John 15:2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away."
Key idea: I a am branch of the Vine. I am to be like Christ, receive all I need from Him, and bear for Him the fruit He desires.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I want to be like You. I want to be a fruitful branch, not one that is cast away. Make me a fruit-bearing branch.
- a vine needs branches, without branches it can bear no fruit
- a branch is simply a bit of wood brought forth by the vine for 1 purpose- serving it in bearing it's fruit; it is of the very same nature as the vine and has 1 life & 1 spirit with it
Lessons of the Vine & Branches
1) Entire consecration: the state of being fully devoted to God for His purposes
o branch has one object- to bear fruit the vine is intended to bear
2) Perfect conformity
o branch is exactly like the vine in every aspect- same nature, same life, same place, same work
o branch & vine inseparably one; believer needs to know he is a partaker of the divine nature
o only difference: one is great and strong and the source of strength, the other is little and feeble, always needing & receiving strength
o even so, the believer is & is to be the perfect likeness of Christ
Romans 8:29
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Qualities of Christ
- loving
- patient
- obedient
-gentle
- good
- humble
- forgiving
- kind
- peaceful
- faithful
- strong
- joyful
3) Absolute dependence
o the vines has stores of life & strength- not for itself but for its branches
o branches have nothing but what the vine provides
o believer called to enter a life of entire & unceasing dependence on Christ
Which of the following statements best describes you dependence on the Vine?
__ I have my own strengths. I need the Vine only to fill in the weak spots.
__ I am dependent on the Vine for life and everything I need.
4) Undoubting confidence
o the vine provides all, branch only has to yield itself and receive
o this truth => blesses rest of faith, genuine secret of growth & strength:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)
- you only have one things to do: just be a branch- nothing more and nothing less. Just be a branch; Christ will be the Vine who provides all. And the Vinedresser, the might God, who made the Vine what it is, will surely make the branch what it ought to be.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, reveal to me the heavenly mystery of the branch in its living union with the Vine, in its claim on all its fullness. And let You all-sufficiency, holding and filling Your branches, lead me to the rest of faith that knows You work out all things.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Week 1 Day 3- The Vinedresser
John 15:1 "My Father is the vinedresser"
Key Idea: God the Father is my heavenly Vinedresser. I am dependent on Him for all I am to be as a branch, and I can have complete confidence in Him to do His work in and through me.
Prayer: Father, You are the One who takes care of the vine and its branches. Be to me all You know I need.
- Vine must have vinedresser to plant & watch over it, to receive and rejoice in its fruit
- Jesus was the true Vine God planted, all Jesus was He owed to the Father, in all He did He sought to glorify the Father
- Jesus wants us to have the same relationship with God, Jesus's relationship with the Creator, models how our relationship with Him should be
- In regard to Christ & ourselves, the word teaches us 2 lessons: 1) absolute dependence 2) perfect confidence
- Christ lived ever in the spirit of "The Son can do nothing of Himself" (John 5:19)
- Christ felt Himself entirely dependent on the Father every day for the wisdom & strength to do the Father's will; "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:10)
- absolute dependence has blessed counterpart- confidence that He had nothing to fear, the Father could not disappoint Him
- "My Father is the vinedresser." Before Jesus even spoke about branches at all, He turned our eyes heavenward to the Father
- root of Christian life lies in the thought that God is to do all, our work is to give & leave ourselves in His hands; confess utter helplessness & dependence in confidence that He gives all we need
- as Jesus trusted God, let's trust God as those who belong to the Vine, trusting everything we ought to be and have will be given to us from God above
How would you describe your dependence on God? Check one or write your own.
__ I am dependent on God only when I can't work things out for myself
__ I know I should be completely dependent on God, but I am struggling to let go and trust Him as He desires
__ I am giving myself over to God in absolute dependence and have great confidence that He will provide all I need
__ Other:
*Pray that the Lord will help you learn to be completely dependent on Him and to experience perfect confidence in Him
Philippians 2:13
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
- As surely as the Vinedresser made Jesus the Vine what He was to be, the Vinedresser will make each branch what it is to be
- He is the guarantee for our growth and fruitfulness
Key Idea: God the Father is my heavenly Vinedresser. I am dependent on Him for all I am to be as a branch, and I can have complete confidence in Him to do His work in and through me.
Prayer: Father, You are the One who takes care of the vine and its branches. Be to me all You know I need.
- Vine must have vinedresser to plant & watch over it, to receive and rejoice in its fruit
- Jesus was the true Vine God planted, all Jesus was He owed to the Father, in all He did He sought to glorify the Father
- Jesus wants us to have the same relationship with God, Jesus's relationship with the Creator, models how our relationship with Him should be
- In regard to Christ & ourselves, the word teaches us 2 lessons: 1) absolute dependence 2) perfect confidence
- Christ lived ever in the spirit of "The Son can do nothing of Himself" (John 5:19)
- Christ felt Himself entirely dependent on the Father every day for the wisdom & strength to do the Father's will; "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:10)
- absolute dependence has blessed counterpart- confidence that He had nothing to fear, the Father could not disappoint Him
- "My Father is the vinedresser." Before Jesus even spoke about branches at all, He turned our eyes heavenward to the Father
- root of Christian life lies in the thought that God is to do all, our work is to give & leave ourselves in His hands; confess utter helplessness & dependence in confidence that He gives all we need
- as Jesus trusted God, let's trust God as those who belong to the Vine, trusting everything we ought to be and have will be given to us from God above
How would you describe your dependence on God? Check one or write your own.
__ I am dependent on God only when I can't work things out for myself
__ I know I should be completely dependent on God, but I am struggling to let go and trust Him as He desires
__ I am giving myself over to God in absolute dependence and have great confidence that He will provide all I need
__ Other:
*Pray that the Lord will help you learn to be completely dependent on Him and to experience perfect confidence in Him
Philippians 2:13
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
- As surely as the Vinedresser made Jesus the Vine what He was to be, the Vinedresser will make each branch what it is to be
- He is the guarantee for our growth and fruitfulness
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