it differently, I understand that. No problem.

But the only way I could see this abide in me, positionally we're in Christ, but God wants our practice, our daily life to reflect the position that he's brought us into. Now, don't we see that in Paul's epistles, for example, say in Ephesians, the first three chapters, it's about our position in Christ. But then the last three chapters, how we should live out the privilege of being in Christ.

Now, maybe you think, Larry, that doesn't make any sense at all. Abide in me. The word abide is meaning to dwell, to live.

The Lord's saying live in me and what I see here, he's saying, and I in you, it's like letting him live his life out in us. And again, he uses the picture of a branch. He says, as the branch can't bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

And then in verse five, I'm the vine, you're the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. So if you just look at it now, I don't know much about growing grapes.

I've never done that. I think it would be interesting. But you got this branch here and it's just common sense that that branch can't produce grapes on its own, right? It's got to be, first of all, connected to the vine, but something else that sap, the life of that plant has to flow through the branch to produce the fruit.

You and I cannot achieve Christlike character or anything in our lives that's going to bring glory to God ourselves. At the end of verse five, he says, without me, you can do nothing. Now, I understand that with growing grapes and a vine and branches, that there are things that can hinder fruit being produced.

And maybe some of you have grown grapes, you know far more about this than me. I'd be glad to hear more about it. But I understand that insects can come in and hinder fruit being developed.

Also diseases like mildew and fungus. And perhaps the Lord wants us to realize that there are things that can come into our lives, even though we're in Christ, that can prevent him, the Lord Jesus, from living his life out in us. Unconfessed sin, for one thing, and maybe sin that needs to be, by the grace of God, put aside.

Are there things in my life, in your life, that are hindering God being glorified? Brother, sister, we've been hearing this weekend how we owe everything to the Lord Jesus. God has been so gracious. The fact that we're here today on our way home to heaven, where our sins are forgiven.

Who can put a price tag on that? We have the privilege of letting those of us who know Christ as our Savior, that he died for us, but he lives for us and he wants to live his life out through us, channels only. Do we love him enough to allow that? To surrender our own will to him? Abide in me, he says. You know, I would like to understand this to the depths of my being, from head to foot and in the depths of my soul, just to rest.

Because to me, that's the thought of rest in me, he's saying, and me and you. It's him doing it, not me. And so often our struggles in life come where we think we're trusting in the Lord, yeah, but you know, we got to figure it out, we got to do something.

And when the challenges seem so great, we're ready to just about give up. Dwell in me, rest in me, live in me, and let me live in you. That's how it appears to me.

But what about this branch that doesn't bear fruit? And here's where we get into some difficulty, perhaps. Because there are two main ways of looking at verse two at the beginning, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And the difference of opinion is, what's it mean, he takes away? Some say the idea is, it's sometimes translated lifts, lifts up, and some say it's a reference to maybe a vine, and the branches go down to the ground, and they need to be lifted up the ground so they can produce fruit.

With all respect to those who look at it that way, that's not the way it appeals to me. You say, why not? Well, for one thing, in the Gospel of John, this word is used many times, but the most of the time, it's with a thought of take away, remove. In fact, twice as many times, it has the thought of removing rather than lifts up.

But also, that word in verse two that says, every branch that bears fruit, he prunes. Really, it's the same basic word as cleanse, he cleanses. It's the same word as verse three, you are already clean.

Not exactly the same word, but the same root. And that reminds me of the metaphor that the Lord used in chapter 13 in verse 10 about the feet washing, when Jesus says, the person who is bathed, that's all over, needs only to wash his feet, but it's completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.

For he knew who would betray him, therefore, he said, you are not all clean. Of course, he's not all clean, but he's referring to Judas. Well, look in verse now in chapter 13, Judas was still there.

He didn't leave until the end of verse 30 of chapter 13. But now in verse three, the Lord says, you are already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you. Judas isn't there.

But is there not perhaps the suggestion that in verse two, every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away is referring to people like Judas that appear to be a branch, but aren't. And in verse six, to me, there's like the book ends of this. Verse six, Lord says, 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. This is somebody that appears to be a branch, but really isn't. Just a word to any in our audience that perhaps is living a double life.

My friend, nothing is more important than where you're going to spend forever. And when I mean a double life as somebody that hangs out with the Christians, but you've never really been saved. Now, I didn't come along the route like many growing up with family and assembly fellowship, growing up under the sound of the gospel.

I never heard the gospel till I was 25 years old. Make sure that you know for sure you belong to the Lord. You say, how can I know for sure? It wasn't until I rested in the word of God, I was saved for four years before I heard about eternal security.

And when I heard that it started coming to gospel meetings, assembly gospel meetings, I wondered if I was really saved or not. It wasn't until I rested in what God said that I had the assurance that he had saved me four years before. What I see in these verses abide in me, in this section, the Lord is wanting to take the pressure off us to try to represent him in a world when we don't have the power to do it in ourselves.

It's like a branch trying to produce grapes on its own. Can't be done. He just wants us to let him do it, to rest in him, to live in him, and let him live in us.

Why is it so difficult for me to live in the good of this? In verse 7, the Lord talks more about the abiding, the dwelling. He says, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. So here's the dwelling in him, the abiding in him, and let me just back up a bit.

You know, in this Upper Room ministry, as I mentioned yesterday, the Lord is teaching his disciples the tremendous relationship that he has brought us into. He talks about the Father and the Son and the Spirit of God indwelling us, dwelling in us. And he wants them, and he wants us today to live in the good of this relationship that he's brought us into.

Not only enjoying the position, but daily the practical outworking. And there's some key thoughts here in verse 7. If you dwell in me, well, here's the responsibility now. This relationship we have, I mentioned yesterday, if you have a good relationship, there's responsibility as well as privilege.

He says, and my words abide in you. How many times in the Upper Room ministry does he talk about the importance of keeping the Word of God, submitting to what God says, obeying his commandments? Not because we have to to get to heaven, but because we appreciate this relationship he's brought us into. So if you abide in me and my words abide in you, and here's something else now, he says, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.

To me, asking shows dependence. And here's something else that is critical to enjoying this relationship that we've been brought into. Not only doing his commandments, but depending.

And some have suggested that this abiding, it's a continuous dependence on the Lord, resting in him. And verse 8, by this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. This is what God wants, for us to glorify him.

Of course, the Lord Jesus is the perfect example. Okay, I'm just going to look at a few more verses here before I sit down. Verse 9, as the Father loved me, I also have loved you.

Abide in my love. Dwell, live in my love. How can we do that? Verse 10, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.

Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. The Lord, the perfect example of what he taught. Are you enjoying the love of the Lord Jesus for you? In Jude, we read, keep yourselves in the love of God.

Isn't it amazing how quickly we can forget how much the Lord loves us? To me, it's one reason why the Lord has given us the breaking of bread meeting, the Lord's Supper, the first day of every week, to get back to basics. The bread and the wine, the evidence of his love. Verse 11, he says, these things I've spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.

Now, in verse 11, he speaks of my joy. Verse 9, he spoke of my love. And back in chapter 14, verse 27, he speaks of my peace.

What does that remind us of? Right. The fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5, love, joy, peace. This is what God is looking for us, looking for in us.

And who doesn't want that? To live in the love, to be enjoying the love of the Lord for us, to have his joy, his peace. Verse 12, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Again and again, the Lord keeps going over this, how critical it was for those disciples after the Lord would be crucified and go back to heaven, for them to represent him, to have this love for one another in the world that would hate them.

And of course, it's the same today. Verse 13, greater love has no one than this, and then to lay down one's life for his friends. Verse 14, you are my friends if you do whatever I command you.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. It's quite a thing to be a friend of God, that God would want us as his friends.

Abraham now, three times in the scriptures, he's called the friend of God. Do you want a goal in life, an ambition? Here's a good one, be the friend of God. This is what he wants, this is the relationship we've been brought into.

The Lord wants us to live in the good of it. And verse 16, he says, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain or abide, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give you. Chosen in Christ, Ephesians tells us, before the foundation of the world.

So that brings the whole dilemma about election, and I'm not going to get into all that, but you know, people have said, well, how do you justify God says that we're chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, and yet in the gospel it's whosoever believes in him has everlasting life. Can you explain that? I cannot. I'm not God.

Just like I said the other day about I can't explain the trinity either, but I believe it. I believe in God's sovereignty. What he says, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.

I believe in God's man's responsibility. We have a choice. We can reject the Lord Jesus.

We can believe what God says about him and put our trust in him. Both are true. And how do they merge? In God's mind, there's no problem.

In ours, there at least there is in mine. So and then in verse 17, the Lord says, these things I command you that you love one another. And as I said yesterday, this isn't just some sentimental whatever.

This is a command. You know, many years ago, at Sings, we used to sing from what was it called the country in Western gospel hymn book or something like that. Anyway, there was a song in there called, He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Need, sung by Dottie Rambo.

He looked beyond my faults, the Lord Jesus did and saw my need. But brother, sister, don't we need to do that with one another. We all have our faults.

To try to be a help to one another. As he says, love one another as I have loved you. And then in verse 18, where we began, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.

If you were of the world. But we are not of the world. We're in the world, but not of it.

We're in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're of the world would love it soon. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world.

Therefore, the world hates you. I'm done. How can we live in this world that will hate the believer? They may not throw stones and eggs and tomatoes, maybe like they did in the past, but none of us know what the future is going to hold.

How are you going to live for the Lord tomorrow when you go to school or work or wherever you go? We've been brought into a great relationship. Every one of us that are saved, we're in Christ. We're not in our sins any longer.

We're not on our way to hell. But the Lord has given us empowering. Father, Son, and Spirit indwelling us.

We read that in John 14. And the Lord just wants us to rest in his truth. The Lord Jesus says, abide in me, live in me, dwell in me, rest in me.

And the way I see those next words, and I in you, he just saying, let me live in you. Brother, sister, this is the way we can be used of God so that there's fruit in our lives. There's more Christ-likeness and glory brought to the one who so richly deserves it.